Important Upcoming Events
- February 5-9 - National Counseling Week
- February 9-16 - 8th Grade Finance Park Field Trips
- February 19 - Holiday- No School
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- Message from Mr. Stokes
- SWAG!
- Going Green
- National Counseling Week
- Spring Track
- Other Schools Are Sharing
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A Message From Principal Stokes
Hello Panthers,
Happy 2nd Semester. We’re very excited to launch into the second half of the year. For many students, they have the chance to engage in new elective classes. This week is a chance to learn new routines while also recommitting to the work that continues in core classes and year long electives. Thank you to our teachers and Student Services team for getting students accustomed to their adjusted schedules.
This is also an important time to share some critical reminders with families who use our kiss-and-ride lanes. Each day, hundreds of cars enter our school campus for arrival and dismissal. It is essential that families use the kiss-and-ride line and follow the designated car path. We have seen an increase of families dropping off students along McLearen Rd or at the nearby gas station. Both of these areas are problematic and unsafe. Students are vulnerable to unsuspecting drivers because McLearen Rd. and the gas station are not authorized drop off points. We realize that the car lines get long. However, the traffic does progress forward. We thank you for ensuring the safe arrival and pick-up of students.
Sincerely,
Gordon Stokes
First “SWAG” Student Recognition of 2024!
We are excited to announce our SWAG Student Recognition Program. SWAG stands for “Students with Awesome Growth.” Each month teachers from different departments recognize students for their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to making a positive impact at Carson.
Mr. Powell & Mr. Stokes had the pleasure of celebrating the first nominees of the school year this past week. Each student was brought up to the podium to learn why they were nominated by a teacher and received a certificate and SWAG bag.
 Congratulations to these students for having Carson SWAG: Yura, Jaseph, Nathaly, Christiana, Luna, Malizia, Collins, Samarth, Katelyn, Phoebe, Dhruv, Hayden, David, Aiden, Mayo, Zara, Jason, Braden, Olive, Morgan, Charles, Graham, Wais! A picture of these students is proudly displayed outside of the cafeteria for all to see. Congratulations, Panthers!
National School Counseling Week
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 National Counseling Week is February 5 to 9, and it is the perfect time to celebrate the superheroes of our school community: our amazing counselors! This week helps highlight the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and planning for a career. School counselors work with students in a variety of different capacities, whether it is through classroom lessons, group sessions, or individual counseling. Learn more about the role of school counselors in FCPS.
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Our amazing counselors are: Ms. Chustz, Ms. Copeland, Ms. Ghafori, Ms. Ryder and Ms. Schires.
Give a shout out to your school counselors. It would mean the world to them.
- Take a moment to write a thank you note. Share specific ways your counselor has helped you or your child, and how their guidance has made a positive difference.
- Get creative! Draw a picture or write a poem expressing your gratitude.
- Spread the word! Encourage your classmates, friends, and family to join in and show their appreciation for our school counselors.
Let us shower our counselors with the appreciation they deserve!
Below is a list of our counselors and their teams:
Student Services Newsletter
Check out Student Services third quarter newsletter to learn more about our recent events such as academic advising. Take a look at our upcoming events including information about Wellness Week and Career Day
Academic Advising
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During the month of February, students will be meeting with their school counselors for individual academic advising sessions through their Science classes. Counselors will review their course selections and assist them with entering requests into StudentVue. Courses will be finalized in StudentVue once students meet individually with their counselor.
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Parents will be able to view the courses students have selected using their Parent Vue account; however, all changes must be processed by your child’s middle school counselor.
CLICK HERE if you need help accessing your Parent Vue account.
Second Semester Updates
2nd Quarter Report Cards
SIS ParentVue and SIS StudentVue Gradebook and Report Card Modules will be unavailable Thursday, Jan 25, 2024 @ 4pm until Mon, Feb 5, 2024 at 6am in order for teachers to finalize second quarter grades. A copy of your child’s report card will be distributed to students on February 2, 2024, through Panther Time. Saturday, February 4th, 2nd Quarter Report cards will be visible in SIS StudentVue and ParentVue.
Spring SEL Screener
Hello families,
The Spring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to RCMS students on Friday, March 8th during Panther Time. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. More information is available about the SEL Screener by accessing this link:
Thank you for your support!
Save the Date: Academy Open Houses
FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in mid-January.
A high school academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Students enrolling in academy elective courses will be provided with opportunities to participate in a variety of career experiences including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses.
Learn more and view the calendar of Academy Open Houses.
Attention 8th Grade Parents
Rachel Carson Middle School 8th graders will attend Finance Park in person this year. We would love to have you come along with us! We are in need of 25 parent volunteers for each of our six teams. This is a 4.5 hour commitment, and includes an hour of training at the Finance Park facility next to Frost MS before our students arrive. You will help guide students through different phases of the day, which simulate real-world budgeting decisions, spending research, and bill payment. Then you’ll share your own life experiences and help them walk a day in your shoes. You bring the program to life!
Carson MS 8th grade teams are going to Finance Park on the following dates (any snow days will be rescheduled at a later time) –
Friday, February 9 - Dream (and Mr. Grant’s classes)
Monday, February 12 – Discovery
Tuesday, February 13 – Explorers
Wednesday, February 14 – Wolves
Thursday, February 15 – Voyagers
Friday, February 16 – Dolphins
If you are able to volunteer with Carson’s Finance Park field trip, please view this document on Canva and follow the instructions to sign up for Carson AND JA Finance Park.
Thank you for donating your time and experience to our students. If you have any questions, please contact Brian Corman at bdcorman@fcps.edu
Private School Request
If your student is planning on applying to any private schools for the 2024-2025 school year, please complete the "Private School Request Form" and the "Parent Consent Form: SS-SE79" and submit them to the Student Service’s Office or to your counselor. Counselors will be emailing all records to the requested schools via an admissions email OR the school's portal. Please note these requests are due at least 2 weeks prior to the due date.
Please visit our website for more information regarding required forms and teacher recommendations – Rachel Carson Middle School Private School Requests
Online Tutoring
This is a reminder that all students in FCPS have access to Tutor.com. This a free service where students have 24/7 access to an on-line tutor. Students can connect with someone about nearly any school subject. We encourage all families to take a few minutes to review the basics of Tutor.com and log-in to try out this great resources. You can go directly to tutor.com or review the FCPS overview page at: https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/tutoring-options-fcps/tutorcom-online-tutoring-services
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We are excited to share a great opportunity that is available to all FCPS students! Your child now has unlimited access to 24/7, on-demand, online tutoring support services through Tutor.com.
www.fcps.edu
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Attendance Tip: Scheduling Family Trips or Events
Good attendance is an important life skill that will help students succeed in school and beyond.
When scheduling trips or family events, try to use weekends and school holidays, and refer to the FCPS Calendar when planning. Every day of learning is a day toward success. Keep in mind that absences add up quickly. Students who are absent 10% of the school year (or just two days per month) are considered chronically absent.
When possible, schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If your child needs to miss school because of an illness or another reason, you must report the absence to their school. Most schools have links to their attendance email or notification systems on their homepages. If you are unsure how to report an absence, please call your school’s front office.
Watch this video with tips on understanding our school calendar and visit our Attendance webpage for additional information. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Tips to expedite early dismissals
If your student will be picked up early for an appointment the following will help expedite the wait time to locate students and minimize class interruptions during instruction time:
- Please send students to the front office in the morning at arrival time with a note specifying dismissal time. Even without a note, students should come to the office to get a pass. The office staff will then provide a pass to excuse the student from class. This process allows for a smoother check out because your student will be in the office when you arrive
- Parents should come to entrance#1, to the main office with a photo ID to pick up their student for early dismissals. No early dismissals can occur after 2:00pm.
- In emergency cases, or unscheduled early dismissals, please be patient with our office staff as we locate your student and request they be sent to the office.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Spring Track & Field Information
We are very excited to announce Spring Track & Field interscholastic competition at the middle school level! This program will start in March, but students and parents will need to complete several steps prior to participating in middle school sports, including:
Please submit all forms to the Athletics Coordinator in the RCMS main office.
Please see important details about the program on our website.
We look forward to an exciting season!
Mr. Barrows will communicate with students about activities through email and Schoology and will also be in lunches where a daily schedule will be shown on the projector. We try our best to communicate any changes such as cancellations immediately though email and Schoology. Late buses will be offered Monday-Thursday. Late buses are different than your regular bus number. Please make sure students know their late bus number prior to staying after school. You can find your late bus number in SIS and it will say RCLR (Rachel Carson Late Run).
here is the Q2 After School Schedule
Riley Barrows
After School Program Specialist
Building Use Coordinator
South Lakes High School IB Information Night
Thursday, February 15th
6:30 pm to 8 pm in the SLHS Cafeteria
Learn about the IB Middle Years, Career-related, and Diploma Programs at South Lakes High School.
Link to Purchase: Yearbook Sales - MySchoolbucks
2023-2024 Yearbooks are available for purchase. Reserve your copy today by purchasing through 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.
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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