The Faubion Lion Pride Press
Thanksgiving Edition
Dear Lion Pride,
In September 1620, a small ship called the Mayflower left Plymouth, England with 102 passengers in search of freedom to practice their faith and to seek economic prosperity. A Native American by the name of Squanto taught the struggling settlers survival skills, including agricultural tips and fishing. He also helped the settlers build a relationship with the Wampanoag tribe, to whom we now credit the first Thanksgiving feast. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day. We now reflect on this day as one to give thanks for the blessings in our life, including relationships with friends and family.
This week gives me even more reason to reflect on why I am grateful. Of course, friends, family, and good health come to mind, but educators and a supportive school community are right up there at the top of the list. Our children have a variety of talents and come from varied backgrounds, which are but a few reasons why I am immensely proud to be the principal and lead servant of this historic school.
This week please ensure that your children keep their MacBooks charged. More importantly, we want to take this week to emotionally recharge by taking care of our mind, body, and spirit. I am grateful for our students, parents, office staff, custodians, cafeteria crew, central office support, and our principals. We are all here for the same reason. By showing care for each other and developing a passion for lifelong learning, our students will positively shape our society - present and future. Without our hard-working, humble, and kind teachers' everyday sacrifices, that goal is simply not possible. For our teachers, I am especially grateful.
This week our students showed kindness in so many ways. Holding doors open for each other, picking up trash, and bringing in food for the community were but a few ways that our school community helped. Emotional intelligence is shown to be a greater predictor of future success than intellectual intelligence, and for that reason we dedicate ourselves to the development of the entire individual. Please continue teaching your children life lessons and modeling kindness to others so they can learn how to become responsible and kind citizens.
Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence ought not be an act but a habit." At Faubion Middle School, we make excellence a habit, and we are kind to each other. Parents, thank you for instilling those values in our students so that our students can make a lasting and positive mark on our community.
Go Lions!
-Mr. Boom
Minnie's Food Pantry Collection
An Act of Sportsmanship by Jacoby Propes
Hello Mr. Wiggins,
My name is Samantha Capetillo and my son plays for the Rushing Raptors from Prosper ISD. I am unsure I have the correct email, as I grabbed this one off of your school's website. However, I was writing in regards to the football game we played against you back on November 9th, the 8th grade A-team game at the Ron Poe stadium. I wanted to just send a quick email and acknowledge that one of your players, number 3 on the 8th grade A-team, showed such great sportsmanship to our boys during that game by frequently helping our boys up off of the ground or giving them a nudge on the helmet and pads when they made a good play. I find it rare at this age to see such great leadership on the field and wanted to take the time to let you and your player know how refreshing it was to see that from a young athlete! Keep up the great work!
the end of football season
After a late-night battle with Highland Park, the 8th grade Gold team took a team photo. Included in the picture are: Ja'Bre Bickham, Grant Giddens, Beckham Sayers, Jaxon Wiggins, Cameron Steele, Reid Gambrell, Joshua Verde, Gabriel Cortez, Jairo Camarillo Marrufo, Paul Bachman, Case Fuentes, Caden Ganter, Drake Wright, Brayson Barnes, De'Areon Johnson, Sage Foster, Jesus Gallegos, Eli Meineke, Raul Sereno, Hiram Hernandez, Hagen Venhaus, Brooks Vogel, Aiden Kinder, Preston Heiden, Owen Ellis, Jonathan Sublett, Rodney Faughn, Miles Phillips, and Matthew Morris.
The Faubion Rhythmettes Drill Team
The Faubion Rhythmettes drill team engage in several student-led philanthropic activities each year. Our sweet, talented young ladies filmed our pep rally dance on the football field. The girls wore purple and danced to "Time of our lives," in support of Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month. The girls chose to support PANCAN, which is the leading organization in the fight against pancreatic cancer awareness. They chose this organization in honor of their coach, Mrs. Muniz's mother who recently lost her battle to pancreatic cancer.
Pictured in the photo are: Paige McDonald, Ellena Hartman, Iyana Valentine, August Berndt, Lindsey Vance, Juliana Huppe, Brooke Caver, Daiana Hernandez, Karen Jalpa, Angeline Bryner, Annie Fox, Lauren Hunsaker, Aaliyah Crawford, Allie Huevel, Janessa Codoy, Madison Manly, Emme Hinkle, Iyana Schinela, Bailey Nooner, Hailey Swint, Avery Null, Camber Coy, Precious Vasquez, K'Lee Bumpus, Gabrielle Congine, D'Ariana Johnson, Alaysia Joseph, Mollyanna Long, Harper Houx, Jayda Williams, Miranda Frias, and Natalie Martin.
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID)
AVID is not just another program…
at its heart,
AVID is a philosophy
that holds students accountable to rise to the challenge of the highest academic standards, provides academic and social support, focuses on leadership and good citizenship.
Students in AVID:
- have average to high standardized test scores
- have the potential and the desire to go to college
- are serious about succeeding in school
- possess individual determination and a sense of responsibility
- have good attendance
- have a good behavior record
What do students do in an AVID class?
Skill Development: You will practice skills such as note-taking, organization, time management, and test-taking.
College Preparatory Activities: You will learn about a variety of colleges and universities through guest speakers, field trips, and research. You will also learn about the requirements for getting into specific colleges and universities.
Personal Mentoring: Your AVID teacher will monitor your progress and help you set future goals at individual conferences. Your AVID teacher will also communicate with your other teachers and act as an advocate on your behalf.
Collaborative Study: Twice weekly, you will work in groups with college tutors to go over difficult material and study for tests.
Career Building: You will explore career options through research to determine what education level is required for specific careers. Guest speakers will share their professional experiences and careers with the class.
Classroom Community: You will participate in many community building activities with your classmates, where hopefully, you will build strong relationships and learn to trust each other. You will have the opportunity to improve your interpersonal, communication and leadership skills.
All Region Band Members
Please help us congratulate the following students who earned a spot in the Region 24 virtual all region band. These students, along with all of Honors Band, have been practicing for the past 12 weeks in preparation for this all-virtual competition. Out of 1100+ band students in the region who auditioned, these were the among the top 10%. Way to go FMS band, and way to represent!
Kimaya Kovatch, August Berndt, Sophie Clark (7th grade!), Kiley Davis, Trevor McGee, Anna McCarthy, Tyler Young (2nd chair), Maximiliano Reyes (7th grade!), Sage Foster, Charlotte Plaster, Devon Stigall, Caden Ganter, Alex Indrea, Clara McElroy (3rd chair), and Bodie Walker.
Trumpet Section
America Recycles Day
Thankful Thoughts by STUCO
Holding the Door for Others
Another act of kindness
Father-Daughter Time
Due to her being on crutches, Mr. Clark has walked Alyah to the door to make sure that she starts her day off smoothly. It has been a pleasure seeing the Clark family every morning as they share family time. They are both cherished members of our school community who we enjoy seeing regularly.
Bowling Champions
Gratitude Rewires Your Brain to be Happier
Our counselors visit classrooms regularly to provide guidance lessons. Most recently, we shared information on gratitude with our students.
Neuroscientists have found that the emotion of gratitude supports a positive and supportive attitude toward others and a feeling of relief from stressors. In short, gratitude can help us feel happier and healthier! Focusing on the positive and feeling grateful can improve your sleep quality, and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, levels of gratitude correlate to better moods and less fatigue and inflammation, reducing the risk of heart failure, even for those who are susceptible.
The lasting effect is psychologically protective as well. In adolescents, feelings of gratitude have shown an inverse correlation with bullying victimization and suicide risk. Gratitude affects brain function on a chemical level and its practice promotes feelings of self-worth and compassion for others.
Practicing Gratitude
These are a few ways we can practice gratitude so it can become a daily part of our routine.
1) Daily gratitude: keep a gratitude journal to write at least 3 things you are grateful for each day.
2) Share gratitude: make it a point to tell others in your life what you appreciate about them, daily.
3) Self-gratitude: when you look in the mirror, acknowledge a quality you like about yourself, or something you have recently accomplished.
Gratitude Cards (below)
In honor of National Gratitude month this month, students were giving the following Gratitude Cards in class as a way to practice gratitude. We hope you and your family find moments of gratitude this next week of Thanksgiving. The counselors at Faubion would also like to acknowledge our gratitude toward all our teachers, admin, staff, students and parents for their many efforts this first semester. It has been a trying time for us all, and your efforts have not gone unnoticed!
As always, check out the Faubion MS Counselor Website for more info and counselor contacts:
Checking Your Child's Grades and Attendance
You may monitor your child's grades and attendance by using the Home Access Center.
Here are the steps to follow:
1) Please make sure that you are using Google Chrome as your browser.
2) Go to https://sso.mckinneyisd.net
3) Enter your login credentials. If you need assistance with your login information, please reach out to your child's house secretary:
A-G: Mrs. Soroa - rsoroa@mckinneyisd.net or 469-302-7005
H-O: Mrs. Gonzalez - amgonzalez@mckinneyisd.net or 469-302-6911
P-Z: Mrs. Dedman - odedman@mckinneyisd.net or 469-302-6917
Basketball Tryouts - Monday, November 30 - Friday, December 4
7th grade tryouts are from 6:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m., and the east side gym doors will open at 6:30 a.m. Students will eat breakfast in the cafeteria at 9:15. Since food is not provided, students can either bring their own food or eat from the cafeteria.
8th grade tryouts are from 3:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Please make arrangements to have your child picked up promptly at 5:15 p.m.
Important Note: Tryout contracts must be signed by both student and parents and emailed to Coach Wiggins (boys) or Coach Burgess (girls) by Wednesday, Nov. 23rd in order to participate in tryouts. If you need a copy of the contract, please email zwiggins@mckinneyisd.net, aburgess@mckinneyisd.net, and mvandenboom@mckinneyisd.net.
Professionalism with a "side" of humor
Cafeteria Update - Free Standard Breakfast and Lunch for all
On October 9, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service announced program changes that will provide for free meals for all students, regardless of income. This has been made possible by nationwide waivers that will provide for free meals to all students for the remaining 2020-2021 school year.
Your children may enjoy the standard breakfast and lunch at no charge, whether they dine on campus or pick up "Grab & Go" meals. Students dining on campus may elect to purchase additional a la carte items at normal pricing. Meals for virtual students may be picked up at our convenient Grab & Go, located at Finch Elementary and Vega Elementary from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. Both sites are open to the community for meal pick-up as well. Our Grab & Go meals will also include the next day’s breakfast when picking up lunch curbside.
We strongly encourage all households to continue completing the 2020-2021 Free and Reduced student application as it is used for various student programs and also impacts district funding.
2020-2021 Spinal Screenings through the School Nurse
The State of Texas requires a spinal screening for abnormal spinal curvature in accordance with the following:
Girls will be screened two times, once at age 10 and again at age 12 (regardless of grade level);
Boys will be screened one time at age 13 or 14 (regardless of grade level).
Due to COVID restrictions, we are spacing out the screenings. The next group that will have a screening will start next Monday. During the weeks of Nov. 16 and Nov. 30, girls with birthdates between 05/01/2008 and 04/30/2009 will undergo screening. Nurse Guinn will send more information through email (in English and Spanish) to affected students.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please email Nurse Guinn at mguinn@mckinneyisd.net.
No Food Delivery from Third Parties
Words from the Learning Commons
As we all head out for Thanksgiving Break, remember to keep your computers charged! Don’t let them get to 0%, or you may have issues logging back in later.
Help your children to build a love of reading by discussing with them what they are reading, reading with them, and letting them see you read! I will always remember being read to by one of my college professors. At first I was a bit taken aback as I thought I was too old to be read to. This ended up being one of the highlights of my week — to have a few minutes to enjoy the telling of a well-written story. We are never too old to enjoy this time! If you can, take some time this break to read with your children!
Jack C. Faubion Middle School, the best middle school in the State of Texas
Email: mvandenboom@mckinneyisd.net
Website: faubionmiddleschool.com
Location: 2000 Rollins Street, McKinney, TX 75069
Phone: 469) 302-6900
Facebook: facebook.com/FaubionMS/
Twitter: @FaubionMS