Message from the Principal
Thanks to all our staff, students, parent volunteers, and student volunteers for an incredibly successful 2023 Outdoor Ed experience! I saw so many smiling faces and precious moments that undoubtedly created lifelong memories for our sixth graders.
We are gearing up for Parent teacher conferences tomorrow, November 20th at Farquhar Middle School from 1:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. If you were unable to schedule a one-on-one conference with a teacher between 1-3:30pm, remember that all teachers will be available for 6-minute drop in sessions from 6-7:30pm. If these options do not meet your needs, please reach out to your student's counselor to schedule a conference after the Thanksgiving holiday. We look forward to seeing you soon!
November 20 and 21 are Early Release Days in MCPS, and school will dismiss at 12:30pm. There is no school Wednesday, November 22 through Friday, November 24. I wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving holiday!
In this week's newsletter you will find:
- This week's bell schedule
- This week's Roadrunner Shout Outs
- TIMELY: Come to the SGA Dance November 29!
- NEW: Yearbook Sale, Early Bird Discount
- NEW: Girls' and Boys' Basketball Tryouts are LIVE!
- NEW: Congrats to Cross Country!
- NEW: College Student Volunteers Needed in December
- NEW: Revised Bell Schedule in Effect Monday 11/27
- NEW: Instrumental Music Updates
- NEW: Roadrunners Lend a Helping Hand
- National Junior Honors Society (NJHS) Info
- NEW: POMS Clinic @ Springbrook HS
- Support FMS by shopping at Harris Teeter
PTA Corner Updates
- Last call for Spirit Wear orders is TODAY!
- Support dinner for FMS Teachers on 11/20
- Apple-a-Day Campaign @ FMS 11/20
- FMS v. Sherwood & Brooke Grove ES Staff Basketball Game
Need to get back to an previous edition of the Digest? Find them in the archive on our school's website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/farquharms/.
Thank you to the following Roadrunners who have made a positive impact on our learning community!
- Alex Zirkelbach
- Mr. Eisenhower
- Mr. Lichvar
- The Sixth Grade Team
- Ms. Pontes
- Ms. Foster
- Mr. Brennan
- All the Outdoor Ed Parent Volunteers!
- A massive thank you to all 6th grade Outdoor Ed parents who took the time out of their busy schedules to head up to SkyCroft. Thank you for helping make this trip possible for our 6th graders!
Would you like to recognize a student, community member, or staff member?
Yearbook sales are up and ready to be sold on the Walsworth Website. They can be purchased at yearbookforever.com , when parents buy them now, they will be cheaper. The price is $35 from now until 12/23/24 when they will be $40.
All students interested in participating in the Farquhar Boys' or Girls' Basketball Team can sign up for try outs. Parents can sign their student up for tryouts online through ParentVUE. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Davis (Brent_M_Davis@mcpsmd.org).
- Girls: December 5, 6, and 7
- Boys: December 12, 13, and 14
This year Ms. Mason coached her biggest team in seven years of almost 40 students. She would like to congratulate the Fall ‘23 Cross Country Team for finishing another successful season. The girls finished the season with a 4-1 record and the boys finished with a 5-0 record making this their second undefeated season in a row. All athletes improved their mile times by at least 1 minute at the close of the season. Go Roadrunners!
Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Pontes took 6th grade students where at Farquhar outside for campus clean up and had the opportunity to support LFI students outdoors who were learning about biotic and abiotic items in the environment!
We love cross-curricular and cross-program opportunities to build relationships with our Roadrunners. Thank you to Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Pontes for providing the opportunity for our students!
FMS College Week is coming up December 18-22, 2023. If you have a college student who is home during this time and would like to volunteer to speak to our Roadrunners about their experiences, please encourage them to participate! Interested volunteers can sign up here:
NJHS new inductee nominations will be announced after Marking Period 1 grades are processed. New inductees will be contacted after Thanksgiving break. NJHS announcements and updates will be communicated via Synergy to ensure parents and students are aware of information.
The NJHS at Farquhar Middle School is open to 7th and 8th graders who have the following qualifications:
- Scholarship
GPA of 3.7 or higher - Service
This involves voluntary contributions made by a student to the school or community, done without compensation. - Leadership
Student leaders are those who are resourceful, good problem solvers, and idea contributors. - Character
The student of good character is cooperative; demonstrates high standards of honesty and reliability; shows courtesy, concern, and respect for others. - Citizenship
The student who demonstrates positive citizenship understands the importance of civic engagement.
7th grade:
- 4 consecutive marking periods with a cumulative GPA. of 3.7 or higher
- At least 20 SSL hours completed by quarter 1 of 7th grade year
- Marking periods that will be considered are MP's 2, 3 & 4 in 6th grade in addition to MP 1 in 7th grade.
8th grade:
- 4 consecutive marking periods with a cumulative GPA of 3.7 or higher
- At least 30 SSL hours completed by quarter 1 of 8th grade year
- Marking periods that will be considered are MP's 2, 3, & 4 in 7th grade in addition to MP 1 in 8th grade.
The difference in SSL hours is due to the fact that students earn 10 hours of service each year, which is embedded in the curriculum.
The Together In Education program gives schools a chance to earn funds when you link your VIC card and shop Harris Teeter.
Any VIC member can link their card to a school.
Link your VIC card to support Farquhar Middle School. Simply sign in to your account, search for Farquhar, and you're done!
Harris Teeter donated $376 to FMS last year with only 26 families participating. Thank you for helping us reach our goal of 50 families this year!
FMS PTA will be supporting our teachers with dinner during parent teacher conferences. Please sign up and help contribute to the dinner:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080A45A8AD2EA02-46139636-fmsstaff#/
Common Cents Economics LTD is delivering 1 pallet of apples to FMS for the Apple a Day campaign on Monday, 11/20. These are all locally grown apples and we want to share them with our FMS community. We will distribute bags of apples at the front entrance on Monday, 11/20 12:00-3:30 p.m. and 6:00-7:30 p.m. so when you are at FMS for parent-teacher conferences please stop by as we will have a ton of apples!
Come and be a part of the excitement at the community basketball game on Friday, December 1st, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at FMS. Witness the incredible showdown as our outstanding FMS staff faces off against your beloved former teachers from Brooke Grove and Sherwood Elementary Schools. Bring along your younger siblings and be the loudest cheerleader for your teachers! The vibrant beats of our FMS Pep Band will amplify the excitement. Admission is free, and you can purchase snacks, drinks, and pom-poms available to support our PTAs! Don't miss the thrill – come cheer on our teams and enjoy the incredible tunes!
Contact Mrs. Rivas-Smith
Email: Angelica_L_Smith@mcpsmd.org
Phone: 240-740-1200
Twitter: @farquharms