FMS SMORE PARENT NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 7-20 EDITION
WHY YOUR CHILD MIGHT HAVE TO QUARANTINE
- The student who tested positive did NOT wear their mask with fidelity in their classes. Each teacher is asked if the student wore their mask with fidelity in their classroom. If the answer is no, then all students in a 6ft radius have to quarantine.
- The student who tested positive DID wear their mask with fidelity, but your child did not wear their mask with fidelity and they were within six feet of the positive case.
- The student who tested positive was on the bus with other students for more than 15 minutes within 25 hours. A six-foot radius on the bus would have to quarantine (two seats front, back, and 5 seats to the side).
- For lunch, all students who sit at the same table within a 6ft radius would have to quarantine.
- Your child has gone home or stayed home sick with possible Covid symptoms.
- Possible community spread is happening and an entire bus or classroom has to quarantine.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MY CHILD IS TOLD TO QUARANTINE
- Vaccinated students do NOT have to quarantine - but you have to have proof!
- If your child is fully vaccinated and it's been two weeks since their final shot, bring in proof of vaccination. We can make a copy and after that they will not need to quarantine at all.
- If your child is not vaccinated, then follow the directions given to you in the letter you receive. It will let you know when to test, and when your child can return to the building. Your child will need to quarantine for the full 14 days regardless of testing outcomes.
- Have your child get on Google Classroom or Canvas and get their work, complete their work, and submit their work.
- If your child does test positive, make sure you contact the school to report it so we can keep track for contact tracing.
IMMUNIZATIONS - 7TH GRADERS NEED SHOTS OR THEY WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND SCHOOL
- TDAP booster
- meningococcal vaccine
If they are not updated on vaccinations by 9/22/2021 they will not be allowed to come to school until they get those shots.
MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS A WATER BOTTLE FOR SCHOOL
- WATER FOUNTAINS CANNOT BE USED TO DRINK OUT OF
- WATER FOUNTAINS CAN BE USED TO FILL UP A WATER BOTTLE
- MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS A WATER BOTTLE EVERY DAY!
GET CHROMEBOOK INSURANCE AT FMS WEDNESDAY, SEPEMBER 8TH, FROM 1-3PM
- Chromebook insurance is separate from Chromebook fees
- You have to pay the fee, but you do not have to pay for insurance
- However, you have to pay for all damages UNLESS you have insurance
- Insurance covers almost everything except the charger
- Come into the school and our IT person will be here to assist you
- Insurance is $26 for the year - bring exact cash please
*IF YOU DON'T HAVE INSURANCE AFTER THIS DATE, CONTACT THE TECHNOLOGY DEPT.
CHROMEBOOKS WILL BE DISABLED ON SEPTEMBER 20th IF THE CHROMEBOOK AGREEMENT IS NOT COMPLETED AND THE $10 FEE PAID
WE CURRENTLY HAVE OVER 100 STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT BROUGHT IN A COMPLETED AGREEMENT AND/OR PAID THE $10 TECHNOLOGY USAGE FEE
ATHLETICS NEED TO KNOW
- FOR ALL ATHLETIC UPDATES PLEASE GO TO THE FMS WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE ATHLETICS TAB
- For the tentative schedule scroll further down in this newsletter
- All students MUST have a sports physical to participate in anyworkouts or on any teams
- All athletes must wear masks at all times indoors and at all times outdoors unless outdoors on the field of play.
- Athletes are expected to be model students - if an athlete behaves in a way that results in disciplinary consequences, that athlete will not be able to participate in athletics until those disciplinary consequences are served.
FMS FOLLOWS ALL FCS COVID GUIDELINES CAREFULLY
PARENTS, PLEASE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES PUBLISHED IN THE LAST NEWSLETTER
I-READY TESTING: CHANGE IN DATES!
TESTING WILL BE SCHOOL-WIDE IN THE MORNING ON BOTH OF THOSE DAYS.
8TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES
MS. HEAD - SCIENCE
Welcome back from the long weekend! We started the year with some review of the scientific method and moved on to begin our first major unit on matter. This last week we reviewed the states of matter and looked closely at elements, compounds, and mixtures. Next we will be looking at the atom and physical and chemical changes.
MR. HURD - MATH
We have been finishing up unit 1, several students claim to fully understand the topic. We will be having a quiz on Tuesday to finish last week's work. On Friday we will have another quiz to follow up with the lessons from this week. This week we are covering dilations in rigid transformations as well as multiple transformations.
MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES
The Students have been working so hard on an essay that we are working on about what caused the Salem Witch Trial hysteria of 1692. I am very proud of the work they are doing to improve critical thinking and writing skills. In the coming weeks we will be working on geography and economics.
MS. FROST - ELA
Your child will be taking an online diagnostic reading assessment on September 16 and 17 for Reading and Math. Students will access the online diagnostic reading assessment via Classlink. The student username and password is each student's ID number. Testing tips can be viewed at Student IReady Information for Reading Diagnostic Test
Please communicate to your child that the diagnostic reading test provides you as parents and myself with valuable information regarding each student's readability level to target lessons based on your child's needs.
Below are some highlighted tips:
Show what you know! Try your best so you can show what you’ve learned.
The results include what your child already knows and is able to successfully complete work independently, as well as gaps that your child may need additional support.
Determines what each child needs to learn in alignment with Grade 8 Standards.
The results of your child's Diagnostic test decides what lessons your child will be assigned.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If your child tries his/her best on the diagnostic test, lessons will accurately match what your child needs to learn.
For Review... https://i-readycentral.com/view-resource/?id=20217 (Links to an external site.)
7TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES
MS. NEUJAHR SCIENCE
Back to School!! Welcome back to school! Hope everyone enjoyed their summer vacay and are ready to get back to school! This year is full of exciting new things and all will happen in Science class. Please check the Grade Breakdowns on my canvas page and read the syllabus! This upcoming week we are learning about Earth's Atmosphere and introducing weather into our unit! It’s hurricane season which makes it relevant to this week's topic! Tune into Rampages every issue to see what new things are going on!
MS. JENKINS - MATH
Welcome back! We are off to a wonderful start of the new school year. We have worked diligently on reviewing essential topics that will move us into the curriculum for the year. The students have done a great job reviewing the four basic operations with proper fractions, improper fractions and mixed numbers. This week we will explore the relationship between ratios and proportions.
MR. LEMONS - SOCIAL STUDIES
We have successfully made it through the first two weeks of school!!! We are going to continue going through the essential standards of the N.C. curriculum. Though we did not finish geography last week, we will continue to talk about geography the rest of the year. This week, we're going to be going through Civics and next week will be Behavioral Sciences. In civics, we talk a lot about what governments are and how they serve their people. As always, if you have any questions send me an email.
MS. BAECHLE - ELA
Welcome back to the 2021-2022 school year at FMS!! We are so happy to have your students back in the building for a new year with so much to learn. Please make sure to check my Google classroom daily for the agenda and any work that needs to be completed. Students, make sure you are checking Powerschool weekly to view your grade as well as any missing assignments. You will have one week to make up for any missed work.
Next week students will be taking the I-Ready reading diagnostic for both ELA and Math. Remind them to take their time, so we receive an accurate pathway for them to align with what skills need to be worked on. I have attached a link to view slides 69-96 prior to the diagnostic https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GCxqXh7EJYdxiIyE5qeRxXKcJHmSyrIo/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103957303323980118942&rtpof=true&sd=true I will also be sharing this info with your students in class on Tuesday 9/7.
In addition, we will be reviewing figurative language per the pre-assessment taken in class, going over the rubric for the first 9 weeks project, and introducing-beginning to read our first text “Lyddie.” The overall theme for the year in connection to our curriculum and texts will be “Survival.” Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at: kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net with any questions.
6TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES
MS. DOWNUM - SCIENCE
The students have done really well working on classroom expectations and have even started doing labs already. I am so excited to be able to provide the students with more hands-on activities. We started our first unit which is called Structures and Functions of Living Organisms, I shortened it to Plants.
MR. MITCHELL - MATH
The 6th grade Math teacher has officially arrived! I am excited. The students are excited. And we are about to hit the ground running. We start exploring new calculations involving shapes of all sizes in the next few days and may even take a peek into the 3rd dimension. More updates to come in the near future regarding the Canvas classroom and Powerschool but we are off to a great start and looking forward to the upcoming school year.
MS. BROOKS - SOCIAL STUDIES
Students are working on geography concepts such as: The Continents and Oceans, Map Skills, and The Five Themes of Geography. Students have a project that is due on September 15, 2021 that consists of them creating their own map. In the upcoming weeks, students will begin learning about the topic of human geography.
MS. MCINTOSH - ELA
I'm so excited to tell you that we are about to begin “Percy Jackson, The lightning Thief” this week. Students will practice reading closely as they analyze the highly popular novel The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (780L). Some students may have read this text; this unit pushes them to read “differently”: reading closely (with a focus on vocabulary), character analysis, and Percy Jackson as an archetypical hero. (CC ELA Curriculum)
ELECTIVES TEAM UPDATES
MR. SMITH - BAND/CHORUS
All students should have access to their respective Google Classroom course whether band and/or vocal music. I have sent out invites to students who have not yet joined. A lot of information has been posted in Google Classroom including our course syllabus, classroom expectations, and units that we will be covering throughout the course. **If you ever have any questions, please contact me: jimmiesmith@fcschools.net. **
Band 6: Welcome to the FMS Band Program! This year's 6th grade band is the largest group that I have had during my time here at FMS and I couldn't be more excited about what the future holds for our band program. We have been learning rhythm over the past week, specifically how to analyze rhythm as well as count and clap various rhythm patterns. Beginning this week the students will begin learning to identify notes on the staff. We will eventually combine rhythm and note identification as we start looking at actual concert music.
At this point in time, I believe all students have decided what instrument they would like to play. Next Monday September 13 at 5pm, we will be hosting an instrument rental meeting with our Music & Arts Education Representative. Information regarding this event will be sent out on Wednesday. Even if you think you are unable to afford an instrument for your child, please attend this meeting. I am more than willing to help with acquiring an instrument.
Band 7: 7th grade band students have been working hard to get back into the swing of having band rehearsals in person. It is very nice having all of these students in the band room, particularly those I am meeting in person for the first time. Students have been provided warm-ups to aid in their musical development. These warm-ups and much more are available in Google Classroom. Over the next few weeks, we will be transitioning to rehearsing sheet music for potential performances coming up soon. More information will be provided as we get closer to that time.
Band 8: 8th grade band students have been working hard to get back into the groove of having band rehearsals in person. Tuesday August 24 was the first time that these young musicians have all been back into the band room together for class since March of 2020. As a band director, this is very exciting. We have been working on a series of warm-ups and chorales to help in their musical development. These warm-ups and much more are available in Google Classroom. Over the next few weeks, we will be transitioning to rehearsing sheet music for potential performances coming up soon. More information will be provided as we get closer to that time.
Vocal Music 6-8: This year, we have brought back our vocal music (chorus) program. In this first quarter, all students across all grade levels will be working on the same material. This includes a warm-up sequence that they have been taught as well as a sight singing material. The last two weeks have been dedicated to simply getting the students participating and comfortable singing in front of one another. The students have learned to sing using solfege syllables (do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti), how to match pitch with the piano, and how to identify different pitches based on a given reference pitch. Over the next few weeks, we will be working on two-part harmony in preparation for learning our first song. We will also be listening to and evaluating performances of various vocal music ensembles.
MS. HATTEN - DRAMA
All students should have access to their respective Google Classroomcourse. I have sent out invites to students who have not yet joined, and followed up with emails for students. We will be beginning our study of the American Musical next week and will begin using our interactive notebooks in class. Please make sure your chromebook is fully charged so that you can participate in class. We just finished a short project in class where we made a poster based on our Charades activity titles. I think everyone enjoyed this one a little bit. We will be working this week to set up groups to work on a new project once everyone has their chromebooks in class. Here’s to a great school year!
AIG - MRS. HAWTHORNE UPDATES
We are excited to be back in school this fall! If I didn’t see you at open house, here is the AIG Open House Letter that went out to students of the advanced ELA and math classes. Here is the slide presentation that was shared with students through their elementary AIG classes in the spring that explains a bit about the difference in our programming between elementary and middle schools.
Our first challenge to our advanced students is a fall reading dare. Read more about The Dewey Dare and encourage your child to read across the subjects. It is our desire this year to build rigor and relevance into the lessons while students build strong relationships with their peers and teachers. See our AIG middle school I can statements in this image. Here’s to a wonderful school year!
Valerie Hawthorne
AIG Facilitator
valeriehawthorne@fcschools.netMEDIA CENTER / STEAM LAB - MS. FAULKNER
WOOHOO...we’re back in school!!!
The plan, at this time, is to have the Battle of the Books Competition. If your child is interested please click on the link below to find out what is on the list.
The county is also offering SORA again and will be doing an upload soon. If your student had an account last year they should be good to go. If they are new to Franklin County schools they will have to wait for the upload (they should be able to check out books online from FC Schools and NC Kids Digital Library).
Click on the link below to see how to access SORA!
Ms. Hawthorne (AIG) and I have “dared” the FMS student body to Dewey!!
Click on the link below to see our presentation!
SCHOOL COUNSELOR - MS. GILBERT
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)
Cardinalinnovations.org (or call 800-939-5911)
How to Contact Ms. Moore:
Complete and submit this form: Counselor Request Form
Or send email to: marygilbert@fcschools.net
Or call FMS at 919-494-2971 ext. 298
Separation Anxiety
It is normal for children to experience a little anxiety when returning to school, especially if it’s a new school or new day care. However, if it doesn’t resolve within the first few weeks, separation anxiety can get in the way of school attendance, learning, and daily life activities.
Signs of separation anxiety can include:
Child is emotional or clingy when saying goodbye to parents
Fear that something bad will happen to a family member during separation
Young children may have tantrums when they have to leave parents or caregivers
Older children may display signs of a panic attack
Overwhelming need to know where parents are, and be in touch with them by phone or texting (which is
distracting at school and work)
Physical symptoms like stomach aches, headaches, and dizziness
Younger children are mostly anxious at the time of separation
Older kids can get anxious when they think about an upcoming separation
All of this can lead to refusing to go to school
How parents can ease separation anxiety:
Develop a quick “goodbye” ritual. Keep things quick, like a wave or quick kiss, so you can leave without fanfare. Tell your child you are leaving and then go—don’t stall or make it a bigger deal than it is.
Follow through on promises. For your child to develop the confidence that they can handle separation, it’s important you return at the time you promised.
Minimize scary television. Your child is less likely to be fearful if the shows you watch are not frightening.
Try not to give in. Reassure your child that they will be just fine—setting consistent limits will help your child’s adjustment to separation.
Educate yourself about separation anxiety disorder.
Listen to and respect your child’s feelings.
Talk about the issue. It’s healthier for children to talk about their feelings—they don’t benefit from “not thinking about it.” Be empathetic, but also remind your child—gently—that they survived the last separation.
Keep calm during separation. If your child sees that you can stay cool, they are more likely to be calm, too.
Support the child’s participation in activities. Encourage your child to participate in healthy social and physical activities. They’re great ways to ease anxiety and help your child develop friendships.
Provide a consistent pattern for the day. Routines provide children with a sense of security and help to eliminate their fear of the unknown. Try to be consistent with mealtimes, bedtimes and the like. If your family’s schedule is going to change, discuss it ahead of time with your child. Change is easier on kids if it’s expected.
For More on how to help your child handle separations, anxiety, and stress, click here
Another good article is here.WE NEED A PARENT ON OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Meets every 2nd Tuesday from 3:30-5:00pm
Need 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
FMS PARENT GROUP - LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS!
If you are interested in being a part of a new parent group, please click on the button below and sign up to be a facilitator, a member who attends meetings, or a helper who helps out once in a while. No matter what, we are glad to have you!