Upcoming Events
Feb. 18th George Washington Birthday (Holiday - No School)
Feb. 20th Best Buddies Program meeting after school
Feb 25th SR&R Updates
March 1st & 2nd Theatre Dept. NYC field Trip
March 4th Spring Picture Day
March 11th 3 hr Early Release
March 12th - 15th 8th Grade Writing SOL
March 29th FMS vs RRMS Basketball Game
Johns Hopkins FCPSOn study & student opt-out form
Johns Hopkins University is conducting an evaluation of the FCPSOn initiative in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). This initiative “moves FCPS students and staff members to look beyond the highstakes testing environment and to help our students develop skills so they can be successful in the workforce of the future.” Learn more about the FCPSOn initiative here:
https://www.fcps.edu/resources/technology/fcpson
This study will evaluate perceptions of the impact of the FCPSOn initiative on teaching and learning, acquisition of 21st century skills, student interest and engagement, advantages and challenges of technology infusion into learning, etc. This study may benefit society if the results lead to a better understanding of how best to implement such an initiative in a large school district.
Participating students will be invited to complete a short survey online and they may be selected to participate in a brief focus group to share their opinions concerning the FCPSOn initiative. Participation in this study is completely voluntary and confidentiality is guaranteed by the research team. If you decide not to have your student participate in this study, please return a completed copy of the included consent form to the main office.
FCPS Parental Consent Form (English)
FCPS Parental Consent Form (Spanish)
 Please join us for the Spotlight on Student Learning in the Chantilly Pyramid
When: March 28, 2019
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Where: Franklin Middle School
Who: Parents and Students from All Chantilly Pyramid schools
An opening presentation will be followed by choice sessions and student and teacher presentation in the gymnasium. There will be an opportunity to learn more about these topics:
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What student learning looks like in our classrooms.
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How to safeguard student’s health and well being while using devices for learning.
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Students perspective on learning in the modern classroom.
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The role of the teacher in the modern classroom.
Student Services Updates
Today we recognized and celebrated our All-A Honor Roll students for Q2. This celebration is for students only and will be happening tomorrow during Learning Seminar. Please look for certificates to come home with your child.
Our Student Services Team would like to welcome our School Counseling Intern, Karina Paton, supervised by Ms. Jessica Elliot, for the remainder of the school year. Welcome to the Franklin family, Karina!
We are deep into our 1:1 Academic Advising sessions with students and school counselors this week and in the upcoming weeks! Parents, if you have any follow up questions from Franklin’s Curriculum Night, please email or call Mrs.Stubblefield at TLStubblefie@fcps.edu 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 have 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 current school counselor. If your child is still determining elective choices, please be sure to check out our new Electives video, produced by our very own Theatre teacher, Ms.Jacki Young!
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.
https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/HealthFlyerforParents.pdf
Health and Wellness Updates:
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.
Army Voices Perform for our Choral Students
We had special guests on Wednesday, February 13th, the U.S. Army choral ensemble. They come to us from Fort Meyer and were kind enough to perform and answer questions for our Franklin choral students. Thank you for time and your service!!
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
Writing SOL March 12th through 14th
Eighth grade students will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Grade 8 Writing Test between March 12 and March 14. It is important that your child attend school on these days. If possible, please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would take your child out of school during this time period. It is also important that your child have a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast before testing. If you become aware of an unavoidable conflict that could result in your child missing a testing day, please notify your child’s school as soon as possible.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) requires that all students in grade 8 take the English: Writing Standards of Learning (SOL) test. The test has two components: multiple choice response and a short paper response. In order to obtain a score, your child must complete both components.
The purpose of SOL testing is to provide information about student achievement to the parent, school, school division, and state. In most cases, test scores are available for parents by the end of the school year. More information about how and when you will receive your child’s scores will be shared closer to these dates.
If you have questions about SOL testing, please contact the School Test Coordinator, Lea Fadden at Lea.Fadden@fcps.edu.
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.
This is another reminder that it isn’t too late to support FMS by linking our school to your Giant, Harris Teeter and Amazon accounts. Please see below for more information:
- Visit https://giantfood.com
- Click register
- Enter the first three letters of your last name and your 13-digit bonus card number. If you don’t know your 13-digit Giant card number, call (877) 366-2668and select OPTION #2
- Choose Franklin Middle School – 01858
Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Franklin Middle School PTA. This is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service, plus your Amazon Prime account will apply!
- Or on your first visit to amazon.com, before you begin shopping, go to your account, then “Change your Charity”, and select Franklin Middle School PTA.
- Support Franklin Middle School by always starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com. Once you register, FMS will automatically be pre-selected. Every eligible purchase will result in a donation. Bookmark it today!
HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY LONG WEEKEND!
School Climate Survey
This winter the Virginia Center for School Safety in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Education is conducting the Virginia Secondary School Climate Survey of students and teachers. This survey is part of the annual School Safety Audit for all public schools in Virginia. The purpose of this survey is to measure school discipline, student support, student engagement, and safety conditions in each school. This information will be used to guide educational practices that produce a safe and orderly school environment. A random sample of 25 students from each grade level at Franklin MS has been chosen to participate in this survey on February 19 & 21 . If your student is one of the random participants, a letter was mailed to your home in early January. Please contact Lea Fadden at Lea.Fadden@fcps.edu with any questions.
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.
 https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/?event=general.displayLanding&jobnumber=5330
Franklin MS After School Program
iCan Bike Program – March 4 – 8
Franklin is proud to host the iCan Bike Program again this year. iCan Bike is weeklong program that uses adapted equipment to help children with disabilities learn to ride a two-wheel bicycle. The program will run March 4 – 8th from 2:15 – 5:30 PM. We are looking for 20 volunteers who are available to help at least four – five times a week until 5:30 PM. It is best if you can attend all five days, this way you get to know the riders and can build a trusting relationship with your rider. Students can also earn service hours. Students who are interested can pick up a permission slip during their lunch period beginning Wednesday, February 20th. Permission slips are due Wednesday, February 27th. Please e-mail Mrs. Mollé with any questions, cemolle@fcps.edu.
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 18 - March 1
 FCPS Science Fair Judges Needed
FCPS is looking for science fair judges for March 15th through March 17th. If you are interested, please call Linda Peterson @ 571-423-4783.
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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