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Hello, Mustangs
It has been a great first week for our Mustangs! In fact, each morning we are reminded that South County is a place where Authenticity is Amplified, Connections are Critical, and Excellence is the Expectation. We are excited to see how this unfolds in our school community and look forward to your continued support throughout the school year.
Justin Simmons
Principal
South County Middle School
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No School
Friday, September 1
Monday, September 4
Save the Date!!
South County Middle School
Back to School Night
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
All Parents/Guardians are welcome!!
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2023 Student Rights and Responsibilities
FCPS’ Student Rights and Responsibilities document (SR&R) explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses to enhance school safety and to create a fair, equitable, and supportive school environment. In late June, the School Board approved changes to the SR&R for the 2023-24 school year. Updates include a revision of dress code expectations, bystander expectations for students witnessing harmful or unsafe behaviors, bullying, and substance abuse responses. Read Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid’s letter to families regarding the SR&R.
Parents/caregivers should talk to their child(ren) about expectations for this school year. Also, please log in to SIS ParentVUE and sign to acknowledge your review of the SR&R, or sign and return the signature sheet to your child’s school by Friday, September 29.
Attendance
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.
Please make school attendance a priority for your student(s). To report a student’s absence you can contact our attendance line at 703-690-5555, send an email to SouthCountyMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu or use our online attendance form by 8:30 a.m. on the morning of the absence.
More information about our attendance procedures can be found here.
Middle school athletics is almost here. However, we are in need of a Cross Country coach. Please email Chris Woodby at cwwoodby@fcps.edu if you are interested in coaching and he will reach out with more information once we have it.
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Transportation Patience and Safety
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following kiss-and-ride procedures and being patient while waiting for your children’s buses.
If a student’s bus is delayed, parents/caregivers may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays. Visit the Transportation Services contact webpage to see who to contact with specific questions.
To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.
Laptop Distribution
Laptops were distributed during students’ math classes on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. If your student still had a laptop from the previous school year, we ask for your student to turn it in to receive a different computer.
The South County MS library hopes that you and your student had a restful summer and made time to read! Don’t forget to remind your reader at home to turn in their optional summer reading log! Students can turn it in to their English teacher or to the library until Wednesday, September 6th. If you lost your log, your student can write down the four books that they read on any piece of paper, pick up a blank log in the library, or download and print a log at home here (student Google login required). If you have any questions, please contact the librarians at SCMSLibrary@fcps.edu.
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After School Program
The South County MS after school program will begin on September 11th , 2023. This will be the first day of late buses. Late buses will be provided Monday – Thursday. Buses will depart SCMS at 4:45pm each day. Fridays after school will require parent – pick up at 4:30pm. (No buses on Fridays) Every student that attends the after school program MUST have an SCMS After School Program Registration form to participate. Once you fill out the form, your child can participate in all after school programming. Please use the link above to register. The form is also available on the school website, under After School Activities. The ASP schedule will be available on the school website on 9/6/23. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Woodby at cwwoodby@fcps.edu.
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Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
Morning Waiting Areas (Update)
We have updated our morning waiting areas procedures. As a reminder, doors to South County Middle School will open at 7:10 a.m., and students who enter the building between 7:10 a.m. - 7:20 a.m. will report to one of three locations: cafeteria, library, or gym. Staff members will direct students to either location and monitor them while they are there. Dismissal from each location is staggered to alleviate congestion in our halls and students will still report to their 1st block class by 7:25. Classes will begin at 7:30 a.m.
Parent/Guardian Consent for Digital Resources
Teachers will use a variety of digital resources to help students learn during the 2023-24 school year. These digital resources have been checked and approved by Fairfax County Public Schools. Please provide your consent for your student to use these resources through the Parent Consent for Digital Resources system. More information can be found on our homepage in the announcement section.
If you are having difficulty using the online system to provide consent, please reach out directly to your student’s teacher or to our Student Services office.
Safety Drills During the School Year
Keeping students and staff safe is a priority for FCPS. Each school has an emergency preparedness plan to respond to incidents such as fires and tornadoes. Schools are required by state law to practice emergency drills, including lockdown drills, each year. Schools are also required to notify parents and guardians at least 24 hours before a school conducts a lockdown drill. However, schools are not required to give the specific date and time of the drill in advance.
The first lockdown drill of the school year must take place within the first 20 days of school. Preschool and kindergarten students are exempt from practicing the first lockdown drill.
Your child may come home and talk about their experience during the drill. We encourage you to talk with your child about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Please review these frequently asked questions to support your students before and after school lockdown drills.
South County High School (Football Games)
We aim to have a safe and orderly environment for audience members to enjoy. For middle school students who wish to attend, the safety protocol requires that they arrive with their parents and that their parents remain for the time their students are there. Students who are left unattended and either display misconduct or are not picked up immediately after the game is over will not be permitted to return to future games.
- Gates open 45 minutes before the start of the event. Cost of admission is $5, and can be purchased at the gate or ahead of time through this E-tix link.
- Patrons will not be allowed to enter the stadium/gym with athletic equipment such as bats, balls, sticks, etc.
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Backpacks are not allowed. Anyone entering the stadium/gym is subject to search.
- Patrons will not be allowed to enter the stadium/gym with outside food or containers such as water bottles, cups, cans, etc.
- South County High School (including the parking lots) is a drug, alcohol, and tobacco-free zone.
- Representatives from the Fairfax County Police Department, the South County HS Administration, and the South County HS Security Staff will continue to monitor the activities of our patrons in the parking lot, at the ticket gate, and inside the stadium to promote a safe and secure environment for South County HS fans, our visitors, and guests.
- For varsity football games, once you pay and enter the stadium you may not leave and reenter. Please plan accordingly.
- South County MS students and parents are asked to demonstrate good citizenship and spirited sportsmanship to our opponents and their fans. Any clothing that includes negative references to opposing teams/schools will not be tolerated.
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