Principal's Note - Aug 23, 2024
Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2, are Labor Day holidays for all FCPS employees and students. Virginia legislation requires that schools opening prior to Labor Day must be closed the Friday immediately preceding Labor Day. We hope everyone takes the long weekend to celebrate a strong start to the school year and enjoy time with family and friends. See the complete school year calendar.
We are so excited after a successful first week of the 2024-2025 school year! I am thrilled to share that our students have settled in beautifully, setting the tone for what promises to be an incredible year ahead.
This week, through SOAR/Advisory block, our students learned and practiced Holmes routines and procedures, such as walking in the hallway, entering the cafeteria, and recess. They also spent some time creating an inclusive environment that is culturally respectful, building community and connecting to our work ahead.
We are truly proud of our students this week – they have exceeded our expectations adhering to our Holmes Behavior Matrix. Students also complied with the cell phone policy. Please take a moment to talk with your child about the importance of following school rules, being on time for class, and keeping their cell phones put away during the school day.
Thank you all for your support in making this first week at Holmes a smooth opening!
Everything You Can Do Through SIS ParentVUE
Want to easily access back-to-school forms and checklists? Log in to your SIS ParentVUE account to find forms and make updates.
Update Contact Information
Be among the first to know about weather closings, bus delays, and other critical communications from your school and FCPS by providing your cell phone number and email in SIS ParentVUE. To update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, click the “Online Packets” tab in the upper right of the screen, then click the “Online Verification/Update” icon.
Parents/caregivers who do not have a SIS ParentVUE account should print and complete the Emergency Care Information Form (PDF) and submit it to their child’s school.
Complete Permission Forms
Families can now easily give permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. This online tool can be accessed using your SIS ParentVUE account. Parents can easily opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.
Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool.
Submit Absences
Parents can submit daylong absences through SIS ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Note: Partial day absences and changes of transportation should still be reported directly to the school front office.
Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet?Contact your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.
Transportation Patience and Safety
Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following kiss-and-ride procedures and being patient while waiting for school buses. Students are expected to be at their bus stop at least five minutes before the scheduled pickup time. This year we will have a handful double back busses. This means some busses will either pick up students earlier and they will be dropped off at school supervised by 7am or students will stay at school after dismissal until ~2:40PM.
AM/PM Double back busses:
- HO-06
- HO-07
- HO-17
If a bus is delayed, parents/caregivers may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays.
Contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. For any concerns after 5:30 p.m., contact Safety and Security at 571-423-2000.
To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.
New Cell Phone Policy
Holmes is one of a handful of middle schools testing a new program for students to store cell phones in pouches during the school day. Holmes will not be receiving storage pouches. Instead, as one of seven non-pouch schools in this new cell phone storage program, our staff will be helping make sure our students follow the cell phone rules we already have. These rules are in place to help make Holmes a great place to learn. These rules are:
- Students can’t use their cell phones, airpods, or tablets at school. This includes at lunch, recess, in class, and in bathrooms/locker rooms.
- Cell phones, airpods, and tablets need to be off or on airplane mode and in a backpack. Smartwatches need to be off or on airplane mode.
If you need to reach your student during the school day, please call our front office at 703-658-5900
Share your feedback to FCPS on Cell Phone Storage
Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records
Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school.
You can check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to a school’s front office.
If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form.
Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website.
Family Technology Tools at Holmes MS
HOLMES UPDATES
Here are today's newsletter topics:
Holmes Updates
- Admin Team & Student Services Information
- 2024-25 Blue/White Schedule
- 2024-25 Bell Schedule
- Important Upcoming Dates
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
- Celebrate Community at the Taste of Annandale
- S.T.E.A.M. Plus Seminar
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Thank you, and we'll see you very soon!
Sincerely,
Serena Giron
Principal
Contact Information
Admin Team Information
Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar
Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule
Important Upcoming Dates
- Friday, 8/30 & Monday, 9/2 - NO SCHOOL / Labor Day
- Wednesday, 9/11, 6-8PM - Back to School Night
- Thursday, 9/12 & Friday, 9/13 - Fall Picture Day
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
FCPS & Community Updates
Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost
FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.
Celebrate Community at the Taste of Annandale
The Taste of Annandale [https://tasteofannandale.com/] is a free, family festival Sept. 21, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space at 7200 Columbia Pike.
There will be live music and dance, food trucks and other food vendors, children’s performances and activities, a 5-K race, a chili cookoff, a pet contest, local businesses and organizations, and more.
The Taste of Annandale 5K [https://tasteofannandale.com/5k-race/] will start at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 21 at the K Market parking lot at 4239 John Marr Drive, Annandale.
Sponsorship and vendor opportunities are available. Visit the Taste of Annandale website [https://tasteofannandale.com/] for more information.
Proceeds from the event will benefit Annandale youths.
S.T.E.A.M Plus Seminar
Stay Connected with FCPS
Being connected to your school and division is important every year, and even more so now as we navigate our return to school. The best way to stay informed is to sign up for newsletters through News You Chose.
Your school and FCPS have a variety of topics you can choose from, including:
- School Newsletters- featuring everything you need to know about your child’s school
- FCPS This Week- a weekly newsletter featuring news and happenings from across the division, published Wednesday mornings
- School Board Meeting Update- a recap of important news coming out of school board meetings, published the Friday morning after the meeting
- FCPS Employee News- weekly updates just for staff, published Tuesday mornings