F.M.S. Student Services

Here we are beginning a new decade; students and teachers “hit the ground running” last week when we came back from vacation. Heading into the last part of the seccond trimester, curriculum generally becomes more advanced and the work load can increase. If you have any questions or concerns about your child and how school is going for them, please don’t hesitate to contact their teacher. We’d like to remind you that Mrs. Girsch and Mrs. Wright are also available for consultation or to check in with your child if you have specific concerns. We also both do classroom guidance classes and teach “ROCK” classes aimed at self-awareness, respect, and responsibility to others. Both counselors lead student teams: the Civil Right’s Team for grades 5-8, and S.O.S. or Students Offering Support team in Grades 7 & 8.  

This spring we will also have a USM school counseling intern, Danielle Calhoun, working with us. Danielle will eventually be running some small groups, seeing individual students, and teaching classes. Much like a student teacher, Danielle is preparing to become a school counselor through her “hands on” internship. Danielle is at the end of her graduate program and is a welcome addition to our office! 

Please contact Dawn or Pat if you have any questions about the school counseling program.

Fresh from Thanksgiving break, we begin our second trimester. This is a hectic time of year for everyone; students feel increased academic demands as new work is introduced and homework expectations stepped up. With all the activities and rush of this season, it is very important to maintain regular home routines and schedules (as much as possible). Regular eating and sleeping habits go along way in helping your son or daughter to keep up with the pace.  Participation in a sport or other physical outlet is equally important in maintaining energy and a positive attitude. Please feel free to call either school counselor if you have questions about your child’s school performance. We often deal with student stress and issues of anxiety, especially around vacations. Check out some of our links on this page; one is to an article specifically dealing with school anxiety.  We can also be liasons to outside sources of support or information. Best wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season!

Please stop by the Student Services Office  to say hello during Open Houses this week. Mrs. Wright ( grades 5 and eight) will be there tonight to introduce herself to 5th grade parents. This week and next she will be visiting each of the 5th grade homerooms to give an overview of the school counseling office and services we provide. She is also teaching 2 sections of 5th grade ROCK each Tuesday morning.  Mrs. Wright will soon be signing up students for lunch groups in an effort to get to know as many of the 5th graders as she can. Our goal is to develop a really strong relationship with our students in grade 5 that we can build on for the next 3 years of middle school.

Please feel free to contact either Mrs. Wright or Mrs. Girsch if you have any questions about school counselors. We look forward to meeting many of you this week!

Sorry that we haven’t written for a while; the end of the school year came fast and furious. Along with way too much rain! We have said goodbye to a wonderful 8th grade class & although we are sad to see them leave, we know that they will love Falmouth High School. Meanwhile, we are saying “hello” to a new 5th grade class and looking forward to having them join us in the fall. By the way, if you didn’t notice, we will be having an opportunity for students to “meet the teachers” on Tuesday, September 1st from 1 to 3 pm. This is an informal opportunity for new, and incoming, students to stop by and meet teachers and walk around the school. If you have any questions, please call 781-3740, the FMS main office.
Our office will be open the two weeks prior to school starting; our secretary (Julie Mercer) will be here and then the school counselors begin the week of August 24. If you have any questions or concerns over the summer, we will be checking our e-mail periodically. Looking forward to seeing you in September!! Mrs. Wright (grades 5 and & Mrs. Girsch (grades 6 & 7)

Since I last wrote, UPS has picked up all our boxes of MEA test materials and our offices are finally back to normal. We appreciated how much effort teachers, students, and staff put into this huge testing undertaking; with over 750 students to test and as many materials to account for, it is necessary to have a lot of support! Next, our thoughts turned to report cards and parent conferences. If any of you have questions remaining after conferences, and would like a counselor’s feedback or support, please call us. Dawn and I have just begun our Third Trimester ROCK classes in grades 5 and 7; Dawn is also co-leading some groups during ROCK time in 6th grade. I am coordinating the visits to 8th grade homerooms by our high school guidance counselors this week; students have had excellent questions following their visit to the high school on Tuesday. All transitions have their own unique challenges, and we are here to help support parents and students as they “grow” beyond us and successfully enter their next phase of public school life.
Again, your attitude as a parent is one key to your child’s successful transition; through positive words and actions, you can help create positive energy and excitement for this newest step towards adulthood.