French Middle School

November 9th-13th-- Book Fair

November 10th-- Family Engagement Night @ 6PM

November 11th-- Late Work Due

November 13th-- 6th Grade Social @ 2PM

November 18th-- Soccer Play Night

November 19th-- PTO @ 5:45

November 20th-- Career Fair

November 23rd-27th No School Thanksgiving Break

“A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn.”"Teacher effectiveness is the strongest predictor of student success, but chronic absenteeism reduces even the best teacher’s ability to provide learning opportunities.”

We are really trying to put a spotlight on the importance of consistent attendance at school. Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses 10 percent or more of enrolled instructional days for any reason. This is equal to about 1 or 2 days every few weeks & includes excused and unexcused absences. Chronically absent students lose valuable instructional time and are at high risk of falling behind.

Preschool & Elementary School Research

Showing up on time every day is important to your child’s success and learning from preschool forward.

Missing 10% of school (1 or 2 days every few weeks) can make it harder to:

• Gain early reading and math skills

• Build relationships

• Develop good attendance habits

High quality preschool and kindergarten has many benefits!

• The routines your child develops will continue throughout school

• Make the most of early grades by encouraging your child to attend every day

Middle & High School Research

Students should miss no more than 9 days of school each year to stay engaged, successful and on track to graduation.

• Frequent absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.

• By 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that a student may drop out of high school.

• By 9th grade, attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

• Missing 10%, or 2 days a month, over the course of the school year, can affect a student’s academic success.

Make school attendance a priority

• Talk about the importance of showing up to school every day.

• Help your children maintain daily routines, such as finishing homework and getting a good night’s sleep.

• Try not to schedule dental and non-Covid-19 related medical appointments during the school day.

• Keep your child healthy, and if you are concerned about Covid-19, call your school for advice.

• If your children must stay home because they are sick or in quarantine, make sure they have asked teachers for resources and materials to make up for the missed learning time in the classroom.

Together we can work together to ensure your student is connected to school and engaged with learning. It starts with consistent attendance.

PTO Fundraiser Update

Thank you to all Falcon Families that participated in our Fall FMS PTO Fundraiser. Our students raised $5,575 dollars with a profit of $2,600.60 for our PTO. Congratulations to our top seller, Amylynn Fillmore. She will receive a $50 gift card from our PTO. Ms. Williams’ AB was the highest selling AB and will receive a pizza party also provided by PTO. Products and prizes will be delivered in late November.. Thanks to everyone again for supporting the French Falcons!

Pop Tabs

6th grade ABs are collecting pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House. If you do not have a 6th grader, but would like to donate, please send your tabs to the office.

Student Led Parent Teacher Conferences

These were held on October 21 and 22 .It was an amazing turn out! 26 AB teachers held meetings with their AB students and 84% of the families attended, up 2% from last year. In addition AB teachers had other meetings with families There were 13 non AB staff members that held meetings also.

Mr. Conner, Mrs. Hirt, Mrs. Middleton, Mrs. VanDyke and Ms. Vaught all had 100% of their parents connect and discuss their students. Kudos to you!

There were a total of 1,206 conversations with families. Our students will be stronger when we work together, way to show up Falcon Families!

What I Need (WIN time)

A really powerful part of our day is WIN time. We had one teacher say there were more As and Bs in his classes due to the extra time to complete labs, tasks and quizzes during WIN time. Another teacher said out of all of his students, only 1 earned an F because he was able to track them down during WIN time.

In addition to our core content priority days, there are special groups that are meeting during this time too. These include spelling bee, Spirit Squad, SUM Day, Lego League, an Art/Media collaboration, yearbook and a mentorship program with our students. Be sure to ask your child where they went for WIN time today!

End of 1st Quarter Data

At the end of the first grading period, 85% of the school earned a citizenship card with a free tardy pass, lunch table dismissed first, ,free homework pass and 25￠off a sno cone for keeping all 10 eligible points for the quarter. 147 sixth graders, 127 seventh graders and 121 eighth graders. The AB in each grade with the highest % earning citizenship, will display this plaque outside their door for the 2nd quarter.

Students earn an Ever Present Falcon Award if they have 95% attendance each month. This comes with a treat at lunch and their name goes into a drawing for a $100 gift cart at the end of the semester. October had 257 students present for 95% or more of the time.

Honor Roll shined brightest in 6th grade. 6th grade had 126 students, 7th grade had 72 students and 8th grade had 104 students earn honor roll recognition for the 1st quarter. Honor Roll Cards with a free tardy pass, eat outside with 1 friend, $1 off home events, a homework pass and a Taco Bell Coupon were distributed at the assembly.

There are 167 students in 6th grade, 149 students in 7th grade and 149 students in 8th grade.

Look for the dates of the next Recognition Assembly in the January Newsletter or on the French Google Calendar.

Girl’s basketball season is now underway. Games are Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the final play night on Thursday Dec. 10th @ Highland Park High school at 6:00. All regular season games start at 3:15 and are usually over by 5:30. Games cost $3.00 to enter. Game dates can be found on our school website calendar. Students are not allowed at away games unless with a parent/guardian.

Boys Soccer is also underway and is going rather smoothly now. The game format will be a full varsity game of two 30 minute halves, followed by a 20 minute half for non varsity players. Games will be played at Hummer sports park(westside soccer field). Admission will be charged at both and is $3.00. Students are not allowed at away games unless with a parent/guardian, as well as no backpacks brought in to Hummer.

Boys Basketball will start Wednesday Jan. 6th. Boy’s games are held Mondays and Thursdays, starting at 3:15 and are over by 5:30. Make sure that you have your sports physical completed before the first practice. Now is the time to make sure that assignments are getting turned in and your grades are up. Students MUST pass 5 classes in the 2nd quarter in order to play basketball in the 3rd quarter. DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!

Sportsmanship

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.

Get ready for a night of games, learning, and family fun! Join us at French Middle School on November 10 from 6:00–7:00 p.m. for an exciting evening of interactive activities designed to bring families together while supporting student learning.

Families can explore game and activity stations in Math, ELA, Social Studies, Science, and Related Arts. Enjoy hot dogs, chips, and lemonade, and visit the Scholastic Book Fair!

Don’t forget your station card! Families will receive a card to track the stations they visit. Once completed, you can choose an educational activity or item to take home and continue learning together as a family.

We look forward to seeing our French MS families for an evening of learning, laughter, and connection!

As families plan for the upcoming school year, view the 2026-2027 academic calendar here. We encourage families to review important dates, including the first and last days of school, holidays, breaks, and professional development days as we prepare for another great year ahead.

Help Your Child Get Connected with T-Mobile Project 10Million

Did you know your child may qualify for FREE internet access through T-Mobile’s Project 10Million program?

T-Mobile created Project 10Million to help connect K–12 students to the internet so they can access educational resources and learning opportunities outside of school.

What Does the Program Provide?

Eligible families can receive:

• 200 GB of free internet data per year for 5 years

• One free mobile hotspot per household

• No fees or costs

• No annual recertification requirements

Who May Qualify?

Your K–12 student may be eligible if your household participates in at least one of the following programs:

• National School Lunch Program (NSLP)

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/EBT)

• Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

• Medicaid

• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Families must provide proof of enrollment in one qualifying program dated within one year of participation.

Ready to Get Started?

Visit the official T-Mobile Project 10Million website to learn more, review eligibility requirements, and apply.

Disclaimer: These are not actual pictures of Boscoe and Kota, but general pictures of their breeds.

• Boscoe: He is a Bernese Mountain Dog who recently passed his Pet Partners Therapy Dog evaluation. He knows sit, down, paw, touch, watch me, here, wait, and even recognizes the word "school"! He is usually at school on Monday and Wednesday mornings, but that schedule can vary a bit. So if you don’t see him and Ms. Kelley is not busy, you can always ask which days he will be here for that week.

• Kota: She is an Aussiedoodle who loves playing keep-away and is notoriously selective about her favorite treats! She is usually here on Tuesday and Thursday of each week, but like Boscoe, that schedule can vary a bit. Ms. Ryan is the one to ask if you are curious about which days she will be with us.

YEARBOOKS ARE ON SALE!!! $18 cash or check in the office, or pay online: https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/yb114001

Student fees for the 2026-2027 school year, will be added into My School Bucks after December 1st. Visit myschoolbucks.com or download the mobile app to pay your invoice using a card or e-check.

If you are creating a My School Bucks account to pay fees for the first time, please visit myschoolbucks.com to create a secure login. View step-by-step instructions to create an account here.

If you need assistance with your account, you can find helpful how-to videos and answers to commonly asked questions by visiting myschoolbucks.com or by calling 855-832-5226

Make a difference, be a hero, stay drug free was the theme for this year’s Red Ribbon Week. Each year during the last week of October we participate in Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon week is a national drug prevention campaign. This year, we were fortunate to have a guest speaker from Prevention and Recovery Services teach lessons on the dangers and reasons not to use drugs and alcohol to all of our 6th, 7th and 8th graders during science classes. Our student council members planned a fun spirit week and read daily announcements to offer reasons not to use drugs and alcohol. We hope that students will learn more about drug prevention and make good choices when it comes to drugs and alcohol.

What does the future hold for our students? Career Day is a chance to explore the possibilities! On November 20, from 8:15–11:15 a.m., French Middle School students will rotate through five, 30 minute sessions to discover different careers, ask questions, and connect classroom learning to the world of work.

Parents and guardians—we’d love to learn from you! Please consider being a Career Day presenter. Share what you do, how you got started, and the skills you use every day. Your experiences could introduce a student to a new interest or inspire a future career!

If you’re interested in presenting, please contact the school counseling office. Help us bring the world of work to life for our students!

Bullying Policy

French Middle School will not tolerate bullying of any kind. Bullying is defined as any ongoing verbal or physical mistreatment where there is an imbalance of power, and the target/victim is exposed repeatedly to negative actions by one or more students. Bullying can be direct (physical or verbal), or indirect (exclusion, cyber-bullying, emotional). In order for everyone to feel safe and secure at school, every Topeka Public School has adopted the following rules against bullying. “I will not bully others. I will try to help students who are bullied. I will do my best to include students who are easily left out. When I know somebody is being bullied, I will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.” Students, staff, and parents should report any bullying that they are aware of to administration through the on-line bully report link on the French website. Students who bully others will receive consequences. Our counselors will be visiting 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes in August and September to remind students what bullying is, what we can do to prevent bullying, and what students should do if they or someone else is being bullied.

Notice of Non- Discrimination

The Topeka Public Schools, Unified School District No. 501 is committed to affirmative action and equal opportunity. No person shall, on the basis of age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin or ancestry be denied lawful access to any appropriate educational service, program or activity provided by the school district. The Title VI and Title IX compliance coordinator is the Assistant Superintendent for Teaching/Learning/Administration. The Section 504/Title II compliance coordinator is the Coordinator of College and Career Ready Services. For employment, the EEO/AA officer is the General Director of Human Resources. All compliance coordinators may be contacted at 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294, (785) 295-3000. The clerk of the Board of Education has been designated to receive and redirect or handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, regulations and procedures. The clerk may be contacted by calling (785) 295-3045 or by writing to 624 SW 24th Street, Topeka, KS 66611-1294.