FMS SMORE GUARDIAN NEWSLETTER

1. DPAC (District Parent Advisory Council): 1 position (*parents who have already served as DPAC members will have priority) learn more about DPAC here. Parents from all schools meet with district leaders to discuss district level initiatives.
2. Parent Summit Members: 4 positions. This opportunity is a morning and lunch with district folks, other school leaders and parent leaders, and the principal twice a year.

Email heidiboardman@fcschools.net if you are interested in being a parent leader :)

Poll Results from the last Smore:

SEPTEMBER

9/23 Football HOME vs Bunn Middle

9/28 Soccer & Volleyball AWAY at N. Granville

9/29 Soccer (FMS field) & Volleyball (FMS gym) HOME vs N. Granville

9/30 Football AWAY vs Granville Central

OCTOBER

10/1 TITLE I NIGHT - Nacho Tie-Dye Night!! More info coming soon!

10/1 FMS Field Trip Fundraiser starts

10/2 Custodian Appreciation Day

10/5 Soccer (FMS field) & Volleyball (FMS gym) HOME vs Bunn

10/6 Soccer & Volleyball AWAY at Vance

10/7 HOMECOMING FOOTBALL VS. GRANVILLE

10/12 Soccer & Volleyball AWAY at N. Granville

10/14 Football AWAY vs Terrell Lane

10/15 SCIENCE 8 CHECK-IN - EARTH SCIENCE

10/15 EARLY RELEASE - Students go home at 12:30 pm

10/16 NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

10/16 BAND at FHS for 8TH GRADE NIGHT

10/21 Football AWAY vs Vance

10/27 READING CHECK-IN #1 GRADES 6-8

10/28 Football HOME vs Cedar Creek **8th grade night

10/30 LAST DAY OF QUARTER ONE!

Contact me:

• School Counselor Request Form

• Or send email to: jacquelinearnold@fcschools.net

• Or call FMS at 919-494-2971 ext. 324212

Second Step® at FMS: Building Skills for Middle School & Beyond

At Franklinton Middle School, we want our Jr. Red Rams to grow academically while also developing the skills they need to navigate friendships, emotions, challenges, decision-making, and everyday life.

This year, students will participate in Second Step® Middle School, a research-based program designed specifically for students in grades 6–8. Second Step gives students opportunities to practice practical skills they can use at school, at home, and in their communities.

What Will Students Be Learning?

Throughout the year, students will explore:

• Mindsets & Goals – setting goals, persistence, and learning from mistakes

• Developing a Positive Sense of Self – recognizing strengths, confidence, and personal values

• Thoughts, Emotions & Decisions – managing emotions, handling stress, and making thoughtful decisions

• Managing Relationships & Social Conflict – communication, empathy, problem-solving, and navigating disagreements

How Can Families Help?

Try bringing these skills into everyday conversations:

• “What was challenging today?”
  “How did you handle it?”
  “What could you try next time?”
  “Who can you go to when you need help?”

A simple conversation can help students practice thinking through problems, managing emotions, and making positive decisions.

Want to learn more?
Visit Second Step – Family Resources to explore resources and information for families.

Thank you for partnering with us as we help our Jr. Red Rams develop the skills they need for middle school and beyond!

Call 919-494-2971 or email heidiboardman@fcschools.net

Thank you Ann Davis for donating the bags and bags of socks, underwear, bras, undershirts, food every week, school supplies, and more! You have truly been a blessing for Franklinton Middle School. Thanks to you we will be able to make sure that all our students have what they need this year!

● Registration Instructions – English

● Instrucciones de Registro – Español

● FinalForms Registration Video

Get registered and get those physical forms uploaded today!

Students are not allowed to attend athletic events on their own. They must have adult supervision no matter what event they are attending in Franklin County. The only exception is if they are an athlete under the supervision of their coach.

📙Our first interest meeting for the Ultimate Book Showdown competition will be held Thursday, 9/24 at 8:45 am. Students will be called to the Media Center for a brief meeting after morning announcements, where they will be able to check out the books for this year’s competition.

SCIENCE with MS. DOWNUM:

Good evening parents! I hope you are having a great night. We have started our Matter unit. It is our only physical science unit. Our first check in is in early October. I am still waiting for confirmation of that date. So far we have covered the first two standards out of five. So students have been working with the subatomic particles of an atom (proton, neutron, and electron), how to sort an element, compound, and mixture, and learning how to use the periodic table. By Wednesday we will be getting into atomic properties which goes even further with the periodic table and how to tell how many protons, neutrons, and electrons each element has just by reading the periodic table. This will segway into the law of conservation which states that matter cannot be created or destroyed this will include balancing chemical equations. That will be covered next week.

Students are realizing that it is tough but that they are getting lots of practice with the material to get better at it. I compare it to sports and let them know just like sports education has practice too. Classwork is practice so they can succeed on tests to show us what they know. Please make sure they are completing all of their classwork by checking infinite campus regularly to ensure your child is successful in 8th grade. Please make sure your child is coming to class prepared with a charged chromebook and all their class supplies.

I have noticed that students are working very hard in class. There are some students who are still working on using their class time wisely. They get a little too involved in side conversations and forget to complete their classwork. I know they are trying their best and will get there. This week we will be sending out grade alert forms. These will be sent out to students who are below a 60. In the grade alert forms teachers will be marking off what they notice in their classroom. This serves as communication about your child’s grade as well as infinite campus. It is a quick reminder to help your child get back on track. I have met with all students on Monday. They created a list of missing assignments and we made sure they knew what they were and I offered help as needed. As always please reach out to ask questions. I am very good at checking my email throughout the school day: sarahdownum@fcschools.net I am happy to work with you as part of the team to help your child succeed. We are in this together. I truly want nothing more than for your child to do their best.

If you have gone through the process to become a volunteer or are interested please let me know. I would love some extra help with my auctions for students at the end of each quarter.

SOCIAL STUDIES with MR. DOWNUM:

It has been a pretty quiet couple of weeks. The students have gotten into a rhythm

MATH with MS. CUNNINGHAM:

Can you believe tomorrow is the first day of fall? I am looking forward to the cooler days, the change of colors, bonfires, pants, and hoodies. What is your favorite part of fall?

We have completed our exponent rules part of our unit and moved into scientific notation.

NC.8.EE.3: Use numbers expressed in scientific notation to estimate very large or very small quantities and to express how many times as much one is than the other.

NC.8.EE.4: Perform multiplication and division with numbers expressed in scientific notation to solve real-world problems, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used.

Scientific Notation

• Students writing and identifying large and small numbers on a number line using powers of 10 (MP6).

• Students rewriting large or small numbers using scientific notation (MP7).

• Students multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting numbers given in scientific notation (MP2).

• Students applying their knowledge of scientific notation to answer questions about real-world situations (MP4)

We should be reviewing next week and testing either next week or beginning of the first full week of October.

Things to remember:

• Be on your best behavior. Remember the school and classroom rules.

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

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

• Remember to ask questions. You are probably not the only one who needs the answers.

• Believe in yourself, you can do it!

• Turn in all assignments for the week. REMEMBER, any unfinished classwork will be assigned for homework. There are many people who have many missing assignments! Please make sure that your student is keeping up with their assignments, getting them turned in on time (prior to the 2 week deadline).

• Please make sure your student is completing their assignments and turning them in before their due date. When an assignment is assigned, students are given 2 weeks to complete, then the assignment is closed and they will be given a zero if it hasn’t been completed and submitted.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at michellecunningham@fcschools.net

First and foremost, thank you for all your support and communication with me regarding your child’s academics / behaviors. As a team, we have established team expectations that apply to all four classes (ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science). Expectations will continue to be revisited in each classroom to ensure all students are on the same page thus avoiding disruptions in and outside the classroom. Please review team expectations with your child. Grade 8 Team Expectations

And, there is room for improvement specific to the FMS Non-Negotiables listed below:

• A number of students come to class without a chromebook or a chromebook not charged overnight.

• Students talking out of turn with discussion unrelated to the lesson thus disrupting learning for the majority of students on task.

Grades: Check Infinite Campus Frequently

Check Infinite Campus frequently to ensure your child is up-to-date on assignments. The protocol for submission of late assignments is to send an email to me with the titles of the late assignments completed. Please encourage your child to check Infinite Campus for missing assignments. Note: assignments close after two weeks and students cannot make up work after the assignment closes. Students are not penalized for submitting late assignments within this two week period. Again, it is the responsibility of your child to email me with the title(s) of completed work after the due date.

Important Note: in-up / Late Work Policy: When present in class, students are expected to be an active participant in the lesson. (i.e. warm-ups, note-taking, whole and small group discussions, reading, writing, and language activities, and learning opportunities / assignments). Off task behavior(s) and sleeping are not an option and students may not be able to make-up the assignment(s) as a result. If a student is absent, time will be given to make-up missing work. The student(s) is responsible for making up the work within two weeks of returning to school.

Parents are able to see grades through Infinite Campus. Teachers will not send out regular emails regarding grades as parents can see grades in real time daily. If a student does not complete an assignment he or she will earn a 0 in Infinite Campus. If the due date has not passed, your child will be able to do the work and submit it for a grade (it will replace the zero). It is up to the student to email me the titles of late assignments completed. Otherwise, I don’t know if he or she has completed it and the 0 will remain in Infinite Campus.

Learning Outcomes:

• Cite evidence to support analysis of the plot and summarize.

• Analyze how an author uses dialogue to develop characters.

• Discuss character relationships and characteristics.

• Use context clues to clarify the meaning of unknown words.

• Identify subject-verb agreement in complex sentences.

• Write a summary of a short story.

Standards: Areas of Focus

• RL.8.1 Students carefully choose evidence that best supports their analyses of what the text directly and indirectly states explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

• RL.8.2 Determine a theme of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.

• RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.

📅 Important Dates

Sept. 24: Cores 3 & 4 – Quiz on plant anatomy and sexual reproduction

Sept. 25: Plant Vocabulary Quiz

Sept. 28–Oct. 1: Cores 1 & 2 – Complete final Plants Project

Sept. 30: Plant Vocabulary Quiz

Oct. 1: Cores 1 & 2 – Plants Project Presentations

Oct. 2: 🌿 ALL STUDENTS – Plants Unit Test

📚 What Students Are Learning

Students are working toward these NC Science Standards:

• LS.6.1.1: Photosynthesis, respiration, and transpiration
• LS.6.1.2: Vascular and nonvascular plants
• LS.6.1.3: Flowering plant adaptations, defense, survival, and reproduction

Please encourage your child to review their science notes, vocabulary, diagrams, activities, and assignments as we prepare for the Plants Unit Test.

Thank you for supporting your child's learning! 🌱🔬

Ms. Brackett
6th Grade Science
Franklinton Middle School

MATH with MR. MITCHELL:

I hope everyone is having a great week! I wanted to share a quick update about what we are currently working on in math and a couple of reminders for the days ahead.

We are continuing our work with rates, unit rates, and percentages. These are important concepts that we will continue building on, so I encourage students to stay on top of their practice as we move through the unit.

Students have been assigned Additional Practice 5-5, which is due Wednesday evening. Please encourage your student to take some time over the next couple of days to get this completed. Grade alert forms will be going out soon, and completing assignments on time is one of the best ways for students to keep their grades in a good place.

I also have one optional classroom supply request. We use dry-erase boards regularly for our class warm-ups, and some students prefer writing with thinner markers than the classroom markers I provide. If you would like, please check with your student to see if they would prefer having their own set of thin-line Expo or dry-erase markers. If so, they are welcome to bring a personal set to keep handy for our warm-ups. This is completely optional, and classroom markers will continue to be available for everyone.

Thank you, as always, for your support at home and for helping our students stay prepared and successful in math. I truly appreciate your partnership!

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at brandonmitchell@fcschools.net.

Have a wonderful week!

Mr. Mitchell

ELA with MS. CRUDUP:

Greetings, families! We are continuing to work hard in 6th Grade ELA, and I want to thank you for your continued support at home. Over the next two weeks, students will be completing our current selection, beginning a new informational text, and receiving additional support based on their individual learning needs.

Please take a moment to review what we have coming up!

📖 THIS WEEK IN ELA

📝 IXL Diagnostic — Monday

Today, students will complete the IXL Diagnostic in class. This diagnostic will help us identify individual strengths and areas where students may need additional practice.

The results will help guide our instruction and intervention groups.

🎯 Interventions Begin

Beginning this week, interventions inside and outside of the classroom will begin taking place.

Students may receive additional support based on their individual needs. This could include targeted small-group instruction, additional practice, reteaching, or skill-based activities.

Our goal is to make sure every student receives the support needed to grow as a reader, writer, and thinker.

📚 Finishing Fears and Phobias

We will be wrapping up our current selection, “Fears and Phobias.”

Students will continue practicing:

• Citing textual evidence

• Making inferences

• Understanding the author's purpose

• Analyzing informational text

• Using context clues and vocabulary strategies

📋 Selection Test — Wednesday

Students are scheduled to take the Fears and Phobias Selection Test on Wednesday.

Please encourage students to review their notes, annotations, vocabulary, and previous classwork before the test.

🧠 COMING NEXT: “EMBARRASSED? BLAME YOUR BRAIN”

After completing Fears and Phobias, we will begin our next informational text:

“Embarrassed? Blame Your Brain”

by Jennifer Connor-Smith

Our essential question will be:

How does the brain influence the way we experience and respond to embarrassment, and how can text features and structure help us understand this informational text?

Students will explore how informational texts are organized and how authors use evidence, text features, and structure to communicate ideas.

🔎 Skills We Will Practice

Students will work on:

• Citing strong textual evidence

• Making and supporting inferences

• Analyzing how ideas are developed

• Identifying informational text structures

• Using headings, subheadings, graphics, and sections

• Conducting short research

• Paraphrasing and citing information

• Writing informative/explanatory texts

• Understanding vocabulary using synonyms and antonyms

• Using commas after introductory elements

• Participating in collaborative discussions

🧠 VOCABULARY TO KNOW

Students will encounter important vocabulary including:

essential • amplify • generate • humiliation • subheadings

We will practice using context clues, synonyms, and antonyms to determine and deepen our understanding of vocabulary.

💻 IXL & DAILY PRACTICE

Students should continue completing their assigned IXL practice and working toward mastery of their assigned skills.

Please encourage your child to:

• Complete assignments carefully.

• Read each question before answering.

• Use evidence when answering reading questions.

• Ask questions when they do not understand a skill.

• Check their school email regularly for important information.

🔋 Chromebook Reminder

Please remember to have students charge their Chromebooks every night so they are ready to learn each day!

🏠 HOW FAMILIES CAN HELP

A few simple things you can do at home can make a big difference:

📖 Encourage your child to read for at least 20 minutes.

🗣️ Ask your child to explain what they learned in ELA that day.

✏️ Have your child review vocabulary and class notes before assessments.

💻 Check that IXL assignments are completed.

📧 Encourage students to check their school email daily.

🔋 Make sure Chromebooks are charged each night.

Most importantly, encourage your child to ask for help when they need it. We are working together to help every student grow!

🌟 THANK YOU, FAMILIES!

Thank you for partnering with me as we help our students become stronger readers, writers, communicators, and critical thinkers.

I am excited about the growth I am already seeing in our students, and I look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the school year!

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Ms. Crudup
6th Grade ELA

BAND with MS. RIPPE: ******FMS RAMS BAND SCHEDULE FALL SEMESTER!!****

OCTOBER 7TH - 7TH AND 8TH GRADE PEP RALLY AND HOMECOMING GAME

OCTOBER 9TH - 8TH GRADE ONLY - 8TH GRADE NIGHT AT FHS

OCTOBER 31ST - ALL GRADES - FRANKINFEST

DECEMBER 3RD - ALL GRADES - FRANKLINTON CHRISTMAS PARADE WITH FHS BAND

DECEMBER 15TH - ALL GRADES - WINTER CELEBRATION AND CONCERT - 6:00pm FMS Auditorium MANDATORY

*******See the full Syllabus for the list of performances for the Spring Semester!!*******

I am so excited to announce the Instaraise fundraiser is on!! Thank you everyone for all you are doing for our fundraiser!! The proceeds go to new instruments, and the upkeep of the school instruments we use all year and more!! Here is a snapshot of the Leaderboard as of Sunday night! We are almost at our goal already!! This is amazing! Keep sending out your page to everyone you know! Congrats top sellers!!!

Thank you to all who were able to rent or purchase your students' instruments! If you are still interested in renting an instrument through Music & Arts please continue to do so! That not only gives your child ownership over their music, but also helps the program help other students! Win Win!! M&A Rental Flier 4129.pdf M&A Rental Flier Spanish 4129.pdf

Next up on our schedule is our first two performances!! FMS Homecoming on Oct 7th and 8th Grade Night on Oct 9th with Cedar Creek Middle School and Franklinton High School Marching Band!

Permission slips are coming out this week! Get them signed and back asap! Our time to shine!

Syllabus, Instrument Contracts, and Binder and Supplies are all due!!! Grade Alerts are this week! Please have your materials and paperwork turned in! Brass players don’t forget your washcloth please!

6th grade :N.PR.1.2, N.PR.1.3 - Is off and running! They show comprehension on assembling and disassembling their instrument, performing whole, half, and quarter note rhythm patterns and many are able to correctly produce the correct tone for the first 2 pitches. For the next 2 weeks we are going to be focusing on the next 3 pitches and start our piece for Frankinfest!

7th & 8th Graders! Practice Logs are past due!!! If you didn’t hand them in please do so asap. Please continue to have a practice routine! Make sure you give yourself at least 5 to 10 minutes a night to practice the music or concepts we are working on! The more you practice the better we are, the better we are the more you want to practice! Let’s see how far we can go this year!!

7th grade N.PR.1.2, N.PR.1.3 - Homecoming is coming!! October 7th!! Start finding your band t-shirt or a plain red t-shirt and black pants with athletic shoes! It's going to be fun performing in the stands! They also have been continuing to work on reviewing the notes of the Bb scale, working on rhythms up to 16th notes, working on their range and tone and working on the Pep Band Music for Homecoming and music for Frankinfest!

8th grade D.CR.1.1, D.PR.1.2 - Homecoming is coming!! October 7th!! It's going to be fun performing in the stands! And you also have a 2nd performance that week with FHS Marching Band!! Start finding your band t-shirt or a plain red t-shirt and black pants with athletic shoes for both events!

They also have been working on reviewing rhythms through sixteenth notes and mixed rhythms, tone, and playing the Bb scale in eighth notes. Continuing this week working on the rhythms for the scale in 16th notes, working on articulations to include staccato, tenuto, and swinging the 8th notes. Chorale style playing with intention, and improvising pitches with a given rhythm pattern to a steady drum beat improvised by the percussion students.

Also continuing to work on all Homecoming music and continuing music for FrankinFest!

7th & 8th Graders - Coming out this week is the information to those interested in auditioning for All District Honor Band. Please sign the interest form and return to me committing to working towards the audition on January 9th. Extra help practices will be held on most Thursdays in the auditorium until the audition until 5:00pm. Sign up form will be posted on Mondays for Thursdays practice.

DRAMA with MS. HATTEN:

I WISH I HAD PICTURES!!! We got so busy building and making things this last week, that I didn’t stop to take pictures of our projects!
8th Grade is making scale sets of Pirate Ships (one is a floor size model for each class, the others are table top size and we HOPE to make them float!

7th Grade is working on Treasure Chests. They designed their own and are just starting to create the bare boxes and curved tops.

6th Grade just completed their Egg Pirates (for our tabletop pirate ships from 8th grade) and this week we are making treasure for the treasure boxes (from 7th grade).

They are ALL really enjoying designing and making their own props!

Great Job Drama Classes!

CTE with MR. PIRRONE:

2-AP-15

Use feedback to improve solutions for users.

2-AP-16

Incorporate existing resources while crediting their creators.

2-DA-08

Collect and transform data digitally to improve usefulness and reliability.

CSD II:

Students are getting into the rhythm with Code.org and are beginning to understand how coding brings their favorite games and apps to life. As they explore game design, they are learning how individual instructions work together to create graphics, control actions, and build interactive experiences. Along the way, students are developing problem-solving skills as they test their code, identify mistakes, and make adjustments. Our focus is on helping students think like creators, use their creativity, and recognize that trial and error is an important part of the design process. We look forward to seeing their confidence grow as they turn their ideas into projects of their own!

CSD I

We just started our web development unit, where students are learning how websites are built and organized using HTML and CSS. Throughout the unit, they will practice adding headings, paragraphs, lists, and images, then use styling to bring their pages to life. Our end goal is for students to build a mock website for an assigned user, whose needs and preferences will be introduced in a few weeks. This project will challenge students to think about their audience and make thoughtful choices about content, layout, and design. Along the way, they will practice troubleshooting their code and using feedback to create a website that is both visually appealing and easy to navigate.

Keyboarding:

We are trucking along in keyboarding as students continue learning the keys and practicing proper finger placement. Our focus is on building accuracy and confidence while developing good typing habits. We are now introducing the numeric keypad, where students will practice entering numbers efficiently without constantly looking down at their hands. They will also explore how these skills connect to middle school assignments, including entering data into spreadsheets, working with calculations, and organizing numerical information. With regular practice, students will build skills that help them complete schoolwork more efficiently and prepare them for future classes and workplace tasks.

Paxton/Patterson:

Our Paxton Patterson classes are exploring skills that connect classroom learning to everyday life and future careers. Seventh and eighth graders are continuing their work in personal finance, learning how thoughtful decisions about spending, saving, and budgeting can help them manage money responsibly. Students are considering needs versus wants and how financial choices can affect their goals. Meanwhile, sixth graders are beginning the Hospitality and Tourism Management lab, exploring the industry behind hotels, restaurants, travel, and guest experiences. As they work through the lab, they will discover how customer service, teamwork, and communication help create positive experiences for guests while learning about careers in the field.