Important Upcoming Event
- September 22 - PTA Hybrid Meeting
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September 26 - Student Holiday-No school Teacher workday/Religious & Cultural Observance-Rosh Hashanah
- September 28 - Virtual Parent Coffee
- October 5 - Student Holiday-No School. Religious & Cultural Observance - Yom Kippur
- October 6 & 7 - Picture Day
- October 10 - No School- Staff Development Day
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 Parent Coffee
We invite you to join us virtually for our first Parent Coffee of the year entitled “Welcome to Middle School”, scheduled for Wednesday, September 28th, from 9:00-10:00 AM. For those families who were unable to attend our Back to School Nights and for those who would like more information, we will be presenting an overview of numerous topics. Join us to hear from our administrators, after school specialist, school counselors, school based technology specialist, and more to learn about supports and programs here at RCMS. Stay tuned for a Zoom link. To register for the zoom link click here.
Parent Coffee Schedule - SAVE THE DATES:
-Guest speaker, Rachel Bailey: December 1st, 9-10AM
-Guest speaker, Zaina Bankwalla, Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College: March 9th, 9-10AM
-Rising 7th Grade- Transition to Middle School: April 13th, 9-10AM
We hope you can make it!
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Save The Dates For Our Superintendent |
Dr. Reid will host an evening of Community Conversations at Oakton High School on Tuesday, October 11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. This event will be a unique opportunity to help Dr. Reid get to know the Oakton Pyramid school community and learn more about her vision for our district.
Language interpretation will be provided, as available, as well as child care and light refreshments. Please register to here to attend.
[SPANISH - AMHARIC - ARABIC - CHINESE - KOREAN - URDU - VIETNAMESE]
Panthers On Time
We speak to students on a daily basis about being Ready, Responsible, and Respectful. One important element of being ready and responsible is to arrive on time to class. When students are on time, they are far more likely to have a successful class period. Please view our procedures that outline our expectations for students being on time to classes.
https://carsonms.fcps.edu/about/attendance-procedures
September is Attendance Awareness Month
The beginning of the school year is the best time to develop strong attendance habits! Students who attend school regularly are more likely to perform well in reading and math, develop strong social and emotional skills, and graduate from high school on time. Help prepare your child for future success. Visit FCPS’ Attendance web page for tips and strategies.
TJHSST Information Night
Rachel Carson Middle School will be hosting an after-school meeting for students interested in applying for Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology. The meeting will be on Thursday, October 13th from 3:00-4:00 PM in the gym and presented by a member of the TJ admissions department. Students should have a ride by 4:00, or they can take the late bus home at 4:30.
Please note that families and students should watch the YouTube video posted by the admissions department AHEAD of the meeting. The meeting itself is a question-and-answer session and will only briefly review the admissions process.
Parents are also welcome to attend. Please do not arrive before 2:30 to allow buses and dismissal to take place. Enter through Door 8 (near the cafeteria/picnic table area of the building).
Families are also encouraged to visit www.fcps.edu/tjadmissions to learn more about the freshman application process and eligibility.
If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact Mrs. Clifford at ssclifford@fcps.edu with any questions.
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Support the Carson Orchestra!
Eat Chipotle on October 3rd.
The RCMS students of Symphonic Orchestra would like to invite you all to the Chipotle Fundraising Night happening on Monday, October 3rd from 4:00-8:00pm at the Franklin Farm Chipotle! Funds raised at this event will be used to help support costs for their upcoming trip/performance at the Virginia Music Educators Association conference this November.
The kiddos have been working REALLY hard already to prepare for this event and I know it would mean the world to them to see some of our awesome staff there in support – we hope to see you there!
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Click the link below to see the schedule for After School Activities. If you have any questions, please contact Riley Barrows- rtbarrows1@fcps.edu
RCMS Quarter 1 After School Schedule
afterschool parent letter
SIS ParentVue Weekly Progress Reports
Are you interested in receiving weekly progress reports to stay informed about how your child is doing in their classes? Find out more and sign up HERE.
Screen Activity Report for Parents
FCPS has tools to help parents and guardians know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided by Lightspeed, our internet content filtering service, at no cost to families. You may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. If you want more detailed information, sign up for the Internet Use Parent portal and log-in anytime to see more detail about your child’s browsing and “pause” access to the internet during non-school hours. Find out more and sign up for these services on our website.
Parent Information Line Available in 8 Languages
Parents who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese can call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their children's schools due to a language barrier.
Additionally, view this graphic for a quick view of available telephone numbers for translation: Translation Services
School Clinic Information
Parents and guardians may click here for more information and medication authorization forms. Please contact our School Health Aide, Cheyenne Cole, 703-925-3610 or our Public Health Nurse, Minjung Ellenburg , 571-460-9059 with any questions.
Fall VGA Testing Dates
Virginia Growth Assessments
In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly introduced the expectation for new state "through-year" assessments in elementary and middle schools. Beginning in 2022-23, students in grades 3-8 take the Virginia Growth Assessment in fall and winter. The purpose of these assessments is to measure student growth and progress in reading and mathematics content standards.
Please note that the Math assessment is NOT given to students taking a high school credit course, so Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II students will not be assessed. All students take the Reading VGA, however. Learn more information here about Virginia Growth Assessments.
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Fall VGA Testing Dates
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Math: Tuesday, September 20th
Reading: Thursday, September 29th
(Each assessment will take place at the beginning of the day.)
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Make sure that your child brings a fully-charged laptop on these days. If at all possible, please avoid making appointments for which your child would need to be absent on these days.
World Languages Credit Exam
The 2022 World Languages Credit Exam will be administered on November 3, 9 and 10, at Centreville HS, West Springfield HS, and Edison HS. Thirty languages will be included. Please visit the website below for a list of the languages offered.
What is the World Language Credit Exam??
The exam assesses language proficiency. 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. Students earn credit based on the level of proficiency demonstrated by their writing. Students who take the exam may earn up to three pass-or-fail credits (levels one, two and three) in the language.
How and when can I register?
All students must register for the exam through their school counselor. Registration opens
Tuesday, September 6, 2022, at 8 a.m. and closes on Thursday, October 6, 2022 at 4 p.m.
Late registrations will not be accepted.
Where can I find more information?
Check out the World Languages Credit Exam website at:
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/high-school-academics-9-12/world-languages/credit-exam-world-languages
Carson Middle School
Picture Day Dates: Thursday, October 6 - Friday, October 7
Click on the link below using the Picture ID Code
Picture Day ID: EVTWQ6FCD
click here
Help us in welcoming the Sully Community Center to our neighborhood!
click here
For more information on the various programs available at the center.
Digital Consent resources
Parents, we need your consent for digital tools! Some of the digital resources your child may use this year require parental consent. Listed on this page on our website are the digital tools that are used at Carson that require approval. Not all tools will be used by every student.
To provide consent for your student’s use of digital tools, please click here.
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:
Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
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 year. Learn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program online.
Get your RCMS Spirit Wear!! Sales ends September 30th!! Celebrating 25 years!!
Hoodies, zip hoodies, crew sweatshirts, Performance T Shirt, shorts and sweatpants are available in adult and youth sizes.
PE Teacher name is required at checkout, please know your students PE teacher name before ordering.
All sales will ship to the school and be distributed to students by our PE Department.
Click on the link below to purchase Spirit Wear:
click here
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Yearbook Sales
2022-2023 Yearbooks are available for purchase. Reserve your copy today by purchasing through MySchoolBucks!
Link to Purchase: Yearbook Sales - MySchoolbucks
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.
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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.
Here Comes the Bus Mobile App
 Here Comes the Bus® app is a school bus tracking app that can simplify morning and afternoon routines for parents and students by giving them real-time bus location and text or email notification alerts, helping them get to the bus stop on time. Here Comes the Bus® utilizes our GPS data and an easy-to-use customizable map that works on one or multiple devices, such as a tablet or smartphone.
Using the app is EASY! You will need the FCPS school district code 28982 and a Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account. Please be sure to follow the detailed instructions at this link. Do Not Use the Student Login or Sign Up links.
If you have problems with the Here Comes the Bus app, please contact the support information within the app itself. Your school has no access to this third-party system.
Other Schools Are Sharing
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.
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