French Middle School

March 5th-- Late Work Due

March 5th-- Musical @ 7 PM

March 6th-- PTO @ 5:45 PM

March 7th-- Musical @ 7 PM

March 12th-- Parent/ Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30

March 13th-- Parent/ Teacher Conference-- No School

March 14th- 24th-- Spring Break-- No School

March 28th-- Report Cards Available

The 4th quarter has almost arrived. The Falcons are flying through the school year. The 4th quarter brings our state assessment window. All students will be involved in multiple state assessments this spring.

• March 26-28 8th graders will take the Science KAP

• April 1-4 All students will take the Reading KAP

• April 14-17 All students will take the Math KAP

Please ensure your student arrives at school on time. Students should get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. We appreciate your help in preparing your students to do their best on state assessments.

Our school calendar has been updated to reflect the original school calendar adopted by the Board of Education. We are not adding any school days due to snow days. We are just not getting out early. All middle school students will have their last day of school on May 28th. Eighth grade promotion for all middle schools will be May 29th at 8am. Last day for staff will be May 30th. Our front office will close for the summer on June 5th.

We hope to see you at our final honor roll assembly this school year. Grades for the 3rd quarter will be finalized and available to parents March 28th via Synergy. Students receiving a 3.0 or higher will be honored at our assemblies. All assemblies are held in the gym at French MS and begin at 7:50am. See dates below!

• 6th grade Tuesday, April 1

• 7th grade Wednesday, April 2

• 8th grade Thursday, April 3

The TPS Board of Education passed a cell phone policy prohibiting all middle school students from having cell phones in class during the instructional day. All cell phones must be kept in student hallway lockers. We continue to struggle with keeping cell phones out of classrooms. Moving forward, students who are found in class with their cell phone will be required to turn their phone in to the front office and a parent will need to pick it up. Students will lose eligibility points as well. Please remind your student to keep their cell phone in their locker. Thank you for your support.

During 8th hour on the last Friday of the month, the grade level with the highest percent of citizenship points left will earn a reward. If you are in that grade level and have at least 80% of your points left, you can participate.

The reward will be open gym, computer lab, board games, cell phone time indoors or outside

We are tracking progress in the commons and with morning announcements. In January 8th grade earned this reward, in February 6th grade earned it.

Students that have at least 90% attendance rate each month and no more than 1 tardy detention for the month will earn a lunch treat. Their name will also go in a raffle for a $100 gift card to the store of your choice. The drawing for this will be held in May. There will be one winner for each grade level.

A plaque will be awarded to the AB with highest attendance rate each quarter and they will recieve a donut breakfast. Monday March 3 is our second reward day with nearly 300 students earning the award for February.

Wednesday, March 12 and Thursday, March 13 will be our spring conferences this year. AB teachers will reach out to schedule a conference with you, and you are invited to stop by all of your student’s other teachers to catch up on current performance in each class. ELA and Math teachers will be in the commons, History, Science and all related arts teachers will be in the gym. Students are strongly encouraged to attend with you and bring their Chromebooks to share a slide show they have created.

The online store at H & H Designs is open until March 14 if the Easter Bunny would like to bring your student some Falcon Spirit Wear! It says the deadline is February 23rd but it has been extended due to snow days!

We are thrilled to announce the upcoming school musical production of Matilda Jr., based on the beloved book by Roald Dahl! Join us for an evening full of laughter, adventure, and heartwarming moments as our talented students bring this magical story to life.

Dates:

• March 5 & 7

• Time: 7:00 PM

• Cost: $5 per ticket

• March 6 - Understudy performance at 3:30PM, $5 per ticket

Matilda, the extraordinary little girl with a big heart and even bigger brain, takes center stage in this whimsical, fast-paced musical. With her remarkable intelligence, Matilda challenges the cruel and eccentric Miss Trunchbull, while forging lasting friendships and standing up for what's right.

From the catchy songs to the memorable characters, Matilda Jr. promises to be an unforgettable experience for the whole family. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to support our hardworking students and enjoy an evening of theater magic.

We can’t wait to see you there for an unforgettable night of fun, laughter, and inspiration!

Attendance is important and is essential to good performance in school. Good attendance is a life skill that students need to be successful in middle school and life after middle school. Absences add up and even if your child only misses a day or two every few weeks this can add up and lower their chances of graduating. Research shows that students who have an attendance rate below 95% have lower test and achievement scores than those above the 95% rate. We ask that you help your child by discussing the importance of good attendance and helping your child be at school. You can help your child by only keeping them home if they are sick, making appointments when possible when school is not in session, and planning vacations when school is not in session. Attendance is taken for every class. If your student is absent from a class you will get an automated phone call in the evening to let you know they missed one or more classes. Please call our office or send a note when your student is absent from school. Without an excuse, absences are considered unexcused and that can lead to truancy. Truancy is defined as 3 unexcused days in a row, 5 unexcused days in a semester, or 7 unexcused days in a year. If you are having difficulties with getting your child to school and need assistance you can call our counselors or social worker for help. Thank you for making attendance a priority for your child.

Mark your calendars for March 10th and 11th because the Topeka Zoo is bringing the wild side of learning straight to our 7th and 8th graders!

• 7th graders will dive into The Flow of Energy through an Ecosystem, discovering how every critter plays a part in nature’s great balancing act.
• 8th graders will explore Human Impact on Animals, uncovering the ways people and wildlife are connected — for better or worse.

But that’s not all! The zoo team is packing their visit with games, hands-on activities, and even some amazing animal guests for students to meet up close. Get ready for a wild learning adventure you won’t want to miss!

Boys Tennis, Boys and Girls Track and Girls Soccer started March 25th, the day the students returned from Spring Break. Students wanting to participate need to be passing 5 classes at the end of the 3rd quarter grades and have all eligibility points. A sports physical signed by a doctor also needs to be on file before any participant may practice.

All meets and games are updated on our school website calendar. Admission for track and soccer is $2.00 at the gate.

Head Coaches-

Boys Tennis- Mr. Renfro (drenfro@tps501.org)

Track- Mr. Mellen (bmellen@tps501.org)

Girls Soccer- Ms. Hirt(thirt@tps501.org)

Requirements for all athletics:

Must pass 5 classes the previous quarter to be eligible.

Must have an updated physical signed by a licensed physician and head concussion sheet signed by parents.

Must have eligibility points left for the current quarter, each student starts with 10 points.

Must participate in practice to participate in games/meets.

Must follow the coach's rules and guidelines to be in good standing.

Must be passing all classes the week of a game to be eligible to play in that week's game/meet.

General reminder:

French is a member school of KSHSAA and must follow and abide by the rules and guidelines set by the governing body of KSHSAA.

KSHSAA RULE 22 : A student who is a member of a school athletic, scholars bowl or debate squad effective Tuesday following Labor Day through Friday preceding Memorial Day may not participate as a member of an outside team or as an independent competitor in the same sport, scholars bowl or debate activity during the school season.

Athletes in the spring sports of tennis, soccer and track must know and abide by this rule.

All questions to be addressed by Tim Wilson- 438-4162 or twilson@tps501.org

Please see our school website for more detailed information as well as our calendar of events.

Spring break is an opportunity for children to take a break from school related responsibilities and decompress. During this time, it is important to rest, relax, and practice self-care. Here is a list of some things you might do to meet your needs over the break.

• Sleep -Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep each night.

• Clean your room - A clean room may improve your mood.

• Spend time outside - Spending time in nature has been shown to improve physical and mental health.

• Spend time with family and friends

National Nutrition Month® is an annual campaign created over 50 years ago in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. During the month of March, everyone is invited to learn about making informed food choices and developing healthful eating and physical activity habits. This year's theme is "Fuel for the Future." Visit National Nutrition Month® for tips on healthy eating and recipes to try.

• Enjoy more plant-based meals and snacks.

• Purchase foods with minimal packaging.

• Buy foods in season and shop locally when possible.

• Start a container or backyard garden to grow food at home.

• Ask your doctor for a referral to an RDN.

• Find an RDN who specializes in your unique needs.

• Learn how nutrient needs may change with age.

• Receive personalized nutrition information to meet your health goals

• Plan your meals and snacks.

• See what food you have at home before purchasing more.

• Use a grocery list and shop sales when purchasing food.

• Learn about community resources such as SNAP, WIC and local food banks.

• Include your favorite cultural foods and traditions.

• Eat foods in various forms including fresh, frozen, canned and dried.

• Avoid fad diets that promote unnecessary restrictions.

• Practice gratitude for your body by giving it the fuel it needs.

• Learn cooking and meal preparation skills.

• Try new flavors and foods from around the world.

• Find creative ways to use leftovers rather than tossing them.

• Create happy memories by eating with friends and family when possible.

Save the date! Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year will open online in April 2025. Families are encouraged to register early, as we anticipate classes filling up quickly again this year.

Information regarding enrollment, school supply lists, and other items for families to prepare for next year will be available in April at topekapublicschools.net. View the 2025-2026 Academic Calendar here.

As the weather begins to cool, we want to remind families and staff of school closing notification procedures.

As we make decisions about closing school, a number of factors come into play, including the safety of travel but also the safety of students who will be home during the day.

Should school be canceled, we will:

• Send a text, email, and/or phone call via SchoolMessenger
• Update the district social media pages
• Update the district website
• Contact our local media partners

To sign up for text message updates, text Y to 67587. To learn more about school delays and closures, please review our How We Communicate With Families document.

TPS Weather Notifications

As the weather begins to cool, we want to remind families and staff of school closing notification procedures.

As we make decisions about closing school, a number of factors come into play, including the safety of travel but also the safety of students who will be home during the day.

Should school be canceled, we will:

• Send a text, email, and/or phone call via SchoolMessenger
• Update the district social media pages
• Update the district website
• Contact our local media partners

To sign up for text message updates, text Y to 67587. To learn more about school delays and closures, please review our How We Communicate With Families document.

BULLYING POLICY

French Middle School will not tolerate bullying of any kind. Bullying is defined as any ongoing verbal or physical mistreatment where there is an imbalance of power, and the target/victim is exposed repeatedly to negative actions by one or more students. Bullying can be direct (physical or verbal), or indirect (exclusion, cyber-bullying, emotional). In order for everyone to feel safe and secure at school, every Topeka Public School has adopted the following rules against bullying. “I will not bully others. I will try to help students who are bullied. I will do my best to include students who are easily left out. When I know somebody is being bullied, I will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.” Students, staff, and parents should report any bullying that they are aware of to administration through the on-line bully report link on the French website. Students who bully others will receive consequences. Our counselors will be visiting 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes in August and September to remind students what bullying is, what we can do to prevent bullying, and what students should do if they or someone else is being bullied.

NOTICE OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. The Title VI and Title IX compliance coordinator is the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching/Learning/Administration. The Section 504/Title II compliance coordinator is the Coordinator of College and Career Ready Services. For employment, the EEO/AA officer is the General Director of Human Resources. All compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000. The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3045 or by writing to 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294.