Programs

Why play chess? Chess is a great mental exercise for children, helping them improve problem-solving skills, hone their critical thinking, and practice concentration and self-discipline. Most importantly, chess is FUN! Kent Gardens Chess Club is offered year-round, with registration in the fall and spring. Chess Club meets on Wednesdays from 3:45 until 5:15 pm and is open to any KG student—new or experienced—in grade 2 through 6. An instructor from the U.S. Chess Center instructs the group.

Want more information? Click here to register.

Chair: Cara Cline-Thomas, Leslie Aga

This fall Kent Gardens will have a team for Girls on the Run. Girls on the Run is a transformational physical activity based positive youth development program for girls in 3rd-8th grade. We teach life skills through dynamic interactive lessons and running games. The program culminates with the girls being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia is an Independent Council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of over 200 councils across the United States and Canada.

A recent study on Girls on the Run participants shows girls who began with lower pre-season scores on confidence in physical activity, self-worth, connection, character, caring, contribution and physical activity frequency, and higher scores on sedentary behaviors showed statistically significant improvements from pre-season to post-season? We hope to continue this trend! Join Girls on the Run this season! Register here: https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=18496211

Click here to check out the KGES Girls on the Run quick fact sheet!

For more information, visit https://www.fcps.edu/academics/global-plus

Chair: Paige Farrington-Himes

Math Competition Club (MC2)

Chair: Chris Semonsen

The Odyssey of the Mind is a program that promotes creative thinking, collaboration and problem-solving skills. The program is open to students in first through sixth grades. More information: http://www.kentgardenspta.com/programs/odyssey-of-the-mind/

Chair: Sif Lazizi

STEM Saturdays are fun enrichment programs that explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math through hands-on activities.

Download Flier

Chair: Cara Cline-Thomas

The Wee Deliver Program is an all volunteer intra-school postal system that introduces letter writing skills, promotes reading, and builds awareness of the US Postal System, which began introducing the program to schools in 1990.  The program has since grown to include more than 25,000 schools across the country.  Kent Gardens has hosted the program for many years and we look forward to the 2017-18 season!  Only third and fourth graders participate in the mail collection and delivery.

Children of all grades are encouraged to participate by writing letters through our in-school post office.  The program supplements their regular reading and writing instruction while building community awareness.  There is a blue US Postal Mailbox near the cafeteria entrance to collect mail and third and fourth graders retrieve, sort, and deliver the mail weekly.  Specific roles include Postmaster, Cancellers, Nixie Clerks, Sorters, and Carriers.

On Tuesday and/or Friday mornings between 8:15am and 8:45am students gather in the e-pod to process and deliver the mail. Parents volunteer to serve as consultants and introduce the jobs.  Student scheduling varies depending on participation rates, and generally students are assigned to one day per month for the delivery season (October through May).  We may adjust the delivery days or frequency depending on participation.  Last year, over 45 students participated!

Parent volunteers are essential to this program. We cannot process and deliver mail without a parent consultant each week. Coming even once during the next eight months would be a huge help.

Please contact Program Chairwoman Anne Warrell at awarrell@hotmail.com with any questions or concerns.

Science Olympiad

Chair: Chris Semonsen

Boxtops for Education is an easy way to help earn money for Kent Gardens PTA.  Look for Box Tops on hundreds of products at your grocery store.  They come in all shapes and sizes and each one is worth .10 cents for Kent Gardens.  Believe it or not, they add up!  Please use the attached boxtops collection sheets or simply put your boxtops in a ziplock bag and have your child bring to school to turn in to their teacher.

Download: Standard collection sheet and Halloween collection sheet

Chairs: Pam Higgins and Anne Warrell

Please register your Giant grocery store card and help support KG PTA. It is a very simple process. Our school’s code is 01994. Please note that you must enter the number on your card and not the phone number associated with it. You only need to enter this information once and then every time you shop at Giant between October and March, Giant donates a percentage of the amount you spend to our school. Please register today so that we can immediately start earning money. If you do not have a card, please go to each grocery store’s Customer Service desk, and ask for a card.

Chairs: Veronica Hughes, Amber Syed

At Kent Gardens, every Friday is #KGPride Friday! Stock your child’s closet now–we have a variety of Kent Gardens Elementary School items that you may purchase, including car magnets, t-shirts, sweat shirts, and wrist bands.

Chair:

Simply use the links below when you shop at Amazon, Shutterfly, or Target and Kent Gardens PTA will receive a percentage of your purchase!

Chairs: Veronica Hughes, Amber Syed

Simply use the links below when you shop at Amazon, Shutterfly, or Target and Kent Gardens PTA will receive a percentage of your purchase!)

Chairs: Veronica Hughes, Amber Syed

Chair: Rachel Simon

Chair: Kristine Thomas

Square One Art is a creative and exciting fundraising opportunity that helps KG PTA raise money by turning your child’s art into useful keepsakes. Square 1 Art offers the ability to have students’ artwork easily transformed into a diverse selection of high quality custom products at reasonable prices.

Chair: Miya Shimomoto

Chair: Valerie Howell

International Night celebrates our diverse community, teaches our kids about the world around them, and brings Kent Gardens E.S. families together as we share our global experiences and delicious food with each other. For more information, visit our International Night page.

Chair: Mirtha Arce, Nadya Abhyankar, Laura Victoria Velez

Kent Gardens offers two yearly book fairs—one in the fall and one in the spring.

Chairs: Kara Horgan, Lisa Fraser