Mustang Weekly, May 5, 2021

South County Middle School will be hosting two exciting summer programs during the month of July!

Selected rising 7^th graders will be invited to participate in Young Scholars, to develop talents and prepare them for rigorous courses as they advance to middle school.

A new program, IMAGINE, will invite students to strengthen core Mathematics and Language Arts skills. IMAGINE aims to prepare for success in the next grade, by focusing on essential knowledge through authentic tasks and project based learning.

Both programs will be in-person from July 12^th-30^th and South County Middle School will reach out to families to invite students to participate in either opportunity.  If you have any questions, please reach out to the Summer Site Director, Amanda Freese at ajfreese@fcps.edu.

Fourth Quarter Catch Up Days

•  May 6-7 - Health & PE
• May 13-14 - Fine & Performing Arts and World Language
• May 18-19 - English & Literacy
• May 20-21 - Social Studies
• May 25-26 - CTE & Math
• May 27-28 - Science

Recently, we notified you (https://www.fcps.edu/node/36624) about the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests your student is identified to take this spring for federal and state requirements. The notification included information about how you can refuse (https://www.fcps.edu/node/34277) one or more SOL tests for your student and how to contact us to discuss any questions or concerns. As a reminder, all students (fully virtual and in-person) are required to take SOL exams in the building. We are currently in the process of scheduling the SOL tests for your student. 

Fully Virtual Students:

• Testing will occur in the building on:
• Monday, May 10 for Science 8
• Monday, May 17 for Reading 7 or 8
• Monday, May 24 for all levels of math
• Testing will begin each day at 7:30 am.
• We have planned more time on Mondays for our virtual students to give them time to find their testing locations, get comfortable, and ensure their laptops are working.  Your student will be getting a testing schedule with their locations closer to the testing dates. 
• If you requested FCPS transportation on the SOL Intent Form, and you are eligible for transportation services, you will be notified of their bus information at a later date.
• Buses will depart to bring students home at 11:00am. However, if your student finishes early they will have the opportunity to contact you for an earlier ride, or wait for the bus.

In-Person Students (2 and 4 days per week):

• Testing will occur in the building Tuesdays - Fridays, based on their last name.
• ​​​​​​​Tuesday, May 18: A-K Reading 7 and 8
• Wednesday, May 19: A-K Science 8
• Thursday, May 20: L-Z Reading 7 and 8
• Friday, May 21: L-Z Science 8
• Tuesday, May 25: A-K Math
• Thursday, May 27: L-Z Math

Bell Schedule and Period Rotation:

• In order to accommodate testing and staff proctoring, we are adjusting the bell schedule on May 18, May 19, May 20, May 21, May 25 and May 27. 
• The amended bell schedule will be for the ENTIRE school, in-person and virtual students.
• On these days, if your student is not taking an SOL, they will have Independent Study Time.  We will have teachers hosting Virtual Study Halls for any student that needs help on assignments during this time.  The links to these study halls will be posted on their grade-level Google Classrooms. 
• On these days, the instructional day (for all students) will begin for all students at 9:35 am, with a modified class rotation to accommodate the changes.  Please make note of the changes below and have your child ask their teacher for any clarification of expectations. 

Remember to have your student restart their laptop 3 times prior to coming to school, charge their laptop prior to coming to school, and bring their charger.

As shared in an email from the Superintendent’s Office, FCPS has adopted a series of secondary grading policy changes to help our students achieve a strong finish to the school year.

FCPS is adjusting the grading policy for the 2020-21 school year, to ensure students are not penalized by the challenges brought on by pandemic learning. 

Key policy changes for middle school students are listed below:

• Students receiving a final mark of “D” or “D+” in any course will be assigned a mark of “P” (pass) as a final mark. This will be automatically applied for any course in which a student receives an “D” or “D+” as a final mark.
• Use of No Mark, “NM”, instead of “F” grades for final marks for all courses. This will be automatically applied for any course in which a student receives an “F” as a final mark.
• Allowing middle school students to select a mark of “P” (pass) for any courses for which a passing grade is earned for the final mark. As referenced above, for the 2020-21 school year, final marks of “F” will automatically receive a No Mark, “NM”, and final marks of “D” or “D+” will automatically receive a “P.”
• Action Needed: Should you wish to designate one or more courses as Pass - No Mark status, the following form must be submitted to your school counselor by May 10, 2021 https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/se358.pdf

Third quarter report cards and the Pass- No Mark Status Form will be available in ParentVue and were mailed home to all families last week. Students and families are encouraged to carefully consider the option for Pass. Additional information including considerations  and frequently asked questions are available at the following link: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary

Español Flexibilidad en las calificaciones para alumnos de escuela intermedia 2020-21

한국어 2020-21 학년도 중학생들을 위한 학년말 성적 유연성