Important Upcoming Events
- March 3 - 9 National Social Work Week
- March 7 & 8 - Spring Pictures
- March 10 - Spring ahead! Daylight Savings begins
- March 14 - RCMS vs. LHMS Basketball game at South Lakes High School
- March 20 - Parent Workshop
- March 21 - RCMS vs. Stone Basketball game at Westfields High School
- March 25 - 29 Spring Break - No School
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- Message from Mr. Stokes
- Tardy Sweeps
- Spring Pictures
- Summer Programs
- Other Schools Are Sharing
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A Message From Principal Stokes
Greetings Panther families,
Last week I shared details on our work to re-focus our students around on-time attendance. Kudos to our students for their efforts in the past week. We’ve seen a solid improvement with student arrival to class on time. However, the work is not finished. Being ready and on time for class is an ongoing expectation, especially as the warmer days and additional activities of spring time are just around the corner. Thank you to our families for your help in supporting this part of our school day.
Let’s all share a big word of encouragement for our students who are part of the music program. Our band, chorus, and orchestra ensembles will engage in their annual assessment performances in the coming weeks. Assessment is where each ensemble is scored by independent judges and our program receives a general rating. Our students and teachers put a lot of heart and soul into this moment during the year. We know that each performing group will provide an outstanding demonstration and represent our school in fine fashion. We are grateful for their dedication.
Have a great week.
Gordon Stokes
Principal
National School Social Work Week
March 3-9 is National School Social Work Week. Social workers in FCPS help to prevent social, emotional, and behavioral factors from affecting a student's ability to perform at their best. Their primary goal is to remove barriers that prevent a student from fulfilling their academic potential. Social workers are assigned to every school and center in the school system. Most social workers serve one to two sites. Learn more about the role of social workers in FCPS.
Rachel Carson is fortunate to have Ms. Elizabeth Shoemaker to provide support and connections with our students.
RCMS Tardy Sweeps
At Carson MS we pride ourselves in setting expectations that cultivate the Three Rs in students’ learning experiences – Ready, Respectful and Responsible. A particular area of focus for us is student on-time arrival to class. Over the next several weeks we plan to conduct hallway tardy sweeps to remind and reinforce the importance of on-time arrivals to all classes. Once the bell rings, students who accumulate two instances of unexcused tardies to class during hallway sweeps will be assigned a future date of after school detention. Please continue to share the importance of being prepared and arriving before the bell to class. Your student’s daily schedule and attendance including tardies can be viewed on ParentVue under the attendance tab.
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Spring Picture Day is Quickly Approaching!
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School Name: Rachel Carson Middle School
Picture Day Dates: Thursday, March 7 - Friday, March 8
Picture Day ID: EVTRZS4QW
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Supports for Students with Eating Disorders
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA 2023),
Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses that can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights. In the United States, 28.8 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives.
There is no single cause of an eating disorder. Rather, it is a complex combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that converge and set off an individual’s predisposed genetic vulnerability.
In collaboration with the Fairfax County Health Department, FCPS has developed a web page with detailed information and resources about eating disorders. To find out more, please visit the FCPS Eating Disorders website.
In addition to the information on the FCPS website, the National Eating Disorders Association has a toll free, confidential Helpline, 1-800-931-2237.
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
Carson school counselors have concluded one-on-one meetings with 7th grade students to provide academic advising. Please review your child’s course requests in SIS ParentVUE (directions below) or ask your child to show you their course requests in SIS StudentVUE.
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Please note the Parent workshop date has been changed!
Understanding High School Mathematics Course Offerings
Please work with others in your building to share this info with families (through Schoology, News You Choose, etc.)
How can students participate in mathematics throughout high school in a way that is relevant to and supportive of post-secondary and career interests?
During this session we will discuss mathematics graduation requirements and how to support students in navigating the various course offerings currently available in FCPS.
Students and their families may start thinking about what course pathways are available beginning in middle school. Join us to learn more.
Presented by Jennifer Allard FCPS High School Math Specialist and Erin Sylves FCPS Math Specialist.
March 8, 2024, 10-11:30 a.m. Add to Your Calendar
Register for Understanding High School Mathematics Course Offerings
Lightspeed Classroom Management Tool
Our school will be using a new classroom management tool that will help teachers better connect with student devices during classes. The new tool will provide teachers with a number of helpful features:
- Easily view student screens in real time from the teacher console to see which students may need guidance or support.
- Focus student attention on a particular website on their device to minimize distractions.
- Pause student access to the internet to focus on other classroom tasks.
We believe this classroom management tool will allow us to maximize class time to support your student’s learning while at school.
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!
FCPS Summer Learning and Fun
Career and Technical Education
CTE Summer Academy (CSA) is a week-long enrichment program that allows students in grades 6-11 to dive deeper into CTE program areas, develop skills, and begin career exploration. Visit the CSA webpage to register.
Institute for the Arts Camps
IFTA is a two- or three-week summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11. Students select from nearly 90 classes in art, dance, health and physical education 9 (graduation requirement), music, and theater. Visit the IFTA webpage to register.
Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance
Summer is a great time for high school students to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance course requirement. During the self-directed course, students work independently to complete the requirements. Students must register by Friday, May 24. For more information, see the Summer Learning information page.
Summer Online Campus
Take advantage of the opportunity to earn a high school course credit via this summer’s online campus program. Registration ends Friday, June 7. Math, health and physical education, career and technical education, English, science, social studies, and world language courses are available to eligible students.
Additional Summer Learning Opportunities
Please go to the following website Summer Learning information page to learn about these summer opportunities:
- Credit Recovery Academy/ Extended Learning
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- Self-Directed Economics and Personal Finance
VIP Camp: July 1 - August 1
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.
Watch this video with tips on understanding our school calendar and visit our Attendance webpage for additional information. Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
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
Chantilly High School
Charge Ahead Freshman Orientation Registration & Payment links
Chantilly High School is offering three Freshman Orientation options. The choices to attend a 1-Day session are either August 6, 7, or 8 from 9:00-1:00 PM. Students will get a chance to get to know us, ease any anxiety, and learn how to navigate high school life here as a CHARGER. It’s so fun and you don’t want to miss out! The cost is $50 per student via MySchoolBucks which includes a Class of 2028 t-shirt, snacks, and a Chick-Fil-A Sandwich. Registrations are on a first-come first-serve basis until July 28. Register today to secure your spot.
Payment via students
www.myschoolbucks.com
South Lakes High School
South Lakes High School is presenting an IB information session for rising 9th graders on Wednesday, March 13, from 3:15pm to 4:15 pm. Students will learn about the IB Middle Years, Diploma, and Career-related programs from the people who really know the ins and outs of the IB program at South Lakes High School – our fabulous IB students. Interested 8th grade students should sign up here. https://forms.gle/xf3sKCsL2jxiUoRm8. We look forward to meeting our future Seahawks!
We have many IB ambassadors here at South Lakes who are ready to welcome your students.
Marie Turner
IB DP Coordinator
South Lakes High School
ClickHERE for information about Chantilly HS Sports
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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