Important Upcoming Events
- March 31- 2 Hour Early Release; End of 3rd Quarter
- April 1- Teacher workday-No school for students
- April 4-8- Spring break- School Offices Closed 4/7 & 4/8. { 4/4-4/6- Office open 9-1PM}
- April 11- Back to School- "A" Schedule Day
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Thursday, March 31- 2 Hour Early Dismissal. |
Family Engagement Survey
Dear Parents and Families,
Family engagement is an essential part of building a caring culture that will foster student success. Your voice is a critical part of that effort. The survey takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. If you have children in more than one school, you will be able to take the survey for additional schools at the completion of the survey. The deadline for the survey is Sunday, April 3rd.
click the link below to complete the survey.
https://survey.k12insight.com/survey1.aspx?k=RQsRXVWUsXXsPsPsP&lang=0
Carson’s Spring SOL testing schedule
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- Friday, May 6- Science 8
- Tuesday, May 10- Reading 8
- Thursday, May 12- Reading 7
- Monday, May 16th- Algebra 1 and Geometry
- Wednesday, May 18th- Math 7, 7 HN, Math 8, Algebra 2
Please reach out to our School Testing Coordinator, Lauren Ross (lmross@fcps.edu), if you have any testing related questions.
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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 years 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 students’ 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 more information click the link below.
click here
Attention 8th Grade Families:
The Virginia Department of Education has replaced specific Standards of Learning tests (SOLs), such as Civics & Economics, with Local Alternative Assessments (LAAs). For the LAA students will create a Public Service Announcement using their acquired knowledge, research and skills to show their understanding of topics in Civics. In order to support students’ performances, we are asking for families to support and encourage their child to approach this task with a commitment to doing their best on the LAA. Additionally, the LAA will count as a coursework grade for all students and, therefore, will not be eligible for a retake per the Civics Syllabus. For information about LAAs, please reference the FCPS Parent Letter on LAAs.
click here
The RCMS Music Department is celebrating National Music in Our Schools Month!
Music In Our Schools Month began as a national effort to increase awareness around the positive role music plays in the lives of young people. The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) characterizes music as a “powerful aesthetic force” that “dignifies the realm of feeling by merging intellect and emotion in the search of a humane way of life.” Music In Our Schools Month is an annual reminder to all of us that music is an essential part of the learning process, and RCMS is proud to honor that tradition.
Throughout March, our Band, Chorus, and Orchestra programs will engage in the annual Music Performance Assessments. At these assessments, each ensemble is adjudicated by a panel of highly qualified music educators and provided with feedback and an overall rating for their performance. These assessments are essentially, the SOL test for our music programs, with the distinction being that each ensemble receives one overall rating, rather than ratings for each individual student. Our students’ performances include three prepared pieces and a sight-reading performance (during which they study and then perform an unseen musical work in SEVEN minutes). While these assessments are important for each group, they are just a snapshot of the preparation and growth that our Band, Chorus, and Orchestra students experience each school year.
We offer a BIG “thank you” to Tiffany Hitz, Chris DiMassimo, Christen Reddig, Devyn Wilcox, and Eric Renne for their work with the students during this process and throughout the school year.
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Rachel Carson has been approved as a Commonsense School. Click here to see more.
click here
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8TH GRADE CELEBRATION
PTA Sponsored
Planning for the 8th Grade Graduation Party is in full swing.
Please save the date for the 8th Grade Graduation Party on Wednesday, June 8th from 5:30 - 8pm at RCMS.
To make this party a grand success, we need volunteers to serve on the committee. Please signup for volunteering here
If you have any questions, please contact the 8th Grade Party Chair Sumana Srinivasan @ rcmspta.8thceleb@gmail.com
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Summer 2022 Happenings!
RCMS-101 - Don't miss out! Registration opens May 1, 2022.
A Transition Program for Rachel Carson Middle School's Rising 7th Graders.
This two day program will offer students an opportunity to familiarize themselves with life at Rachel Carson Middle School. Students will be assigned to a group that they will spend the two days with. Each group will rotate from one block to the next together. This is a great opportunity to make some new friends before the start of the school year!
Attendees will experience a simulated block-schedule school day while learning about:
- Curriculum Overview
- Strategies for Middle School Organization
- 21st Century Skills
- Technology at Carson
- Team Building
- Layout of School
Session Options
Session 1: August 1st-2nd, 8:30AM-12:30PM
Session 2: August 3rd-4th 8:30AM-12:30PM
Program Cost: $50.00
Registration opens on MySchoolBucks on May 1, 2022 Registration Deadline– June 1st.
https://www.MySchoolBucks.com
FCPS bus transportation will be available for this program. Registered students will receive transportation details prior to the start of their session. Students who will travel via Kiss and Ride may be dropped off no earlier than 8:20AM and must be picked up no later than 1:10PM.
For additional information regarding the program, please contact:
Mtberkeley@fcps.edu Monique Berkeley 703-925-3600
The A/B Day Calendar
Our A/B Day calendar is set and locked in at the start of the school year. Here is our calendar for the school year. When school resumes, we will return to the day that is marked on the calendar. https://carsonms.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/inline-files/21-22-a-b-calendar.pdf
https://carsonms.fcps.edu/node/6332
Updates
Intentions for Next Year
If your child will NOT be attending Rachel Carson Middle or his/her base high school next year, please complete the Intention Form linked below and return it to ajtawil@fcps.edu to let us know where your child will be enrolled. If your child will attend Rachel Carson Middle or his/her base high school, you don’t need to complete this form. If you find out later you will be moving, please contact Rachel Carson Middle so we can update our database. https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/it110.pdf
As we are now well into the third quarter, I encourage all families to check-in with your student(s) and their academic progress. Great resources to help monitor student progress and assignments are ParentVUE. The end of the third quarter is March 31, 2022. If your student needs academic support, be sure to reach out to their teacher or school counselor, as we are committed to helping every student succeed.
Student Services Spring Newsletter
Spring is here! Click the Spring Newsletter located here for more information regarding RCMS Spring and Summer Updates.
https://www.smore.com/jcnzu
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Rachel Carson Student Services SPRING NEWSLETTER
www.smore.com
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Congratulations Panther Chess Club!!
On the success of the RCMS chess club students who participated in The Virginia Chess Federation tournament this past weekend!
The following Rachel Carson students received individual trophies in K-8 championship section:
1) Kent S. - Overall State Champion. He will represent VA for the prestigious Barber national tournament.
2) Kevin S. - 5th place
3) Ameya H. - 6th place
The following students also earned medals for their excellent performance.
1) Christina L.
2) Yash D.
3) Chandresh D.
4) Daksh D.
5) Hrishi B.
The following Rachel Carson students received individual prizes in K-8 Under 1200 section.
1) Sukir C. - 4th place
Rachel Carson also earned first place in the K-8 team championship with a total of 16 points. Carson also placed third for the blitz team award (grades 6-12).
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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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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
Oakton High School
OHS Dance Team 2022-23 Interest Meeting
If you are interested in trying out for the Oakton High School Dance Team for the 2022-23 season, there will be a virtual informational meeting Wednesday, March 30 at 7:00pm (sign up to receive the Google Meet link here). Coach Rowley will give out tryout information and answer questions about what a year on the dance team is like and the try-out process.
OHS Dance Team Spring Prep Clinic
If you love to dance and are interested in trying out for the Oakton High School Dance team for the 2022-23 school year or the year after, the Dance Team is holding a Prep Clinic March 28-30 at Oakton HS, open to students in grades 7-11! The clinic will teach a variety of skills and choreography that will be helpful for preparing for tryouts. If you are interested in participating in the Dance Team Prep Clinic, complete the Spring Prep Clinic Interest Form to receive the registration form and information. If you have questions, please reach out to Coach Rowley at kmrowley@fcps.edu.
OHS Dance Team 2022-23 Tryouts
If you love to dance and want to be involved in your school, come tryout for the Oakton High School Dance Team! Tryouts will be held April 11-13 and April 19-22, 2022 for the 2022-23 team selection. Not sure if you have all of the skills for dance team?? Come to tryouts anyway! You will have the opportunity to learn skills there, and dancers are often selected based on potential ability to pick up the needed skills! You can register for tryouts with this Tryout Registration link. Check out the Dance Team website for more information about the team and what to prepare for tryouts. Contact Coach Rowley at kmrowley@fcps.edu with questions.
South Lakes High School
SLHS Seahawk CO-ED Golf Meeting For Rising Freshmen
Is your student-athlete interested in playing for the Seahawk Co-ed Golf Team? Tryouts are projected to begin July 28 and the regular season runs through mid-September. For more information join me for a Zoom call on May 15th at 8:00. Email Coach Anderson at kanderson3@fcps.edu for the link.
SOUTH LAKES FOOTBALL
Calling all rising 9th graders! Are you:
-Bigger than most people? -Faster than your friends? -Tougher than most others?
If you answered yes to one or more of those questions then we are interested in you trying out for the South Lakes Football Program!
Hurry and fill out the following online interest form to be added to our email list: https://forms.gle/88rvspEYVeBHLNz88
If you have any questions at all feel free to email Coach Hescock at: jrhescock@fcps.edu
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