Steven McFarlane[email protected]
School SummaryKilmer Middle School is named for Joyce Kilmer, famous for his 'Trees' poem. Kilmer is located near Tysons Corner just off Gallows Road in Vienna nestled in a diverse, committed, and involved community. Approximately 1,250 seventh and eighth grade students attend Kilmer which provides a model of excellence for middle school students transitioning between the small elementary school model and the comprehensive high school model. Its vision is to provide a safe environment that dares each individual to embrace new challenges in a resourceful and collaborative learning community.
Through the use of Collaborative Learning Teams, Kilmer's school plan focuses on high academic achievement for all students. Kilmer is staffed with dedicated and caring educators who provide instructional strategies designed to fulfill the school's mission. Inherent in our mission is an earnest desire to continuously build and stretch our program in directions that increase depth of learning as we develop students who are intellectually curious, creative innovators, and active risk takers. Kilmer Middle School provides special education services for students with disabilities consistent with the requirements of individualized education plans. In addition to special education services, other services include, but are not limited to, instructional programs for advanced academic level IV students, open enrollment in honors courses, English for Speakers of other Languages (ESOL), and inclusive experiences for all students.
Kilmer has implemented a grade level House model, rather than the typical middle school teams, to provide smaller learning communities within a large middle school. Each House consists of approximately 300 students, 8 core teachers, a professional school counselor, and an administrator. The House model affords each student the opportunity to access their appropriate academic program. Each House includes advanced academic, honors, general education, special education, and ESOL courses and is designed to maximize students' ability to access each level of course they require. House teachers share a common planning period. During this period, school counselors meet with house teachers on a weekly basis to consult about individual student needs to support academic achievement. The diversity and inclusion of our House model fosters an active love of learning, the joy of exploring, and the academic and personal success that we desire for all of our students.
As part of the Collaborative Learning Teams' philosophy, each core department also has a common planning period during the instructional day to discuss lesson plans, assessments, and assessment data to identify and develop common instructional goals. The Kilmer staff's focus is to create a nurturing and safe environment that results in optimal student learning.
Our transparent communication is a cornerstone for the home-school connection to be effective and reap positive benefits for our students. The commitment of the PTA and the community is vital to the successful implementation of the instructional programs. The community partnerships provide students with additional resources and opportunities to support learning in the classroom. Active parental involvement is especially nurtured at Kilmer and is essential to maintaining a healthy educational climate.
In recognition of its high achievements, Kilmer was a recipient of the 2015 2015 Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award and 2014 Virginia Board of Educational Excellence Award.
Last Updated: 2019-02-01