The Firebird Flash
September 16, 2022
NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS
- Principal's Update
- Star 360 Reports and Notifications for Parents
- 6th Grade CogAT Testing
- Yearbooks, Firebird Band Support, and FMS Facebook
- Pie with the Principal - RSVP Here if planning to attend!
- Picture Retake Day - September 22nd
- EmpowerFZ - Classroom Visits
- FMS Wrestling Information
- Tutoring Available
- Mark your Calendar
- From Nurse Nelda - Important Tdap Information
- Firebird Nation Campus Expansion
- PTSA
- Purchase Firebird Gear
Updates from our Principal
Greetings Firebird Nation Families -
Happy Friday! We finished week number seven! We have just two weeks to go until the end of the quarter and three weeks until October Break!
We have been really working to emphasize the importance of grades with our students this past week. Remember that 1st quarter grades will have an impact on mini course sign ups and participation. Students with multiple D's and F's will likely be placed in an intervention mini course to help get on track with classwork and be delayed with their sign ups for mini courses. Students should really work hard these next two weeks to ensure they end the quarter with positive grades. We also pull eligibility reports each Friday at 10:00am for athletics, extracurricular activities, and attendance at games for the following week. Students must maintain eligibility to be able to attend. Remember that we offer academic tutoring after school to support students as well. We will include this information again below.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up in just 3 weeks. They will take place on Thursday, October 6th, from 4pm - 7pm and again on Friday, October 7th, from 7:30am - 3:00pm. We will be including links to sign up for times in our newsletter next week. Parents will need to sign up for a time that best works within their schedule to meet with the team of teachers. We always strive to ensure that we set up a conference with any parent that wishes to have one. It is important to be able to collaborate together and best support the learning needs of our students.
As I visited classrooms, supervised lunch duty, walked the halls, and attended athletic events, I continued to notice a great deal of Firebird pride. I appreciated seeing students supporting others and being positive members of our school culture. I also noticed some behaviors start to pick up this week. I reminded students of our expectations and what was contained in our handbook. Our students have done such a great job this year that I don't want to see us take a step back into some of the challenges from past years. We must keep our behaviors in check, demonstrate respect to other students, staff members, and guests at Firebird Nation. The biggest reminder centered around horseplay and keeping hands to themselves. I really need our Firebirds to work on this piece as these behaviors can result in suspension.
Next week, we will welcome our new Dean of Students to Falcon Middle School. Tricia Kelly will be joining our office team. She comes to us with multiple years of experience as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, interventionist, and substitute administrator in District 11. Tricia will work along side myself and the Assistant Principals in the main office. Her main responsibilities will be the supervision of student discipline and attendance. Tricia looks forward to meeting our staff, students, and community and working together to keep students on the right track. She will be helping to ensure our Firebirds are following the established expectations. Tricia looks forward to meeting everyone next week!
Pie with the Principal takes place next week as well. This is a great opportunity for my administrative team and I to meet with parents and community members and talk about anything! We love to hear about positive things taking place and people that need to be recognized or celebrated. We also appreciate knowing where challenges exist and talking about what we can best do to help solve those challenges. Please RSVP below if you plan to attend on Thursday, September 22nd, at 6:00pm.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday!
Sincerely,
Brian Smith
Executive Principal
Falcon Middle School
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Star 360 Reports for Parents
Dear Parent or Guardian:
FMS Students uses a software program called Renaissance at school. This program has a special feature called Home Connect, which both your student and you can access outside of school from any computer with an Internet Connection. Home Connect allows you to view information about your student 's progress on the Star360 Assessments. It also allows you to sign up to receive email notifications when your student completes an activity or assessment at school.
You can log in to Home Connect from any computer with an Internet Connection and compatible browser. For a list of compatible browsers, type the following in any browser: http://support.renlearn.com/techkb/techkb/10624292e.asp
To log in to Home Connect Website:
User Name: FMS Student ID Number
Password: #FMSrocks! (can be changed later)
If you have questions about Home Connect, please call your student's school.
Thank you.
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6th Grade CogAT Testing
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Important Links!
Order your Yearbook Today!
Yearbooks may be ordered at www.jostensyearbooks.com or by calling 1-877-767-5217.
Until September 16, the price will be discounted at $45!
The Band Program is Closer to the Goal!
PLEASE HELP POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA
The Firebird Bands are working to raise funds for a set of chimes through Donors Choose. We still need help reaching $5,000 by Nov. 29th. We would be grateful to anyone who shared our project link via social media and/or donated. Every contribution helps! Thank you!
Like us on Facebook!
Watch our page to learn about the great things taking place at Falcon Middle School.
Click above and follow FMS's new Facebook Page!
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Pie with the Principal
Please RSVP if you plan to attend.
Thursday, Sep 22, 2022, 05:30 PM
Falcon Middle School, Towner Avenue, Peyton, CO, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
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THURSDAY, SEPT. 22nd
PARENT/GUARDIAN INFORMATION
Retake Picture Day is 9/22/22!
- If you're satisfied with your child's picture, no further action is required.
- If you purchased and were unhappy with your Picture Package, please send your Picture Package to school with your student on Retake Day. Photographers need the Original Picture Packages to produce the Retake Picture Package. Your Retake Picture Package will be produced and shipped to the school four weeks after Retake Day.
- Students who were absent for Picture Day should come to school prepared to have their picture taken.
Please note, if your child is photographed on the original and Retake Picture Days, the Retake picture will replace the original picture in certain products, like the yearbook.
If you have not preordered, please use the Retake Order Code 69555EF to place your order at https://inter-state.com/Order.
To see your Order History, check your Inter-State Account.
Find answers to Retake Day questions here.
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We had visitors from our partners at Modern Teacher come to stop in classrooms early this week. They were impressed with what they saw! Student ambassadors in the classrooms shared about their classroom visions and codes. They talked with them about why they were learning specific standards and the specific activities they were accomplishing to show that mastery. Students were able to talk about their Learning Road Maps and why they needed to learn about specific standards to move on to the next one. Teachers were conducting small group instruction in some writing and math classrooms to help target specific skills that students needed to work on.
Next week, our Zone Principal Team, Zone Leader, and Instructional Coaches from our feeder elementary schools and FHS will be joining us for some additional classroom walkthroughs on Monday. This team looks at the learning process to see how it is operating, gain perspectives on new ideas and strategies for their own schools, and provide Mr. Smith with feedback on how things are going in FMS classrooms. We are excited to welcome them and show off the great things taking place aligned to EmpowerFZ!
Mr. Smith, Mrs. Balk, Mrs. Copeland, and Mrs. Esquivel did an awesome job representing FMS during a National Webinar this week. They talked about the learning taking place in the school and within their own classrooms. They shared strategies on what is working to personalize learning for students in the classroom. Students also shared about their own learning experiences and how the classroom tools are having an impact on them as well. The CEO from Modern Teacher was so impressed with the FMS Staff and Students. She congratulated all on one of the most successful webinars they have ever hosted. Way to go team!
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FMS WRESTLING SIGN UPS
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Tutoring Available at FMS
Hello Firebird Nation Families,
We wanted to reach out to all of you as we begin our 2nd half of Quarter 1 during this 22-23 School Year. This year at Falcon Middle School, we are wanting to spend more time working with all grade-level Firebirds on the mastery of their core content. Due to this, FMS will be offering after-school tutoring and subject help.
FMS will be offering a 1-hr 15-min tutoring window Mondays through Thursdays from 3:15-4:30 pm. These times will be used to:
· Master current standards and concepts
· Master former standards and concepts
· Work on current learning plans and receive guided support
If you're interested in attending a tutoring day(s), please fill out the following this link:
Any students attending academic tutoring ARE REQUIRED to have a plan for being picked up at 4:30 pm. Please feel free to reach out to either of us or your child's teachers if you have any concerns or questions,
Carrie Clay
8th Grade Counselor
Corey Bates
8th Grade Gold Math Teacher
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Mark your Calendar
September
22: Picture Re-take Day
22: Pie with the Principal - Come chat, celebrate, and ask questions with our Admin Team!
30: End of 1st Quarter
October
6: Parent Teacher Conferences - 4:00pm - 7:00pm
7: No School for Students, Parent Teacher Conferences - 7:30am - 3:00pm
8-23: Fall Break!
Check the FMS website calendar often for the most up-to-date information.
All dates/events are subject to change.
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From Nurse Nelda
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Firebird Nation Campus Expansion
Our addition is progressing quickly! Members of our team got to take a tour inside the expansion this past. Almost all of the interior walls are framed with plumbing and electrical all being installed. We were able to see the size of many of the classrooms; it was impressive! Crews are beginning to take down the old exterior wall to Bennett Ranch so that the building can connect to the new wing. Stairwells are all installed and the 2nd floor is really taking shape. The new Middle School Gym is going to be an awesome competition venue! We will be sharing some interior photos in the coming weeks.
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Your Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has close to 100 members and is excited to announce a membership incentive to keep up our momentum! All members who join PTSA by September 18th will be entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card (one for staff and one for parent/community) or a yearbook for student members.
The drawing will occur at the PTSA meeting on September 19 at 5:00 p.m. in the Learning Commons.
Don't miss out! Join now for only $10 using the following links or get a form from the office to use cash or check:
Parent/Guardian: https://falconmsptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/105273
Staff: https://falconmsptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/104029
Student: https://falconmsptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/105101
Community: https://falconmsptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/104034
PTSA Meeting Schedule
We are looking for volunteers on Fridays to help with the PBIS store during lunches at the school. Use this link to sign up.
Looking for volunteers to help with concessions. Use these links to sign up:
More opportunities for concessions will be posted soon on Signup Genius.
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Looking for Firebird Gear?
Falcon Middle School
6th Grade Assistant Principal: Joy Kovanda
7th Grade Assistant Principal/Athletic Director: Elena Forehand
8th Grade Assistant Principal: Tim Scheck
6th Grade Counselor: Amber Villani
7th Grade Counselor: Lisa Murdock
8th Grade Counselor: Carrie Clay
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FMS Office Hours
7:15am-3:30pm
Email: fms@d49.org
Website: https://www.d49.org/fms
Location: 9755 Towner Avenue, Peyton, CO, USA
Phone: 719-495-5232
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FalconMiddleD49
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