FMS Parent Newsletter
9/14-10/2 Three Week Edition
2020-2021 FMS TITLE I VIRTUAL PARENT NIGHT
- Talk to a grade level teacher
- Watch a presentation that explains how we use Title I money
- Sign a parent/student compact and learn what FMS pledges to do for you
- Watch videos that give you tips and tricks for navigating online learning
- Get your PowerSchool Parent Portal access codes and sign up to see how your child is doing from K-12
- Get answers from folks in the building on everything from NC Ed Cloud to "when are we getting back in the building (answer: the district will be making a decision before October 23).
- Have a creative idea for FMS, or want to become a parent partner? Meet the principal in a Google Meet and chat about what you are thinking. I would love parent input on EVERYTHING.
- Set up an appointment with our Guidance Counselor
- Talk to our cafeteria manager about our free lunch program
- and much more!
A LINK WILL BE SENT OUT TO TEXT AND EMAIL (AND POSTED ON THE WEBSITE) RIGHT BEFORE THE EVENT ON THURSDAY. SIMPLY SIGN IN ON THE FORM, AND THEN FOLLOW THE LINK YOU WILL BE GIVEN TO ATTEND THE EVENT. SEE YOU THERE!
Thursday, Sep 17, 2020, 05:00 PM
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This Friday, September 18, will be a day of asynchronous instruction. Students will be provided the time to complete assignments, both old and new, with no live instruction taking place. There will be no Google Meet classes scheduled. Students do not need to follow a specific schedule, and can log on and complete assignments as they are able to. Students will need to log into their teacher's Google Classroom or Canvas and fill out the attendance form for each teacher to be marked attended on Monday. Please ignore any auto phone calls regarding attendance on Friday.
FMS Drama teacher Ms. Hatten needs an audience no matter what!
MS. MOORE - GUIDANCE COUNSELOR
I’m available from 8:00a.m. to 3:00p.m. Monday-Friday.
You and your child can reach out to me using this School Counselor Request Form. Or, feel free to call me at 919-494-2971 or email me at marymoore@fcschools.net if you have questions or concerns.
My Google Classroom invitations have been sent to all students/guardians. Please make sure your child has joined their grade level google classroom with me. There will be no assignments in these counseling classrooms. I’ll be sharing info, announcements, advice, etc., and I don’t want students to miss important information and support throughout the school year.
My google classroom codes are: 6th Grade: sekbs3i
7th Grade: mj4eu25
8th Grade: s2dew3m
How to Help Your Child Succeed During Distance Learning
Establish expectations with your child. Discuss worries, what motivates them, have a two way conversation with your child and create a plan together.
Make an academic space to help them focus. Help them keep it organized.
Stock their space with school supplies they’ll need. Remember markers/colored pencils, and headphones.
Post your child’s schedule to help your child stay on track.
Have your child get dressed for school - getting out of pajamas helps the brain get into learning mode.
Help your child use a planner or calendar and keep it organized. Help your child learn how to utilize a planner effectively. Review it with them regularly to help your child stay on top of their classes.
Let the school know if you’re having internet issues at home.
It’s good for them to have a few minutes between classes to stretch, drink some water, take a brain break.
Help them make daily “to do” lists. Include tasks for organizing their learning area and taking breaks.
Reach out to the school! The parent-teacher-student relationship is vital for success. Ask any questions you have. Let teachers know if your child needs more help.
Plan screen-free time every day. “Unplug” with your child and do something fun together!
We all need to try our best, but have patience with your child, your school, yourself, and others!
Helpful Resources
NC211.org (or call 211)
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 800-273-8255)
September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness month.
Know these warning signs of suicide and if you know someone who is exhibiting some of these behaviors, expressing these feelings or thoughts, or has had a change in mood or temperament, please seek help and support for them. Help keep them safe and connect them to services at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911 if there is an immediate threat of harm.
No electricity? Need help with food? Need help finding a job or getting help with legal services? This is the site you need! NC211.org
HOW IS YOUR CHILD DOING IN SCHOOL? IF YOU DON'T KNOW, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER TO FIND OUT HOW TO ALWAYS BE IN THE KNOW.
Thank you Pastor Muldrow From New Life Outreach Ministry for the teacher lunches!
6TH GRADE TEAM
MS. DOWNUM - SCIENCE
We are finishing up the Earth in the Universe unit the week of 9/14-9/18. We will be moving into Earth’s Systems and Processes. This unit will be all about the sections of the Earth, tectonic plates, volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis. The students have been intrigued and asked a lot of questions on our last unit. I am excited to see what they wonder about with the upcoming unit and keep that flow going.
MS. MCINTOSH - ELA
We will continue our lessons for our first novel “Percy Jackson”. So excited about reading with you!
Students have been given access to online books Sora.
Many more books will be added to Sora on 9/20 and Ms. Faulkner will be with us in class on 9/21 to teach us all about it.
We have quite a few students that have not completed the reading IReady diagnostic.
PLEASE GET IREADY COMPLETED THIS WEEK.
Make sure you are completing your FFM (First Five Minutes) questions daily. Posted in Google Classroom.
Please have ELA Notebooks with you daily.
Missed class? No worries! Go to google classroom for daily instructional videos.
If you have any questions or concerns you can email me at chasitymcintosh@fcschools.net
MS. BROOKS - SOCIAL STUDIES
We will wrap up our lesson on the 5 Themes of Geography and move into learning about Human Geography. We are focusing on the four key components that help students recognize the effect of natural resources on a country's population distribution and economy. The four sections we will be covering are:
The Geography of Population, Why People Move, Why we Need Government and Resources and Economics.
7TH GRADE TEAM
MR. COBB - MATH
Week 5! Here we go! It's football season, and I hope everyone is ready for the weather to chill out a bit. We have put in a lot of hard work in these first 4 weeks and we still have a ways to go before the 9 week period is up. If your students are missing assignments they have every opportunity to turn them in for full credit before the end of the grading period. Please remind your students to do their best to show up to class each day and participate. This week we are learning about Scale drawings and how they related to proportions.
If students have not finished their iReady Diagnostic they need to do so ASAP. We will begin using this platform throughout the week for remediation and without this diagnostic completed the platform we will not have the information we need to allow for student growth. If you have questions, do not hesitate to reach out via email: josephcobb@fcschools.net
MS. BAECHLE - ELA
Happy Monday students and families, we are beginning week 5 of school if you can believe it! For the week of 9/14: we will be continuing reading chapters 3-4 in our first text, “A Long Walk to Water,” and enhancing our reading comprehension skills by utilizing key textual evidence and vocabulary within the text. Some key terms we have been defining and using within our daily lessons include: theme, central idea/author’s purpose, symbols, prediction vs inference, point of view, and analysis. As a class we use graphic organizers as a reference tool regularly as well as Google slides for guided instruction.
If students have not completed their I-Ready reading diagnostic which they have had three in class instruction days they need to do so asap, as the results are due by this Friday 9/18. The results are significant towards reading comprehension baselines and a pathway for skills to work on and grow throughout the year. Lastly, this Thursday 9/17 from 5:00-6:30pm virtually, will be FMS Title 1 Parent night! Please come and talk with our staff and ask any questions you may have. Any further questions please contact me at: kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net
8TH GRADE TEAM
MS. FOGG - SCIENCE
Good Afternoon Parents & Students,
We are currently finishing up our unit on the Hydrosphere. You child should now understand the structure of the hydrosphere including water distribution on Earth, local river basins and water availability. We also discussed several physical and biological factors used to determine the health of a water system. This week we will also be covering 8.E.1.2 - Summarize evidence that Earth's oceans are a reservoir of nutrient, mineral, dissolved gases, and life forms. All assignments can be found in Canvas, please make sure your child is completing his/her assignments in Canvas. Parents, you can sync with your child through Canvas. This will give you access to your child’s grades and assignments.
PARENTS: Use the following directions to create a Canvas Parent Observer Account.
Have your student(s) Generate a Pairing Code (this will be different for each student).
Go to https://fcschools.instructure.com/login/canvas (bookmark this site so that you can easily access your Observer dashboard for your student(s).
Click on Parent of a Canvas User? in the upper right-hand corner of the window.
Complete the required information in the window, which will include inputting the student Pairing Code. Multiple students can be added.
Go to the Dashboard to see your student(s)' courses.
Parents can sign into this account to easily access their student's courses within Canvas.
MR. HOOPER - MATH
We are still working on learning about Transformations and have started rotations today. Please make sure your child is logging into Canvas for assignments and math videos. All graded work needs to be submitted via canvas.
I have created a youtube channel that will house all my created math videos as well as ones I have found to be helpful. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwvPLlHNElIK1GAxfJoObtoBmBzS3cypn
We are at 87 % completion of our i-Ready math assessment. Please make sure that your child has completed this by the end of this week.
MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES
How did it happen that we are in week 5 already, time seems to be flying by. We finished up the beginning of the year content as well as geography last week. The children took a quiz on this content last week, for those students not finished they can take it on Friday during the catch up day. They will have to come into their normal core at the scheduled time to complete the quiz. This week I am doing a lesson for 9/11 because the quiz was on Friday and I did not want the kids to forget any of the content. The rest of the week will consist of a project on Native American tribes.
MS. FROST - ELA
Congratulations to our students on almost 100% completion of the I Ready Diagnostic Assessment for Reading. I have contacted students and parents for those who have not completed the assessment. Please encourage your child to take the test asap as the testing window is closing. The information gleaned from the data determines what your child knows and, most importantly, identifies needs and gaps in reading Grade 8 fiction and informational texts. The results will align instruction and student assignments to his or her readability level.
I am also excited to announce that students now have access to an online digital library called “Sora”. It contains thousands of high interest texts students can download and read without the internet or can read while online. View the video for details….https://fcschools.instructure.com/courses/34491/modules/items/223063
For Review…
PARENTS: Use the following directions to create a Canvas Parent Observer Account.
Have your student(s) Generate a Pairing Code (this will be different for each student).
Go to https://fcschools.instructure.com/login/canvas (bookmark this site so that you can easily access your Observer dashboard for your student(s).
Click on Parent of a Canvas User? in the upper right-hand corner of the window.
Complete the required information in the window, which will include inputting the student Pairing Code. Multiple students can be added.
Go to the Dashboard to see your student(s)' courses.
Parents can sign into this account to easily access their student's courses within Canvas.
ELECTIVES TEAM
MR. SMITH - BAND/MUSIC APPRECIATION
-In-class sectionals for Band 7 and Band 8 will begin tomorrow. A schedule for the week is posted in Google Classroom. I have asked that students be prepared and have worked it out with their household regarding their ability to play their instrument during our class time. I realize it is pretty early in the morning and everyone's situation is different. I ask that all students be allowed to participate in the sectional during their respective time.
-I am grading and updating PowerSchool as often as I can as I receive work. There are still a number of Bband 7 and Band 8 students who have still not completed the assignments posted in Smartmusic. During sectional time this week, we will review those assignments. Any missing assignments must be completed by Thursday October 22. This includes Google classroom assignment for each class.
- I have already reached out to a few students, but if anyone is struggling with anything we are working on, please email me to set up a day to meet during my office hours.
-I was very impressed with my sixth grade band and music appreciation students. Both classes had perfect attendance today! Both classes also worked very diligently and participated in in-class activities.
-I am posting daily recaps in Google Classroom for each class. This will give everyone an idea of what we did that day and what’s to come for the next class, so stay tuned for that.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, email me at jimmiesmith@fcschools.net
COACH HARTSFIELD - PE/HEALTH
This week students will be continuing with components of Fitness.
Monday and Weds. students have an independent workout routine consisting of previous demonstrated exercises. After students complete the exercise, they are to submit the information for data. This data will be displayed on a spreadsheet to show the progress of each student. This is a “judgement free class”, students have been informed to focus only on their progress, the only competition will be improving themselves.
Tuesday and Thursday, students will engage in a class fitness ladder. This will be done during class time and I will observe students' techniques and hope to make any corrections. Students are aware of that participation , safety and their surroundings need to be appropriate.
Students have a Covid + Health Triangle Project: Covid has been in our daily lives since March. Students will need to reflect on the influences and effects Covid has had on the Health Triangle.
Ad Slogan- Students will pick 2 of 3 parts of Triangle. Then do an ad regarding covid and health triangle.
*Students recently have taken a Health Test and Fitness Components Quiz.
If you have any questions or concerns please email me chrishartsfield@fcschools.net
AIG - MRS. HAWTHORNE
New this year, is a district wide AIG Google Classroom! I am co-teaching this asynchronous class with my counterpart, Myra Bridgers. Students are offered challenges and afforded the opportunity to enter contests to keep their critical thinking and creativity sharp! To access a welcome video and information about the AIG programs for Franklin County Schools, check out my CANVAS page. Feel free to reach me anytime at valeriehawthorne@fcschools.net with your questions.
Advanced Classes
I am currently working with Mrs. McIntosh on an activity entitled the Pyramid of Personal Qualities. I look forward to getting to know how students are shaping their personal philosophies! Mr. Gentile and I are starting a project this week called Geometry City that focuses on surface area where students compete in groups to create the best town. Mrs. Frost’s advanced class will see me this Thursday, September 17th for an introductory activity that will lead into analyzing the character, Ha, in Inside Out and Back Again. I look forward very soon to exploring the historical side of A Long Walk to Water in grade seven. As a former social studies teacher, I love historical novels!
THANK YOU FOR BEING A GREAT PARENT! WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK!!
TEACHERS CAN "SEE" CHROMEBOOKS THROUGH ARISTOTLE
Note: if a teacher contacts you and says that they saw your child on other programs/games while they were supposed to be in class, they saw it clear as day on Aristotle! Usually teachers will send a private message to a student who is on other programs/games and tell them to pay attention to class. If it keeps happening they will likely contact you. If they are doing something against the district use policy then it becomes a discipline issue and you will likely hear from me or Mr. Jones.
WHAT TEACHERS ARE TELLING ME ABOUT STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
- Lots of students are logging on every day and doing their assignments and doing it fabulously!! Teachers are happily surprised with the number of students who are taking to remote learning like a fish in water :)
- Some students are logging in and then not participating and not completing work. The students that are doing this are for the most part doing this every day in most classes. These students will turn off their camera and mic, and then go do something else like games or talking to their friends. If you check your child's PowerSchool and your child is marked attended all day every day, but their grades are terrible, you may want to have a conversation with them about why they are attended every day but not getting work done.
- Some students aren't logging in at all. There aren't that many students, and most of them got Kajeets and are able to log on now (even though the connection is not ideal). Teachers are aware of this issue and are trying to communicate with parents. If you know someone who didn't sign up for a Kajeet but have no internet connection, please tell them to call the school about this.
- Some students are logging on and attending, but are struggling. Make sure that your child knows that videos are posted every day for parents and students to watch to go over what happened in class as many times as needed. You can also have your child advocate for themselves and email their teacher for help. All FMS teachers also have office hours Monday-Thursday from 2:30-3pm and you can call the school or email them with questions during this time. You can also set up a Google Meet appointment with them.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS COMPLETING WORK AS ASSIGNED
GET ADDED AS A GUARDIAN IN YOUR CHILD'S GOOGLE CLASSROOM OR CANVAS
- If you haven't been sent an invitation already, contact the teacher and request to be added as a guardian. Make sure you give them an email you check frequently.
- You will get an email with an invitation to join the class - go ahead and accept.
- Being a guardian means that you can get a daily or weekly summary of what your child needs to get done. You also can see all the announcements that teachers have made, and all the classes that you are signed up as a guardian for will be combined into the summary.
- Check out the pics below to see what a weekly summary looks like!
HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF YOUR CHILD'S GRADES K-12
POWERSCHOOL IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN FROM K-12
- See a zero? That likely means that the assignment was not turned in
- Have a question? Email the teacher (the email is right there in PowerSchool)
*A lot of students in middle school will begin telling untruths to their parents to stay out of trouble or get what they want. Don't worry! It's part of how their brain is working during this time as they push boundaries and figure out who they are as a person. Having Google Meet, Canvas, and PowerSchool access helps you to sort out for sure what is going on with your student academically. These are tools to help you to stay "in the know" get signs when you may need to step in and advocate for your child. You keep PowerSchool access all the way through high school, and it's been a great tool for parents as their children get older and ask for more independence.
READY TO GET SIGNED UP? CALL THE SCHOOL AT 919-494-2971
ONCE YOU CLICK ON THE GRADE, YOU CAN SEE THE ASSIGNMENTS AND HOW THEY DID ON THEM
FMS - A COMMUNITY SCHOOL OF CHOICE
Email: heidiboardman@fcschools.net
Website: fcschools.net/Page/25
Location: 3 North Main Street, Franklinton, NC, USA
Phone: 919-494-2971
Twitter: @FranklintonMS