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FMS Parent Newsletter

10/5-10/16 Edition

FMS ParentNewsletter10/5-10/16 Edition

THERE IS NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS ON 10/23

THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER IS 10/23

WHAT DOES A ZERO MEAN IN POWERSCHOOL?

When you look on PowerSchool and you see a zero, it can mean one of two things:


  1. Your child handed in work and did absolutely nothing correctly - earning a zero (this is very, very rare)
  2. Your child did not submit that assignment or test or project yet, and the it is past the due date (this happens all the time)

IS IT TOO LATE IF THERE IS A ZERO IN POWERSCHOOL?

Heavens no!! The only time it really is too late is when the marking period has ended (keep a close eye on that - the end of this marking period is coming right up). Talk to your child about replacing those zeros with grades that are going to help them pass the class:


  • If it's an assignment, just do the assignment and hand it in for a grade. There might be a few points taken off for it being late, but ANY grade is better than leaving it a zero
  • If it's a test, contact the teacher to schedule taking the test (if possible)
  • If it's a project, then finish it and hand it in for a grade!


Note: most of the time, if a student is willing to work with a teacher, the teacher will be definitely work with the student. Frustrated? Call the school and we will work with you to figure out what is going on with your child and those grades.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS COMPLETING WORK AS ASSIGNED

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.
  4. The pic below is what you see as a parent for Google Classroom

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

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" get signs when you may need 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


CHECK OUT HOW EASY IT IS TO SEE EXACTLY HOW YOUR CHILD IS DOING BELOW

NOW YOU CAN SEE THE ACTUAL ASSIGNMENTS THAT YOUR CHILD DID OR DIDN'T DO

BELOW IS WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE GRADE ABOVE

FMS WILL BE EMAILING OUT GRADE ALERT FORMS OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

These forms are to alert you as the parent that your child is in danger of failing a class. Keep an eye on your email! Click on the button below to check out a sample form.
CLICK HERE TO SEE AN EXAMPLE GRADE ALERT FORM
This is an example, not one sent to someone!

MS. MOORE - GUIDANCE COUNSELOR

October is Bully Prevention Month!


“The first Monday of every October is World Day of Bullying Prevention™! On this day students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying. It also kicks off National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month every October. Join us in solidarity to stop bullying and cyberbullying!”


To get involved from home and in the community: www.stompoutbullying.org/national-bullying-prevention-awareness-month


Types of bullying:


Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things. Verbal bullying includes: teasing, name-calling, inappropriate sexual comments, taunting, threatening to cause harm


Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone’s reputation or relationships. Social bullying includes: leaving someone out on purpose, telling other children not to be friends with someone, spreading rumors about someone, embarrassing someone in public


Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions. Physical bullying includes: hitting/kicking/pinching, spitting, tripping/pushing, taking or breaking someone’s things, making mean or rude hand gestures


Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.


Help students stand up for themselves or others: Parents and students can report bullying, harassment, or discriminatory behaviors to FMS by calling the school at 919-494-2971 or emailing me at marymoore@fcschools.net, or by submitting this anonymous tip report from our website. It is never “snitching” when we’re reporting behavior that is hurting someone physically or emotionally. We can not “mind our own business” when someone is being hurt intentionally.


On Wednesday, October 21st, we will wear orange for Unity Day when we unite for kindness, acceptance and inclusion! Encourage your student to wear orange to google classrooms and decorate their background space in orange to help show their support for Unity Day.


Parent Resources:

www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/facts.asp

www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/cyberbullying/

www.apa.org/topics/prevent-bullying

www.khou.com/article/news/education/october-is-national-bullying-awareness-prevention-month/285-8c240c0e-ec76-40cb-847b-972ae421222a


Student Resources:

www.pacer.org/bullying/resources/sites-for-kids-and-teens.asp


Remember: “It’s not our job to toughen up our children to face a cruel and heartless world. It’s our job to raise children who will make the world less cruel and heartless.” ~L.R. Knost

AIG IS HAVING FUN DOING SUPER COOL PROJECTS - CHECK IT OUT

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MS. HAWTHORN - AIG

New this year, is a district wide AIG Google Classroom! I am co-teaching this asynchronous class with my counterpart, Myra Bridgers. Students are offered challenges and afforded the opportunity to enter contests to keep their critical thinking and creativity sharp! To access a welcome video and information about the AIG programs for Franklin County Schools, check out my CANVAS page. Feel free to reach me anytime at valeriehawthorne@fcschools.net with your questions.
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Student Example: Geometry City

Advanced students in sixth and seventh grade math have been doing problem based learning (PBL) in groups. I am so proud of the complex work they have submitted! Thank you Mr. Gentile and Mr. Cobb for co-teaching with me! Sixth grade students participated in Geometry City PBL where they found the surface area of 3D shapes and then represented the base of those shapes on a map that they laid out as a group. They had to justify their decisions and convey the merits of their community to outside judges who determined an overall winner.

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Student Example: What’s For Lunch?

The seventh grade students were challenged with “What’s for Lunch?,” a cafeteria redesign activity. They had to work with scale, area, and volume as they worked together to create practical seating for students and welcoming spaces for all stakeholders. They also are defending the math and their design to an outside judge.



Stay tuned, eighth graders! The next challenge is yours!

GRADE 8 TEAM UPDATES

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MS. FOGG - SCIENCE

Hello Students & Parents!

This week we are working on Earth’s Early History Unit. Students have been working hard in learning about Earth’s History, Fossils, Relative and Absolute age. This week students will be working on a mini project (a brochure) on Earth’s Early history. Also, there is usually some sort of mini quiz every Friday to assess the students' knowledge on the week's vocabulary. Please continue to encourage your child to study their vocabulary terms. If you haven’t synched with your child’s Canvas account I strongly encourage you to do so. Please feel free to contact me at tiffanyfogg@fcschools.net if you have any questions or concerns. Stay safe and have a wonderful and prosperous week! Ms. Fogg
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MR. HOOPER - MATH

We have completed our Unit on Transformations and we took our Unit Test this past Wednesday. I am proud to say that we had 74% of our 8th grade being proficient!! Let’s keep up the great work. We have started our next lesson, which is expressions and equations. Over the next few weeks we will be reviewing Distributive Property, Combining Like Terms, and solving One and Two Step equations. Please make sure that your child is logging into Canvas and completing their work. You can check to make sure they are completing their assignments by checking PowerSchool. Any missing assignments will be noted with a Zero and a tag labeled missing. As always you may contact me anytime with questions or concerns at davidhooper@fcschools.net.
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MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES

Hello to all parents and students. The students have been busy completing a project on Native Americans for the last week and a half. We are now starting the unit on colonization and learning about topics that fit into the spooky month of October; Salem Witch Trials and The Lost colony of Roanoke. The end of the quarter is quickly approaching and it is important to ensure that your child is not missing any work. You can check Powerschool and if there is a zero for an assignment then it is missing. I take work until the end of the quarter, which for the students is October 21st.

MS. FROST - ELA

I celebrate the great amount of participation on the part of FMS Grade 8 students with parent support of the work being completed via remote learning. I am encouraged by the high attendance. And, there are gaps in attendance versus completion or submission of assignments on the part of some students. I encourage you to check PowerSchool daily to ensure your child is keeping up with the work assigned alongside your child actively participating in online lessons daily.


Please go to Canvas on the FMS Remote Learning Link to access Grade 8 ELA daily lessons, daily Google Slides, videos, hyperdocs for study guides, and assessments to monitor your child’s work. Video walk through my ELA Canvas Page at thttps://tinyurl.com/ParentOverviewGrade8ELA



Current Novel Study...

We are currently working on the following skills / standards using the novel, Inside Out and Back Again…


  • Making inferences

  • Identifying and analyzing figurative language

  • Determining types of irony

  • Creating themes based on text evidence

  • Analyzing character traits

  • Using context clues to determine the meaning of unknown words

  • Making connections with informational texts to build background knowledge around the historical fiction text, Inside and Back Again


Reading Diagnostic Results: Based on student results from the I-Ready Diagnostic Test, all students need additional support in building their vocabulary bank (tier two words); words that students are exposed to across disciplines and grade levels. Please encourage your child to practice key terms all 8th grade students should know via the link below…


Encourage your child to go to: http://bit.ly/WordsToKnow (for independent practice)

  1. Click on “Learn” and identify correct terms and definitions

  2. Click on “Flashcards” and review EOG vocabulary terms

  3. Click on “Match” to play the game

  4. Click on “Test” to demonstrate mastery of EOG vocabulary terms

Thank you for all your support. Ms. Frost

7TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES

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This week we are wrapping up the first nine weeks and grades will be finalized. We are soaring into learning about man-made disasters around the world and following up with legislation and famous works of art and literature that were created during the environmental periods in the US.



The last week will be a complete review of what we have learned so far and when we reach into the second nine weeks, we will begin to discuss life science materials. Please encourage your students to look at their grades daily and to follow up with teachers about how to improve them if they aren't satisfied with the grades they currently have.

MS. NEUJAHR - SCIENCE

This week we are wrapping up the first nine weeks and grades will be finalized. We are soaring into learning about man-made disasters around the world and following up with legislation and famous works of art and literature that were created during the environmental periods in the US.



The last week will be a complete review of what we have learned so far and when we reach into the second nine weeks, we will begin to discuss life science materials. Please encourage your students to look at their grades daily and to follow up with teachers about how to improve them if they aren't satisfied with the grades they currently have.

MORE FROM 7TH GRADE...

MR. COBB - MATH

The grading period will soon be over. Please encourage your students to check PowerSchool for any missing assignments. If they complete an assignment that previously had a 0, they need to email me and let me know they have done so. I will then grade it and update their grade in PowerSchool.


We will have our Unit 1 Test on Tuesday, October 13th. We will be wrapping up new material this week and will begin reviewing for the test. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me via email (josephcobb@fcschools.net) or call the school during office hours (Monday-Thursday 2:30-3:00)


MS. BAECHLE - ELA

Happy Monday students and families, we are beginning week 7 of school, as quarter 1 continues to pass us by. For the weeks of 10/5 and 10/12 we will continue reading in our first text, “A Long Walk to Water,” completing Unit 1 and beginning Unit 2 of our first text. We are focused on enhancing our reading comprehension skills by utilizing key textual evidence and vocabulary within the text.


Following the I-Ready reading diagnostic results there will be a central focus on: making textual inferences, vocabulary, citing and quoting within text with strong analysis of content, and a focus on informational text. In addition, we regularly use graphic organizers as a reference tool to breaktown textual understanding, as well as Google slides as a visual representation during guided instruction. These areas of focus will allow students to enhance their overall understanding of the text, while strengthening skills necessary for upcoming NC Check-in’s quizzes/tests, and the EOG.


Parents/guardians, please make sure to have your students check Power school regularly to see what work they are missing. I also have office hours Monday -Thursday from 2:30-3:00pm for any additional support with work. Please encourage your child to read a text of interest for at least 20 minutes daily to further enhance their reading comprehension skills and to develop a lifelong love for reading! If you have any further questions please contact me at: kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net


MR. LEMONS - SOCIAL STUDIES

This week we will start talking about Pre- Columbian civilizations and practicing map skills. We are getting close to the end of the first nine weeks. We will be talking about the influence Europe had in Latin America and in Africa for the next few weeks. We are also practicing map skills this week and working on geography skills next week.


After we finish learning about European exploration into Latin America and Africa and the impacts on the indiginous people, we will review what we have covered so far this year and have our first unit test. Also students should still be working on submitting late work and completing the extra credit assignments that replace some of their missing assignments. If students or parents have any questions on what information is being covered, what skills are being learned or how grading is working, please feel free to email me at (michaellemons@fcschools.net)

6TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES

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MS. DOWNUM - SCIENCE

We are finishing up Unit 2 Part 1 which is all about the Layers of the Earth. We will be working on Rocks and Soil which is the second part of Unit 2. The test is tentatively set for October 16th.


Our third unit is on Ecosystems we will cover topics such as food chains, water cycle, plant structures, and biomes.

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MR. GENTILE - MATH

We are continuing to work our way through Unit 2: Factors and Multiples. We just recently finished learning how to find the prime factorization of numbers and are now learning about the greatest common factors (GCF). We will have a GCF quiz next Thursday. Please continue to encourage your child to work on their math i-Ready lessons and update their vocabulary slides project regularly!
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MS. BROOKS - SOCIAL STUDIES

We are learning about the different elements that make up culture. This lesson has activities to help students learn about different cultures and bond with their classmates. We are kicking off the lesson by analyzing types of traditions we celebrate that make up our culture. Students will be comparing their culture to other students around the world. Students will also create a project about their culture. The project is due Monday, October 12th.

MS. MCINTOSH - ELA

We will continue our lessons for our first novel “Percy Jackson”.

What is the hero’s journey? How does knowledge of the hero’s journey help to more deeply understand character?

This unit is designed to build students’ background understanding of the archetype of the hero’s journey and its continuing significance in modern literature. Students will practice reading closely as they analyze the highly popular novel The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Students have been given access to online books in Sora.

We have a few students that have not completed the reading IReady diagnostic. Please complete that ASAP!

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.

Make sure you are completing your FFM (First Five Minutes) questions daily. FFM’s helps your grade.

Please have ELA Notebooks with you daily.

Missed class? No worries! Go to google classroom for daily instructional videos.


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

ELECTIVES TEAM UPDATES

MS. TERRY - CTE

6th Grade Keyboarding and Basic Word Processing: Students are learning the home row keys and starting to reach for top and bottom row keys as well. They are working on memorizing finger placement and key assignments. Students should practice typing everyday in order to help them build speed and accuracy.

7th Grade Computer Science Discoveries I: Students are creating a personal webpage. They are learning how to code their webpage using HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language). Students have learned about the problem solving process and how to use these steps to solve various problems, such as finding bugs (errors in code) and debugging (fixing errors in code) them.

8th Grade Computer Science Discoveries II: Students are learning how to create apps to solve or improve a social issue. Students have been introduced to steps of the problem solving process and how to empathize with the user, thus making it easier for them to create an app that addresses the users’ needs and is user friendly.


HAVE MISSING WORK? NEED EXTRA HELP?? QUESTIONS ABOUT AN ASSIGNMENT?? EMAIL ME TO SET UP A VIRTUAL MEETING (jerriterry@fcschools.net) THAT FITS YOUR SCHEDULE.


MR. SMITH - BAND/MUSIC APPRECIATION

Band 8/Band 7: Sectionals will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Please make sure you have everything you need, including a place to play your instrument and practice for sectionals. Students who are still having issues with assignments in Smartmusic are strongly encouraged to meet with me during office hours. I am pleased to announce that 100% of my 7th grade band students have instruments! If at anytime an instrument is in need of repairs, please email me!

Music Appreciation 8: We are well into our studies on the film music of John Williams. There will be a quiz this Friday on the music of three films that we have discussed: Jaws, E.T. the Extraterrestrial, and Jurassic Park.

Music Appreciation 7: We are working our way through the first decade of the 2000s music. Today, we went over the music, culture, and other events of 2005 and 2006. I had the students research a popular musician and song from 2005 and 2006 that they were unfamiliar with. We will be sharing those throughout the week.

Band 6: On Thursday at 4:00 pm, Music & Arts will be hosting a Virtual Instrument Rental Meeting to get instruments to students. This will be your chance to ask questions and get a better understanding of the rental process. If you are unable to attend the meeting, it will be recorded and shared in Google Classroom. We will be having a note identification and rhythmic analysis quiz on Friday. We are reviewing in class daily and making sure we have this essential part of basic musicianship down.

Music Appreciation 6: We have arrived in the Baroque Period on our journey through music history. Students are taking notes and learning about the instruments, composers, and genres of baroque music. My plan is to finish this up time period and quiz on it before the end of the quarter.

**EVERYONE**: ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY MONDAY OCTOBER 19. I need to have grades turned in by Wednesday October 21, so this will give me time to get work graded and update grades in PowerSchool. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (jimmiesmith@fcschools.net) . This has been a very busy, fast, and at times stressful first grading period. I am very impressed with the work that has been done by all of my students and their incredible resilience. Let’s keep that up and finish this grading period out strong!


MS. CULVER - ART

Please get the following materials ASAP for art class (this list was sent out at the beginning of the semester):

  • Wooden #2 pencils

  • Sketchbooks (Notebooks without lines)

  • Pencil sharpener

  • Ruler

  • Colored pencils

  • BLACK Sharpies

  • A little bag to keep all of your supplies in (especially useful IF we go to Plan B!!)

  • Any other supplies you might want to purchase to try out! (ex. Paints, watercolors, etc… but not required)

Everything on this list is available at Dollar Tree/Dollar General/Michael’s.


So far, this year has been great!! I love seeing your smiling faces and the eagerness to create beautiful art pieces. I look forward to seeing what else we will create this year.

If you are not able to get the supplies above, please email me at rebeccaculver@fcschools.net and we can organize a time for you to come by the school and pick up a little “art care package” in the front office to take home. Also, please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions for me!

***ALL MISSING ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE BY MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH! All teachers need to have grades turned in by Wednesday October 21, so this will give us time to get work graded!! Thank you!***


To view the most recent virtual art show, please click this link! :)


MS. HATTEN - DRAMA

Students have been doing some amazing work in Drama class. 6th grade just finished a unit of movie making, and they are really good! 7th and 8th grade did a Radio Drama unit and wrote their own stories for a radio show after listening to some samples of old radio shows. 8th grade has moved on to Shakespeare and is doing a study of Hamlet while 7th grade just finished watching a comedy starring Jim Varney. We also did a fun project of taking selfies and expressing ourselves with our faces!


Parents, PLEASE check your student’s grades and make sure they do not have anything missing. I have several students who are missing work both in their interactive notebooks and in assignments that they have not turned in. Let’s get those grades UP! If I can be of any help, please reach out to me.

MS. FAULKNER - DIGITAL LITERACY COACH / LIBRARIAN

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!!


SORA Tutorial

(public library)

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


You can always contact me by phone at 919-494-2971 or by email at kimfaulkner@fcschools.net


Check out the upcoming events below!

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THE MOST IMPORTANT THING...

... FOR YOUR CHILD TO DO RIGHT NOW IS READ! EVERYTHING IN LIFE REVOLVES AROUND READING!
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CLICK THE LINK BELOW FOR THE BOOK LIST

https://ncslma.wildapricot.org/resources/Documents/MSBOB%20official%20book%20list%202020-2021.pdf
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2020-2021 BOOK FAIR IS 10/23-11/6!!

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/franklintonmiddleschool1

TEACHERS CAN "SEE" CHROMEBOOKS THROUGH ARISTOTLE

Last year we had GoGuardian - this year we have Aristotle. This program allows teachers to see student screens while they are using their Chromebooks. If students are using their own personal devices, then teachers are unable to see what they are doing.


Note: if a teacher contacts you and says that they saw your child on other programs/games while they were supposed to be in class, they saw it clear as day on Aristotle! Usually teachers will send a private message to a student who is on other programs/games and tell them to pay attention to class. If it keeps happening they will likely contact you. If they are doing something against the district use policy then it becomes a discipline issue and you will likely hear from me or Mr. Jones.

HOW TO UPDATE YOUR CHROMEBOOK
Mr. Hooper shows how to update your Chromebook in less than two minutes!

THANK YOU FOR BEING A GREAT PARENT! WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!