Carson MS Weekly Updates -Week of August 8


Carson Middle School

Important Upcoming Events

 

  • August 17- Virtual Parent Orientation, 6:30PM
  • August 18-  Student Orientation/Open House -     Carson MS
  • August 22- First Day of School- A Day (odd day     schedule)
  • August 25- Back to School Night- 7th Grade
  • September 7- Back to School Night- 8th Grade 

 

summer

 


Greetings RCMS students and families,

I hope that you are enjoying the summer months and taking part in plenty of fun and relaxing activities.  I am thrilled to welcome you to the start of the 2022-23 school year.  The start of every year is exciting.  This year provides a special element as we enter the 25th school year since the opening of Rachel Carson Middle in 1998.  Our theme for this year is “RCMS 22-23:  25 Years of Panther Pride”.  This year and this theme provides offers the chance to celebrate our awesome past and bright future together as a community.  For our 7th grade students and families, we welcome you to this school and look forward to the energy that you will bring to the classrooms and hallways.  For our 8th grade students and families, we welcome you back for another positive year and will count on  your presence and leadership.

Beginning the school year in a smooth fashion is very important to our staff.  We will share reminders and updates in a few different formats.  Please continue to take note of what you find in our News You Choose messages.  These messages outline upcoming events and provide access and links to critical information.    We also encourage you to visit our website at https://carsonsms.fcps.edu for more in-depth descriptions of our school programs and points of contact. 

We can’t wait to see our students back on campus in a few weeks.  Thank you for your support as we head into a great school year.

Sincerely,

Gordon Stokes, Principal


 

Back to School Information

All five (5) beginning of the School Year forms are included here and will be on the Carson Middle School website at this link:

https://carsonms.fcps.edu/2022-23-return-school

 

(The first item listed below is a form that must be printed at home, signed, and returned to Carson at either Carson’s Open House (Thursday, August 18) or to your student’s Panther Time teacher on the first day of school.  You may complete items 2 through 5 on-line.)

  1. Health Information Form  (Parent/ Legal Guardian signature required)
  2. After School Registration Form
  3. Digital Consent  (Accessible August 10)
  4. Intent to Ride School Bus  (Access link through ParentVue)
  5. Emergency Care Form (We Care)

Emergency Care Information:

Please make any updates by using the following link: weCare@School

Student Supply List:

Student Supply List link is on the Rachel Carson Middle School website.

Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R):

SR&R Signature Sheet will be due after students review the SR&R policies at school.

Transportation:

Bus routes for the 2022-2023 school year will be sent to families via email directly from the Office of Transportation.

Afterschool Information:

Information about our afterschool activities.

 

After School Preview and FAQ's

 

After School Parent Letter

 

7th Grade Students Vaccines Due before School Starts

7th Grade Students are required to get the following immunizations before the first day of school. Email your Vaccine Record to Andrea Tawil at ajtawil@fcps.edu  before August 19th

  • Meningococcal Conjugate (MenACWY) Vaccine 
  • TDap Vaccine 

 

Student Medication Drop Off

Parents and guardians are encouraged to drop off medication prior to the first day of school, or on the first day of school, August 22. The Health Room will be open for medication drop off during the Carson Open House on August 18 from 12:00 PM - 3:30 PM. Parents may drop off medication for their student during that time.  Please click here for more information and medication authorization forms. Please contact our School Health Aide, Cheyenne Cole or our Public Health Nurse, Minjung Ellenburg , with any questions.

Student Schedules

Student schedules will be available in SIS StudentVue/ParentVue on the morning of August 18.


Orientation

laptop

Summer Laptop Return

 Students who are taking summer programs, must  return equipment at the course completion.  Laptops can be returned to the Carson main office between 9am-2pm.


Click on the links below for more information.

New Student Orientation

School Supply List

Bell Schedule SY 


Paperless Opt-Outs Available!

As part of our ongoing effort to streamline paper processes and transition to electronic forms, we are excited to announce that the following opt-outs will be available in SIS ParentVUE beginning Friday, July 15: 

·         Tutor.com Access (was available April 2022)

·         SEL Screener Participation

·         Counseling Opt Out

·         Transportation Intent

·         Accept FCPS Device

·         Home Internet Access

Once you have signed into your ParentVUE account, simply select the “Student Info” tab and click on “Edit Information.” You will find opt-out’s listed there.  Parents that do not yet have a SIS ParentVUE account will still be able to use paper forms for notification. If you need to set up your ParentVUE account, you can create one online via the FCPS ParentVUE Registration page.

Further information can be found on:


Immunization Reminders

Immunization Reminders:

As we begin to look ahead to the 2022-23 school year, I encourage everyone to Be Wise, Immunize! Immunizations are required for public school entry and help keep children protected from many diseases. Many children missed their well check-ups and their recommended childhood immunizations during recent years of disruptions from COVID-19. It is critical to catch up now to keep children healthy and protect them from serious diseases. All students are required to be immunized against certain communicable diseases to attend school in the state of Virginia. It is important for all students to receive the required immunizations.

 

I encourage you to check with your healthcare provider to make sure your child is up to date on required immunizations for the 2022-23 school year as soon as possible. If your child needs a vaccine to complete their records, you can make an appointment with your healthcare provider or visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a schedule of child immunization clinics. More information on immunization requirements and the necessary documentation is available online.

 

Remember to request documentation of your child’s immunizations and provide to Rachel Carson Middle School as soon as possible.

The needed documentation can be provided to the school in one of the following ways: 

  1. Scanned and emailed to the school at ajtawil@fcps.edu 
  2. Mailed to the school, Attn: Andrea Tawil
  3. Dropped off in the Main Office, Attn: Andrea Tawil

 

Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications Available Later This Summer

For the past two years, the federal government has provided no-cost meals to all public school students without the need to complete the annual Free and Reduced-Price Meal application. The extension of the no-cost meals benefit to all students is expected to expire at the end of this school year, meaning families must submit an application and be approved to be eligible for free and reduced-price meals for the 2022-23 school yearLearn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program online. 


 

 

attendance

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 OfficeTeachers 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:

  1. Use the link to our online attendance form (preferred) from the main page of the RCMS website:
  2. Send an email with full details to: CarsonMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu, or
  3. 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.

 


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.