FMS SMORE PARENT NEWSLETTER

• Valentines Day

February 17

• Early Release - all late work should be handed in by today

February 18

• No School for Students (Teacher Workday)

March 1

• THREE WEEKS TO THE END OF THE QUARTER - parents check PowerSchool and make sure your children are passing their classes!

March 2

• FMS Parent Group meeting 6pm

March 9

• Battle of the Books at Bunn Middle School

March 14

• Last week to get grades up before the end of Quarter 3!

March 17

• Early Release

March 18

• Teacher Workday - no school for students

March 22

• End of Quarter three

Want to do something for your bus driver? Drop something off at the school or simply give it to your child to give to their bus driver. I promise you they will really be appreciative!

• Mackenzie Majzun regarding Megan Ferrell: Megan is a great best friend and a good influence on me and she is a good person.
  
• Anonymous regarding Ms. Baechle: I would like to shout out Ms. Baechle, she is the most loving teacher that I've met. She cares for us like we were her own, and if we are sad or upset Ms. Baechle is right there with us to help calm us down<3

Ms. Gilbert’s Google Site: click here

Helpful Resources

NC211.org (or call 211)

Food Finder (FoodBank of Central NC)

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)

National Alliance of Mental Illness/NC (or call 800-451-9682)

Vayahealth.com (for mental health needs) 1-800-849-6127

HumanTraffickingHotline.org (or call 888-373-7888)

How to Contact Ms. Gilbert:

Complete and submit this form: Counselor Request Form

Or send email to: marygilbert@fcschools.net

Or call FMS at 919-494-2971 ext. 298

Ms. Terry and I have been introducing 6th-8th grade students to a new program called Xello, a career and college planning tool. Students have created profiles and have access to Xello through 12th grade, so they can go on Xello any time and explore thousands of careers (salaries, education or training requirements, job descriptions), colleges (locations, admission requirements, costs, majors, campuses), military, etc. This will help them plan more effectively for high school classes and beyond high school. Every year we'll complete certain lessons with them, but they can look at career and college info on Xello any time.

Ask your child about their activity on Xello. Many students are excited about the “interest inventory” and personality profiles they’ve completed and may want to share with you what they've discovered about jobs and career clusters that may be of interest to them! There is a link for Xello on their chromebook under classlinks.

This is a districtwide program, so all middle and high school students are exploring with Xello this year.

National Random Acts of Kindness Week encourages us to put kindness first and share it everywhere we go. Everyone needs a little kindness sometimes, and we never know when to expect it. Be the unexpected gift to someone this week. You never know what someone else is going through, so please be kind, always.

The goal of Random Act of Kindness Week is to improve the climate in schools, the workplace, families, and society through kindness in our interpersonal relationships. Psychiatrists say being kind offers benefits for you, too!

• Fuels personal energy and self-esteem.

• Makes you happier.

• It’s good for your heart.

• Helps you live longer.

• Decreases the harmful chemicals in your body

Random Acts of Kindness Week is the perfect opportunity to try new ways of being kind. If you’re looking for ideas, the Random Acts Kindness website offers many inspiring stories and ideas. Follow on Facebook or other social media platforms. Use hashtags like #RandomActsofKindnessWeek, #RAKday or #kindnessstartswithone when posting about kindness you share or experience this week.

Concrete ideas include:

• Smile and wave at a neighbor.

• When driving, allow someone into your lane.

• Share a book.

• Buy a coffee for that person ahead or behind you in line.

• Make a donation in someone’s name.

• Leave double the normal tip.

• Pick up litter.

• Leave painted rocks or chalk messages for others to find.

MS. HEAD - SCIENCE

We have started a new unit on Molecular Biology beginning with a review of Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration. We have also started a new Social and Emotional Learning program called Second Step. We will be completing two lessons a week. So far we have looked at our identity, interests, and strengths. The first unit will be in Science class, the next will be in ELA, and we will alternate until the end of the year.

MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES

We have just started the unit on The Civil War and will be working on this for the next couple of weeks. We are about halfway through the current quarter so please make sure that you are checking PowerSchool to make sure that all work is being turned in. It can become very stressful on both students and teachers if too much work is left until the end of the quarter.

MS. FROST - ELA

Friendly Reminder… I-Ready usage is low in both reading and math. Please encourage your child to complete 45+ minutes with a proficiency of 75% or higher. Students can earn a 100% weekly! And, it is so important that students communicate with teachers via email when late assignments are completed. Ask students to send the title of late assignment(s) so I know where to locate it.

We are diving into our new novel titled, Inside Out and Back Again with a focus on poetry with the integration of informational texts to build background knowledge around the Vietnam War.

MS. JENKINS - MATH

Wow!!. Our 7th graders are doing a wonderful job tackling some pretty heavy topics in math. Students spent a week learning to identify the probability of events on a scale of 0 to 1. Then, we learned to tell the difference between Independent and Dependent events. This week we will learn to calculate the probability of Compound events. This unit requires us to use many of our core skills, like working with fractions and decimals. Please continue to encourage our students to review these topics. Remember to complete your I-Ready time. Please note that many of our lessons for this unit will require paper, pencils and a working Chromebook. Be sure to bring these materials to class each day. Keep up the good work!

If you have any questions or concerns please contact me at litisha.jenkins@fcschools.net.

MS. BAECHLE - ELA

For the next two weeks we continue to ¨deep dive¨ into ¨The Life and History of Frederick Douglass,¨ and the impact he had on the Abolition movement. There will be a strong focus on analyzing text (excerpts) with annotating (skittles color-coding method), and utilizing several different forms of graphic organizers while focusing on close reading strategies. We will also be partaking in remediation each week to review challenging concepts and further prepare helpful strategies before the next check-in.

Please remind your students that completing I-Ready weekly for both ELA and Math for at least 45 minutes, and having one passing lesson is essential. In addition, make sure to check Powerschool on a regular basis throughout Q3 to ensure you are up to date with your work and pleased with your grade. As a reminder, we focus strongly in class on student accountability and responsibility.

As of last Friday 2/11 students should have completed and submitted their cover page, table of contents and their introduction. This Wednesday, we will be focusing on how to cite sources within a research paper. Students will continue to follow a checklist in order to ensure a weekly-timely completion. A project link for the rubric is attached below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KQ4IeawxQN6T0xYZ5kGePOdlwAdZKYIT9BNVMK4YwoY/edit?usp=sharing

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns at kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net

MS. DOWNUM - SCIENCE

We are working hard on Earth Systems and Processes (ESP). The test date is tentatively on the 21st of February but I foresee it being moved later. We are taking a bit longer with this unit so that I can be sure the students understand it before we just move on to the next part. We started plotting earthquakes and volcanoes today which was fun. The students learned how to navigate, learning how to use a new map and coordinating points to represent earthquakes and volcanoes. They did not finish this and will be working on it throughout the week. This will give the students more understanding of the tectonic plates and will draw a connection between natural disasters and how the plates interact with each other.

We started our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons today and I think they went really well. I had some great conversations with the students about what made them nervous when they started middle school and how we get nervous in new situations. I told them this lesson can help them anytime they are nervous and doesn’t just pertain to the starting of the school year. I am so excited to have the opportunity to talk with the students and help them gain social skills that will help them in adulthood. We talked about how they may already have some of the social skills we are learning but they learn something new and that while we may already have some of these skills our peers can come up with something new we never thought about to help us get through social settings that can be tough like starting a new school year.

As always please make sure to check PowerSchool regularly with your student. This is the most up-to-date place to see your student’s science grades. I make sure to put notes in to help students remember where to find certain assignments. It is really easy for a student to accidentally forget to submit an assignment and not realize it, which is why I tell them to check regularly so they can see when they forget and get the missing work in. The goal is for the student to start checking on their own and taking ownership of their grade. It happens to the best of us. We are all human so if you see a 0 talk to your student about making up the missing work. I accept late work in most cases up until the quarter closes.

MR. MITCHELL - MATH

Unit 5 test is complete along with group corrections. Grades have been put into Powerschool so please be sure to check and see the updated grades. Please keep in mind that 45 minutes and 1 lesson passed are still weekly extra credit options that go towards your student’s test grades. We start Unit 6 this week with an introduction to negative numbers and hope to be testing this unit at the end of next week. Please reach out with any questions: brandonmitchell@fcschools.net

MS. BROOKS - SOCIAL STUDIES

In Social Studies, we are learning about the Byzantine Empire in our unit in ancient Rome. In this lesson students are learning about the characteristics, key figures, and contributions of the Byzantine Empire. Also, students will learn about how the Romans lived during ancient Rome in the lesson called The Roman Way of Life. Please encourage your child to turn in any missing assignments. If you have any questions, please email me at jericabrooks@fcschools.net.

MS. MCINTOSH - ELA

• We have started our novel “Bud, Not Buddy” by Christopher Paul Curtis

• The novel is available in SORA. ( on chromebook under bookmarks)

• Please continue to look on google classroom for your assignments for each chapter.

• New i-Ready for ELA: I-Ready is now a grade starting the week of February 7th. (This had to be pushed back because of students completion of the diagnostic)

Get at least 45 minutes and 70% passing rate in two reading lessons in order to get full credit.

• We will start small groups to help students feel comfortable asking questions and understanding ELA standards and “I can” statements.

NEED HELP? Please contact me at chasitymcintosh@fcschools.net if you have any questions

GRANGER - ART

The Art Department at Franklinton Middle School restarts on Monday, Feb. 21st. The focus for Spring 2022 is social-emotional learning or SEL skills through gameschooling, i.e. playing games to learn and have fun too. Grownups should look for a syllabus from the teacher that must be returned with a signature and current grownup email address. Please note: There are high expectations for grownups and their artists in this course, communication being the highest priority. Don’t wait until next Monday if you have suggestions. Email the teacher at eagranger@fcschools.net now.

MR. SMITH - BAND/CHORUS

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

Band 6: Last week, we continued working on what will be our spring concert opener, "The King's Crown" and our Foundation Warm-ups. On Friday, I gave students the first half of class to work on both of these pieces and took the second half of class to listen to and grade one of those two. I had quite a few students take advantage of the practice time. They worked diligently and received help as needed. Others did not and instead played around, which is reflective in the grade they earned. This week, we will continue working on these pieces and hopefully begin to make some notable progress. Please encourage your child to practice regularly outside of class. Practicing can take on many forms aside from just playing the instrument. Students can listen to the recording of our concert music and follow/finger the notes/hum along with their part. This is all available in Google Classroom.

Band 7: Last week, we began discussing the role and purpose of a conductor. In addition to teaching them the importance of keeping their eye on the conductor, I taught the students how to conduct a simple 4 pattern and selected a student to lead the band through our daily warm-ups. Each day we meet, I will be giving a student the opportunity to lead the band through our daily warm-ups. This will allow them to get some conducting and leadership experience within our band. This week, we will continue to work through "Falcon Fanfare", section by section. Students are beginning to get a better understanding of this piece, making for a more productive rehearsal. They also received "Aftershock", our spring concert closer. This is a very exciting and rhythmic piece. Our primary focus in rehearsing this piece will be rhythm and tempo maintenance. Students are strongly encouraged to practice along with the recordings of these pieces and with a metronome. All recordings are available in Google Classroom as well as Smartmusic where they can listen to their specific part.

Band 8: Last week, we began discussing the role and purpose of a conductor. In addition to teaching them the importance of keeping their eye on the conductor, I taught the students how to conduct a simple 4 pattern and selected a student to lead the band through our daily warm-ups. Each day we meet, I will be giving a student the opportunity to lead the band through our daily warm-ups. This will allow them to get some conducting and leadership experience within our band. This week, we will continue to work through "Falcon Fanfare", section by section. We have worked out some of the more challenging sections, and now we will work to put the entire piece together. We will also continue to work on our spring concert closer "Aftershock". I am quite impressed with how quickly the students have made it through this piece. On Friday, we did a full runthrough, beginning to end. There are certainly some areas that need improvement, I couldn't be more proud of their hard work. I sincerely hope this continues. Students are strongly encouraged to practice along with the recordings of these pieces and with a metronome. All recordings are available in Google Classroom as well as Smartmusic where they can listen to their specific part.

Vocal Music 6-7: Last week, we reviewed our vocal warm up and began rehearsing the music for All-County Chorus. I allowed time for students to partner up with others who are singing their part and work together on learning the lyrics and pitch accuracy. This week, we will continue to work on All-County chorus music and start to look at selections for our own spring concert. As a reminder, predominant part recordings for each song is available in Google Classroom and students are strongly encouraged to practice along with those recordings to ensure they are singing their part with accuracy. The planning committee will be meeting on Thursday to talk about the details and logistics of this event. A formal letter with details about the All-County Chorus will be sent home along with a field trip permission form next Tuesday. As a heads up, the trip will take place on Wednesday March 23 during the school day at the Franklinton High School Auditorium and lunch will be provided.

Music Appreciation 8: Last week, we finished up our topic on the music and culture of Native America. All work for that topic should have been completed and submitted by Thursday February 10. On Thursday, we began our study on the music and culture of Latin America. The students took notes and listened to some performances of Latin American music. So far, students have been assigned two Edpuzzle assignments relating to Latin American music and culture. This week, students will have the opportunity to get caught up on missing assignments for this topic. We will also begin a full review of Latin American music and culture for our upcoming quiz and test. All assignments that have been turned in to me have been graded. As a reminder, the only way a student receives a grade of zero "0" is by not turning in assignments. If your child has a zero on an assignment, please make sure they have submitted the assignment.

Faulkners Bitmoji Classroom

Battle of the Book List

**We have copies of all titles.

Our team is busy reading books to be ready for the competition in March!!

Ask your student what book they’re reading!!

Jump on the WORDLE craze and try your hand at completing the one I created!

https://mywordle.me/?word=lolvp

REMINDERS in playing WORDLE!

Think of a 5-letter word and use the keyboard to type it in. Once you have typed your first 5- letter word in the blocks, press the enter button at the bottom left of the keyboard. This will show you if you got the word or any letters correct.

To take away letters press the delete button on the right. You have 6 tries to guess the word for that Wordle!!

As you play remember….

• If the letter tile is grey, it does not appear in the word you are guessing.

• If the letter tile turns yellow, it is in the word you are trying to spell, but you’ve put it in the wrong place.

• If the letter tile is green, it appears in the word and is in the right place.

So in your next guess, you can keep your green letters, rearrange your yellow ones and add some new letters to reach the solution.

Media Center Makerspace

I am currently working on getting the Makerspace area set up in the Media Center. Students will be able to work on creating a journal or scrapbook. If your student needs help getting their notebook/calendar organized, encourage them to come see me. I have all sorts of stickers, markers, pens and ideas to help them!

One Seed At A Time

In the next couple of weeks I will be working on starting seedlings so we can have a spring garden here at FMS. If your student is interested in learning about gardening or sustainable food systems please encourage them to check out the Media Center Google classroom. I will be posting all things “One Seed At A Time” there.

• Meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month from 3:30-5:00pm

• Need at least one parent on the team - more than that are welcome!

• Works on implementing the school improvement plan

• Deals with big picture FMS initiatives and changes (years long)

Interested? Email heidiboardman@fcschools.net

DPI ELIGIBILITY (added so there is no confusion about eligibility vs FMS eligibility)

• Eligibility to become a member of an athletic team hinges on the DPI rules for eligibility.

• Regardless of the school organization pattern, a student who is promoted from the fifth grade to the sixth grade automatically meets the courses passed requirement for the first semester of the sixth grade.

• Regarding academics, DPI states “the student must pass at least one less course than the number of required core courses each semester and meet promotion standards.” This means passing 3 out of 4 core classes with at least a 60%.

• DPI also states, “if an athlete is academically eligible or academically ineligible at the beginning of any semester, that status is retained through the full semester.”

• That means that fall sports and winter sports eligibility is based on the second semester final grades from the previous year.

• That also means that when first semester report cards come out, athletes in winter sports can become ineligible to play during the season.

• Spring sports eligibility is based on the first semester final grades.

• Note from DPI: an athlete becomes eligible or ineligible on the first day of each new semester.

FMS ELIGIBILITY

• FMS strives to maintain high academic standards for athletes, paired with support for athletes to make sure that they are successful in both sports and academics.

• Grades will be pulled three weeks before the end of each quarter.

• When grades are pulled, if a student is not passing at least 3 out of 4 core classes and at least 1 out of 2 Elective classes, that student will be put on academic probation. *Exception: when first semester final grades are in, students will automatically become ineligible for the remainder of the year if they are not passing 3 out of 4 core classes and eligible if they are passing 3 out of 4 core classes.

• Any student on academic probation will have two weeks to get their grades to FMS eligibility standards. If they prove that their grades are going to meet standards for that quarter, they are fine until the next grade pull.

• Students are encouraged to ask their teachers to go to the Alternative Learning Center to get help from Ms. Perry to get caught up.

• At the end of two weeks, if a student on academic probation has not pulled up grades to meet the standards, the principal will recommend dismissal from the team unless there is a firm plan in place to address academic concerns.

• This ensures that our athletes are supported with the goal to be eligible year-round for any sports they are interested in.

ATTENDANCE & PAPERWORK EXPECTATIONS

• If the athlete is out of school for the full school day, they may not attend a practice or game scheduled for that day.

• Being in quarantine means the athlete can't engage with the team until the full quarantine is completed.

• Every athlete should have a physical exam on record clearing them to play.

• Every athlete should be up to date on immunizations.

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS

ISS or minor referral Alternative Learning Center (ALC) Time Out:

• 1st and 2nd referral resulting in serving at least one full day in ALC or ISS: no practice/game any day that the student is serving a full day.

• Third referral resulting in serving at least one full day in ALC or ISS: the principal will recommend dismissal from the team.

Major referral with Out of School Suspension (OSS):

• Immediate dismissal from the team.

GRADE PULL DATES FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR:

• December 10

• February 28

• May 9

• The May 9th grade pull will be a general pull to remind students interested in participating in athletics next year that they need to focus on finishing the year as eligible to participate in athletics in the fall and winter.

R - Respectful

A - Accountable

M - Motivated

S - Safe

C - Character

H - Honor

O - Opportunity

I - Inclusivity

C - Compassion

E - Excellence

FMS MISSION:

FMS is a vibrant and caring school that empowers students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens who are college and career ready.

FMS VALUES:

• All children, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic circumstances, or cognitive level, can grow and achieve.
• Strong collaborative teams with a shared vision can reduce achievement gaps and raise growth levels for all students.
• Forging strong relationships between the school, the parents, and the community is crucial in achieving a well-rounded education that addresses each student’s needs.
• A learning environment based on trust, integrity, and commitment is vital for student success.
• Discipline, safety, and accountability are important parts of a school culture that reflects intellectual, emotional, and social growth.