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MID-QUARTER 2 PARENT NEWSLETTER

DECEMBER EDITION - THIS IS A THREE WEEK EDITION!

MID-QUARTER 2PARENT NEWSLETTERDECEMBER EDITION - THIS IS A THREE WEEK EDITION!

IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE QUARTER - CHECK YOUR CHILD'S POWERSCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ON TRACK TO GET THE GRADES YOU EXPECT

GET CONNECTED TO POWERSCHOOL TODAY!

POWERSCHOOL IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN FROM K-12

PowerSchool is a powerful tool in making sure that your child(ren) are keeping up with their academics and attendance. You can go in any time you like, click on a grade, and see the assignments right there (see the pic below). You can also sign up to get daily, weekly, or monthly updates sent right to your email.


  • See a zero? That likely means that the assignment was not turned in
  • Have a question? Email the teacher (the email is right there in PowerSchool)


*A lot of students in middle school will begin telling untruths to their parents to stay out of trouble or get what they want. Don't worry! It's part of how their brain is working during this time as they push boundaries and figure out who they are as a person. Having Google Meet, Canvas, and PowerSchool access helps you to sort out for sure what is going on with your student academically. These are tools to help you to stay "in the know" and to step in and advocate for your child. You keep PowerSchool access all the way through high school, and it's been a great tool for parents as their children get older and ask for more independence.


READY TO GET SIGNED UP? CALL THE SCHOOL AT 919-494-2971

BECOME A GUARDIAN ON GOOGLE CLASSROOM OR CANVAS AND GET REGULAR UPDATES

GET ADDED AS A GUARDIAN IN YOUR CHILD'S GOOGLE CLASSROOM OR CANVAS

  1. If you haven't been sent an invitation already, contact the teacher and request to be added as a guardian. Make sure you give them an email you check frequently.
  2. You will get an email with an invitation to join the class - go ahead and accept.
  3. Being a guardian means that you can get a daily or weekly summary of what your child needs to get done. You also can see all the announcements that teachers have made, and all the classes that you are signed up as a guardian for will be combined into the summary.

REALLY WORRIED ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S GRADES? EMAIL THE TEACHERS ANYTIME AND ASK FOR A VIRTUAL PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE

TRANSPORTATION CONTRACTS MUST BE SIGNED BY A GUARDIAN AND HANDED IN THIS WEEK OR STUDENTS WILL LOSE THIER BUS PRIVILEGES

CLICK HERE TO GET THE TRANSPORTATION CONTRACT


*students were given these contracts two weeks ago - they may have one in their backpack

KEEP YOUR CALENDAR UPDATED!

12/6 FRANKLINTON WINTER FESTIVAL (SUNDAY 3PM-6PM)


12/8 VOLLEYBALL GAME FMS (ONE SPECTATOR PER PLAYER FAMILY ONLY)


12/10 VOLLEYBALL GAME AT TLMS (TLMS SPECTATORS ONLY)


12/15 VOLLEYBALL GAME AT CCMS (CCMS SPECTATORS ONLY)


12/21: THIS IS AN ASYNCHRONOUS WORKDAY - STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LOG INTO THEIR GOOGLE CLASSROOMS AND COMPLETE WORK


12/22-1/1: VACATION (HAPPY HOLIDAYS!)


1/15: END OF THE SECOND QUARTER


1/18: HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL


1/19: THIS IS AN ASYNCHRONOUS WORKDAY - STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LOG INTO THEIR GOOGLE CLASSROOMS AND COMPLETE WORK

FRANKLINTON IS HAVING A WINTER FESTIVAL - RIGHT IN FRONT OF FMS!!

IT'S THIS SUNDAY FROM 3PM - 6PM


MORE INFO COMING SOON!!

MORE MEMOS:

  • You can move your child from virtual to in-person, or from in-person to virtual, at any time; if you want to go from virtual to in-person the school will set the start date a minimum of one week from the request. If you want to go virtual, that can happen immediately. Either way, call the school and we'll take it from there.
  • Athletes are expected to keep up their grades: if your student athlete is failing classes the school administration reserves the right to remove that student from the team.
  • Reminder - breakfast and lunch are free for EVERYONE this year! Take advantage of that - pick up your free meals at the drive throughs or send your student to school without a lunch box - we've got it covered!
  • We have a big supply of school supplies in stock - students can come to the office and ask, or parents can come to the school to pick up supplies. Easy Peasy!
  • We still have a lot of clothing, including winter coats, available for you - just come in or have your child come into the office and we'll help you get what you need!
FMS POSITIVE VIBES BUTTON
CLICK HERE TO GIVE A POSITIVE SHOUT-OUT FOR AN FMS PARENT, STUDENT, OR STAFF MEMBER, AND WE WILL POST IT ON TWITTER! CELEBRATE THE POSITIVE!

ELECTIVES TEAM GRADES 6-8

MR. SMITH - BAND/MUSIC APPRECIATION

**If you have any questions, please contact me jimmiesmith@fcschools.net. **


Band 6: We are continuing to review rhythm and note identification almost daily and applying this to actually playing the instrument. My hope is that this will become second nature very soon. I have begun posting playing assignments in Google Classroom. We will review these exercises in class and students will be asked to record themselves playing and upload their recording to Google Classroom. Please remember to practice patience and be encouraging. Better sounds will come with practice and persistence. If your child does not have an instrument, please contact me so that we can acquire one.


Music Appreciation 6: We have completed our musical journey through the Classical Era. This week, our musical journey through time will take us to the Romantic Era. Students will learn about various composers of the Romantic Era and their musical works.


Band 7: There are still quite a few students who are not completing any of the daily rhythm exercises or the playing assignments. As we are now halfway through the quarter, it will be very important that students stay on top of their assignments and make sure work is turned in. There will be one or two playing assignments posted each week in addition to the daily rhythm review. Students are encouraged to do the best they can with these assignments and contact me for help as needed. Also, participation matters and is a huge portion of the overall grade for this class. Participation is awarded based on the practice metric in Smartmusic and contribution to in-class discussions Students who do not participate will lose points.


Music Appreciation 7: We have finished our unit on instruments of the orchestra and have begun discussing the role of music in film. Specifically, we will be discussing what film music does and how in a given scene.


Band 8: There are still quite a few students who are not completing any of the daily rhythm exercises or the playing assignments. As we are now halfway through the quarter, it will be very important that students stay on top of their assignments and make sure work is turned in. There will be one or two playing assignments posted each week in addition to the daily rhythm review. Students are encouraged to do the best they can with these assignments and contact me for help as needed. Also, participation matters and is a huge portion of the overall grade for this class. Participation is awarded based on the practice metric in Smartmusic and contribution to in-class discussions Students who do not participate will lose points.


Music Appreciation 8: Over the past few weeks, we have explored the music and culture of Native America, Latin America, and Africa. This week, we will explore the music and culture of the Middle East. Students are reminded to complete the assignments for each region that we study.


MS. CULVER - ART

This week, we are learning about proportions and the features of the face in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Last week, we looked at ways in which to draw the individual facial features (eyes, noses and mouths), now we are applying those skills to a map of the face to draw a completed portrait with shading, shadows and higlights! Leonardo da Vinci’s style, experiences, and artworks have been a huge inspiration to our realistic drawings.

Parents: please be sure that your students are coming to school with all of their art supplies. Unfortunately, I am not able to pass out materials. Students should be coming with a sketchbook/blank paper, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners, and colored pencils. If they have more/other art supplies, they are more than welcome to bring them!

If you have any questions at all, please email me at rebeccaculver@fcschools.net



MS. HATTEN - DRAMA


Parents, I need your help!!! I have several students in each class that are not turning in work (on time, incomplete, or not at all). Please talk to your students about their work in class. We have 90 minute classes twice a week, plus a remote day on Wednesday (that they should be using for catching up on any missing or incomplete work). I give them time during class to do their work, but many are not taking advantage of that and I see them in the Meet but they aren’t doing anything (that I can see).


Drama Assignments each week: Daily questions for warm up (either 4 or 5 per week) posted on Mondays in Google Classroom


Project assignments for Drama: Usually a two to three week window for students to get their work done. This month 6th grade is working on Dioramas (we will be talking about boxes and materials in class on Monday/Tuesday). Projects will need to be completed before we go out for Christmas break. That means they will have 3 weeks to complete these projects, with time in class to work on them or ask questions.


7th and 8th grade will be continuing their work on Sound with a project posted later this week on using found objects to make different sounds and recording a sound story. This is the wrap up activity for our Sound in the Theatre unit. This project is due on Friday, December 4.


8th grade will be beginning a new Shakespeare unit in coordination with their ELA class on A Midsummer Night’s Dream next week.


7th grade will be



Have a Delightful December!

Ms. Hatten

MS. FAULKNER - MEDIA CENTER

The most important thing for your child to do, at this time, is to read! Everything in life revolves around reading!!


We will be doing an online version of BOB with two other middle schools. If you would like to join the team please let me know. Click below to check out the book list:

https://ncslma.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/MSBOB%20official%20book%20list%202020-2021.pdf


Check out Katherine Applegate talking about her book...

Home of the Brave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2RmJHckK8A


If your student would like to check out a book please click on the Follet Destiny link in their fcschools.net bookmarks. I will deliver the book to your house. No distance is too far!


You can also download the SORA app on your phone and on any e-reader you may have.

Log in using your school credentials!


SORA Tutorial(public library)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HOh4M-8aVjn7zXJ8fiPojAclf0N-MVle/view

GRADE 6 TEAM

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MR. GENTILE - MATH

Happy (late) Thanksgiving! We are finishing up Unit 3 which involves ratios, equivalent ratios, rates, and unit rates. This week we will be reviewing all of the Unit 3 topics as well as practicing calculating percentages of whole numbers. We will have our Unit 3 test this upcoming Friday, December 4th. Please keep up the positive encouragement at home as well as monitor your child’s progression on their Math Essential Vocabulary Project! If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me at kurtgentile@fcschools.net

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MS. BROOKS - SOCIAL STUDIES

We are continuing our lesson about Ancient Mesopotamia. Students are completing an Ancient Mesopotamia Project that is due on December 11, 2020. On Monday, December 7th, students will have a test on Ancient Mesopotamia. We will review for the test on Friday, December 4th. If you have any questions, please email me at jericabrooks@fcschools.net.
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MS. MCINTOSH - ELA

We will continue reading for our first novel “Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief”.

  • We will read chapters 18-22 and answer text dependent questions for each chapter.

  • We will finish the book by next week (December 7th)

  • Please complete all edpuzzles for Percy Jackson.

  • Have extra time and don’t know what to do?!

Do I-Ready reading lessons to help you close the gaps in what you missed in 5th grade.


If you have any questions or concerns you can email me: chasitymcintosh@fcschools.net

MS. DOWNUM - GRADE 6 SCIENCE

I hope your holidays were restful and relaxing. Plans changed for our Unit 4 test. Instead of the test being November the 24th it has been pushed to the 15th of December. This will allow more practice for the students so I can be sure they are ready for the test.


There will be another opportunity for extra credit starting today Monday the 30th. This is optional and will not impact the students grade negatively. Students will be creating a plant or animal cell with items found at home. The materials can be anything from sticks and rocks, to art supplies, to small toys or food items.


Next unit we will be diving into will be Matter Properties and Change. We will learn about solids, liquids, and gasses, that matter is anything that has mass (weight) and volume (takes up space). If you have any questions reach out to me at sarahdownum@fcschools.net

GRADE 7 TEAM

MS. NEUJAHR - SCIENCE - Good Day! We are wrapping up Week 5 of the nine weeks. As we are pushing through the Genetics and the phases of Mitosis and Meiosis, please remember students must always be working on their Nine weeks project for this nine week. It’s a very extensive research paper on an assigned disease or disorder. The student must follow the rubric. To see more information about the paper, please click this link to see the rubric.To see what disease or disorder your student might have, please ask them to find the list located on Google Classroom under the Classwork Tab. This paper is due January 8th. If you have any questions regarding your students grades, please reach out to me at anytime via my email at danielleneujahr@fcschools.net


MR. COBB - MATH - It's Week 16 already! Time is flying by! I hope everyone had a restful Thanksgiving holiday. We have three weeks until our Winter break. This week we will be finishing up Unit 2 and will begin reviewing for the Unit 2 Test next week. If your students are completing any late work that has already been graded please make sure they email with the list of assignments they have made up so that I can update them accordingly.



MS. BAECHLE - ELA: Happy Holidays!! students and families. Pay close attention to the school calendar for the months of November and December as some days will change in schedule due to the Holidays. A days will be each Monday and Tuesday, Asynchronous Wednesdayswill stay the same, and B days will be each Thursday and Friday. When you are not in school and for those learning from home, you will still be on Google meets daily. For the weeks of 11/30-12/18 we will continue to read our new text “Lyddie,” with a central focus on theme, character POV, inferences, and literary elements within a text. The second nine week Q2 project can also be located on Google classroom under classwork and unit projects. The project outline/rubric is attached: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10wT2nFR0Dxtxkt2O3nkkvY5GpUdMkNgeAG6Lni8shCQ/edit


Parents/guardians, please make sure to have your students check Power school regularly to see what work they are missing. It is critical that ALL students take accountability for their work, come to class regularly, and turn in work on a consistent basis. In addition, I have new office hours weekly on Wednesdays from 9:00-10:00am, for any additional support with work. The code on Google meets is: fmsoffice7. The expectation is that students are working on theri I-Ready Pathways for at least 40 minutes weekly for both ELA and Math, which is roughly 2-3 assignments each. This is a program utilized to increase reading comprehension and strengthen specific skill sets. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at: kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net

GRADE 8 TEAM

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MS. FROST - ELA

First and foremost, I extend well wishes to all students and families over the holiday. Be safe and enjoy much needed time together.

I-Ready Expectations: Students are expected to work independently in I-Ready (our district reading online learning platform) for at least 60 minutes per week. Please encourage your child to meet and exceed this expectation weekly. Data indicates that time spent on I-Ready will significantly improve reading levels to move students towards grade 8 and beyond grade level readability levels based on individualized needs. It is a supplemental learning online tool that compliments instruction students receive in the ELA classroom. Students work at their own reading level, pace, and needs based on the diagnostic test results they took at the onset of the school year. Here is a link to a video to help make sure your child is meeting the weekly expectations i_Ready Personalized Instruction Family Guide.



Please email me with any questions at annafrost@fcschools.net.

Sincerely, Ms. Frost

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MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES

Welcome back to all the students! I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving, I know that I have had enough turkey to last me until next year. For the next three weeks (until the winter break), we will be covering the founding of our country’s government. This is the longest unit and the concepts seem to be the hardest for the students to grasp. Please encourage your child to ask me if they find something difficult, I can’t help if I don’t know the issue. Also can you please make sure all students are checking their Powerschool and completing any missing assignments. There should be no students emailing me how to raise their grades, they are heading to high school and they need to start being a little more independent. They know that they can hand in any assignment from the quarter with no points taken away for late work. Finally can you please ensure that your student is showing up to office hours on Wednesdays (9-10), if they have a zero for a quiz. I do not let them take a quiz unless they are in the classroom. I hope that all of you have a great holiday season!!!!

daviddownum@fcschools.net
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MS. FOGG - SCIENCE

Greetings Parents and Students! I hope you all had a restful and safe break. I am happy to see students return and eager to get back to work.


We will be continuing our unit on energy. Students will receive their unit mini project on Wednesday (Asynchronous Day).

MS. HAWTHORN - AIG GRADES 6-8

We had our second installment of Be Kind To Your Mind on Wednesday, November 18th for any AIG student who wanted to join. This AIG social/emotional series focused on Growth Mindset.


Sixth grade students are wrapping up Percy Jackson. The advanced ELA class worked in groups to complete a character analysis of our hero. Each group had to choose and justify a personality trait for Percy and then rank those traits by how they shaped his decision making process.

Seventh grade students in the advanced class rocked their big project! They read Home of the Brave and compared it to their novel, A Long Walk to Water. After the text analysis students created abstract art and shared the elements of theme, color, and form and how it related back to the books. Here are some stellar student examples from FMS:

After Thanksgiving, students in 6th/7th grade math will be doing a virtual activity with ratios where they assemble a virtual aquarium. Seventh grade math students will be challenged with a digital breakout related to fractions. Can they “escape” in 45 minutes? I will let you know in the next SMORE parent update!


Eighth grade is about to read William Shakespeare’s - A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This funny play will give them an introduction to the universal appeal of Shakespeare’s work. Students will focus heavily on character analysis and interpretation of themes. I look forward to supporting the instruction of this play, as our advanced students embark on a new style of reading!

MS. MOORE - SCHOOL COUNSELOR

I’m available from 8:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. Monday-Friday.

You and your child can reach out to me using this School Counselor Request Form. Or, feel free to call me at 919-494-2971 or email me at marymoore@fcschools.net if you have questions or concerns.


My google classroom codes are: 6th Grade: sekbs3i 7th Grade: mj4eu25 8th Grade: s2dew3m


Helpful Resources

NC211.org (or call 211)

Hope4NC (or call 1-855-587-3463)

TransitionsLifeCare.org (or call the Grief Line 919-719-7199)

National Domestic Violence Hotline (or call 800-799-7233)

SuicidePreventionLifeline.org (or call 800-273-8255)


Reminder About Student Email

Remind your child to be in the habit of checking their student email daily to keep up with communication with their teachers at FMS.


Reminder for Parents

Remind your child to charge his or her chromebook every night, so they’re prepared for learning all day at school!


Student Planning and Organization

Watch this video with your student for some great advice about planning time, communicating, and staying organized during remote and hybrid learning. https://youtu.be/_7iV19S0Yo8


8th Grade Students and Parents

Coming Soon! The application process for Early College High School will begin in January. I’ll be posting all the details in my 8th grade google classroom and in the next Smore edition.


Some Advice About Anxiety

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to a real or perceived stressful situation or threat. Anxiety can feel like nervousness, and can cause symptoms like headaches, racing heartbeat, sweatiness, tummy aches, diarrhea or constipation, irritability, lack of concentration, sleeplessness, fear, fatigue, tense muscles, negative thoughts, etc. Experiencing anxiety is normal.


However if anxiety is being experienced every day for a long period of time, say a month or more, it can be a more serious disorder. Long-term anxiety can interfere with one’s appetite, focus, sleep, digestion, avoidance, planning, and overall health. We all experience feelings of anxiety from time to time. However, if feelings of anxiety linger for weeks or months, or panic attacks are recurring, there may be an actual anxiety disorder present. According to a 2017 study by the National Institute for Mental Health, almost 40% of adolescents experience anxiety and 7% of adolescents have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Please talk with your pediatrician if you notice your child experiencing long-term anxiety.


How you can help your child deal with feelings of anxiety at home:


  • Breathing exercises to relax, breathing in through the nose, big exhale out through the mouth

  • Yoga or stretching or slow movements to relax

  • Listening to calming music

  • Connecting with nature, outdoors, or virtually, with videos or nature sounds

  • Brisk walk, run, cycle, or dance!

  • Arts and crafts like coloring, knitting, painting

  • Talk about it! Help your child share thoughts, feelings, fears

  • Declutter, organize, make lists, keep a planner for the week

  • Help them stick to a daily routine


Help your child practice self care:

  • Identify what you can and can not control and let go of what you can not control

  • Aim to do your best rather than aiming for perfection

  • Learn what triggers your stress and anxiety and avoid those triggers!

  • Journal, with a focus on the positive things every day

  • Avoid negative thoughts and catastrophizing (assuming the worst will happen)

  • Limit caffeine

  • Eat well-balanced meals

  • Get enough sleep every night

  • Exercise every day