Dear Holmes Families: 

Good evening!  Just one more week to go before a nice, long Winter Break!  This will be my last update for 2017.  My next update will not be until January 7th, 2018, so you will see the Schedule of Classes and the After School Program (ASP) Schedule for this week and the first week of January.  Important dates through the end of January have also been added to the end of this newsletter.

Student Performances

We had an incredible week of student performances last week with the Band Concert and 2 showings of Willy Wonka, Jr.!  Unfortunately, due to the cancellation of all FCPS activities on Saturday and our busy building use calendar this week, we will not be able to reschedule the Saturday show.  Thank you to Mr. Perez and Ms. Ferrante for working so hard with our students to showcase their skill and talent through these performances!  We are looking forward to the orchestra and chorus concert this week on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively.  

For our students and staff who were not able to attend the concerts, we will be holding Winter Music Assemblies during 7th period on Friday, 12/15. 

Signs of Suicide (SOS) Lessons

Kudos to our Student Services staff for completing the Signs of Suicide (SOS) lessons and screening through all History 7 classes this week.  Through the screening, our counselors identified students in need of additional support; we hope to share a few statistics with you in our next update.  If you have concerns about your student, please contact his/her counselor or seek out contact information for mental health resources, which can always be found on our school homepage.

SCA Activity Day - Wed., 12/13/17

You'll see that the only activity on the ASP schedule for Wednesday is the SCA Activity Day (and on Friday, all activities are cancelled).  All students who have met the requirements will be able to attend free of charge.  There will be a dance, games in the gym, and other fun activities planned by the SCA.  Students who have had disciplinary infractions and/or who have 3 or more unexcused tardies in any week since Thanksgiving will not be permitted to attend.  

Planning for 2018-19 School Year

Last, but not least, we're already beginning to plan for the 2018-19 School Year: 

• For current 8th graders: Counselors from Annandale High School will visit with students in the beginning of January to deliver lessons about the registration process, and their parent night will be on Wednesday, January 17th.  We will share information about Edison High School as soon as we have it.
• For current 5th, 6th, & 7th graders: Our curriculum night at Holmes will be on Thursday, January 11th, at 6:30 PM.  We have designed it differently than in the past and will have presentations tailored to each grade level.  

In our newsletter this week:

• Schedule of Classes - This week & the 1st week of January
• After School Program Schedule - This week & the 1st week of January
• 8th Grade Parent Night at Annandale High School
• Capital One Coders Culmination Event
• National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)
• Deadline for Referral for Level IV Advanced Academic Services
• Community Conversations with Dr. Brabrand
• Important Dates
• How To Stay In Touch

Thank you!  We hope to see you at one or more of the student performances this week! 

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes, Principal

[email protected]                      

Schedule of Classes*: 12/11-12/15 & 1/1-1/5

This week: Mon., 12/11 = Blue Day  Tues., 12/12 = White Day w/ ER 5 & 6  Wed., 12/13 = Blue Day Thurs., 12/14 = White Day w/ ER 7 & 8     (ER 8: Concert Etiquette Lesson & Locker Clean Out) Fri., 12/15 = Blue Day (Winter Music Assembly during 7th Period)   First Week of January: Monday, 1/1 = New Year's Day / NO SCHOOL Tuesday, 1/2 = White Day w/ ER 1 & 2 Wednesday, 1/3 = Blue Day Thursday, 1/4 = White Day w/ ER 3 & 4 Friday, 1/5 = Blue Day *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE.

After School Program (ASP) - Week of 12/11 & 1/1

This week's After School Program schedule is below.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mr. German Cabezas at [email protected].

8th Grade Student & Parent Night: Annandale High School

Congratulations to our Capital One Coders!

Our second group of Capital One Coders showed off the apps they designed at the culmination event this past Thursday!  

We are very excited to announce that we will be offering a 3rd semester of Capital One Coders in the Spring!  We will announce more information about how students can apply after we return from Winter Break.

National Junior Honor Society Update

7th & 8th graders who have attended Holmes for at least 6 months and who have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or more received letters through their 7th period classes inviting them to apply for NJHS.   An information session and application workshop, will be held in the Cafeteria on Wednesday, January 10th during ER-8.   If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Pickens at [email protected] or Ms. Oviatt at [email protected].

Deadline for AAP Level IV Referrals – January 12, 2018

Parents or guardians of 7th grade students may initiate the full-time AAP Level IV screening process by completing and submitting an Advanced Academic Programs Level IV Referral Form to Serena Giron ([email protected]) no later than January 12, 2018.  No late referrals will be accepted. AAP Level IV services are available to students in grades 3-8.  Students may be found eligible for full-time placement in AAP Level IV Center classes through a central selection process and receive a highly challenging instructional program in the four core subject areas.  Multiple criteria are reviewed by a central selection committee to determine eligibility for all FCPS advanced academic services. More information about AAP services available at the middle school level may be found on the FCPS public website at:  https://www.fcps.edu/academics/middle-school-academics-7-8/advanced-academics.  If you have any questions, you can contact the Director of Student Services Mrs. Giron at 703-658-5900.  

Community Conversations with Dr. Brabrand

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand will host his last in a series of five Community Conversations this fall to hear what students, parents, employees, and members of the community are thinking about and what issues are important to them. Brabrand welcomes community members to attend and take part in any of the upcoming sessions that are convenient for them.

Community members needing an interpreter can make a request for services online.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by discussion and questions from the audience from 7 to 8 p.m.

The remaining meeting will be held as follows:

• Monday, December 11, Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Rd.
  Falls Church, Cafeteria (Region 2).

For more information, contact the FCPS Office of Communication and Community Relations at 571-423-1200.

Important Dates

• Tuesday, 12/12, 7:00 PM – Winter Orchestra Concert (Cafeteria)
• Wednesday, 12/13, 2:30-4:30 PM – School Activity Day in ASP (free to all eligible students; students with discipline referrals and 3+ unexcused tardies in any week between 11/27 & 12/13 will not be permitted to attend)
• Thursday, 12/14, 7:00 PM – Winter Chorus Concert (Gym)
• Friday, 12/15, 7th Period - Winter Music Assembly
• Monday, 12/18 - Monday, 1/1 - WINTER BREAK
• Monday, 1/8  - PTA Meeting 
• Wednesday, 1/10 - NJHS Interest Meeting & Application Workshop  (During ER-8)
• Thursday, 1/11, 6:30 PM - Holmes MS Curriculum Night
• Friday, 1/12 - Deadline for AAP Level IV Referrals
• Monday, 1/15 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - NO SCHOOL
• Thursday, 1/25, 12:00 PM - Deadline for NJHS Applications to be Submitted
• Thursday, 1/25 - 2nd Quarter Grading Period Ends / 2-hour early release
• Friday, 1/26 - NO SCHOOL / STUDENT HOLIDAY
• Monday, 1/29 - NO SCHOOL / STUDENT HOLIDAY

How To Stay In Touch

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