This Week at Frost

Greetings Frost Middle School!

We had a fantastic week which kicked off with the recognition of our military connected families. Frost MS was chosen as one of three schools to be showcased during Month of the Military Child in April! We had a photo shoot here in one of courtyards and some of our families were photographed and interviewed! We can’t wait to see the final product in April! Here’s an example of what is to come:

We also had the great fortune to recognize Ms. Melanie Porter, Frost Assistant Principal as the 2022 Region 5 Outstanding Leader! She will be one of five finalists who have a shot to win this award for all of FCPS! Congratulations Ms. Porter! Good Luck.

Our students competed for a chance to play the faculty and staff for our upcoming Students vs. Faculty basketball game! The kids were really excited and played with passion, class, and fervor. We had over 100 students competing on Thursday afternoon!

I hope you all have a fantastic week!

As always, we are #ONEFrost!  

All the best! 

Anthony

Upcoming Dates - Mark Your Calendars

March 31                     2 Hour Early Release, End of 3^rd Quarter/NO AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM

March 29-30                Spring Picture Days – Held during PE classes

April 1                          Teacher Workday/Student Holiday

April 4 – 8                    Spring Break

April 15                        Good Friday

April 22                        Orthodox Good Friday

May 2                          Eid al Fitr

May 12                        SOL Test - 8^th Grade Science

May 17                        7^th and 8^th Grade Reading

May 19                        7^th and 8^th Grade Math (including Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2)

New This Week

Successful PTA Read-a-Thon!

So many thanks to the Frost PTA and especially to Frost parent, Julie Minde, who spearheaded the PTA Read-a-Thon this year.  Through her efforts, the support of the Frost English Language department, and the generous donations of Frost families, Frost students raised over $13, 000 by reading and recording those reading minutes.  These funds will be used to support Frost programs.  We are so grateful to our students and families and to the Frost PTA!  Thank you!

Family Engagement Survey

Our Family Engagement Survey is coming to your email the afternoon of Sunday, March 13. Please participate—your feedback is critical in helping to inform and improve FCPS’ practices to best support our students.

Taking this survey will also help strengthen the partnership between your family and your school. When that partnership is strong, students can experience a range of benefits including improved school readiness, higher student achievement, and better social skills and behavior.

FCPS is partnering with independent firm K12 Insight to administer the survey, and it will be available in eight languages. For more information, please watch this short video from Superintendent Brabrand and visit the Family Engagement Survey webpage. Paper copies of the survey are in the main office at Frost, as well.

Your voice matters!

Free Online Tutoring Services for All Students Coming Soon!

All FCPS students will soon have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost. Funds to support Tutor.com for school year 2022-23 and 2023-24 will come from an ESSER III Unfinished Learning Grant. 

Students can connect online any time, and in most subjects for as long as they need. Tutoring is focused instruction provided to students in a one-on-one format through voice or text chat. Tutors will focus on developing student’s strengths and capabilities in reading, mathematics, or other specified subjects. Tutoring services may be accessed before, during, or after school hours and/or on weekends through a link in Schoology. 

All tutors must pass a rigorous application process including an extensive background check. No personal information is shared between a student and tutor. All sessions are recorded and transcripts are available for review by teachers and parents/guardians. 

Students will automatically have access to the Tutor.com tutoring service unless a parent/guardian submits an opt-out request. All FCPS families will soon receive an email including an online tutoring services notice and opt-out information. Additionally, a hard copy form will be sent home with every student. 

For additional information, visit our online tutoring services website

Opportunity to Expunge High School Classes and Algebra Summer Learning Opportunities

Students enrolled in high school classes (Algebra, Geometry, World Language level 1 or 1B) in Middle School have the opportunity to expunge or remove the class from a student’s transcript.   Information regarding that process can be found here: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/grading-and-reporting/secondary/taking-high-school-courses-in-middle-school.  If a student would like to expunge the course from his or her transcript, this form needs to be returned to the school counselor before the end of the first quarter of the 22-23 school year.  The student then has the opportunity to retake it in the 22-23 school year or over the summer, depending on readiness. 

Summer course registration information can be found at: https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning/online-programs.  There is a change for those students currently enrolled in Algebra 1 this year and wish to retake the course over the summer.  These students are able to enroll in either Summer Online Campus Algebra 1 or Credit Recovery.  Further details are on the website above.

• Summer Online Campus Algebra 1 (new option) is for current middle school students who want to improve their understanding of course content.  Middle school students may use this summer online course to replace their expunged  2021-22 school-year grade.  Students will complete the appropriate SOL test at the end of the course if needed (if not already passed during the school year). No honors credit will be awarded. The course will run June 21 to July 22, and students will meet with their instructors, virtually, for one hour each day.
• Credit Recovery Academy Algebra 1 (in-person) - This course is for FCPS students who have taken Algebra 1 and have been unsuccessful in earning credit.  Students cannot take the in-person Credit Recovery Academy Algebra 1 course if they have already passed Algebra 1 or Honors Algebra 1, or for new course credit.

Spring School Picture Days

Spring school pictures will be taken during PE class periods on Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30.  We will be sending more information about ordering pictures online soon.

April is Month of the Military Child

Frost is proud to have over 130 military connected students – this is over 10% of our population! We invite our community to help us celebrate our students in April.

• March 31 - We are asking our military connected students/families, and staff, to fill out this Padlet Map to help provide a visual of where our students have lived all around the world. Please only include a location, and student first name (if desired). Please do not list last names so we can share with our community safely. You may share anonymously if you prefer. Please complete by March 31.
• April 20 – Purple UP Day! Purple is the color that represents military students. We ask all Frost students and staff to join us in wearing purple on Wednesday, April 20. If students don’t have purple, wear Frost colors!
• April 28 – We will host a military student celebration during Falcon Focus. More information will be sent directly to students and families in the coming weeks.

Missing AirPods?

We have many students who have lost their AirPods while in school.  We highly recommend that such easy-to-lose or misplace items such AirPods remain at home.  We also recommend that students house their AirPods in a distinctive case AND pair their AirPods to their phones. This will make identification easier if they are turned into the Main Office.  Here’s how:

How do I label my AirPods?

• Wear your AirPods and make sure they're connected to your iPhone.
• On iPhone, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
• In the list of devices, tap. next to your AirPods, then tap the current name.
• Enter a new name, then tap Done.

In Other News....

Your Views and Opinions Are Important to Us!

This spring all Frost MS parents/guardians will be contacted through email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form Online. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and offers parents/guardians an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various topics related to our school. These topics include instructional leadership, school climate, human resources management, organizational management, communication and community relations and professionalism. Understanding that this has been another unusual year, the impacts of COVID-19 will be taken into consideration when reviewing the feedback.

The questionnaire will be collected online between March 7 and March 18. When you receive an email from FCPS Surveys, please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire. Your opinions matter!

World Down Syndrome Day

Monday March 21^st is World Down Syndrome Day. We are encouraging staff and students to wear Silly/Wild/Mismatched socks on this day to spread awareness and support individuals with Down Syndrome across the globe. This theme started in 2013 and has been come to be known as Lots of Socks, created around the idea that chromosomes look like socks, and people with Down Syndrome have an extra chromosome. More information about this day and ways to get involved in the community can be found on the Down Syndrome Association of Northern VA’s website: https://www.dsanv.org/world-down-syndrome-day/

In order to recognize this day, we will be holding a student raffle to win pairs of silly socks during lunches. On Friday 3/18/22, students can get a raffle ticket during lunches (for free/no cost!), and on Monday 3/21, raffle winners will be announced during lunches and will win a pair of silly socks!

Special Education Conference

FCPS’s 17th Annual Special Education Conference will be held virtually on Saturday, March 26, with a combination of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (recorded) sessions supporting the conference's theme: Bringing our Inclusive Community Together: Affirming, Assessing, Advancing. Welcoming ceremonies, guest speakers, FCPS presentations, and an exhibit hall are included. Registration for this free conference is now open online.

• Parents and community members will be able to register online.
• FCPS educators, administrators, and preservice teachers will be able to register online and earn recertification points for attending the conference.
• Individuals needing foreign language interpretation (Spanish, Ahmaric, Arabic, and Korean), American Sign Language (ASL), or Cued Language Transliterator (CLT) interpreters for the live sessions may request this on the registration form. 

For questions please contact specialedconf@fcps.edu. 

Visit the Special Education Conference webpage for more information and to register

Technology Reminders

Please note that students received a lesson on some important technology reminders during the week of February 21^st. Frost MS expects students to respect school property. Students were reminded to take care of their FCPS issued laptops and not to download games or VPNs to their machines. FCPS can remove internet access for students who violate these policies.

Students can request service for their FCPS issued laptops by accessing the Student Tech Support Request link in the Frost All Students Course in Schoology. Having computer issues at home? Try these typical fixes: Log out of all accounts: Schoology, Google Workspace, etc.., Clear Google Chrome Cache, Update Google Chrome if needed, and the tried and true fix, Restart your computer!

Order Your Frost MS Yearbook Now!

Order your Frost Middle School 2021 - 2022 yearbook now!  Just use the QR code! 

Questions?  Please contact Debbie Metzker at dlmetzker@fcps.edu

YearbookSale_QR_Code_Flyer_20190212.pdf

Frost MS Renovation Schedule 

We are extremely excited about the progress the construction team is making on our new addition and renovation at Frost MS! To keep the Frost MS community informed about the progress and timelines, please see below:

Project Scope

Addition (+/- 85,000 square feet)

• Secure main entrance (Bus drop-off)
• Secondary entrance (Car drop-off)
• Administration and Health Suite
• Comprehensive Services Suite
• Cafeteria extension
• 2 story classroom wing (Core classrooms & Science labs, Special Ed)
• Library
• Music/Instrumental rooms
• Gym storage

Renovation (+/- 121,000 square feet)

• Existing Classrooms (Art, Family & Consumer Sciences, Tech & Eng. Ed.)
• Student Services Suite
• Special Ed offices and classrooms
• Cafeteria/Stage, Kitchen
• Main and Aux Gyms
• Lecture Hall (relocated and enlarged)
• Roof
• Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, AV/IT

Phases

• Phase 1-         Completed July 2022- If on schedule, students will be able to access and have classes in completed sections this Fall!
• Phase 2-         Completed Spring 2023       
• Phase 3-         Completed Fall 2023
• Estimated Project Completion Date- Fall 2023

FCPS Publishes the 2022 – 2023 School Year Calendar

The 2022-23 school year calendar was officially approved last week. Next year’s school calendar focuses on instruction and student and operational needs. The calendar also reflects significant community and employee engagement throughout the calendar development process.

Important Dates:

• Monday, August 22, 2022: First day of school.
• November 23-25, 2022: Thanksgiving break.
• December 19, 2022 - January 2, 2023: Winter break.
• April 3-7, 2023: Spring break.

Changes:

• Veteran’s Day will be a professional workday.
• Spring break is aligned with surrounding districts.
• New instruction will be allowed to take place on days denoted as religious and cultural observances, or “O” days.
• Four observances will be student holidays:
• Rosh Hashanah. 
• Yom Kippur.
• Orthodox Good Friday.
• Diwali.

See other highlights of the 2022-23 school year calendar. Stay tuned for more information on the 2022-23 Employee Calendar. We will be sharing more on the updated use of O Days later in the spring.

Summer Arts Program Registration Opens March 1

All students with an interest in continuing to explore the arts are eligible for two summer enrichment programs. Registration opens on March 1 for the Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA) and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) Summer enrichment programs. 

Elementary Institute for the Arts (for rising 3rd through 6th graders) and Institute for the Arts (for rising 7th through 12th graders) will be held July 5-29 at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Classes are offered every day related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. Both programs have fees, waivers are available for students eligible for free and reduced-price meals.  

For more information or to register, visit the Summer Learning webpage

CTE Summer Academy

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office is once again planning an engaging summer enrichment program for students! For our current 7th to 11th grade students, we have CTE Summer Academy.

4101 Pickett Rd Fairfax, VA 22032  | Main Office: 703.426.5700
Attendance: 703.426.5702 | Web | Twitter