Dear Fairview Middle School Families,

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TCAP TESTING - It's almost here!  On Monday, all of our sixth through eighth will begin the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program Achievement Test.  The TCAP testing window for Williamson County Schools runs from April 14-18.  Fairview Middle will test Monday through Thursday and then have make-up testing on Friday for any student who missed part of the test.  The TCAP test is a timed, multiple choice assessment that measures skills in reading, language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.   Fairview Middle has earned a reputation for outstanding TCAP scores.  The Education Consumers Foundation recently announced that FMS was among the most effective of Tennessee’s over 1300 elementary and middle schools in teaching reading/language arts and mathematics! I will be accepting an award and check on behalf of the teachers and students on Monday, May 12 at a ceremony at the State Capitol. We look forward to building upon our foundation of success again this year.  Please make sure your child gets plenty of sleep every night next week and eats a good breakfast every morning. Also, please encourage your child to do his or her very best on every question!  “Success” is about attitude as much as it is about aptitude!  

 

TCAP SNACKS and VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! – We really need parent help with TCAP week!  School-wide snacks are provided half-way through their testing each morning.  We would greatly appreciate donations of large bags of pretzels, boxes of individually wrapped Rice Krispy Treats, and boxes of individually wrapped peanut butter crackers! We also need 2 liter bottles of soft drinks for a post-TCAP reward for students later in the week. Please have students bring any donations to the office on Monday morning.  We are also in great need of parent volunteers who can help set up and break down the snacks for students.  If you are available and are interested in helping, please contact Ms. Katrina Gregory or Ms. Carol Petersen in the office at 472-4430.

 

4^th NINE WEEK PROGRESS REPORTS – Progress reports will be sent home with every student in every class on Tuesday, April 22.  Students who are making a C or below will receive an additional progress report every Tuesday for the following three weeks. Many times a student who has a strong finish to the year during the 4^th nine weeks can “bump up” their final averages by a whole letter grade.  If you have any questions about your child’s grades, please don’t hesitate to contact a teacher!  Remember that every teacher’s email and phone extension can be found on our wonderful website.

 

GUIDANCE NEWS - Rising 6^th graders from our three feeder elementary schools will be touring Fairview Middle on May 6^th and 7^th.  We will then host a Parent Orientation Night on Thursday May 8^th from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM.  Parents of rising 6^th graders are invited to attend this night to meet the sixth grade teachers, guidance counselors, and administration and also learn more about middle school activities and recipes for success..

Thank you for everyone who donated time to help make our Career Day the best we have ever had. The Nashville Auto Diesel College, who participated in our Career Day, is having an “Open House” and has invited any interested students and parents to attend.  Please call Mr. Shropshire at 650-8147 if you would like additional information.

Female students entering eighth grade next school year can explore a wide variety of career opportunities at the 2008 Girls TEC Camp.  The camp, which will be held June 9-13 at Centennial High School, is a fun way for girls to learn about career opportunities in the fields of science and technology.  For more information, click here.

We have been holding basketball intramurals during mentoring times for the past few weeks.  Four different mentoring groups have played every Monday. During Mentoring, we have been stressing fun and sportsmanship.  There are no losers as we don’t keep score and each game ends with teams shaking hands while saying good game to the opponent. The mentors coach the teams and the games are officiated by 8th grade students on the basketball team.  We hope to do softball intramurals once the weather warms up! 

 

DANCE TEAM TRYOUTS – The FMS Dance Team is looking for new recruits! Students interested in trying out should see Miss Mandy to pick up a dance packet. Please note that students will need to have a sports physical completed by the time of tryouts. We have physical forms available in the office.  The dance clinic and tryout schedule is as follows:

Thursday, May 1^st        3:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Monday, May 5^th          3:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday, May 6^th        3:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday, May 7^th   3:45 PM – 5:30 PM

Thursday, May 8^th       4:00 PM – TRYOUTS

 

FIELD DAY – We will be having our annual school Field Day on May 9^th. Field Day is the highlight of the year for many students. Please make sure that your children come well prepared for a day of fun and memories. We recommend they wear sunscreen and drink plenty of water.  

 

BAND AND CHORUS CONCERT – There will be a band and chorus concert on Thursday, April 17 at 7 PM in the Fairview High School auditorium.  The band and chorus will perform again for all of our students during an assembly on Friday, April 18 at 1:40 PM.

 

S.T.A.R.S BLOOD DRIVE – Students Taking a Right Stand (STARS) is hosting a blood drive on April 28th from 2-7 PM.  There are still around 20 openings that need to be filled in the coming week. Most of the earlier times are filled, but we will do the best we can to accommodate you.  STARS encourages all adults to please consider giving blood and possibly saving someone’s life in an emergency. Too often we do not think about giving blood until someone we care about is in need.  Please contact Ms. Mandy Neill if you are interested in scheduling a time to donate, or go to www.givelife.org and put in FairviewMiddle19 as the search code to see what times are available. 

 

ATHLETIC BANQUET – We will host our annual FMS Athletic Banquet on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 from 5:30-8:30 PM.  There will be no cost to attend the banquet this year and no one is expected to bring anything!  The FMS Booster Club will furnish dinner and drinks.  Dinner will be served from 5:30 -6:30 PM in the cafeteria followed immediately by the awards ceremony at 6:30 in the gymnasium. We look forward to a pleasant evening together to recognize the accomplishments and hard work all of our student athletes.

 

NEW STATE LAW AFFECTING RISING 7^th and 9^th GRADE ATHLETES – The State Board of Education has made a change affecting sports physicals for rising 7th and 9th graders.  The rule, which will go into effect for the 2008-2009 school year, has two components:

1) Athletes in the 7th and 9th grade will be required to have a complete well child checkup (also known as an EPSDT screen) instead of the traditional sports physical.  Ideally this exam can be done by their primary care provider.

2) Once the 7th and 9th grade athletes have their exam completed by the health care provider, the provider will sign the athlete's clearance form (available from the Department of Health website and in the school office after May 1).  The clearance form has a check-box for the provider to document that the athlete has had his/her well child check/EPSDT screen.

Below are some “Frequently Asked Questions” about this new state law

1. Athletes are some of the healthiest students. Why do they need an extra physical? This is not an extra physical. The well child checkup is a broad exam. It includes important health questions, a physical exam, screening for hearing and vision, lab tests, shots, and age-appropriate education. The well child checkup also covers all the items needed to clear athletes for participation in sports. Athletes will only need this exam and not an extra sport physical.

2. Does this mean that sports physicals aren’t good enough for our athletes? Sports physicals are good exams for clearing students to participate in sports. But this represents only a part of a student’s total health. It is important to also address the physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. This can only be accomplished through the full well child checkup.

3. Where can my student get their health maintenance exam? With his or her primary care provider. Every student should have a primary care provider. This is a doctor or nurse practitioner who knows them well, who gives them regular checkups and who takes care of them when they are sick. If your student does not already have a primary care provider, you should check with your insurance company to find out who is your child’s provider. Well child checkups are also available at some county health departments.

4. Who can perform the exam? The yearly well child checkup can be provided by a physician, a nurse practitioner, or a specially trained public health nurse or registered nurse.

5. What if my child doesn’t have health insurance? Many children in Tennessee are eligible for TennCare (http://www.state.tn.us/tenncare) or Cover Kids (http://www.covertn.gov). If your student does not qualify for either of these programs and you do not have health insurance, you can check to see if your local health department offers the well child checkup. Many health departments offer the exam on a sliding fee scale.

Also, you may want to ask your coach if they have a list of local providers who they work with frequently.

6. Why is this limited to 7th and 9th graders? This will be a new process for our students, our school officials, and our health care providers. Starting with a small set of students (athletes in 7th and 9^th grades) will allow us to understand the challenges that may arise when a large number of students need to have well child checkups

7. What if my child will be in the 8th grade? Or 6th grade? Or 10th grade? Or any grade other than the 7th or 9th grade? Beginning with the 2008-2009 school year,

only athletes in the 7th and 9th grade will be required to have a well child checkup  prior to playing sports. Athletes in all other grades will be required to turn in the same sports clearance forms as in previous years.

8. Why is the state moving towards a requirement for health maintenance exams? Yearly well child checkups for children and teenagers are recommended by a number of professional health groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics. These exams are important for the early diagnosis and treatment of medical problems. The yearly checkup is also a good time to talk about important health topics—nutrition, exercise, alcohol and drug use, and safety issues such as seatbelt/helmet use. Because many life-long medical problems start in childhood, it is very important to tackle these problems at an early age, and to foster healthy lifestyle choices that may prevent chronic medical problems in later life

9. When can the sports clearance form be filled out? The clearance form can be filled out anytime after May 1. You can download the form from the Tennessee Department of Health website (should be available after May 1, at http://health.state.tn.us).

10. What if my student had their well child checkup before May 1? Will he or she have to have another checkup before playing sports? Usually not.This depends on how long it has been since your child’s exam. If it has only been a few months, and your doctor feels comfortable filling out the sports clearance form, then your child will probably not need another complete checkup. However, your child’s doctor may want to check your child for those health aspects related directly to sports participation.

COMMMUNITY NEWS – Williamson Recycles/Keep Williamson Beautiful is hosting Shred Day. on April 26^th from 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM at 420 Century Court in Franklin.  Household Hazardous Waste & Computer Recycling Day will be on May 3^rd from 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM at the Williamson County Administrative Complex - 1320 West Main Street in Franklin. For further details you may call 790-5848 or visit the school and pick up flyers for both events in the office.Also, we just heard that The Tennessee Department of Revenue is having another sales tax holiday April 25 through 27!  This holiday will offer three full days of tax savings to shoppers on clothing, school and art supplies, and computers. 

UPCOMING DATES:                

April 14^th – 18^th            TCAP Testing

April 17^th                      Band Concert at 7:00 PM

April 22^nd                     Progress Reports

April 22^nd                     High school counselors will register 8^th grade students for their 9^th grade classes today during their math classes

April 28^th                      STARS Blood Drive

May 6^th                        Gateway Exam (Algebra 1 students only)

May 6^th                        Reading Reward Trip to Books a Million

May 9^th                        Field Day

May 13^th                      Athletic Banquet

May 15^th                      7^th Grade Field Trip to Kentucky Down Under

May 19^th – 22^nd               Semester Exams

May 22^nd                      Last Day of School/Academic Recognition Assembly (½ day for students)

As always, please let me know if I can ever be of any assistance.

Respectfully,

Brian Bass

Principal