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Picture Day Reminder - This Monday

Picture Day forms were sent home this week with students and need to be brought in this coming Monday, October 21st for any photo packages!


To Veterans and Active-Duty Service Personnel and their Families:

The Chantilly High School Pyramid and iWitnessed --> iRemember would like to invite you to our Chantilly Thanks! performance and dessert reception. We appreciate all of the sacrifices you and your family have made to protect our country, and we would hope you can join us at this event. 

The event will take place on November 12 (Tuesday) at Chantilly High School.  The performance portion of the evening will begin at 6:00 PM, followed by a dessert reception (and a thank you gift for all of our attending veterans!)

Space is, unfortunately, limited, so please RSVP for you and your guests at the following link: chantilly-thanks-our-veterans.eventbrite.com

If you have any questions, please email iwitnessed.iremember@gmail.com.

Veterans Day Ceremony

Volunteers Needed!

Parent volunteers needed to provide hearing and vision tests to students on 10/28.  

No experience is needed, training will be provided to volunteers on the spot!  

Tests will be given in the morning from 7:15am - 11:00am and afternoon from 11:00am - 2:15pm.  

Five volunteers are needed for each session.  

Please sign up using the link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050545A5A922A6FE3-parent


Laptop Cases and Laptop Care

We wanted to send out a couple of reminders about taking care of the student devices that were checked out at the beginning of the year and make sure that they care for their devices throughout the school year.

  • Please encourage your students to only hold the necessary equipment and accessories in their school-issued cases or their personal ones. Weighing down or over-packing the cases can result in unnecessary damage to the laptops and cases. Our Tech Team has seen a large amount of laptops with cracked or broken screens as well as ripped cases. Much of this is caused by students using them as backpacks for their school books and supplies.
  • Students need to be aware they are responsible for their laptops, cases, and chargers. We have had instances of students lending out their laptops and chargers and not having them returned by their fellow peers as well as leaving them in their classrooms and on top of lockers. These items are not to be shared among others.
  • Updates to the computers need to be done inside the school network as they cannot be updated from home. Please encourage your student to restart their computers twice a week early in the morning before classes begin. 
  • If a student forgets their laptop device, they do not get a loaner from the help desk, there are loaners available in each classroom. Loaners are only provided upon a laptop being serviced by the help desk.

Any questions or concerns, feel free to email Ryan Richardson, our School-Based Technology Specialist (SBTS) at rdrichardso1@fcps.edu.


ASCD Meet and Greet

Link to Event Page:   https://www.fcps.edu/event/acsd-meet-and-greet

Tuesday, October 22 2019

7 - 9 p.m.

Luther Jackson Middle School

The FCPS School Board’s Advisory Committee for Students with Disabilities (ACSD) is hosting a Meet and Greet on Tuesday, October 22 from 7 - 9 pm at Luther Jackson Middle School located at 3020 Gallows Road, Falls Church, VA 22042.  

 Come to learn more about the ACSD and meet special guest, Dr. Scott Brabrand, Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools.  

Attendees will also have an opportunity to learn more about special education supports and services through conversation with central office staff from the following programs and offices:

  • Assistive Technology Services (ATS)
  • Related Services (Communications Disorders, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Adapted Physical Education, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, Blind/Visually Impaired)
  • Adapted Curriculum & Applied Behavior Analysis
  • K-12 General Curriculum, Early Childhood, & Behavior Intervention Services
  • Twice Exceptional Learners
  • Office of Procedural Support
  • School Psychology Services & Social Work Services

Join the Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA) for their meeting before the Meet and Greet at the same location from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm.  Rachel Bailey will be presenting on “Preparing Children for Adulthood While Still Letting Them Be Kids”.

For additional information please contact Michael Bloom at msbloom@fcps.edu.  


Future Quest October 26, 2019

FUTURE QUEST is coming to Northern Virginia on Saturday, October 26th, 2019, from 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.!

FUTURE QUEST is a FREE college and career conference for students with disabilities, and the families and professionals who work with them. This is a full day of informative and interactive presentations on a huge variety of topics related to transition from high school to post-secondary life. In addition to the presentations, FUTURE QUEST also features an extensive resource fair, with over 40 vendors, and a book sale highlighting materials related to transition to life after high school.

FUTURE QUEST will be held at the Johnson Center at George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia. Free parking and paid parking are available. Food is available for purchase in a variety of restaurants throughout the Johnson Center.

PRE-REGISTRATION is available at the FUTURE QUEST website: futurequestgmu.org On-site Registration will also be available at the door.

Please visit the website to view the list of presentations, the schedule of events for the day, books for sale, and much more!

For more information: Leanne Kidwell lkidwell@lcps.org ; 571-252-6540 Looking forward to seeing you at FUTURE QUEST on October 26th!

Future Quest 10/26/19

FMS After-School Programs

Odyssey of the Mind

  • We still looking for one more parent to coach an Odyssey of the Mind team. If you are interested and able to help, please email our Odyssey of the Mind coordinator; fmsomcoordinator@gmail.com.

General After-School Information

  • Transportation is available to students staying after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays – departing Franklin at 4:45 PM. The late bus schedule is posted on the after-school bulletin board in the cafeteria and on your child’s grade level google classroom. Please be aware that the after-school late bus numbers and routes may differ from your child’s normal school day bus route. Please use the Kiss-and- Ride to pick-up your child from the After-School Program.
  • Please see below for the After-School activities for Monday, October 21 – Friday, October 25. .
  • Students who plan to stay after-school must notify their parent/guardian BEFORE the 2:15 dismissal bell and should report to the cafeteria with all their belongings after the 2:15 dismissal bell for after-school check-in.
  • The majority of clubs/activities is open enrollment; however, due to limited capacities some will require registration. If registration is needed, it will be posted on your child’s grade level google classroom.

General Schedule of After-school:

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 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.

2:40 – Club/activity sponsors will come to the cafeteria to get their group and take them all together to the correct room.

2:40 – 3:40 – 1st block activities

3:40 – 4:40 – 2nd block activities

4:40 – Students will report back to the cafeteria for late bus dismissal.

Fall After-School Activities List and Descriptions

All students will report to the cafeteria after the 2:15 dismissal bell to sign-in for after-school. If additional sign-ups are required an activity, they can be found on your child’s grade level google classroom.

Schedule for 10/11-10/25

Franklin Middle School PTA Schedule

Here are the dates for the PTA Meetings for Franklin Middle School. Any changes to the schedule will be updated on the PTA Website. Contact information is located here.

November 12, 2019

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting

December Board meeting TBD, no December General membership meeting

January 7, 2020

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting

February 11, 2020

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting

March 10, 2020

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting

April 16, 2020

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting

May 12, 2020

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting

June 9, 2020

6:30 pm - Board meeting

7:00 pm - General membership meeting


Fairfax Youth Survey

The Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors work together to administer the Fairfax County Youth Survey. The results of this survey are published each year on https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health-humanservices/fairfax-county-youth-survey and are used by school officials, youth leadership classes, youth-serving county agencies, and local non-profits to determine the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs offered in schools and communities. It is also used to identify changing trends and areas of need. The survey is anonymous and no individual information is reported. The survey will be given to 8th grade students during Social Studies class.  

The Fairfax County Youth Survey asks questions about risky behavior, mental health, physical health, and safety. There are questions about behaviors related to alcohol, illegal drugs, or misuse of prescription drugs. Additional questions about depression, student stress, bullying and harassment, and questions about personal health, and for students in eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade only, sexual behavior, will be included in the survey. Students are also asked about specific protective factors concerning health and safety.

You have the right to preview the survey and may deny permission for your child to participate if you desire. If a student is uncomfortable with any question on the survey, the student does not have to answer that question or may elect to discontinue the survey. While it is hoped that as many students as possible will participate, you have the option of completing the attached form if you wish to opt out your child.

The survey will be administered to 8th grade students on November 8, 2019. A copy of the survey will be available to parents and/or guardians online at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/youthsurvey beginning October 4, 2019. If you do not wish for your child to take part in the survey, please complete THIS FORM and return it to the main office no later than October 18, 2019.



Author Visit to FMS: Ben Mikaelsen

benmikaelsenauthor

Welcome Franklin Falcons!  Franklin Middle School is excited to welcome writer Ben Mikaelsen, author of Touching Spirit Bear, next spring on April 1, 2020.  In preparation for this author visit, part of each student’s school supplies are to purchase a copy of Touching Spirit Bear.  When Ben is here in the spring, he will sign personal copies of the students’ books.  If you do not purchase a copy, Franklin Middle School will have copies available for students to borrow during the school year.  Franklin Middle School prides itself on building literacy for all students and we incorporate ten minutes of reading in fifth period two times per week.  Beginning the week of September 23, 2019, students will be reading Touching Spirit Bear.   Prior to beginning work on Touching Spirit Bear, students should have another book to read during fifth period.  Thanks for supporting literacy at Franklin Middle School. Photo credit: Scholastic.com


Yearbooks for Sale

You’re in it, but did you get it? Don’t miss your chance to purchase a 2019-20 yearbook. When you order now you will receive a free personalized nameplate. Click on the link below and order yours today.

https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/5330


Best Buddies Update

Best Buddies Update

All Applications due 10/21