Carson MS Weekly Updates -Updates - Week of February 2

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Important Upcoming Events

February 4: Math Night for 7^th grade families

February 5 : Second semester begins

February 16 - Holiday- George Washington's Birthday - No School

February 17 - Teacher Workday - No School

February 18 Religious or cultural Observance

Principal's Message

We hope that everyone stayed safe during the recent winter weather and hopefully got the chance to catch up on a few things that you normally may not have gotten to. We wanted to let you know that due to school being closed yesterday, Monday, February 2nd, the county has made a slight adjustment to the end of quarter grading timeline and the start of the second semester. The end of the second grading quarter will now be Wednesday, February 4th. The 3rd quarter and second semester will now start on Thursday, February 5th. Students should be able to view their second semester schedules in ParentVue/StudentVue on Wednesday, February 4th at 4:00pm. We look forward to a fresh start, as we kick off the second semester on Thursday, February 5th!

Thanks and stay safe,

Principal Washington

School Counseling Week- Thank you to Our Counselors!

National School Counseling Week (Feb. 2–6) is a time to recognize the vital role Carson school counselors play in supporting students’ academic growth, emotional well‑being, and future planning. This week, we celebrate the many ways counselors help students succeed and encourage you to take a moment to thank your school’s counselor(s). To learn more about the impact of this essential profession, visit: https://www.schoolcounselor.org/role. Please take a moment to reach out to your student's school counselor to say thank you for the work they do every day.

A big thank you to our amazing team of counselors here at Rachel Carson: Ms. Brammer, Ms. Copeland, Ms. Ryder, and Ms. Schires. - we appreciate all you do!

FCPS Student Experience Survey

On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, students will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey during Panther Time. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.

FCPS believes it is important to hear from our students about what they are doing well and where they can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as they work toward meeting plan goals.

The survey is voluntary. The survey is designed to protect students’ privacy and is confidential. Students can skip any questions they do not want to answer and can stop taking the survey at any point. To preview some of the questions on the survey, visit the Student Experience Survey Preview.

If you would like to opt your child out of the survey, please complete the Student Experience Survey electronic opt-out form.

If you have any questions about the Student Experience Survey, please contact Elizabeth Scheurer, assistant principal, at eascheurer@fcps.edu

Student Fasting Meal Kits

From February 18 to March 19, 2026, a Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) waiver allows students fasting during the school day to request take-home meal kits. These kits include a complete school breakfast and lunch to be eaten after the school day ends.

Important Meal Kit Information:

Kits are charged based on a student’s meal status (Free, Reduced, or Paid).
Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day.
Students who eat a meal at school during the day are not eligible for a take-home kit on the same day.
Kits are distributed at the end of the school day. Students must pick up their own kits; adults are not permitted to collect them.

Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:

February 11, 2026 for week of February 18, 2026
February 16, 2026 for the week of February 23, 2026
February 23, 2026 for the week of March 2, 2026
March 2, 2026 for the week of March 9, 2026
March 9, 2026 for the week of March 16, 2026

Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.

K&K Student Accident Insurance

Fairfax County Public Schools does not provide medical insurance for accidents that occur at school. Parents may want to consider if purchasing voluntary student insurance is appropriate for their family.

K & K Insurance Group offers student accident insurance coverage that parents may purchase. For families without other medical insurance, this plan may be a helpful resource. Additionally, for families who already have coverage, this plan may help offset costs such as deductibles and co-pays. Coverage may be purchased at any time during the school year.

Please click the link below for information on k-12 student accident insurance.

https://www.kandkinsurance.com/programs/sports-insurance/k-12-student-accident

Prepare for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.

FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.

Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.

Attendance Matters

Please review the attendance updates below.

Early Dismissal Procedure

Please do NOT request early dismissals online or by phone.

To request an early dismissal please send a note, or complete and print an Early Dismissal Request Form for your child. Your child should bring the note or form to the main office upon arrival to school in order to receive an early dismissal pass for that day. If you forget to send a note, students should still come to the front office to get an early dismissal pass. This will minimize class interruptions when the teacher knows in advance a student will check out early.

All early dismissals must be before 2pm.

Click HERE for more Carson Middle Attendance details.

Private School or Program Application Process

Rachel Carson Middle School requires important documents to effectively accommodate your requests in a timely manner. Please provide all documents below two weeks in advance of the private school application deadline.

If your student is planning on applying to any private schools for the 2026-2027 school year, please complete the "Private School Request Form" and the "Parent Consent Form: SS-SE79" and submit them to the Student Service’s Office or to your child’s counselor. Counselors will be emailing all records to the requested schools via an admissions email OR the school's portal.

Please visit our website at RCMS Private School Requests for more information regarding required forms and teacher recommendations.

Please contact your child’s school counselor or our Student Services Assistant Andrea Tawil (ajtawil@fcps.edu) with questions.