Calendar Reminder: Wednesday, November 11, Is a Two-Hour Early Release Day

As a reminder, Wednesday, November 11, is a two-hour early release day in honor of Veterans Day and will be a virtual (synchronous) learning day for all students. There will be no in-person classes on November 11.  In-person classes will resume on Thursday, November 12. See the complete 2020-21 school year calendar. 

Principal's Note 

Good evening, Holmes Families!

We thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful fall weekend to rest and recharge from the incredibly busy week this past week...hence the later newsletter today.  I hope that you and your families have also had some time this weekend to just relax.  We all need it.  

6th Grade Lunch Bunch Tomorrow (Monday, 11/9)!
I am so excited to be holding my first lunch bunch of the year tomorrow!  I'll be hosting a lunch bunch at 11:00 am for 6th graders.  No sign-up needed.  All they need to do is go to the 6th Grade Level Google Classroom and click on the Google Meet link at the top of the page at 11:00 am tomorrow.  

I'll hold one for 7th graders on 11/16, for 8th graders on 11/23, and I'll continue monthly lunch bunches for each grade level throughout the school year!

Materials Pickup

If you were unable to pick up any of the items below last Monday, you can stop by the school any time between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm at Door 1 to pick up the items below for your student. Someone from our office staff will be available to help you.  

• Resistance Bands for PE classes (all students)
• Sewing kits (students in Ms. Fontaine's FACS classes)
• Read 180 Workbooks (students in Ms. Meisel's Reading classes)
• Completing required forms (reminder emails/texts will be sent to families today). Links to all required forms can be found HERE.  

Return to School Update

Thank you to those families who submitted their request for a change of their preference for their student to return to school in-person in January or to stay 100% virtual for the remainder of the school year.  We will be processing the changes this week and will follow up with families if schedule changes need to be made to prepare for that transition.  Change requests are not currently being accepted through the form at this time, but if you have any questions, please reach out to me at @email or Ms. Giron at @email.

As you likely know from following the news, the daily totals of people testing positive for the Coronavirus throughout our country has reached the highest levels we have seen thus far.  Our state, county, and school officials are watching the health data closely in our area to inform next steps.  Dr. Brabrand will meet with the School Board this Thursday, November 12th at 6:00 pm to discuss what health data will indicate that we should pause or stop in-person learning in addition to other Return to School Updates.  You can watch it and all School Board meetings HERE.  

Holmes PTA Fundraiser - Through November 18th!

Since our PTA's typical opportunities for in-person fundraisers will not take place this year, we are very excited to announce a way that you can help to support the PTA (and therefore our students and teachers!) this year.  In addition to becoming a member and supporting the restaurant nights (scroll down for next Monday's restaurant night at Kabobistan!), we have partnered with Claire's Gourmet to raise funds this year!  See the flyers below for more details on how to register and prizes.  A few things to note:

• This is completely optional for students. There is absolutely no obligation to participate; we just appreciate any support that you can provide to our PTA as they support students and teachers. 
• No in-person contact will be needed, and no money will need to be collected by the student or family.  Everything will be done online and can be sent to your family and friends electronically!!
• Students will receive information about how to get signed up and registered (information also below in the flyers) and will watch a video with information about prizes. All information will be posted tonight to each grade-level's Google Classroom. 
• NOTE: Students must have parent/ guardian permission to participate, and they should not do any selling in-person under any circumstances. 
• Items will be available for pick up at the school in mid-December.  See the catalog HERE.  

Early Release Day - Wednesday, November 11th

Please see the early release schedule below.  Classes will be finished at 11:35 am.  

Here are today's newsletter topics:

Holmes News

• Student Services - Important Information
• 2020-21 Virtual Bell Schedule
• After School Program Schedule - November 
• Important Information About Meals During the School Year
• PTA Restaurant Spirit Night - Kabobistan - 11/16/20
• Reporting Student Absences
• Outstanding Employee Awards
• Important Dates
• How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

News from around FCPS

• Student Information System—SIS ParentVUE Account Overview 
• Tech Help & Resources for Students & Families
• FCPS Cares Program
• Healthy Minds

Thank you, and have a great week!

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes

Proud Principal, Holmes MS

@email

After School Program Schedule - November

Virtual after-school activities will be a blend of school clubs, community service, arts and crafts, leadership, recreation and sports, and other activities. 

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.

HOLMES NEWS

Important Updates on Grab and Go Meals

Fairfax County Public Schools is offering no-cost nutritious meals to ALL students through June 30, 2021. Meals are available at school sites and along bus routes.

Beginning Monday, November 9, grab and go bus delivery times and some bus stop locations will change. The updated bus schedule will be posted on November 6. 

Breakfast and lunch meals are offered Monday through Friday (excluding holidays). Breakfast and lunch are served at the same time. Breakfast and lunch are also offered at no cost to any student who attends in-person instruction at a school Monday-Friday. Meals for Saturday and Sunday are offered at sites and on bus routes every Friday.

More information is available online, or by calling the Office of Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.

PTA Spirit Night at Kabobistan - 11/16/20

Reporting Student Absences

Do I need to report my student's absence during the virtual classes?

• Yes, please call our attendance line at 703-658-5919 or submit an attendance form.

Outstanding Employee Awards

Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards!  To submit a nomination for a Holmes Hawk Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link: Holmes MS Outstanding Employee Award Nominations

You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category).  All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category.  The Google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below:

Outstanding Teacher 

Eligibility: Has at least 3 years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category

Outstanding New Teacher

Eligibility: Has up to 3 years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category

Outstanding Principal

Eligibility: Has at least 3 years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)                                

Outstanding Leader  

Eligibility: At least 1 year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal)

Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services

Outstanding Professional Employee 

Eligibility: At least 1 year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership

Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school

Outstanding Operational Employee

Eligibility: At least 1 year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee

Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons (regardless of how they are paid)

The deadline to submit a nomination is 2:15 PM on Friday, November 20

If you have any questions, please Mr. Kamar.

Important Dates

• Wednesday, November 11th - EARLY RELEASE DAY (No In-Person Classes)
• Monday, November 16th - PTA Restaurant Night: Kabobistan
• Wednesday, November 25th - Friday, November 27th - NO SCHOOL / THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY 

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

NEWS FROM AROUND FCPS

Student Information System—SIS ParentVUE Account Overview

A SIS (Student Information System) ParentVUE account is where you can access information about your child's attendance, course history, grade book (for middle and high school), progress reports, and report cards. Customized for elementary, middle, and high school students, your SIS ParentVUE Account login credentials can also be used to access FCPS 24-7 Learning: Parent View.

Get more information on SIS ParentVue accounts. 

Video: Creating a ParentVue Account

Do you need help creating a SIS ParentVue account? This video walks you through the steps on how to do so. Watch this video to learn how to set up your account. 

Tech Help & Resources for Students & Families

• To support families who are working with their children during virtual learning, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is launching a new Parent Technology Help Desk, effective today, Monday, August 24. The help desk can be reached at 833-921-3277 (833-921-FCPS) and will be answered by staff members between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., seven days a week.
• FCPS has also set up an online portal to allow older students and parents/guardians to request technology help directly. 
• Tips for online learning success can be found on the FCPS website. 
• FCPS Parent Information Phone Lines are available in eight different languages. 

FCPS Cares Program

The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees.

Watch this video to learn more. 

Healthy Minds

Healthy Minds Podcast: Key Takeaways from the Fairfax County Youth Survey

Listen to a discussion with Jesse Ellis of Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services as he shares the Five Key Takeaways from Fairfax County’s most recently administered annual youth survey in this week's Healthy Minds podcast.

FCPS students in grades 6, 8, 10, and 12 have been voluntarily sharing their anonymous, honest thoughts and feelings for over 20 years. The survey sheds light on the health and well-being of our student population and gives insight on what parents and caring adults need to know about how they can help students succeed and avoid or reduce risky behaviors. Information is used to help prioritize focus for prevention and youth programming efforts throughout Fairfax County communities. Listen to the podcast.  

From the Healthy Minds Blog: Improving the Quality of Your Children’s Sleep

Sleep quality can make the difference in maintaining a daily routine, promoting academic learning, and supporting general health. However, with the many changes that families have made in response to the pandemic and virtual learning at home, children may have more difficulty recognizing and following a set schedule which includes time for sleep.

When youth do not get enough sleep, they may experience problems with emotional regulation, mood, behavior, and academic performance. Important cognitive abilities for learning are more likely to be impaired, such as attention, memory, and planning.

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) recommends these six research-based strategies to help improve the quality of your children's sleep.