Firebird Newsletter 2024-2025
Farb Middle School
Farb Staff
Farb Firebirds
Farb Firebirds are Soaring Higher with AVID
The USS Essex Partners with Farb Middle School
Important Dates for 2024-2025
December 16-20: ASB Spirit Week
December 16: ASB Spirit Theme: Ugly Holiday Sweater
December 16: Cluster Band Concert at CHHS 7:00 pm
December 17: ASB Spirit Theme: Class Color Day (6th-Red, 7th-Green, and 8th-White)
December 17: 6th Grade Museum
December 18: Holliday Movie
December 18: ASB Spirit Theme: Twin Day
December 19: ASB Spirit Theme: Holiday Hat Day
December 19: ASB Dance (1:15-2:30)
December 19: Cluster Choir Concert at CHHS 7:00
December 20: ASB Spirit Theme: Pajama Day
December 20: Minimum Day (students released at 1:02)
December 20: Last Day of First Semester
December 23 - January 6: Winter Break - No School
January 7: First Day of second Semester and Students return to school
January 20: No School - Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
January 31: Lunch with a Loved One
February 7: Staff vs Student Flag Football Game (period 6)
February 10-13: ASB Spirit Week
February 14 and 17: No School - President's Weekend
February 24-29: Check Your Mood Week (7th Grade)
March 1: AVID Academy/Saturday School 8-12
March 4: Spring Pictures
March 7: No School
March 21: Lunch with a Loved One
March 27: 8th Grade Panoramic Picture
March 28: Staff vs Student Basketball Game (period 6)
March 31 - April 4: Spring Break - No School
April 17: Spring Open House
April 21-25: Month of the Military Child Celebration/Spirit Week
April 26: AVID Academy/Saturday School 8-12
April 28 - May 2: State Testing (SBAC in Math and English)
May 3: AVID Academy/Saturday School 8-12
May 12 - 16: ASB Spirit Week
May16: Lunch with a Loved One
May 21: 8th Grade Awards
May 24: 8th Grade Bowling Fieldtrip
May 26: No School - Memorial Day
May 27: 6th and 7th Grade Field Day
May 29: 8th Grade Promotion (Time TBD)
May 29: Last Day of School
Sunday Update for December 15, 2024
Good evening Farb Families! I want to wish everyone a very Happy Holiday and a Happy New Year! I wish all of our families a safe and joyous holiday season and may the New Year bring you peace, good health, and prosperity. I want to remind everyone that this Thursday and Friday are both minimum days and Friday is the last day before winter break. School will reopen Tuesday, January 7, 2025. Please see this week's Sunday update below.
ASB Spirit Week
Monday 12/16 Ugly Holiday Sweater
Tuesday 12/17 Class Color Day (6-Red, 7-Green, 8-White) and 6th grade Museum
Wednesday 12/18 Twin Day
Thursday 12/19 Holiday Hat Day and ASB Dance
Friday 12/20 Pajama Day
ASB Dance
Our first ASB dance is this Thursday, 12/19 from 1:15-2:30. All students MUST be inside the dance by 1:15 and are not allowed to leave before 2:30 without parent permission. Students must follow the school dress code and remember they are NOT to take any pictures or video during the dance. Tickets are still on sale Monday-Wednesday this week for $3. Reminder NO dance tickets can be purchased on the day of the dance per district rules. There will be a late bus for students who ride the bus.
End of Semester
Reminder that the Fall semester ends on December 20, 2024. Students must have all work turned in and all make up work/tests completed before we go on vacation. Please contact your student’s teachers if you have any questions.
District and Farb Budget 25-26
When we return from winter break, we will begin planning our budget for the 2025-26 school year. I am asking for family input on how you would like Farb and our School Site Council to spend the funds. Please take a few minutes over the break to fill out this needs assessment. I thank you in advance for your time and thoughts. 25-26 Needs Assessment Link
Farb Kids Care Projects
Every year in December our advisory classes do a Farb Kids Care Project. This year our 6th grade team is collecting items for the Food Bank. We encourage all families to drop off any nonperishable foods they might have in their pantry at the front of the school in the big red bins. The 7th grade team is putting together baskets to support Rady’s Children's Hospital and the Mother’s in the NICU at Scripps Hospital. The 8th grade team is creating shoe boxes with items inside that will support the San Diego Rescue Mission which will support both the homeless and seniors in need in our community.
Middle School Sports
Congratulations to our Boy’s Volleyball team that won both games this weekend; they are undefeated. I want to give a shout out to both our boy’s and girl’s soccer teams that played de Portola this weekend and played amazing. Unfortunately, we lost 1-0, but both teams played their hearts out. Please visit the Middle School Sports web page for more information. You can also contact Mr. Hundley for any questions jhundley@sandi.net.
As a reminder campus will be closed beginning 1:30 pm December 20, 2024 until January 7, 2025 at 7:30 am. If you ever have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out. You can email me (crizzo@sandi.net) or our Associate Principal, Mr. Silva (dsilva1@sandi.net).
Have a wonderful evening.
Courtney Rizzo
Principal
Farb's Student Handbook 2024-2025
To Receive the link to the Firebird Newsletter Weekly via Text
Farb's Clubs and Afterschool Support Schedule
Monday
Homework Center in Library 2:30-3:50 (Homework Center is a quiet place for students to work)
ASB 2:30-3:30 in room 56
Spin Club 2:30-3:30 Behind 500 Building on Blacktop
Track and Field Practice 2:46-4:16
Boy's and Girl's Basketball Practice 2:46-4:16
Tuesday
Homework Center in Library 2:30-3:50
Sunrise Club 7:30-7:55 in Library
Anime Club at lunch in the library
AVID Club at 7/8 Lunch room 33
Good News Club 2:30-3:30 in room 56
Yearbook: 2:30-3:30 in room 25
Farb Firebird Drawing Club: 2:30-3:00 room 44
Spin Club 2:30-3:30 Behind 500 Building on Blacktop
Wednesday
Homework Center in Library 2:30-3:50
Comic Book Club 6th grade lunch in library
Teens Make Health Happen 2:30-3:30 room 62
D and D Club 2:30-3:30 in room 32
Track and Field Practice 2:46-4:16
Boy's and Girl's Basketball Practice 2:46-4:16
Thursday
Military Kids Club 1:05-2:05 (Meeting in the lunch Court)
Friday
Science Club Friday during advisory
JS2S Club: Lunch in the library
Upcoming Clubs: We will keep you posted when the club below being
Soccer Club/Trainer Training: Tuesday and Thursday
Neurodiversity Club
Theater Club
Safe Club
Language Academy (Spanish, French and ASL)
Other Clubs will be added through out the year. If a student is interested in starting a club, please see Mrs. Rizzo.
School Office Contact Information
Farb Office Support: 858-397-6750
School Office Hours
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Thursday and Fridays 7:30 am - 3:00
(Please note: 1st and 3rd Thursday's of the month the office closes at 2:00 for meetings)
Attendance and General Questions (Spanish)
Melissa Cantua: mcantua@sandi.net
Enrollment, Moving, or Request for Records
Monica Cortez mcortez@sandi.net
Attendance or Contracts
Cherri Hill chill3@sandi.net
Parent Portal/Powerschool Questions
Greg Zambrano gzambrano@sandi.net
Health Office
Health Tech: Liz Martinez (TWF) lmartinez9@sandi.net
Health Tech: Christi-Ann Gifford (Thursdays) cgifford@sandi.net
Nurse: Lisa Sacco (M and Th) lsacco@sandi.net
Finance and PE Clothes
Marbella Acosta macosta4@sandi.net
Associate Principal
Dave Silva dsilva1@sandi.net
Principal
Courtney Rizzo crizzo@sandi.net
Counseling Corner
Message from our Counselors
Welcome to a new school year parents and guardians! As School Counselors, we want to make sure that you know we are here to support you and your child. The Counseling Corner will provide you with updates so that you can stay informed. We will post resources that will be available to help support your child throughout the year. At this time, we are still getting everything set up, so be sure to check back in the future for more information.
We will continue to use a google form called the SSR (Student Support Request Form) that students can fill out when they would like to make an appointment to see a Counselor or the Associate Principal for non emergencies. Of course, we are always here for students when they are experiencing an immediate need, however, we ask that students use this form if they would like to see a Counselor sometime within the school day. This will ensure students will be seen in a timely manner without missing more class time as they wait.
We would like to give a warm welcome to Ms. O’Brien. She is Farb’s new Counselor bringing a restorative justice approach to the team. Restorative justice techniques are used as a way to repair harm amongst students without placing blame or being punitive. All perspectives are heard on neutral ground and everyone takes responsibility for their actions. It is a way of connecting actions with consequences by developing strong relationships and problem solving skills.
We are looking forward to working with your students. Please contact us if you need anything.
Ms. O’Brien kobrien1@sandi.net
Mrs. Schad aschad@sandi.net
MFLC: On Site Military Counselor at Farb
Farb Middle School
Email: crizzo@sandi.net
Website: https://www.sandiegounified.org/schools/farb
Location: 4880 La Cuenta Drive, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: 858-397-6750
Principal at Farb Middle School