Middle School After School Programs at RISK
There is a proposed county budget reduction for FY2026 that could eliminatefunding for the Middle School After-School (MSAS) program in all 27 Fairfax County middle schools, as well as all middle school Value In Prevention (VIP) summer camp programs. These vital programs provide a safe, supervised learning environment for our children after the school day ends as well as for five weeks every summer. Their elimination would have a significant negative impact on our community.
In collaboration with the Virginia Partnership for Out of School Time (VPOST), several parents in the county are launching an effort to stop elimination of Fairfax County Middle School After School and Summer Learning programs. We have created several ways to help parents and students get involved:
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Participate in Petitions and Send Them to Other Parents
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Join our listserv to get updates about progress and new opportunities. Just reach out to SaveFairfaxAfterschool@gmail.com and we'll add you.
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Bruster’s Spirit Night
Grab your friends and head to Bruster’s for some delicious ice cream on Tuesday April 22nd from 5:00 - 8:00 PM. A portion of the sales that night will go to the RCMS PTA. Help support our PTA functions while enjoying a sweet taste of summer. Get pumped for the Panther Prowl and support the PTA and a RCMS community sponsor as well!
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Basketball Game vs. Liberty MS: Friday April 25
WHAT: RCMS vs. LMS Basketball game
WHEN: Friday, April 25 (Tip-off at 6PM)
WHERE: Liberty Middle School, (Doors to open at 5:30PM)
TICKETS: $5 individual ticket, $20 for a family package (4+), tickets go on sale soon!
Come join your friends and show some school spirit as we cheer on our Panthers basketball team against Liberty Middle School!
All students must be accompanied by an adult and an adult may only supervise 4 children at a time, unless the 4+ are that adults own children. This is NOT a drop off event.
Parents and older teens - please consider giving an hour of your time for this event. Volunteer opportunities will be available for ticket sales and Spirit Wear - please be on the lookout for sign-ups in future communications.
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Basketball Game vs. Langston Hughes MS: Tuesday April 29
WHAT: RCMS vs. LHMS Basketball game
WHEN: Tuesday, April 29 (Tip-off at 6PM)
WHERE: Langston Hughes Middle School, Door 1. (Doors to open at 5:30PM)
TICKETS: $5 online until gameday, cash only at the door, sales open soon!
Come join your friends and show some school spirit as we cheer on our Panthers basketball team against Langston Hughes!
Parents and older teens - please consider giving an hour of your time for this event. Volunteer opportunities will be available for concessions, ticket sales, and Spirit Wear - please be on the lookout for sign-ups in future communications.
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Panther Prowl 5K Run/Walk - early bird ends 4/2!
Registration for the 2025 Panther Prowl is open! April 25th from 2:30- 4:30 pm, after school, late buses provided. We’re going to have lots of fun running or walking the Panther Prowl 5K course and enjoying Panther spirit and snacks with our friends. Be on the lookout for fun raffles and spirit days as the race approaches! Register today to get early bird pricing!
Sponsors Needed - Do you have a business that would like to sponsor the Panther Prowl and/or donate raffle prizes for the raffle? Please contact Robyn Bywater robynbywater@gmail.com for more information.
Parents - We would love your help with the Panther Prowl, it’s such a fun way to get involved and help support our students and staff!! We’ll need volunteers to help set up and clean up on April 25th, as well as folks to direct participants, cheer them on and hand out prizes. Watch for a SUG in early April.
Contact Jen Connor Naylor rachelcarsonfundraising@gmail.com to hear more.
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Panther Prowl T-Shirt Design Contest & Raffles
Thanks to all the students who submitted designs for this year’s Panther Prowl T-Shirt Design Contest. All the designs were terrific and it was a tough decision! Congratulations to the 2025 winners!
First Place: Rex L., 7th grade
Second Place: Anish T., 8th grade
Third place: Ved K., 7th grade
Register early for the Panther Prowl so that you will be eligible for all the pre-Prowl excitement! We’ll wear our shirts every Friday in April to celebrate our Panther Pride and there will be raffles for all registered students each week leading up to the race. Don’t miss out on your chance to be a part of the fun! Register today!
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Parent Teen Book Club
The Carson Library is thrilled to partner with the Carson PTA to announce our second Parent Teen Book Club on April 8, 2025 from 7-8:30pm, and we would love to see you there! After choosing one of the six book options, you and your child will be loaned a copy of the book to read. Then, on April 8, we will come together to talk about the book selection and have some light refreshments.
This spring, the theme is Jennifer Nielsen, since all the books are written by this loved middle grade author. Ready for the best news? Ms. Nielsen will be at school April 8 speaking to all the Carson students, and she will attend the Parent Teen Book Club that evening! CLICK HERE to learn more and to read about the book choices. Carson PTA members got early access to registration, and there are still a number of spots available. Sign-up now to ensure a spot with the best book for you and your child. Ready to sign up for a fun evening of literary conversations with your middle schooler, fill out the sign up form HERE!
Please reach out to librarians, Ellen Bickford (elbickford@fcps.edu) or Elizabeth Donovan (emdonovan1@fcps.edu) with any questions.
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8th Grade Panthers: It’s Time to Celebrate!
Parents of all 8th Graders: Your 8th Grader is invited to celebrate the end of the year and their time at RCMS! The students voted overwhelmingly for "Hollywood Red Carpet - Dress to impress!" for the theme!
Registration is required by May 7th. Registration is available to the 8th graders via the 8th Grade Students 2024-25 Group on Schoology. The party is at RCMS on June 6th, from 5:30–7:30pm. Entrance is FREE but students MUST be registered to attend and to win fun prizes! There will be food, a DJ, dancing, photo booths, karaoke, and games! Please encourage your student to come join the fun!
On June 6th, your 8th grader can be dropped off at the main entrance at 5:15, doors will open at 5:30. Pick up is promptly at 7:30 pm. Students will not be permitted to leave the building until 7:30.
Parents, we NEED your help to make this a great party for our kiddos! If you are willing to donate goodies or volunteer your time, please sign up here! We also have an Amazon wishlist for some items that can be found and purchased here.
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No Frills Fundraiser
Thanks to all of our generous donors,
We have reached 32% of our goal for the school year!
Please consider helping the PTA fund these great events. You can make a difference for our kids and their middle school experience—give today!
This year, rather than asking students to sell items (like cookie dough or wrapping paper) we are hoping you will participate in our no frills fundraiser! Please take time to read about what we have planned this year and consider making a donation to help make these plans a reality. Each donation we receive will ensure that the following programs can happen this school year.
April is going to be busy! We have the Parent Teen Book Club for registered students and the author talk for the whole school on April 8th when author Jennifer Neilsen comes to Carson! A well earned Spring Break and then our Bruster’s Fundraiser, County board of supervisors advocacy for MSAS programming, the Panther Prowl and 2 basketball games! Get ready for a great week with the Carson PTA!
Any amount you can give will help us towards our goal of fully funding all of our PTA events that will enrich our children’s learning!
Donate here or text '25PTA' to (919) 626-3277 to be redirected to our fundraising page. We are deeply grateful for all the donations and support we have gotten so far this year.
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Attention Seventh Grade Parents!
Please consider joining us at our PTA meeting on Thursday, March, 13th at 6 pm.
We’re looking to engage parents like you and asking you to take on a volunteer role in the PTA. Many in PTA leadership are 8th grade parents and we’d like to leave our legacy strong with a group of dedicated leaders. Good news: it’s only an 18 month commitment, and we have a strong framework to hand off and make sure that your child’s time at Carson is as positive and enriching as it can be. We are ready to mentor folks in all areas of leadership, YOU have something to offer and we’d love to have your input. Please reach out to rcmspta@gmail.com for more information. Many hands make light work and with your help we will achieve great things for Carson.
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