Principal's Note - Dec 1, 2023

By Serena Giron
Principal's Note
December 04, 2023

Hello Holmes Families!

It’s hard to believe that we are just two weeks away from the much-anticipated winter break! The energy and enthusiasm within our school have been truly remarkable, and we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for a great year thus far. These last two weeks present a wonderful opportunity for us to come together, celebrate our achievements, and support one another as we wrap up the year. Let's finish strong, cherishing the moments of growth and learning we've experienced together.

Our students in performing arts have been working hard for their upcoming performances.  There are many opportunities to come and support the performing arts department!

  • 12/1 – Musical- Matilda 7PM
  • 12/2 – Musical - Matilda 2PM and 7PM
  • 12/5 – Band Concert 7PM
  • 12/6  - PTA 6PM/ Chorus Concert 7PM
  • 12/12 – Orchestra Concert 7PM

National Junior Honor Society will be having a Candy Gram fundraiser this week.  NJHS will be selling candy canes for $1 during all lunches on Wednesday – Friday of this week.  Students can purchase the candy canes and write a short message to send to other students, themselves, or staff members.  To purchase students must have cash and know the first & last name of the student they are sending the Candy Gram to.  The Candy Gram’s will be delivered on December 14th, our Candy Cane spirit day.  If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Sloan Waters or Emma Gashel, the NJHS sponsors.    

We have a few changes to our schedule in the upcoming weeks.  Please note the modified schedules below.

Schedule

Schedule

Below is our spirit week leading up to winter break.  Please encourage your child to participate – we had a blast last spirit week!

week

Matilda JR. by Holmes MS Drama Students

Rebellion is nigh in Matilda JR., a gleefully witty ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination! This story of a girl who dreams of a better life and the children she inspires will have audiences rooting for the "revolting children" who are out to teach the grown-ups a lesson.

Matilda has astonishing wit, intelligence... and special powers! She's unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Matilda's school life isn't completely smooth sailing, however – the school's mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don't abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace!

Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda JR. is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.

Performances will be Friday, December 1 at 7pm and Saturday, December 2 at 2pm and 7pm. $5 for students and $7 for adults. Tickets can be purchased here:

https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15718/holmes-middle-school-theatre

matilda

Book Fair - 12/1-12/8

Book Fair

Get ready! This year's Book Fair is going to be epic! Remember - every purchase supports our school! Students will be coming to the Book Fair with their English classes, however, they can also purchase books before and after school and during lunch. The Book Fair starts on Friday, 12/1 and ends on Friday, 12/8! The location is the Holmes MS Library.

Book Fair Website: All of the information you need will be on the website, however, you may want to set up an eWallet for your child to make payment easier. 

Book Fair Contact: Librarian, Jennifer Blanco (@email) 

Author Talk

December 18-20 - Winter Olympics Camp for Students Grades 2-8: Annandale High School will be sponsoring a 3-day Winter Olympics Camp at Poe Middle School for students in 2nd through 8th grade during Winter Break. Camp will be held Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 8:30am-3:00pm. Cost is $100. Payment will be accepted during drop off on the first day. https://bit.ly/Olympics23Poe

Here are today's newsletter topics:

Holmes Updates

  • Student Services Information
  • Admin Team Information
  • 2023-24 Blue/White Schedule 
  • 2023-24 Bell Schedule
  • After-School Program
  • From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison
  • Important Upcoming Dates
  • Holmes MS PTA
  • How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

FCPS & Community Updates

  • December Observances
  • Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results Coming Soon
  • Preparing for Winter Weather
  • Missing School Over the Holidays
  • Special Education Resources for Families
  • 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

HOLMES UPDATES

Contact Information

Admin and Councelors

Admin Team Information

Admin Team

2023-24 Blue/White Calendar

Blue and White Days

Bell Schedule 23-24

From Mr. Kruk, our After-School Specialist

After-School Program Weekly News & Notes from 11/27-12/1

  • Student of the Week
    • The After-School Program Student of the week: Jaden Thomas
    • Jaden has been a consistent member of the After-School Program.
    • “Jaden is a responsible, kind, courteous, and respectful student that always goes out of his way to help others and do the right thing” – ASP Staff member
    • Great job Jaden, keep up the great work.

After-School Action

Students participated in the Think Big 4 Kids showcase that supports students interests in their future careers.

Club

Club

Cursive Club

Shout out to Mrs. Kenerson and her amazing Cursive Club students; Sifan Bekele, Beza Eskinder, Isabella Izaguirre, Abby Valeriano. These four students spent the past month learning cursive and just this week they completed all lowercase letters. They’ll be moving forward with uppercase in the next few weeks. Great work!

Club

ASP Schedule 12/4-12/8

ASP

Club

Students Leaving After-School before 4:45 pm

  • Any student staying after school must be signed out of the main office by a parent or guardian if leaving before 4:45.
  • Walkers with parent/guardian permission, may sign themselves out any time after 3:30 when first block ends.
  • Students are not permitted to leave school grounds before checking out in the main office .

Questions/Concerns

Contact the After-School Specialist, Matt Kruk, @email

Important Upcoming Dates

  • Friday, 12/1, 7 PM  and Saturday, 12/ 2, 2 PM - Performances by Drama Students
  • Tuesday, 12/6 - PTA Meeting in conjunction with the Winter Chorus Concert
  • 12/18/23 - 01/01/24 - NO SCHOOL / Winter Break
  • Tuesday, 1/16, 9:30-10:30 AM - Family Coffee

Holmes MS PTA

Don't forget to check out these important links:

The next PTA meeting will be on December 6th in conjunction with the Winter Chorus Concert.

From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison

11/30 Family Coffee Recording 

Thank you to all families who attended this month’s Family Coffee at Holmes Middle School. The topic was Advanced Academics. Families learned more about secondary advanced academics, the Level IV advanced academics application, and got information on Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology. The recording, presentation, and resources shared can be found on our Website

How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:

FCPS & Community Updates

December Observances

National Special Education Day - 12/2

National Special Education Day is recognized each year on Dec. 2 and commemorates President Gerald Ford’s signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975. We celebrate our teachers and staff who serve and support our students with special needs, as well as our families who are partners in the education and support of those students! 

Learn more about the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. 

Chanukah - 12/7-12/15

Chanukah, an 8-day Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple and the miracle of a small quantity of oil that lit the Temple’s menorah for 8 days. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on Thursday, December 7. That day will be a half-O day, and major events cannot be scheduled that evening. Learn more about Chanukah in National Geographic Kids. See the complete school year calendar.

Bodhi Day - 12/8

Bodhi Day, Friday, December 8, is the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment, also known as bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali. The school calendar recognizes many religious and cultural observances (O days) during the school year, including Bodhi Day. There is school on these days, however, the School Board has directed that tests, quizzes, field trips, graduation, homecoming, or FCPS-scheduled athletic events will not be held on these observance days.Learn more about Bodhi Day in this video from the Miami Children’s Museum. See the complete school year calendar.

Christmas - 12/25

A very Merry Christmas to those in our community who celebrate! Christmas is an annual holiday that commemorates the birth of Jesus, and is celebrated in many unique ways across the U.S. and the world. Learn more about Christmas.

Social and Emotional Learning Screener Results Coming Soon

One of the ways FCPS supports the mental wellness of all students is through the Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener. In October, students in grades 3-12 took this screener in October, which gives information about their skills such as achieving goals, handling emotions, building relationships with adults and peers, and making good choices. 

The screener also helps students evaluate their school community’s efforts to make them feel valued, included, and supported. Screener data is used to create learning, experiences, and environments for students to succeed.

In early December, families will be able to view student SEL Screener results in SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent by mail.

For more information about the screener please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage. For help understanding your child’s results or ideas to support them at home, review the Family Guide or contact your child’s school.

Preparing for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.

FCPS’ website is generally the first place where we will post an emergency weather closing. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. 

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Make sure your contact information is up-to-date in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and plan for childcare if appropriate.

Missing School Over the Holidays

Looking ahead to the holiday season, if missing school is unavoidable, please speak with your child’s teachers in advance to create a plan for making up missed work. However, a homework packet cannot make up for the interaction and learning that happens in the classroom.

Visit FCPS’ website for more attendance resources.

Special Education Resources for Families

Fairfax County Public Schools has the following resources available to help assist families of students with special needs. 

Additionally, the Virginia Department of Education has updated the Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education. This state guide was developed to help those involved in special education including families, teachers, school administrators, advocates, and  students.

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

Special Education Resources for Families

Fairfax County Public Schools has the following resources available to assist families of students with special needs. 

Additionally, the Virginia Department of Education has updated the Virginia Family's Guide to Special Education. This state guide was developed to help those involved in special education including families, teachers, school administrators, advocates, and  students.