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Important Upcoming Events
Thursday & Friday March 12 &13 - Spring Pictures!
Friday, March 20 - Eid-al-Fitr - School Closed
Friday, March 27 - End of 3rd Quarter - 2 hour early release
March 30 - April 3 - Spring Break - School Closed
Monday, April 6 - Teacher Workday - Student Holiday
Friday, April 10 - School Planning Day - Student Holiday
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January & February “SWAG” Student Recognition of the 2025-2026 School Year
Each month teachers from different departments recognize students for their hard work, perseverance, and commitment to making a positive impact at Carson through our SWAG Student Recognition Program. SWAG stands for “Students with Awesome Growth”. Mr. Washington shared why each student was nominated during our January & February celebration. Congratulations to the following students for having Carson SWAG: Hollie, Alistair, Lincoln, Reese, Helene Kloe, Dylan, Charith, Angela, Sanvi, Adjo, Sahas, Joshua, Daniel, Gabriela, Adrian, Logaroshini, Holden, Janelle, Britany, Nathan, Clarissa, Ari, Ryan, Julian, Jabr, Audrey, Alisson, Wesley, Coraline, Suryaa, Ava, Ana!!!
Congratulations, Panthers!
National School Social Work Week
A big thanks to our Social Worker: April Bowman for all she does for our students.
March 2-8 is National School Social Work Week. Social workers in FCPS help to prevent social, emotional, and behavioral factors from affecting a student's ability to perform at their best. Their primary goal is to remove barriers that prevent a student from fulfilling their academic potential. Social workers are assigned to every school and center in the school system. Most social workers serve one to two sites. Learn more about the role of social workers in FCPS.
Carson Middle School’s SOL Testing dates are as follows:
March 10th - Integrated Reading and Writing (8th-graders only)
May 5th - Reading SOL
May 13th - Math SOL
May 19th - Science 8 SOL (8th-graders only)
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Second Quarter Report Cards – February 26
We wanted to inform you know that second quarter report cards will be sent home with students tomorrow Thursday, February 26.
Report cards will be distributed to students during their Advisory period, and they will bring them home that day.
Student Fasting Meal Kits
From February 18 to March 19, 2026, a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver allows students fasting during the school day to request take-home meal kits. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.
Important Meal Kit Information:
- Kits are charged based on a student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
- Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day.
- Students who eat a meal at school during the day are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day.
- Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.
Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:
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February 11, 2026 for week of February 18, 2026
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February 16, 2026 for the week of February 23, 2026
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February 23, 2026 for the week of March 2, 2026
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March 2, 2026 for the week of March 9, 2026
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March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026
Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.
Spring Pictures
Rachel Carson Middle School
Spring Picture Day Date(s): March 12 - 13, 2026
K&K Student Accident Insurance
Fairfax County Public Schools does not provide medical insurance for accidents that occur at school. Parents may want to consider if purchasing voluntary student insurance is appropriate for their family.
K & K Insurance Group offers student accident insurance coverage that parents may purchase. For families without other medical insurance, this plan may be a helpful resource. Additionally, for families who already have coverage, this plan may help offset costs such as deductibles and co-pays. Coverage may be purchased at any time during the school year.
Please click the link below for information on k-12 student accident insurance.
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.
Attend today, achieve tomorrow!
Did you know?
- Regular school attendance in elementary school improves the chances that your child will read on grade level.
- Chronic absenteeism (missing 18 or more school days per year) is a primary cause of lower academic achievement even when the absences are "excused" or understandable.
- Students who attend 90% or more of the school year are more likely to graduate from high school on time.
- Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with peer conflicts or facing some other potentially serious difficulty, and help is available.
Attendance Policies
In Virginia, all students aged five (5) through eighteen (18) are required to attend school regularly. FCPS must record student attendance every day school is in session.
Every year, absences increase in the weeks before and after spring break. Make sure your child is in school every day, right up until vacation starts. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning. Visit our website for more attendance resources.
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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 2pm.
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.
RCMS Course Selection Events 2026-27 School Year
It is time to think about the 26-27 school year and January marks the start of our course selection season!
Please visit our Academic Advising & Course Selection website for detailed information regarding important dates, deadlines, course descriptions, and additional resources.
Both 7th and 8th graders will enter their course selections for the 2026-2027 school year into SIS during the school day. In addition, school counselors will meet individually with all students in January or February to answer questions and provide guidance regarding course selection. Parents and guardians will be able to view the courses their student selected through Student or ParentVue. Families who do not currently have a ParentVue SIS are encouraged to request one here as soon as possible, as parents will be asked to verify course selections in March.
School-life balance is an important consideration as students work toward both academic and personal success. Families are always welcome to contact their student’s school counselor, teacher, or case manager with any questions or concerns.
We look forward to partnering with you to help your child select courses for a successful upcoming school year.
We hope all our students are excited to launch into the second half of our school year and are ready to keep going strong! Our Student Services department has lots of important information to continue to share with you. Please read our 3rd Quarter Student Services Newsletter for information on upcoming events and activities, resources, tools and other helpful things to know.
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
Children go through a lot of changes, and it can be hard to tell if their behavior is developmentally appropriate or if they could benefit from mental health support. It’s important to talk to your child and pay attention to their actions, especially these warning signs:
- Increased irritability, hyperactivity, energy, and/or aggressive behavior.
- Excessive sadness, hopelessness, or worries.
- Loss of appetite, or significant weight gain or loss.
- Lack of sleep or too much sleep.
- A decline in grades, school avoidance, or attendance concerns.
- Alcohol or drug use.
- Withdrawal from activities and/or friends and family.
- Thoughts of harming themselves or others.
If you notice any of these warning signs or feel your child may be experiencing a mental health challenge, help is available. Please contact your child's school counselor to discuss your concerns and identify resources. Find additional ways to support your child’s wellness.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health crisis such as thoughts of harming themselves or others, please take action right away. Call 988, go to the nearest emergency room, or contact the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health Emergency Services at 703-573-5679.
📱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.
FCPS CARES submissions
Want a quick way to thank an employee? Submit an FCPS CARES nomination! Families, colleagues, and students are all welcome to submit a nomination. A submitted CARES is automatically sent to the recipient and their supervisor and also is posted on the public FCPS website. Please consider recognizing our amazing staff to let them know their hard work is appreciated!
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
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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