Key Center School

What a wonderful Homecoming week at Key Center School! 🎉

We’re celebrating our Homecoming King and Queen, and loved having one of our seniors join the pep rally virtually from home as part of the court. Students also took part in an adapted football kick using a special kicking apparatus made by our APE teacher, Greg Hoobchaak. And our Fall Parade outfits brought plenty of seasonal spirit!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the week so joyful and inclusive. Such an awesome week of fun activities- Go Rockets! 🚀👑💖

At Key Center, we're proud to be part of FCPS. Our staff go above and beyond for students and families every day. Who has made a difference for you or your child this year? Give them a shout-out below, and use FCPS CARES to send a formal thank-you!🚀

October is AAC Awareness month! AAC, or augmentative and alternative communication, includes many ways to support communication. Some tools are low-tech, such as pictures, communication boards, and printed choice cards. Others use technology, including speech-generating devices and communication apps. Our students use a wide variety of AAC resources in different situations, and every form of communication matters.

At our school, AAC is woven into all activities to support communication and learning throughout the day. It helps students share ideas, make choices, ask questions, connect with others, and take part in lessons and school life.

A special thank-you to Karen Burke, our ATS specialist, who keeps our AAC resources up and running throughout the building. We’re grateful for the care and expertise she brings to help every student communicate and learn.

💙⭐ Blue Star Welcome Week is coming to Key Center! ⭐❤️

This coming week, Key Center will be celebrating Blue Star Welcome Week as we recognize and welcome military families in our school community. We’d love for everyone to join in by participating in our optional, fun spirit days!

🇺🇸 Monday – Proud to Be an American Day
Wear red, white, and blue!

🪖 Tuesday – Crazy Camouflage Day
Break out your camouflage!

✨ Wednesday – Our Troops Let America Shine Bright Day
Wear stars, sparkles, or anything shiny!

🦸 Thursday – Military Parents Are Superheroes Day
Wear your favorite superhero gear!

📸 Friday – Dress Uniform Day
It’s Picture Day! Wear your best gear and bring your biggest smile! 😊

We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate and show our appreciation for the military families who are an important part of our Key Center community! 💙⭐

Today, our students took part in meaningful activities to honor and remember the events of September 11, 2001.

As part of our MVP Friday choice activities, students wrote and decorated personalized letters thanking firefighters and other first responders for their courage, dedication, and service. These thoughtful letters will be delivered to a local fire station as a special message of appreciation to these everyday heroes. Students also learned briefly about the fireboat John J. Harvey by reading *Fireboat*, an inspiring story about how the retired fireboat helped following the attacks.

In a separate activity, students read the poem *The Survivor Tree* and created paintings inspired by the tree’s strength, hope, and resilience.

What a great day at Key Center! From bus arrival to learning, working, and participating in activities in their classrooms, our students and staff filled the day with joy, connection, and learning. We are excited for all the wonderful moments ahead this school year. Together, we BELIEVE! 💙✨

What a fun, musical way to prepare for summer! ☀️🎶

This morning, our school came together for a special summer-themed music event, led by our music therapist. Students enjoyed summer music favorites and explored a variety of musical instruments, making music together as a school community.

We were especially excited to introduce a variety of new instruments purchased through a generous grant from the The Guitar Center Music Foundation. Thank you for helping create meaningful, engaging musical experiences for our students!

What a wonderful day at Key Center School yesterday for our Field Day and Family Picnic!

While the oppressive heat forced us to move Field Day activities indoors, our students, families, and staff made the most of it with a fun-filled day in the gym. Families were invited to join their students for games, activities, and plenty of smiles, followed by a family picnic and PTA meeting. We extend our sincere gratitude to Fairfax County 250th Commemoration and the Key Center PTA for generously sponsoring this special event and helping make the day such a success. In addition to the fun and socializing, we also conducted important PTA business, including the approval of our PTA Executive Board and proposed budget for the upcoming school year.

We were especially honored to welcome the Tinker/Enos family, who shared a heartfelt memorial to their son, Matt, a Key Center alumnus. Their generous donation to the PTA in Matt’s memory is deeply appreciated and will help support future opportunities for our students.

Thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, and helped make the day memorable. A great time was had by all, and we are grateful for the strong community that makes Key Center such a special place!