Principal's Note - March 8, 2020
Good evening, Holmes Families!
What a wonderful week at Holmes! Throughout the newsletter this week, you will see pictures (including the one above) of our 7th graders who filled the gym and presented their research and learning through their Blacks in Wax projects on Thursday and Friday. Congratulations to our students for their hard work and to our 7th grade English teachers (Ms. Nash, Ms. Motsko, Ms. Kenschaft, Mr. Charlebois, and Ms. Orihuela) for collaborating on such a meaningful project!
Coronavirus Updates
I know that the news about the spread of the Coronavirus is on everyone's minds. Superintendent Brabrand has been sending messages periodically to the entire community with updates. If you have not been receiving them, please let me know. FCPS will continue to update their frequently asked questions and answers on the FCPS coronavirus webpage as conditions and information changes. The page also contains fact sheets, videos, and other resources that you may find useful. Additional information is available from the Fairfax County Health Department and the CDC.
Tomorrow morning, I will announce some basic reminders to students, including:
- the importance of washing hands well throughout the day
- staying home when sick
- seeing a doctor when concerning symptoms arise (including but not limited to fever, cough, sore throat, etc.).
 This Week in Music
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 8th Grade Celebration - June 5, 2020 Each year, our parents work together with school staff and students to plan the 8th grade celebration, which will be on the evening of June 5th this year from 7-9 pm. If you would be interested in helping with this effort, please let me know by emailing me at @email. |
Pictured above: Student as Jimi Hendrix.
In today's newsletter, scroll down for information about:
- Join the Holmes MS PTA!
- FCPS CARES
- This Week's Schedule
- After-School Program
- Principal Evaluation Survey
- Chaperones Needed for 6th Grade DC Field Trip - April 22nd & 23rd
- School Health Services Survey
- FCPS' Safety Tip Line Helps Keep Schools Safe
- “Go Paperless” Report Card Option Now Available
- FCPS to Host the Registered Apprenticeship and Career Fair
- Upcoming Pyramid-wide Digital Learning and Citizenship Community Events
- SOL Testing Information
- Holmes MS Spring Book Fair
- VIP Summer Camp Registration Information
- Financial Awareness Workshop for Middle School Parents
- Community Sensory Day 2020- April 4th
- Important Dates
- How to Stay in Touch
Thanks, everyone, and have a wonderful week! Please feel free to reach out to me or anyone on my team with any questions you have!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
#SoarTogether
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Have you joined the Holmes MS PTA?
Your membership supports teacher appreciation and grants for teachers to provide unique programs for students! Join HERE today!
FCPS Cares
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Do you know a Holmes Middle School staff member who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of Holmes faculty and staff members. |
This Week's Schedule of Classes: 3/9 - 3/13
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This week: Mon., 3/9 = White Day (2nd, SOAR, ER 5, 4th, 6th) Tues., 3/10 = Blue Day (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th) Wed., 3/11 = White Day (2nd, SOAR, ER 6, 4th, 6th) Thurs., 3/12 = Blue Day (1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th) Fri., 3/13 = White Day (2nd, SOAR, ER 7, 4th, 6th) *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the school website HERE. |
After-School Program - Week of 3/9
During the school year, a weekly schedule of activities that will be held during the After School Program will be posted.
- Late buses are on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Students must be picked up by parents/guardians if they stay on Tuesdays or Fridays.
- NOTE: There are only 6 late buses, so students' late bus assignments and stops are usually different than their regular bus.
For any specific questions related to the After School Program or to share new ideas for after school activities, please feel free to contact Ms. Taylor, our After School Program Specialist.
Pictured above: Student as Katherine Johnson.
Principal Evaluation Survey
Your Views and Opinions Are Important to Us!
This spring all Holmes Middle School parents will be contacted through email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form Online. This survey is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and offers parents an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various issues related to our school. These issues include instructional leadership, school climate, human resources management, organizational management, communication and community relations and professionalism.
The survey will be collected online between March 12 and March 26. When you receive an email from FCPS Surveys, please take a few minutes to complete the survey. Your opinions matter.
Chaperones Needed for 6th Grade DC Field Trip - April 22nd & 23rd
6th Grade DC Field Trip
When: April 22 & 23
Time: 9:30-1:00
What: Students will be exploring the DC monuments, museums, and memorials aligning to the Science and History standards.
Who wants to chaperone? You do!! 😊
In order to keep the groups small the more parent chaperones the better! This trip cannot happen without your support.
The students will go on a day based on their alphabetical last name. Their permission forms have the details. Please consider spending your day with us in DC.
Parents who agree to chaperone would need to be at Holmes Middle School at 8:45 AM on the day of their assigned trip. We will get back to Holmes around 1:30 PM.
Please complete the Chaperone Volunteer section on your students permission form.
Permission forms will be coming out this week (March 2nd) through the students Science classes. We are asking for 5 dollar donations to help cover the cost of transportation to and from DC.
Permission forms will be due at the end of Quarter 3 (April 3rd). No late forms will be accepted.
Behavior and tardy infractions will be monitored starting Quarter 4 until the field trip date. Students may be asked to stay behind based on behavior or tardiness. Administration will follow up.
School Health Services Survey
The Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) employs school health aides and public health nurses who provide school health services to the students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS). To determine the quality of these services, a survey has been developed by the FCHD to be shared with all parents or guardians and school staff members who interact with the school health rooms. This may include principals, school counselors, and main office staff members. The survey has been approved for distribution by the FCPS’ Internal Survey Advisory Committee.
Electronic versions of the survey forms may be accessed at:
School Health Services Survey – Parents 2020: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9VWCJ6 approval # 20217
School Health Services Survey-Parents 2020 (Spanish): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K7KGXTS approval #20217
Pictured above: Student as Oprah.
FCPS' Safety Tip Line Helps Keep Schools Safe
A confidential and anonymous tip line is available to students, staff, parents, and other community members, as part of FCPS' continuing effort to maintain safe schools. Please report school safety issues, such as threats, unsafe or dangerous situations, illegal drug activity, theft, gang activity, existence of weapons, vandalism, and concerns about student wellness. Call 571-423-2020, text TIP FCPS to 888-777, or submit your tip online. Visit the Safety Tip Line webpage for more information.
Note: If your tip is an emergency and immediate assistance is necessary, please dial 911.
“Go Paperless” Report Card Option Now Available
Starting with 3rd quarter, high school and middle school parents will now have the option to “Go Paperless” in ParentVUE and receive only online report cards. To take advantage of the paperless options, parents/guardians will need to log into ParentVUE, then go to “My Account” and select "Go Paperless!". This process is the only way to keep a paper report card from being generated for students at the secondary level. All parents who share the same address as the student must have a SIS ParentVue account and must select the paperless option.
At the end of the 3rd quarter, SIAs will generate PDF report cards in SIS. Any student whose parents/guardians did not select to “Go Paperless” will be generated to print. Note that the “Go Paperless” option is not yet available to elementary schools. Documentation for schools to generate online report cards as well as how to select the new print option to only print for those parents who did not select ‘Go Paperless’ will be located under the Secondary Grading area. Go to the SIS Documentation page and navigate to Grading Secondary > Report Card PDF Attach to Student.
FCPS to Host the Registered Apprenticeship and Career Fair
On Thursday, April 16, 2020, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry will host the “Registered Apprenticeship and Career Fair” from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at George C. Marshall High School. This is a free event for Fairfax County high school students, their parents and/or guardians, recent graduates, and members of the community to learn about Youth Registered and Registered Apprenticeship work-based learning experiences. These experiences can meet high school graduation requirements through CTE classes. Participants will be able to meet business, education, and industry leaders from Northern Virginia who offer skilled workforce employment, education, training, and apprenticeship programs.
FCPS Adult and Community Education (ACE) will be on-site to answer any questions on how to take advantage of their post-high school graduation opportunities to include a variety of courses, certificate programs, and career training. High School students and members of the Fairfax County community are able to enroll in ACE courses and satisfy related instruction requirements for both Youth Registered and Registered Apprenticeships.
FCPS students, parents and/or guardians, recent graduates, and community members who wish to attend should register online.
As you send out News You Choose communications, please consider sharing this information and event flyer in order to maximize participation.
Upcoming Pyramid-wide Digital Learning and Citizenship Community Events
All FCPS staff and families are invited to attend any of the following digital learning and citizenship community education events (more details).
Herndon Pyramid: Supporting Students in a Digital World: Bridging Technology Use at Home & School When: March 5, 2020 (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.) Where: Herndon High School, Lecture Hall
Marshall Pyramid: Supporting Students in a Digital World: Bridging Technology Use at Home & School When: March 18, 2020 (6:15 - 8:15 p.m.) Where: Kilmer Middle School
South Lakes Pyramid: Supporting Families in a Digital World: Developing a Healthy Relationship with Technology When: March 18, 2020 (6:00 - 8:00 p.m.) Where: South Lakes High School
Chantilly Pyramid: Spotlight on Student Learning with a Focus on Media Balance and Well-being When: March 31, 2020 (6:00 - 7:30 p.m.) Where: Franklin Middle School
Pictured above: Student as Kobe Bryant.
SOL Testing Information
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) requires that all students in grade 8 take the English Writing Standards of Learning (SOL) Test. The purpose of testing is to provide information about student achievement in several areas of English: Writing. Scores from the test will be used to determine whether students fail to meet standards, are proficient in meeting the standards, or are advanced in the standards.
The test has two components: multiple choice and direct writing. In order to obtain a score your child must complete both components. The English Writing test will be administered: March 10 - 13, 2020.
It will be very helpful if you can avoid appointments which may take your child out of school during this time period. Also, it will help your child perform his or her best if he or she has had a good night's rest, a healthy breakfast, and comes to school with a positive attitude.
VDOE and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) have an electronic device policy which is to be followed during all SOL testing. To maintain test security, the possession of cell phones or other electronic devices (including wearable technology) in the testing room is prohibited. If a student is discovered with a prohibited electronic device while in a test environment, the student's test will be stopped, the electronic device will be confiscated, and the student will be removed from the test environment. School administrators, consistent with the Acceptable Use Policy and Student Rights & Responsibilities, have authority to search the "item of personal belonging" (e.g., the cell phone or other device, including wearable technology) if it is believed to contain evidence of a violation of school regulations (in this case, cheating). School administrators have the right to apply school-based consequences based upon their investigation of the situation. Please talk to your student about the electronic device policy and the serious consequences of violating it.
A student performance report with your child's scores will be mailed to your home in August.
Should you have any questions or require any fu1iher information about this testing, please contact me at (703) 658-5900 or [email protected].
Sincerely,
Serena Giron
Director of Student Services
Holmes Middle School
Su hijo estara rindiendo el examen de Redaccion de 8.0 grado Estandares de Aprendizaje (SOL) de Virginia entre el 10 de Marzo y el 13 de Marzo. Es importante que su hijo asista a la escuela estos dias. Les pedimos que, de ser posible, eviten programar viajes o citas que puedan hacer que su hijo se ausente de clases durante este periodo de tiempo. Tambien es importante que su hijo descanse bien la noche anterior y tome un desayuno saludable antes de dar el examen. Si se dan cuenta de que tienen algun conflicto de horario que no puede cambiarse y que podria causar que su hijo falte a uno de los dias de examenes, sirvanse notificarlo a la escuela de su hijo lo antes posible.
El Departamento de Educacion de Virginia (VDOE) requiere que todos los alumnos de 8.0 grado rindan el Examen Estandares de Aprendizaje (SOL) de Redaccion en Ingles. El examen tiene dos componentes: respuesta de seleccion multiple y respuesta de composicion corta. Para poder obtener una puntuacion, su hijo debe completar ambos componentes.
El proposito de los examenes SOL es proporcionarles a los padres, la escuela, la division escolar y el estado informacion sobre los alumnos. En la mayoria de los casos, los padres pueden obtener las resultados de los examenes al final del ano escolar. Cuando estemos mas cerca de esas fechas, recibiran mas informacion sabre como y cuando recibiran la puntuacion que obtuvo su hijo.
Si tienen preguntas sobre las examenes SOL, sirvanse comunicarse con el orientador de su hijo o el coordinador a cargo de los examenes o el encargado de evaluaciones en la escuela de su hijo.
Serena Giron
Holmes MS Spring Book Fair
VIP Summer Camp Registration Information
Financial Awareness Workshop for Middle School Parents
Community Sensory Day 2020- April 4th
Pictured above: Student as Muhammad Ali.
Important Dates
- Tues., 3/10, 7 pm - Pyramid Beginning & Intermediate Chorus Concert (Annandale HS)
- Thurs., 3/12, 9 am - Rising 6th grade Parent Coffee
- Thurs., 3/12, 7 pm - Orchestra Concert: Pre-assessment
- Fri., 3/13, 9 pm - Symphonic Band Assessment (Sandburg MS)
- Sat., 3/14, 9:35 am - Concert Band II Assessment (Sandburg MS)
- Tues., 3/17, 7 pm - Pyramid Advanced Chorus Concert: Pre-assessment (Annandale HS)
- Sat., 3/21 - Orchestra Assessment (TC Williams HS)
- 9:10 am - Orchestra 6
- 11:10 am - Concert Orchestra
- 1:55 pm - Chamber Orchestra
- Thurs., 3/26, 5 pm - Pyramid Art Show (Annandale HS)
- Fri., 3/26 - Chorus Assessment (Sandburg MS)
- 2:50 pm - Advanced Treble Chorus
- 3:50 pm - Advanced Basso Chorus
- Mon. 3/30 - Fri. 4/3 - Spirit Week
- Thurs., 4/2, 6 pm - Student Basketball Game & PTA Fundraiser
- Fri., 4/3 - End of 3rd Quarter Activity Day / Last day of 3rd quarter
- Mon. 4/6 - Fri. 4/10 - Spring Break
- Mon., 4/13 - Teacher Workday / 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
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