Upcoming Events
Feb. 18th George Washington Birthday (Holiday - No School)
Feb. 20th Best Buddies Program meeting after school
March 1st & 2nd Theatre Dept. NYC field Trip
March 11th 3 hr Early Release
March 12th - 15th 8th Grade Writing SOL
March 29th FMS vs RRMS Basketball Game
Student Services Updates
Thank you to all in our community who helped to make our school counseling and clinical team feel special this week by sending notes, cards, gifts, and emails honoring National School Counseling Week!
Our elementary feeder tour took place today, and it was a great success, thanks to the help of various staff members, our student performers, school counselors, and NJHS students! Thank you to ALL who lent a hand today for our 6th graders! Parents, if you have any follow up questions from last week’s Curriculum Night, or if your children have questions, please email or call Mrs.Stubblefield at TLStubblefie@fcps.edu or 703-904-5126. Important documents that were distributed on Curriculum Night will be posted on the Franklin Website along with our new elective video! As you are having important conversations with your children about their course selections, please review this important information on our website. Students can make updates to their course selection through StudentSIS. The directions are located on the back of the paper course selection sheet. Parents can view, but not make changes, in ParentVUE. Once course selections are locked internally, you may request a course change by contacting your child’s school counselor.
Attendance Updates:
As we are halfway into our school year, we would like to remind parents of some important information about how absences impact student achievement. Following FCPS requirements and the Franklin protocol, if your child accrues more than 5 full-day absences, you will be mailed letters home for notification. Please review the following information and contact us with any questions.
Health and Wellness Updates:
Student Rights and Responsibilities update/reminders on February 11th
On Monday, February 11th, all Franklin students will be participating in a Students Rights and Responsibilities update during the course of the instructional day. Franklin administrators will be reviewing FCPS policies and school-based procedures to include topics such as responsible use of technology and personal devices, school-appropriate dress code, abstinence from alcohol, tobacco/vaping, and other drugs, identification and reporting of bullying and harassment, and other topics directly related to Franklin’s commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful learning environment. Please be sure your child is in attendance on February 11th to receive these SR&R reminders which will support positive decision-making throughout the second semester.
REMINDER:Let's Talk College @ CHS Next week
Let’s Talk College! – A program for Middle School and 9th Grade Parents.
February 11 – 7:00 p.m.
Chantilly High School - Auditorium
Do you hope and/or expect your child to go to college? Are you anxious about the college application process? Do you worry that it is too competitive? Do you want to know how to help you child prepare and make good decisions? Should your student take high school classes in middle school? Does your student have a four-year plan for high school? Chantilly High School will host their annual Let’s Talk College program on Monday, February 11 at 7:00 PM in their Auditorium. Both students and parents are encouraged to attend. View event flyer: https://tinyurl.com/y8zncy8r
Following is the Spanish version for the middle schools:
Recordatorio la próxima semana:
¡Hablemos de las Universidades!
11 de febrero – 7:00 p.m.
Chantilly High School – Sala de Lectura
¿Aspira y/o espera que su hijo/a asista a la universidad? ¿Está preocupado por el proceso de solicitud de la universidad? ¿Le preocupa que el proceso es demasiado competitivo? ¿Quiere saber cómo ayudar a su hijo/a preparase y tomar buenas decisiones? ¿Debe su hijo/a tomar clases de nivel secundario en la escuela intermedia? ¿Tiene su estudiante un plan de cuatro años para la escuela secundaria? Chantilly High School será el anfitrión de este programa especial: ¡Hablemos de la Universidades! el lunes 11 de febrero a las 7:00 PM en la Sala de Lectura. Tanto los estudiantes como los padres están invitados a asistir. Ver folleto de información: https://tinyurl.com/y7xkn4sf
Vaping: What Students Should Know (and Parents, Too)
FCPS has created a student-focused webpage that provides information about vaping risks, resources, and videos featuring FCPS students.
Many students believe e-cigarettes are harmless, but that is not true. Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can impact adolescent brain development beyond the teen years. Some e-cigarettes also contain other harmful chemicals. While usage is primarily seen at the high school level, middle school students are also engaging in this harmful activity.
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R) document was updated in September 2018 to include vaping as a prohibited activity. Students found in possession of or using vape products on school grounds will participate in an FCPS intervention program and may receive disciplinary consequences. Students may face additional sanctions if they participate in a sport or activity where the Virginia High School League (VHSL) participation agreement is in place.
We encourage all parents to become better informed about this subject and to discuss the issue with your students, as appropriate. Get started with these tips from the Surgeon General.
NJHS Members- Service Hours Reminder
All NJHS members are required to complete 15 service hours in a FCPS school (separate from Civics Service Learning hours). The deadline for hours to be completed for the year is April 31st. At that time, we will evaluate what students will fulfil their membership and be a part of our pinning ceremony in May to include students who have:
- Completed their service hours
- Maintained a cumulative 3.5 GPA
- Upheld the 5 NJHS Pillars
We will continue to post service opportunities in the NJHS Google Classroom, but students should also reach out to elementary schools or Franklin teachers to inquire and find service opportunities.
If you have completed service hours and have not yet turned in your verification forms, please bring them to the folder outside Ms. Bridenbaugh’s room (101- Blue Pod) so that you can get credit for your hours
DINING FOR DOLLAR$
Our Piero’s dining event is coming up! We have secured two days in hopes that some flexibility will allow our families to support Franklin. Please see the flyer below for details. We hope to see many of you there!
SERVICE HOURS
Does your student need additional service hours to meet the upcoming deadlines for NJHS and Civics? If so, follow us on Facebook. We post several opportunities there every week!
PTA MEETING
As a reminder, our February PTA general membership meeting is next Tuesday, February 12th at 9:30 am in the library. We hope many of our FMS parents can join us to share ideas and hear about what exciting activities we have planned for the second half of the school year.
HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL LONG WEEKEND!
SpeakUp Survey
The Speak Up National Research project annually polls K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school and represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder voice on digital learning. Since 2003, over 3 million K-12 students, parents, teachers, librarians, principals, technology leaders and district administrators have shared their views and ideas through Speak Up. Education, business and policy leaders report that they use the data regularly to inform federal, state and local education programs.
Please visit this link to take the survey. For more information about the survey, visit https://www.fcps.edu/node/35424.
Upcoming Testing for Students
NAEP
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) will take place at Franklin on Thursday, February 14, 2019. A random sample of 8th grade students has been selected to participate in this assessment which measures student achievement nationally. A letter to parents was sent home in December if your student has been selected to participate. Students that complete the assessment receive 90 minutes of community services time.
WIDA
Attention ESOL Parents/Guardians:
The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs test will be administered to all Franklin ESOL students (Levels 1-5) January 22-February 19, 2019. This test is comprised of four different components—Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking—that all ESOL students are required to complete. It will be helpful if you can avoid appointments which may take your child out of school on or during the testing dates. Also, it will help your child perform his or her best if he or she has had a good night’s rest, a healthy breakfast, and comes to school with a positive attitude.
 https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/?event=general.displayLanding&jobnumber=5330
Franklin MS After School Program
New Activities –
- Dance Team – Students who were unable to make Dance team try-outs on Thursday, January 24th, can try-out after-school on Thursday, February 7th.
- Basketball – our annual Franklin vs. Rocky Run basketball game is scheduled for Friday, March 29th at Chantilly High School. Try-outs for the girls and boys teams are open to all Franklin students. Only 10 – 12 students will make the team. Sign-ups will be available to students on their grade level google classroom beginning on Friday, February 1st.
Girls Basketball Try-outs – Wednesday, February 6th until 4:30 PM (late bus day) – sign up is on grade level google classroom!
Boys Basketball Try-outs – Monday, February 11th until 4:30 PM (late bus day)
- SCA After-School Dance! SCA will be holding a Winter Wonderland Dance on Wednesday, February 13th! Tickets are $2 each and can be purchased during lunches Monday, Feb. 11 – Wednesday, Feb. 13th! This will be the only after-school activity this day! The dance is open to all 7th and 8th grade students!
Transportation is available to students staying after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – departing Franklin at 4:45 PM. Please be aware that the after-school late bus numbers and routes may differ from your child’s normal school day bus route.
- If you are picking up your child after 4:00 PM please use the Kiss and Ride area. Please DO NOT park in the bus loop.
- Students who plan to stay after-school must notify their parent/guardian BEFORE the 2:15 dismissal bell.
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2:15 – Dismissal bell, students who are staying after-school will go to their locker, grab all their belongings and head to the cafeteria. Each table will be labeled with the club/activity. They just find the correct table (ex. Chess Club) and will sign in and have a seat at that table. Everyday students will report to the cafeteria for sign-in and a snack.
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2:40 – Club/activity sponsors will come to the cafeteria to get their group and take them all together to the correct room/location.
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2:40 – 3:40 – 1st block activities
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3:40 – 4:40 – 2nd block activities
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4:40 – Students will report back to the cafeteria for late bus dismissal.
- Some activities are only 1st block and some are both blocks. If an activity is only 1 block, students can be picked up or report to a 2nd block activity.
After-School Activities - February 4 - February 15
Franklin MS Students Participating in 6th Real Food for Kids Culinary Challenge
Students enrolled in our Family and Consumer Sciences program will be participating in Real Food for Kids 6th Annual Culinary Challenge on March 2 at Hayfield Secondary School. The Public Tasting of students’ dishes is from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The “challenge” at the heart of this event is the same one faced by school food professionals every day: to create healthy, delicious and appealing menu items that conform to USDA school meal guidelines. Entries are judged by a panel of students, school food professionals, chefs, and local luminaries. Winners in the lunch category are featured in school cafeterias across the region the following year. The event is FREE to attend, but registration is required.
Get more information and register to attend.
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FCPS Computer Charger Cables
Parents, as we gear up for SOL testing in March and then again in May, please check with their children to be sure that they have their computer charger. If they have lost or if the charger is damaged, then it will need to replaced before SOL testing. The cost to replace the HP Probook charger is $38.
If you have an questions about this, please contact the Franklin Middle School main office.
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Do you and your family own Apple iPhones? Do you want to take advantage of the new ios 12 feature “screen time”? Apple just released a how-to video for parents, this video will help you, as a parent, monitor and support your child with their device. It is also important to have conversations with your children about the use of the ios 12 "screen time" feature and the results each week.
Screen time at school is also a concern for Teachers. I wanted to let you, the parents, know that devices at school are not used continuously all day. There's a mix of screen time and non-screen time in each class. The time on the devices is more about student creation and engaging students to explore the curriculum they are learning. They also use the devices to engage in class discussions and collaborative work.
Parent resources to support you at home. Use the link below or on our school website.
Digital Citizenship Parent flyer
FCPSOn Device Information
FCPSOn Computer information (Youtube playlist)
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