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.

Chair: Jenny Gregory

 Sign up for Chess Club

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!

Stay tuned for registration link.

Math Competition Club or MC2 is an advanced math program to get kids excited about learning math and prepare them for success in the many popular math competitions done at school, like the CML, VML, AMC-8, and Math Counts.

Who: Students in grades 4-6 who have a strong interest in math. 3rd grade students are also invited to participate in our Grade 3 Mathletes MC2 program.

Cost: $850 per student (grades 4-6); $295 per student (grade 3)

Register for MC2 (Grades 4-6)Register for MC2 (Grade 3)

 Science Olympiad is a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of K-12 science education, increasing male, female, and minority interest in science, creating a technologically literate workforce, and providing recognition for outstanding achievement by both students and teachers.  One of Science Olympiad’s goals is to create a passion for learning science by supporting elementary and secondary Science Olympiad tournaments at building, district, county, state, and national levels with an emphasis on teamwork and a commitment to excellence.

Kent Gardens participates with a Division B (5–8thgrade) team and a Division A (3-5th grade) team.   Each team may participate in up to 23 events. The 6th grade team competes officially.  The 3-5th grade team competes as a practice team with more relaxed rules.  5th graders often participate in  Division B.

Science Olympiad teams are groups of 15 students that work in pairs and prepare for 2 or 3 events per pair.  For more details, see the VASO Event List.  Click on the event in the right column to see details

Events are divided into two categories:

• Study events, such as Anatomy and Physiology.  At the tournament, students, working with their partner, simply answer a written test.
• Building events, such as Mousetrap Vehicle or Bridge. For these events, students work with their partner on building a specific device following the rules provided. At the tournament, the device is tested in front of judges.
• Break out of which Division B events are written and which are device events.  

The Kent Gardens Science Olympiad seeks participation on three levels:

1. Students interested should let their teachers know or Mr. Shivnen
2. Parent Coordinators. We normally have two parent coordinators who schedule bi-monthly event progress meetings and provide information on rules, dates, and logistics for the eventual regional tournament which takes place in February.
3. Parent mentors. Each event has a parent who mentors each student pair of participants

To restart our Science Olympiad team, we will seek student and parent participation interest in September.  Students please let me know through your teachers.  Parents please contact me here: jjshivnen@fcps.edu

Cost:  $100 or $150 per student for the year.

KG Science Olympiad Division A (Grades 3-4 – $100)!

KG Science Olympiad Division B (Grade 5-6 – $150)!

Harris Teeter’s Together In Education program gives Kent Gardens money back when you link your VIC card and shop at Harris Teeter! Click here for more information and to link your VIC card. 

Visit Harris Teeter to find out more

Our food recovery program allows children to donate uneaten/unopened food from the school lunch they purchase to the SHARE of McLean food pantry.  Last year we collected 1,187 pounds of food. This fall we are excited to kick off another great year of reducing waste and giving back to our local community in need.

Chair: 

 6th Grade Farewell Committee is responsible for fundraising for and organizing the 6th grade Promotion Party, and 6th grade class gift that will be given to Kent Gardens. 

Chair: