Roadrunner's Digest

Dear Farquhar Families and Staff,

Happy Sunday, and congratulations to our instrumental music students on their outstanding winter concert! Their talent and dedication shined on stage, and we are so proud of their efforts. A special thank you to Dr. Higley for inspiring and guiding our musicians, and to all the families who support their journey.

As we approach winter break, I want to wish you a safe, restful, and joyful holiday season. This will be the final Roadrunner’s Digest of 2024, and we’ll return with the next edition on January 5, 2025.

Thank you for your continued support, partnership, and communication this year. It means so much to our Farquhar community, and I look forward to all we’ll accomplish together in the new year.

Happy Holidays, and see you in 2025!

In this newsletter you will find:

• This week's bell schedules
• This week's Roadrunner Shout Outs
• After School Activities Schedule
• FMS Counseling Updates
• FMS Winter Concert: Thank you!
• NEW: FMS Student Volleyball Tournament December 18
• 8th Grade: Submit a baby photo to the yearbook!
• NEW: Donate to support MLK Week of Service
• Lost & Found Update
• 7th Grade: Finance Park Volunteers Needed
• 8th Grade: Upcoming trip to Skate Zone
• MCPS Things to Know

PTA Corner:

• December PTA meeting on Tuesday
• Volunteers needed
• Olney/Brookeville Toy Drive
• New PTA Treasurer Needed
• Restaurant Night @ Jersey Mike's
• Winter Social Volunteers Needed
• PTA Donation Drive for MLK Week of Service
• Upcoming Events and Winter Social
• Join the PTA

Thank you to the following Roadrunners who have made a positive impact on our learning community!

• Mr. Vukovich
• Lorena Felicissimo
• Pat McNaboe
• Patrick McNaboe
• Aurelio
• Franco Aleman
• Alexiane Hunt
• Samuel Jones

Would you like to recognize a student or staff member?

Submit a SHOUT-OUT!

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

Activities end at 4:15 and students must be picked up no later than 4:30. Students should take the activity bus if they cannot be picked up by 4:30, as the main office closes at this time.

Please check out the School Counseling Website for information regarding community events, SSL opportunities and mental health resources.

Congratulations to Dr. Higley and all our Instrumental Music and Performing Arts students for last Wednesday’s wonderful winter concert! It was a record turnout of FMS families in attendance with standing room only in the cafeteria. A huge “thank you” to all our families who came out to support our students and our music program as a whole! It’s hard to believe some of our students had never picked up an instrument or sung in front of a crowd of people before September! The students looked and sounded fabulous!

Our annual FMS P.E. student volleyball tournament will take place on the morning of Wednesday, December 18th. This tournament has been a Farquhar MS tradition for the past 30 + years and the PE/Health teachers are excited to keep such an engaging and inclusive activity alive! It is a 16-team double-elimination tournament that includes mostly 8th grade teams except for a few 7th grade teams that win their individual PE class tournament. 7th and 8th grade students not playing can cheer on their classmates while attending the tournament during their Wednesday morning PE, Health & Elective classes. The team that wins the tournament will face off against the FMS staff during an after-school student/staff volleyball game in early 2025, date TBD.

Parents of 8th graders, now is the time we are accepting baby pictures to include in the yearbook. Please submit one baby picture of your 8th grader by January 31st in order to be included in the yearbook. You may submit your photo by emailing it to Mrs. Beil at Amber_m_gramkow@mcpsmd.org , please include the name of your child.

Also, yearbooks can be purchased at yearbookforever.com for $35, buy them before the price increases on 4/1.

From January 13th -17th, 2025 our students will participate in various activities focusing on the themes of kindness, empathy, and social responsibility. These activities will help students understand how they can make a positive impact in their communities and how small actions can contribute to larger changes in the world.

Activities will include: Making hygiene/cleaning kits for the Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless, blankets & friendship bracelets for local hospitals, dog toys for the Montgomery County Humane Society, friendship bracelets for children in hospitals, and cards for our military troops. Off-campus service options will be available to students as well to volunteer at local elementary schools, nursing homes, public libraries, etc. More information about volunteer opportunities at other MCPS schools will be shared via Remind before Winter Break.

We need your help to make this day a success! We need supplies to make the donated items. Please take a moment to look through the Amazon Wish List linked below and help us make our day of service a success. Items purchased on the list will ship directly to the school. However, if you would like to purchase items on your own and drop them off in the main office, we will happily accept them. We will also be collecting used/old t-shirts to create the dog toys. Please send old t-shirts in a bag labeled “MLK Day of Service”. Lastly, SGA will be conducting a Food & Diaper Drive. Students can bring in non-perishable food items and drop them off in the collection bins in the main lobby. Most commonly needed diaper sizes are indicated on the Amazon Wish List.

For questions, email Ms. Mason (Kristina_D_Mason@mcpsmd.org) or Mrs. Page (Miya_V_Page@mcpsmd.org).

All lost and found items to include (clothing, water bottles, lunch boxes, binders) must be picked up from the school cafeteria by Friday, December 20, 2024. All items that remain as of 3:00 p.m. on Friday, December 20th will be donated to charity.

Hello 7th Grade Parents!

Finance Park, our financial literacy program, is right around the corner and we need volunteers. Farquhar Middle School will be attending JA Finance Park on January 3rd and 6th. Ms. Rojas' classes will attend on January 3rd. Mr. Green's and Ms. Page's classes will attend on January 6th. If you are available to volunteer on the day that your student attend Finance Park, we would greatly appreciate it! Please use the link below to sign up to be a volunteer.

The 8th-grade team is excited to announce an upcoming field trip to Skate Zone in Crofton, MD, on Friday, January 17, 2025!

Students will participate in a STEM lesson on Newton’s Laws and enjoy roller skating afterward. Lunch, including unlimited pizza and drinks, is provided.

Important Details:

• Cost: $31.00 (due by Friday, December 20, 2024)
• Permission Slip: Must be submitted with payment. PDF provided on the 8th grade Team Canvas Page.
• Financial Assistance: Available—contact Mrs. Gaske at Michelle_R_Gaske@mcpsmd.org.

We look forward to a fun and educational day! If your child will not attend, please notify Mrs. Gaske via email.

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.

VOLUNTEERS: Our FMS staff is AMAZING and we are in need of volunteers to support with snacks for the upcoming staff meetings. Please sign up here. The next staff meeting is Monday, October 7th and we need a volunteer!

Our 13th Annual Olney/Brookeville Toy Drive will take place December 15th from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.! We are collecting toys and gift cards for Mason Strong Village, Olney Help, and For3Sisters, all organizations within our Olney/Brookeville community. Please find the details in the Sign-Up Genius link below. Happy Holidays!

13th Annual Olney/Brookeville Toy Drive

The PTA is looking for a new treasurer, as our current Treasurer's term will be ending. We will be sharing more information in the coming weeks, so if you are interested, stay tuned!

Support FMS by eating at Jersey Mike's on December 19th! Click below for details to make sure FMS gets credit for your purchase.

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