Roadrunner's Digest

Hello Farquhar Families and Staff!!

Welcome to the start of an exciting new school year at William H. Farquhar Middle School! Whether you’re returning or joining us for the first time, we’re thrilled to have you as part of our vibrant community.

This year promises to be one filled with growth, discovery, and memorable experiences. Our dedicated teachers and staff are eager to facilitate effective classrooms and foster engaged learning every day. We have many exciting events, programs, and opportunities planned to help every student thrive.

If you're returning, you will notice two specific upgrades to the weekly Roadrunner's Digest:

1. The "Translate" button at the top of the screen that allows readers to translate the Digest to their preferred language!
2. The Table of Contents section in the left menu. Clicking the headings will take you directly to that announcement. This feature is only visible on a laptop, so we will continue to put a summary of announcements at the beginning of the Digest.

It's my hope that these upgrades will make our weekly communications more accessible and user friendly for the entire Farquhar community.

Let’s work together to make this year extraordinary! Thank you for entrusting us with your student's education, and we look forward to a successful year ahead!

In this newsletter you will find:

• The FMS 24-25 Suggested School Supplies list (blue button below)
• Meet the 24-25 Administrative Team!
• This week's bell schedules
• Send a Roadrunner Shout Out!
• Transportation Highlights
• Attendance @ FMS
• Back-to-School Night is September 5!
• Responsible Use of Technology: Chromebooks
• ParentVUE Registration
• Student Expectations Module
• Family Life & Human Sexuality Curriculum: Virtual Parent Meeting
• Cafeteria Info
• Health Room Update
• MCPS Things to Know

PTA Corner:

• Welcome to the new school year!
• Join the PTA
• Save the date: October 8

We have a rockstar administrative team this year, and I am thrilled to introduce them to you!

• Ms. Amy Councilman is a veteran assistant principal and is embarking on her seventh year at Farquhar. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our community, and is a fluent Spanish speaker. This year, Ms. Councilman supports:
• 6th grade students with last names A-L
• 7th grade students
• She can be reached at Amy_L_Councilman@mcpsmd.org.

• Mr. Stephen Katzel is an experienced assistant principal who is new to Farquhar this year! He has spent his entire career in MCPS supporting early adolescent learners as a teacher, team leader, and administrator. We are so excited to welcome him to the Farquhar Family! This year, Mr. Katzel supports:
• 6th grade students with last names M-Z
• 8th grade students
• He can be reached at Stephen_M_Katzel@mcpsmd.org.

We send a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Mr. Katzel on recently becoming a father! While he is on parental leave, Ms. Kristina Mason will be serving as our acting assistant principal and taking over Mr. Katzel's responsibilities. Ms. Mason is a skilled and experienced Science teacher and also serves as our Science Content Specialist. She will return to her students here at Farquhar on October 7 when Mr. Katzel returns. Ms. Mason can be reached at Kristina_D_Mason@mcpsmd.org.

If your 8th grade student has Ms. Mason for Science this year, they will be in good hands with the beloved Ms. Lisa McDonough, one of our best long-term substitutes. She will be sending an introduction letter to her families in the first week of school.

The entire administrative team supports all students and families, so if you ever need support with your student, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are excited for a fun and successful school year with you!

Would you like to recognize a student or staff member?

Submit a SHOUT-OUT!

Every day, staff members and students are going above and beyond to make Farquhar a place where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected. Recognizing these exceptional individuals is a community effort!

Complete the Roadrunner Shout Out form any time. Individuals will be recognized publicly in the next Roadrunner's Digest, and they will receive a certificate thanking them for their contribution to our school community. You may submit your shout out as a family, a team, an individual, or anonymously! The link to the form will be in every Roadrunner's Digest, as well as on our school website.

Thank you for taking a moment to thank a Roadrunner who has made a meaningful difference.

We want everyone to arrive to Farquhar on the first day of school safely and efficiently! Please review these important highlights about safe travel to school:

Bus Rider Info:

• AM Bus Routes
• PM Bus Routes
• A message from your local bus depot (English / Spanish)
  
• At Farquhar we expect students to sit by grade level on school buses. Thank you for supporting this message at home:
• 6th grade: Front
• 7th grade: Middle
• 8th grade: Back

Car Loop Reminders:

• Exit the car as soon as your student can step on sidewalk!
• Pull up as far as possible in loop.
• Drive all the way around the loop (no 3-point turns).
• Do not pull into staff parking spaces.
• Cooperate with staff supporting traffic.
• Exit the parking lot @ the clothing donation bins.
• Drop off begins at 7:45 a.m.
• Pick up is 3:00 p.m. (Line up as early as you like)

At FMS on a COSA?

MCPS does not provide transportation to students on a COSA agreement. If your student is at Farquhar on a COSA, they are not eligible for transportation, even if an FMS bus stop is accessible to them. MCPS Transportation organizes our buses and bus routes based on the number of students who are eligible for transportation. We kindly ask that families respect this policy and provide transportation for their student so that our buses do not become overcrowded and unsafe.

If you have any questions or concerns about transportation, feel free to call us at 240-740-1200 or email Ms. Mason at Kristina_D_Mason@mcpsmd.org.

Regular attendance allows children to receive consistent instruction, effectively follow the curriculum, and stay on track with academic progress. Students cannot master content and make progress toward high school readiness if they are not in school. Your partnership to ensure students are in the classroom to receive instruction is paramount. Thanks to your support, the Farquhar community boasts a regular attendance rate of over 94%!

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines a chronic absentee as any student who has missed 10% or more of the school year, whether the absence is excused or not. For example, a student who is registered to attend a school for 30 days and who is absent 3 of those 30 days is considered chronically absent and at risk for meeting grade level objectives. Thank you for your continued collaboration toward your student's success!

FMS is a family-first school. If your family is traveling for an extended period of time, please contact Mrs. Rivas-Smith, Principal, at Angelica_L_Smith@mcpsmd.org for approval and next steps.

Need to communicate that your child will be absent?

There are multiple ways that you can reach us:

1. We are excited to introduce our new Student Absence Google Form! This is the quickest, easiest way to ensure our attendance secretary codes the absence as excused. We strongly recommend bookmarking this link so that it's accessible to you anytime. You can also find it on the FMS Website. Please note that only notes submitted from verified parent/guardian email addresses will be accepted.
2. You can call the school at 240-740-1200 anytime between 7:30am and 4:30pm.
3. You can email our attendance secretary, Mrs. Michele Fuentes, at Michele_Fuentes@mcpsmd.org.

FMS operates with a 1-to-1 Student-to-Chromebook model. Students are expected to bring their charged, MCPS-issued Chromebook to school every day. Personal devices are not permitted. Every student has a Lenovo touchscreen Chromebook and they are expected to maintain it for all three years at FMS.

Students will review how to use their Chromebook appropriately during the first week of school and will sign a Responsible Use of Technology Agreement. You can view it here in English and Spanish. Students are also financially responsible for any required repairs, so we strongly recommend providing your student with a Chromebook sleeve or case to prevent damage. Costs of repairs and replacement can be found here. Any obligations incurred can be paid on School Cash Online and are expected to be fulfilled by the end of the school year.

If your student forgets their Chromebook at home, the main office will check out a day loaner Chromebook that must be returned at the end of the day. We encourage all students to charge their Chromebooks at home and leave their charger there. If a student's Chromebook needs to be charged during the school day, every classroom is equipped with extra chargers. If your student forgets their password, any staff member can look it up!

Thank you for your support in preserving our student technology. If you have any questions or concerns about your student's technology use, please contact your student's administrator anytime.

Have you registered for ParentVUE yet?

Synergy ParentVUE is the Parent Portal that serves as the primary home-to-school communication vehicle for schools to share information regarding grades, attendance, scheduling, access into myMCPS Classroom, and more.

If you have not yet created an account in ParentVUE, request activation here.

An overview and FAQ for ParentVUE can be found here (scroll down to find the information).

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is committed to ensuring our students are equipped with the information needed to be able to promote a positive school culture and ensure the physical, social and emotional safety for all students. This year’s annual student training module, MCPS Student Expectation Lessons, has two parts, and both are required learning experiences.

• Part one is the updated edition of the annual “Culture of Respect.” We must take an active role to ensure students are informed and able to recognize signs of bullying/cyberbullying, harassment (including sexual harassment), hate-bias incidents, hazing, intimidation, student gender norms, and how to use the Speak Up Protocol.
• Part two ensures that students are aware of key information in the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Student Rights and Responsibilities and MCPS Code of Conduct documents. This training educates students on their expectations for creating a learning environment where everyone feels welcome, safe, and knows the various ways to report alleged/concerning incidents.

The MCPS Student Expectation Lessons has been developed for students in Grades 6–12. The training should take approximately two 45 minute classes to complete and will be accessible to all students via their myMCPS Classroom homepage at the start of the school year. Students are expected to complete the training by September 27, 2024. Students will earn three Student Service Learning hours to complete the training. At Farquhar, students will complete the modules on September 4th and September 11th during ROCK time. Students ,may also complete the modules at home with parent/guardian support.

The objectives of the training module are for students to know and be able to:

• Review collective responsibilities in promoting a positive school culture and ensuring the physical, social, and emotional safety for all students in alignment with the MCPS Be Well 365 initiative.
• Define bullying, cyberbullying, harassment (including sexual harassment), hate-bias, hazing, intimidation, and student gender norms.
• Recognize signs of hazing, bullying, and harassment, including sexual harassment/assault.
• Identify reporting procedures to inform school administration of potential concerns and incidents.
• Analyze different scenarios and discuss possible consequences according to MCPS Student Code of Conduct.
• Discuss how students can address the situation and report it.

If you have any questions or concerns about the topics that will be covered, please contact your student's school counselor:

• 6th grade: Ms. Julie Lazaris (Julie_C_Lazaris@mcpsmd.org)
• 7th grade: Ms. Jacqueline Payne (Jacqueline_M_Payne@mcpsmd.org)
• 8th grade: Ms. Melanie Bronstein (Melanie_E_Bronstein@mcpsmd.org)

We are pleased to invite you to a virtual meeting on September 19th from 6:00-7:00 PM via Zoom to discuss the upcoming Family Life and Human Sexuality (FLHS) unit for our 7th and 8th grade health classes. This session aims to provide you with an overview of the curriculum and address any questions you may have regarding the topics covered. Information for the zoom and grade level letters reviewing the curriculum are below. We look forward to your participation and collaboration in supporting our students' education.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/87822891229?pwd=ntJA2mfbtzFbvx14PRw3a5sJQ2HsWZ.1

Meeting ID: 878 2289 1229

Passcode: 453280

• 7th Grade (English) (Español)
• 8th Grade (English) (Español)

Though the 6th grade curriculum does not include FLHS instruction, information about the units covered is below.

• 6th Grade (English) (Español)

Children need healthy meals to learn. The MCPS Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) serves more than 18 million meals annually. They support healthy meal options for students and continually explore new ways to enhance the nutritional contribution and student acceptability of meals.

Students may purchase breakfast ($1.30) and lunch ($2.80) in the cafeteria at FMS every day. Students who qualify for the free and reduced meal program (FARMS) may receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. MCPS uses the MySchoolBucks app for any student who purchases lunch from the cafeteria. Download the app to manage your student’s funds. The FARMS application will be sent home during the first week of school to qualifying families.

• Please review the MCPS 2024-2025 Cafeteria News & Meals Information in English or Spanish.
• You may also review the 2024-2025 Meal Service Menus here.

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services and Montgomery County Public Schools discourage the administration of medication to students in school during the school day. Any necessary medication that possibly can be administered before and after school should be so prescribed. Please do not send your student to school with medications of any kind, even over-the-counter drugs.

If your student has a medication that has a doctor-prescribed mid-day administration, our health room staff is happy to help! Before they can support your student's routine, parents must complete and submit the Authorization to Administer Prescribed Medication Release form (here it is in Spanish).

If your student has a known diagnosis of anaphylaxis and requires an EPI pen in an emergency, please note:

The authorized prescriber prescribed Epinephrine Auto Injector WILL NOT BE ADMINISTERED IN SCHOOL OR DURING SCHOOL sponsored activities without a parent/guardian signed authorization and waiver and an authorized prescriber's order/authorization for students with a known diagnosis of anaphylaxis. The rescue squad (911) will always be called when an epinephrine auto injector is administered, whether or not the student manifests any symptoms of anaphylaxis.

In accordance with Maryland State Regulations, the epinephrine auto injector may be administered by unlicensed staff (DHHS School Health Room Technician or MCPS employee) that are trained by the School Community Health Nurse (SCHN). Unlicensed staff are not allowed to wait for the appearance and observe for the development of symptoms for students with an authorized prescriber's order to administer the epinephrine auto injector.

If you have any questions or concerns about your student's medical needs in school, please feel free to contact our school nurse, Ms. Harriet Caplan at Harriet_Caplan@mcpsmd.org, or our health technician, Ms. Patti Tyler at Patricia_Tyler@mcpsmd.org.

Each week, MCPS shares a community message with helpful system-wide information, reminders, and invitations to events. Though they are sent out via email, we will always link them here.

We hope everyone had a great summer! Please join us for Back-To-School Night on Thursday, Sept.5th. At 6:15 PM, the PTA will share our plans and budget for the year and conduct a quick vote on the budget, followed by classroom visits.

Our first full (virtual) PTA meeting on Tuesday, 10/8 at 7:00 PM. We look forward to seeing you there! Stay tuned for Zoom details.

Direct donations to the FMS PTA are our primary source of fundraising! Help us avoid sales-based fundraisers!

• If you have already joined, but have NOT made a tax-deductible donation, we encourage you to do so. Any amount is appreciated!
• If you have not yet joined, please join, and donate, today!

Your direct donations help the PTA fund:

• Math, English, and STEM materials
• Counseling and wellness initiatives
• Field trips
• Arts, music, and athletic activities,
• Staff appreciation
• Parent/family resources

Feel free to contact me anytime and follow Farquhar on Twitter!

Email: Angelica_L_Smith@mcpsmd.org
Phone: 240-740-1200
Twitter: @farquharms