 Hello Mustangs,
It has been an exciting month and week. As you may know, April is the Month of the Military Child! We honor the strength and resilience of our military families and thank them for their service. Additionally, we celebrated National School Librarian Week this week and showed appreciation to our amazing librarians for all they do. Finally, our 8th graders took the IRW today and did a phenomenal job, and this is just a snapshot of the week! As always, we are so grateful for your support, and please let us know if you have any questions, feedback, or concerns. Enjoy your weekend!
Justin Simmons | Principal | South County Middle School
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UPCOMING DATES
Wednesday, April 17 - PURPLE UP DAY
Friday, April 19 - Staff vs Student Volleyball Game
Friday, May 3 - No School, Teacher Workday
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Math SOL Letters to Students
The SCMS Math teachers are seeking your support! We are planning to surprise students with encouraging letters on the morning of their Math SOL. We would love for these notes to come from family members / important people in their lives. To streamline this process and track who has letters, we are asking families to complete one Google form entry with their words of encouragement and support. Please click on the link below and respond no later than Friday, April 26th so we have enough time to ensure letters are ready for students before the math SOL. We are limited to one response per student per household, so please work together if multiple family members would like to contribute. Remember, this is a surprise, so please don’t mention it to your student(s)!
SOL Letter
For families with multiple students at SCMS, please email Molly Miller (mkmiller@fcps.edu) directly to be able to submit another form.
Athletic Physicals for Middle School Sports
Athletic physicals are required for middle and high school student-athletes. Beginning May 1, 2024, FCPS high schools will offer athletic pre-participation physical exams for students interested in middle school sports during the 2024-25 school year. These events serve as the primary fundraiser for our high school athletic training programs and each exam costs $50. Rising middle school students are eligible to receive a physical at no cost although donations to the HS athletic training program are welcomed.
Pre-registration is highly encouraged; walk-in appointments may not be available. You can register here: Student registration. Once your registration is received, the school’s athletic trainer will contact you to confirm your appointment time. Athletic physical exams must be completed on this form: FCPS Middle School Sports Athletic Participation/Parental Consent/Physical Examination Form (PPE).
If you are a medical professional (MD, DO, NP, PA, ATC, PT, EMT, etc.) interested in volunteering your time in support of these events, please register to help out: Volunteer registration.
School Health Services Satisfaction Survey April 15 - 26, 2024
The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) School Health Services invites parents/guardians of FCPS students to participate in a survey requesting feedback on the level of satisfaction with School Health services provided to the school community.
FCHD employs school health aides and public health nurses who provide school health services to the students in FCPS. To determine the quality of these services, a survey has been developed by the FCHD to be shared with all parents or guardians who interact with the school health rooms. The survey will open on April 15, 2024 and will remain open until April 26, 2024. The survey should take approximately five minutes to complete.
Submit your survey.
Kids Fitness
Research shows children copy the behavior of adults in their life. If parents are physically active, the children will be active too. Exercise burns calories, which assists in maintaining ideal weight.
Fit adults and children exercise 60 minutes per day.
KEEP MOVING TO STAY IN SHAPE TIPS
- Plan daily family activities and make exercise fun.
- Limit screen time to 1 to 2 hours per day.
- Encourage play outside with other children.
- Assign chores that involve activity such as cleaning or walking the dog.
- Help your children find physical activities they enjoy.
Remember, making a healthy change takes time and don’t expect perfection.
Mental Health in Childhood
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with children’s physical and mental health. Mental health disorders such as ADHD and anxiety are the most commonly diagnosed in children, which commonly occurs together. Anxiety are feelings of worry, apprehension or dread that something bad is going to happen. Children diagnosed with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, or be overly active. Early diagnosis and appropriate services for children and their families can make a difference in the lives of children with mental health disorders.
Anxiety related triggers are lonely and frightening emotional responses related to situations, persons, places or objects. Today’s sources of stress for our students include: increased coursework and graduation requirements, extracurricular activities, household responsibilities, and social media. Social media has been a great way to increase connection and communication, but for our young people it contributes to shorter attention spans and information overload. Signs of anxiety include appearing worried, irritable or nervous, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, along with physical symptoms such as sleeping problems, headaches, and stomach aches. It is understandable for a parent to be worried because figuring out what to do is hard. Here are five simple ways to respond to teens with anxiety:
- Recognize warning signs.
- Guide your child to take a few deep breaths to slow things down.
- Make sure your child understands you are available if they need to talk.
- Acknowledge your child’s feelings and avoid downplaying situations or issues.
- Help them come up with ways to deal with the situation next time.
For general questions about the FCPS Substance Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Office of Student Safety & Wellness at: 571.423.4270.
Sources & Resources
The Anxiety Toolkit for Teens
Talk, They Hear You
Understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences
For Further Information & Support:
Catric W. Marshall, MS., LPC., CCC
Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist
cwhaleymarsh@fcps.edu
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