Important Dates

• Tuesday, 1/14, 9:30-10:30 AM - Family Coffee
• Wednesday, 1/15 - Annandale High School’s Rising 9th Grade Open House
• Thursday, 1/16, 6:30 PM - Edison High School Rising 8^th Grade Curriculum Night 
• Monday, 1/20 - NO SCHOOL / Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday, Inauguration Day
• Wednesday, 1/22 6:30-7:30 PTA
• Tuesday, 1/28 - 2nd Quarter Ends; 6-8 PM Family Bingo Night (PTA)
• Wednesday, 1/29 - NO SCHOOL / Teacher Workday
• Friday, 1/31 - 5-8 PM Family Engagement Night/Open Gym 

Message from Principal Giron

Hello, Holmes Families!

Happy New Year!

We loved welcoming our students back today! The school was full of energy as students happily reconnected. As we settle back in, we’re looking forward to returning to our regular schedule next week. This newsletter is packed with important updates—thank you for taking the time to read it. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,

Serena Giron

Principal

Family Rec Night - 1/31

You're invited to our first-ever Family Rec Night! Join us on Friday, January 31st, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM for an evening of fun and community. Enjoy games, recreational activities in the gym, and connect with fellow students, parents, and staff. We'll have activities to promote healthy habits and even a workshop for parents. Let's make this the first of many Rec Nights at Holmes MS. Register now by clicking here.

Contact Ms. Waters or Mr. Yoon with any questions.

We hope to see you there!

IXL Winter Adventures Challenge: UPDATE

We have exciting news following the IXL Winter Adventures Challenge! Students were challenged to learn new skills in Science and Math on IXL.  In the county, Holmes Middle School won first place among schools that participated, with Glasgow in second and Key in third. Our top 5 students who participated have earned a pizza party next Tuesday.  We look forward to celebrating them. 

The Early Identification Program (EIP)

WHAT: The Early Identification Program (EIP) is a multiyear (5 year) college preparatory program for students who will be the first in their family to attend a four-year college in the United States.  EIP is a collaborative effort between Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and George Mason University (GMU). The EIP is one of four programs that comprise the College Success Programs in FCPS. EIP goes from 8^th grade through 12^th grade. Please check out the EIP website at https://eip.gmu.edu/ for more information about the program!

HOW:   Nominated students apply to the program at the end of the 7^th grade and enter the program in the 8^th grade. 

Student Participation:

To remain in good standing, EIP students must: 

1. Maintain a 2.8 GPA
2. Attend specified activities/events on Saturdays at GMU Fairfax or Manassas campus
3. Attend weekly mentoring / tutoring sessions at Holmes
4. Attend the three-week Summer Academy at GMU Fairfax campus every July
5. Participate in the Strengthening the Family Workshop

DEADLINE:  February 19^th, 2025

INTERESTED /  QUESTIONS?  Please complete the EIP Information Google Form by the deadline if you are interested: https://forms.gle/xfZ1jW2icdUDH5Zj9

Contact Ms. Amarir, School Counselor and EIP Sponsor at 703-658-5942 or via email at @email with any questions.

HPE Clothing for Sale

Holmes Middle School sweat pants and t-shirts are on sale from the Health and Physical Education Department now on the MyBucks school website. Once you have placed your order online, we can send your purchase home with your student or you can schedule to pick up from Holmes Middle School.

Both the shirts and pants are a 50% cotton and 50% polyester blend. For specific questions, please contact Nick Hartman via email at @email. Below you will find the pricing chart for sizes of the pants and shirts.

Annandale High School’s Rising 9th Grade Open House - 1/15

Dear Rising 9th Grade Parents,

We are excited to welcome you to Annandale High School’s Rising 9th Grade Open House on January 15 from 6:00-8:00pm! We will offer short (optional) sessions on our various Annandale programs, and teachers will be in their classrooms throughout the evening to share all about our core and elective courses for 9th Graders. The goal is for students and parents to leave this event excited about all the opportunities you will have as an Annandale Atom and prepared to complete your course request form when your student meets with their middle school counselor. 

Breakout Sessions on the following topics will be offered throughout the evening: Welcome to Annandale, Course Request 101; IB/MYP Program; Activities and Athletics; English for Speakers of Other Languages Program; Special Education Office, and Student Life. 

The transition from middle to high school can be difficult and stressful for some students. However, Annandale High School takes tremendous pride in ensuring the transition is as smooth as possible. If you have specific questions that you would like to be addressed during this event, please submit your questions via this Google Form by Monday, January 6. Thank you in advance for your input and assisting us in making this event a success!

Shawn DeRose, Principal

Edison High School Academic Advising & Course Selection 2025-2026 - 1/16

Edison High School will host it’s Rising 8^th Grade Curriculum Night on Thursday, January 16^th at 6:30 pm.  Students who will be attending Edison will meet with Edison counselors the week of February 10^th to select classes for next school year.

Reporting Your Student’s Attendance

All Day Absence: 

1. Use ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” 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.

OR

2. Call the attendance line on 703-658-5919 and leave a message with spelling of your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for absence. 

OR

3. Send an email to @email with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for absence. 

Partial Absence: 

To report late arrivals, early dismissals, or to update already submitted attendance

1. Call the attendance line on 703-658-5919 and leave a message with spelling of your student's first and last names, and a reason for late arrival or early dismissal.

OR

2. Send an email to @email with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for late arrival or early dismissal. 

Changes to Dismissal and Early Pick-Ups

To request a bus pass for your student, please email the front office at [email protected] no later than 1:30 PM. Additionally, ensure front office has consent from the parent of the student to whose house your child will be traveling, as this is required for approval.

If you have to pick up your student early, we ask that you do so before 1:30PM to avoid interrupting safe dismissal process. Please note that doctor's appointments are not considered emergencies.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 

Admin/Counselor Team Information

Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar

Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 

After-School Program Weekly News

ASP Upcoming Schedule 1/13-1/17

Students Leaving After-School before 4:45

• 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.
• Walkers must have written permission (may be emailed) from their parent/guardian to walk.
• Students must be picked up no later than 5pm.
• 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

From Holmes MS Family Liaisons

January Family Coffee - 1/14 at 9:30-10:30 AM

Are you interested in learning more about:

• Understanding bullying
• The role of parents in addressing bullying
• Strategies to prevent bullying
• How to advocate for children experiencing bullying

If so, please join us for our Family Coffee on the topic of Bullying Prevention.

Date: Tuesday, January 14 Time: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM Location: In-person or virtual attendance available (we encourage in-person participation to connect with school staff and other families).

Refreshments will be provided.

Language interpretation will be available.

Holmes MS PTA

Join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings (4th Wednesday of the month; translation services provided)

• PTA Facebook
• Join
• Purchase Spirit Wear
• Upcoming events:
  • Every Wednesday Papa Johns 11am-11pm, use code HMS4010 for 40% off your order (Annandale location only)
  • 11/8 Jollibee Spirit Day, 9am-10pm, 4809 Beauregard St. location, mention Holmes, and 20% of your order comes back to the school

Gradebook Available Until End-of-Quarter

Based on community feedback from the first quarter closure, FCPS revisited the scheduled dates for closing the Gradebook and Report Card modules in the SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps. 

Moving forward, the app will close in alignment with the actual quarter-end dates. This change will allow students and families to view their assignments and grades until the last day of the quarter. Gradebook will be closed for the second quarter from Tuesday, January 28, 4 p.m. to Tuesday, February 4, 6 a.m.

Access Your Child’s Grades Through SIS ParentVueLearn how your ParentVUE account allows you to easily access grade reports and other helpful information about your child. 

Phones Down, Engagement Up: FCPS Cell Phone Policy

Keeping cell phones off during the school day helps students focus and learn. It also boosts positive social behavior. Review FCPS’ cell phone expectations by grade level with your child and help keep our classrooms free of distractions! If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at  703-658-5900

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. 

Comprehensive Boundary Review Update

The Superintendent’s Boundary Review Advisory Committee held its second meeting on December 16 at Gatehouse Administration Center. View key takeaways from that meeting and access the meeting agenda, slides, and other materials that committee members received.  If you did not get a chance to attend an in-person Community Boundary Review Meeting, please consider participating in a virtual meeting:

• Friday, January 10, 2025, 6-7:30 p.m. 
• Thursday, January 16, 2025, 1-2:30 p.m. 
• Saturday, January 25, 2025, 9:30-11 a.m. 
• Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m. 
• Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m. 
• Monday, February 10, 2025, 6:30-8 p.m. 

Language interpretation will be available. 

All virtual meetings will follow the same format as the in-person meetings that were recently held, and the same information will be shared. Please stay tuned for details on how to register. Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage to learn more. Sign up for FCPS’ School Boundary Review newsletter as well.

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
• monitoring your student's progress with SIS Parent Account
• join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings

Follow Us on Social Media

Stay connected with Holmes Middle School by following us on social media! It's the best way to keep up with our latest news, celebrate student achievements, and be part of our vibrant community. Whether you're a student, parent, or community member, you'll find exciting updates, important announcements, and inspiring stories that showcase the spirit of Holmes!

Links: Instagram