Roadrunner's Digest

Dear Farquhar Families and Staff,

As we begin another exciting week, we’re celebrating the successful wrap-up of Outdoor Education! Our students had a fantastic time exploring, learning, and creating lasting memories. A heartfelt thank-you to the dedicated staff and parent volunteers who made this wonderful experience possible.

Parent-teacher conference sign-ups are now live! Individual conferences with teachers will take place on Monday, November 25, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. You can schedule an appointment through the Synergy ParentVUE Conferences tab. Prefer something more informal? Drop-in visits are available that evening from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the FMS gym and cafeteria—no appointment needed.

If you cannot secure a conference time that fits your schedule, please reach out to teachers to arrange a meeting after Thanksgiving break. Maintaining strong communication between home and school is key to supporting our students, and we value your partnership.

Thank you for your continued support, and have an excellent week!

In this newsletter you will find:

• This week's bell schedules
• This week's Roadrunner Shout Outs
• After School Activities Schedule
• FMS Counseling Updates
• TIMELY: Student Career Advisory Council Lunch Bunch
• NEW: Bookmark Art Competition
• In-School Mental Health Services via Thrive
• National History Day Info
• Yearbooks are for sale!
• Integirls DC Math Competition
• MCPS Things to Know

PTA Corner:

• Volunteers needed
• Upcoming Events and Winter Social
• Join the PTA

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

• Christian LaCroix
• Maiya Alexandre
• Nathalia Ferreria
• Rylee Mann
• Ainsley William
• Paisley Formichelli
• Benson Gilchrist
• Mr. LaCroix
• Chloe laliberte
• Libby Goren
• Eve
• Cynthia Wisdom
• Elise Madden
• Ms. Williams
• Mr. Lichvar
• Mr. Eisenhower
• Ms. Councilman
• Mr. Katzel

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.

Attention Students!

This is a reminder about the FMS Student Career Advisory Council Lunch Bunch happening on Monday, 11/18, during lunch periods in Room 029.

This month, we’re excited to welcome a guest speaker—an Aerospace Engineer—who will share insights about their work in the aerospace field, as well as their education and career journey. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about this fascinating industry and science!

If you’d like to attend, please stop by Merchant's room (033) to pick up a pass!

Upcoming Career Advisory Council Lunch Bunch Dates and Topics:

• THIS MONTH: Monday, 11/18 – Guest Speaker: Aerospace Engineer
• NEXT MONTH: Monday, 12/9 – Guest Speaker: Military Career Path

Calling all artists and encouragers! Design uplifting bookmarks for patients undergoing chemotherapy.

• Pick up a blank bookmark from the Media Center or outside Ms. Savage’s room (127).
• Bring completed bookmarks to the media center by November 22.
• The winning bookmark designer will receive a prize and all bookmarks will be donated to Gaithersburg Medical Center.

Thrive Behavioral Health is partnering with Montgomery County Public Schools. Thrive can support students in need of individual counseling services at Farquhar Middle School through a referral process. Please reach out to your grade level counselor with any questions. Thrive Website: https://thrivebh.com

National History Day is a national competition where students create a research project around a complex historical argument. This year’s topic is “Rights and Responsibilities” where students will explore any moment of history they wish to and then construct a website, video, performance, or essay explaining the relevance of rights and responsibilities to that topic.

Any student who is interested in this should reach out to Ms. Page or Mr. Green for more information, or visit the National History Day website at www.nhd.org

Yearbooks on sale for $30 until December 1st 2024. After that yearbook prices will go up to $35. You can purchase a yearbook here at https://yearbookforever.com/ . Pre-order a yearbook today!

The D.C. chapter of INTEGIRLS is hosting a beginner-friendly, in-person math competition Saturday, December 14th from 9 am - 4 pm at the Bioscience Education Center at Montgomery College Germantown Campus! Our mission at INTEGIRLS is to encourage girls and non-binaries in STEM fields through math competitions and events. This year, we will have math competition rounds (individual and team), an estimathon, a speaker event, awards ceremony, provided lunch, and lots of fun STEM activities. Teams of up to 4 students will be able to connect with and enjoy math with other girls and non-binaries around the DMV. There will be a lot of prizes and fun swag for all participants.

Register here directly or go to the INTEGIRLS D.C. website (dc.integirls.org) to learn more about the competition. If you have questions, please contact Isha Joshi at isha@integirls.org.

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!

• MLK Day of Service- January 2025: More details forthcoming.
• Winter Social- January 31, 2025 from 6-8pm at FMS. We will be seeking volunteers to chaperone the winter social! Stay tuned.

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