Carson MS Weekly Updates-March 16, 2021

Important Upcoming Events March 23-26 - School Pictures - See Schedule Below March 26 - 2-Hour Early Release - End of Third Quarter April 5 - Teacher Workday - No School or Check-in for Students March 29-April 2 - Spring Break - Holiday

Check out the latest Principal's Message from Mr. Stokes here!

Daily Bell Schedule

Important Reminder about the Return to School

Schools have created staffing plans based on the number of students who selected in-person instruction earlier this school year. Students who have already selected to return to in-person instruction will be able to do so two days a week.

• Students with last names A-K will attend in-person on
  Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Students with last names L-Z will attend in-person on
  Thursdays and Fridays.

All Mondays, except for student holidays, are now Asynchronous check in days. Students are required to log in before noon to complete a check-in form posted by their Panther time teacher, as well as complete any posted assignments for all classes. 

On the days that students are not attending in-person, they will attend school virtually as they have for the first part of the school year. 

Students that arrive at school on unassigned days will not be able to enter classrooms due to social distancing requirements.  Those students will need to be picked up immediately by a parent/guardian.

Transportation Information

Parents and students who have selected in-person instruction are able to view their bus route assignment using their SIS StudentVue and SIS ParentVue account. The image below will help you find the information in ParentVue, under the Student Information tab. On the ParentVue App you must click Additional Information in the lower right hand corner.

Earlier this month, the FCPS Transportation Team sent a notice to all families about their student’s route assignments. If you have not checked your student’s route assignment, please do so as soon as possible.  If there is an issue with the route assignment, families are asked to call 703-249-7000.  It is suggested that students plan to arrive at their bus stop five minutes early each  morning.

Here Comes the Bus Mobile App As a result of the Transportation Services' strategic plan, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has made available a Here Comes the Bus® mobile app. Know when your bus is approaching your stop!  Here Comes the Bus® app is a school bus tracking app that can simplify morning and afternoon routines for parents and students by giving them real-time bus location and text or email notification alerts, helping them get to the bus stop on time. Here Comes the Bus® utilizes our GPS data and an easy to use customizable map that works on one or multiple devices, such as a tablet or smartphone. Using the app is EASY!  You will need the FCPS school district code 28982 and a SIS Parent Account (contact your child's school if you do not have an SIS Parent  Account).  Please be sure to follow the detailed instructions here to set up your account.

Reporting Absences

If a student needs to miss any class time at all, be it one period or a full day, parents or guardians should always report the details of the absence to the RCMS Attendance Office. Teachers do not have access to mark a student excused for an absence, which is why it is imperative that parents contact the attendance office (instead of, or in addition to, the teacher) when their child is absent so we can mark them correctly. 

To report an absence, parents have these options:

1. Use the link to our online attendance form (preferred) from the main page of the RCMS website:
2. Send an email with full details to: CarsonMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu, or
3. Call the attendance line at 703-925-3636 being sure to include the spelling of your student’s last name and reason for the absence.

If your student is scheduled to be in the building that day but, instead, needs to attend classes virtually, it is very important to let us know!

Please contact the attendance office with the methods above so we don't worry why your student is not in the building. Parents will see the “SYC” code in ParentVUE when their student is absent on their assigned in-person day, but attends class online. FCPS eNotify messages will also go out to parents who have not reported their student's absence. 

If your in-person student will be picked up early for an appointment, please send them to the front office in the morning with a note stating the time of the dismissal. Students participating virtually who will be missing class due to appointments or otherwise should have parents contact attendance with the times and the reason the student will be missing classes. 

For more information on the attendance policies, please visit the RCMS Attendance page.

School Pictures

We have arranged a schedule to take school pictures for all students, whether they are in person two days a week, or learning online. 

In-person students will take pictures through their PE classes.

Virtual Students may use this link to sign up for a specific time to come into the building to have their picture taken.

All parents may Order Pictures at MyLifetouch.com using the log-in code EVTNBQSMG.

For more information, please visit: 

https://carsonms.fcps.edu/announcements/school-pictures-carson-march

SOL Testing Update

The U.S. Education Department (USED) continues to require administration of state assessments, and Virginia has not waived SOL tests. Students in grades 3-12 will continue to test for federal participation. As you may be aware, the Grade 8 Writing SOL and Civics SOL have been replaced with Local Authentic Assessments through their English 8 and Civics classes. All students are required to take the Reading SOL (grades 7 & 8), Math SOL (grades 7 & 8), and Science 8 SOL.

Exact dates and schedules for the tests are still being finalized, but the window for the testing will occur between April 26th and May 28th. Details on the specific testing days will be shared in the near future.

All SOL testing will be done at Carson Middle School as there is no option for virtual testing. More information regarding testing schedule will be coming soon. If you have any questions regarding testing, please reach out to your child’s counselor or our School Testing Coordinator, Lauren Ross (lmross@fcps.edu).

College Partnership Program (CPP)

The application for the College Partnership Program (or CPP) is now open! The goal of CPP is to support first-generation and traditionally underrepresented students to enroll and succeed in college. The application is open for all current 8^th grade students at Carson Middle School.

Some CPP benefits and opportunities include:

• Academic counseling.
• College visits.
• Help with completing college and scholarship applications.
• Monthly meetings.
• Parent education sessions.
• SAT preparation classes.
• A summer overnight experience on a college campus.
• News and information related to colleges and careers via FCPS's 24-7 (Blackboard) site. The application window will close on March 19^th.  Interested students can contact their counselor to get an application. 

If you have any questions please email Ms. Ricciardi at lrricciardi1@fcps.edu

Congratulations to our
After School Clubs Winners!

Congratulations to A. Balaji on her perfect score in the 1^st round of the county Spelling Bee

The Rachel Carson Model United Nations Club has been participating in virtual conferences this year and several students have been recognized for their roles as delegates in a variety of committees. 

Chantilly HS Conference

Aarna B. – Republic of El Salvador, SOCHUM – Honorable Mention
Anya V. – Montenegro, UNICEF – Honorable Mention
Ishaan M. – Mongolia, UNICEF – Outstanding Delegation

Greater Washington Conference

Kavin M. – Bangladesh, World Health Organization – Best Delegate
Rohith Y. – France, NATO – Honorable Mention
Nitish S. – Eddie Compass, Louisiana Government – Outstanding Delegate
Ishaan M. – Patricia Cooper, Tesla/Space X Board of Directors – Outstanding Delegate

McLean HS Conference

Kasi R. – Morocco, World Health Organization – Honorable Mention
Nitish S. – Director of Expansion, Tik Tok Board of Directors – Outstanding Delegate

Congratulations to everyone!

Congratulations to the following TSA (Technology Student Association) students on their performance at the Northern Region Fair:

Career Prep
2^nd place- A. Kollipara
3^rd place- I Thatavarthi

Challenging Technology Issues
2^nd place- A. Kanthan & A, Kollipara
4^th place- A. Marrapu & I Thatavarthi
5^th place- A. Penumudi & S. Tummala

Digital Photography
1^st place- H. Irukuvajjala
3^rd place- A. Kollipara
4^th place- A. Kanthan
5^th place- A. Bommidi

Essays on Technology
1^st place- S. Muthuswamy
2^nd place- A. Balaguru
3^rd place- A. Marrapu

Flight
5th place- T. Rayan
6^th place- A. Pagidi
7^th place- A. Bhalla

Prepared Speech
4^th place- S, Palle
5^th place- H. Nittala
6^th place- P. Dhingra

Promotional Marketing
1^st place- V. Ayyala
5^th place- S. Tummala
6^th place- M. Yellepeddy

STEM Animation
2^nd place- V. Ayyala, A. Bommidi, H. Irukuvajjala, A. Marrapu, V. Murthy & S. Palle
3^rd place- A. Balaguru, A. Bhalla, P. Dhingra, A. Pagidi, T. Rayan & W. Wang

System Control Technology
2^nd place- H. Nittala, S. Tummala & M. Yellepeddy
3^rd place- V. Ayyala, H. Irukuvajjala & A, Karunakaram

Online Campus Summer School

The 2021 Online Campus Summer School Registration link is now available on the FCPS  Summer Learning website.

Records Request and Private School or
Program Application Process

Rachel Carson Middle School requires important documents in order to effectively accommodate your private school/program recommendations and records requests in a timely manner. Click here to view the process and required forms. Please contact your student’s counselor if you have any questions.

Mental Health and Wellness

Do you have concerns about your child’s mental health? Have a talk with your child to find out how they are doing. Give them your full attention. Listen carefully, repeat what you heard and ask if you got it right. When they feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to share with you. Notice what is going on with your child. You know your child best. The Carson MS Student Services Staff, including counselors and our clinical team are here to support families. Healthy Minds has also compiled resources to support families- click here to view their information regarding emotional wellness and crisis support.

Submit Your Photos for the Yearbook!

We need YOUR photos for this year's yearbook.  Click here for more information on how to submit:  Carson 2020-2021 Yearbook Photos

RCMS Library Curbside Checkout

At RCMS, outside Door #1

11AM-2PM every Monday (excluding holidays)

Books can also be returned at these times.

Curbside Library Book Checkout is now in operation. This service will be held every Monday, unless otherwise noted.  Please check the Library page on our website for further details:  RCMS Library

Students can reserve books ahead of time through the Destiny Discover online library catalog by placing them on hold, then pick them up at the next curbside checkout.

If you are cannot make it to the regularly scheduled curbside checkout time, please contact Mr. Treakle to make other arrangements.

Questions? Contact one of your librarians: Mr. Treakle or Ms. Donovan

We look forward to seeing you at curbside checkout!

Who to Contact

If you have a question or concern, please visit our website for a full listing of  Who to Contact.  This listing includes all of our administrators, our counselors, and who to speak to regarding a specific content area or class. Contact information for all staff members is listed on our website - just click on the name of the person you wish to contact  to be redirected to their email address: RCMS Staff Directory.

Other Schools are Sharing....

From Westfield HS
Students attending Westfield High School in the Fall of 2021 and are interested in playing Freshman Football at Westfield next fall, please contact Coach Sachlis @ jason.sachlis@fcps.edu.

Join the RCMS PTA today!  www.rcmspta.org

13618 McLearen Rd. Herndon, VA 20171 |  Main Phone: 703.925.3600
Attendance: 703.925.3636 or CarsonMS.Attendance@fcps.edu 
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