FMS Parent Newsletter
9/23-10/13 Edition
Front Office Memos
If your child has not been issued a chromebook, please call the main office at 919.494.2971 or email the Assistant Principal at heidiboardman@fcschools.net. We will work with you to make sure that your child gets a Chromebook.
::
We had our first lock-down drill of the year, and we are very proud of how well our teachers and students worked together to have our safest drill yet. We are confident that all stakeholders in our building have safety as a top priority!
::
Wondering how your child is doing? Want to ask a question, or let your child’s teachers know about an issue or an upcoming absence? Simply go to https://www.fcschools.net/franklintonmiddleschool and cut and paste teacher email addresses into your own email platform.
::
Did you know that you can have your own access to PowerSchool? You can also set your access up to send reports automatically to your email as often as you want them! If you think your child may not be bringing home those progress reports for a reason, or you are tired of waiting for an update, simply go to this link and follow the directions for real-time PowerSchool updates on all your children who are in the school system! *Yes, you can do this on your phone! Need more help? Come into the school office and we will help you to get set up.
::
We have a Boys & Girls club after school program right here at FMS. There is a minimal fee to get started and after that it's free! Click here for the membership application.
::
The RAMS CHOICE character trait for September is RESPECT. What a great way to start the new school year! Your student will hear announcements throughout the month about respect and what it means for students. Students will learn that having respect for yourself is just as important as having respect for others, especially during middle school, when peer pressure makes it harder to say "no" to behaviors and actions that go against what your child has been taught at home.Every month showcases a different character trait, and we celebrate students who are chosen by their teachers because they are exemplary in the trait for that month.
R = Respect (Aug/Sept)
A = Accountability (Oct)
M = Motivation (Nov)
S = Safety (Dec)
C = Character (Jan)
H = Honor (Feb)
O = Opportunity (March)
I = Inclusivity (April)
C = Compassion (May)
E = Excellence (June)
IMPORTANT LINKS
Need to sign up for FCS FindOutFirst for bus changes, school closings, important messages from the county and our school? Click here to go to the county page.
Need to sign up to pay lunch or Chromebook fees online? Click here to get started.
Traditional school calendar for 2019-2020 CLICK HERE.
FMS school day master schedule - CLICK HERE.
8th Grade Team
MS. KEENAN - SCIENCE
***We are still moving strong in our Hydrosphere Unit. Students just completed their first quiz and those grades are posted on powerschool. Next week’s topics are all about river basins, estuaries and ocean zone ecosystems! They can expect a quiz on those topics on the week of September 30th.
***Progress reports for my students go home September 25th, so be on the lookout for those.
***We are getting our new class pet (Guinea Pig) in a few weeks. Students went home with a class pet contract that needed to be signed by themselves and a parent. If you have not seen it yet, I have attached a copy HERE. It’s important to have those returned and note any allergies or concerns on the back for student and pet safety.
* **If you have any questions or concerns please email me at lesliekeenan@fcschools.net or visit my CANVAS page for announcements/copies of notes and handouts
MR. HOOPER - MATH
We have our first unit test tomorrow 9/24 on Transformations-Reflections, Translations, Rotations and Dilations. Our next unit is on Reasoning about Equations and Angles. We will cover the following in this unit:
Solve real-world and mathematical problems by writing and solving equations and inequalities in one variable.
Recognize linear equations in one variable as having one solution, infinitely many solutions, or no solutions.
Solve linear equations and inequalities including multi-step equations and inequalities with the same variable on both sides.
Use informal arguments to analyze angle relationships.
Recognize relationships between interior and exterior angles of a triangle.
Recognize the relationships between the angles created when parallel lines are cut by a transversal.
Recognize the angle-angle criterion for similarity of triangles.
Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving angles.
Websites for Math Practice
MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES
Last week the students started working on a project on Native Americans. The students had five tribes to pick from, and then had to focus on the culture, government, religion, economy, and other interesting facts. The students on Friday also had their first quiz on sourcing, geography, and economics. Last week I also sent home their second progress report on Friday. The students will have another one to bring home to you this week. This week the students will be presenting their projects on Native Americans to the class. We will finish the week off by starting on the colonial period in the US.
MS. FROST - ELA
Welcome to Eighth Grade English Language Arts!
Together, we are going to learn how to READ LIKE DETECTIVES!
ELA COURSE OVERVIEW
I am so excited to support your child in continuing to develop his and her skills in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language through learning experiences using print and digital resources. Expect your child to read a balance of novels, short stories, poetry, non-fiction texts, and texts of personal choice. Be prepared for your child to be engaged in reading, writing, speaking, moving, and searching daily. Remind your child to come to class ready to be engaged and excited to learn!
7th Grade Team
MS WOODS - MATH
We will be moving into percent proportions this week as well as percent of increase and decrease. We will take a quiz on a Thursday, 9/26. Our lessons have moved into canvas so it is imperative that all students have a chrome book. Please visit my canvas site by going to the school’s website, clicking on Academics, and find me in 7th grade.
MS. KEITH - SOCIAL STUDIES
We have moved on to the Renaissance and Reformation in Social Studies. This week we will be completing “Renaissance Town” where students travel around the room to learn more in depth about the Renaissance in stations. Some of the stations the students will be going to are the University, Theatre and Hospital. Please remind your child to bring their headphones as some of the stations require them to listen to a video. Again, if you need anything please feel free to reach out to me by email or my canvas page!
MS. BAECHLE - ELA
We are continuing to read the novel “A Long Walk to Water,” by Sue Park in class. We continue to develop significant themes (survival), and symbols (water/steps) in accordance to their guided readings and class discussions. Students complete daily do-now, guided practice, small group and independent practice to enhance reading, writing, and analytical skills. Students will have homework 2-3x weekly with a focus on key vocabulary and study guide questions per chapter. Quizzes are taken every two weeks to assess mastery. In addition, we are utilizing Achieve 3000 during class every two weeks and during ramp-up 3x weekly. I will be utilizing Google classroom by the end of September as well. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me by email.
6th Grade Team
MS. SMETANA - SCIENCE
We will have our unit test on Plants 9/25. This test will be on parts & functions of flowers, pollination, and photosynthesis. Students can use the plant slideshows they created, their diagrams of a flower, the virtual lab on explorelearning.com, and quizlet on google classroom to study. We will review for the test on 9/24 with a variety of games. Any donations of individually wrapped candy is greatly appreciated. Our next unit is on the energy flow in ecosystems. We will also continue our vocabulary.com competitions (by class) each week.
MS. MCINTOSH - ELA
If you have any questions or concerns please contact me @ chasitymcintosh@fcschools.net. Thank you!*NOTE: Ms. McIntosh is out on maternity leave, but she will be in constant communication with our substitute teachers Ms. Williams (this week and next week) and Ms. Kearney (rest of maternity leave). Both substitute teachers are being supported by our district literacy coach, and are using the same curriculum. Rest assured that your children are in good hands!
MR. SMITH - BAND & MUSIC APPRECIATION
**A tentative 2019-2020 performance schedule will be distributed on Tuesday 9/24. This will have all music events and dates listed for the school year. Please bear with me as this schedule may be altered throughout the year. I will try my best to keep you updated in a timely manner as changes happen**
-8th grade Music Appreciation students will be taking a musical journey through history as they learn the origins of music dating back to Medieval Era all the way up through the present. This unit will be very research and project based. More info to come.
-The 8th grade band will continue focusing on sight-reading in preparation for our annual FCS All-County Band festival and Winter Concert. More info will be given as we get closer to these performances. We will also be revising our study on scales.
-The 7th grade band is coming off a quiz on Chorale 12 from our 36 Chorales for Band collection. Those grades will be posted Monday 9/23. This week, we will be focusing on Chorale 15 as well as sight-reading concert repertoire.
-The 6th grade will be reviewing music notation and rhythm this week. We will begin with instruments on Wednesday. I have a shipment of instruments coming in on Tuesday for students who were unable to acquire one of their own. Please be on the lookout for FMS Instrument Loaner Forms. This form must be completed for your child to use a school-owned instrument. There is NO CHARGE to you for these instruments. We just ask that they are well taken care of. We will be discussing instrument care and maintenence extensively over the next few weeks. Also, please be patient and understanding as their first sounds will not be the best. I encourage to listen actively and track their progress. Things will be moving quickly from here on out as with regard to their development on their instrument.
Guidance Office - Ms. Moore
September is National Suicide Prevention month.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Information about suicide risk factors and prevention:
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/suicide-prevention/index.shtml
Here is a link to the American School Counselor Association video regarding resources and information about the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why:
https://videos.schoolcounselor.org/parent-guide-13-reasons-why
This series is very popular with middle and high school students. However, many students are not emotionally mature enough to process all that there is to take in during this series. Much of the content may not be developmentally suitable for every tween and teen watching it. Also, Hollywood doesn’t always exercise its best judgement when creating dramas like this. Generally, mental health professionals are seldom consulted. After the first season of this series aired, and there was much outcry from education and health professionals, as well as parents, they consulted with professionals for the second season.
Please take the time to watch this video from ASCA as it shares great advice on how to discuss the issues in this series with your child, how to know the warning signs of possible self harm or suicide ideation, and how to reach out and help someone if they are exhibiting any of the signs, especially if your child has already watched the series.
If your child is asking to watch it, it is strongly advised that you watch it first to determine if it is something your student can handle, or something you want your child to view. This series deals graphically with sexual assault, bullying, self harm, suicide and grief & loss. Exercise your right to use those parental controls.
With regard to getting others help, remind your child often that it is never “snitching” if you’re trying to help someone!
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