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Franklin Families and Students,
Good Afternoon! We appreciate all of your support as we continue to work and learn alongside each other throughout this school year. It is hard to believe that the 1st Quarter will be over in two weeks! I wanted to highlight some important upcoming dates for the FMS community.
October 21 - Virtual Parent Coffee with the FMS Leadership at 4:00 PM
October 25 - PTA Family Dinner Night at Mod Pizza on October 25
October 30 - Last Day of 1st Quarter & 2 Hour Early Release
November 2 & 3 - Student Holidays
November 11 - 2 Hour Early Release
We will send out the link for the Virtual Parent Coffee on Wednesday morning. During that session, the FMS Leadership team will be available to answer questions and listen to your feedback about how we can support your students and your family in our current virtual instructional model.
In the near future, we will host a series of additional opportunities for dialogue with our community. The focus of these sessions will be the Return to School plan that is being developed by FCPS and what that will look at Franklin MS.
Please have a restful weekend. We love our Falcons and if you need anything, please reach out to me at dpwright@fcps.edu at anytime.
Sincerely,
Dustin Wright
Principal
Mondays @ Franklin
We appreciate your partnership and support with ensuring your students are accessing asynchronous virtual learning and our Check & Connect sessions on Mondays.
All Franklin students should attend the Check & Connect session from 8:00 AM - 8:30 AM and they should use the link for their 4th period Falcon Time class. Check & Connect will occur every Monday morning and we will utilize this time as an opportunity to continue to develop relationships at Franklin. It will allow our staff to foster connections with our students and for our students to get to know their classmates.
Additionally, our staff will invite selected students to attend intervention sessions to receive targeted academic support ahead of the instructional week. To support student attendance during these intervention blocks, our front office staff will be sending communications through email to the parents and guardians of students who have been requested to attend an intervention session.
Thank you for your support!
Art Supply Distribution on Monday, October 19
Mrs. French will be distributing additional art materials to all of her Art students on Monday, October 19 from 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM. This drive-through process is an opportunity to visit the school to gather instructional materials that are not available in a digital format.
Distribution procedures will be as follows:
- Social distancing guidelines will be in effect and please review the health screening questions found here before visiting FMS.
- Vehicles will enter the bus loop and pull ahead to the pick-up station near Door 2.
- Families and students will stay in their vehicle.
- Whenever possible, materials will be placed in the trunk of the vehicle.
- Vehicles will exit the bus loop near Old Dairy Road.
All Art, Engineering, and FACS materials are part of a student fee included in course enrollment and can be paid using MySchoolBucks.
Franklin MS will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services, and activities. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service to facilitate the pickup of materials should contact Mr. Gibbs (ragibbs@fcps.edu) as soon as possible.
If you are unable to stop by the school on Monday, you are welcome to come to Franklin each weekday between the hours of 7:30 AM and 3:00 PM. Please use the Door 1 intercom to communicate with the staff and our front office staff will be happy to assist you.
Digital Citizenship Week, October 19-23
FCPS is celebrating Digital Citizenship Week from October 19-23, 2020! This year’s theme is We Are All Digital Citizens! Digital Citizenship Week was established by Common Sense Media. Common Sense Media is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.
Last year, Franklin was recognized as a Common Sense Media School and we look forward to continuing our focus on explicitly teaching safe and healthy online behavior. We started lessons during Falcon Time this last Wednesday with a focus on digital footprints and online identity. In an effort to create meaningful learning opportunities, we are connecting these lessons to our Positivity Project character traits and social emotional learning.
Each day next week will support a daily question about being a digital citizen. As families, we encourage you to reach out to your student and discuss these questions at home.
On the evening of Friday, October 23 students and families are encouraged to practice media balance by taking a break from screens to engage in real-world experiences and quality time with their family.
Try some of these ideas:
- Have a device-free dinner and focus on connecting as a family. The #DeviceFreeDinner campaign by Common Sense Media comes with a wonderful 3-page Family Starter Kit that includes tips for getting started, a printable Family Commitment Pledge, and even a printable sign for designating the place (e.g., basket, box) families will place their devices during dinner. The Family Dinner Project also has a wealth of great conversation starters geared towards children of different ages.
- Have a family board game night instead of playing video games or watching TV.
- Make a phone call or write a letter to a family member or friend instead of sending a text or email.
- Spend time outside as a family and leave the phone behind.
FCPS has also developed a Digital Citizenship Online Course for Families with Teens. This four-module online course has been developed for parents/guardians and their teen(s) in grades 7 and up. After viewing the Introduction, parents should start with Module 1: Parents Only and then use Modules 2 - 4 with their teen(s). Modules 2 - 4 are designed to support family conversations about the topics related to digital citizenship. Families are encouraged to work through the course at their own pace and complete any module or activity of interest. While these modules won’t teach you everything you need to know, they provide a solid foundation upon which your family can build. For more resources on digital citizenship click on the link below.
FCPS Digital Citizenship: Families
Franklin MS After School Program
Our after-school program is off to a great start. Thank you to all of the students who signed up to participate! We still have openings in plenty of our activities and we are adding more activities as the weeks progress. A few reminders:
- Spaces in clubs are limited so students are accepted on a first come, first served basis. We want our clubs to be interactive and engaging, which will not be possible if the groups get too large.
- Students can find more information about the After-School Program in their grade-level Google Classroom and on the student After-School site.
- Students should check out the “Clubs by Day” and “Club Descriptions” sheets for club information and schedules.
If you have any questions about the After-School Program, please feel free to contact Mrs. Mollé (cemolle@fcps.edu).
Service Learning Opportunities
If your student is interested in service learning opportunities, please visit the FMS PTA Facebook page.
PTA Updates
Join the Franklin Middle School PTA
Welcome to a new year at Franklin! We have exciting plans to help support our children and school! Once again, we will be conducting our combined School and Friends of Franklin PTA Membership Drive. You can find the membership form here and questions can be sent to membership@franklinmiddleschoolpta.org. Please take a few minutes to learn more about our organization by visiting our website. We are looking forward to a great year at Franklin MS.
AmazonSmile
AmazonSmile is a great way to contribute to the PTA in a very effortless way during these times. AmazonSmile customers can now support Franklin Middle School PTA in an effortless way via the Amazon shopping app on IOS and Android mobile phones! Simply click here to sign up today. We value your continued support.
Updates from Oakton HS and Chantilly HS
From Oakton HS: This year, even though our performances are on hold, our band will march on! In place of our regular door to door donation collections, Oakton Band is holding a Virtual Tag Day, taking donations online and by mail through October. If you have already donated, thank you!
We understand that many families in our community have been deeply changed by current events and cannot support us with the generosity of years’ past. However, if you are able to give, the band needs your support more than ever this year. This year, band students are fundraising toward instruments, equipment, repairs, specialized instructors, student leadership training and band community events.
Click here to support the Oakton HS Band Boosters or mail a check payable and to the attention of: BBOHS at 2900 Sutton Road, Vienna, VA 22181
From Chantilly HS: Please consider supporting the music programs of Chantilly High School Each organization will receive a percentage of your generous donations. Collected contributions will be used for instrument purchases, sheet music, professional A/V editing for virtual performances, special individualized instruction and other necessary equipment.
Click here to support the Chantilly HS Band Boosters or mail a check payable and to the attention of: Chantilly HS Band Boosters at 4201 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly, VA 20151
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