French Middle School

October 2nd-16th-- PTO Fundraiser

October 7th-- Late Work Due

October 9th-- End of 1st Quarter

October 12th & 13th- No School

October 14th -- 2nd Quarter Begins

October 15th -- Winter Sports Begin (Basketball & Soccer)

October 19th-- Picture Retake Day

October 22nd-- No School (Parent Teacher Conferences) 7:30AM-7:30PM

October 23rd-- No School

With the beginning of October comes the end of our 1st quarter. Late work is due October 7th as the last day of the quarter is October 9th. Grades will be posted in Synergy on October 16th. Be on the look out for a call or email from AB teachers, as they are beginning to schedule Parent/Teacher Conferences. We thank all parents for helping French MS start the year off on a positive note.

Be sure to download ParentSquare. This is our new communication tool. All communication sent through ParentSquare will arrive in your email mailbox. Messages will arrive at a single time late afternoon, unless we override it in an emergency. Parents can also adjust the times they receive messages as well.

Help Needed

Please assist us by ensuring that all fidgets, toys, gameboys, nee-dohs etc need to stay home. They are not allowed at school as they cause a disruption to the learning taking place in our classrooms. Such items will be confiscated and will require a parent to pick them up. We appreciate your support and cooperation.

French PTO

Help the French PTO during the month of October! Opportunities will be coming for you to support the French staff and students this month. Look for information on the PTO's fall fundraiser by Believe Kids to come home in the next week. This fundraiser will support the Night of the Rising Stars event, field trips, the School Store, and more to promote Falcon PRIDE. The PTO will also be sending out a couple of requests for food donations to support the students at their upcoming DANCE and the staff during Parent/Teacher conferences. Keep an eye on your Parent Square app to know when these signups are released and help us if you are able. The next meeting of the PTO will be held on Thursday, October 15 at 5:45 p.m. Hope to see you there!

FMS PTO Fundraiser Information

Our big fundraiser starts in a few days! Our goal is to raise $5,000.00 for upcoming Late Night in the Nest and Night of the Rising Starts events.

We are asking ALL parents to pre-register their student(s) here:
https://www.shopfund.com/parentregister
Make sure you use Group Code: JWDLG

Please get at least one person to support our fundraiser before our official kick-off day. Any student that is registered and adds 10 contacts will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win over 1,000 prizes. How cool would it be if we took a chunk out of our goal BEFORE the fundraiser even starts?

Fundraiser Links:

• Kick-Off Videos - (https://vimeo.com/showcase/12423300)

• Parent How-To Video - (https://vimeo.com/588516229)

• Parent Letter - (https://grpsvcs.link/NwhDWm)

• Prize Program - (https://grpsvcs.link/aYLlOI)

Thank you so much for your help!

All 7th and 8th graders are invited to our very first “Late Night in the Nest'' for this year on October 9th from 5:30-7:00pm. Late night is a fun night with friends full of music, dancing, snacks/drinks, open gym, open computer lab, and board games. All 7th and 8th graders, who are passing all classes (no F’s) and have eligibility points, are invited to attend! The cost is $3. We hope to see all 7th and 8th graders there!

The fall sports season is quickly coming to an end . The cross country team ended a productive season with many personal best times through various weather conditions. Congrats to all Falcon runners! Best of luck in the upcoming city meet Oct. 7th at Hummer Sports Park.

Congratulations to Lady Falcons for all of the smashing success at the girls city tennis meet at Kossover Tennis Center! This group understands, it’s not how you start but how you finish. All tennis players got better as the season progressed and enjoyed much success in the city tournament.

The Varsity Volleyball team is currently sitting in 2nd place in the city and looking to challenge for the Landon Lancer at the City Championship on Wednesday Oct. 7th at Topeka West High School. All levels of girls volleyball found great success this season, with the JV taking 2nd place in the city. Great job ladies.

The football season is winding down with 2 games remaining at the time on this print. The final playnight game is Wednesday Oct. 14th vs Landon at 5:00. While the season had some ups and downs, the team followed the French model of ”You're a better player today than you were yesterday” and got better every day.

Girls Basketball starts Thursday October 15th at 3:00-5:00 until teams are chosen, then B team will practice mornings 6:30-7:30. Games are Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Oct. 28th . Coaches are Mr. Ramsdell , Ms. Matheny Lewis and Mr. Collins.

The boys Soccer season will also be starting Thursday Oct. 15 3:00- 5:00 and coached by Mrs. Hirt, a former Baker University soccer star and Mr. Siemieniewski. Remember, you can not play for an outside soccer or basketball team once you start a French team. You can join French once your club team has finished their season.

Just a reminder that a district wide grade policy has been adopted at all Middle Schools. Any student with an F on their grade checks will be ineligible for the next game until the F is brought up. An F list will be created every Friday, with student athletes informed that day if they are on the report. It is then their responsibility to bring that grade up and communicate with the coach when that has happened with a note or email from the teacher.

We would like to remind spectators that French Middle School is a member school of the Kansas State High School Athletic Association (KSHSAA) and is governed by their rules. One of those rules which, we completely support is Rule 52 which states:

ALL ACTIONS are to be FOR, NOT AGAINST; POSITIVE, NOT NEGATIVE or DISRESPECTFUL

Section 1: General Regulations (apply to grades 7-12)

Art. 1: SPORTSMANSHIP is a general way of thinking and behaving. The following sportsmanship policy items are listed below for clarification:

a. Be courteous to all. (participants, coaches, officials, staff and fans)

b. Know the rules, abide by and respect the official’s decisions.

c. Win with character and lose with dignity.

d. Display appreciation for good performance regardless of the team.

e. Exercise self-control and reflect positively upon yourself, team and school.

f. Permit only positive sportsmanlike behavior to reflect on your school or its activities.

We hope that you can attend the games this year to cheer on the Falcons!

All students received a badge from the picture day photos or a badge was created for them here at French. The expectation is that students have badges with them at all times. In order to purchase extra items at lunch, students must have their badge, in order to leave the classroom, students must have their badge. Kelli, is that right? If a badge is lost or stolen, the replacement cost is $5. Each student was given the option for a free lanyard when badges were distributed. The school gives a lanyard at that time, otherwise, lanyards are provided by families.

Recognition Assemblies

We will have our first quarter recognition assemblies the week of October 26.

• 6th grade is the 27th,

• 7th grade is the 28th and

• 8th grade is the 29th.

All assemblies will take place at 7:50 AM in the gym. Families are welcome to attend. We will recognize students on the Honor Roll, present plaques for ABs with the highest attendance, highest percentage on Honor Roll and highest percentage of students earning Citizenship Cards for keeping all eligibility points.

Ever Present Falcon Award

Students that have 95% attendance for the months of August and September will receive a card to put in a drawing for a $100 gift card (funded by PTO) at the end of the semester. There will be one drawing for each grade level.

PTO Meeting Highlights and Upcoming Events

• Cookie Dough and Holiday Item Fundraiser October 3 - 17.

• Spirit wear orders will be delivered as soon as they arrive

• Late Night in the Nest (7th & 8th grade dance, etc.) donation list will be sent out for Oct. 9

• PTO will be providing lunch for the staff on Parent Teacher Conference Thursday

• Next meeting is October 15 at 5:45 in the commons.

United Way Fundraiser

For a $1 donation, students will be allowed to wear a hat or hood on Friday, October 9. Students will pay in the front office and receive a wrist band that allows the hat or hood to be worn at school that day. Proceeds will go to United Way

October 31

For a $1 donation, students will be allowed to wear a costume on Friday, October 31. Students will pay in the front office and receive a wrist band that allows them to wear a costume at school that day. Proceeds will go to staff appreciation events. Costumes/masks cannot cover your face. As always at school, no weapons, excessive blood or gore. Costumes must be school appropriate. There are no parties at school.

Student Led Parent Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, October 21 and Thursday, October 22 we will hold student led parent teacher conferences. Advisor Base teachers will communicate with families about a specific time to meet and go over information about classes and grades. Then you are welcome to stop by all of the other teacher’s tables to visit. Language Arts and Math teachers will be located in the gym, Social Studies (History), Science, and Related Arts teachers will be in the commons. We will be closed from 1:00 - 2:00 for staff to eat lunch on Thursday. If you need a translator, please notify the AB teacher so we can get one scheduled. It is recommended that students attend with their chromebook to show you their presentation.

French Middle School is excited to host “Exploring Possibilities” Career Day on November 20, from 8:00am - 11:15am and we would love to have our parents and family members involved! There are five 30 minute presentations aimed at informing 6th-8th graders about your career. There will be approximately 18-20 students per session with a maximum of 100 students for the day.

We are looking for parents and community members who are willing to share their careers, experiences, and advice with our students. This is a great opportunity to help students learn about different career paths and discover possibilities for their future.

Would you be willing to be a Career Day presenter?

If so, please complete the interest form linked here or use this QR code to access it. More information will come out mid-October.

Regular attendance is an important part of student success. Chronic absenteeism means missing 10% or more of the school year—about 18 days. Even excused absences can add up and make it harder for students to keep up with learning. Truancy kicks in when those absences are unexcused.

Think about your own work schedule: most adults don’t get 18 days off from work whenever they want. School is your student’s job, and being there every day helps them build the habits and skills they’ll need for the future.

Please help your student make school attendance a priority. If attendance becomes a challenge, please reach out—we are here to help!

Every day matters. Every student matters!

Wellness Wednesdays Are Coming! 💚💛

French Middle School is excited to introduce Wellness Wednesdays, a new opportunity for students to learn practical skills that support their mental, emotional, social, and physical well-being.

Throughout the year, students will participate in wellness lessons covering topics such as managing stress, healthy relationships, nutrition, fitness, grief, making healthy choices, and planning for the future.

Our goal is simple: help students develop the skills they need to be Happy, Healthy & Wise!

We look forward to making Wellness Wednesdays a positive and meaningful part of the French Middle School experience.

Parents if you are looking to purchase a cover for your student's device below are some suggested cases that fit our model. The Chromebooks we use this year are the Lenovo 100e Gen 4 (Mediatek) model. They are listed as the 82W0 model variant when searching for cases and Mediatek is also a keyword in the results for what fits.

CDW - Gumdrop SlimTech Case for 100e Gen4

Lenovo - Cellairis Rapture Rugged Case for 100e Gen4

Amazon - Gumdrop BumpTech Case for 100e Gen4

WOAH! Hey there, parents, staff, and students! Ever wanted to save your or your child’s middle school memories? Look at your friends' pictures? Or even look at cool pictures the amazing yearbook staff takes throughout the year? If so, you won´t even believe what I´m about to tell you! From now until March 1, 2027, the yearbooks are $18 instead of $20! That´s 10% off your yearbook!

But if you wait, it´s $20 from March 1 to April 1, 2027.

This year, there's something new! You can order your yearbook online! You can also pay in the front office by check or cash! The website to order online is https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/yb114001. Isn´t that cool, guys?! Don’t forget to buy yours so you won’t be among the 60% of students/families who regret not buying one! Who knows, maybe someone in French might become a celebrity, and you can say you went to school with them, with proof!

You can also use this QR code to order your book online.

Get ready to spell your way to success! We are excited to announce that Spelling Bee season is here! The Spelling Bee is a wonderful opportunity for students to strengthen their vocabulary, improve their spelling skills, and build confidence while having fun.

We encourage all students to participate and challenge themselves. Families can help by practicing spelling words at home, reviewing vocabulary, and cheering on their students throughout the process. Information about study materials, classroom competitions, and important dates will be shared soon.

We look forward to celebrating our students' hard work and accomplishments. Good luck to all of our spellers, and remember: every word learned is a step toward becoming a stronger reader and writer!

“Study hard, do your best, and have fun spelling!"

SUM Day can take 6 kids per grade to compete and MATHCounts is a team of 4 plus up to 10 more individuals. SUM Day has a $10 fee and students compete against local students on a Saturday in March.

MATHCounts is a team of 4 plus up to 10 more individuals. Students may compete in up to 4 different rounds. MATHCounts fee is $24 per kid with a deadline of Dec 15. That competition will be in February - if we compete well we have the opportunity to continue to state.

Students are already at work preparing for these competitions.

The yearbook staff asked the student body what topics they would like to read about in the newsletter. We got lots of suggestions, and we will try to implement as many as we can throughout the year. Thank you so much for answering our survey!

One student wanted to know some fun facts about various teachers. Did you know that Mrs. Smith’s favorite color is Black? Ms. Banzet went to French in 7th and 8th grade way back in the 80s! Mr. Evans loves playing the trumpet, woodworking, his wiener dog Colonel, his Dodge Durango, and even mowing the lawn! Mr. Ramsdell is an ordained minister, so he can legally conduct weddings! Finally, Mr. Collins met Katy Perry before she was famous on the Warped Tour 2008!