Principal's Note - Nov 5, 2021
Good evening, Holmes Families!
This week was short and sweet, and 2nd quarter has officially begun! Students' quarter 1 report cards have been mailed home, so you should receive them soon if you have not received them already.
Thank you to all of our families who were able to come in or Zoom in for mini-conferences this past Tuesday! If you did not get a chance to meet with your student's teachers, please connect with your student's counselor using the contact information provided further down in the newsletter. You may also contact individual teachers with questions or concerns that you have.
For those who were not able to attend last week's PTA meeting, the recording is HERE. If you have any questions about anything presented, please let me know. Our next PTA meeting will be in January.
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211 Virginia
Our new family liaison, Ms. Oncho, shared an amazing resource with me this week that I was not aware of. For families who need assistance of any kind, you can dial 211, and you will be connected with resources for a variety of needs. Take a look at the website HERE for more information, and I hope it is a help to some of our community members.
Ms. Oncho has also added a new folder to the "All Parents: Holmes Middle School" course on Schoology for families to explore local resources that are available to support them. More resources will be added throughout the year. Thank you, Ms. Oncho!
Don't have your Schoology account set up yet? Be sure to connect with Ms. Mollick at @email.
Applications for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Open for Class of 2026
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST), a Governor's School within Fairfax County Public Schools that is regularly ranked as one of the top public schools in the country, has opened its application process for admissions for the Class of 2026.
This will be the second year that applications for the school’s 550 freshmen seats will be reviewed using the new admissions process which eliminated the standardized admissions test and the $100 application fee, while continuing to maintain the school’s high academic standards. Students offered admission to the Class of 2025--the first to apply using the new admissions process--averaged a 3.95 Grade Point Average (GPA), which is in line with previous years.
The application process for the Class of 2026 continues to be merit-based, race-neutral, and designed to ensure broader access to the school for all students. Admissions evaluators do not know the race, ethnicity, or gender of any applicant and students are identified using a number during the process.
The application process for the Class of 2026 includes a holistic review. Applicants are required to have a minimum 3.5 GPA. They will also be asked to submit a STEM problem-solving essay and an essay that details their life-experience factors.
FCPS students who are interested in applying to TJHSST must be currently enrolled in honors classes or identified as a Young Scholar, while students applying from other participating school divisions, private schools, or who are homeschooled, and do not have access to honors classes, must be able to show they are taking the highest level of courses available to them.
Details can be found on the TJHSST Admissions webpage. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 17, with a deadline to complete the final application by Friday, November 19, at 4 p.m. For more information, please visit the TJHSST Admissions webpage.
NOTE: While the official deadline is November 19th, we ask that Holmes students complete the application by 4 pm on November 18 to allow time for our counselor to complete the steps to verify the student's application before the November 19th deadline.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology was established in 1985. The school’s mission is to provide students with a challenging learning environment focused on math, science, and technology; to inspire joy at the prospect of discovery; and to foster a culture of innovation based on ethical behavior and the shared interests of humanity.
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
- Signs of Suicide (SOS) Assessment
- Youth Survey Parent Notification
- Monopoly Tournament at Annandale High School
- Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- Free COVID Testing
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Thank you, and have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
HOLMES UPDATES
Next Week's Schedule - 11/8-11/12
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, 11/8 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 4)
- Tuesday, 11/9 - WHITE DAY
- Wednesday, 11/10 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 5)
- Thursday, 11/11 - WHITE DAY / 2-hour Early Release for Veteran's Day
- Friday, 11/12 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 6)
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.
Signs of Suicide (SOS) Assessment
This school year, school staff are working to teach students about mental health and how to seek help if they are worried about themselves or a friend. We are using a program called SOS (Signs of Suicide). The program teaches students about this difficult topic and encourages them to seek help.
SOS has been used by thousands of schools over the past few decades. Studies have shown that it effectively teaches students about depression and suicide while reducing the number of students’ self-reported suicide attempts.
Through the program, students learn:
- that depression is treatable, so they are encouraged to seek help
- how to identify depression and potential suicide risk in themselves or a friend
- to ACT (Acknowledge, Care and Tell a trusted adult) if concerned about themselves or a friend
- who they can turn to at school for help, if they need it
Students will watch age-appropriate video clips and participate in a guided discussion about depression, suicide, and what to do if they are concerned about a friend. Following the video, students will complete a response slip which asks whether they would like to talk to an adult about any concerns. School staff will conduct brief meetings with any student asking to talk.
Additionally, students will complete a brief depression screening tool. This tool cannot provide a diagnosis of depression but does indicate whether a young person should be referred for evaluation by a mental health professional.
Signs of Suicide will be administered the week of November 15th, 2021 during students 7th grade history classes by the Holmes school counselors and clinical team. Times have been coordinated with the teachers.
We encourage you to visit www.sossignsofsuicide.org/parent for information on warning signs for youth suicide, useful resources, and some of the key messages students will learn.
Additional Resources:
To Opt Your Child Out:
If you do NOT wish for your child to participate in the Signs of Suicide Program, please complete this googleform or email Bessie Fealey at @email no later than Friday, November 12th, 2021. Students who are opted out will be sent to an alternate location to do school work or read until the lesson is completed. To complete the form in Spanish, please click here.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s participation in this program contact Bessie Fealey, school counselor, at @email or 703-658-5900.
Youth Survey Parent Notification
The Fairfax County School Board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors work together to administer the Fairfax County Youth Survey. The results of this survey are published each year on https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/health-humanservices/fairfax-county-youth-survey and are used by school officials, youth leadership classes, youth-serving county agencies, and local non-profits to determine the effectiveness of prevention and intervention programs offered in schools and communities. It is also used to identify changing trends and areas of need.
In years past the survey was administered in paper and pencil format. To improve efficiency and streamline the administration process, this year's survey will be administered online. Responses will not be traced back to your child's personal information, linked to a computer, email address, or other electronic identifiers. No personally identifiable information nor IP addresses will be recorded. Survey responses will be stored in a secure server which is compliant with federal data security standards. To protect students' anonymity, the responses will be read and analyzed only by the researchers and summarized in a report with no personal identifiers.
The Fairfax County Youth Survey asks questions about risky behavior, mental health, physical health, and safety. There are questions about behaviors related to alcohol, illegal drugs, and misuse of prescription drugs. Additional questions about depression, student stress, bullying and harassment, and questions about personal health will be included in the survey. Students are also asked about specific protective factors concerning health and safety.
You have the right to preview the survey and may deny permission for your child to participate if you desire. If a student is uncomfortable with any question on the survey, the student does not have to answer that question or may elect to discontinue the survey. While it is hoped that as many students as possible will participate, you have the option of completing the attached form if you wish to opt out your child.
The survey will be administered between November 15-30, 2021, during a time of day determined by your child's school administration. A copy of the survey will be available to parents and/or guardians on line at https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/youth-survey and in the school counseling office of your child's school beginning October 15, 2021.
If you do not wish for your child to take part in the survey, please complete the opt-out form at the link above and return it to your child's school counselor no later than November 15, 2021.
If you have questions about the survey, please contact Stefan Mascoll, coordinator, Student Safety and Wellness Office, at 571-423-4270.
Monopoly Tournament at Annandale High School
The Annandale High School PTSA will be hosting a Monopoly Tournament on Saturday, November 13. The event will be open to Holmes Middle Schoolers. For more information, please go to AHS PTSA Website: https://annandalehsptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/monopoly
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!
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.
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