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Sidewalks were cleared and ready to welcome students back; Our counselors were overjoyed at being honored this week; Office staff showed their USA spirit as the Olympic season starts; Students enjoyed time with the K-9 Caring Angels Therapy Dogs.

Franklin Community,

We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and patience as we worked through multiple delayed starts this week due to snow and icy conditions. While winter weather has continued to impact our schedule, it has been nice to see us getting closer and closer to a more normal routine. Thank you for your support in helping students arrive safely and ready for learning each day.

We are proud to share that Franklin had three students represented in Artifax, FCPS’s annual celebration honoring outstanding teen artists from across the division. Artifax showcases student work in the visual arts and recognizes creativity, skill, and artistic voice at the middle and high school levels. Being selected for Artifax is a significant accomplishment, and we are thrilled to see our Franklin artists recognized among such talented peers. Congratulations to our students and a big thank-you to our art teacher, Ms. French, for inspiring and supporting student creativity.

This week, students were introduced to Falcons in Good Standing (FIGS) during Advisory. FIGS is a behavior-based incentive program designed to promote positive behavior, accountability, and responsible decision-making as we prepare for our upcoming Franklin vs. Rocky Run basketball event. Students learned about the expectations and criteria for maintaining good standing, and we appreciate your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home as we build toward a safe and positive school-wide event.

We are also looking forward to our 8th grade volleyball tournament, which will take place during Advisory next week as a fun culminating event for the volleyball unit. To celebrate the tournament, we will invite students to attend the championship game as spectators, making it a spirited and community-building event. We’re excited to see our 8th graders showcase their effort and root on their classmates!

We also want to acknowledge that the second semester is officially underway. Students enrolled in semester-long electives have begun their new courses, while students in year-long electives should not have experienced significant schedule changes unless there were extenuating circumstances. We understand that not every student may have received their first-choice elective, but please know that we use course selection sheets to make every effort to place students in classes they have expressed interest in while also balancing the many complexities of building a master schedule. We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to provide meaningful and engaging elective experiences for all students.

As we look ahead to the coming week, we are hopeful that a stretch of warmer weather next weekend will bring some much-needed melting snow and a return to more typical winter conditions. We appreciate your continued flexibility during this unusual weather pattern and look forward to a smoother, more routine week ahead at Franklin.

Tom DeRusso
Principal
Franklin Middle School

Weekly CARE Card Raffle Winners

National School Counseling Week

This week we spent time celebrating our amazing school counselors. Our middle school counselors play an important role in supporting students’ academic success, social development, and emotional well-being. They work closely with students through individual meetings, group lessons, and classroom activities focused on skills like organization, resilience, and healthy relationships. Our counselors strive to help every student feel supported, confident, and ready to learn.  

Thank you to Ms. Fraundorfer, Ms. Gallagher and Ms. Zeid.  Franklin is lucky to have you as our school counselors!

~Important Dates~ 

February 16 - Presidents' Day - School & Office Closed

February 17 - School Closed - Teacher Workday

February 27 - Franklin vs. Rocky Run Basketball

                       5pm-Staff / 6pm-Girls / 7pm-Boys

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Learn more about Black History month. 

~Action Items~