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Important Upcoming Events
Tuesday, April 21 - Teacher Workday/Virtual School Planning Day - Student Holiday
Monday, May 25 - Holiday - Memorial Day- No School
Tuesday, May 26 - Teacher Workday - Student Holiday
Wednesday, May 27 - Religious or Cultural Observance - Eid al-Fitr - No School
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A message from the Principal
Carson Middle School’s SOL Testing dates are as follows:
May 5th - Reading SOL
May 13th - Math SOL
May 19th - Science 8 SOL (8th-graders only)
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Lightspeed
🔍 See Where Your Child Goes Online With Lightspeed
Parents can access their child’s activity on FCPS devices through Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service. Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites their child visited.
The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
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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.
April 20-25 is Earth Week! The Going Green Club’s Earth Week student committee has been hard at work planning events for our school community. We wanted to let parents know so that you could encourage your students to participate.
Going Green is sponsoring Earth Week Spirit Days!
Monday - Wildlife Day (wear clothes with animals pictured or leopard print)
Tuesday - No School but wear white for Zero Waste Day
Wednesday - Earth Day (wear green)
Thursday - Climate Change Day (wear red)
Friday - Watershed Day (wear blue)
Wednesday, April 22 after school the Going Green Club is sponsoring a movie screening of the G-rated film Wall-E in the library for A and B block. Students must sign-up to participate. It is open to the entire school. So, if your child is interested, they should sign up ASAP! https://forms.gle/ZbFaB72hP67NeWbk7 (Students must use fcpsschools account.)
We are kicking off a Terra-Box recycling team contest where we are collecting candy and snack wrappers. Since such items are not able to be recycled by our normal process, students wanted to focus on candy and snack wrappers. Boxes for each team will be in the cafeteria. Once the HUGE TerraCycle box is filled, it will be sent to the company and the items will be recycled. The team competition will run from April 20 through May 8.
On Friday, April 24, winners of the Earth Week Magnet design contest will be announced. Voting will open on Monday and close at the end of the school day on Wednesday, April 22.
On Saturday, April 25, Ms. Walsh and some Going Green members will be sponsoring a table at Earth Day Fairfax's event at Lake Fairfax from 10am-4pm. If you're free, go to the event with your whole family and be sure to find the Carson Going Green table. Learn about the event here: https://celebratefairfax.org/event/earth-day-fairfax-2/
Go Green!
Virtual Family Workshop “Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College”
Rachel Carson Middle School Student Services is excited to host The College Funding Coach® for an interactive webinar: "Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College" on April 15th @ 9:15 AM
You can expect to learn the following:
- How to fund your child’s education while protecting your retirement
- College funding strategies for parents with students who DO and DO NOT qualify for financial aid
- The 13 most popular college funding financial vehicles explained and debunked
- Updates on FAFSA changes and their impact on your family
- Creative strategies to make out-of-state or private colleges more affordable
- Ways to maximize and increase financial aid eligibility
Register for your link to join the Rachel Carson Middle School Workshop!
3rd Quarter Grades
The 3rd quarter ends Friday, March 27. Gradebook and Report Card Modules in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be unavailable to Parents and Students from Friday, March 27 at 4PM through Monday, April 14 at 6AM. On April 14, 3rd quarter report cards will be visible in SIS. A printed copy of 3rd quarter report cards will be sent home the week of April 23.
Thank you for supporting our Academic Advising Season at Rachel Carson!
Rachel Carson Middle School will now begin reviewing course enrollment numbers to determine course allotments, seat availability, and staffing decisions for the upcoming school year.
Families will receive course verification forms to review their student’s course selections.
After Spring Break, families will have two weeks (April 6–17, 2026) to submit any requests for changes to the courses selected for next year. Please note that some courses may already be closed, waitlisted, or no longer offered.
April 17, 2026, is the final deadline for course change requests for the 2026–2027 school year. After this date, no additional course change requests will be accepted so that we can begin staffing our building and determining teacher placements for the upcoming school year.
Thank you for your continued support.
Rising 7th Grade Information
Required Immunizations for Rising 7th Graders
As required by the Code of VA, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend at a Virginia public school.
In addition, all students entering 7th grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations:
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older;
- Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older;
- A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents or guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with your child’s healthcare provider now to avoid the rush this summer. Immunization appointments are available. Inspire Health Alliance will be providing immunizations for currently enrolled FCPS students at no out-of-pocket cost. Visit the Inspire Immunization Events Student Registration webpage to schedule an appointment.
Additional Immunization Resources are also available.
Dear RCMS Families,
As this school year quickly comes to an end, we are already preparing for the 2026–2027 school year.
To help us keep our records current, please complete the Google Form if your family will be moving before the start of the next school year.
Thank you for your continued support.
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.
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FCPS CARES Nominations
Want a quick way to recognize an employee or team? Share an FCPS CARES! Families, colleagues, and students are all invited to submit. The FCPS CARES is automatically sent to the recipient(s) and their supervisor, and is posted on fcps.edu. Additionally, each month one school in our region wins a staff celebration from HR. Encourage your community to show our staff that their hard work is appreciated!
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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
Other Schools are Sharing
SOUTH LAKES CHEERLEADING
Calling all rising 9th graders! Interested in trying out for the South Lakes Cheerleading program? If so, please fill out the following online interest form to be added to our email list: https://forms.gle/NoUR7aAstRLLDK7i6 Those on our email distribution list will receive information throughout the spring/summer regarding the upcoming season.
A little bit about our program: South Lakes Cheerleading is both a sideline and competitive program. When we are not on the track cheering on the SLHS Football team on game nights, we are practicing for our own District, Region, and State competitions! We have two teams: JV and Varsity that both begin on Aug. 3rd and runs through early/mid November.
We welcome all levels of experience and hope to meet you soon!
If you have any questions at all feel free to email Coach Slaight at: raslaight@fcps.edu
SOUTH LAKES DANCE TEAM
The South Lakes Dance Team is excited to be holding our 26-27 tryouts from June 17-18! If you are interested in trying out, please fill out this interest form and we will add you to our email list:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIM76iSl-e1WT1s7CZ0yFeX1bTIaWyXRGAg8GWqT1GbmWmJA/viewform?usp=publish-editor
We will be sending out communication about our interest meeting, tryouts, and eligibility requirements through the email list.
The South Lakes Dance Team performs at Football games, Basketball games, pep rallies, and various other school events. We also compete regionally and sometimes even nationally! We love cheering on the Seahawks and promoting school spirit in the community. South Lakes currently has only a Varsity level Dance Team, but we encourage dancers of all skill levels to tryout!
We will also be holding a pre-tryout skills clinic on April 21st from 4:30-6:30pm. Link to register here: https://southlakeshscamps.jumbula.com/dance
Please email Coach McDermott at chmcdermott@fcps.edu with any questions.
SOUTH LAKES FOOTBALL
Calling all rising 9th graders! Are you:
-Bigger than most people? -Faster than your friends? -Tougher than most others? -Enjoy doing difficult things?
If you answered yes to one or more of those questions then we are interested in you trying out for the South Lakes Football Program! No prior experience required!
Hurry and fill out the following online interest form to be added to our contact list:
https://forms.gle/9LTNr9rXgRSee8DV9
Those on our email distribution list will receive information throughout the spring/summer regarding the upcoming season.
A little bit about our program:
South Lakes Football has three levels in our program; Freshmen, Junior Varsity, and Varsity. Our season officially begins on August 3th, but the JV and Varsity teams are already preparing for our next season and so should you too! Weight Room training sessions begin the week of March 2nd!
We welcome all levels of experience and hope to meet you soon!
If you have any questions at all feel free to email Coach Hescock at: jrhescock@fcps.edu
SLHS Seahawk CO-ED Golf Meeting For Rising Freshmen
Interested in playing competitive high school golf? Find out what it takes at our info meeting for rising Freshmen. Student-Athletes and parents are welcome for both the Seahawk Co-ed Golf and Girls Teams, May 17th, 6:00pm at Reston National Golf Club. Tryouts are projected for the end of July and the regular season runs through mid-September. For questions and to confirm attendance email Coach Anderson at kanderson3@fcps.edu
SOUTH LAKES GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Are you Interested in trying out for the most popular high school girls team participation sport in the US – volleyball! Our program offers 3 levels: F, JV and V. Tryouts will be held on Aug 3, 4, and 5. To get ready for the season, we will be holding a number of spring/summer workouts that are open to rising 9th graders. We also will be holding our annual summer volleyball camps to either introduce you to our sport or help you refine your current skills.
To ensure you have all the information you need, please email Coach Farrar at safarrar@fcps.edu with both potential player and parent names and emails. We will add you to our email distribution list and send you a program information sheet that contains everything you need to know about our outstanding program as well as some questions for you so we can get to know you better.
We look forward to seeing you on the court!
If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Coach Farrar at safarrar@fcps.edu - GO SEAHAWKS!
SOUTH LAKES FIELD HOCKEY
Calling all rising 9th graders! For questions regarding Field Hockey please email Coach Hiltabrand at: ahiltabrand@fcps.edu and follow our Instagram account for updates and information as well @slhs_seahawkey
SOUTH LAKES BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Calling all rising 9th graders! Interested in trying out for the South Lakes Boys Volleyball program?
For additional questions please email Andrew Duggan at amduggan@fcps.edu.
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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