Important Upcoming Events
- November 17 - PTA Hybrid meeting at 6:30pm
- November 23-25 Thanksgiving Holiday-No School
- November 30- RCMS Virtual Parent Coffee
- December 2 - Picture Make up Day
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PTA Meeting Information - Thursday, November 17- RCMS Library or Virtually
You are welcomed to get to know your fellow RCMS parents by attending in person at the general body PTA meeting. Share your excitement, interest, and even concerns at the next meeting in the RCMS Library. Most importantly get a chance to have an up close and in person conversation with Principal Stokes and/or PTA President Hari Kalahasti about what is on your mind regarding RCMS.
Join Zoom Meeting:
Meeting ID: 372 142 7103
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You are invited to attend the RCMS Advanced Drama Class performance of the student-directed fall play- "Box", in the Lecture Hall.
The show will be performed on Thursday evening, November 17th at 7:00PM- 7:40PM. Staff and families are welcome to attend. Admission is free!
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Friday, December 2nd
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
Health Notes from the RCMS School Clinic
In cooperation with the Fairfax County Health Department, we are sending this health information letter to inform you that several cases of influenza-like illness have been reported in our school. Children with influenza-like illness have cough and congestion, and may have fever, chills, sore throat, headache, body aches, and feeling tired (fatigue). Illness may be caused by the influenza virus or by other types of viruses.
The Health Department recommends that you and your family members take the following steps to protect yourselves and others from influenza and other respiratory illnesses:
· Vaccinate your child and yourself against influenza this year and every year. As long as influenza is circulating in our community it is not too late to get a vaccine.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Teach your children to wash their hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself. If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers may be used.
· Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and throw tissues in the trash after use. If tissues are not available, cover coughs and sneezes with your upper sleeve
· Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
· Try to avoid close contact with individuals who have influenza-like symptoms.
· Monitor your child for signs of influenza-like illness.
· Do not send any child experiencing influenza-like symptoms to school. If your child comes to school with the symptoms described above, he or she may be sent home. Keep your child home and away from others until the child has been symptom free and without fever for at least 24 hours without the use of medication (i.e. he or she should not attend school, school functions, sporting or extracurricular activities, or leave the home except to seek medical care).
We encourage you to put this information into practice to help your child stay healthy and to prevent others from getting sick. If you have questions regarding this information, please contact your health care provider or the School Public Health Nurse, Minjung Ellenburg.
Student Services Newsletter – Happy Fall!
Click this link to learn more about the upcoming school counseling services offered at RCMS. Quarter two newsletter is located here.
November Parent Coffee
We are excited to announce that Rachel Bailey, former ADHD coach, intensive in-home mentor, and psychotherapist for children, adolescents, and adults, will be presenting virtually to Rachel Carson families at our next Parent Coffee on Wednesday, November 30th from 9:00-10:00 AM. Thank you for providing feedback on the specific topic for this presentation!
Please join us to learn more about “How to Raise Children With Healthy Self-Esteem in a High-Pressure Culture.” These days, children are expected to be good at everything. Often that type of pressure makes kids feel "not good enough," especially when they look around and compare themselves to others. In this workshop, you'll learn exactly what to DO and SAY so that children believe in themselves -- and thrive -- even in a culture where high-pressure standards sometimes seem unattainable.
To register for the Zoom link, click here.
We hope to see you virtually!
Parent Coffee Schedule - SAVE THE DATES:
-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
SIS WEEKLY PROGRESS REPORTS
All parents/guardians of Middle School students who have registered for a SIS ParentVUE Account and have a primary email address recorded in SIS ParentVUE can receive Weekly Progress Reports via email. This report provides a summary of your student(s) grades for the current quarter. To activate the Weekly Progress Reports via email, login to your SIS ParentVUE Account and first verify that you have a primary email address within the system. It is listed under the “My Account” tab. If it is blank, enter the email address where you would like to receive the progress reports and click on update account. Once confirmed, parents/guardians are able to activate and select their preferences for receiving these reports within the SIS ParentVUE “My Account” tab.
Weekly progress reports for all of your Middle and High School students will be included in one email. For questions about a specific progress report or grade you can login into your SIS ParentVUE Account to find detailed grade book information. Additionally, your student’s teacher is always the best resource to answer any grade book questions that you may have. Weekly Progress Report Parent Quick Reference Guide
Easy and safe communication between families and school
FCPS has recently approved the use of TalkingPoints, a two-way messaging app that allows parents and caregivers to communicate with teachers and schools. Carson staff members will be starting to use this service to help communicate to all of our families. The app translates messages, so teachers can input messages in English, and parents can respond in their preferred language. TalkingPoints supports 125 languages, making it easier and faster for our FCPS families to connect with their schools. If you need to update your preferred correspondence language, contact our registrar, Lesa Lloyd. For more information, visit the FCPS TalkingPoints webpage
Conversing with Your Teen about Drug Use
For some reason, as a culture we avoid talking about things that can be both lifesaving and life changing, such as finances, drugs, and other topics that make us uncomfortable. What do you wish you knew when you were younger that can be shared with your teenager now? Here’s a few tips for talking about drugs with your teenager.
Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VWGxTZrpCU
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: (571) 423-4270.
For further Information & support:
Michael McNulty
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
mpmcnulty@fcps.edu
Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) Spring Screening
Spring 2023 AAP Level IV referrals and optional screening materials are due by Friday, December 15, 2022. Parents or guardians of seventh grade students 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. Please view AAP Testing and Identification Timelines for more information.
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 you have any questions about this process please reach out to RCMS Counselor Liaison, Christy Ryder, at clryder@fcps.edu
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Student-Parent Survey for Federal Impact Aid
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 18th.The forms were due on Friday, November 4th. If you have any questions, please contact Monique Berkeley- mtberkeley@fcps.edu.
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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Winter VGA
Testing Dates
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Reading: Thursday, December 1st
Math: Wednesday, December 7th
(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.
AFTER SCHOOL CORNER
There will be no after school activities on Friday November 18th, Monday November 21st, or Tuesday November 22nd. Please click on the below to see the current after school club offerings. If you have any questions, please contact Riley Barrows, rtbarrows1@fcps.edu.
Would you like to be a part of the RCMS PTA Family? Members and volunteers are needed.The Carson PTA is sponsoring school events in support and gratitude for our educators and families and kicking off 2 major fundraisers to support our mission statement in support of our students. Parents, please join the PTA fun and participate in our "Name that Tune" contest.
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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 year. Learn more about the Free and Reduced-Price Meal program online.
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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
Fairfax High School
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.
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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