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 Performance of Footloose, Gingerbread House making competition winners, Chorus Concert, and cooking French Toast in Family and Comsumer Science class.
Franklin Community,
We have another week full of performances at Franklin. Outstanding job to our chorus students for representing Franklin well in our combined Chorus Concert with Rocky Run MS last night! Thank you to Ms. Hatzakos for putting in the extra time with our students to prepare them for the concert. We were even treated to a performance by our students yesterday in the main office as they were getting ready for their show!
In addition to chorus, we have another weekend of performances of Footloose coming up. I will be at the show tonight and I can't wait to see it after the great reviews that I have heard from staff and students that have already attended. If you can't make it to the show tonight, there are two shows on Saturday. See the full schedule below!
Next week is our last week before Winter Break and we are doing the "Wonderful Winter" Spirit week. Thanks to Ms. Bridenbaugh and our Leadership Class for determining the themes, making flyers to spread the word, and of course participating next week! Encourage your student to show their school spirit and represent the themes on the flyer below!
Lastly, we are including our Outstanding Employee winners again this week. If you would like to contribute to the packet for any of our outstanding employees, please use the link below. These anecdotes help us write a strong packet and may help our staff become the pyramid, region, or district-wide award winners. Thank you for your input!
Go Falcons!
Tom DeRusso
Principal
Franklin MS
Outstanding Employee Awards
Please join us in congratulating the following FMS Outstanding Employee winners:
Outstanding Teacher – Christie Meshanko
Outstanding New Teacher – Ryan Spivey
Outstanding Professional Employee – Chris Tippins
Outstanding Operational Employee – Cynthia Davenport
Outstanding Leader – Sarah Burrowbridge
These winners will advance to be considered for the Chantilly Pyramid Outstanding Employee Awards. Please consider submitting your thoughts via the link below as to how each awardee has positively impacted the Franklin community and is deserving of this recognition.
Contribute to a strong nomination packet by submitting a few examples of their outstanding work here.
Weekly CARE Card Raffle Winners
Important Dates
December 13-14 - Fall Musical - Footloose
Dec 13 - 7pm
Dec 14 - 2pm & 7pm
December 16-20 - School Spirit Week
December 23-January 6 - Winter Break - School & Offices Closed
School Pictures are Ready
To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.
All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.
Yearbooks on Sale Now
Don't wait to purchase your child's yearbook! Yearbooks are available for online purchase only, and supplies are limited. Secure your copy now to ensure your child doesn't miss out on this special keepsake of memories. Visit yearbookordercenter.com and use code 5330 to order today!
Franklin Middle School PTA
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Holiday Appreciation Breakfast for Staff
The PTA is excited to provide a grab and go breakfast for the Franklin Middle School staff (consisting of approx 150 staff members) on December 19th. We do need your help! Please see the opportunities for volunteering and donations link below to sign up! Please sign up by December 13th. For all donations be sure to deliver to the front office (labeled for "PTA Holiday Appreciation") no later than 2pm on December 18th. Thank you for your generosity in helping to celebrate our amazing school.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080549A9A728ABF94-53625583-holiday#/
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After-School Program Information
More information on the After-School Program and schedule for next week can be found on the After-School Program website and on the Parent Schoology.
After-School Registration Form - Please use the google link to register, even if you don't anticipate your student staying After-School. Unforeseen circumstances happen, and we want to be prepared to contact you if anything arises!
Buses will run Monday-Thursday. There is programming on Fridays but there are NO Late Buses. Parent pickup only by 4:35pm.
The After-School Program will meet Monday-Thursday next week (Dec. 16-19) There will be no after-school program on Friday December 20. The program will resume after the winter break!
Winter Spirit Week - December 16-20
COMING SOON!! - FRANKLIN'S GOT TALENT
Do you have a talent that you can showcase? Singing, Dancing, Comedy or some other amazing talent. Start practicing now. Auditions will be held in January and the show will be Thursday February 13 at 6:30pm.
Book Donations Drive
The books that are collected are going to make their way to Northern Virginia Family Services (NVFS) to be given to children who need books but don’t have access to them. Books that are donated can be dropped off to the main office or have your student bring them to one of the book donation bins around the school.
Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2024
Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Janet Schiavone at jpschiavone@fcps.edu no later than December 15, 2024.
The window for families to submit a referral for Full-Time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Forms for Full-Time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.
Submitting a referral form for Full-Time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for Full-Time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing <<fill in the name and email address of the AART>>.
Referrals for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for Subject-Specific AAP or Part-Time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for Full-Time AAP next fall.
For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.
Federal Impact Aid Survey
Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey
FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets (in the upper right corner after logging in). Please complete it as soon as possible.
For any families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE, we will provide paper forms starting Wednesday, November 13. Paper forms should be returned by Wednesday, December 4.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. Information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, please watch this video on Impact Aid and visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Need to Register for ParentVUE?
Learn how to activate your SIS ParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or completing the survey online is available by submitting a Parent Support Request ticket. Select SISParent in the Application dropdown menu and type Federal Impact Aid Survey under Issue Description. Or, call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
Course Selection Begins in January
Beginning in January 2025, students will meet with their counselors to discuss course selection for next year. Families are encouraged to actively participate in this important process.
As students choose courses, it is important to remind them to consider the following:
- Current academic strengths and habits.
- Graduation requirements (high school students).
- Interests and career and postsecondary goals.
- Personal well-being.
- Extracurricular activities and other commitments that may impact students’ time and energy.
School-life balance is an important consideration as students strive for academic and personal success. Families are welcome to contact their student’s school counselor with questions.
Oakton High School Curriculum Night
Oakton High School's Curriculum Night will be held on Thursday, January 9 from 4:30pm to 6:30pm. You will have the opportunity to learn about electives and core classes.
Itinerary:
- Curriculum Fair: 4:30pm – 6:30pm
- Registration Overview Presentation: 4:30pm-5:00pm – Auditorium
- Special Education Session: 5:15pm – 5:45pm – Auditorium
Specific Department Information:
- Cafeteria: Math, Social Studies, World Languages
- Aux Gym: English, Science, Health & PE
- Cougar Studio: Academy Courses, School Counselors
- Oakton Hall: CTE, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, General Electives
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Save the Date: Academy Open Houses Begin in January!
FCPS high school academies will hold open houses for interested students beginning in 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.
Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results
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, 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.
Families are able to view student SEL Screener results in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.
Learn more about the screener on 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.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your ParentVUE account, so you can easily access your child’s results and other helpful information.
 ❄️ Preparing for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.
FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.
Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange for childcare if needed.
Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities
We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health care.
Tutoring Resources for Families
Is your family looking for resources to help support your child’s academic success? FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of district employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to be hired as a tutor by parents. FRC maintains this list, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with tutors. This list is not “approved” by FCPS and is only meant as a resource.
FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
 ✨ The 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation
FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan sets five main goals to create positive change in the division. These goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
Our final goal is Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation. We are preparing our students for a future that has yet to be imagined. We must give them the skills they will need to succeed. Watch this video to see students exploring and preparing for careers through Career and Technical Experience programs. See how Goal 5 is being put into practice.
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