French Middle School

November 5th-- Red Wheel Fundraiser Pickup @ 4:30-6pm

November 13th-- Late Work Due

November 14th-- PTO Meeting @ 5:45

November 15th-- Midterms

November 18th- 22nd-- American Education Week

November 25th-29th-- Thanksgiving Break (No School)

It was wonderful to see and visit with so many Falcon Families during our Fall Conferences. Please stay in contact with your student’s teachers. Check on grades and missing work through your parent portal in Synergy. Parents can also update demographic information through the parent portal as well. If you need any assistance contact our front office, 785-438-4150.

Second quarter midterms are just around the corner. All late work for the first half of the quarter is due Wednesday, November 13th. Midterms will be posted the evening of Friday, November 15th. Our 2nd quarter will end on December 20th.

All 7th grade students will take their social studies state assessment the week of November 5th. Please ensure your student is in attendance! Every minute counts!

Topeka Public Schools' Acceptable Use of Personal Electronic Communications Devices #2945 was updated on 8-22-24. Under this updated policy, middle school student's cell phones must remain in their lockers during the instructional day. At this time, students are allowed to use them at lunch as long as they are being put back in lockers after lunch. One possible consequence of not following the policy is that students will not be allowed to bring a phone to school. Cell phones that show up in class or hallways will be turned in to the office and can require a parent pick up. All wireless headphones are not allowed at French MS.

Students who participated in the PTO Red Wheel Fundraiser can pick up items on November 5th from 4:30 to 6:00 PM in our Commons at French MS. This will be the only pick up time. We look forward to seeing you on the 5th. Thank you for supporting the FMS PTO!

“How can we expect young people to dream if they don’t know what’s possible? Career exploration provides vital exposure to the professional world they will eventually enter, helping them connect the dots between their education and future careers. This connection keeps them motivated to graduate with the skills they need for success.” (www.americaspromise.org)

With this in mind, French Falcons will host a career day on November 22. This year, students have completed interest inventories to identify potential career paths that align with their skills and passions. We will invite speakers who represent those careers, allowing students to spend the morning rotating through five different career presentations. During 5th & 6th hour, they will also visit the 8th graders' presentations from their Career and Life Planning class. To wrap up the day, students will participate in engaging Life Hacks sessions. This marks the fifth year the Falcons have organized a career day for our students, fostering inspiration and exploration for their futures.

Get ready for an evening of mystery, laughter, and suspense as we present "Murder at the Malt Shop," a captivating whodunit that promises to keep you on the edge of your seat! Join us on December 10 and 11 at 7 PM for an unforgettable performance that combines delightful characters with a tantalizing plot.

Set in a classic 1950s diner, this intriguing murder mystery unfolds as a local legend meets an untimely demise, and it's up to a quirky cast of characters to unravel the truth. Expect unexpected twists, comedic moments, and plenty of audience engagement as you help us solve the crime!

Our talented cast has been working tirelessly to bring this thrilling story to life, and we can’t wait for you to experience their hard work and dedication. Whether you're a fan of mysteries or just looking for a fun night out, this show is perfect for everyone.

Performance Details:

• Dates: December 10 & 11

• Time: 7 PM

• Location: French Middle School

Don’t miss your chance to enjoy this delightful production! Tickets are available for purchase at the door for $5. Gather your friends and family for a night filled with intrigue and entertainment. We look forward to seeing you at the Malt Shop—where the only thing cooler than the ice cream is the mystery waiting to be solved!

All students will enjoy a week-long break November 25-29th. We wish all Falcon Families a peaceful Thanksgiving. School will reconvene on Monday, December 2nd.

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 un-excused and that can lead to truancy. Truancy is defined as 3 un-excused days in a row, 5 un-excused days in a semester, or 7 un-excused 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.

As of July 2024, Topeka Public Schools will be using My School Bucks as a way for parents to track and pay student fines, fees, and other costs online.

To access My School Bucks, Parents will need to log into ParentVue to create a ‘secure’ login. Once your secure login has been created, you will login to My School Bucks to access your account.

Please see attached document for further instructions.

Girls basketball season is now underway. Games are Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the final play night on Wednesday Dec. 18th @ Highland Park High school at 6:00. All regular season games start at 3:15 and are usually over by 5:30. Games cost $2.00 to enter. Game dates can be found on our school website calendar. Students are not allowed at away games unless accompanied by a parent.

Boys Soccer is also underway and is going rather smoothly now. The game format will be a full varsity game of two 30 minute halves, followed by a 20 minute half for non varsity players. Games will be played at Hummer sports park(westside soccer field) and Topeka West soccer field. Admission will be charged at both and is $2.00. Students are not allowed at away games unless accompanied by a parent. Please remember backpacks are not allowed at Hummer Sports Park.

Boys Basketball will start Thursday Jan. 6th. Boys games are held Mondays and Thursdays, starting at 3:15 and are over by 5:30. Make sure that you have your sports physical completed before the first practice. Now is the time to make sure that assignments are getting turned in and your grades are up. Students MUST pass 5 classes in the 2nd quarter in order to play basketball in the 3rd quarter. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

Sportsmanship

We would like to remind spectators that French Middle School is a member school of the Kansas State High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) and is governed by their rules. One of those rules which, we completely support is Rule 52 which states:

ALL ACTIONS are to be FOR, NOT AGAINST; POSITIVE, NOT NEGATIVE or DISRESPECTFUL

Section 1: General Regulations (apply to grades 7-12)

Art. 1: SPORTSMANSHIP is a general way of thinking and behaving. The following sportsmanship policy items are listed below for clarification:

a. Be courteous to all. (Participants, coaches, officials, staff and fans)

b. Know the rules, abide by and respect the official’s decisions.

c. Win with character and lose with dignity.

d. Display appreciation for good performance regardless of the team.

e. Exercise self-control and reflect positively upon yourself, team and school.

f. Permit only positive sportsmanlike behavior to reflect on your school or its activities.

Self-care activities are simple. Be good to yourself, do things that make you happy, and spend time with people who love and support you.

Some November self-care activities include:

Watch your favorite holiday movie

Spend quality time with your family, friends, and pets

Pick apples

Jump in a pile of leaves

Wear a comfortable sweater

Step on crunchy leaves

Wear fuzzy socks

Bake desserts

Decorate

Spend time outside

Get warm and cozy

Drink apple cider

Eat caramel apples

Roast marshmallows

Practice Gratitude

Declutter

Spend time in nature

Soak up sunlight

Find a new hobby

Drink warm drinks

Look at holiday lights

Students who were absent, or did not pass their initial screening will be seen on Friday Nov. 1st. Students who do not pass either the vision or hearing screen will receive a referral to a specialist.

GraceMed will be at French Middle School, providing dental cleanings during the school day on Wednesday November 20th, 2024. If you would like your student to be seen by a hygienist, please complete the Consent Form using the following link, as soon as possible. A representative from GraceMed will contact you directly with more information. https://gracemed.org/dental-consent

Students are not allowed to carry medications with them during the school day. All medication including prescription and over the counter medications such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen must have proper paperwork in place and all medications must be kept in the school nurse's office. (This includes cough drops.) Exceptions can be made for Inhalers and Epi-Pens, with an additional form. If you have questions please contact Nurse Besenyi for the appropriate forms. MEDICATION GUIDELINES

Please contact the nurse if your student has a known chronic medical condition that may require intervention or treatment while they are at school. You may also complete the Anticipated Health Crisis Plan. This will give nursing and school staff directions as to how you as the Parent/Guardian would like staff to address specific situations. This form should be completed for students with conditions including Asthma, Food Allergies, Seizures, Headaches, Frequent Nosebleeds, Heart Conditions or any other condition or disease regardless of whether or not they take medication at school. (This form is required to be completed at the beginning of each school year, previous forms are not kept on site.)

Please continue to report all Covid illnesses to the school nurse. Students who test positive will need to remain at home until their symptoms are improving and they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Students are encouraged to wear a mask for 5 days but they aren't required. Students should check Google Classroom &/or email their teachers for missing work.

French Middle School

Kendra Besenyi, LPN

Ph: (785) 438-4156

Fax: (785) 271-3609

Email: kbesenyi@tps501.org

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.