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Important Upcoming Events Monday, May 4th Teacher Appreciation Week! Tuesday, May 5th - SOL's Begin! Thursday, May 21, Last Day of Late Buses 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

A Message From The Principal

Panther Families!

Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and we are so excited to celebrate our wonderful Carson teachers and staff for the heart and dedication they bring to our school every day. Next week also marks the kickoff of our SOL testing season, a time for our students to show off all the hard work they’ve put in this year. To help them succeed, please ensure your children are well-rested each day and arrive ready to give their best effort on every test.

Go Panthers!

Principal Washington

During the week of May 4th – May 8th, we look forward to celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week and honoring the wonderful teachers and amazing staff who make our school such a special place.

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)

Support Your Children During Important Spring Assessments

Students will be participating in spring assessments based on their grade level and courses. This includes summative assessments like Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, which measure what a student knows, and progress assessments like Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which measure where they are in their learning.

FCPS encourages all families to support their students in taking these tests. Virginia requires schools to test at least 95% of students on SOLs, so when families choose not to participate in testing, it can impact a school’s accreditation, accountability ratings, and ability to measure student progress accurately.

Parents and caregivers can help their children perform their best on these tests by reminding them to get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and the cell phone policy still applies during testing season.

It is important that students attend school on scheduled testing dates. If you are aware of a conflict that may cause your student to miss a test, please notify your student’s school as soon as possible.

Learn more about how to support your child and why test participation matters.

Webinar: Partnering With Your Child’s Middle School

In this webinar, families of rising middle school students are invited to explore ways to stay connected to learning and maintain strong family-school partnerships throughout their child’s secondary education.

Register to attend on Tuesday, April 28, at 7 p.m.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Now Available

Dear Parents & Guardians.

Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, we will share copies with you directly.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to your child's school counselor or the testing coordinator, Ms. Majmundar at bmajmundar@fcps.edu.

HS Credit Course Expunge Process

High school credit courses taken in grades 7 and 8 become part of the student’s high school transcript and are included in the calculation of the high school Grade Point Average (GPA) and weighted as such. Virginia state and FCPS regulations permit parents/guardians of a middle school student who has completed a high school credit course to have that course expunged from the student’s record.  

The request to remove a course from the transcript must be made in writing to the middle or high school that the student will attend the following year and prior to the end of the first nine weeks of the school year.

See Request to Expunge High School Courses Taken in Middle School Form. If you have questions or concerns regarding this, please contact your child’s middle school counselor no later than June 12.

Once deleted, the course and grade awarded cannot be reinstated.

Courses taken in the summer session following student promotion from the eighth grade are ineligible for removal from the high school transcript.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Link to Purchase: Yearbook Sales - MySchoolbucks

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. 

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!

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

Performances: May 1  - 7pm, May 2 - 2pm & 7pm, May 3 - 2pm

Westfield High School Theatre Presents

Anastasia: The Musical

Journey to the past with us! Perfect for all ages!

April 30, May 1, May 2, May 8 at 7 PM
May 3 & May 9 at 12 PM

Tickets: $15 adult, $10 student/senior. All seats reserved. All info found at www.westfieldtheatre.com

Note: May 1st at 7pm is our American Sign Language interpreted performance.

Charge Ahead! Class of 2030 Registration Is Open

Charge Ahead is an optional Chantilly orientation program for rising 9th-grade students to help them become more familiar with the school building, schedule, and high school expectations ahead of the opening of school.

What We Do:

• Meet other rising 9th grade students!
• School tours and Q&A from our leadership students and school clubs.
• Walk a mock schedule and meet our admin team.
• Registration is $50 through MySchoolBucks
• Enjoy a pizza lunch and a Class of 2030 T-shirt.

Sessions are on:

• Tuesday, August 11^th (9am – 1pm)
• Wednesday, August 12^th (1pm – 5pm)
• Thursday, August 13^th (9am – 1pm)

Register here from March 18th - July 31st. The registration fee can be paid on MySchoolBucks. Due to upfront costs, we cannot provide refunds.

Questions or concerns? Contact David Dewett at dmdewett@fcps.edu.

SOUTH LAKES CHEERLEADING

Calling all rising 9^th 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. 3^rd 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 2^nd!

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 9^th 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.

13618 McLearen Rd. Herndon, VA 20171 |  Main Phone: 703.925.3600
Attendance: 703.925.3636 or CarsonMS.Attendance@fcps.edu 
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