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 What a spooky week!
 Students and staff participated in spirit days all week.
 Franklin Community,
On Tuesday afternoon, we celebrated Ms. Fraundorfer, our outstanding school counselor, for being named the FCPS CARES Award winner for Region 5 for September! Ms. Fraundorfer makes a difference for our students every day, building meaningful relationships with both students and families and supporting their academic, social, and emotional growth. She was nominated by a Franklin Middle School family and selected by the FCPS awards committee from all September nominees — a truly well-deserved honor. Congratulations, Ms. Fraundorfer, and thank you for everything you do to make Franklin a supportive and caring community!
This week, Franklin also celebrated Spirit Week, and it was a huge success! Students and staff showed their creativity and school pride throughout the week with themed days:
- Monday – Chantilly vs. Oakton Colors: Students wore their high school colors, purple for Chantilly and burgundy and gold for Oakton.
- Tuesday – Twin Day: Students paired up with friends to dress alike.
- Wednesday – Pink Out: We showed our support for Breast Cancer Awareness.
- Thursday – Spooky Color Day: Students wore green, orange, black, and purple to get into the Halloween spirit.
- Friday – Halloween Dress-Up: Everyone had fun dressing in costumes, and we even held a staff contest where each department dressed according to a theme. The Science Department won, voted on by students, dressing as “Your Average Middle Schoolers.”
Spirit Week was a fantastic way to celebrate community, creativity, and school pride — thank you to everyone who participated and helped make it such a memorable week!
Speaking of spirit, our Student Services team brought some Halloween spirit to Franklin this week with a fun and meaningful initiative called Boo Grams! Students had the opportunity to send a special message and a pair of bright orange sunglasses. The goal was to spread positivity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging — and it was a huge success! All 300 Boo Grams were delivered, and our hallways were filled with smiles as students delivered their messages. A big thank-you to our counselors for organizing such a thoughtful and engaging activity that reminds us how small gestures can make a big difference in building community.
Lastly, we want to make parents aware of a concerning social media trend that some students have been participating in recently: creating “darts” out of folded paper and staples or paper clips and throwing them into the ceiling. This behavior is disruptive to the learning environment and can be dangerous, as the sharp tips could potentially injure other students or staff. Please talk with your child about the risks and encourage them to make safe, responsible choices while at school. Students should also report any unsafe behavior to a staff member immediately. Together, we can ensure Franklin remains a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone.
We hope students have a great long weekend and we will see them back at school on Wednesday, 11/5!
Tom DeRusso
Principal
Franklin Middle School
Weekly CARE Card Raffle Winners
Congratulations, Ms. Fraundorfer!
Ms. Fraundorfer, one of our school counselors, was awarded the Region 5 FCPS Cares of the Month Award. Thank you for all you do for our students!
~Important Dates~
November 2 - Daylight Savings Time Ends - Turn clocks back 1 hour
November 3 & 4 - Teacher Workday - No School
November 11 - Veterans Day - School & Office Closed
November 26-28 - Thanksgiving Break - School & Office Closed
December 2 - Picture Retakes
~Action Items~
📸School Pictures Ready to View
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.
More about the Smilesafe program here.
✅ 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, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete it as soon as possible. We will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE starting Wednesday, November 12.
Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important. This year, FCPS expects to receive approximately $4 million in Impact Aid funding. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.
For more information, visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child.
Technical support for using ParentVUE or submitting 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” in the Issue Description section. You may also call the Parent Technology Help Desk at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS).
🏆Outstanding Employee Award Nominations Deadline Extended to 11/5/25
Nominations are now open for the FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Franklin Middle School Outstanding Employee, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: https://forms.gle/ttoDhtqucYwGVTEz7 Spanish Form: https://forms.gle/6dTk9V74CVmjGbx6A
All that is required is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work. You may nominate up to one employee per category.
Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding Principal
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding New Principal
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal) at their current location
- Positions in this category include Assistant Principal, Associate Principal, Director of Student Services, Director of Student Activities
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership at their current location
Positions in this category include Resource Teacher and Special Education Department Chair and Multilingual Learners Department Chair who serve in a non-instructional role for more than 50% of their time, After-School Specialist, Assessment Coach, Athletic Trainer, Career Center Specialist, Career Experience Specialist, College and Career Specialist, Crisis Resource Teacher, Instructional Coach, School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Psychologist, Reading Specialist, Safety and Security Specialist, Social Worker, Speech Language Pathologist, School Counselor, Systems of Support Administrator, or other employee paid as a Resource Teacher who serves in a non-instructional or administrative role in the school)
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee at their current location
Positions in this category include Administrative Assistant, Office Assistant, Student Information Assistant, Finance Technician, School Finance Assistant, Student Services Assistant, Registrar, Custodian, Building Supervisor, Operating Engineer, Food Services staff, Instructional Assistant, Family Liaison, Public Health Training Assistant, Safety and Security Assistant, and all hourly employees*
The deadline to submit a nomination is October 31, 2025.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Sciabica at cdsciabica@fcps.edu
📔Yearbook Orders
Pre-order your 2025-2026 Franklin Yearbook! Orders are open between now and April 13. No late orders will be accepted.
To order, visit yearbookordercenter.com and use order number 5330, or use the QR code provided on the attached flyer.
Don't miss out!
☑️Register To Volunteer
All parents must register before volunteering for a school event. At Franklin Middle School, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.
Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.
These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.
We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit Volunteer FCPS, click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.
Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.
We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.
As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
~Student Services~
SIS ParentVUE End-of-Quarter Closure
The Gradebook in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed for the end of the first quarter from Friday, October 31, 4 p.m. to Monday, November 10, 6 a.m. Activate your ParentVUE account to easily access grade reports.
🍞Food for Neighbors
Help Franklin MS and Food for Neighbors, Fight Student Hunger with the Red Bag Program
1 in 4 kids in Northern Virginia faces hunger. Food For Neighbors supports local students by collecting food through the Red Bag Program and distributing it to school pantries.
How it works:
- Request a free Red Bag
- Fill it with listed food items every 2 months
- Leave it outside on collection day — it’ll be picked up!
Learn more about what to donate and how to get involved: Red Bag program click here.
You can also volunteer to collect or sort bags — a great way for students to earn service hours.
Questions? Contact the school’s social worker, Elyse Brunais, or our family liaison, Janet McFadden.
📝 Applications Open 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 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, including a schedule of upcoming information sessions at middle schools.
~AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM~
Students should be picked up from the After-School Program no later than 5:00PM. Parents should communicate with your student on their pickup time. Late Buses run Monday-Thursday with a departure time of 4:45pm. On Fridays there are no late buses but parents may pick up their students by 4:35pm on Fridays.
MS Cross Country
Next week Cross Country will be at Carson Middle School for the fourth meet. Parents and students are welcome to come support the Cross Country team at any of their meets during the season. This will be the final regular season meet before the Championships at Liberty on November 15.
Cross Country Practice Schedule
- Wed. November 5 2:30-3:45
- Thurs. November 6 2:30-3:45
Cross Country Meet Schedule
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November 1 at Herndon 7:30AM
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November 8 at Carson 10:00AM
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November 15 at Liberty (MS Championships)
Any questions please reach out to Chris Tippins at WCTippins@fcps.edu.You can also visit the Franklin MS Sports page or at the FCPS MS Sports site for more information.
 ~Franklin Middle School PTA~
Support Franklin's PTA
We're One-Third of the Way to Our Goal!
Welcome back to all our families to another busy school year! We're grateful to everyone who has already joined the PTA this year! So far, we're only about one-third of the way to meeting our membership goal. Your membership dollars go directly back into supporting our students, teachers, and classrooms by covering a variety of costs from classroom resources and teacher appreciation to student enrichment opportunities and more.
While we anticipated membership numbers might dip compared to last year, we're hopeful that families who are able can help close the gap. In addition to the standard $25 membership, please consider subscribing to the $50, $75, or $100 levels. Every extra contribution makes a big difference and helps reduce the need for heavier fundraisers later in the school year. Click here to register for membership, and please try to do so as soon as possible.
A reminder to returning Franklin families and awareness for our new families--for details and links on information and resources you'll need as your children progress through Franklin, visit and subscribe to our PT School Board and follow the Franklin MS PTA Facebook page.
~Helpful Information~
📱 Download the New FCPS Mobile App!
The FCPS mobile app offers a customized platform to help keep families connected and informed, directly from their smartphones. You can download the Fairfax County Public Schools mobile app by going to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and searching for “FCPS.”
With the app you can:
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Stay up-to-date: Get the latest news from FCPS.
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View school calendars: See events, activities, holidays, and early dismissals.
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Check school menus: See what’s for lunch and breakfast today, tomorrow, or next week.
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Tap to contact: Quickly call attendance lines or email school staff.
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Access key links: Jump to ParentVUE, Schoology, and the FCPS website in one tap.
Users can access updates and content without having to sign in, making it easy for everyone to stay informed.
Learn more about the new mobile app, including feedback from parents TeAndra Nelson and Roy Dykes.
Impact of Federal Shutdown on Local Community
Fairfax County is home to around 80,000 federal employees and thousands of federal contractors. Its Federal Workforce Resource Hub is intended to help navigate current and future issues for residents, government employees, active military/veterans, contractors, nonprofits and businesses who may be affected by actions, changes, or disruptions to federal services or employment.Community Resources for Families in NeedThrough partnerships with community-based organizations and other Fairfax County agencies, Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) provides information, referrals, and advocacy to help individuals connect with services, including: basic needs (food, shelter, clothing), financial assistance, health care services, and referrals to services and resources.
Visit the CSP website or call 703-222-0880 for assistance.
How to Access or Donate Food to Those in NeedView the Emergency Food Access Providers webpage to see where to access food or donate to your local food bank.
🏗️ How Bond Projects Are Selected
Each year, the School Board and FCPS staff members work with the community to develop an updated, five-year Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for school building and renovation projects. To develop the CIP, the school system assesses changes in expected enrollments, academic programs, and facility conditions to determine priorities for new construction, renovations, and other capital facility projects. The School Board then evaluates the affordability of these school needs against other countywide requirements to determine the bond proposal.
Because of this, while FCPS and the School Board generally try to follow the CIP, changes can be made year-over-year depending on the evolving needs of the school division.
The School Board is committed to protecting the community’s investment in schools and other buildings, which have a combined present value approaching $9 billion. Not only do these facilities wear out over time, but they also become outdated, both technologically and instructionally. FCPS renovates its schools to ensure that students, countywide, have effective and efficient learning environments to thrive and grow.
Read more about the FCPS 2025 Bond Referendum. Learn more about registering to vote. Make a voting plan and vote on Tuesday, November 4.
🩹 Immunization Events for FCPS Students
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Immunization clinics will take place from 3 to 6:30 p.m. at Willow Oaks Administrative Center on:
- Thursday, November 6
- Tuesday, November 18
- Wednesday, November 19
- Thursday, November 20
A clinic will also take place at Frost Middle School on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year.
Participation is voluntary. Parents or guardians may schedule an appointment for their student. Learn more about immunization resources.
~Community Events~
Get ready to party, Cougars! We're having a big Cougar Sendoff event right before the big football game!
When: Friday, November 7th
Time: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM
Where: Oakton High School Softball Outfield
Come on out and enjoy food trucks, fun games, prizes, awesome music, and face painting! Plus, you can grab a picture with the Cougar Mascot at the photo booth!
Don't forget to Wear Neon!
P.S. A $7 ticket is required to enter the Football Game, which starts right after the sendoff at 7:00 PM.
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