FMS Families-

New this week in our What's Happening @Faiss newsletter:

• Parent/Guardian School Organization Team Nominations
• Book Fair
• After School Options: Clubs/Teacher Assistance

If you have any questions, comments, or compliments, please don't hesitate to reply to this email or call the school at 702-799-6850.

Dream...Believe...Soar to Achieve!

Roger West, Principal
Melissa Giannantonio, Assistant Principal (Curriculum/Activities/Attendance)
Shirley Cunningham, Assistant Principal (6th Grade/Special Education/Transportation/ELL Services)

Amanda Skrogstad, Assistant Principal (7th Grade/School Safety/Testing)
Joe Vespo, Assistant Principal (8th Grade/Athletics/Facilities)

Under Assembly Bill 469 and Regulation 142-16, each CCSD school will create a School Organizational Team (SOT) made up of elected licensed staff, education support professionals, parents/guardians, and a student (secondary only), as well as one or more optional, non-elected community members who will assist the principal in making important decisions impacting the school.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL ORGANIZATIONAL TEAM?
- Provide input on the school improvement plan and budget.
- Provide continued advice to the principal in carrying out the school plan.
- Assist with selecting the next principal when there is a vacancy.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE TEAM MEMBERS?
- Begin attending meetings in October 2024.
- Serve on the team through September 30, 2025, unless your child no longer attends the school.
- Attend meetings at least once per month outside of school hours.
- Make decisions with the whole school population in mind.
- Work collaboratively and attempt to reach a consensus with the team.

If you are interested in serving on the Faiss School Organizational Team, please complete and submit the form below before Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 5 pm PST. If you have any questions, you can contact our principal, Roger West, at 702-799-6850 ext. 4100 or email at westrd@nv.ccsd.net.

Your name and responses will be published for voting purposes. Voting will begin on Monday, September 16, 2024, at 8:00 A.M. PST and close on Friday, September 20, 2024, at 5:00 P.M. PST. There will be a total of 5 parents elected to the SOT. Results will be announced in the weekly What's Happening @ Faiss. The first meeting of the newly elected SOT will be held on Monday, October 14, 2024, at 4:00 pm in the Faiss MS library, or a Google Meets option will be available. Our meetings typically last about 45-60 minutes.

Faiss Families,
Get ready—the Scholastic Book Fair is coming to our school! This is a great opportunity to connect with your child over the thrill of bringing home new books to dive into again and again.

The book fair will take place from September 9th-13th. Students can attend before school, after school, during lunches, and with their assigned classes at the Faiss library.

There’s even more info on our school’s book fair homepage:Faiss MS Book Fair Link While you’re there, set up a Book Fair e-Wallet, the digital payment account that allows your child to shop for books at the fair without cash. You can also share your eWallet link so friends and extended family can add funds. When you fund an e-Wallet, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to a giving initiative called Share the Fair™.

Your contributions directly support our students who need help buying books from the fair. We appreciate your support during our book fair!

Students should use the 5 Star app to see and sign up for any after-school clubs/activities/teacher assistance. https://www.5starstudents.com/faissms/activities

Club Schedule: Faiss MS Club Schedule

Tutoring Schedule: Faiss Tutoring Schedule

For the 2024-25 school year, breakfast and lunch are free to all students.

The Clark County School District participates in the Community Eligibility Provision of the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act districtwide. It will provide free school meals to all students during the school year.

Faiss MS Menu Options

Other options for lunch:

• Students can bring lunch from home
• Student store has snacks/drinks for sale, costing $1-$3 per item. There are also vending machines that sell snacks/drinks that take cash/card/mobile pay.
• We will have Chick-fil-A on Mondays, Panda Express Box on Wednesdays, and Canes on Fridays.

During the 2024-2025 school year there is a new item you should make sure your child has every morning. The purpose of the change is to ensure staff can identify all students. Starting August 12, 2024, all students in Grades 6–12 at Clark County School District secondary schools must wear ID badges. On the first day of school, Faiss students will receive a breakaway lanyard in their house color and a temporary ID badge. Picture day is August 15th and 16th, with permanent IDs distributed on August 19th.

To view a video regarding required student ID badges, click here.

Morning Procedure: Our campus opens at 7:30 am with entry only through the front gate and bus lot/cafeteria door. Staff will direct students with ID badges and lanyards; those without will be noted and given a temporary ID sticker.

Reprint Process: Students can buy replacement IDs ($2) or lanyards ($3) from Mr. Stoker in the front office during designated hallway times in the 1st Block. Paid students will receive a green sticker and be removed from the lunch detention list. Ms. Gonzalez will print the new IDs and deliver them in class.

Consequences: Students without an ID/lanyard must purchase replacements and will be assigned lunch detention unless they buy replacements the same day.

Communication: The procedures will be communicated through Parentlink, the Faiss MS website, and staff reminders.

IDs and 5STAR: IDs are required for all after-school activities, and attendance will be logged on 5STAR.

Staff: Faiss MS staff must wear CCSD ID badges and CENTEGIX badges daily for safety and community standards.

• Pick-up/Drop-off Procedures

  We have multiple buses, but many students are also picked up and dropped off daily. Please follow these rules for safety and orderliness:

  • Drop-off is allowed in front of the school, in the parking lot, or along Pearland Street.
  • Do not use the back side street between Faiss and Faiss Park/Pool/Cowabunga Bay for drop-off; it's not a full-size street. You can park and drop off in the lot south of Faiss Park. After 8 am, back doors will be closed; students must enter through the front.
  • In the Faiss parking lot, use the right side for drop-off and the left for through traffic. Follow the flow of traffic.
  • U-turns are prohibited in front of the school during school hours. Violations may result in a ticket from CCSD Police or Metro. The speed limit on Maule Ave. is always 25 mph or less.
  • Pick-up will be more crowded; follow all traffic signs. Do not leave cars running or parked in driving lanes.

  Safety Reminders for Walkers and Bikers

  • We do have crossing guards, please look for these people and follow their directions.
  • The only marked crosswalks along Ft. Apache are at Maule (North) and Arby (South). Encourage students to use these crosswalks.
  • Students leaving school to the east should exit through the front and use the Maule crosswalk or exit through the back and go to Arby or Warm Springs to cross Ft. Apache safely.

  Pedestrian Safety Rules:

  • Stop at the curb; do not walk/run into the street.
  • Look left, right, and left again before crossing.
  • Always use crosswalks/follow the directions of crossing guards.
  • Ensure cars have stopped completely before proceeding.
  • Walk, don’t run, across the street.

  Bicycle Safety Rules:

  • Always wear a helmet.
  • Stop and check traffic before entering a street.
  • Obey all traffic signs and signals.
  • Be cautious when turning left; motorists may not expect it.
  • Do not wear headphones while riding; they impair your hearing.

  The bike rack is near the gym at the front of the school. It is locked during the day, but students should use their own locks. We also provide storage for skateboards.

Faiss Middle School

Cell Phone Policy

2024-2025

CELL PHONES

CCSD is taking an innovative approach to promote a healthy learning environment. Students in Grades 6 to 12 must put away their cell phones while in the classroom.

Technology is a valuable tool to assist with learning. However, social media, texting, and music can be equally distracting. According to CCSD Policy, Cell phones are permitted to be used Before School, During Lunch, and After School.

Cell phones, headphones, and all other electronic devices must be put away during all passing and instructional times. In alignment with school district policy, Cell phone pouches will be provided to students for use during instructional time.

Failure to comply with the Cell Phone/ Technology Use policy will result in the following:

• Cell phones, headphones, and/or electronic devices will be confiscated by a staff member and stored in a secure location if it is being used or is visible anytime other than before school, during lunch, and after school.

• All items will be returned to students at the end of the day from the OSS. However, after a 3rd offense, a parent/designee will be required to personally retrieve the item from the Faiss Middle School office.

As a condition of possessing a device on campus, the student agrees to an administrative search of the device's content if reasonable suspicion of violating the cell phone use policy exists. Parents will be notified of all searches.

Bus Riders

For many students, middle school is the first time they have needed to ride the bus. Please understand that the first few days will likely be the most challenging with bus transportation. The number for CCSD Transportation is 702-799-8100.

• When students exit the bus on the first day, they will be given a bracelet with a color so that after school they will be able to easily find their bus. We will also have bus routes posted throughout the school for students to review before the end of the day.

• If you have not already, Please download the Onboarding Application for Android or IOS. You will be able to see real-time bus tracking.

• We always appreciate hearing if there is an excessive delay or an issue at a bus stop. We will send an administrator out to assist if there is ever an issue or concern that a student was not picked up.

• Please remind your students they are expected to be on their best behavior while on the bus. The directions of the bus driver must always be followed. If your child has a concern, they should speak with a Faiss staff member upon leaving the bus and we will assist with resolving the issue. Progressive discipline will be imposed for student misconduct either at the bus stop or while riding on the bus.