Franklin MS Weekly Update - November 19

Franklin Families and Students,

There is much to be proud of this week at Franklin and I would encourage you to take a few minutes to check out some of this good news below. Here are a few highlights:

  • Congrats to all of the students who were recognized as part of our 1st Quarter Honor Roll program.
  • Fourteen FMS Falcons were recognized as Rising Stars for their accomplishments this quarter. Way to go!
  • Our PTA and our SCA are leading the way with acts of kindness and service to our community. The Student Council is organizing a Holiday Food Drive with a goal of collecting 2000 items and our generous PTA is putting together a Gift Card Drive for families in need around the holidays.
  • Help us celebrate all of the students who competed in our After School Top Chef Lunch Competition. The winning team will go on to represent FMS at the Real Food for Kids Organization Culinary Competition in March.

Always feel free to contact me directly at dpwright@fcps.edu if you have questions, concerns, or if there is anything our team can do to support you. 

Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the weekend!

With Gratitude,

Dustin Wright

Principal

 

Upcoming Events

November 24 - 26 - No School Thanksgiving Holiday

week at a glance

 

Honor Roll Recognition

We recognized 518 students for achieving All A and A/B Honor Roll for the first quarter. Additionally, we recognized 14 Rising Stars who were nominated by a teacher for their hard work and improvement over the first quarter. Congratulations, students, on all of your hard work!  Certificates were distributed during Falcon Time today.

 

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Beginning Tuesday, November 16, the Fairfax Health District and FCPS will offer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11, at ten clinics located at schools across Fairfax County. The Fairfax County Health Department’s webpage has information about the clinics and resources for finding and scheduling a vaccine appointment. Click here for up-to-date information about vaccination opportunities.

 

Employee Awards

Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards. To submit a nomination for a Franklin Middle School Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination by clicking on the associated link. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)

All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.

Outstanding Teacher  

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category

Outstanding New Teacher

Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category

Outstanding Principal

Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school 

district)

Outstanding Leader 

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal):

Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services

Outstanding Professional Employee 

Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership

Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school

Outstanding Operational Employee

Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee

Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons (regardless of how they are paid)  

The deadline to submit a nomination is November 23. If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Lyttle, Director of Student Services.

 

Library Updates

Two books I recently read from our library are sequels: Pax: Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker and Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling.  A message I received by reading these is that we are all learning about ourselves, which can be painful at times, yet we all have experiences, knowledge and kindness to share.  I am thankful for the inspiration, reminding me that all of our students and staff are learning and growing. I wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving break, and hopefully some time to read - from your librarian, Mrs. Ruffle.

 

Franklin MS After School Program

Our program will be closed on Monday, November 22 and Tuesday, November 23. Activities resume on Monday, November 29. For questions regarding the After School Program, please email Mrs. Mollé.

On Monday, November 15, four culinary groups competed in a challenging Top Chef Lunch Competition after school. The theme of the competition was “Buy Local, Eat Local”, where 50% of their ingredients had to be sourced from somewhere in Virginia. The groups were challenged by cost and nutrition restrictions to create a lunch that could be served as part of the school lunch cafeteria rotation. The winning group is moving on to representing Franklin at the county-wide Real Food for Kids Organization Culinary Competition that will be held in early March at Hayfield HS. Four teachers and one student judged the groups on their meals according to taste, creativity, cost, and nutrition, as well as following the theme. The winning group was Janya P. and Anvita G. who impressed judges with their Knockout Quesadilla.  Runners up by a very close margin were Ellie W. and Hannah L. who also created a delicious quesadilla meal. Daniel S., Sophia D., and Mariangel M. made their own whole wheat rolls from scratch with an incredibly healthy but delicious potato/veggie soup.  Finally, Mandy T. and Rachel S. made a scrumptious tomato, cheese, and ham sandwich on whole wheat that would surely please middle and high schoolers. All of the groups were incredibly thoughtful and well prepared for the judges' questions. A huge congratulations to all that took up this challenge and a big thank you to Ms. Jeffry and Ms. Spencer for running the event.

 

Student Council Association Holiday Food Drive

holiday food drive

 

The Student Council Association is hosting a holiday food drive to support our local food bank. Families are welcome to donate non-perishable items from November 30 - December 14. Students may drop off non-perishable items in the main lobby. Our goal is to donate at least 2,000 food items to our local food bank. Thank you for your support.

 

Children's Holiday Wonderland Concert at Oakton High School

The Oakton High School Band will perform at a Children's Holiday Wonderland Concert on December 11 at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.

Please visit the Oakton Bands Webpage for more information and to purchase tickets.

Oakton HS holiday concert

 

Franklin MS Office Hours

Our school office will be closed November 24 - 26, and will reopen at 7:00 AM on Monday, November 29.

 

PTA News and Updates

PTA logo

 

PTA Gift Card Drive

Franklin Middle School is collecting donations of gift cards to help FMS families in need during the winter holidays. Please consider a donation of any amount in a regular or electronic gift card. We would like to consider stores like Walmart, Target, Amazon, Kohls, and Burlington that offer a variety of shopping options. If interested, please contribute by November 30.

Please email E-gift cards to our Franklin Middle School social worker, Elyse Brunais. Gift cards may also be mailed to the address below.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Franklin Middle School PTA President, Heather Tomasek or Franklin Middle School social worker Elyse Brunais. Thank you for supporting our community.

holiday gift card drive

Franklin Middle School

attn: Elyse Brunais

3300 Lees Corner Road

Chantilly, VA 20151

 

PTA Membership Information

The Franklin Middle School Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a group of parent volunteers who graciously donate their time in a variety of different ways to support the school. The PTA creates community and educational connections with the school, teachers and parents. Please take a few minutes to learn more about our organization and our Membership Drive by visiting our website.

 

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