Hello Holmes Families!

Digital Citizenship Spirit Week was an absolute success!  It was great seeing all of the school spirit throughout the week.  Thank you for supporting and helping to make students’ digital well-being a priority.

We focused on supporting student's mental and physical health in relation to technology use.  Check out our Twitter account to see some great photos of the memories we captured this week from students and staff.

Digital Wellness & 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.

Football Night

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!

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

• October Observances
• Calendar Update for March 5 Presidential Primary
• Federal Impact Aid Survey: Now Online
• Applications Open October 23 for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
• Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday
• 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 10/16-10/20

Student of the Week

• The After-School Program Student of the week: Abdul Bedru
• Abdul was nominated by our ASP staff for his contributions to Podcast club this week.
• He applied his knowledge of plot diagrams from English class to an upcoming Halloween podcast.
• Congrats Abdul!

ASP Schedule 10/23-10/27

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

• Saturday, 10/21 – Cross Country Meet at Liberty Middle School @ 8am
• Tuesday, 10/24 - Picture Retakes
• Wednesday, 10/25 - PTA Meeting
• Thursday, 10/26 - Fall Festival through the after school program; Fall Music Preview Concert
• Thursday, 11/2 - Family Coffee
• Friday, 11/3 - End of Quarter 1 and 2-Hour Early Release 
• Monday, 11/6 - NO SCHOOL / Staff Development Day
• Tuesday, 11/7 - NO SCHOOL / Teacher Work Day
• 11/22 - 11/24 -  NO SCHOOL / Thanksgiving Break

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

Virtual Parent Cafés – A Community of Support for Parents

Join a community of support among other parents handling similar situations related to raising children. Parent Cafés are virtual and free and meet monthly during the school year. They're a great way for parents or guardians of children 0-18 years old to learn from each other as they grow in their parenting skills. Join us Tuesday, Nov. 14 from 6:30-8 p.m. to discuss Talk. They Hear You® This campaign aims to reduce underage drinking and other substance use by providing parents and caregivers with information and resources they need to address these issues with their children early and often. Sign up for any Virtual Parent Café by sending an email or calling 703-324-7720 at least one business day before the Parent Café date listed. We look forward to you joining us!

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

October Observances:

National Bullying Prevention Month

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To help develop a common understanding of Bullying, below is the FCPS definition. 

Bullying in Students Rights and Responsibilities is defined as: “Any aggressive and unwanted behavior that is intended to harm, intimidate, or humiliate the victim; involves a real or perceived power imbalance between the aggressor or aggressors and victim; and is repeated over time or causes severe emotional trauma. “Bullying” includes cyberbullying. “Bullying” does not include ordinary teasing, horseplay, argument, or peer conflict.”

For more information on how FCPS handles a bullying situation please visit the FCPS Bullying Prevention and Intervention webpage. Our goal is to ensure all students feel safe and welcome at school. If you have questions and/or concerns about something that is going on at school, please contact the front office so that they can support you and most importantly your student.  

LGBTQIA+ History Month

LGBTQIA+ History Month is recognized in October nationwide. We acknowledge and celebrate that LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and families are an integral component of our nation. Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS.

National Dyslexia Awareness Month

Dyslexia Open House

Fairfax County Public Schools will be holding the Dyslexia Open House on October 26, 2023, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax, VA 22031. This event is open to staff members and families who would like to learn more about dyslexia and how Fairfax County Public Schools supports students with dyslexia.

From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. participants have the opportunity to visit tables set up with information from a variety of departments in Fairfax including the Office of the Ombuds, Office of School Psychology and the Office of Special Education Instruction.  From 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. a variety of speakers will discuss the importance of dyslexia awareness and how to support your students with dyslexia. Feel free to share the invitation with staff, family and community members. Register using this link.

Calendar Update for March 5 Presidential Primary

The Fairfax Board of Elections has requested that schools be closed on Tuesday, March 5, to accommodate the administration of the 2024 presidential primary election.

March 5 will be a school holiday for students and a virtual School Planning Day. Central offices and school offices will remain open. SACC will remain open, as it does on other professional work days. 

Federal Impact Aid Survey: Now Online

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. To make it easier, the form is now available online in SIS ParentVUE. 

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important because information from this survey results in an additional $3 million in grants each year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers.

Once logged in to SIS ParentVUE, click “Online Packets” in the top right corner. Then, select “Federal Impact Aid Survey.” Get more information.

Need to Register for ParentVUE? 

Learn how to activate your SISParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey. Find out how to get technical support for ParentVUE. 

Applications Open October 23 for Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Middle school students who have an aptitude and passion for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) are encouraged to apply for admission to the Class of 2028 at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST). 

The application will be available on the TJHSST Admissions Office webpage starting Monday, October 23, at 4 p.m. Applications must be started by 4 p.m. Wednesday, November 15, with a deadline to submit the application by Friday, November 17, at 4 p.m. Visit TJHSST’s webpage for more information. 

Virginia’s Sales Tax Holiday

Virginia’s three-day sales tax holiday starts Friday, October 20, and ends Sunday, October 22. During the sales tax holiday, you can buy qualifying school supplies, clothing, footwear, emergency preparedness items, and Energy Star™ and WaterSense™ products without paying sales tax. View the Sales Tax Holiday Guidelines for more information.

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