FMS PARENT INFORMATION SMORE

MARCH 6-10

• Social Worker Appreciation Week

MARCH 7

• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) scrimmage Warren Co MS

MARCH 8

• FMS Parent Group 5:30pm (virtual) CLICK HERE TO ATTEND THE MEETING
• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) scrimmage vs. TLMS

MARCH 9

• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) scrimmage vs. Cross Creek

MARCH 12

• Daylight Saving Time

MARCH 13

• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) vs. Hawley MS

MARCH 15

• Remediation Week (assembly schedule)

MARCH 16

• EARLY RELEASE - STUDENT RELEASED AT 12:30 PM
• Remediation Week (assembly schedule)

MARCH 17

• TEACHER WORKDAY - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• Happy St. Patrick's Day

MARCH 20

• Remediation Week (assembly schedule)
• Softball/Baseball game AWAY vs. Vance County

MARCH 21

• Remediation Week (assembly schedule)

MARCH 22

• SCIENCE NC CHECK-IN TESTING (8th Grade Only)
• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) vs. Wake Prep

MARCH 23

• ELA NC CHECK-IN TESTING (all grades)

MARCH 27

• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) vs. Bunn MS

MARCH 28

• FCS Parent Summit

MARCH 29

• Softball/Baseball game AWAY vs. Cross Creek

APRIL 3-7

• Assistant Principal Appreciation Week

APRIL 4

• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) vs. North Granville MS

APRIL 5

• FMS Parent Group (virtual) 5:30pm

APRIL 6

• Softball/Baseball game AWAY vs. Cedar Creek

APRIL 7 - APRIL 16

• SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

APRIL 18

• Softball/Baseball game AWAY vs. Terrell Lane

APRIL 20

• Softball/Baseball game HOME (Franklinton Park 4:30) vs. Butner Stem MS

APRIL 24

• MATH NC CHECK-IN TESTING (all grades)

APRIL 26

• Administrative Profession Appreciation Day

MAY 1-5

• Teacher Appreciation Week

MAY 1

• i-Ready Testing ELA (all grades)

MAY 2

• i-Ready Testing Math (all grades)

MAY 3

• FMS Parent Group (virtual) 5:30 pm

MAY 5

• Cafeteria Worker Appreciation Day
• Cinco de Mayo

MAY 10

• EARLY RELEASED - STUDENTS RELEASED AT 12:30 PM
• School Nurse Appreciation Day

MAY 14

• Mother's Day

MAY 20

• SPRING SEMI-FORMAL DANCE (more information closer to the date)

MAY 26

• SCIENCE END-OF-GRADE (EOG) TESTING TODAY

MAY 29

• NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - MEMORIAL DAY

MAY 31

• ELA END-OF-GRADE (EOG) TESTING TODAY

JUNE 1

• MATH END-OF-GRADE (EOG) TESTING TODAY

JUNE 9

• LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
• 8TH GRADE CELEBRATION

JUNE 12

• EOG REMEDIATION DAY

JUNE 13

• EOG REMEDIATION DAY

JUNE 14

• Last day for teachers
• Flag Day

Every time I ask my child if they have homework, they tell me no.

Reality: There is not a lot of homework given to students, because students need to finish what they started in class. There is always time to get work done in class, but many middle school students will talk to their friends or sneak games online instead of getting work completed, leaving lots of work started but not completed and submitted. Students also sometimes leave their papers on the floor of the classroom and not submitted, leading to zeros and them telling you that they did the work but the teacher didn't grade it. Teachers don't report that students did not do work just to be unfair, it's more likely that your child did not submit the work correctly. Students are expected to take their unfinished work with them (paper) to finish at home or to finish their work online and submit it.

Important change: Instead of asking if your child has homework, ask, "what do you still need to finish from your classes today?" Also ask, "have you submitted all the work due for this week?" *See below for work students should be completing every day.

What can I do to support my child's learning at home and help them to get good grades?

There are several ways to support learning at home, and most of them are graded!

1. i-Ready: all ELA and Math teachers expect i-Ready assignments to be completed every week. Each teacher has slightly different expectations, but the outcome is the same; if your child completes two assignments with a passing score (that score is set by the teacher) and spends a certain amount of time working in i-Ready (teacher will set that time), then the student will get a completion grade of 100%. Important to know: if your child is not doing their i-Ready and taking a zero instead of a 100%, it can easily fail them! If a child is doing their i-Ready and getting that 100%, it can easily get them very good grades in that class!
2. 8th Grade IXL: just like i-Ready, students in 8th grade Science class are expected to complete online assignments in IXL every week, and get completion grades for their work.
3. Online reading with Sora: all ELA students are expected to read the book they are working in ELA class every night. Sora books can be downloaded, so even if there is no internet at home, students can download their book and read it at home.

*NOTE: These three things alone can pass or fail a child for the quarter. Instead of asking if they have any homework, ask your child to show you that they have completed their i-Ready or their IXL, and then tell them to read their book for 20 minutes.

How am I supposed too keep up with how my child is doing?

Please know: PowerSchool is your 24/7, real-time site where all assignments are listed, and grades are posted. Check PowerSchool regularly and do the following:

1. If you see a zero, that means that the teacher has done the grading on that assignment and your child did not submit their work. If your child says they did the assignment, make sure they show you that they submitted the assignment (if it's online) before checking with the teacher. Ask them to tell you if they handed it in (paper) the day that they worked on it in class, or if they kept it to work on later (check their bag). Remember that students will leave their work behind on the floor or on the desk, and other students or the teacher will throw discarded papers away.
2. Teachers have the right to decide how long they will accept late work. Stay on your child and make sure that if you see zeros, that they are doing what they need to do to get those assignments submitted and graded. *Assignment submitted late do NOT get priority in grading and may not get graded for up to two weeks. The key here is to ask your child everyday what they need to finish for class, and then make sure they get that work done.
3. Teachers have up to two weeks to get assignments graded. If you see a gap longer than two weeks with no assignments graded and no assignments due, please feel free to contact the teacher to inquire about that.
4. Students can show you what work they have submitted online. Insist on them actually going to Canvas or Google Classroom and showing you that they have submitted the work. If they tell you they can't show you or there is no way to know, that is not true! Everything submitted online through Google Classroom or Canvas can be shown as submitted.
5. All students know how to go to Google Classroom. All 8th grade students know how to go to Canvas. Don't let them tell you they can't log-in, or they can't access the classroom.

Why does my child have so many zeros??

1. They were absent and did not make up the work. Many students do not understand that if they are out, they still need to do the work! They will have three days to make up the work for every day they are absent.
2. They are not doing i-Ready or IXL. That alone can really bring down your child's grade. They can work on this at home online - insist on them putting in 20 minutes a day!
3. They are not completing work in class. Some teachers will give out a zero for any work that is due that day that is not handed in or submitted. Many, many students waste time in class rather then finishing their work (middle school students have weak executive functioning skills). If you see a zero, insist on having your child explain to you why that zero is there. Then insist on making sure that they show you the work they need to do if it's online, or show you the work they need to do if it's in their bookbag. If they cannot show you the work in progress, then they are likely not doing the work at all.

What can I do to help my child to catch up?

1. Make sure they attend after-school tutoring. It's free and available Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday (not open on Early Release days). Just make sure someone is there to pick them up by 5pm at the latest. The tutors are our own teachers!
2. Even if you are not able to help your child every day, you can still insist that they spend 20 minutes reading their book on Sora and 20 minutes working on their i-Ready or IXL. They can show you what they have completed in i-Ready and IXL, and they can tell you what page number they are on in Sora.
3. On the weekends or days off, insist on having your child explain their PowerSchool grades and showing you any work submitted or not submitted yet. Holding your child accountable will motivate them to do better in school during class!

Middle School children are transitioning to taking more responsibility for their learning, but they still need you to help them to stay on track. Insist on making sure that they are making progress and getting work handed in on time. Also, you are your child's greatest advocate. Reach out to teachers for more information, set up a parent meeting, or ask for help in navigating PowerSchool or setting up the FCS app. Make sure that your information in PowerSchool is up to date and that you are getting emails and newsletters.

Our teachers are available Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday to tutor students after school from 3:30-5:00 pm. Students simply report to the cafeteria after school. Parents need to fill out a form before the second visit. Take advantage of this FREE one on one help! Pick-up is on Vine Street at the cafeteria entrance.

District C Summer Teamship Student Landing Page

• School-wide Initiatives

• Graphics (for webpage, social media, screens, etc.)

• Option #1

• Option #2

• Verbal announcement (for intercom)

• Virtual flier (with a hyperlink to student landing page)

• Brief presentation for students

8th Grade Parents! It’s Time To Plan For High School!

Fast Track Registration night at FHS is March 14th

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Students will complete 9th grade registration in powerschool. Students can sign up for a registration time by clicking here and can also sign up for this at the Spring Showcase.

***ALL of our 8th grade students will register for 9th grade at FHS even if they’ve applied to ECHS or LMHS or plan to move from Franklin County Schools.***

Remember, students and parents/guardians can report threats of harm to Ms. Boardman, our principal, Ms. G, our assistant principal, or Ms. Gilbert, our school counselor, or any teacher or adult working at the school, by talking to us in person, calling or emailing us, or by using our Counselor Request Form or the district’s Anonymous Tip Report from our website.

Also, the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SSARS) is available 24/7 for free and can be reached by calling 1-844-5-SAYNOW or by going online at SaySomething.net or by using the new Say Something App. Our school as well as local Law Enforcement will receive notification from SSARS so an appropriate and timely response can be made. SSARS is especially helpful after school hours during nights, weekends, and breaks from school.

Help Your Child Practice Good Self Care So They Are Ready To Learn Every Day:

• Help them have good sleep habits (8-10 hours every night)

• Help them eat well-balanced meals (instead of Takkis and Mountain Dew for lunch)

• Limit caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas - some kids are more sensitive to caffeine)

• Hydrate with enough WATER every day

• Exercise daily - take walks together

• Help them UNPLUG

• Help them to aim to do their best, not be perfect

• Write in a positivity journal (What’s going right? What good things happened today? etc.)

• Help them identify what they can and can not control

ART: MS. CLIFTON

Our art students have been super busy over the last few weeks. They have carved out stamps, painted their feelings. The 7th and 8th graders are using the skills they learned with making stamps and painting their feelings to help them make Batiks. (Batiks are a method of producing colored designs on textiles by dyeing them, having first applied wax to parts to be left undyed.) 6th grade is practicing the art of Momigami which is a Japanese papermaking method, often described as kneaded paper. We plan on using our paper in a collage in upcoming weeks.

DRAMA: MS. HATTEN

8th grade Drama classes completed their shoe design project and have moved on to designing props to build for a specific character. So far, we have some fun ideas for boxing gloves, canes, cups, even some ideas for stage money. I look forward to sharing their creations with you soon!

7th grade is beginning a unit on Theatre Jobs. We just completed (or stopped) a unit on Fairy Tales and story writing. This month we will be looking at various jobs in the theatre that involve more than just being an actor. This will culminate in a final project that looks at specific jobs that interest students.

6th grade is continuing work in Theatre History. We are going to be looking at puppets and hope to make some of our own!

BAND: MR. EATON

Working on new music to include in a spring showcase. Spring music Clinics are coming soon for our band students. Opportunities for engagement, scholarship, exposure to collegiate experience.

In the beginning of the year Mr. Eaton applied for a grant in January 2023. Out of several schools in the district and across the state of North Carolina the following is the outcome of the application:

Hello Mr. Eaton,

Franklinton Middle School has been awarded a NC Schools Go Outside (GO) Grants from the NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council, congratulations! You’ve won a field trip to both Pullen Park and to Tree Runner Adventure Park. The NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council will be reaching out to you soon with further information about this opportunity. Congratulations again, and we are so happy to share this news with you.

Suzanna Lee

Legislative Assistant

The Office of Senator Lisa S. Barnes

Senate District 11/Franklin, Vance, and Nash Counties

628 Legislative Office Building

300 North Salisbury St.

Raleigh, NC 27601-2808

SCIENCE: MS. DOWNUM

We are working on a unit called Matter. We have been diving deeper into solids, liquids, gasses, physical properties such as boiling and freezing points, and the table of elements. The test is tentatively scheduled for the 28th of March. This will fluctuate based on student learning and unexpected changes in the schedule.

Please make sure your student has pencils and paper. I have gone through my entire supply for the year which I provided at the start of the year.

SOCIAL STUDIES:

Students will be taking their unit test Wednesday or Thursday depending on how they do with review. Their grades are current in PowerSchool and being tracked by Ms. Downum please be patient with her as she is taking care of two classes grades.

MATH: MR. MITCHELL

Instruction:

Please ensure students are still completing the 60 minutes and 2 lessons passed in iReady! This greatly contributes to grades so keep up the encouragement!

Tutoring:

Tutoring is offered M,W,Th from 3:30 to 5:00pm. This is the place to be if your student has make-up work or needs extra assistance.

Classroom:

Please check in with your student to ensure they have the necessary school supplies - mainly pencils! I’ve been noticing a continued lack of preparation on the students' part so please help your students as much as you can in this regard.

All in all, your students have been hard at work working towards preparation for EOGs. Our school came in a competitive place during this past Check-in, and we are continuing the trend so far with our weekly ProBowls.

As always, if you have any questions please reach out to me at brandonmitchell@fcschools.net

SOCIAL STUDIES: MR. JONES

Hello all and happy March! In class this week we are wrapping up the Roaring 20’s and Great Depression unit and will begin World War 2 next week. Students will learn about the rise of dictators in Europe and the course of the war. They will also spend time researching the Holocaust. I know it is a sensitive and heavy topic so if there are any concerns you may have, feel free to reach out to me at any point.

Quarter 3 is quickly coming to a close along with the school year. Please encourage your students to put in their best effort and to turn in assignments on time. The most common reason that students are failing my course is because they do not turn in their classwork.

MATH: MS. JENKINS

March Math Madness! March is an exciting month for math scholars around the world. We will be exploring interesting math facts and discovering math all around us. We look forward to celebrating Pi Day on March 14th. We continue work on Unit 5, Reasoning with Equations and Inequalities. This week we are focusing on angle relationships and the Triangle Inequality Theorem. We are learning to create equations and solve for missing values using our understanding of complementary, supplementary, and vertical angles. Students are encouraged to study the vocabulary daily. Please encourage our students to complete their daily classroom assignments and homework. Homework is only issued if students do not complete their work in class or have make-up assignments. The Unit 5 Test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday. Study, study, study.

Things to remember

Bring your materials (Chromebooks(charged), notebooks, and pencils) to class daily.

Get a good night's rest and come to class prepared to learn.

Math I-Ready assignments are important. You are required to complete 45 minutes of study time with two passing lessons each week.

Believe in yourself, you can do it!

Keep up the hard work. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at litishajenkins@fcschools.net.

ELA: MS. BAECHLE:

Happy March students and families, we are currently in our final three weeks of Q3 if you can believe it. Now is the time to keep the momentum going!

Curriculum:

In addition, poetry will be a strong focus within our next unit (Unit 3 on Frederick Douglass and Slavery), as well as our final project of the year, a social issue research paper and presentation (this will likely take place from the middle of Q3 to the middle of Q4). Please see the permission letter below which was sent home last Friday for students and guardians to view and select a social issue topic for their research paper project. I have also attached the project outline/rubric. It is critical that students complete the required work each week and reach out if additional support is needed.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oPykoLE60SbiP-SF25OJlv2Ec8th7YXb_V5StmBP_a4/edit?usp=sharing (guardian letter).

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x1SbVnRixJHN4lBKpBEhfi45lsYePFUHlBWFDzQqMic/edit?usp=sharing (project outline/rubric.).

Remediation for Check In three:

On the 15th, 16th, 20th, and 21st of March we will be covering content specific skill-sets and standards in order to best prepare for our third check in on the year. We will be focusing on topics which need additional practice including: figurative language, text structure, and denotation vs. connotation.

I-Ready:

Please be sure students are completing I-Ready weekly (2 passing lessons and 45 minutes) in both ELA and Math in order to receive full credit. I-Ready is a key element in their overall comprehension success and maintaining and or building up to grade-level lexile. Also, please make sure students are regularly checking Powerschool and making up any missed work to avoid a ton of work at the end of the quarter.

Tutoring:

A friendly reminder that tutoring at FMS is free and available each week on: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. I tutor each Monday and Thursday; I am more than happy to support with homework, challenging concepts from class, or just extra skill-set practice.

Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions at: kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net

ELA: MS. FROST

Learning Goals for the next two weeks; focus on close reading / annotation skills / test taking strategies…

Please encourage your child to read the novel at home nightly for 30 minutes (daily homework). The novel is titled, A Mighty Long Way and is available online via SORA on your child’s chromebook.

Summative Assignment Due… (Test Grade)

Friday, March 10th

https://tinyurl.com/FMSGrade8Chapters-1-8

Links to an external site.

Again… Encourage your child to continue working on Learning Pathway in I-Ready. Remember, to receive credit your child must complete 45+ minutes with a 75% or higher rate on completion of lessons to receive credit for each week. Many students go above and beyond to make up missed minutes. It pays off with your child’s grade %.

SCIENCE: MS. HEAD

We are currently working on a molecular biology unit. There will be a vocabulary quiz next week Wednesday, March 15th and the end unit test Monday, March 20th. We are also getting ready for the third science check-in on March 22nd. Please encourage your student to get online and work on IXL (through classlink) and complete at least 15 correct questions per week. Please let me know if any questions come up (my email: nadinehead@fcschools.net). Thank you!

SOCIAL STUDIES: MR. DOWNUM

I hope that you have all had a nice relaxing weekend. We are finishing up The Civil War this week and will be moving on to reconstruction. I know that I sent an email home saying that the exam would be this week, but I am running a little behind so it will probably be next week. All parents should have received an email with the questions for the exam that the students can study. I made a promise to the kids that if they did well on any of the check-ins that they would be exempt from the exam and they would have a free day. If they did well on 1 they automatically get an 80, 2 they get a 90, and all three they get a 100. I will follow this same procedure for the final check-ins as well. Please make sure that you are checking Powerschool to ensure that your student is caught up on work.

Also do not forget that the 16th is an early release day and the 17th is a teacher work day. Also do not forget that there is an opportunity for all students to stay after on Monday, Wednesday, Thursdays.

MATH: MR. HURD

Today we started our 3a Test, many students will be working on this throughout the week. During this time, so that no student gets left behind we will be practicing major reviews, and reviewing this test as well as the last checkin due to how they are closely related in topic. Because of this, the parents who are wanting the binders each week, probably will not be ready for the weekend, and if they are, there will not be much in them this week.

The following week, they are beginning unit 3b where they are solving systems of two slopes, finding intersections of two lines as well as finding the details in each line. Because of this most of the vocabulary will seem repetitive but will be all the more important due to this repetition.

Parents please remind your students to work on iReady, many students are waiting, because I do not grade it every week. What most of them forget is that I do this so they can catch up if they have computer issues, and so there is no excuse for if they are missing their iReady. Another thing that comes up a lot is students will often say they have no homework. Often between all classes homework is now just what was not finished in class, and I would recommend for all parents to ask students whether they have schoolwork that they need to finish, because the children usually do not associate that work with homework.

Students are encouraged to read for our Sweet Sixteen Reading Tournament. This March madness style bracket encourages a community of readers by getting us to talk about books we have read in common. Books are available for check out in the Media Center or online in Sora.

Kim Faulkner

kimfaulkner@fcschools.net

Follow me on twitter @FMSreader

SORA is a great reading resource….have your student show it to you!

I am here to help your student find “their” book!!

Ms. Gilbert’s Google Site (School Counselor): click here

Helpful Resources

NC211.org (or call 211)

Food Finder (FoodBank of Central NC)

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)

SuicideCrisisLifeline.org (or call 988)

National Alliance of Mental Illness/NC (or call 800-451-9682)

Vaya Health (or call their Behavioral Health Crisis Line at 800-849-6127)

How to Contact Ms. Gilbert:

Complete and submit this form: Counselor Request Form

Or send email to: marygilbert@fcschools.net

Or call FMS at 919-494-2971 ext. 298

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IT'S EASY! GO TO THE FCS WEBSITE, LOOK FOR THE AD FOR THE APP, CLICK ON THE LOGO FOR THE APP STORE YOU USE FOR YOUR PHONE, AND DOWNLOAD THE APP. EASY!

*ONCE YOU ARE IN THE APP, CLICK ON THE PARENT PORTAL ICON, PUT IN YOUR PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE IN POWERSCHOOL, AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE YOUR CHILD'S GRADES AND ASSIGNMENTS. EASY!