STUDENT RAM BLAST
Providing students and parents with important updates and reports of events and happenings in the middle school.
Calendar Reminders
2023-2024 School Year Calendar
Chanukah: December 7 - 15
Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for eight days.
This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7. That day will be a half-O day. Major events cannot be scheduled that evening. Learn more about Chanukah in National Geographic Kids
Bodhi Day - December 8th
Bodhi Day, Friday, December 8, is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali.
The school calendar recognizes Bodhi Day as a religious observation day. There is school on this day, however, the School Board has directed that certain events will not be held on these observance days.
Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.
Attendance Matters!
-Every year, absences spike in the weeks before and after winter break. It’s time to break that cycle. Give your child the gift of attendance and help build a habit of attendance.
-We recognize that holidays are an important time for reconnecting with families far away and exposing your children to your home and language, whether you grew up in another part of the United States or a different country. The price of plane tickets often influences when you want to travel. But keep in mind the costs to your children’s education if they miss too much school.
-Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. But it’s harder to teach and it’s harder to learn when too many students are absent.
-This year, Winter Break is December 18-31. We hope to see all our students in school through December 15 and returning to school on January 2.
Robinson Christmas Tree Stand Opens November 24th
Holiday Gift Drive: Dec 1st-12th
Chipotle Night Dec 6th - Support Robinson Chorus
Please help support the Robinson Choral Department and come to Chipotle from 5:00 - 9:00 PM. Beat the holiday madness and enjoy a night out with no cooking.
Tiny Tots Concert December 7th
Buy tickets at the door or before here: https://www.robinsonband.org/shop
Service Learning Update
SEL Screener Results
- Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results Coming Soon
One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took this screener in October, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices.
The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.
In early December, families will be able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.
For more information about the screener please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact your child’s school.
Support the Science Fairs
Robinson Rams Baseball Winter Camp
Click here to register as spaces are limited!
How to Access Free Resources from Tutor.com
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FCPS students continue to have unlimited access to live, 24/7, one-on-one online tutoring services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their student(s) out of accessing the services. Detailed information and FAQs are available on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services webpage. |
Students can access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following: Middle & High - How It Works. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to OnlineTutoring@fcps.edu.
MS Clubs & Activities Program
 Late buses run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Please click on the links below to learn more about the after-school program.
New activities -
Football Conditioning Interest Meeting - There will be an interest meeting on Wednesday, December 13th in Recital Hall for all 7th and 8th grade students who are interested in joining Football Conditioning for After-School.
For questions regarding the After-School program, please email Courtney Molle.
Lego Robotics
Join Lego Robotics! Lego Robotics will began on Wednesday, November 29th. Students must pre-register to join. Click here to sign your child up for robotics or use the QR code below, there are only a couple spots left!
Math Mission Possible
Battle of the Books
Join Battle of the Books! Battle of the Books is an after-school competitive reading club. We will have fun reading books and competing with peers. Students will participate in a cross county battle in April!
Next Meeting - Wednesday, December 6th in the library.
Homework Club
Would your child like a quiet space to work on your homework? Come to Homework Club on Mondays after school with Ms. O'Brien. Meet in room A-120 for a snack, then bring all of your homework to the Media Center for a quiet place to work. This club runs after-school on Mondays from 3:00-4:30.
Middle School Quiz Bowl
Does your child like to recall facts and compete against others in a high paced setting? Then Quiz Bowl is for them! Quiz Bowl is a competition of questions and answers where players buzz in to answer and earn points for their team. It’s not general trivia, but academic facts from subjects like science, geography, literature, fine arts and history. Quiz Bowl meets Mondays after school in Room A203 to learn some facts and compete against each other. There are several opportunities to compete against other schools too! No experience is necessary and new players are welcome year round. Come check out the Robinson Middle School Quiz Bowl Team!
Mock Trial Club
Would you like your child to learn how to craft a winning argument? Are they interested in learning about the legal profession? Do they like storytelling or public speaking? They should join Mock Trial Club on Thursdays after-school.
Disclaimer for all afterschool activities:
Fairfax County Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities and provides equal access to all clubs and activities.
Opportunities offered by organizations other than Fairfax County Public Schools are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, or a specific school. These opportunities may utilize technology tools that have not been assessed by the Fairfax County Public Schools Department of Information Technology. Students should gain permission from their parent or guardian before engaging in any non-FCPS enrichment opportunity and families should review the Terms of Service, User Agreements, and Privacy Policy for any technology platform that the enrichment opportunity may use before participating.
Seeking Judges for Robinson's Science and Engineering Fair
 We are seeking parents/guardians/community members to help us judge projects at our annual Science and Engineering Fair!
This year's fair will be held after school on Monday, January 29, 2024, from 2:30-5pm in our Gold Cafeteria.
No experience necessary! We ask judges to arrive to Robinson at 2:30pm in order to prepare for the judging process, while judging will begin promptly at 3:00pm. Food will be served!
Please contact Biology Teacher Abbie Achatz (abachatz@fcps.edu) if you are interested, or fill out the form using the QR code or link above! Thank you so much for considering!
Library Spotlight
 Join us in the library for two weeks of fun this December!
Students, visit to create 3D snowflakes, win a prize by participating in a book title challenge, and shop in our Scholastic Book Fair (see below for details)!
Parents and guardians, please join us for family nights and, if you’d like to volunteer during the book fair, please sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DA8AE2BAB9-46193927-robinson/3628508#/
Wishing you a joyful and healthy December!
The Robinson Librarians
Buy Your Middle School Yearbook!
Social Work Spotlight
Kristen Licciardo, LCSW, School Social Worker
 Surviving and Thriving During the Holiday Season!
According to Charissa Charmorro, MSW, at Mt. Sinai Adolescent Health Center, the winter months mean fun parties, festive food, and lots of extra time with family.
However, the joys of the holiday season can also bring a lot of stress. If you are starting to feel anxious about the holidays, you are not alone. So how do you manage it?
Here are 5 tips to survive and thrive during the holidays: https://www.teenhealthcare.org/blog/teen-holiday-stress/
Important Dates
December 18 - January 1 - Winter Break
January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Birthday (No School)
January 25 - End of Second Quarter (2-Hour Early Release)
January 26 - Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
February 19 - President's Day (No School)
Counselor Corner
Important updates and resources from the student services department.
The Student Services staff is here to help you in any way we can. Please note that students cannot leave class or lunch to see their counselor without an appointment and a pass. If they need assistance, we encourage them to email our Student Services staff to request an appointment. If there is an emergency, their teacher will call the subschool office for assistance.
7th grade counselors by student last name:
A-La – Mr. Herendeen neherendeen@fcps.edu
Le-Z – Ms. Lyons jalyons@fcps.edu
8th grade counselors by student last name:
A-LA – Ms. Peters vcpeters@fcps.edu
Le-Z – Ms. Hall sshall@fcps.edu
School Psychologist – Erika King (elking@fcps.edu)
School Social Worker – Kristen Licciardo (kflicciardo@fcps.edu)
Registrar and Student Information Assistant – Melanie Knowlton (maknowlton@fcps.edu)
Family Liaison - Ruth Azimi- (rmazimi@fcps.edu)
Director of Student Services – Katy Frank (kmfrank@fcps.edu)
Please reach out to any of us if you have any questions.
Quick Links & Phone Numbers
Helpful Resources
RMS Administration
Malicia Braxton: 7th Grade Principal | MYBraxton@fcps.edu
Carly Zook: 8th Grade Principal | cjzook@fcps.edu
Katy Frank: Director, Student Services | kmfrank@fcps.edu
Courtney Molle: After-School Program Specialist | cemolle@fcps.edu
Bryan Hazard: Systems of Support Advisor | bthazard@fcps.edu
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