Good morning, Holmes Families!

It was so exciting to have all of our staff back this week to continue preparing for the start of the school year, which is just 2 weeks away!  This week is a big week with laptop distribution for all students, our new student orientation site going live, and our first family event of the year!!  

• Scroll down in the newsletter for everything you need to know about laptop distribution.
• 6th Grade & New Student Orientation.  Our virtual 6th Grade and New Student Orientation is live!  Here's a link to the welcome video.  In order to access the orientation site, students must be logged into Google Chrome with their @fcpsschools.net email.  Let us know if you need any assistance accessing it, and thank you to our team who put this together!!  We'll also post this to each grade level's Google classroom.  
• New Parent/Guardian Orientation. Our first of many family engagement events for the 2020-21 school year will be the evening of Monday, August 24th!  Use this link (which won't be live until Monday evening) to attend our orientation for parents/guardians of 6th graders and other new students to Holmes.  Join us to learn a bit about our school and what we have in place to support you and your students.  The video conference "room" typically has a maximum of about 500 participants, so if you are unable to get in or can't make the meeting, that's okay!  We'll record it and share it out afterwards.  If you'd like to submit questions in advance, please submit this form. 
  • 6:00-6:50 pm - Virtual Town Hall in English
  • 7:00-7:50 pm - Virtual Town Hall in Spanish

Here are today's newsletter topics:

Holmes News

• Laptop Distribution - August 24th-28th 
• Countdown to September 8th: 2 Things to Know with 2 Weeks to Go
  • Student Schedules
  • Rolling Gradebook
• 2020-21 Virtual Bell Schedule
• Student Services - Important Information
• Student Orientation - September 2nd
• Virtual School Supply List
• Order Holmes Spirit Wear!
• 2019-20 Yearbooks
• Important Dates
• How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

News from around FCPS

• How to Correctly Wear a Cloth Face Covering: A Student’s Guide
• Visitors to FCPS Buildings: Please Note
• Parents, Please Update Your Contact Information
• Special Education Newsletter Features News, Support for Families
• Parent Resource Center Offers Workshop on Virtual Learning
• Collect for Kids
• Healthy Minds Podcast Debuts
• New Videos Feature Help with Google Classroom, Padlet, Flipgrid
• Tips for Online Learning Success
• FCPS 24-7 Learning: Parent View
• Apply for Free/Reduced Meals
• Low-cost / Free internet access
• Fairfax County Public Library's Summer Reading Adventure
• Free School Physicals for Uninsured Children
• Back to School Health Coverage

• Public Library Equity Access Pass

Thank you and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes

Proud Principal, Holmes MS

@email

HOLMES NEWS

Laptop Distribution - August 24th-28th

We are so excited for all of our students to get BRAND NEW laptops for them to use this school year.  Here are the dates to save: 

Note: If you have students in more than one grade level, you do not need to come on multiple days.  

Please follow these instructions when you come to the school on your designated day:

1. Your student must come to school with you.  They must log into the computer to complete the process.  

2. Bring your patience along with your student.  We anticipate a long car line, especially at the beginning and end of the day, but we have an organized process that will move smoothly.  

3.  Please remain in your car for the entirety of the process. 

4.  Enter the parking lot at the entrance that is closest to Braddock Road.  No entrance will be permitted on the side closer to the pool. When you enter, follow the same path that you normally would for Kiss-n-Ride.  

5. Stop at Door 1 to check in and get your student's computer and charger. 

6.  Pull into a designated space for your student to get logged in and sign into their grade level's Google classroom.  (Pull around to Door 2 for troubleshooting.)

7.  You will get confirmation from a staff member when the student's sign-in process is complete. 

8.  Go to Door 4 to pick up supplies if:

• ...you need help providing general supplies for your student (we have 600 supply kits that were donated for families who need them, so we do not quite enough for everyone)
• ...your student is scheduled to take an Art class (we'll have a roster if you're not sure)
• ...your student is scheduled to take Intro to Technology or Engineering (we'll have a roster if you're not sure)
• ...your student is taking Spanish or French 1A, 1B, 1, or 2 (we'll have a roster if you're not sure).  

Countdown to September 8th: 2 Things to Know with 2 Weeks to Go

1.  Student Schedules.  You students' class schedules will be emailed on Monday, August 31st, and will be visible in ParentVue and StudentVue on Wednesday, September 2nd.  No changes to course requests are being accepted at this time.

2. Rolling Gradebook.  This year and in future years, all teachers will be using a rolling gradebook for their classes, a cumulative gradebook that is being used in schools throughout Fairfax County.  Here's a little more information about what it means to use a Rolling Gradebook:

A rolling gradebook allows for progress towards a final mark that captures the total picture of student grades, regardless of length of quarter or number of assignments in each quarter. To best support our students in this very unusual year and in years to come, we believe it is important to utilize a gradebook type that provides maximum flexibility and ensures equitable grading practices to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of all students.

With a rolling gradebook, grades for individual assignments from each quarter carry over and build upon the previous quarter; therefore, quarter grades are a snapshot of a student’s current progress in the course and demonstrate performance to that date, not just for that quarter. Final grades are determined from all assignments and assessments throughout the year, regardless of the quarter the work was completed.

A rolling gradebook is an approved gradebook type per Secondary Grading & Reporting Policy and numerous FCPS schools/teams/teachers already utilize a rolling gradebook. 

Benefits associated with using a rolling gradebook include:

• Allows time for demonstrating mastery of content and opportunities for remediation, completing make-up work & retakes (following established school, department or collaborative team policies)
• Helps students maintain positive mental health when setbacks occur
• Reports long-term progress to students as the year progresses, not just short-term achievement in each quarter
• Provides a more accurate reflection of the student grade at any given point in time
• Reduces number of tests or large projects due at the same time over multiple classes (usually at end of quarter)
• Negates imbalance of quantity of assessments within each quarter and timing challenges at certain times of year
• Encourages content units to end naturally and not get rushed due to quarter breaks

To learn more details about a rolling gradebook to include how it will look in SIS Student/ParentVUE, please take time to review the following video. Teachers will communicate grading design and policies via the course syllabus.  Additional questions will be addressed in our parent/guardian orientation on Tuesday, September 1st.  

Student Orientation - September 2nd

Virtual School Supply List

Order Holmes Spirit Wear!

Order Holmes Spirit Wear HERE!   There is an option to have it shipped to your home this year, and the deadline posted will be extended.  For questions, please email: @email. 

2019-20 Yearbooks

Yearbooks are here!!!  If you pre-ordered a 2019-20 Holmes Yearbook, and didn't have a chance to pick it up last week, you can stop by to pick it up at Holmes between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm.  Just come to Door 1. 

We do have additional yearbooks for sale if you would like to purchase one for $35.  If you would like one, please bring cash (exact change, please) or a check made payable to Holmes Middle School.  We have also added it to our school store in MySchoolBucks in case you would like to order one and have it shipped to your home.   

Important Dates

• Monday, August 24th - Friday, August 28th - LAPTOP DISTRIBUTION (Updated details)
  • Aug. 24th - 8th graders
  • Aug. 25th - 7th Graders, Last Names A-K
  • Aug. 26th - 7th Graders, Last Names L-Z
  • Aug. 27th - 6th Graders, Last Names A-K
  • Aug. 28th - 6th graders, Last Names L-Z
  • Note: If you have students in more than one grade level, you do not need to come on multiple days.  
• Monday, August 24th - Virtual 6th Grade & New Student Orientation goes live
• Monday, August 24th - Virtual Town Hall for Parents/Guardians of 6th Graders & New Students
  • 6:00-6:50 pm - Virtual Town Hall in English
  • 7:00-7:50 pm - Virtual Town Hall in Spanish
• Monday, August 31st 
  • Student schedules will be emailed to students and families
  • Teachers will begin to send Blackboard Collaborate links to students for their classes.  An organizer will be provided for students to keep track of the links
• Tuesday, September 1st - Virtual Orientation to the 2020-21 School Year for ALL Parents/Guardians 
  • 6:00-6:50 pm - Virtual Parent/Guardian Orientation in English
  • 7:00-7:50 pm - Virtual Parent/Guardian Orientation in Spanish
• Wednesday, September 2nd
  • Student Schedules will be visible in ParentVue and StudentVue
  • 1:00-3:00 pm - Virtual Bell Schedule Practice for ALL students
• Tuesday, September 8th - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
• Thursday, September 24th (New date) - Virtual Back To School Night (More details to come)

How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:

• keeping your contact information up-to-date throughout the year
• visiting the Holmes MS website
• signing up for News You Choose
• following us on Twitter  
• monitoring your student's progress with SIS Parent Account
• join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings

NEWS FROM AROUND FCPS

Superintendent Holds Town Hall Wednesday, August 19

How to Correctly Wear a Cloth Face Covering: A Student’s Guide

Correctly wearing and removing a face covering is important information for all students. The following video addresses the steps that each student must take to keep themselves safe as they wear and remove their required face covering.  Additional translations will be available soon.

https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/school-health-services

Visitors to FCPS Buildings: Please Note

Anyone visiting FCPS schools and facilities should be aware that there are new health screening protocols in place. Advance appointments are strongly encouraged. These are for the health and safety of all staff and visitors to FCPS. Please make yourselves aware of them prior to your visit.

Parents, Please Update Your Contact Information

For parents to stay current on school news and plans, current contact information is essential. This is especially important because schools will need to regularly notify parents about program changes and opportunities, such as laptop distributions, school supply lists, and other essentials. Once school begins, your school team may need to reach parents about student absences and academic and other concerns. Parents may update their information through Parent View.

Special Education Newsletter Features News, Support for Families

The August 14 edition of the Special Education Newsletter has been published and includes information on social-emotional learning, at-home learning tips, and suggestions on how to help build independence. Read it online

Parent Resource Center Offers Workshop on Virtual Learning

Are you worried about managing your child’s virtual schooling this year? Do you hate becoming the “school police” when your child won’t focus? Do you have to balance your child’s schooling with your own remote workload? We hear you, and we’re here to help. 

An free online webinar to provide support for adults will be offered on September 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and on September 11 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. 

Learn how to avoid parent-child conflict around academics with practical tips for:

• Establishing routines and expectations that really work.
• Creating ideal spaces for virtual learning.
• Keeping kids focused while learning online.
• Minimizing distractions from video games and other screens.
• Getting your own work done at the same time (Yes, it’s possible!).

Don’t tackle this unusual year without a plan. Instead, join us and feel more prepared and confident for the year ahead, with a toolbox full of practical strategies that actually work. Register online or call 703-204-3941 for more information.

Collect for Kids

The 2020-21 school year will begin in a few weeks, and some students in need are still without basic school supplies. A donation to Collect for Kids will help provide the supplies students need in order to participate fully in class. Nearly 60,000 students whose families may not be able to afford to purchase their own will receive school supply kits this year through Collect for Kids. A $50 contribution will provide school supplies for five students. Please help us make sure all students have what they need to be creative and successful in school. Thank you!

Healthy Minds Podcast Debuts

FCPS has launched a new weekly Healthy Minds podcast to provide relevant, actionable information on emotional health and well-being to parents and teens as they endure the ongoing pandemic and prepare for the school year. Listen here. The first guest was McLean High School counselor Beth Werfel who talked about managing and coping during uncertain times

New Videos Feature Help with Google Classroom, Padlet, Flipgrid

As students prepare for the virtual start to the school year, parents are encouraged to learn some of the technology applications their children and classrooms may be using this fall by viewing videos posted here. The list will be continuously updated.

This week, three new videos have been added to the Virtual Learning Tips and Tricks playlist on YouTube.  

Locating Assignments in Google Classroom: Courtney White, education specialist, created this video to show you where to find your student assignments in Google Classroom. Log into your student's fcpsschools.net account to access Google Classroom.

Padlet Tutorial: Padlet is an online bulletin board for students to post and collaborate. Jenn Choumil, biology teacher at McLean HS, created this resource for parents to better understand how the app works.

Flipgrid Screencast: The Deer Park ES school-based technology specialist is back to demonstrate how to use Flipgrid to make a screencast. It's a fun way for students to share their work with the teacher and classmates. Parental permission is required for students to use this app.

Tips for Online Learning Success

FCPS 24-7 Learning: Parent View

Find out what's happening in your child's classroom

Please note that it is necessary to have an active Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account to be able to login to FCPS 24-7 Learning: Parent View. The same login credentials will be used to access both the SIS and FCPS 24-7 systems.

General Information
FCPS 24-7 Learning provides parents access to available courses the student is enrolled in, Naviance Student to view College and Academic Career Planning (for Middle and High school students), weCare@school to view and update Emergency Care information, and Bus Stop Information via the Bus Stop module.

Support

• Forgot Password – If you need to recover a forgotten password or change your password please visit the password management page.
• Parent Help - Complete this online form to request assistance. 

Content Available to Parents

• Course Information – This includes content areas such as announcements and course specific information. While most classroom sites are pre-set to provide parents access, some courses may have modified settings, or have been created after the course access settings were made and may therefore be inaccessible. If you have a concern, contact the teacher. Also, should you see course information from a previous school year, you may contact the previous year's teacher to ask them to update their course information accordingly. Please note that the following content areas are not accessible by parents: gradebook – grades can be seen through the SIS Parent Account; wikis, blogs, and discussion boards; and organizations.
• Naviance Student - Supports academic and career planning for middle and high school students. Only parents with middle or high school students will see student names in the Naviance Student module.
• Emergency Care Information Management (weCare@school) - Is an emergency care information system, available to FCPS parents and guardians with access to FCPS 24-7 Learning : Parent View.

A Note About Student Data Management

Each student has a unique student ID number which will ensure that a parent is matched to the correct child(ren). Also when a student withdraws from FCPS the student's account on FCPS 24-7 Learning is disabled. Once the student's account has been disabled the parent view will no longer include the student's information.

Need to apply for free or reduced meals?

If needed, complete the Free & Reduced-Price Meals application along with the Consent to Share form, which can both be found HERE in multiple languages.

Need low-cost or free internet access?

Here are some options to consider:

• Comcast Internet Essentials
• Cox Connect2Compete
• Verizon Lifeline

Free School Physicals for Uninsured Children

Back to School Health Coverage

Public Library Equity Access Pass