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Important Upcoming Events
October 21 - Federal Impact Aid Survey opens online in ParentVue
October 22 - Family Workshop: Internet Safety 6:30PM RCMS Library
October 31 - Quarter 1 ends - 2 hour Early Release
November 3 - School Planning Day - No School for Students
November 4 - Teacher Workday- Student holiday
November 11 - Holiday- Veterans Day - No school
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Calendar Reminders: 2 Hour Early Release
Friday, October 31, is a 2-hour early release for students. See the complete school year calendar here.
October 31 - End of Quarter 1
Friday, October 31, is the last day of the 1st quarter. See the complete school year calendar. SIS StudentVue and ParentVue gradebook modules will not be available from Friday, October 31 @ 4:00pm through Monday, November 10 @ 6:00am.
Report cards are scheduled to be available to students and parents on the “Documents” tab in SIS ParentVue and StudentVue after Friday, November 7. Additionally, report cards will be mailed home to all families that have not opted to go paperless in SIS.
November 3 & 4 - School Planning Day & Teacher Workday
Schools are closed for students on Monday, November 3, for a school planning day, and Tuesday, November 4, for a teacher workday. See the complete school year calendar.
Applications Opened Monday, October 20, for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Eighth graders who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2030 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST).
The application portal will open Monday, October 20, at 4 p.m. Deadline to start an application is 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, with a final submission deadline of 4 p.m. Friday, November 14. Visit the TJHSST registration page for more information.
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Early Dismissal Procedure
Please do NOT request early dismissals online or by phone.
To request an early dismissal please send a note, or complete and print an Early Dismissal Request Form for your child. Your child should bring the note or form to the main office upon arrival to school in order to receive an early dismissal pass for that day. If you forget to send a note, students should still come to the front office to get an early dismissal pass. This will minimize class interruptions when the teacher knows in advance a student will check out early.
All early dismissals must be before 1:45pm.
Click HERE for more Carson Middle Attendance details.
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Private School or Program Application Process
Rachel Carson Middle School requires important documents to effectively accommodate your requests in a timely manner. Please provide all documents below two weeks in advance of the private school application deadline.
If your student is planning on applying to any private schools for the 2026-2027 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 child’s counselor. Counselors will be emailing all records to the requested schools via an admissions email OR the school's portal.
Please visit our website at RCMS Private School Requests for more information regarding required forms and teacher recommendations.
Please contact your child’s school counselor or our Student Services Assistant Andrea Tawil (ajtawil@fcps.edu) with questions.
Resources Available during the Shutdown
Please know that we are here to support you and your family if you are impacted by this shutdown. Here is some important information that you may find useful at this time:
- Families can apply for free and reduced-price meal benefits anytime during the school year. If a family’s income changes at any point, they may become newly eligible according to federal income guidelines and can apply immediately. This includes income interruptions caused by furloughs, layoffs, or job losses. Once approved, benefits remain valid for the rest of the school year and for up to 30 school days into the following school year, even if the family’s income changes again.
- Free, virtual mental health sessions are available through our partnership with Hazel Health. This is a great way for students to access care quickly and easily from the school clinic or home, providing support for stress, anxiety, worry, and other concerns that might be heightened during the shutdown.
- The Fairfax County Government and various local organizations are stepping up to offer a range of assistance, including food, financial, and housing resources. I encourage any of our families who are experiencing financial distress, due to the shutdown or for any reason, to visit the Fairfax County Human Services Resource Guide (HSRG) website.
- Fairfax Connector’s Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) also provides 50% off fares for low-income residents ages 18 to 65. Learn more about the TRIP program and how to apply.
- Fairfax County residents can take advantage of many of the free offerings the county provides to residents and students. Our incredible public libraries have a wide-selection of books and other activities that families can check out. All FCPS students also have a Library Equity Access Pass through Fairfax County Public Libraries, which allows them to check-out up to 3 items for 6 weeks. And Fairfax County’s many parks and recreation areas are open and free to residents as well.
Attention 8th Grade Parents - Field trip Volunteers needed!
Carson 8th graders will be attending the Finance Park field trip in November and we would love to have you come along with us! We need 25 parent volunteers for each of our five teams. This is a 4.5 hour commitment (from 8:35am-1:10pm), which 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. You will also share your own life experiences and help them walk a day in your shoes. You bring the program to life!
Finance Park trips are on the following dates (snow days will be rescheduled at a later time) –
- Voyagers: Monday, November 17
- Discovery: Thursday, November 20
- Wolves: Friday, November 21
- Explorers: Monday, November 24
- Dolphins: Tuesday, November 25
If you are able to volunteer with Carson’s Finance Park field trip, please view this link to create a JA account and then sign up as a caregiver for your child’s date to volunteer.
https://jagw.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/jafpfc
Thank you for donating your time and experience to our students. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s civics teacher.
AAP Screening News
Fall Full-Time AAP Screening
Parents and teachers interested in referring students for the fall full-time AAP screening must submit a full-time AAP referral form to the school’s Advanced Academic Resource Teacher (AART) by October 15, 2025. Fall 2025 screening is only available to students newly enrolled in FCPS after January 1, 2025, who were not screened in Spring 2025.
For information pertaining to the screening process, testing and identification timeline or identification and placement, please contact Carrie Guild at cjguild@fcps.edu.
Federal Impact Aid Online Survey is Coming!
The Impact Aid Program is a federal program designed to directly compensate local school districts that have been financially impacted by federal activities. The program’s mission is to reimburse local school districts for local revenues lost due to the presence of federally owned, and therefore tax exempt, property.
FCPS is pleased to announce that the Federal Impact Aid Survey will once again be available electronically through your ParentVUE account. For families that do not have access to ParentVUE or prefer to complete a paper form, a printed form will be provided by the school.
- The electronic version of the Federal Impact Aid Survey will open to parents in ParentVUE on Tuesday, October 21st through January 2026.
Paperless Report Cards
We’re excited to offer you a more environmentally friendly and expedient option for receiving your child’s report cards: Go Paperless!
By choosing to go paperless, you'll be able to:
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Access report cards directly in ParentVUE with just a few clicks.
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Reduce wait time in seeing your child’s report card.
Here's how you can opt-in:
- Log into ParentVUE, click on "My Account," and select “Go Paperless.”
- All parents/guardians living with the student at the same address must have an active SIS ParentVUE account to opt-in.
- Once selected, the “Go Paperless” option will apply to all associated students, no matter their grade level.
- If you’ve already opted for paperless for your secondary students, it will automatically apply to any younger siblings at the elementary level too!
Please join us for a family workshop on Internet Safety
This presentation will include seven topics that impact safety online and how to have these important conversations at home with your children.
As we approach the halfway point of the first quarter, we encourage families to check in on your student’s attendance, grades, progress, in ParentVUE. By staying connected, we can ensure every student stays on track and receives the support they need to achieve in school this school year.
Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
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; and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
TJHSST Applications Open Monday, October 20
Eighth graders who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2030 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST).
The application will be available Monday, October 20, at 4 p.m. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 12, with a submission deadline of 4 p.m. Friday, November 14. Visit the TJHSST registration page for more information.
Online Verification/Update packet and Parent Digital Consent
Parents, we need your consent for your student to use digital resources! Teachers will use a variety of digital resources to help students learn during the 2025-26 school year. These digital resources have been vetted and approved by FCPS. In order for students to fully access these tools, we must have your consent on file. Please provide your consent for your student to use these resources through the Parent Digital Consent System. You can find step by step directions for how to fill out the consent application here. If you have any problems with this process, reach out to our School Based Technology Specialist, Megan Carr at mgcarr@fcps.edu
Please also complete the Permission to retest for state assessments located in the digital consent application. It is important for us to have the most up-to-date phone numbers, emergency contacts, and health information (such as health conditions and immunizations) for students. The enrolling parent* will be able to access OVU through their SIS ParentVUE account.
*The enrolling parent is the natural or adoptive parent or legal guardian with whom the student lives the preponderance of the school week and who enrolled the student in school (See Regulation 2240).
Support Your Child’s Success by Checking SIS ParentVUE
Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with SIS ParentVUE. Parents/caregivers should receive an activation code when they register their child. Contact TBD if you need a code.
Once you have activated a SIS ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same SIS ParentVUE account. You may also access SIS ParentVUE using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.
Need help creating an account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
📊 New Automated Lightspeed Student Online Activity Report Coming Soon
Beginning the week of October 12, the weekly Lightspeed Parent Reports will be sent automatically to all parents and caregivers with SIS Records Access. This change streamlines the process, and parents will no longer need to manually sign up for the service.
These reports allow parents and caregivers to stay informed of their child's online activity on FCPS devices. The report's features, including the link to the Parent Portal for more details and the ability to pause internet access during non-school hours, remain the same.
Visit the Lightspeed Parent Report page on the FCPS website for more information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Bonds are How the Community can Invest in FCPS Schools
Did you know? When FCPS makes improvements to the buildings and facilities that we use every day for school and community events, the funds for those projects come from bonds – not the operating budget for the division. And bonds are approved by voters!
A $460 million School Bond Referendum will be on the Tuesday, November 4, general election ballot. The referendum reinforces supporting FCPS schools and the county’s commitment to providing a safe and welcoming learning environment for all students, staff, and members of the community.
This upcoming bond referendum is expected to fund the acquisition for a future high school in the western part of the county; renovations to Cub Run Elementary School, Union Mill Elementary School, and Centre Ridge Elementary School; inflation adjustments for prior bond projects; security vestibules; high-efficiency upgrades; and other major maintenance projects.
Read more about the 2025 Bond Referendum to understand how it helps fund capital projects and reflects an investment in providing students with a world-class education. Do you have a voting plan for this November? Learn more about registering to vote online.
📱We Are a Phone-Free School!
Please remind your student that cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell). Cell phones are also not permitted to be used as an instructional tool. If you need to contact your student during the school day, please call our front office. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone policy, which helps students stay focused, safe, and engaged at school.
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It's Time for the Carson Middle FCPS Staff Nominations for 2025-2026!
Click here for more information about the awards program
Click HERE to nominate a Carson Middle Outstanding Staff member.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS Friday, November 14, 2025.
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Greetings Carson Families,
Are you looking for a way to connect with your teen? Would you like to get involved in the Carson community? Do you love to read? If you answered “YES” to any of the questions, please consider signing up to participate in Carson’s Parent Teen Book Club!
The Carson Library is to announce our spring Parent Teen Book Club on Nov. 18, 2025 from 7-8:30pm, and we would love to see you there! After choosing one of the five book options, you and your grown-up will be loaned a copy of the book to read. Then, on Nov. 18, we will come together to talk about the book selection and have some light refreshments.
CLICK HERE to learn more and to read about the book choices. Ready to sign up for a fun evening of literary conversations with your middle schooler, fill out the sign up form HERE!
Please reach out to librarians, Ellen Bickford (elbickford@fcps.edu) or Elizabeth Donovan (emdonovan1@fcps.edu) with any questions.
Going Green at Carson
Get2Green leads, Ms. Bickford and Ms. Walsh, are thrilled to announce that Carson MS is starting-up our food sharing and food scrap collection program to reduce food waste in our cafeteria and to help families with food insecurities in our community. When you are helping students pack their lunches, encourage them to only pack what they need and will eat. If your child buys lunch, encourage them to take part in the food sharing and food scrap collecting process when appropriate. Students who bring their lunch may participate too. The food sharing table and food scrap collection containers are on the right side of the stage. A big “thank you” goes to the PTA who is paying for Composting Crew to pick up our collected food scraps each week. We also want to acknowledge the Going Green Club members who are gathering donated food each lunch and putting it in the fridge each lunch period. Lastly, thanks to Ms. Mojado-Ligan for creating a Sign-Up Genius to organize families to pick up the donated food each Friday and bring it to the Cornerstone food collection warehouse in Sterling each week. A student can earn an hour of service for participating in this food transportation with their parents. Any family in the Carson community can sign up. Detailed directions are on the Sign-Up Genius. Together WE can make a difference.
Get2Green / Service Opportunity – Tues, Oct 28 & Wed, Oct. 29
Does your Carson student want to help plant a native pollinator garden in the green space outside of A-pod and earn an hour of service?
Some Carson students will be planting within the school day, but we will have after-school planting too. Sign-up priority was given to members of the Going Green Club, but we still have some open spots! We have 7 out of 30 spots available for students during after-school A block on Tuesday, Oct. 28 AND 1 out of 30 spots available during after-school A block on Wednesday, Oct. 29. Late buses are provided on both days. Fairfax County provides all needed supplies, so students just need to show up . . . but dress to get dirty! Each student will get to plant about 5 plants. Students will install a variety of plants, including Swamp Milkweed, Blue Flag Iris, Soft Rush, Coneflower / Echinacea, and Beebalm, with possible adjustments based on availability.
Students will need to sign-up on the Google Form with their fcpsschools email.
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2:25-3:25: https://forms.gle/bxd1WM25aCp5Fg6t5
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2:25-3:25: https://forms.gle/cPvHyiF3hRRRcKyR6
Questions? Reach out to Get2Green sponsors, Ms. Walsh (PLWalsh@fcps.edu) & Ms. Bickford (elbickford@fcps.edu)
Greetings Panther Families,
Please take a minute to look over the updated after school schedule. We have added several new walk-in clubs including Astronomy, STEAM Builders, Best Buddies and many more. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Barrows, rtbarrows1@fcps.edu
After School Weekly Schedule
Middle School Sports Update
Good afternoon Panther families!
We wanted to provide an update about middle school interscholastic sports. We realize many of our students were excited about the possibility of new sports (basketball, for example) starting this school year. The FCPS Office of Student Activities and Athletics has been working with our middle school afterschool specialists on plans to expand middle school sports beyond cross country and track. We/They included basketball on the fall sports registration link with the hopes that the details would be worked out in time to have an interscholastic schedule this fall. Unfortunately, there are some elements of expansion that have not been resolved, and we will not have an interscholastic basketball program this fall. We know that is disappointing and we will instead provide a robust intramural basketball program this fall and winter, while we work out the details to bring interscholastic basketball (and other sports!) to all FCPS middle schools.
You may be aware that our school has participated in school versus school competition in sports like basketball and volleyball in the past. There are some compliance requirements for interscholastic competitions that we need to work through before those can continue, or be considered, so, for now, we will concentrate on our intramural programs and ensure they provide the quality programming our students need.
Our middle school cross country program begins practice on 9/29 and we are excited to have your student join that program! Competition for cross country begins October 18th and students must participate in at least four practices before competing so connect with us soon if you haven’t started yet! Please reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Go Panthers!
Other Schools Are Sharing
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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