FMS SMORE PARENT NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2 - NOVEMBER 15 EDITION
STUDENTS WERE GIVEN THEIR REPORT CARDS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY TODAY - ASK TO SEE IT!
ADD THESE DATES TO YOUR CALENDAR
NOVEMBER 2
- ELECTION NIGHT - VOTING IN THE FMS GYM IF YOU ARE IN THIS VOTING DISTRICT
- STUDENTS ARE BRINGING HOME REPORT CARDS TONIGHT
NOVEMBER 3
- LAST FOOTBALL GAME - HOME AGAINST BUTNER STEM AT 5PM
- Girls basketball workouts 3:30-5pm
NOVEMBER 4
- Boys basketball workouts 3:30-5pm
NOVEMBER 5
- Boys basketball workouts 3:30-5pm
NOVEMBER 7
- Daylight Savings Ends (turn clocks BACK an hour)
NOVEMBER 11
- NO SCHOOL - VETERAN'S DAY
NOVEMBER 12
- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - TEACHER WORKDAY
NOVEMBER 13
- National Day of Kindness - wear a cardigan like Mr. Rogers!
NOVEMBER 24
- NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - TEACHER WORKDAY
NOVEMBER 25-26
- NO SCHOOL - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
HOMECOMING PICS!
HOMECOMING KING: ZY'MIRR BOBBITT
HOMECOMING QUEEN: MACKENZIE PREDDY
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR HOMECOMING COURT
WE EVEN HAD A VIST BY A BALD EAGLE DURING OUR HOMECOMING GAME!
BASKETBALL SCHEDULE *SEE WEBSITE FOR OUR MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION
FMS ATHLETIC GUIDELINES - PLEASE READ THESE OVER WITH YOUR CHILD
MAINTAIN GRADES
- Grades will be pulled every halfway point of the quarter and at the end of every quarter.
- Athletes need to be passing at least 4 out of 6 classes at that moment to be able to continue being in games/matches.
ATHLETE GRADE PULLING DATES:
9/23
11/02 *this pull affects football (winter sports will pull current grades for all students who pass tryouts)
12/1 *next time we will pull grades (will affect all winter sports)
1/25
2/17
3/29
5/3
MAINTAIN ATTENDANCE & PAPERWORK
- If the athlete is out of school that day, they may not attend practice/game
- Quarantine means the athlete can't engage with the team
- Every athlete should have a physical exam on record clearing them to play
- Every athlete should be up to date on immunizations
MAINTAIN BEHAVIOR
If an athlete gets a major referral with (OSS) they should be immediately let go from the team
Below are consequences for minor referrals:
- First time in ALC: no practice that day
- Second time in ALC: sit out the next game
- Third time in ALC: dismissed from the team
ATHLETES WHO ARE NOT PASSING AT LEAST 4/6 CLASSES WHEN GRADES ARE PULLED
- As long as the athlete is not passing 4/6 classes, they cannot play games/matches.
- Students should be given two weeks to get their grades up, during which they can still practice.
- After two weeks, if grades are not acceptable, the athlete will be let go from the team.
- The athlete needs to show proof of acceptable grades to the coach before being allowed to play games/matches. Once an athlete shows proof that they are passing 4/6 classes, they can participate fully and there is no need to check grades until the next grade pulling date.
- This cycle will reoccur every 4-5 weeks (every half quarter).
RULES FOR HOME GAMES
- Masks are mandatory for everyone unless you are 6 ft or more away from everyone
- Gate fee is $5.00 (SOCCER IS FREE)
- Students should have an adult with them when they attend a game
FOR ATHLETIC UPDATES GO TO THE FMS WEBSITE AND CLICK ON THE ATHLETICS TAB
PARKING DURING ATHLETIC EVENTS
- We are anticipating some large crowds this year for football and basketball
- Parking starts in the Athletic Facility parking lot
- The smaller parking lot on the way in can also be used
- The Franklinton Baptist Church parking lot (drop-off/pick-up parking lot) on Cheatham street can also be used (FCS owns that lot)
- You can also park on Hillsborough next to the school.
- Please don't park in "no parking" zones - you will likely get a ticket!
BUY A RAM FAM T-SHIRT IN THE MAIN OFFICE - $10 CASH - WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!
OUR STAFF HAS COMPLETED OUR ACES/RESILIENCE TRAINING
We are dedicated to helping your children to be successful in ALL areas of school life!
OUR MASCOT IS ON MAIN STREET! THANK YOU TO THE TOWN OF FRANKLINTON!
SCHOOL COUNSELOR - MS. GILBERT
Ms. Gilbert’s Google Site: 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)
SuicidePreventionLifeline.org (or call 800-273-8255)
National Alliance of Mental Illness/NC (or call 800-451-9682)
Cardinalinnovations.org (or call 800-939-5911)
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
The Importance of Kindness!
Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate. Affection, gentleness, warmth, concern, and care are words that are associated with kindness. While kindness has a connotation of meaning someone is naive or weak, that is not the case. Being kind often requires patience, courage, and strength. Kindness is an important interpersonal skill necessary at home, school, work, and in the community! Read more about the importance of kindness here.
November 13th is World Kindness Day (& Cardigan Day!)
World Kindness Day is a global day that promotes the importance of being kind to each other, to yourself, and to the world. The purpose of this day, celebrated on November 13 of each year, is to help everyone understand that compassion for others is what binds us all together.
Parents need to be the person they want their children to be. How do you model sincere kindness to others? What are your children learning from you about being kind to others? Help your children benefit from the lifelong well-being that results from living kindly.
Discuss kindness with your children and plan a fun kindness activity that you can do together on November 13th or anytime this month!
November is Career Development Month!
The district has purchased a program called XELLO which students will be introduced to this year. Students will create profiles and will be able to access XELLO throughout middle and high school. They’ll complete “interest inventories” and research careers and colleges to help them make more intentional academic plans to better support their future career goals.
ELECTIVES TEAM UPDATES
MR. SMITH - BAND/CHORUS
MS. TERRY - CTE
All students need headphones/earbuds for my class.
6th Grade Keyboarding and Basic Word Processing: Students are memorizing the keyboard and building their speed. Next week we will move to creating documents and learning the number pad.
7th Grade Computer Science Discoveries I: Students just finished a project where they worked with a partner to create an app. They came up with creative ideas and put together a presentation with slides that link to each other to mimic a prototype of the app. Next week, they will start learning HTML-HyperText Markup Language, a programming language used by most computer programmers. This will be the first step in designing and coding a personal webpage.
8th Grade Computer Science Discoveries II: Students are learning how to empathize and design things for others. They just finished a Smart Clothing Design Project and will now dive into creating an app that will help others. In this project they will interview potential users, conduct a market research, create a prototype, receive and give peer feedback, and use the feedback to make necessary changes. Once the app is finalized, they will learn how to design and code the idea using Code.org.
MR. SMITH - BAND/CHORUS
Band 6: Students are learning to play their instruments together as an ensemble. This has been a very slow process, but could be a bit faster if all students commit to practicing and staying focused in class. This week, we will be exploring the idea of having this group perform at our winter concert next month.
Band 7: We are well into our rehearsal cycle for our winter concert. This group has been working diligently and showing progress in each rehearsal. My hope is that we will be able to get through more music during our class time. For this to happen, students need to commit to preparing at home whether that be by practicing the music on their instrument, or just reviewing notes and rhythms.
Band 8: We are well into our rehearsal cycle for our winter concert. This group has been working diligently and showing progress in each rehearsal. My hope is that we will be able to get through more music during our class time. For this to happen, students need to commit to preparing at home whether that be by practicing the music on their instrument, or just reviewing notes and rhythms.
Vocal Music 6-8: Everyone should have a copy of the three pieces that we will be performing. We have been working in class on making sure everyone knows what their individual part should sound like. These parts have been posted in Google Classroom and students are encouraged to listen to and sing along with their assigned part.
MS. CULVER - ART
This week in art, students began learning about and using a design program called Google Draw. We are currently getting the hang of using the tools within the program and are creating simple mosaic-inspired images of our favorite cartoon characters! Later this week, we will start going more in-depth with the program, talking about layering in a design program and using other images for inspiration. So far, Google Drawing has been a hit! It is always fun to try out a new art medium, and a lot of times students don’t even think about digital art as a form of art. If your student is in art, ask them to see their digital mosaic drawing!
Next week, we will be in the STEAM lab working with our CUE robots and learning how to program them to draw shapes and designs with Ms. Faulkner (our media center connoisseur).
MS. HATTEN - DRAMA
8th grade: 8th grade students are beginning a new puppetry unit on World Drama with Shadow Puppets. They will be choosing an area of World Drama to research. For this project, students may work with a partner or they may do this as an individual assignment. Students will be writing a 3 to 5 page research paper on the world drama topic. Students will need at least 3 sources as references. (the red text book can be one of them if there is information there. You MAY NOT use Wikipedia) This research paper will need to be in a google doc to turn in (and shared between partners). Once the paper is complete and turned in, students will begin working on a presentation.
7th grade: Students are continuing to work on our papercraft project in class. As students complete their individual project, they are beginning to work on several class projects, including trophy heads for some grade level competitions. Pictures to come soon!
6th grade: I am always excited to pair up with the ELA teachers to work on drama projects that have a base in the book they are reading in ELA. This week we are working on some Greek Mythology. Students have had a brief overview of the Greek gods and monsters and began working to create their own original, new Greek god and Greek mythological monster. This will be set up in a slide show to share with the 6th grade ELA classes. We will also be working on some ideas for Percy Jackson, the Lightning Thief, as well as reviewing some of the music from the Broadway Musical, The Lightning Thief.
Student Mythological Gods and Goddesses: Our New Greek Mythology Gods and Goddesses
To our Parents:
- thank you for talking to your child about getting help from an adult when things are getting too much for them
- thank you for checking PowerSchool regularly and working with your child to make sure they are successful
- thank you for helping your children to understand the world that we live in, and how to best get along with all the people in the world that we live in
- thank you for being there to hug your child, to smile with your child, and to address concerns with your child
- FMS serves all children in our district, with open arms and caring hearts. It's not easy, and sometimes it's really stressful
- We always appreciate your thoughtfulness, your kindness, and your support - we couldn't do this without you!
6TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES
MR. MITCHELL - MATH
Math is moving through the curriculum and we have officially made it through the first two units. Students have been diligently working towards finishing up in-class crafts while studying through the introduction to Unit 3! Just a heads up that make-up work will not be accepted in this 2nd quarter unless the students have excused absences, so please encourage your students to stay on top of their assignments. Please reach out to me at brandonmitchell@fcschools.net if you have any questions.
MS. BROOKS - SOCIAL STUDIES
In social studies, students are learning about the history of ancient Egypt. This week we are learning about the kingdoms of ancient Egypt and the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. Students are working on a project brochure about ancient Egypt. They are compiling information about the different topics of ancient Egypt in a brochure format. If you have any questions please contact me at jericabrooks@fcschools.net.
MS. MCINTOSH - ELA
We will continue reading “Percy Jackson, The lightning Thief”. Chapters 12-15. Please continue to look on google classroom for your assignments for each chapter.
We will also take a schoolnet test this Friday.
Please continue to work on i-Ready in the mornings and evenings.
Get at last 45 minutes and 70% passing rate in both math and reading lessons.
We are still in the i-Ready Competition amongst the 6th grade homeroom classes.
So we need YOU to do your part in order to win that trophy and prizes.
We will also have Data Talks for the next two weeks!
NEED HELP? Every Thursday: Office Hours 3:30-4:00 (google meet code is 6thgradeteachersfms)
Please contact me at chasitymcintosh@fcschools.net if you have any questions.
MS. DOWNUM - SCIENCE
The students are wrapping up the first half of the Waves unit. We have learned all about waves and that they are energy that creates vibrations. They have learned about sound waves and the human ear. It has been a fun unit complete with sound labs. We will be taking the test on November the 9th. I know they will do awesome as always.
I wanted to mention again about behavior and expectations during labs as the cow eye dissection gets closer. I want to ensure all students are safe and are able to have fun with this lab. As mentioned in the last S'more students will need to be safe and follow directions for all labs leading up to the cow eye dissection and have all of the quarter 2 assignments completed to participate.
7TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES
MS. NEUJAHR - SCIENCE
Welcome to the start of QUARTER 2. Most students went home happy with grades from my class. It's important to make sure you are checking your students' grades every single week to ensure they are not falling behind.
This nine weeks, we are jump starting into learning the LIFE SCIENCES. This nine weeks we will learn everything from parts of a cell, types of reproduction, mitosis and meiosis, genetics and heredity, punnett squares, and more. Students are tasked with completing a research paper on a disease of their choice. Although the paper is 8 pages long, students have more than 13 weeks to complete as well as ample time in class to complete. Please make sure students are following along and also completing their I-Ready. 7th grade has been strong in the past but last week, 8th grade took the lead with I-Ready Completions. Students can work on I-ready at any point in time during the day, even at home.
If you have questions regarding students' grades or have any concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at danielleneujahr@fcschools.net
MS. JENKINS - MATH
We look forward to a fresh start in Quarter 2. We will complete our study on percentages this week. Ask your students what they have learned about tax, commissions, discounts, markups and tips. We have had great discussions about percentage usage in the real world. Prepare for a Unit 1:Quiz and Notebook Check this Friday. Do not forget to complete your I-Ready assignments for the week. Keep up the hard work!!
MR. LEMONS - SOCIAL STUDIES
This week in class we are continuing talking about the Age of Exploration. We will be working on vocabulary and writing skills. On Friday, I would like students to bring a book or something to read. I am wanting to give students some time for free reading to help increase their reading skills. We will also hopefully be finishing up notes and a project so that we can go into the steam lab next week.
I am also implementing a new discipline system. This week we are focusing on 5 main rules, stay in seats, not talking during instruction, staying off phones, not going into my cabinets looking for staples and glue, and not throwing things at people. For each of these, I am giving one verbal warning, after that I will be contacting parents. If you have a preference on whether I call or email you, please let me know. I am hopeful that I will be able to work with parents to get students back on track.
MS. BAECHLE - ELA
Happy November all! We are officially through Q1 and have begun Q2 as of last Wednesday, 10/27/21. We are just over half way through our first text “Lyddie” as well. My classes have done well with pulling accurate quotes from our text and explaining how it connects with a main topic from the text. Although, we will continue to grow in our analysis of quotes. The next couple of weeks we will be working on forming “evidence-based claims,” and paragraph formation with the usage of the “hook, gist, claim” model.
I will be assigning a new Q2 project between the end of this week and early next week. The new mini-project will deal with a social issue the student is interested in from a predetermined list. The project will deal with them compiling a letter to the government concerning their social issue. This project will connect with their end of Q2/Q3 project where they will have to do extensive research on their social issue, and put together a research paper and google slides. In addition, this project will include a presentation to the class.
We are continuing to work on a school-wide competition for which class per grade and as a whole school can complete the most I-Ready pathway assignments with accuracy ay 70% or greater for both ELA and Math. Please make sure you are completing 45-50 minutes weekly for both classes. Also make sure you are checking Powerschool regularly to make sure your grades are up to date.
Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions as kimberlybaechle@fcschools.net
8TH GRADE TEAM UPDATES
Shout Out to Grade 8 Students - High I-Ready Student Participation!
It is an expectation that your child is working on his or her Learning Pathway in I-Ready for at least 45 minutes per week. Reminder.... Go to ClassLink to access I-Ready weekly. This past week showed extremely high participation. Keep up the great work!
We continue to work on making inferences, using context clues to figure out the meaning of unknown words, and practicing annotation skills with informational texts. For the next two weeks, there will be a strong emphasis on citing evidence from the novel Unbroken to explain how incidents reveal aspects of the main character (Character Traits and Analysis).
MS. HEAD - SCIENCE
We are wrapping up our unit on energy this week and beginning a new unit on hydrology. We will begin by exploring the water cycle, water distribution, river basins, and water pollution.
MR. HURD - MATH
This week, we are finishing up Multistep Equations, being our main algebra coverage this year. We have a test on Friday and will begin working on angles starting next week.
MR. DOWNUM - SOCIAL STUDIES
This week we are working on The American Revolution, with the main goal being to test on this unit next week. The next unit we are covering after this is the formation of the US government. The kids got their report cards today, so hopefully you had an opportunity to look at those.
AIG - MRS. HAWTHORNE
Our advanced classes are keeping your child’s brain busy! Students in sixth grade are writing their own myths using the hero’s journey as a guide. Ask your sixth grader about their plot. I can’t wait to read the finished products! They are a creative group. The seventh grade advanced class is wrapping up their novel on Lyddie soon and we are doing an in-depth analysis of the main character. Students are working in groups to give specific textual citations to back up their answers. Because there are many right answers, this requires critical thinking and the ability to justify their answers with evidence. Eighth graders are continuing in a Resiliency Tournament where they read about both real and fictional characters who have overcome obstacles. They get to vote on which person they believe to be more resilient. The skill emphasis is on learning to annotate for understanding, a skill that will serve them well in high school and beyond!
Valerie Hawthorne
AIG Facilitator CCMS/FMS
MS. FAULKNER - MEDIA CENTER / STEAM LAB
Thank you to everyone who came out to the Scholastic Book Fair on Saturday!!
It was a huge success!!
Keep reading.
**We now have copies of all the titles.
*watch the video to see how to access SORA!!
**We are still having the competition. Encourage your child to start reading across “Dewey!”
WE NEED A PARENT ON OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM
Meets every 2nd Tuesday from 3:30-5:00pm
Need one parent on the team - more than that are welcome!
Works on implementing the school improvement plan
Deals with big picture FMS initiatives and changes (years long)
Interested? Email heidiboardman@fcschools.net
FMS PARENT GROUP - LOOKING FOR NEW MEMBERS!
If you are interested in being a part of a new parent group, please click on the button below and sign up to be a facilitator, a member who attends meetings, or a helper who helps out once in a while. No matter what, we are glad to have you!
R - Respectful
A - Accountable
M - Motivated
S - Safe
C - Character
H - Honor
O - Opportunity
I - Inclusivity
C - Compassion
E - Excellence
FMS MISSION:
FMS is a vibrant and caring school that empowers students to become lifelong learners and responsible citizens who are college and career ready.
FMS VALUES:
- All children, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic circumstances, or cognitive level, can grow and achieve.
- Strong collaborative teams with a shared vision can reduce achievement gaps and raise growth levels for all students.
- Forging strong relationships between the school, the parents, and the community is crucial in achieving a well-rounded education that addresses each student’s needs.
- A learning environment based on trust, integrity, and commitment is vital for student success.
- Discipline, safety, and accountability are important parts of a school culture that reflects intellectual, emotional, and social growth.