User:Evagraham19/Kent Gardens Elementary School, McLean, VA

Kent Gardens Elementary School is located in McLean, VA and is part of the McLean High School pyramid. It is affiliated with Fairfax County Public Schools and includes grades k-6. Its current principal is Robyn Hooker.

During School
Kent Gardens has many programs that are offered during the school day. The school offers partial immersion for children grades 1-6 in French. Students in the immersion program take their math and science classes in French and also learn French with supplemental grammar and reading activities. In addition, they take language arts and social studies in English, like non-immersion students. Immersion students also correspond with students at Yena Issa, the school’s sister school in Bamako, Mali. In the sixth grade, immersion students go on a field trip to France. In order to participate in the immersion program, prospective students must apply. After graduation from elementary school, students are given the opportunity to continue to take French in middle school in a specially tailored program to help fill gaps left by partial immersion.

Kent Gardens also has an ESOL program, which stands for English for Speakers of Other Languages. This helps children who speak other languages at home to develop proficiency in English early in their development.

Students at Kent Gardens also can learn music. Students can start playing strings instruments in fourth grade and band instruments in the fifth grade. They can also sing in the chorus. Finally, Kent Gardens also has a post office called “Wee Deliver.” Started in 1990, this allows students to practice their writing skills by writing to friends in other classes or to old teachers. Students apply to work at the post office for a three-week period during the school year.

After School
Kent Gardens has an after-school science program called “Hands-on Science.” This program enriches students’ existing science knowledge and is carried out by parent volunteers. The school also offers an after-school basketball program. Furthermore, the school offers an after-school academy program with classes in all subjects.

Demographics
66.92% of the students at Kent Gardens are white as of the 2009-2010 school year. 18.34% are Asian or Pacific Islander. 5.02% are Hispanic and 2.73% are black. Finally, 6.99% are another race not listed. 11.14% of the children at Kent Gardens are enrolled in ESOL, and 82.86% of all of the students are considered English Proficient.

Test scores
As of the 2009-2010 school year, Kent Gardens Elementary is considered “fully accredited.” To be fully accredited, a certain percentage of students must have passed the Virginia SOLs, or Standards of Learning, exams. Kent Gardens’ students achieved a 98% pass rate on the English, Grade 3-5 English, the Science, and Grade 3 Science exams. They received a 97% pass rate on the Mathematics exam. On the History exam, 93% of students passed. However, 95% of students passed the Grade 3 History exam.