Repeated vandalism strikes school bathrooms Updated Oct. 1 FCPS sent out an email to all parents Sept. 30 regarding the Devious Licks social media challenge, warning against taking part in additional challenges that some students are apparently planning to take part in.  Challenges that have been circulated range from “Ditch Day” to “Smack a Staff…

After school clubs for all students began Sept. 20 as extracurricular activities and for fun. Some examples of popular clubs are basketball, arduino, study hall, Model UN, LGBTQ+, debate and so much more. Currently there are 30+ clubs to choose from.  Many new clubs are starting this year. Some examples are, Fiddle club, which is…

The Pfizer vaccine could be ready for ages 5-11 as soon as Halloween. Currently, many young children across the country are ineligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, but recently a glimmer of hope emerged when Pfizer and BioNTech submitted a request for emergency-use authorization with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the vaccine for…

The FCPS science curriculum has seventh-graders learning about wild aquatic ecosystems and the importance of water quality by giving the students aquariums filled with various organisms. Teachers are giving their students fish, snails, various plants, and possibly fiddler crabs because the teachers believe that students would benefit more if they learned how to care for…

Students and teachers at FCPS have dealt with many changes only a month into the school year, from a new assignment system to having all students back in the building. Mr. Steven Davis, an English teacher at RCMS said that while the first day of school was overwhelming, it was nice to have all the…

The start of the coronavirus pandemic was a tough time for a lot of people, and to accompany them, many brought along some furry friends.  “We were originally going to get my dog over the summer last year, and once the pandemic hit we decided that it’s the best time right now because we can…

As the year starts to come to an end, many staff and students are starting to look back on the past year of Covid-19 and start thinking about the changes they hope to see in school next year. When Mrs. Jennifer Wright stepped back into her classroom this spring after almost a year of virtual…

The world has undeniably changed due to Covid-19. “It just started out of nowhere,” eighth-grader Cailyn Johnson said. “I feel like I changed a lot from last year.” Tanishka Gandhi, an eighth-grader from RCMS, reflected sadly on the people who were lost due to Covid-19 and the fact that the world half shut down. The…

Some students didn’t get a chance to go into the RCMS building this year because of Covid-19, and next year, they might struggle with the transition from online middle school to in-person, so eighth-graders have some advice for them. Kioko Letteny, an eighth-grader at Rachel Carson Middle School, recommends to always  turn in work, even…

Students who are in the National Junior Honor Society worked hard to complete their service hours by May 7 by helping the community in ways not done before.  “It is a learning experience,” said Drishti Nishar, an eighth-grader at RCMS. The National Junior Honor Society, also known as NJHS, is a nationwide program at RCMS…

Quarantine and online school has been quite a journey.  Starting from the first day of school, everything has been a whirlwind of events and a great variety of emotions. Now, this one-of-a-kind year is coming to a close. However, are we so invested in our worries and our work, that we ignore one of the…

“Returning back to school in-person for five days a week will kind of make things feel normal again,” said seventh-grader Brook Joseph. Effective on July 1, it has been announced that all schools in Virginia will be returning to a full-time, in-person school year. This decision came to be from Senate Bill 1303, stating that…