Rachel Carson Student Services

Hello Rachel Carson Families!

We are officially in the second quarter of the school year, and we are very glad that we met many of you at school events and communicated with you by phone and email.

We know the start of this school year is a lot of transition, particularly for our incoming 7th graders. Even with this adjustment in being back to school, some in middle school for the first time, students have worked hard and learned their new routines well.

Congratulations to all our students for their hard work during the first quarter. Our goal is to continue to support students in persevering as everyone pushes to succeed in the second quarter.

Some of our students may not have done as well as expected during the first quarter.

Please remember, students now have a fresh new start to improve grades. Important learning on managing homework, studying and balancing all that is on the plate of a middle schooler has taken place during 1st quarter, and we will take that learning into the rest of the school year.

Students should be encouraged to:

• Ask questions in class

• Start work and submit it on time

• Use teachers’ office hours to get extra help if you need it (Panther Time, after school hours)

Students should also remember to take time each day to take good care of their bodies, eat something healthy, or do a fun activity of choice at the end of the day as part of a good “self-care” routine. A successful middle school life includes balance.

In November, students received a counselor lesson on Healthy vs. Toxic friendships. Lots of terrific engagement took place as students were challenged to think about who is in their circle of friends. Students will receive a counselor lesson in December on bullying and harassment.

There are lots of great things happening at RCMS this Fall and Winter.

Academic Advising

Coming soon! In December we will begin to announce Academic Advising plans for January and February. All students will actively participate in planning their 8th or 9th grade courses, including core classes and electives. They will receive Academic Advising lessons in the classrooms, and will have access to all resources and materials posted in Schoology.

Family Workshop

In January we will host a special event RCMS family engagement activity designed to support parents in supporting their students. We will provide information on executive functioning skills such as organization, study skills and time management. You will receive practice tips and strategies as well as tools to take with you as you continue to support your student’s success.

RCMS has a robust after school program for a wide variety of interests. Check out what’s happening after school in Quarter 2! Remember the late bus for after school activities is at 4:30pm, M-Th. There is no after school bus on Fridays. Quarter 2 After School Activities

We are excited to announce that Rachel Bailey, former ADHD coach, intensive in-home mentor, and psychotherapist for children, adolescents, and adults, will be presenting virtually to Rachel Carson families at our next Family Coffee on Wednesday, November 29th from 9:00-10:00 AM. Thank you for providing feedback on the specific topic for this presentation!

Please join us to learn more about “Fostering Internal Motivation and Responsible Behavior (Without Nagging.)”

To register for the Zoom link, click here.

We hope to see you virtually!

Welcome to New Family Liaison

Ms. Vaca is at Carson Mondays - Wednesdays, 10-2:30pm, Thursdays and Fridays, 10-1pm, and can be reached at: lvaca@fcps.edu or 703-925-3603.

What Is Schoology?

Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; to provide a secure forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected. A Schoology Parent Account gives you access to, your child’s classes, your child’s upcoming assignments and grades, and school, class, and group announcements. Parent accounts are now available. To access Schoology, parents will need to have an active SIS/ParentVUE account. More information on how to login and use Schoology is available online.

Lightspeed

FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service. Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.

Parent Coffee

Several times a year, RCMS will host a parent coffee. We invite you in (sometimes in person, sometimes virtually) to engage with us on topics relevant to middle school families and students. We invite you to take part in second one, November 29 at 9AM-10AM. We hope to see you there!

FCPS Tutoring Options

Students have unlimited access to 24/7, on-demand, online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Students can connect online any time, any place, and in most K-12 subjects for however long they need. Tutoring may be on-demand and/or scheduled at a time convenient for the student and/or family.

Tutoring is focused instruction provided to students in a one-on-one format (voice and/or text chat). Tutors will focus on developing student’s strengths and capabilities in reading, mathematics, or other specified subjects. Tutoring services may be accessed before, during or after school hours and/or weekends.

Supporting Mental Health

Children go through a lot of changes, and it can be hard to tell if their behavior is developmentally appropriate or if they could benefit from mental health support.. If you feel your child may be experiencing a mental health challenge, help is available. All Fairfax County public schools have at least one school counselor, school psychologist, and school social worker.

Please reach out to one of these staff members to discuss your concerns and identify resources. Call your school or visit their website for staff members’ contact information. Find additional information to support your child’s wellness.

If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health crisis such as thoughts of harming themselves or others, please take action right away. Call 988, go to the nearest emergency room, or contact the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health Emergency Services at 703-573-5679.

If you or your student have any questions or concerns, remember we are only an email or phone call away. Feel free to contact us during school hours. We are here to support your students. By staying connected, we will continue to work together to pursue middle school success!