Important Upcoming Events
March 23-26 - School Pictures - See Schedule Below
March 26 - 2-Hour Early Release - Dismissal at 12:00 noon.
March 26 - End of Third Quarter
March 29-April 2 - Spring Break - Holiday
April 5 - Teacher Workday - No School or Check-in for Students
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Daily Bell Schedule
Monday Asynchronous Check In
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.
Friday, March 26th - 2-Hour Early Release
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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.
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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:
- Use the link to our online attendance form (preferred) from the main page of the RCMS website:
- Send an email with full details to: CarsonMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu, or
- 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.
Absences Policy Updates
IMPORTANT: Per new FCPS policy, any student scheduled for in-person instruction who has not yet attended school in-person by March 26th will be automatically switched to virtual instruction for the remainder of the school year.
School Pictures
This week is School Pictures week!
We have arranged a schedule to take school pictures for all students, whether they are in person or learning online.
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3/23/2021
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In-Person Students (A-K)
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7:30AM
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1:45PM
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3/24/2021
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In-Person Students (A-K)
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7:30am
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1:45PM
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3/24/2021
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Virtual Students (A-K)
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2:00PM
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6:00PM
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3/25/2021
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In-Person Students (L-Z)
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7:30AM
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1:45PM
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3/25/2021
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Virtual Students (L-Z)
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2:00PM
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6:00PM
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3/26/2021
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In-Person Students (L-Z)
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7:30 AM
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11:45AM
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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
Unable to attend a school picture session? You can still be included! Send a snapshot of your student to: Carsonmsyearbook@gmail.com PHOTO CRITERIA- Only one RCMS student per photo, head and upper body only, solid background, no hand gestures. Make sure to include the student’s legal name and grade in the email.
Third Quarter Ends Friday, March 26
Limited SIS Access
Friday, March 26 is the last day of the 3rd quarter. Even with a rolling gradebook, students should be checking in with teachers to see what may need to be turned in by the end of the week. Grades in SIS StudentVUE and ParentVUE will not be available from Friday March 26, 2021 at 4:00PM until Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 6:00AM. Report cards will be mailed home the week of April 12th. If you have questions about your child’s grades, please reach out to their classroom teacher.
Spelling Bee Champion!
Congratulations to Akshita B., on winning both the first and second round of the Fairfax County Spelling Bee! As the winner of the County Bee, Akshita has earned the right to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee representing Fairfax County! All of us at Rachel Carson are extremely proud of your accomplishment, Akshita!
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.
All SOL tests are taken in-person at school. For any SOL assessments this spring, you have the right to refuse testing for your student due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school is in the process of finalizing testing dates for individual students, and you will be contacted with these details. For initial planning with your family, please be aware we are working to schedule tests as follows. This is a tentative schedule and could change as we work to finalize the testing process. The testing block will be from 7:30AM-11:30AM. Our plan is to utilize Mondays for all testing. By scheduling testing on Mondays, we will reduce the disruption to instruction for classes Tuesday-Friday. Additionally, we will have the most flexibility with space and safety measures we need for testing.
- Science tests: Grade 8 Monday, April 26th
- Reading tests: Grade 7 Monday, May 3rd ;
Grade 8 Monday, May 24th
- Mathematics tests: Grade 7, 7HN, 8, Algebra II Monday, May 10th
Algebra, Geometry Monday, May 17th
As we prepare for spring assessments, we need to collect information about your intentions for spring SOL tests and transportation requests. By Friday, April 2nd, please complete the online Google intent form. Please refer to the March 23 e-Notify email for access to the link. Contact Mrs. Lauren Ross, School Testing Coordinator, lmross@fcps.edu at our school if you need help accessing or completing the form. All necessary COVID-19 safety protocols will be followed as outlined on the FCPS Public Webpage.
FCPS Cares Program
The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees.
Watch this video to learn more
Course Requests for 2021-2022
Course Requests for Rising Seventh and Eighth Graders: To see the list of courses that your child selected for seventh or eighth grade, please log into your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the course requests tab. Directions for how to view your child’ course requests online in ParentVUE can be accessed at the following link : Online Course Requests in ParentVue . Students can also view their list of courses on the course request tab in SIS StudentVUE.
This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. Elective choices are subject to change based on space, teacher availability, and schedule conflicts. Please review this preliminary list of courses and look for the following errors: Too few or too many classes, absence of a required course, inaccurate placement by grade or course level.
Parents, please contact your child’s school counselor if you have questions or concerns about the selected courses. Course requests are a firm commitment. Course request changes will not be accommodated after June 4.
Summer Learning Opportunities
A reminder that FCPS Online Campus Summer Courses are open for registration and available to eligible middle school students who meet prerequisites and technical requirements. Students may take one online course for first time or repeat credit. Middle school students may not take a mathematics course during the summer as their first-high school level mathematics course. Courses are rigorous; therefore, students should consult their counselor prior to registering. Program information is available at Summer Learning.
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.
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