FMS PARENT SMORE UPDATES
September 19, 2022
DOWNLOAD THE NEW FCS APP!
- View grades
- View attendance
- View bus info
- View the lunch menu
- Access school and staff info
- Receive important alerts
- View news stories
- View calendar info
IT'S EASY! SEARCH "FRANKLIN COUNTY SCHOOLS" AND LOOK FOR THE APP ON APP STORE AND GOOGLE PLAY!
*Call the school for your special log-in to start getting grade/attendance info
STUDENTS ARE STARTING TO TEST THE RULES - AND BULLYING AND AGGRESSION ARE REARING THEIR UGLY HEADS.
Please talk to your child and let them know the following ways to deal with bullying and aggression:
- Tell a teacher or your parent/guardian
- Have confidence
- Tell them to stop - loudly! You want to get the attention of other people, especially the teacher
- Control your own emotions
MONDAY, OCTOBER 3RD, FROM 5-7:00PM
- 5:00pm: presentation in the auditorium
- 5:30pm-6:30pm you can do any of the following:
- Check out the Franklin County Health Department table
- Go see a grade level teacher in the cafeteria
- Go to room 101 and get set up in PowerSchool
- Go to room 101 and get set up with the FCS app (includes PowerSchool and a lot of other things!)
- Go to room 212 to speak with the School Counselor, Ms. Gilbert
- Go to the cafeteria and speak with a grades level teacher or an electives teacher
- Go to the Office to get help with registration, ask general questions, or speak with the school nurse
- Go to the cafeteria to talk to Coach Hartsfield about sports
- Go to the media center to see Ms. Faulkner and an IT person re: Chromebooks and paying the $10 fee
FMS NEEDS SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS!!!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE FCS JOB BOARD
- Up to $120 or more per day
- Job Qualifications: High school diploma or higher, at least 21 years of age, completion of the FCS effective substitute training found on the FCS website and a completion of criminal background checks.
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING FMS ANGELS!
- Franklinton Baptist Church: staff breakfast first week back
- Franklinton Women's Club: staff lunch first week back
- Franklinton Women's Club: five gift baskets to give to teachers throughout the year to keep up motivation
- Hill Ridge Farms: large box of school supplies, hygiene supplies, and socks for our students
- Novozymes & Southwire for 7 boxes of school supplies and string bags filled with school supplies for our students
- Rhonda Carper: cups for the school to use for anything
- Tom and Nancy Heilman: 25 backpacks and 300 earbuds
- Addy Giandenoto: volunteering to clean and organize the FMS supply closet in anticipation of the 2022-2023 school year
- NC DPI - school supplies
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 988)
National Alliance of Mental Illness/NC (or call 800-451-9682)
Vaya Health (or call their Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 800-849-6127)
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
Sleep Habits
What is the most important thing you can do to help your child succeed in school? Ensure they are getting enough sleep EVERY night. Good sleep helps the brain remember what is learned during the day. Sleep helps us manage stress and emotions, and how we react to others. Sleep helps improve our immune systems so we can stay healthy. Sleep regulates our appetite and metabolism. Sleep improves focus (learning), decision making (choices), and time management(getting things done on time).
Every year students tell me they go to bed at a decent time, but they’re on their devices and stay awake until the wee hours of the night. For the most part, students (and their adults) are tired, and they would all benefit from a consistent pattern of sleep every night. What could your family do to improve the amount and quality of sleep you and your children are getting?
Click here to read tips for good sleep hygiene from the Sleep Foundation.
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
Read more about suicide prevention at the National Institute for Mental Health here.
Reaching out for help has been made easier.
Just call 988 and you’ll be connected with a mental health professional at the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
If your student is interested in participating (and competing) in Battle of the Books for FMS please let me know!! The number of books on the list has been decreased to 16!
I have sent out invitations to your student for the Media Center/STEAM Lab google classroom.
Please encourage your students to accept because this is where I post all my information!!
We will be having an after school STEAM Club starting in October with support from NC State!!
Stay tuned to the Media Center/STEAM Lab google classroom for more information!
SCIENCE: MS. DOWNUM
Good evening, we are about halfway through this first module. Students had their first quiz and corrections. I allow students to make corrections if they fail the quiz for a max of 70% with corrections. Most students have a quiz grade in PowerSchool already. I did make a mistake for my 3rd core and they will not have a grade in PowerSchool.
We had a busy week last week with i-ready diagnostics in science class. The students did a good job working to get their diagnostics finished. If they didn’t finish I made a list and they will be pulled at another time to complete the diagnostic. We will be getting back to science this week and I am so excited to get back to science. I have as a result of diagnostics adjusted our test day which will now be the 28th. There will still be two review days prior to the test and time for students to complete owed work after each class. Make sure to have a conversation with your child(ren) about how important classwork is to get the practice needed to do well on the test. I do not offer test corrections on the test. After the test I do not accept late work as it was practice for them to do their best on the test.
SOCIAL STUDIES: MS. BROOKS
In social studies, students are learning about the continents and oceans of the world. We will also begin introducing landforms, map skills, and the Five Themes of Geography. If you have any questions please email me at jericabrooks@fcschools.net.
MATH: MR. MITCHELL
The semester is in full swing and things are settling in quite nicely. 6th grade math is currently working through our first unit on finding the surface area of 3-dimensional shapes.
I-Ready diagnostics have just finished up, and results will be discussed individually once everybody is complete. All grades are currently up to date, so please remember to keep an eye on Powerschool and reach out with any concerns.
ELA: MS. MCINTOSH
Notes for the week:
After students finishes classwork they will finish their i-Ready diagnostic if they haven’t already.
Will we have a quiz on Chapter 1 and 2 on Percy Jackson this week. So please read in Sora (our online library)
All grades will be updated this week.
We will begin taking vocabulary test week of September 26th
Standards for this week:
I can cite text-based evidence to support an analysis of literary text. (RL.6.1)
I can analyze how an author develops a narrator or speaker’s point of view. (RL.6.6)
I can effectively engage in discussions with diverse partners about sixth-grade topics, texts, and issues. (SL.6.1)
We have read chapter 1-3 and completing chapter activities for the novel, Percy Jackson and The Lighting Thief.
Introduction of new vocabulary words week of September 26th
ELA: MS. BAECHLE:
Happy almost fall everyone! Last week we focused on completing our first I-Ready ELA Diagnostic. The students this week will be completing if not already done so, and begin working on their pathways. This year students will be required to complete 45 minutes and two passing lessons in both ELA and Math. Within the next two weeks I will be having data conferences with each student to discuss their diagnostic results and areas of growth to work on.
By the end of the next two weeks students will be able to:
-Students will identify a timeline for the relevance of the “Industrial Revolution” and how it relates to topics with the text “Lyddie” including: child labor, woman’s rights, poor working conditions, unfair wages, family challanges and survival.
-Students will utilize several graphic organizers and learning activities as adapted from our new “Learning Focus” structure.
-Students will define unknown vocabulary while breaking words into word parts (root, prefix, sufix).
-Students will master a quiz with their new applied knowledge, with 80% accuracy.
Please make sure students are checking Powerschool regularly and making up for any missed work. It is their responsibility to reach out to their teachers if they need additional support, and to ensure any missing work is made up within a week of their absence. Student responsibility and accountability will be key to their success this year!
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions at: kimberlybaechle@fcschols.net
SCIENCE: MS. NEUJAHR
We are officially in Week 5 of the school year! Last week students were diligently on learning the different types of protists as well as tested for their Math and ELA I-Ready diagnostic. There are still some students who have not completed their diagnostics so please check with them for completion! This week, we are entering into learning the different organelles of the cells and their primary function on what they do in the cell. More specifically, they should know the difference between plant and animal cells but also know they are both Eukaryotic in nature. This weeks lab, they will be designing cookies based off what they have learned this week with blueprinting the cell and its organelles within it. Please continue to check on their grades. Some students are not returning classwork assignments into the bin which is creating missing assignments in their powerschools. With missing assignments, they have a certain amount of time to complete to make up the zero that has been placed as a placeholder in their grades. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at danielleneujahr@fcschools.net
MATH: MS. JENKINS
Kudos to the seventh grade students for completing their Math I-Ready Diagnostics. The next step will be to start working on our pathways towards excellence. This week will continue to work on Unit 1, Reasoning with Proportional Relationships. We are learning to use double number lines, charts and graphs to identify proportions. Please continue to come to class prepared each day with charged Chromebooks, paper, pencils and ready to work. I encourage all students to be responsible learners. If you have questions or concerns, please email me at litishajenkins@fcschools.net.
Keep up the good work!
SCIENCE: MS. HEAD
For science, we will be looking at chemistry with a focus on the Periodic Table, atoms, elements, and compounds. For the second step lessons, we will be writing about harnessing our strengths to overcome roadblocks to pursue our interests. Thank you for your support. Please let me know if any questions come up. nadinehead@fcschools.net
SOCIAL STUDIES: MR. DOWNUM
The students worked really hard last week to complete the Iready diagnostic. The students had to sit quietly for 4 days of testing and that can be a challenge for some students. If the students did not finish they will make accommodations with the teacher for that test (ELA + Math).
We are starting the first full unit in social studies which is Geography. This is a short unit and should only take about a week. As always if there are any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. daviddownum@fcschools.net
ELA: MS. FROST
Week at a Glance (linked)
We are beginning our first novel study. It is based on a true story titled, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. “In this captivating and lavishly illustrated young adult edition of her award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller, Laura Hillenbrand tells the story of a former Olympian's courage, cunning, and fortitude following his plane crash in enemy territory. This adaptation of Unbroken introduces a new generation to one of history's most thrilling survival epics.”
Students will read informational texts to build background knowledge, annotation skills, and comprehension strategies specific to nonfiction texts. Students will read excerpts of the novel Unbroken at home using Sora (our online library). Students do not need internet access to read the book online. It is downloadable.
DRAMA: MS. HATTEN
Please remind your students that if they are absent from class they should be checking in Google Classroom for assignments. Students are expected to complete all classwork. If students are absent and cannot log in and do work from home, they will be given time in class to make up that work.
8th grade: We are starting our original stories for our original plays. Students may be working by themselves or in small groups. If students are not present to work in their group, I will expect them to do the assignments individually.
7th grade: We are beginning to learn about how to change up a story to make it original or more interesting. Our work is based on familiar Fairy Tales. Students will be writing Fractured Fairy Tale plays in class. Once complete, we will be making puppets for their stories and working on puppet shows.
6th grade: Theater History is the topic of the month. Students are researching different periods of theater history and will be writing a short paper on their topic, creating a poster about their topic, and we will be doing several projects that tie in to topics studied in class.
The Middle School AIG Vision Statement focuses our efforts toward making classes rigorous, or challenging, for students so that they show growth. This can be tackling more complex topics or asking them to critically think about the subject in their ELA novels. In math this can be moving at a faster clip and adding in a few of the next grade’s standards.
We strive to help them find relevance in their work. Students will focus on learning skills rather than just memorization. They can Google that! Our department is striving to help them have the life skills they need when they leave us.
Lastly, we hope that they form great relationships with peers that also have a love of learning. It is also a goal to teach them the social skills needed to be successful when addressing those in authority as well as colleagues in their future career.
Their AIG teacher is the day to day ELA and Math teacher of the advanced class. I am the AIG Facilitator. I work mostly behind the scenes to support the learning of our advanced students. I come into the classroom to teach and co-teach as an added layer of enrichment. I look forward to a productive year!
Valerie Hawthorne
AIG Facilitator
ACADEMIC RULES FOR ATHLETES
- Athletes must adhere to the academic standards put in place by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
- If your child has been accepted on a sports team, they must prove that they are eligible under DPI rules.
- That means that if they are in 7th or 8th grade, they must have finished the final semester of the 2021-2022 school year passing 3 out of 4 core classes.
- Once coaches have selected their team, their academic history will be checked and those students who are not academically eligible will be let go.
Statewide Summary:
• Results show that there was a negative impact for all students, for all grades, for almost every subject (except English II). These negative impacts were especially true for Math (5th-9th grades) and Science (Biology, 8th grade).
• Most students continued to progress during the pandemic but at a slower pace than they would have done otherwise.
Race/Ethnicity:
• Students of all races/ethnicities were negatively impacted by the pandemic.
• Pre-existing disparities have increased, however, the extent to which these disparities have changed varies by test.
Economically-Disadvantaged:
• Gaps widened between economically-disadvantaged students and the general population of students, especially in reading grade 4, math grade 5, and the sciences. (we've seen the outcomes here at the middle school)
Academically or Intellectually Gifted:
• Despite early predictions, AIG students were significantly negatively impacted too, especially for reading in grades 6-8 and math in grade 8.
WHAT FMS IS DOING TO HELP OUR STUDENTS TO CLOSE THOSE GAPS
- We will be pushing our AIG and Advanced students hard this year with increased rigor and more in-depth activities and lessons.
- We have expanded our Exceptional Children program to offer our students with IEPs top of the line support coupled with time to work on IEP goals.
- All of our Math, ELA, and Science teachers remained at FMS this year - no new teachers in these areas, which is a huge bonus!
- We have a robust Professional Learning Community program that includes weekly collaboration with administration and our instructional coach to maximize district resources and help our teachers to bring their best to the classroom.
- We are fully implementing our Second Step Social/Emotional program this year, which will help students to build those very important social/emotional skills. Students who can manage their emotions and interact well with others are more successful students than students who cannot manage their emotions or interact well with others.
- The entire teaching staff will be doing district-provided professional development call Learning Focused. This professional development gives teachers strategies that help to engage students, deepen learning, and push students to become active learners. We are excited to bring what we learn to the classroom!
- We are expanding our multi-tiered system of supports program to include more time working with grade level teams to collaborate and find solutions for each and every student in the grade. We strongly believe that each child deserves to be taught by teachers who care, and who know how to address each child's learning needs.
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP CLOSE THE COVID GAP
- The number one thing parents can to help their child to be successful is to stay "in the know" about how their child is doing academically.
- Download the new FCS app and use it to check grades every day. Once you are in PowerSchool you can click on a current class grade and access all of the assignments and all of the grades your child has gotten on those assignments.
- If you see a zero in a grade for an assignment, that means that the assignment was never submitted or handed in. If you click on the notes section you will see if a teacher left a note regarding that assignment. You can get a lot of information this way sometimes!
- Children sometimes lie to their parents for the first time in middle school, especially about grades and work completed. This is a way for them to separate from their parents, try to keep from getting in trouble, or try to gain something positive. Stay vigilant, and understand that this is normal behavior at this stage of a child's development. If you feel like you don't know the whole story about grades or what your child is saying about something that happened in school, contact us.
- Another important thing for parents is to notice if your child is behaving differently, sleeping too much, or seems not like themselves. Check in with your child and ask them some questions. If you listen carefully you may be able to understand what they are experiencing, and help them to process it. This is hard work for a middle schooler, and they will often need adult help to process interpersonal conflict, how they feel about themselves or their friends, and how they feel about things at home. Keeping that connection with your children will help them to feel supported and able to focus on school. If you are concerned about your child's mental health don't hesitate to reach out - the school has excellent resources to help!
- Middle school students are expected to be more mature and able to be responsible for more academic expectations. However, they still need your help to manage all these new responsibilities! Keep track of their progress, hold them accountable when they slip up, and love them with your whole heart. They will get there, and so will you!