Carson MS Weekly Updates -Week of October 10


Carson Middle School

        Important Upcoming Events

  • October 13 & 14- Hearing & Vision Screening
  • October 20  - PTA Hybrid Meeting
  • October 24  - No School- Religious & Cultural Observance
  • October 28 - End of Quarter 1; 2-hour early release
  • October 31- Student Holiday/Teacher Workday

 

RCMS December Parent Coffee: Input Needed

Thank you so much to the parents and guardians who were able to join us for our first Parent Coffee of the year on September 28th.  We have a recording of the presentation and slide deck here on our website for those who were unable to attend. 

 We are thrilled to have speaker Rachel Bailey join our next RCMS Parent Coffee which has changed to November 30th  at 9AM, instead of December 1st (for those who already marked their calendar)Rachel Bailey has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and has been an ADHD Coach, therapist, and teacher of positive parenting techniques.  Please complete the form below to let us know which topic you are most interested in by November 11th.  Thank you!

RCMS Parent Coffee Topic Interest Survey

-Guest speaker, Rachel Bailey: November 30th, 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


Dr. Reid

Save The Dates For Our Superintendent


Please join us for a Superintendent Community Conversation at Oakton High School on Tuesday, October 11 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Learn more about Dr. Michelle Reid, FCPS superintendent, and help her get to know the Oakton Pyramid school community. Language interpretation will be provided, as available, as well as child care and light refreshments

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!

Please continue to stress on-time class arrivals with your student(s).  Carson’s expectations for being to school and class on-time support a safe and less disruptive learning experience for all students.  Students who accumulate three tardies in any one class will meet with their administrator to plan for timely arrivals.  Students and families can review their attendance and class tardies on their StudentVue and ParentVue accounts.

https://carsonms.fcps.edu/about/attendance-procedures


TJ HS

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.


student services

Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Fall Screening

Parents or guardians of seventh grade students NEW to FCPS as of January 2022 who were not screened in Spring 2022 may initiate screening for full-time AAP Level IV services by submitting an Advanced Academic Programs Level IV Referral Form and any optional screening materials to RCMS Counselor Liaison, Christy Ryder, by Friday, October 14, 2022.  Please view AAP Testing and Identification Timelines for more information. 

Spring 2023 AAP Level IV referrals and optional screening materials are due to Christy Ryder by Friday, December 15, 2022

AAP Level IV services are available to students in grades 3-8. Students may be found eligible for full-time placement in AAP Level IV Center classes through a central selection process where multiple criteria are reviewed by a central selection committee to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. More information about the screening process as well as an overview of AAP services available at the middle school level may be found here on the FCPS website or families can view this video, AAP Overview of Services

If a parent or guardian feels that the ability test on file does not reflect the student’s current abilities, they may request a one-time retest. Requests for retest must be made to the school testing coordinator, Sharri Clifford at ssclifford@fcps.edu, before the 2022 Oct 3-21 testing window in order to allow time to order tests from the Office of Assessment and Reporting.  It is important that families know that tests are not weighted in AAP screening and no test is required for Honors courses.  

If you have any questions about this process please reach out to RCMS Counselor Liaison, Christy Ryder, at clryder@fcps.edu


 

Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid is coming!

The Impact Aid Program is a federal grant program designed to directly compensate local school districts that have been financially impacted by federal activities. The program's mission is to reimburse local school districts for local revenues lost due to the presence of federally owned and therefore tax-exempt property. Your support in identifying students with federal connections will ensure that FCPS can obtain its fair share of grant funds from this program.

The surveys will go home during Panther Time the week of October 17th. Please be sure to complete and sign the survey and have your child return the original (fax or email copies may not be sent) to their Panther Time teacher no later than Friday, November 4th.  If you have any questions, please contact Monique Berkeley- mtberkeley@fcps.edu. 


After School

 

AFTER SCHOOL CORNER

After school activities are in full swing at RCMS. Please click on the link below to see the current club offerings. If you have any questions, contact Riley Barrows, rtbarrows1@fcps.edu

RCMS Quarter 1 After School Schedule


Rock Panther Pride with PJ Pants and help the PTA reach their goal!

Limited Edition RCMS PJs - Available Now thru Mon. Oct. 17

RCMS PTA brings you Limited Edition RCMS Pajama Pants.  These will not be available EVER AGAIN because they celebrate 25 years of RCMS.  Your students will love them! So Cozy and Comfortable!  PJs are available in a variety of colors, sizes and 2 styles.  Your student can Rock these pants at the JAMMY JAM (not the official name yet), on PJ day and other days of the year.  This is one of our most important fundraisers of the year 

RCMS PTA's First Event - Friday, Nov 4, SAVE THE DATE!

Get ready for a Groovy PJ Party !!!! So SAVE the DATE, this will be an event where everyone will feel at Home. Parents can chill too; it's an event for the family.  A little something for everyone. Free Entry if you Rock Panther Pride PJ Pants

RCMS PTA Reflections Chair Needed!!

We are looking for a volunteer to serve as RCMS PTA Reflections Chair for 2022-2023. Below is some information for your reference. Rest assured that PTA is going to guide and help you to get started. If you are interested, please respond back to rcmspta.fundraiserchair@gmail.com.


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.


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 yearLearn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program online. 


Yearbook

 

Yearbook Sales

2022-2023 Yearbooks are available for purchaseReserve your copy today by purchasing through MySchoolBucks!

Link to PurchaseYearbook 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.


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.

 


Here Comes the Bus Mobile App

here comes the bus imageHere 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


Oakton High School- Save The Date!

October 13 – DIGPINK Volleyball Night. This is the first DIGPINK night to be hosted since pre-Covid due to the restrictions at events and school renovations so we are hoping to make this a large family friendly event.  Please join us for a great night of volleyball and support a great cause.  This year we will be playing Madison for our DIGPINK night.


Oakton Pink

RCMS Students at HS Football Games

This is a reminder that all RCMS students who plan to attend a football game at any FCPS high school must be accompanied by a parent.  The purpose is to assist with keeping students well supervised and accounted for during these games.  High schools will turn away students who arrive at an HS football game without a parent .  Thanks for your support with this matter.


Oakton

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.