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 Model UN club members attend CHMUN XXI; 7th graders working with microscopes in science.
Franklin Community,
As winter weather continues to settle in, we appreciate your support in helping students come to school prepared for the cold. Students do go outside for recess, and during arrival, lines at the weapons detection system may require brief waits outdoors. On particularly cold mornings, we do open the lines early to minimize time outside; however, we encourage families to ensure students dress warmly with coats, hats, and gloves as appropriate for the weather.
We are excited to once again invite our community to attend Franklin’s upcoming theater production, The Day the Internet Died, running January 22–January 25. Our students have been working incredibly hard to prepare for this show, and we are so proud of their creativity, teamwork, and dedication. A special thank-you goes to Ms. Bello for her leadership and countless hours spent guiding students through the rehearsal process. Tickets can be purchased using the link below in the newsletter, and we hope to see many of you there supporting our talented performers.
As part of our ongoing academic advising period, counselors have begun meeting with students to support thoughtful course selection for the upcoming school year. Our goal is to have course selections completed for all students by February 6, and these conversations are already well underway. We appreciate our counseling team’s efforts in helping students reflect on their interests, strengths, and goals as they plan for next year.
To further support this process, we strongly encourage families of rising 7th and 8th graders to attend our Curriculum Night on Monday, January 27. This event provides an opportunity to learn more about our elective offerings and to meet teachers from various departments who can help answer questions and inform course selection decisions for the coming school year.
We are also excited to welcome our rising 7th graders to Franklin for a building tour and information session during the school day on Friday, January 23. This visit is designed to help students feel comfortable and excited about their transition to middle school, and we look forward to introducing them to our school community.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to a great week ahead at Franklin!
Tom DeRusso
Principal
Franklin Middle School
Weekly CARE Card Raffle Winners
~Important Dates~
January 19 - School & Office Closed
January 22, 23, & 24 - The Day the Internet Died - Theatre Production
January 22 & January 23 - 7pm
January 24 - 2pm and 7pm
January 27 - Curriculum Night - 6pm-7:30pm
January 28 - 2nd Quarter Ends - 2 hour early release
January 29 & 30 - School Closed / Teacher Workdays
February 27 - Franklin vs. Rocky Run Basketball
5pm-Staff / 6pm-Girls / 7pm-Boys
~Action Items~
Tickets on Sale - Franklin's Performance of
The Day the Internet Died
Purchase Tickets
📸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.
📔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.
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. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.
Volunteer Registration Update
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
~Student Services~
FLE Updates
Dear Parents/Guardians of Franklin Students:
Students in grades 7-8 participate in Family Life Education (FLE) instruction through their Health/PE classrooms.
7th grade HGD FLE Feb. 2-5
8th grade HGD FLE Feb 9-12
8th grade ESH FLE lessons begin Feb 18.
7th grade ESH FLE lessons begin Mar 9,
In addition, grade level-specific curriculum lessons are available for review in multiple locations.
- Online in Schoology - includes lessons and media titles that FCPS has streaming rights for. Any additional media or book titles that are not streamed are available at your child’s school library.
o Parents/guardians login to Schoology using the same username and password as their Student Information System (SIS) Parent account.
- Your child’s school. Please contact the school to schedule a time to review lessons and/or media.
- City of Fairfax Regional Library – lessons only. Media is not available.
In the beginning of the year, parents/guardians who did not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction chose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. If you have not and would like to opt your child out of one or more lessons, please fill out and return the form https://www.fcps.edu/sites/default/files/media/forms/english_3.pdf.
If you have already indicated your desire to opt your child out of FLE lessons by using the form provided earlier in the school year, you do not need to complete another form. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify your child’s school principal in writing before instruction begins.
An alternative non-FLE health instructional program is provided for children who do not take part in FLE instruction, and every effort is made to foster understanding and respect for family choices and to avoid peer pressure for or against participation in the program.
  Rising 9th Grade Students
The Parent University 101: Helping Your Child Navigate Rising 9th Grade Academic Advising and the Important Rising 9th Grade Academic Advising Dates are posted in the Student and Parent Schoology.
🍞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.
~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.
Franklin Basketball - Girls/Boys
Students that will want to try out for the Franklin Basketball Team will need the following in order to participate in tryouts (no exceptions). Tryouts will take place on Tuesday February 3.
All documents and forms must be completed prior to tryouts on February 3. Students will not be permitted to participate in tryouts unless all three have been submitted. The Emergency Care Card and FCPS MS Sports Physical can be turned into the main office.
MS Sports - Spring Track
Spring Track Information is posted below. There will be a meeting in late February (TBD). The first practice will be on Tuesday April 7. All students will need to make sure that they register using the MS Sports Track Registration Link posted below. If your student ran Cross Country their FCPS Physical is still valid but will need to complete the Registration Link and ECC.. If they are new to track, they will need to complete all forms listed below.
Meets for Track will be held at designated High Schools across FCPS on Saturdays. The first meet of the season will be on Saturday April 25 at Herndon High School.
All paperwork and the MS Sports Registration must be submitted before any student can participate, try out or practice. 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.
**Track Coach Needed**
We are looking for a Track Coach for the spring Track season. Track practices will start the week after Spring Break. Coaching consists of practices 2 days per week and five meets on Saturdays. The last meet of the season is on 5/30. If you are interested in coaching, please contact Chris Tippins (wctippins@fcps.edu) and/or Tom DeRusso (tgderusso@fcps.edu)
 ~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~
😷Health Reminders
Flu season is here, and we all want to keep our students healthy and safe. Please remind your child to practice good hygiene, such as washing their hands frequently and covering their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
If your child is feeling unwell, especially with flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat or body aches, we ask that you to keep them at home to rest and recover. If your child has a fever of 100.4 or higher, keep them at home until his or her fever is below 100.4 for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication.
Thank you for your support in keeping our school community healthy. If you have any questions or need additional information, please feel free to reach out to our Public Health Nurse, Lauren Nichols, RN, at 703-904-5135.
 Immunization Events for FCPS Students
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will provide school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be available throughout the school year.
Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary. View immunization resources on the FCPS website.
⛄ Winter Resources for Families
A list of resources has been compiled for students and families in case they or someone they know needs assistance while schools are closed for winter break. Please visit FCPS’ winter resources page for information on academic support, mental health support, and county resources related to food, clothing, housing, and other needs.
❄️ Prepare for Winter Weather
Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.
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, the new FCPS mobile app, 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 emergency child care 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 that 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. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.
If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.
📱 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.
Tutoring Resources for Families
Some families may be looking for additional resources to help support their child’s academic success. The FCPS Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of FCPS employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to hire as tutors. This list is a resource offered by the FRC, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with the tutors. This list is not approved by FCPS and is only meant to be a resource to families.
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, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.
~Community Events~
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