Important Upcoming Events
9/28 & 9/29 - Lifetouch Picture Days-PE Classes
10/11 - School Planning Day- No School for Students
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Greetings,
To help us have a successful school year, we will continue to have students focus on three key concepts. Students are ready to learn – on time to all classes and prepared with the necessary materials. Students are responsible – making positive choices that contribute to our school environment. Students are respectful – using positive words and actions with peers and staff, along with showing care for our school building. Families – we thank you for any conversations that you have at home to help reinforce these three concepts.
RCMS Admin Team
https://carsonms.fcps.edu/node/6332
 At Rachel Carson Middle School
Afterschool Updates
- The Model UN interest meeting will be on Monday, October 4th during A block in the cafeteria for students only. Parents may pick their student up after the meeting at 3:30 in Kiss & Ride or they may take the late bus home at 4:30.
- Science Olympiad Registration is open until 9:00 PM Wednesday, 9/30 on the RCMS website on the After School Programs page.
- Parents- Please remember to communicate with your students as to when they will be staying after school for an activity.
Afterschool programs and Late buses are provided on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. If a student stays after on Tuesdays or Fridays, they must be picked up by their parent/guardian. The after school program runs from 2:23-4:28 PM and is broken into two blocks, A Block (2:23-3:23) and B Block (3:28-4:28). Students may leave after A block if they are being picked up at kiss n ride. Late buses only arrive after B Block. Parents do not sign students up for afterschool programs, it is the student's responsibility to sign up for individual clubs. Students will sign up the day of, during their lunch period for clubs that have weekly sign ups. You may check the RCMS website for individual club sign up information.
All Afterschool information may be found on the RCMS website with the following link: https://carsonms.fcps.edu/activities
Afterschool Transportation
Please check your SIS ParentVue account for their designated late bus route number which is usually different from their regular route in the morning. If you are able to pick up your student at Kiss & Ride, it is highly encouraged that you do so.
You may also track your child's late bus in Here Comes the Bus (HCtB) app or FCPS School Bus Delays website for potential delays. Route information for your child is always available and current in your SIS ParentVue account.
If you have any questions or concerns please email Mr. Pawlowski, ajpawlowski@fcps.edu
Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Fall Screening
For students NEW to FCPS since January 2021
Parents or guardians of seventh grade students may initiate the full-time AAP Level IV screening process by completing and submitting an Advanced Academic Programs Level IV Referral Form and any optional screening materials to their child’s school counselor no later than Thursday, October 7, 2021.
AAP Level IV services are available to students in grades 3-8. Students may be found eligible for full-time placement in AAP Level IV Center classes through a central selection process where multiple criteria are reviewed by a central selection committee to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. More information about AAP services available at the middle school level may be found here.
If you have any questions, you should contact your child’s school counselor.
TJHSST Admissions Window
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) Application Process for Eligible 8th Grade Students:The application will open on Monday, October 25th at 4:00pm and close on Friday, November 19th at 4:00pm. Detailed information is posted on the TJ Admissions Office website: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/thomas-jefferson-high-school-science-and-technology-admissions/tjhsst-freshman. Please contact the TJ Admissions Office by email (tjadmissions@fcps.edu)
World Language Credit Exam
Is your student fluent in a language other than English? Can they write proficiently in that language? If it is one of the 30 languages listed below, consider registering your student for the World Languages Credit Exam! This exam could help your student potentially earn World Language credits for their high school diploma.
The 2021 World Languages Credit Exam will be administered on November 16, 17 and 18, at Robinson SS, Centreville HS, and Edison HS. Thirty languages will be included: American Sign Language, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese (Mandarin), Farsi, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Nepali, Pashto, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Sanskrit, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Telugu, Tigrinya, Turkish, Twi, Urdu, and Vietnamese.
Registration opened on Monday, September 13, 2021, at 8 a.m. and closes on Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at 4 p.m. Late registrations will not be accepted.
Please contact your student’s school counselor to register for the exam.
Credit exam information can be accessed at: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/world-languages/credit-exam-world-languages
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School Picture Day is Coming On Tuesday, September 28 and Wednesday, September 29 during PE classes.
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On Tuesday September 28, and Wednesday, September 29, all students (Unless you have an opt out form for your child) will be photographed during their scheduled PE class time. Each student will receive a picture proof from Lifetouch and will have the opportunity to order online once you view the proofs.
Picture make up day is Friday, November 12th.
Online ordering is easy using your student's school ID and the Picture Day code: EVTJ9R2FR
Order here
New Process to Speed Up the Return of Fully Vaccinated Students to the Classroom
FCPS heard from many of you about your concerns regarding the amount of time fully vaccinated students are being paused from in-person instruction when identified as a potential close contact to a COVID-19 positive case.
FCPS collaborated with the Fairfax County Health Department to adjust this process and speed up the return to the classroom for fully vaccinated, asymptomatic students. We all share the goal of ensuring our students are in the classroom as much as possible, while also keeping our schools safe and healthy for everyone—staff, students, and visitors.
The new process benefits all students, including those of elementary school age who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated. Because contact tracers will no longer have to contact families of students who are fully vaccinated and asymptomatic, they will now be able to focus more resources on elementary school investigations. This will allow elementary school students, among others, to return to the classroom quicker.
More information is available online.
SRR -Student Rights & Responsibilities Information
Parent/Guardians can acknowledge receipt of the SR&R in ParentVue in your child’s SIS account or sign the Parent Signature Sheet to acknowledge that you have received this document. Please e-sign through ParentVue or return the signed signature sheet to your child's school by October 29, 2021.
Click here
For Information regarding your student's use of digital tools in the learning environment.
Please make sure your child has a set of earbuds or headphones with them everyday.
ParentVue and StudentVue
The Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account Access allows parents and students access to teacher grade books, attendance information, course history and other useful information.
ParentVue:
Carson PTA Spirit-wear Store is Open
Check out the RCMS PTA online spirit-wear store to see all new options this year: T- shirts, hoodies and more! Store will stay open until October 1, 2021 at 11pm.
Enter the online store at https://orderschoolstuff.com/rcms21/
Use this (case sensitive) Password: oneRCMS
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Order Your Yearbook!
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2021-2022 Yearbooks are available for purchase at www.MySchoolBucks.com. or access through this link. https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZQWBKS04NJ8_ZZJ6XQQIV50UTTM
We have a limited number of surplus, once we reach our sales limit yearbooks will be sold out. Sales are on a first come first serve basis. Make payments online to avoid the handling of cash and check. Reserve your copy today by purchasing through MySchoolBucks! The base price of the yearbook price is $30.00.
To help ensure the health and safety of all our students and staff, we ask that parents please consider paying for their student’s school fee online through MySchoolBucks. This will help minimize the amount of cash and checks that need to be handled throughout the day, which allows us to focus on keeping your student safe. Accounts may be set up with a credit card or linked directly to your checking account.
With MySchoolBucks you can:
- Pay online or on-the-go
- Browse items & fees in our School Store
- Know when fees are due
Don’t have an account yet? Visit MySchoolBucks.com to sign up today! www.MySchoolBucks.com
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Drive a School Bus!
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) invites qualified individuals to join our transportation team.
This is a great opportunity for stay-at-home parents to earn income with benefits (and bring your preschooler to work with you!). Retirees, college students and career-switchers are also encouraged to apply.
Here Comes the Bus Mobile App
FCPS, along with surrounding school divisions, are experiencing severe bus driver shortages due to a national and regional driver shortage. Please be assured, transportation is working hard to recruit and retain qualified bus drivers and plan transportation that will be as efficient as possible with their current roster of drivers.
What will this mean for you and your family? FCPS will need to increase “double back” bus runs, meaning a bus is required to run two scheduled routes back to back that would normally have been covered by two separate buses. These “double backs” may impact delivery time to schools or bus stops and may have a domino effect throughout the day, affecting after-school drop-off times. We ask families and students to have patience and flexibility while they work through the issue. You may check the Here Comes the Bus (HCtB) app or FCPS School Bus Delays website for potential delays. Route information and transportation intent for your child is always available and current in your SIS ParentVue account.
Here Comes the Bus® utilizes FCPS Transportation GPS data and is easy to use with a customizable map that works. 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.
If you have any transportation concerns, please feel free to contact Ms. Terry at sdterry3@fcps.edu. or Mrs. Berkeley at mtberkeley@fcps.edu
All students riding the bus must wear a mask!
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On Reporting Absences
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If a student will be absent or arriving late to school, 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 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 will be given a pass to leave class and meet parents in the office. Parents should come to entrance #1, to the main office, with a photo ID to pick up their student for early dismissals.
For more information on the attendance policies, please visit the RCMS Attendance page.
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
Daily Bell Schedule
https://carsonms.fcps.edu/about/bell-schedule
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
Chantilly High School Dance Team
Sign up today! Join our annual Junior Chargers Workshop on Saturday, 10/02/2021 from 9-12 for a fun dance-filled workshop and performance at halftime for the CHS Varsity Football game on Friday, 10/8/21. You do not have to attend Chantilly High School to participate – it's a great way to check out the dance team on the high school level. Groups will be divided by age & both girls/boys are welcome!
The link to register is here: 2021 Junior Chargers Fall Workshop
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