French Middle School

• April 7-- No School
• April 11/12-- ELA KAP Testing
• April 13-- PTO Meeting @ 5:45pm
• April 18/19-- Math KAP Testing
• April 21-- Midterms posted
• April 24-- No School/District PD
• April 25-- 5th Grade Parent Orientation @ 5:30pm
• April 27-- Last Day of FAME (after school program)
• May 1-- GraceMed Dental Clinic

April is upon us already! That means state assessment season has arrived! Our 8th graders completed Science assessments the last week of March. All grades will take state assessments in Reading April 11-12 and Math assessments April 18-19. Please ensure that students are in attendance on those testing days. We look forward to showcasing state assessment scores once they are distributed in June.

The following tips listed below maximize your student’s ability to do well.

1. Get a good night's sleep the night before

2. Eat a healthy breakfast the day of testing

3. Ensure students arrive to school on time so they don’t start their day being rushed

4. Avoid pulling students out of school for appointments

5. Remind your student to do their best and take their time

Topeka Public Schools is once again providing students with the opportunity to get more math/reading instruction as well as enrichment in many different areas. Students received flyer last week with summer information. The Academic/Enrichment Summer Camps offerings and registration forms are available on the TPS website. Please share this with families through your newsletters and school websites. Here is the registration link: Click here to access the 2023 Summer Academic / Enrichment Registration Form.

Tuesday, Apr 25, 2023 at 5:30pm in the commons of French Middle School. Parents and students are encouraged to attend to meet staff and hear more about the transition to middle school. Students will have a chance to visit to visit the middle school in their attendance are on either May 9th or 10th during the school day. We look forward to meet parents and new Future Falcons!

Night of the Rising Stars is back and almost here. This event is scheduled for May 18th from 6:30-8:30 pm. Students must earn an invite to the special night. Criteria includes: No more the 1 DR for year, No OSS, & GPA of 2.6 or higher. Students who meet the criteria will receive an invitation after May 1st. The evening will include delicious food, dancing, bounce house, photo booth, raffle prizes and games! We hope to have many Falcons qualify for this special night honoring our Rising Stars at French Middle School.

It is our plan to take our 8th grade class to Worlds of Fun, Friday, May 12th. This is an event that has been a French Falcon tradition for many years. This trip is a reward for all 8th graders who earn it by demonstrating Falcon PRIDE throughout the second semester. The cost of the trip will be $35 per student.

Eighth graders wishing to attend are expected to earn points each week they stay DR free. Students must also have at least one eligibility point and no suspensions in the second semester. Students will start collecting points beginning the week of January 9, 2023 and will continue until Friday, May 12, 2023. Students must earn 15 out of 17 points in order to be invited to attend. Students who purchase a ticket and become ineligible after we ordered tickets, will NOT be reimbursed for their ticket as it is non-refundable through WOF.

Students will leave French MS by 9:30 AM on the day of the trip. Students will be given ample time to explore the park independently with friends. They will be required to appear at two mandatory “check point” times. Students will need to bring money for lunch. Students will return to French around 7:00 p.m. We will leave and return from the back parking lot at French MS.

Money collection will begin on March 20- April 6th. Payment for the field trip must be paid in advance. Checks should be payable to French Middle School. Please remember that this is a reward for students who meet the criteria, not an absolute for every 8th grader. Students who are not eligible to attend the trip or do not wish to go will have an alternate schedule the day of the trip.

If you have further questions, please call your student’s Advisor Base teacher at 438-4150.

Beginning July 1, 2023, Topeka Public Schools is moving to a new fully integrated Student Information System, Synergy by Edupoint. This one system will replace the district's current student information system into one platform that will host and manage student data in an efficient and user-friendly manner. Synergy will provide access to both parents and students, just like our current system. However, with Synergy, Parents/Guardians will use a single sign-on to access all of their children’s information regardless of school.

As part of the seamless Synergy Education Platform, Synergy SIS enables schools and districts to easily extend functionality to include online registration, CI3T, assessment, analytics, and special education management in a single platform. More information will be shared with families in the coming months.

Our final session of our after school program is off and running. We have clubs such as- Girls on the Run, technology fun, swimming, hiking and cooking. Fame runs Tuesday-Thursday. Students are enjoying the various activities sponsored by our staff. This session will conclude April 27. Participating Falcons need to be picked up at 4:30 pm. Please contact Mrs. Wagner with any questions.

Please welcome Mr. Adam Collins. He stepped in the beginning of March to fill a long term 7th grade math teaching position. He has a strong background in finance so numbers are his thing! Mr. Collins is married and his wife teaches at Highland Park Central. Mr. Collins is a mega University of Kansas Jayhawks fan and in his free time, likes to hang with his rescue dogs! Welcome Mr. Collins and THANK YOU for all you are doing for our students.

“The phrase “executive function” refers to a set of skills. These skills underlie the capacity to plan ahead and meet goals, display self-control, follow multiple-step directions even when interrupted, and stay focused despite distractions, among others.” Harvard University. All of these are what helps students be successful in school and life. Here is a list of 20 activities for middle school students that was taken from

https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/executive-functioning-activities-for-middle-school/.

These activities will help your student develop their executive function skills while having fun. These activities use skills like strategizing, memorization, adaptation to the environment, focusing, attention span, managing complex rules, working as a team, devising and deciphering puzzles and coordinating the body’s actions with the brain's commands. All of these skills fall under executive functioning. There are many more activities that can help build the same skills and also be fun and varied.

20 Executive Functioning Activities for Middle School Students.

1. Hearts Card Game

2. Uno

3. Chess Game

4. Bridge Game

5. Soccer Game

6. Volleyball Game

7. Minecraft

8. Dungeons & Dragons

9. Playing a musical instrument

10. Singing

11. Laser tag

12. Paintball Competitions

13. Jump Rope Activities

14. Contemporary Dance Class

15. Rubik’s Cube Activities

16. Crossword Puzzles

17. Majhong Games

18. Poker Games for Kids

19. Ghost in the Graveyard

20. Sudoku Puzzles

Did you know that the sun can help improve your mental health? Sunlight helps your body produce Vitamin D and Serotonin. Each of these chemicals assist with improving your mood! Having more of these chemicals in your body may help increase feelings of happiness and joy.

There are many ways to spend more time outside and in the sun. Try going for a walk or hike. Ride your bike around your neighborhood. Go fishing, swimming, and camping. The options are endless, just do not not forget sunscreen!

Did you know that your physical health is connected to your mental health? Our mind and bodies really are connected. So, if you aren’t taking care of your physical health, you are more likely to feel stressed, irritable, or sad. Researchers have learned that doing a physical activity can help to increase your energy level, reduce negative feelings, and boost your overall well-being. Perhaps now that it is staying lighter longer we can challenge ourselves to get outside and exercise. One idea is to start by setting an achievable goal, a good place to start is to try 30 minutes of exercise each day. Maybe you could take a walk or hike, play a sport, or do some stretching exercises. Another way to take care of your physical and mental health is to make sure to get enough sleep each night. If you are not getting enough sleep this can affect your mood, physical, and mental health, and your academics. Most middle schoolers need 8-10 hours of sleep to function at their best. Some habits that can improve your sleep health are to be consistent with bedtimes, try to go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time even on weekends. Having a place to sleep that is quiet, relaxing, dark and a comfortable temperature can help for better sleep. Avoid using electronics an hour before your bedtime. And, exercise during the day can help you to fall asleep faster at night.

Join us April 13, 2023 from 5:30-7:00pm at Jardine Middle School for food, family photos, college information, Tribal educational information and much more.

Boys Tennis, Boys and Girls Track and Girls Soccer started March 20th, the day the students returned from Spring Break. Eligible students need to be pass 5 classes from 3rd quarter and have eligibility points. A sports physical signed by a doctor also needs to be on file before any participant may practice. Students must be passing all classes in order to participate in weekly game and/or meets.

All meets and games are updated on our school website calendar. Admission for track and soccer is $2.00

Head Coaches-

Boys Tennis- Mr. Ritter (sritter@tps501.org)

Track- Mr. Mellen (bmellen@tps501.org)

Girls Soccer- Ms. Hirt(thirt@tps501.org)

Requirements for all athletics:

Must pass 5 classes the previous quarter to be eligible.

Must have an updated physical signed by a licensed physician and head concussion sheet signed by parents.

Must have eligibility points left for the current quarter, each student starts with 10 points.

Must participate in practice to participate in games/meets.

Must follow the coach's rules and guidelines to be in good standing.

Must be passing all classes the week of a game to be eligible to play in that week's game/meet.

General reminder:

French is a member school of KSHSAA and must follow and abide by the rules and guidelines set by the governing body of KSHSAA.

KSHSAA RULE 22 : A student who is a member of a school athletic, scholars bowl or debate squad effective Tuesday following Labor Day through Friday preceding Memorial Day may not participate as a member of an outside team or as an independent competitor in the same sport, scholars bowl or debate activity.

Athletes in the spring sports of tennis, soccer and track must know and abide by this rule.

All questions to be addressed by Tim Wilson- 438-4162 or twilson@tps501.org

Please see our school website for more detailed information as well as our calendar of events.

The Campus Care, located at Topeka High School is offering convenient, low-cost sports physicals for all USD 501middle school and high school athletes. Physicals are performed by the clinic family nurse practitioner, Dr. Ashely Dinkel. No appointment is necessary. Parent/guardian does not have to be present, but must complete and sign required forms. This exam meets the annual state requirement. For more information click here.

GraceMed will be at French Middle School, providing dental cleanings during the school day on Monday May 1st. If you would like your student to be seen by a hygienist, please complete the following link. A representative from GraceMed will contact you directly with more information. https://gracemed.org/dental-consent

If your student was referred for further evaluation for either their hearing or vision please contact Nurse Besenyi with either their upcoming appointment date or appointment results.

6th Grade Students:

Students who will be entering 7th grade in the 2023/2024 school year are required to have updated immunizations including: Tdap (tetanus booster) and MCV (meningococcal). If your student has already received these immunizations, please send documentation to the nurse at this time. Students will be required to provide proof of immunization within 30 days of the start of school in the fall.

With the weather changing, more students will be walking or riding their bikes to and from school. Here are a few ways to help keep them safe.

Pedestrian Safety

1. Teach kids at an early age to look left, right and left again before crossing the street. Then remind them to continue looking until safely across.

2. Teach kids to put phones, headphones and devices down when crossing the street. It is particularly important to reinforce this message with teenagers.

3. It’s always best to walk on sidewalks or paths and cross at street corners, using traffic signals and crosswalks. If there are no sidewalks, walk facing traffic as far to the left as possible.

Bicycle Safety

1. Wear a properly-fitted helmet. It is the best way to prevent head injuries and death.

2. Ride on the sidewalk when you can. If not, ride in the same direction as traffic as far on the right-hand side as possible.

3. Use hand signals and follow the rules of the road. Be predictable by making sure you ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between cars.

4. Wear bright colors and use lights, especially when riding at night and in the morning. Reflectors on your clothes and bike will help you be seen.

Get help with your bike from volunteers of the TCCP. Volunteers will aid you in fixing flats, adjusting brakes and answering questions about bikes. Adults can volunteer five hours to receive a bike and kids receive a bike for free. Helmets are always available free to the public. Central Park Community Center Date: Ongoing Time: Thur. 5-7 p.m. Sat. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Fee: Free

It’s almost April!! Which means it’s almost summer – did you enroll your member? Click on the link below to log into your parent portal for more information about summer/job opportunities.

bgctopeka.org

French Middle School will not tolerate bullying of any kind. Bullying is defined as any ongoing verbal or physical mistreatment where there is an imbalance of power, and the target/victim is exposed repeatedly to negative actions by one or more students. Bullying can be direct (physical or verbal), or indirect (exclusion, cyber-bullying, emotional). In order for everyone to feel safe and secure at school, every Topeka Public School has adopted the following rules against bullying. “I will not bully others. I will try to help students who are bullied. I will do my best to include students who are easily left out. When I know somebody is being bullied, I will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.” Students, staff, and parents should report any bullying that they are aware of to administration through the on-line bully report link on the French website. Students who bully others will receive consequences. Our counselors will be visiting 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes in August and September to remind students what bullying is, what we can do to prevent bullying, and what students should do if they or someone else is being bullied.

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. The Title VI and Title IX compliance coordinator is the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching/Learning/Administration. The Section 504/Title II compliance coordinator is the Coordinator of College and Career Ready Services. For employment, the EEO/AA officer is the General Director of Human Resources. All compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000. The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3045 or by writing to 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294.

Email: khoffman@tps501.org
Website: https://french.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 5257 Southwest 33rd Street, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: 785-438-4150
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057094524963&ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @frenchfalcons