Good afternoon, Holmes Families!

I hope that you all are having a great weekend!  This is an exciting week at Holmes and throughout FCPS!!  Our new teachers start back this week in the Great Beginnings Program, and ALL teachers will be back on contract on Friday, August 14th!  Our counselors started last week, and they are busy working with Ms. Giron to finalize the master schedule.  We are so excited and grateful to have 3 weeks with our staff to plan a strong, virtual start for our students this year.  I have a lot of information in the newsletter this week about specifics about FCPSOn and some events we have planned to help you and your students feel ready for September 8th!  Just 4 weeks to go!

Here are today's newsletter topics:

• 2020-21 Virtual Bell Schedule
• Student Services - Important Information
• 2019-20 Yearbooks
• Laptop Return & Laptop Collection Details
• Countdown to September 8th: 4 Things to Know with 4 Weeks to Go
• Fairfax County Public Library's Summer Reading Adventure
• Apply for Free/Reduced Meals
• Low-cost / Free internet access
• Free School Physicals for Uninsured Children
• Back to School Health Coverage
• Important Dates
• How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

Thank you and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes

Proud Principal, Holmes MS

@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.   

Laptop Return - Ongoing

It's time to return your laptops and chargers! Please come to the school any day this week, between 8:30 and 3:30 to drop off your laptops.  We are required to collect all laptops from 2019-20, so we will continue to contact you until we receive it.  If it is lost or damaged, we can talk through that.   2020-21 6th Graders: If you borrowed a laptop from your elementary school, you MUST turn it in to your elementary school in order to receive a new laptop from Holmes for the 2020-21 school year.  Please contact your elementary school to find out their dates and times for collecting laptops. 2019-20 8th Graders: You MUST turn in your Holmes laptop in order to receive your laptop from Annandale or Edison (or other FCPS high school).   ALL 2019-20 Holmes Students: Your laptops and chargers MUST be turned in to receive your new laptop for the 2020-21 school year.

Laptop Collection Details

To prepare your laptop for return to Holmes MS, please complete the following:

• Remove any stickers the student has added to the laptop to include sticker residue.
  • Exceptions:  DO NOT REMOVE:  Fairfax County Public Schools barcodes, FCPSOn labels, Dell factory labels
• Wipe down laptop surfaces (outside and inside) with a Lysol or Clorox wipe that has been squeezed of excess liquid.
• Leave Laptop ID card attached.  If ID card is missing, please have student name/ID on piece of paper within the transparent place-card holder.
• Wrap up charger as best as you can, some already have an attached velcro wrap.

Replacement Cost for items not returned:

• HP ProBook Laptop: $355
• HP Power Adapter/Charger: $38
• Dell 3380 Laptop: $395
• Dell Adapter/Charger: $50

For student who have lost their laptops and/or chargers, a replacement fee will need to be paid to Holmes Middle School.  You can also pay the replacement fee in MySchoolBucks through our school store.

Countdown to September 8th: 4 Things to Know with 4 Weeks to Go

1. FCPSOn Laptop Distribution.  This year's laptop distribution is part of Fairfax County Public School's Official FCPSOn Initiative.  Students in all FCPS high schools received FCPS-issued laptops last year, and students in all FCPS middle schools will receive FCPS-issued laptops this year.  Our laptop distribution at Holmes in 2018-19 and 2019-20 was our school initiative to help prepare us for FCPSOn and to provide more of our students with equitable access to technology.  

• One huge benefit of being a part of the districtwide FCPSOn initiative this year is that all devices will be the same for each student at Holmes, students will be provided with cases to protect their laptop, and the device is covered under warranty.  
• Another difference is that families will be charged a $50 technology support fee (as far as we know right now) as high school students were last year.  We are waiting to hear more about that from the district, and we expect that families will be contacted with more information about that fee, when it will be charged, and how it is used. 

Here's some more information about FCPSOn:

• The student is responsible for his or her laptop and charger at all times.
• Each device is bundled with a power adapter and neoprene sleeve.  Students will be responsible for returning the laptop, charger and sleeve at the end of the year.
• Laptops will be preloaded with software and plugins to ensure compatibility with online instruction, testing, and most curriculum software.
• Support for the device will be provided by the school technology support team – this includes repairs, software installation and support and training. Repair of damage outside of normal use and care will be brought to the attention of school administration and may be the responsibility of the student (who may be asked to pay for repair or replacement).
• Why should my student pick up a laptop if he/she has his own personal laptop at home?  The FCPSOn laptop is fully supported by FCPS.  If there is a technical issue or unintentional breakage, FCPS will cover the cost and fix the problem.  In addition, there are applications and software already loaded on the laptop that are required tools in classes.  This learning device is locked down with FCPS internet filter software.
• Can FCPS block social media on the new laptops? Social media is not blocked on our devices because some of our students and teachers use it for instructional purposes. Many clubs, teams and other activities also use social media to communicate with participants.  Whether or not your student has an account remains a family decision.
• Does a student need to use the laptop with wifi when not on school property? We have installed Google drive sync so students can work on documents offline.  Depending on what the assignment requires (watching a video, research, collaborative tools, etc.) they may need to access wifi. 
• What if we do not have WiFi internet at home? If families do not have internet access in the home, please contact the student's counselor or Gary Rossen at [email protected]. 
• Why can’t we pick up the laptop at any time? We have scheduled staff members to assist with the distribution at the indicated times. There is a required process in order to check identification, collect information forms, distribute ID cards, login assistance, etc. that necessitates an assembly line type process. We have scheduled laptop distribution by grade level and student last names.  Thank you for your patience!
• What resources are available to parents and students to promote good digital citizenship online? The FCPS Website has many resources to support parents.  Parents have access to a Customizable Device Contract and Family Media Agreement that will support them as they talk with their children about internet use and set rules that are right for their family. A handout with links to parental controls and recommendations for the most frequently used apps is also provided. In addition, many tips sheets, advice videos and more are available on this site for parents. Links to reputable outside sources are supplied for both students and parents to use.

2.  6th Grade & New Student Orientation.  Our virtual 6th Grade and New Student Orientation will go live on Monday, August 24th.  Stay tuned for more information!

3.  Events for Families.  We have 3 events planned to support parents and guardians with the start of this school year (more details to come!):

• Monday, August 24th - Virtual Town Hall in English and Spanish for parents/guardians of 6th graders and students new to Holmes
• Tuesday, September 1st - Virtual Parent/Guardian Orientation in English and Spanish for ALL parents
• Thursday, September 17th - Virtual Back to School Night

4.  Virtual Bell Schedule Practice for Students. On September 2nd, between 1:00 and 3:00 pm, we will do a "dry run" with students to help them practice logging into their classes in preparation for the first day of school on September 8th.  More details to come!

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

FCPL's Summer Reading Adventure

Please encourage your child to continue reading this summer!  Check out Fairfax County Public Library's Summer Reading Adventure and join in the fun!  

Free School Physicals for Uninsured Children

Back to School Health Coverage

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
• 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, 1:00-3:00 pm - Virtual Bell Schedule Practice for ALL students
• Tuesday, September 8th - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
• Thursday, September 17th - 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