This Week in Review

Greetings Frost MS Community!

I am very excited to announce some new additions to the Frost MS community. I am happy to announce that we have found a new school-based technology specialist, Ms. Amy Burk! Ms. Burk joins us from Westgate ES and she extremely excited to get to know you and jump right in to begin supporting teachers and teams. She has a wealth of experience in the role, as she has been an SBTS for 19 years! Please join me in welcoming Ms. Amy Burk to Frost MS!

We also expect our new safety and security specialist, Mr. Michael Davis, and our new family (formerly parent) liaison, Pamela Meredith, to start next week! More information to come! We are extremely excited to bring these new additions on to our team to support our school community!

This week we also welcomed Mr. Phil Hudson to Frost! He has hit the ground running and is quickly becoming acclimated to the school and our school community! I know he is going to be an amazing addition to Frost MS!

Don’t forget next Monday, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is a student holiday and teacher professional development day. Indigenous Peoples’ Day recognizes and honors the beautiful traditions and cultures of Indigenous People, not just in America, but around the world!

On Tuesday, students will start their day in 4^th period! All 7^th grade students and new to Frost 8^th grade students will participate. Information has been sent out the past few weeks and can also be found below in “In Other News”.

As always, “Work Hard. Be Nice. Widen Your Circle!” We are #ONEFrost!

Anthony Harris

Upcoming Dates - Mark Your Calendars

October 11                                          School Planning Day/Student Holiday

October 13                                          School Picture Day (Odd day PE classes)

October 18                                          School Picture Day (Even day PE classes)

October 29                                          End of 1^st Quarter      

November 1 – 2                                  Teacher Workdays/Student Holidays

November 11                                      Veterans’ Day – Two Hour Early Release

November 24 – 26                              Thanksgiving Holiday

New This Week

Impact Aid Coming Soon!

The Impact Aid Program is a federal program designed to directly compensate local school districts that have been financially impacted by federal activities. The program’s mission is to reimburse local school districts for local revenues lost due to the presence of federally owned, and therefore tax exempt, property.  As you can imagine, Impact Aid funds are especially important in Fairfax County, since we have such a large military and federal presence.

Impact Aid surveys will be sent home with students October 19th.  Please take a moment to complete the survey and return it with your student on October 20, when it will be collected by their Falcon Focus teacher. We are required to collect a completed Impact Aid form from every family and your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions please contact Frost's Impact Aid Coordinator,  Rema Cancino at rlcancino@fcps.edu 

Off and Away for the Day – Reminders

As you know, Frost MS is an Away for the Day School again this year. Students will be required to turn phones/electronic devices off and keep them in their backpacks from 7:30-2:15 with the following exceptions:

• Before School- during breakfast
• Brain Breaks
• Lunch

Students who are observed using their phones during the school day can expect the following consequences:

• The first and second violations will result in the phone being confiscated from the student and kept in the front office for the student to pick up at dismissal. 
• The third and subsequent violations will require a parent/guardian to pick up the phone in the main office.
• Parents/guardians will be notified after the 2^nd violation as a reminder. 

Please review this policy and the consequences with your students. 

Going Home with a Friend on a Different Bus?  Here’s How….

If a student wants to ride home on a different bus with a friend, each student will need to submit a note from their parent/guardian giving permission to ride home with another student.  Students must give those notes to the front office before the end of lunch in to allow for sufficient time to issue a bus pass to the student.

How to Check Your Student Out Early

If you know in advance that you will need to check your student out of school early, please have them bring a note to the front office that morning and a pink check-out form will be given to your student to allow them to leave class at the time noted.  You will need to meet them in the front office with your ID to sign them out. 

If they are coming back that same day, a parent does not need to sign the student back in.  Students will come to the front office and sign themselves back in and we will give them a pass back to class. NOTE: Please check to make sure your emergency contact list is accurate.  Only adults listed on your student’s emergency contact list can sign a student out (with photo ID).  

Vaccination Clinic Opens Today

Widespread vaccination is working to keep our students learning in person in FCPS. As of this week, 0.004% of FCPS’ approximately 180,000 students are impacted by quarantines. If you, your child, or someone you know is eligible to receive the vaccine or a booster, we have great news for you. 

A multi-agency effort to move into the next phase of vaccinations, with booster shots and the potential for children under 12 to be vaccinated, launches the Fairfax Community Vaccination Center (Fairfax CVC) on Friday, October 8. This large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinic will open at the former Lord & Taylor store at Tysons Corner Center.

The center will offer:

• First and second doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
• Booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine to individuals eligible for the vaccine booster.
• An additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for individuals who are immunocompromised.

The Fairfax CVC will operate Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are welcome. Individuals seeking a booster of the Pfizer vaccine or an additional dose of either vaccine are asked to bring their vaccination card showing the dates of previous doses. 

Read more about the Fairfax CVC online. To find an appointment visit vaccinate.virginia.gov or call 877-VAX-IN-VA. 

In Other News....

SOS Prevention Program

On September 10^th, families of all 7^th grade students and new 8^th grade students to Frost , were sent information via email of the upcoming SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention Program.  The materials used in the education and screener are utilized in all secondary schools in FCPS. The program is primarily educational in nature and has proven to be successful at increasing help seeking behaviors by students concerned about themselves or a friend. It is the only school-based suicide prevention program listed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that both addresses depression and suicide risk and reduces suicide attempts. 

The wellness education video, which we will show during Falcon Focus Advisory, focuses on depression awareness and suicide prevention by teaching students to “ACT,” or Acknowledge, Care, and Tell when they are worried about a friend. After the video, students will have the opportunity to complete a short wellness screener (BSAD). The screening does not provide a diagnosis of depression. School counselors and clinical staff will be available to address any concerns raised following the screening and work with families to connect with outside resources as needed.

Parents are encouraged to learn more about the ACT acronym and suicide prevention by watching this video.  Your student will automatically view the educational video and complete the wellness screener on Tuesday, October 12th, unless opted-out. Please either complete this opt-out form or return a copy of the form (that should be received in the mail this week) to Student Services no later than Wednesday, October 6. An email confirmation will be sent that the opt-out was received. 

World Languages Credit Exam

Students who are able to read and write fluently in another language can earn high school graduation credit through the FCPS World Languages Credit Exam. Registration is open from September 13 – October 13. Students/parents can register with their counselor by completing this Google Form. Parents will receive a confirmation email once registration is completed. Exams are offered in 30 languages, and will be administered on November 16, 17, & 18. Students must be able to read and comprehend exam instructions and writing prompts in the exam language. The Credit Exam requires students to write multiple well-developed essays about personal experiences using complete sentences and at least three cohesive paragraphs. For more information, please visit the World Languages Credit Exam website.

AMC 8 Competition

This mathematics competition is a 25-question, 40-minute, multiple choice examination in middle school mathematics designed to promote the development of problem-solving skills.  The AMC 8 is being held on Tuesday, January 18^th during Falcon Focus.  Math teachers have shared information about the exam, but additional information can also be found here.  In order to participate, a student needs to register before Friday, October 22^nd using the google link here.  

Grading Information

All Frost staff will be using a Rolling (cumulative) Gradebook. Final grades are determined by a combination of all assignments and assessments over the course of the entire school year.  It is not an average of quarter marks.  The grade posted at the end of each traditional quarter is a snapshot of a student’s current progress in the course.  Video regarding the Rolling Gradebook can be found here.

• Please remember that while assignments and grades may appear in both Schoology and SIS; SIS is the gradebook of record.

• See individual class syllabus for specific weighting of assignments, late work, make-up work, and retake policies.
• Teachers will continue to update the gradebook, generally within 7 school days, of an assignment due date.
• Grades can be viewed by students and parents on an ongoing basis with a SIS account accessible here beginning 9/7.  
• Parents will receive weekly snapshot grades that are pushed out by the county (these are grades only without specific assignments per class) beginning in mid-September.
• Teachers will also be emailing detailed progress reports throughout the school year (see timeline below). 
• At the end of the quarter, progress reports will be emailed and a snapshot of the child’s grade in each class will be posted on the Report Card tab in SIS.
• Report cards will not be provided, unless requested, as the grade is not a final grade for the quarter due to use of the rolling gradebook.

Detailed progress reports (per class) will be emailed to parents by 3 PM on the dates below (approximately every 4.5 weeks throughout the year):

Schoology---Resources for Parents

Need help logging in to Schoology? Use the quick videos on this page for more information!

Schoology Information

We are excited to share that students, families, and teachers throughout FCPS and in our school community will use Schoology (pronounced /SKOO-luh-jee/) as our learning management system beginning Summer/Fall 2021.

• Schoology has a connected web conferencing tool, Zoom
• Schoology works with Google Drive
• You need a SIS/ParentVUE account to login to Schoology
• Click here to learn more about Schoology
• Parent accounts will be available in mid-August
• Information about how to login to parent accounts will be shared with you closer to the start of the school year
• Students will have a Schoology account by August 18, 2021
• Students will not see any classes until the grading period starts

Students use their FCPS student ID and password to login to Schoology. Look for the FCPS logo to make sure you are on the correct login page.

How to Report an Absence

If your child is sick or will be absent for any reason, please let us know as soon as possible by reporting an absence. Form submissions are monitored throughout the day by our office staff and your child’s attendance will be updated in SIS for our teachers. You can find the form at the bottom of our Frost MS Webpage.  You can use this direct link also. 

Frost Needs Student Monitors and a COVID Case Manager!

We are always looking for support to provide student supervision during the school day! If you know of anyone who is interested in working at Frost MS as a student monitor or a COVID Case Manager or if you would like to apply, please visit https://www.fcps.edu/careers/career-opportunities/current-job-openings and look for Operational Job openings to apply or contact Ms. Kenya Champ for more information.

Label Everything with Your Child’s Name!

We are already experiencing things being left behind in classes and during lunch. To ensure you are getting your belongings back home each day, it is VERY important that you LABEL EVERYTHING! If there is a name on an item, it is much easier to get things back to the correct student. 

As we get into fall and winter weather (it will eventually get here), please be sure to label your child’s jackets, coats, hats, and any other outerwear they will bring to school. Many students will have the same jackets - so a label makes identifying who an item belongs to so much easier. Please LABEL EVERYTHING!

FCPS Needs Bus Drivers!

New Incentive - New drivers will receive a $3,000 signing bonus - $1,500 after consecutive employment of 90 workdays, and $1,500 will be given after the first 180 working days (paid school days) if the driver receives a satisfactory  evaluation, and is recommended for continued employment with Transportation Services.  We hope this helps us to add many new bus drivers to our team!

New Hourly Rate for School Bus Drivers - We are also excited to say our starting bus driver pay has increased to $22.91.

For more information, please contact the Applicant Center - Connie Lovejoy at 571-423-3023.

Returning Strong- Health and Safety Measures

FCPS is returning strong for a strong school year this fall. Students will engage in in-person learning five days a week in safe and supportive schools. 

As we prepare to welcome students back to the classroom, COVID-19 case numbers are increasing in Fairfax County, driven by the highly-contagious Delta variant and slowing vaccination rates. The key to maintaining a healthy environment for learning is a robust vaccination rate and layered prevention strategies, including universal masking.

There are three things we can all do to start strong this fall:

1. Wear a mask
2. Get vaccinated
3. Stay connected

FCPS Resources:

Return to School Webpage

Return to School- Safety Webpage

The Student Health and Safety Document is continually updated and provides detailed information on school policies and protocols related to COVID-19 such as adherence to layered prevention strategies. These guidance documents will continue to be updated to align with public health guidance.

VDOE Resource:

The Virginia Department of Health, along with the Virginia Department of Education launched the Healthy Back to School COVID-19 Website as a resource for schools and families.

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