Dear Holmes Families: 

Good morning!  I hope that you are enjoying this long weekend with your families.  I had the opportunity to visit the National Museum of African American History & Culture this past week with my family (pics below).  While I had visited before, it was a powerful experience to visit with my parents who lived through the Civil Rights Movement.  Today provides us with an opportunity to pause and reflect, and many are engaged in activities as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.  As our PTA shared in a recent newsletter, many AMC theaters are offering complimentary tickets to see the movie Marshall this weekend.  

We have just 2 weeks remaining in 2nd quarter, so encourage your students to check their grades in SIS (through StudentView or your ParentView accounts) and to touch base with their teachers about their progress.  This week and the next 2 weeks are short weeks for students, giving them a good opportunity to get caught up on work, to work ahead on long-term projects, and to read for pleasure.  You can find this year's Virginia's Readers' Choice list for Middle Schoolers HERE.

Thank you to those families who were able to come out to our Curriculum Night last Thursday!  We hope that you found the information valuable.  If you were not able to attend, please don't hesitate to contact your child's counselor with any questions you have.  

In our newsletter this week:

• This Week's Schedule of Classes
• This Week's After School Program Schedule 
• 2018-19 Course Selections
• 8th Grade Parent Night at Annandale High School
• National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)
• Important Dates
• How To Stay In Touch

 

Thank you, and have a wonderful week!  

 

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes, Principal

[email protected]                      

This Week's Schedule of Classes*: 1/15-1/19

This week: Mon., 1/15 = NO SCHOOL/Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday  Tues., 1/16 = Blue Day Wed., 1/17 = White Day w/ ER 3 & 4 Thurs., 1/18 = Blue Day        Fri., 1/19 = White Day w/ ER 5 & 6  *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE.

After School Program (ASP) - Week of 1/15

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

 

2018-19 Course Selections

Planning for the 2018-2019 school year has begun. Over the next few weeks, we will work together to assist you and your child in the process of making educational decisions regarding course selections for the upcoming school year. This work will be critical to his or her success in middle school and beyond.

Beginning January 9th and throughout the month of February, Holmes counselors will provide lessons on academic advising, review course selection sheets, and meet with students for individual academic advising sessions. Students are encouraged to select courses based on teacher feedback, progress in current courses, academic strengths, and personal interests.  During this time, they will discuss the student’s course selections and answer any questions they may have. 

The 2018-2019 Course Descriptions and Guide can be viewed on the Holmes Middle School website: https://holmesms.fcps.edu/student-services

This guide lists the required and elective offerings for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. It is very important to note the grade levels and pre-requisites that are indicated for each course. Each student must register for seven (7) classes: the required five (5) classes including mathematics, English, Science, History, and Health & Physical education, and a choice of two (2) year-long elective classes, four (4) semester elective classes, OR a combination of one (1) year-long and two (2) semester elective classes. Electives offer opportunities for enrichment, specialization, and exploration. It is necessary to select all the electives in order of preference in case there is a conflict in scheduling.  Please note that a support class for Math or Reading may be prioritized in a students’ schedule based on academic progress.  In this case, a support class will take the place of an elective class.

Course selections will be live in SIS Parent View and Student View- draft courses will be entered by the first week of March.  Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s counselor with any questions about this process. We look forward to working with you!

 

Upcoming Rising 9th Grade Transition Dates:

Annandale HS

o  8th Grade Student and Parent Night - Wednesday, January 17th 7:00-8:30 PM

Edison HS

o   Edison HS counselors visit Holmes – February 23rd during ER classes, 9:05-10:35AM

 

o   8th Grade Student and Parent Night - Tuesday, February 27th 7:00PM

8th Grade Student & Parent Night: Annandale High School

National Junior Honor Society Update

An information session was held this past Wednesday for all students who have been invited to apply to the National Junior Honor Society.   The deadline for the application, which students can find on Google Classroom, is Wednesday, January 31st at 11:59 PM.  No applications will be accepted after that time. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Pickens at [email protected] or Ms. Oviatt at [email protected].

Important Dates

• Wednesday, 1/17, 7:00 PM - 8th Grade Student & Parent Night (Annandale High School Auditorium)
• Thursday, 1/25 - 2d Quarter Grading Period Ends / 2-hour early release
• Friday, 1/26 - NO SCHOOL / STUDENT HOLIDAY
• Monday, 1/29 - NO SCHOOL / STUDENT HOLIDAY
• Monday, 1/29, 6:30 PM - PTA Meeting (Rescheduled from 1/8)
• Wednesday, 1/31, 11:59 PM - Deadline for NJHS Applications to be Submitted

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