Principal's Note - June 10, 2022
We made it!!
Thank you for all of your support and for entrusting us with your students this school year! We certainly had a few bumps along the way as students, staff, and families navigated working together again in an all in-person environment, but it was such a pleasure serving all of you this year. I am especially grateful to my amazing administrative team and instructional and operational staff for collaborating and working so hard for students and families all year.
Each year, I am sad to lose staff when they move out of the area, pursue new opportunities, or start new chapters in life. The same is true this year. Two big losses for Holmes will be our Assistant Principals, Mrs. Rose Moore and Mr. Justin Simmons. Ms. Moore will be moving over to Jackson Middle School and will be replaced by Mr. Steven McFarlane, who is coming to us from Glasgow Middle School. Mr. Simmons has been promoted to be the site administrator for Bryant Alternative Learning Center, and we will be selecting his replacement soon. Both have contributed so much to our Holmes community and will be missed terribly by our students, staff, and especially their principal! Thank you, Mrs. Moore and Mr. Simmons!!
8th Grade Celebration
We will also miss our 8th graders who are moving into high school! Thank you for the outpouring of support for the 8th grade celebration last Friday, June 3rd! In my six years at Holmes and in the 11 years I have been an administrator in middle school, I have never seen so many parents come out to volunteer to decorate, chaperone, clean-up, take pictures, etc. It was incredible, and we appreciate you making this night so special for our 8th graders, who have certainly had a challenging 3 years in middle school. I want to say a very special thank you to these parents, who took the lead, found the DJ and the lighting company, purchased decorations and food, secured donations, and so much more: Allison Chapman, Melissa Nepomuceno, Bevin Albertani, Susan Oh-Minayar, Emely Simone, Emily Jackson, Laura Delaney, Chris Graham, Leanne Cardwell, Casey Delaney, Jennifer Abu-El-Hawa, Kelly Fitzgerald, Nancy Dosen, and Kristen & Justin Raymer. Also a special thank you to Mr. Hien Hoang for volunteering to take pictures during the party, which can be found HERE. I am sure I am missing names, so I apologize for those I missed unintentionally!
8th Grade Awards
I was so sad to miss our 8th Grade Awards Ceremony yesterday! Although middle schools in FCPS do not have graduations, it is always one of the highlights of the year for me, because it is a moment when all of our 8th graders are together for the last time.
Congratulations to Fatmata Musa, pictured above, who was the winner of the George Mason University scholarship! And congratulations to all of our awards winners who were selected by the 8th grade teachers for subject awards, Hawk Awards, Principal's Awards, and other special recognition.
I apologize that we neglected to recognize five students who achieved the amazing accomplishment of being accepted into Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology for the 2022-23 school year! Those students are:
- Tayyab Ahmed
- Kartik Gaur
- Zahra Hashimi
- Iman Nawaz
- Victoria Phan
Congratulations on working hard and achieving this special honor!
This will be my last newsletter for the 2022-23 school year. Stay tuned for messages throughout the summer, and - for those returning or new to Holmes - please save these important dates:
- Thursday, August 18th, 8:30-10:30 AM - Jumpstart Orientation for all students new to Holmes (more information to come)
- Monday, August 22nd - First day of 2022-23 School Year
Dates for Open House and/or Back To School Night will be announced later in the summer.
IMAGINE Summer Program
We still have space for your your current Holmes student to enroll in our IMAGINE summer program at Holmes Middle School! From July 11th-29th (Monday through Friday), from 7:20-11:20, we will host 144 students in our program, which will be led and taught by 8 of our amazing teachers at Holmes. Take a look at the attached packet for more information. You do not need to complete the packet. If you would like for your child to attend, please complete this Google form HERE as soon as possible. There is no cost for the program, and breakfast, lunch, and transportation will be provided.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Mr. Chris Kamar at @email.
Holmes MS IMAGINE Registration Packet (3).pdf
Executive Functioning Fridays
The SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) coordinator at Holmes, Natrisha Sanchez, has many resources available for families to learn about Executive Functioning. This includes resources for managing student stress & anxiety, organization, motivation, self-discipline, etc. Access this information on the Holmes Families Schoology Course (Log into Schoology with SIS Parent VUE username and password. Don't have an account? Click here.) Your feedback is valued. Take a look at the resources, if you have not already, and fill out this quick survey.
Schoology Survey:
The Holmes Families Schoology page has lots of resources to teach families how to use Schoology (Log into Schoology with SIS Parent VUE username and password. Don't have an account? Click here.). If you have used Schoology as a parent this year and would like to give us feedback on how to improve, create new resources, or form more learning opportunities then please complete this survey in English (Translations: Spanish, Chinese, Urdu, Farsi, Vietnamese)
Free Online Tutoring Is Here! Even in Summer!
We are pleased to announce that students now have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Tutor.com is available 24/7, through online voice or text chat, and in your student’s preferred language. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their students out of accessing the service. You can learn more about Tutor.com on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website.
Students will be able to access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following instructional videos:
elementary video and secondary video. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to @email.
This new service will help many Holmes students complete assignments, better understand classroom lessons, and be successful.
HOLMES UPDATES
Here are today's newsletter topics:
Holmes Updates
- Student Services - Important Information
- From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison
- Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
- Important Upcoming Dates
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- School-Required Vaccination For Free
- Annandale HS Dance Team Tryouts - June 18
Summer Learning and Camps
- Free Summer Work Our For High School Teens
- Summer VIP Camp at Thoreau Middle School
- Annandale High School Summer Sports Camps
- Edison Volleyball Camps
- Park Authority Camps
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Thank you, and have a wonderful summer!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison
Free ESL Business Classes
Britepaths/Financial Empowerment Center at South County will offer free ESL Business classes. The dates are Tuesdays, May 24 – June 28, 10 am -11:30 am. This class is for the intermediate-advanced level English language learner. In the class, you’ll learn how to communicate with greater accuracy and fluency in both oral and written communications in business settings.
The first step is to complete the Interest Survey below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOXPDmhOyNlyhFdXd4P1aBp-RA4yq59_EGV5Hcdug0b3EUiA/viewform
Use your SNAP Benefits to shop at Annandale Farmers Market
Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
To help us meet these critical needs, here is a reminder of some job opportunities that we have a available at Holmes and throughout FCPS:
- Student monitors (Holmes needs 1 or 2 more)
- Substitutes (short- and long-term) - School Board just approved an increase in pay for short- and long-term substitutes!
If you or someone you know is looking for work and may be a good fit for one or more of these positions, I encourage you or them to apply!
Important Upcoming Dates
- 7/11 - 7/29 - IMAGINE & Young Scholars Summer Programs
- Thursday, 8/18, 8:30-10:30 AM - Jumpstart Orientation for all students new to Holmes (more information to come)
- Monday 8/22 - First Day of 2022-2023 School Year
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
FCPS & COMMUNITY UPDATES
School-Required Vaccination For Free
Annandale HS Dance Team Tryouts - June 18
Summer Learning and Camps
Free Summer Work Out for High School Teens
Planet Fitness invites high school teens to work out for free all summer long to improve their mental and physical health. High schoolers can visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass to pre-register, and get a reminder to formally sign up when the program officially kicks off on Monday, May 16. Teens under 18 must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.
Planet Fitness locations closest to Holmes MS:
- 4 miles away: Planet Fitness, 6123 Backlick Rd, Springfield, VA 22150
- 4 miles away: Planet Fitness, 4620 Kenmore Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304
- 5 miles away: Planet Fitness, 6270 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22046
Click on the link below to learn more about this offer:
Institute for the Arts (IFTA): Camps and Institutes
A summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-institute-arts-ifta
Tech Adventure Camp
A summer enrichment and exploratory program in career and technical education for students in grades 2 - 6.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-tech-adventure-camp
CTE Summer Academy
A summer enrichment and skills development program for students currently in grades 7-11.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-CTE-summer-academy
Summer VIP Camp at Thoreau Middle School
- This summer, Thoreau Middle School will host our annual Summer VIP camp.
- Any student from Holmes that would like to participate in the summer program may register.
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Annandale High School Summer Sports Camps
Looking for fun activities for your child this summer? Annandale High School is offering various summer sports camps for rising 2nd graders through rising 9th graders led by Annandale coaches.
Camps run each day from 8:30am to 3:00pm. The cost of the five-day camps is only $125 (Olympics Camp is 4 days for $100). Credit cards or checks are accepted. Checks should be made out to “Annandale Athletic Boosters”. Payment is due on the first day of camp. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp, and they should bring a snack and a water bottle each day.
Click HERE to register for any or all of these camps. More information can be found at AnnandaleAtoms.net. See descriptions of the various camps below.
If you have any questions, please email John Ellenberger, Director of Student Activities, at @email.
Camp Information
Multi-Sport Camp - June 13-17: Have fun playing a variety of sports including basketball, kickball, volleyball, soccer, and touch football. This camp includes fun contests, competitions and lots of prizes!
Basketball Camp - June 20-24: Run by Annandale’s Boys Varsity Basketball coach, Andrew Hypnar, this camp is open to both boys and girls and will focus on basketball fundamentals, skill development and game play.
Olympics Camp - June 27-30 (4-day camp at Holmes Middle School): This exciting camp features team activities including soccer, volleyball, basketball, touch football, relay races. In addition, individual campers will get a chance to demonstrate their talent through various skill competitions.
Girls Multi-Sport Camp (Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Basketball) - July 11-15: This camp, led by various Annandale coaches, will provide campers the opportunity to learn and develop skills in three different sports: field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball.
Girls Basketball - July 18-22: Run by Annandale’s Girls Varsity Basketball coach, Maddy DeCou, this camp will focus on the fundamentals, skill development and game play.
Edison Volleyball Camps
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Park Authority Camps
Click the link to register https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/camps
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