Kilmer's FLL Team Wins 1st Place!

Kilmer’s First Lego League (FLL) Team won 1st place Grand Champions Award at the VADC FLL State tournament at JMU, December 7 & 8.  They will go on to represent Virginia and DC in the World Festival, an international competition, in St. Louis in April.

Congratulations to the team!

* * *

Former Kilmer Students Sing at School Board Meetings!

Liz Carlson, currently a junior at Marshall HS, will perform the National Anthem at the School Board Meeting this evening, Thursday, September 12, 2013.

Last month, another former Kilmer student performed the same honor: Vanessa Estaniel, a freshman at Marshall HS sang the National Anthem.

Kudos to both young women on their success!

* * *

Kilmer Teens are in The Washington Post's KidsPost

Pallavi Bhave and Joyce Tian appeared in this past Sunday's KidsPost for their Food Allergen Detector (FAD) idea. Check out the full article!

Read more about Bhave and Tian's national science contest winning idea.

* * *

Kilmer Scores Big in Two National Math Contests!

This year, Kilmer Middle School had a tremendous number of students who qualified to take the American Mathematics Contest (AMC 10) for 10th grade students and below.  Eighteen of our Mathletes scored over 90 points on the AMC 10 test, three Kilmer Middle School students scored among the top 2.5% in the nation by scoring over 108 in the AMC10 contest.  Kilmer student Ravi Kodali scored among the top 1% in the nation by scoring over 117 in the contest.

Three Kilmer students also took the American Invitational Mathematical Examination. Kodali received a score of 12 out of 15 on this test, the second highest in Virginia and second highest in the world for 8th grade. He was one of 235 students nationwide who qualified for the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO).

* * *

Al Levinson, Former Kilmer Student Honored at Marshall HS

Congratulations are in order for another former Kilmer student.  Yesterday at the Marshall High School awards ceremony Al Levinson was honored as the Outstanding Engineering Student of the Year.   Al will be attending Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall.  

Way to go, Al!

* * *

Kilmer Voices of Now Cast Put on INCREDIBLE Show!

On May 17, 2013, Kilmer's Voices of Now cast performed an autobiographical show called "Moving Target" about setting, striving for and reaching goals. It was an amazing show; the full performance is available on YouTube. Students will do an encore performance at 7pm on Friday, May 31 at Kilmer MS -- don't miss it!

* * *

Two Former Kilmer Students Earn Awards at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair

Two former Kilmer Middle School students were among the winners at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair ("the premier global science competition for students in grades 9-12") held May 12-17, 2013 in Phoenix, AZ.

– Third Award in Animal Sciences: Supraja Chittari of George C. Marshall High School, ‘The Effect of Turmeric on the Memory Curves of Planarians.”

– Fourth Award in Medicine and Health Sciences: Jason Cui of Langley High School, “A Novel microRNA-based System for Cancer Management and Monitoring.”

Our commendations to these students!

* * *

Kilmer 8th Grader Awarded Honorable Mention in the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition

Raman Khanna, 8th grade student at Kilmer Middle School, has just been chosen as the recipient of an Honorable Mention Award in the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition. The honorable mention award comes with s a $200 U.S. Savings Bond prize. Over 9,000 entries were received and we are incredibly proud of Raman's accomplishment.

* * *

Drew Bonner, Former Kilmer Student, Receives Award from VHSL

Former Kilmer student Drew Bonner, now a senior at Fairfax High School, was recently awarded the Andrew Mullins Courageous Achievement Award by the Virginia High School League (VHSL). for his continued involvement in baseball and basketball while facing the progressive, life-threatening disease Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Bonner earned four letters in baseball and three in basketball as team manager at Fairfax after DMD limited his ability to participate on the field. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America and maintains a 4.2 grade point average. Bonner is also an active member of Boy Scout Troop 1970, an Eagle Scout, and the most decorated scout in his troop. He is an active regional participant in the Jerry Lewis Telethon for Muscular Dystrophy. He will attend the University of Virginia to study computer science.

View the complete press release.

A recent article from The Washington Post also celebrated Drew's commitment to the Fairfax Rebels baseball team.

We are so proud of Drew for his hard work and dedication and wish him the best as he becomes a Virginia Caviler!

* * *

Former Kilmer Student Heads to College at Age 16

Andrianna Ayiotis, currently a junior at Marshall HS (and formerly of Kilmer MS), will be heading to college in the fall instead of to her senior year in high school. Andrianna was one of 40 students nationwide accepted into a program for academically advanced rising seniors who are ready to begin college early.

Andrianna's full story is in The Washington Post. Our congratulations go out to her as she pursues new challenges and opportunities!

* * *

Kilmer Students to Participate in Arena Stage Voice of Now Festival

On Friday, May 17, Kilmer students will perform as part of a five day Voices of Now festival sponsored by Arena Stage. The festival will include over 175 students from around the area who have developed one act plays under the guidance of professional artists.

Read the Sun Gazette article.

* * *

Thomas Mecherikunnel Takes Home Top Prize in the Capital-Virginia District Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

Continuing his oratorical success all the way to the top, Thomas Mercherikunnel won the 1st place prize in the Capital-Virginia District Optimist Club Oratorical Contest. The topic of for this year's competition was "Why My Voice is Important." The award comes with $2,500 in scholarship money for Thomas to put towards his pursuit of higher education.

Follow Thomas' past successes in this contest:

March 13, 2012: Vienna Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

April 23, 2012: Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

March 12, 2013: 16 Students Compete in Kilmer's Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

March 21, 2013: Kilmer Students SWEEP Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

Way to go, Thomas!

* * * 

Kilmer Students win Toshiba NSTA ExploraVision science competition

Kilmer 8th graders Pallavi Bhave and Joyce Tien have won 1st place nationwide in the Toshiba NSTA ExploraVision science competition  with their idea for a handheld UltraViolet laser allergen detector. The contest looks at ideas that can be implemented 20 years into the future. Pallavi and Joyce both win $10,000 in savings bonds and a trip to the awards ceremony in Washington, DC.

Learn more about their innovative idea through their winning web site. We are so proud of these awesome Kilmer students!

Toshiba ExploraVision Winners Announcement
WTOP Story: VA teens win big with allergy-focused invention by Hank Silverberg (May 3, 2013)
WUSA9: Cool Schools: Kilmer Middle School Students Develop Food Allergy Detector (May 23, 2013)
The Washington Post KidsPost: Teens’ idea could help kids with allergies (June 18, 2013)

* * *

8th Grader Ellison Kang is a Finalist in the 2013 AMNH Young Naturalist Awards

Congratulations to Ellison Kang, a finalist in the Young Naturalist Awards conducted through the American Museum of Natural History (New York). His scientific research project was “Growth Recipe: The Effect of Bio-stimulants on the Growth Rate of Kidney Beans."

The Young Naturalist Awards is a research-based science competition for students in grades 7-12 to promote participation and communication in science. The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.

* * *

Kilmer Odyssey of the Mind Team Places 1st in State -- Off to WORLD FINALS!

A team from Kilmer Middle School won first place in Tumble-wood Division II (grades 6-8) at the Virginia Odyssey of the Mind tournament, held on April 14 in Aldie, VA. The team from Kilmer will be one of three from Fairfax County Public Schools to represent Virginia in the World Finals tournament at Michigan State University in late May.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international competition that offers creative problem-solving opportunities for students in kindergarten through college. Team members solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics, then compete at the local, state, and international level.

We are so proud of our Kilmer students!

* * * 

Kilmer Day of Service a Big Success

On Wednesday, April 17, all of Kilmer suspended regular lessons and participated in a Day of Service. View our press coverage surrounding the event.

• Kilmer Middle School Students Plan Day of Service on April 17 (FCPS Press Release, 4/15/2013)

• School's Day of Service Offers Lessons in Giving: Program encourages Kilmer Middle School students to ‘get outside their own box’ by Holly Hobbs (Fairfax Times, 4/18/2013)

• A Day of Service at Kilmer Middle: Students learn how to make a difference in their community and the world by Ngalula Tshishimbi (Vienna Connection, 4/22/2013)

• Kilmer Students Participate in Day of Service (Sun Gazette, 4/29/2013

* * *

Kilmer Students Win Big on National Latin Exam

We are very proud of our National Latin Exam award winners. This year we had 46 students take the exam and 29 win awards -- congratulations to Kilmer's awesome Latin teacher, Cheri Miller and the following students:

Gold Medal winners (Summa cum laude)

• Nitin Rao (highest score in the school, missing only one question)
• Ravi Kodali
• Siri Doddi
• Coco Strassberg
• Emma Barberis

Silver Medal (Maxima cum laude)

• Nikita Semchev
• Melody Chiang
• Nikhil Roa
• Ryan Ha
• Thomas Mecherikunnel
• Brian Anderson
• Alyssa Czaban
• Akila Jayanthan
• Nirasha Abeysekera

Bronze Medal (Magna cum laude)

• Allison Lew
• Sam Murphy
• Chris Niu
• Rachel Wade

Honorable Mention (cum laude)

• David Choi
• Patrick Hufnagel
• Khoi Tran
• Jordyn Park
• Claire Heiden
• Teja Vayuvegula
• Timmy Chan
• Lia Rodriguez
• Nadia Hamad
• Emily Schwab

* * * 

Kilmer Students SWEEP Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

At the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna Oratorical contest held last evening, Wednesday, March 20, one boy and one girl from each of the local middle schools (Luther Jackson MS, Thoreau MS, and Kilmer MS) competed, speaking on the 2013 topic, "Why My Voice is Important."

Our Kilmer orators, Thomas Mecherikunnel and Maggie McAden, took first place medals for both the boys and the girls. Congratulations and best of luck to Thomas and Maggie as they move forward to the Zone 4 competition on April 20, and we commend coaches Barbara Appling, Kilmer Creative Writing teacher, and Ellie Altman, Kilmer Librarian, for their work helping prepare all of Kilmer's orators this year!

* * * 

Former Kilmer Students Find Science Fair Success

Five Kilmer students performed exceptionally well at the 58th annual Fairfax County Regional Science and Engineering Fair held at Robinson Secondary School on Friday, March 15 through Sunday, March 17. The fair is comprised of winning science and engineering projects from high school students representing public and private schools in Fairfax County, VA.

Kilmer alum earning grand prizes include:

• Supraja Chittari of Marshall High School in Biochemistry, “Effect of Turmeric on Memory Curves of Planarians.”
• Aaron Aguhob of Marshall High School in Engineering: Electrical and Mechanical, “Effect of Fractal Antenna Design: FM Transmission.”
• Jason Cui of Langley High School in Medicine and Health Sciences, “MicroRNA Biomarkers for Anti-Tumor Response.
• John Han of Madison High School and Jake Cui of TJHSST in Medicine and Health Sciences, “Improving Alternative Cancer Treatment.” 

The full list of winners can be found on the science fair web site.

* * * 

Kilmer Student Team is a 2013 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Regional Winner

Pallavi Bhave and Joyce Tian were the Region 2 winning team for grades 7-9 in the 2013 Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision science competition. Their project was titled Food Allergen Detector and is explained as follows:

"The Food Allergen Detector will use Raman spectroscopy, a method in which a UV laser beam is focused on a food sample and the scattered light is detected. A small amount of the scattered light will change in frequency. The plot of the intensity of the "shifted light" versus the frequency is the unique Raman spectrum of the sample. The FAD will use a database of such Raman spectrums to identify and provide information on the presence or absence of common allergens in the sample."

Pallavi and Joyce were coached by Kilmer Science Teacher Susan Bates and mentored by Ashwin Bhave. The girls will go up against the winners from the other five regions for the national title. Congratulations on a rock star regional finish and best of luck to the team as they move forward!

Read the WTOP news story on this Kilmer team!

* * *

Hayun Chong, Kilmer 8th Grader Wins Scholastic National Gold Medal for Art

Hayun Chong, an 8th grade student at Kilmer Middle School, has just been honored with the Scholastic National Gold Medal for Art in the painting category for her work titled "The Art Room." The Gold Medal is awarded for "the most outstanding works in the nation." Hayun and other winners will be honored at the National Ceremony at Carnegie Hall in New York City from May 30-June 1.

We could not be more proud of Hayun for this amazing accomplishment and commend Kilmer Art Teacher Charles Raubacher for supporting her on this journey.

-----

"About the Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have an impressive legacy dating back to 1923 and a noteworthy roster of past winners including Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford and Joyce Carol Oates.

The Awards are an important opportunity for students to be recognized for their creative talents. Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literary-arts focused organizations across the country to bring The Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published.

Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.

In the last five years alone, students submitted nearly 900,000 original works of art and writing, and over $40 million in scholarships and financial aid has been made available to regional and national Awards winners by over 60 partnering top arts institutes and colleges. 90 years after they began, the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers."

-- from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards http://www.artandwriting.org/the-awards/

View the FCPS Press Release on Hayun and the other local winners

* * *

Three Kilmer Students Named to Virginia Middle School Honors Chorus

Of the forty-one students from Fairfax County Public Schools who were selected to the 2013 Virginia American Choral Directors Association Middle School Honors Chorus, three are from Kilmer Middle School: 

• Sonali Doshi
• Will Morrison
• Jared Zell

 The group will perform on Saturday, April 27, at Hanover High School in Mechanicsburg.

Kudos to these three students and to a big commendation to Kilmer Direct of Choirs, Kevin Sapp, for the work he does with all of our choral students.

* * *

Former Kilmer Student Publishes Children's Book

Nicholas P. Kousen, a Kilmer student from 2006-2008 and now a freshman at the College of William and Mary has written a book, with his TJHSST classmate Acacia Dai illustrating. The book is called “Halebopp: A Rabbit’s Tale” and is the real-life story of a rabbit rescued by Kousen’s 7^th grade science teacher at Kilmer, Ms. Stacie Kreitman, and later adopted by the Kousen family.

The book is dedicated to Ms. Kreitman. It was published on February 7 and became available as a Kindle title on February 15. Congratulations to Kousen and Dai on this incredible achievement.

Read the full story from the Fairfax Times.

* * *

Kilmer Student Places First in State in Virginia Scholastic Chess Championships

On March 9-10, Kilmer students competed in the Virginia Scholastic & Collegiate Chess Championships at Longwood University in Farmville, VA. Isuru Attanagoda achieved the HUGE accomplishment of placing first and becoming the K-8 Virginia State Chess Champion.

In the team competition, Kilmer placed 8^th in the state. Kilmer’s team consisted of:

• Isuru A Attanagoda
• Boyoung Zhao
• Chaitanaya M Vij

 Congratulations to Isuru and to our whole Kilmer team.

* * *

Kilmer Team Takes First Place at Regional Odyssey of the Mind Competition

A team of Kilmer students placed first in the Northern Virginia Region 9 Odyssey of the Mind Tournament held on Saturday, March 9 at Oakton High School.

The team chose to complete the Tumble-wood problem for their long-term selection. Their task was to design and build a structure made of only balsa wood and glue that balanced and supported as much weight as possible. Before weight placement began, the team had to present a commercial that included the structure rolling down a ramp. The structure was scored for how far it rolled and for how much weight it held. The team was required to integrate the placement of the weights into the performance. The Kilmer team scored extremely well in all areas, receiving perfect marks for their spontaneous problem and near perfect marks in all areas.

They will next compete in the Virginia State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament on Saturday, April 13 at John Champe High School in Aldie, VA. Congratulations to all involved and best of luck moving forward!

* * *

16 Students Compete in Kilmer's Optimist Club Oratorical Contest

Congratulations to all 16 of the Optimist Club Oratorical contestants who wrote and delivered 4 minute speeches to a panel of judges on Friday.  Winners for the boys were: 3rd place: Surya Ambardar; 2nd Place: Andres Perez; and 1st place:  Thomas Mecherikunnel. Winners for the girls were: 3rd place: Kiersten Paul; 2nd place: Siri Doddi; and 1st place: Maggie McAden.

Winners Maggie and Thomas will go on to compete against the winners from Thoreau and Luther Jackson Middle Schools on Wednesday, March 20.

* * *

Kilmer Orchestra ROCKS State Assessment!

All four Kilmer orchestras participating in the state assessment this past weekend at Kenmore Middle School received STRAIGHT SUPERIOR ratings from the judges. This is a huge accomplishment and we are very proud of all performers.

The students played beautifully and showed incredible maturity and focus and were led by our amazing Orchestra Director, Marci Swift.

* * *

Kilmer NJHS & 8th Grade Class Donate 400 Snack Bags!

Congrats to Kilmer Middle School’s National Junior Honor Society in partnership with the 8th grade class for a successful “snack - Fill 400 in February” campaign.  Students donated over 400 snack bags for needy children and families in Alternative House’ 9 programs and earned 134 community service hours.  Thanks to all who donated or volunteered --   you made a difference in our community!


View the Vienna Patch's article about this accomplishment!



* * *

Vienna Shopping Center Donates $1,000 to Kilmer, Principal Challenges Students to Match Donation

Vienna Shopping Center merchants donated $1,000 to Kilmer Middle School last month.

Upon notification of the donation, Principal Douglas Tyson challenged students to match the donation and give the funds to a local food bank. In three days, the students raised $1,200, and the school plans to give $2,200 to the local Vienna food bank.


Read the full story in the Vienna Connection!



* * *

Three Former Kilmer Students named to 2013 Virginia All-State Chorus

Of the sixty-six FCPS students named to the Virginia All-State Chorus for 2013, three are former Kilmer Students. We congratulate David Eaton and Jenna Robinson of Madison High School and Isabel Gross of Marshall High School and give kudos to Kilmer Chorus Director Kevin Sapp for being part of their musical education.

This chorus will perform as a group on Saturday, April 27 at Hanover High School in Mechanicsburg.

* * * 

Kilmer Student Audra Kim wins Scholastic Writing Award

Kilmer student Audra Kim won a Gold Key in the 2013 Scholastic Writing Awards Competition in the Poetry category. Her work will be forwarded to the national level competition.

* * *

Kilmer Students Selected for Scholastic Art Prizes

Scholastic has selected three Kilmer students for regional art awards.  Hayun Chong won two Gold Keys, James Manown won a Silver Key and Sophia Wu had an honorable mention. Students will be honored at a ceremony at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus on February 19 at 7:30pm.

* * *

Voices of Now Ensemble Selected!

Voices of Now is a drama and writing program for young artists provided by Arena Stage, DC’s oldest, largest producing theater.  Voices of Now students learn the tools of theater performance, such as movement, vocal expression and collaboration, by taking a series of four workshops in the Fall semester.  Participants who attended all four workshops were then eligible to audition for the exclusive Voices of Now Ensemble.  Ensemble members work with professional actors and directors to study acting and to write an original play to perform at Kilmer Middle School AND Arena Stage in Washington, DC.

Congrats to all Voices of Now Ensemble members!  They are; Buckley R,  Drake C, Emiko G, Grace D,
Holly W, James A, Kanishk S, Kelly H, Laura G, Lindsay G, Nathan L, Rachel L, Roshana G, Sammy K, Shreya J, Sumaire S, Tanaka M, Taylor S, Theo T, Tulsi M.

* * *

Former Kilmer Students Named 2013 Semifinalists in Intel Science Talent Search

Nalini Singh and Katherine Wu, former Kilmer students, were two of seven students in all of FCPS to be named 2013 Semifinalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search. This is fabulous news for these students and to the talented educators at Kilmer who have helped guide their educational progress!

* * *

Kilmer Model UN Participates in Chantilly HS Conference

Congratulations to Kilmer's Model UN team who participated in the Chantilly HS conference this past weekend.  Delegates Raman Khanna and Numan Khan won Best Delegation; delegates Rohan Taneja and Nitin Sakhamuri won Outstanding delegation;  and delegates Daniel Xu and Zach Zimmerman were awarded Verbal Commendation.

* * *

Kilmer Students Appear in Vienna Connection's Annual Children's Connection 2012 issue

The December 26, 2012 issue of the Vienna Connection, their annual Children's Connection, includes a the poetry and prose of a number of Kilmer Middle School students.

Read the Children's Connection 2012!

* * *