Roadrunner's Digest

Good evening Farquhar Families and Staff,

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather on this long holiday weekend. With only 12 school days left of the 24-25 school year, we are in our final sprint! Clicking "submit" on the MAP-M, last assignments and projects elicit a special sense of accomplishment for all our Roadrunners who have worked so hard this year.

A special THANK YOU to all of the family and community members who shared their professional experiences at our Career Day! The event was incredible and our students were talking about it all day. We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to spark a new dream, curiosity, or ambition in our Roadrunners.

If you have an 8th grade student, please read the end of year announcements below very carefully! They will include details about turning in Chromebooks, chargers, as well as important information about Hershey Park and operations for promotion. It's a must read!!

If you have a 6th or 7th grade student, we are gearing up for our fourth annual Color Wars! This end-of-year field day is a highlight of the Farquhar student experience. Read what it entails and how you can support another action-packed competition!

Finally, as we celebrate Memorial Day tomorrow, we also remember the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. May we all take time to pause and take inventory of our blessings thanks to those who courageously gave their lives.

Safe travels, and have an amazing week!

In this week's newsletter you will find:

• This week's schedules
• This week's Roadrunner Shout Outs
• TIMELY: MAP Testing Tuesday 5/28 (Whole School)
• NEW: FMS Instrumental Music Spring Concert Thursday 5/30
• TIMELY: Library Books Due May 31
• TIMELY: All SSL Forms Due by May 31
• 6th/7th GRADE: Color Wars 2024 on June 12!
• 8th GRADE: End of Year Announcements
• Earn Gold Tickets for IXL Day June 7

Need to get back to an previous edition of the Digest? Find them in the archive on our school's website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/farquharms/.

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

• Erica Steadman
• Laurie Rose
• Heather Bruns
• Bryan Rodriguez
• Jaelyn Dunn
• Samuel Crickey
• Amber Gramkow
• Matt Green
• Lida Tehrani
• Ms. Page
• Sophia Robinson Mora
• Lazaris, Bronstein, Payne
• Tetze Hunzelmann
• AnnaLee Havens
• Vince A
• Niva Llaguri
• Jad Hassan
• Andy Rivas
• Amelia Andrews

Would you like to recognize a student, community member, or staff member?

Submit a SHOUT-OUT!

We had a riveting staff vs. student volleyball match on Tuesday! After students dominated game one, staff came back and won game two. However, it was the students who came out on top in the match-winning game. A special shout out to Joe Mirindi and Nico Jasnow who played a major role in coordinating this super fun event. We can't wait to do it again next year!

We will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress Math Assessment (MAP-M) on May 28th, 2024. MAP-M will be completed whole school following the bell schedule below. Please prioritize your student's attendance on these four days to ensure all students complete both assessments. We are also asking all students to bring a charged Chromebook to school for MAP testing. Lastly, we always recommend a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast for all testing days.

If you have any questions, please email our testing coordinator, Alyssa Cunneen (alyssa_d_cunneen@mcpsmd.org).

Spring Concert Reminders:

All band and orchestra students should return to Farquhar at 6:30 pm on Thursday, May 30th wearing all black concert attire. Orchestra students will warm-up on stage, 7/8 Band will warm-up in room 129, and 6th grade band will warm-up in the cafeteria audience seats. The concert will begin at 7:00 pm and is a required performance.

Advanced guitar students should meet in the main lobby at 6:25 pm. They will perform before the concert in the main lobby as well as with the orchestra during the first half of the concert in the cafeteria.

Please return all media center books by May 31st. Remember to continue reading eBooks and audiobooks using SORA. You can access SORA from your Clever Portal.

Instructions for Accessing SORA:

• Open the Clever Portal.
• Select Online Services (left side).
• Click on SORA (bottom).
• Click on Search (next to the magnifying glass in the top right corner).
• Type the title of the book you are interested in, and press enter.
• Enjoy reading!

The deadline to have Student Service Learning (SSL) forms turned in is Friday, May 31. All SSL forms for any service completed after June 1, 2023, must be submitted to a student’s SSL middle school coordinator or high school coordinator by the systemwide deadline of Friday, May 31. After May 31, SSL forms will no longer be accepted for service completed during the 2023–2024 school year or the summer prior. Students must earn 75 SSL hours in order to graduate from high school.

Learn more about the required SSL documentation and find SSL opportunities ahead of the summer months.

As we wrap up the school year, we are so excited to host our third annual Color Wars for the 6th and 7th graders on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. All students will be participating.

We are asking for donations in support of this student event. If you would like to contribute, we have multiple options available.

1. Monetary donation payable to Farquhar Middle School. Checks can be dropped off in the main office.
2. Drop off items (such as bottled water) to the main office labeled “color wars”.
3. Amazon Wish List with specific items, please click on the link to view the wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3IX376SRFI27V?ref_=wl_share. All selected items purchased through the wish list will be delivered directly to the school.

Please submit donations by June 7th.

Thank you again for your continued support. We look forward to an exciting end-of-year celebration and this FMS tradition.

Promotion Rehearsal: 8:30 am. Please ensure your student arrives at FMS on time and is present in order to be fully prepared for our Promotion Ceremony.

IMPORTANT: Students will be turning in their Chromebooks, Chargers and receiving their Class T-Shirts.

If your student is attending the Sherwood HS graduation, please be extra vigilant to prioritize their attendance on June 6!

Departure: 8:30 am (All registered students must be at school by 8:15 am. We cannot hold the buses for a late student!)

Return: 8:00 pm (All students MUST have transportation home. Transportation must be at FMS at 8:00 pm. If we are running late, students will call to inform parents)

Food/Money: The registration fee does NOT include meals. Students must bring additional funds (suggested $40 or more) for food and games. Not outside food and beverages are permitted in the park. Students will NOT have access to the bus until we leave Hershey Park.

**Hersheypark is now cashless and accepts all major credit cards, and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay. For guests who may not have credit/debit cards, they can convert cash to prepaid debit cards at the Cash-to-Card kiosks stationed around the park. There is no fee to load cash onto a card at these kiosks.

Attire: Please adhere to the MCPS dress code. For those students that plan to visit the water park, please note that swimwear cannot have decorative metals or other adornments. Swimwear is ONLY appropriate in the waterpark area. See the Hersheypark website for acceptable swimwear and other information about park rules.

Weather: The trip is scheduled for rain or shine. Students should monitor the weather forecast for Hershey, PA to determine how to dress.

Other: Remember to bring sunscreen and wear comfortable shoes.

Ticket Pick up for Promotion: Allocated tickets are available for pick up in the FMS main office during the week of June 3 or will be at Will Call on the day of the Ceremony. Specific dates and times will be communicated.

Location: The ceremony will take place at Our Lady of Good Counsel HS Performing Arts Center.

Arrival: All students must arrive at the Performing Arts Center by 12:30 pm. Students should enter the school via the doors indicated by the orange 7. Please be sure to park in the lot that is indicated by the green 6. (See the map)

Theater Restrictions: The following items are not allowed in the Performing Arts Center: balloons, blow horns, or other such devices, as well as, no food or drinks.

Certificate Pick-Up: Parents can pick up certificate folders in the Performing Arts Center lobby either before or after the ceremony.

Transportation: All students must arrange for their own transportation to and from the ceremony.

Our last scheduled day for Open ROCK, June 7, will be extended to one hour and will be a celebration of all the hard work our students have poured into mastering their Math and ELA skills on IXL! While all students will enjoy the extended Open ROCK that afternoon, any student who has earned a Gold Ticket by mastering 60 skills on either the Math or ELA platforms by June 5, 2024 will earn access to outdoor inflatable attractions!

Want to know how many skills your student has mastered this year? Ask them to show you on the IXL platform directly, or email your student's Math and/or English teacher. We'd love to get as many students as possible to earn access on IXL day!

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

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