Principal's Note - Nov 19, 2021
Principal's Note
Good evening, Holmes Families!
I hope that you all have had a great week! It was so exciting to have MUSIC back at Holmes this week! Mr. Perez and the symphonic band had their first performance in 550 days and, to celebrate the occasion, the Annandale High School marching band performed as well. It was a great night!
To add to that, I am so happy to share that our students were selected to participate in the District 10 Honors Choir event in February after auditioning this past weekend! A very big congratulations to the following students on behalf of the Holmes Middle School community:
- Lina Abu-El-Hawa
- Julia Albertani
- Harper Chapman
- Nathaniel Dosen
- Anna Fitzgerald
- Louise Fitzgerald
- Esther Jung
- Colin McDevitt
- Charlie McGinity
- Tyler Miller
- Noah Plank
- Sean Visperas
Be sure to get your tickets for the upcoming theater production as well, which will be the first weekend of December. Scroll down for details!
A few things from Ms. Oncho, our Family Liaison:
Family Needs Survey
Please take a moment to complete this short survey. We would like to know your needs and your interest area for workshops and training.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3zwdaWSU9t1Uf4JIxvVlhs-W4vULQW7xI_E9KSH2svEAIpw/viewform.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Take a look at the flyers below for information on great Thanksgiving food drives and gift card giveaways. There are two major events organized by St. Stephens and Women Giving Back.
Additionally, the United Methodist Church will be giving away Thanksgiving baskets (with $25 gift cards) on November 23 from 5-6pm.
Address: United Methodist Church, 7901 Heritage Dr., Annandale, VA 22003
Here are today's newsletter topics:
Holmes Updates
- Student Services - Important Information
- 2021-22 Blue-White Calendar
- 2021-22 Bell Schedule
- Next Week's Schedule
- After School Program Next Week
- After School Program - Week of 11/29
- Annual Bookfair
- From the Theatre Department
- Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
- Important Upcoming Dates
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- Free COVID Testing
- Free Computer Classes For Job Seekers
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Due to the holiday next weekend, I will not send a Friday update on 11/26. I have included the schedule of classes and after school program below. Thank you, have a great weekend, and a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
HOLMES UPDATES
Next Two Weeks' Schedule - 11/15-11/19 & 11/29-12/3
The Blue-White Calendar can also be found on the inside cover of student agendas and can be found HERE on our school website.
- Monday, 11/22 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 1)
- Tuesday, 11/23 - WHITE DAY
- Wednesday, 11/24 - THANKSGIVING / No School
- Thursday, 11/25 - THANKSGIVING / No School
- Friday, 11/26 - THANKSGIVING / No School
- Monday, 11/29 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 2)
- Tuesday, 11/30 - WHITE DAY
- Wednesday, 12/1 - BLUE DAY (SOAR Only)
- Thursday, 12/2 - WHITE DAY
- Friday, 12/3 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 4)
After School Program Next Week
Reminders:
- Students should check Schoology for messages from Ms. Parker about how to sign up for specific activities
- Late buses run Monday through Thursday. Friday is pickup only.
- Late buses typically arrive between 4:30 and 5:00, so students could arrive home as late as 5:30 or 6:00. You are also welcome to pick them up any time from after school by 5:00.
- Your student's late bus is DIFFERENT than the regular late bus. Mrs. Parker will go over late bus assignments with students each day after school.
- For any and all questions related to the after school program, please contact Mrs. Parker at @email.
After School Program - Week of 11/29
Annual Bookfair
We're so excited for the upcoming bookfair, it is an event we look forward to every year and even more so this year! For every dollar spent we earn a point toward buying more books for our students. Please join us for a special evening event immediately before and after our Winter Choral Concert on December 7th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms Haywood @email.
From the Theatre Department
Holmes Middle School Theatre Department is excited to invite our community to attend an in-person performance of "Far From Together"!
Please use the link below to purchase tickets:
https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/15718/holmes-middle-school-theatre
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
- Nov. 24-26: Thanksgiving Holiday / NO SCHOOL
- Dec. 1-10: Annual Book Fair
- Dec. 2-4: Winter Theater Production: Far From Together
- Dec. 7, 7 pm: Winter Chorus Concert (& special evening book fair)
- Dec. 14, 7 pm: Winter Orchestra Concert
- Dec. 20-Jan. 1: Winter Break / NO SCHOOL
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
Free COVID Testing
Take a look at the flyer below for information about free COVID testing. For more information about testing and vaccination sites in Fairfax County, check out this link.
Computer Classes For Job Seekers
Computer Core offers eligible adult students free online classes to learn the computer skills and tools needed for career advancement. For more information, please go to
https://www.computercore.org/wp-content/uploads/Computer-CORE-class-flyer-7-9-21.pdf
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