Hello Holmes Families!

It has been another great week at Holmes Middle School. We hope that your student has been having a great school year so far and that they can speak to you about the wonderful things happening in their classrooms. Please see below for some upcoming events:

October is Cybersecurity Month and 10/16-10/20 is Digital Citizenship Week

What is Digital Citizenship?: Digital citizenship is the responsible use of technology to participate in society. It includes skills and knowledge such as digital literacy, etiquette, safety, security, rights, and responsibilities. 

Digital Citizenship Week: will be on October 16-20th at Holmes MS this year. This year's Digital Citizenship Week focuses on supporting student's mental and physical health in relation to technology use.  Encourage your students to participate by dressing up with their peers each day:

Digital Support for Families:

• Free WiFi around Fairfax: Find locations such as public libraries and community centers that offer free access to WiFi here.
• WiFi Discounts: Sign up for the Affordable Connectivity Program which provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service.
• Borrow a Computer: Fairfax County Public Library offers Chromebook computers and Wi-Fi Hotspots for borrowing. Chromebooks support the Google suite of productivity tools, including Docs, Sheets and Slides. These tools can access Microsoft office files, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Learn more about the Library computer lending program.
• Take a Tech Class: Fairfax County offers several classes, trainings and support opportunities for residents to advance digital literacy skills. Learn more about Digital Literacy classes.

Fall Festival

Who: Students Grades 6-8

What: Celebrate the end of the quarter by participating in various activities (For example: Mummy wrapping, Dance, Movie, pumpkin decorating…)

When:  10/26 2:30-4:40 during the after school program.  Sign ups will occur during lunches starting 10/16.

Where:  At Holmes.  All students will have access to the late bus after school.

***Thank you to the PTA for your partnership on this event!

Vision and Hearing Screenings 

On October 16^th- 18^th we will be administering vision and hearing screenings to 7^th grade students and any students who are new to the district. Please remind your child to bring in their eyeglasses.

Picture Retakes - 10/24

We were excited to have our second day of picture day on Wednesday, 9/13. Unfortunately, Lifetouch (the company that takes pictures) had some software difficulties and was not able to take pictures that morning.  As a result, we will offer retakes on October 24^th all day for any student who was unable to take their picture.  We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Thank you for understanding!

Here are today's newsletter topics:

Holmes Updates

• Student Services Information
• 2023-24 Blue/White Schedule 
• 2023-24 Bell Schedule
• After-School Program
• From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison
• Important Upcoming Dates
• Holmes MS PTA
• How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS

FCPS & Community Updates

• Get Your Student's Immunizations Up-To-Date

• Lexia Parent Night: Learn About Literacy Support

• New School Lunch Menu Options 

• Know Our Security Terms

• Upcoming Solar Eclipses and How to View Them Safely

• Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations

• Stay Connected with FCPS

Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have.  Thank you, and we'll see you very soon!

Sincerely,

Serena Giron

Principal

HOLMES UPDATES

Contact Information

2023-24 Blue/White Calendar

From Mr. Kruk, our After-School Specialist

After-School Program Weekly News & Notes from 10/9-10/13

Student(s) of the Week

• The After-School Program Student(s) of the week: Noah Beggs & Kiley Foster
• Noah was nominated by staff for being an active member in the After-School Program including being actively involved in several different clubs and activities including Lego Robotics, Cross Country, Cards & Gaming, Strategy Games, and more.
• Noah recently supported the program by collaborating with his peers & our staff to bring back our Lego Masters club.
• Kiley was nominated by staff for her commitment to both the school musical and cross country.
• “When she misses part of musical rehearsal for cross country, she makes sure to find out what she has missed, asks questions, and works hard to get caught up. Her dedication to both athletics and the arts shows what a “go-getter” Kiley really is.” – Elizabeth Murphy (Theatre Arts teacher)
• Great job Noah & Kiley!!

After-School Action

Holmes’ Intramural Basketball Team practiced for their upcoming tournament against Luther Jackson Middle school on October 27th.

ASP Schedule 10/16-10/20

Students Leaving After-School before 4:45

• • Any student staying after school must be signed out of the main office by a parent or guardian if leaving before 4:45.
  • Walkers with parent/guardian permission, may sign themselves out any time after 3:30 when first block ends.
  • Students are not permitted to leave school grounds before checking out in the main office .

Questions/Concerns

Contact the After-School Specialist, Matt Kruk, @email

Important Upcoming Dates

• Tuesday, 10/24 - Picture Retakes
• Wednesday, 10/25 - PTA Meeting
• Thursday, 10/26 - Fall Festival
• Thursday, 11/2 - Family Coffee

Holmes MS PTA

Don't forget to check out these important links:

• • Sign up to help with the Fall Festival: https://bit.ly/HolmesFallFestival 
  • Buy SpiritWear: https://bit.ly/HolmesSpiritWear
  • Join the PTA: https://bit.ly/SupportHolmesPTA 

The next PTA meeting will be on October 25th from 6:30-7:30pm with Special Guest, School Board Member Rachna Sizemore.

From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison

Mark Your Calendar for the Upcoming Family Coffee

TeenTober™ is a nationwide celebration hosted by libraries every October and aims to celebrate teens, promote year-round teen services and the innovative ways teen services help teens learn new skills, and fuel their passions in and outside the library.

SibTeen Program

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
  • PTA Facebook
  • Online PTA Membership Form
  • MemberHub

FCPS & Community Updates

Get Your Student's Immunizations Up-To-Date

Lexia Parent Night: Learn About Literacy Support

FCPS funds Lexia for all elementary and middle schools to use as part of their literacy instruction. Lexia is a computer-based program that supplements classroom instruction to help students develop literacy skills. It also provides teachers with the data to identify students who need additional support, and the ability to know which specific concepts and skills to prioritize. Attend an information night to learn more about Lexia and how FCPS is integrating it into the classroom. Parents/caregivers will also get tips for supporting their students at home. 

Information nights will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on:

• Wednesday, October 18, at Thoreau Middle School (Cafeteria).
• Thursday, October 19, at Edison High School (Auditorium).

Register to attend or submit a question in advance. 

Integrating Lexia into the literacy curriculum aligns with the Virginia Literacy Act, FCPS’ Equitable Access to Literacy, and Strategic Plan Goal 3, which aims to have all students reading on level by the end of third grade.  

New School Lunch Menu Options 

FCPS' Food and Nutrition Services team will be rolling out improvements to the menu that better reflect the diversity of our student body and focus on fresh, healthy food. Learn about FCPS’ new menu options.

Know Our Security Terms

FCPS uses specific terminology to specify the actions school staff and students should take to ensure safety in a variety of situations. It is important for staff, families, and students to understand what the different terms mean and how they impact school operations.

Watch this video to learn more about the definitions of the security terms: lockdown; secure the building; and stay put, stay tuned. If students, staff, or community members have a safety concern at school (that is not an immediate emergency), they should submit a tip to the FCPS Safety Tipline. In an emergency, please call 9-1-1.  

Upcoming Solar Eclipses and How to View Them Safely

There will be an annular eclipse on Saturday, October 14. Virginia is not in the direct path of the moon’s shadow, so we will only be able to see a partial eclipse in this region. FCPS has gathered resources for students and families to learn more about the eclipse, and how to view it safely. 

Save the date for a more dramatic event! On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total eclipse will be viewable from North America. 

Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations  

Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for Our Schools, Our Future: A Community Conversation. Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions to:

• Madison High School on Tuesday, October 24, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Liberty Middle School on Wednesday, October 25, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Pre-registration for a Community Conversation is not required but will help us plan. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability. 

Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid. Your voice matters! 

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