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Home of the Falcons!
"Fountain Hills Middle School empowers students to learn, to care, and to succeed."
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Principal's Message February 8, 2019
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Hello Falcon Families,
Wow, can it really be February already? Before we know it Spring Break will have come and gone and state testing will be upon us. In an effort to provide our students with the best opportunity to succeed, we are making some important changes to how we will administer the AIMS Science and AzMERIT tests (especially at the 6th - 8th levels) here at FHMS. Below I will highlight the changes:
- Students will test with their ELA teacher for all AzMERIT ELA tests (e.g. Reading Parts I & II, Writing) and their Math teacher for both portions of the AzMERIT Math test. It is our belief that students will be more comfortable and conscientious if their ELA teacher is in the room during the ELA portions of the test and their Math teacher is present during the Math portions of the test. Additionally, having the appropriate subject area teacher in the room may provide students with a "spark" or memory if he/she is struggling on a particular question.
- All tests will be administered in the morning (8:30 - 10:00 a.m. and 10:15 - 11:45 a.m.; students will be allowed to continue working as long as needed on any given section in the library). Students are more engaged and focused before noon, thus we want to make sure they are able to test when they are at peak performance. Also, we don't want students worrying about missing the bus, etc...and thus rush through the test.
- Students will take the tests either in their classroom or a computer lab (teachers have been administering formative assessments and Benchmarks in the room the AzMerit will be administered for their class). To use a sports analogy, we are creating a "home-field advantage" for our students by providing them a familiar and comfortable testing environment.
- Students not testing on a given day will still have all their classes. We will have guest teachers filling in for those administering the test, and standards-based lesson plans will be provided and followed. Since some of these measures will result in having both testing and non-testing students on campus at the same time, we want to make sure those students that are not testing are still academically challenged and engaged.
Having been at the high school last year when we implemented these testing strategies, I can tell you they work. Students felt more relaxed, were able to do their best work, and the results led to the high school earning an "A" rating by the State of Arizona. We are currently working on the specific testing schedule and will share it with you in our next Falcon Focus newsletter.
Respectfully,
James Carrick
FHMS Principal |
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Special Announcements
See what is happening at our schools
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Kiwanis Falcon Leaders
Congratulations to the January Kiwanis Falcon Leaders, 8th graders Lindsey Eminhizer and Matthew Minero (pictured far right). Way to go! |
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16th Annual FHUSD Gala
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FHUSD Spelling Bee
Congratulations to 4th grader, Micah Laughlin, who is the FHUSD Spelling Bee Champion! Micah now moves on to represent FHUSD in the regional spelling bee at Deer Valley USD on February 22, 2019. Micah will compete against students that are district winners from Cave Creek, Deer Valley, Paradise Valley, and Scottsdale school districts. Seventh grader, Griffin Bos, took second place in the FHUSD spelling bee and will be a regional bee alternate We are so proud of these FHMS students! |
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Second Semester Parent Teacher Conferences
We are approximately half way through the third quarter grading term. This is a great time for parents and teachers to discuss the successes of the students, address the struggles, and renew the partnership between teacher and parent. Hopefully, conference time is just one more opportunity for the team to work towards the common goal of helping our students succeed.
During the week of March 4, teachers and grade level teams will provide opportunities for parents to come in, particularly if a student in struggling.
4th & 5th Grade: Conferences will be held the week of March 4 by appointment. Conferences will not be required for all students. Teachers will request a conference with individual families for students who may be struggling or for other concerns.
6th - 8th Grade: Conferences will not be required for all students. Teachers will request a conference with individual families for students who may be struggling or for other concerns. We will have conferences during the day on Thursday, March 7 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. On Friday, March 8, teachers will be conferencing from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. Each grade level will decide how conferences will be scheduled (e.g., by appointment, sign-up genius, or first-come, first-served basis).
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Parent Drop Off and Pick Up
The Fountains United Methodist Church has graciously allowed FHMS parents to use their parking lot for morning drop off and afternoon pick up for years. We are grateful for their generosity in extending this space for our convenience. Starting Monday, February 11 through Tuesday, February 19, this parking lot will be closed due to construction. We are asking that all student and parent traffic, both pedestrian and vehicle, be re-routed away from their parking lot and building during this time. Parents may park in our school's back lot, close to the playground, for drop off and pick up. Beginning Monday, February 11, any parents transporting students should expect delays. We appreciate your patience in this regard.
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Author to Visit FHMS
On Tuesday, February 12, author Kim Tomsic, who is the aunt of one of our 4th grade students, will visit our campus to talk about her newest novel,"The 11:11 Wish". This event will be for all 4th and 5th grade students, and any students in grades 6-8 who pre-order her book. You can check out Kim Tomsic's books on www.kimtomsic.com/books. If you're interested in pre-ordering "The 11:11 Wish", it is available at
If you pre-order the book, the author will sign it on the day of the event!
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FHMS Birthday Club
We are excited to offer FHMS families the opportunity to add to their student's birthday celebrations. For only $5, you can add your student's first name and last initial with a "Happy Birthday" message to our marquee. For all submissions, we must have the student's name, birthday date, and $5 (cash or check payable to FHMS) at least two weeks prior to their actual birthday so we are able to program the system accurately. The birthday message will run from 5:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. on the student's birthday. Request forms are available at the front office, and must be signed by the student's parent/guardian. |
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Looking Ahead
View upcoming events of the week ahead
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| 02/18/2019 |
NO SCHOOL - Presidents' Day
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| 02/23/2019 |
16th Annual PTO Gala |
02/26/2019 |
Combined Band Concert
(FHMS, FHHS & FH Community Band)
6:30 p.m. FHMS Gym |
03/01/2019 |
Parks & Rec Open Gym
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. FHMS Gym
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Quick Links
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15414 N. McDowell Mountain Rd., Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 480.664.5400
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