Rachel Carson Middle School

Once a Panther, always a Panther. We loved having some of our former students, and current high school seniors, visit today. Congratulations to the class of 2025! We wish you all the best!

Today we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, the fallen soldiers of American wars.

We hope all of our students and families enjoy this long weekend. We will return back to school on Tuesday with an A-Day. Reminder that Thursday is the last day for afterschool activities and late busses.

This week all students will be taking their Math SOL on Tuesday. Please notice the altered schedule (class periods are out of order). Students, please charge your Chromebooks fully Monday night so you are ready for testing on Tuesday!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

At Carson, we are incredibly grateful for our amazing teachers who inspire, encourage, and ignite a love of learning every single day. Your dedication, creativity, and passion make a lasting difference in the lives of our students and our entire community.

This week, and every week, we celebrate YOU — the heart of RCMS! Thank you for everything you do. 🦉📚✨

This week we will have our first SOL, the 7th and 8th grade Reading SOL, on Wednesday, May 7. Students will report directly to their testing location at the start of the day.

The current Fairfax County advertised budget underfunds FCPS by $150 million. In only 5 days, the Board of Supervisors will finalize the budget. Without new revenue, such as the meals tax (adding just $2–3 to an average dining bill for a family of four), FCPS will face significant cuts.

What is at risk? Here are just a few examples where FCPS exceeds the minimum State standards:

• Activities and Athletics
• Advanced Academic Resource Teachers
• Class Sizes
• Elementary Art, Music, PE teachers
• Elementary Special Education Lead Teachers
• Adult Education and Nontraditional programs
• Cybersecurity
• Safety and Security

These are in addition to cuts that the Fairfax County Government already announced to programs that support our schools:

• Middle School After School programs
• School Crossing Guards
• Public Health Nurses supporting our schools

Do you believe in the power and promise of public education?

Go to fcps.edu/crossroads for more information on where you can share your ideas about the County budget.

As we head into May, we wanted to take a moment to remind students and families about upcoming Spring SOL dates. Reading, Math and Science (for 8th grade) will take place in the morning (starting at 7:30am) on the following dates.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Bruster's last night for the PTA sponsored spirit night! And thank you to our awesome teachers who were there to scoop delicious ice cream. Such a fun evening!

We hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Spring Break. We look forward to students return tomorrow for a B-Day.

A joyful Easter to all in our community who celebrate! The springtime celebration of Easter is the most important Christian holiday. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, who sacrificed so that Christians may have life with God after death.

This week we recognize those in our community observing Good Friday. On this day, Christians observe the commemoration of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross for those who believe.