Principal's Note - Oct 6, 2023
Hello Holmes Families!
Indigenous Peoples' Day honors the histories, cultures, and contributions of Native peoples, past and present. This year, Monday, October 9, is a student holiday and staff development day. Learn more about Indigenous Peoples’ Day from the National Museum of the American Indian. See the complete school year calendar.
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:
Science 7 Field Trip
On October 10-13 the 7th grade science classes will be going to Hidden Oaks Nature Center for the MWEE field trip. The students will rotate between four stations learning about the local watershed, the park ecosystem, the water quality of our local streams, and a service learning opportunity where they can help to improve the ecosystem of the park.
Cross Country – next meet 10/14 @ 9am
Our next meet will be at South County Middle School at 9am on Saturday October 14th. Come root on our runners!
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!
Social and Emotional Learning Screening:
FCPS is committed to supporting all students’ mental wellness and social and emotional learning. FCPS approved a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener that students use to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. These skills include achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships with adults and peers, and making responsible decisions. Students also share how successful their school and community are at making them feel valued, included, and supported. These factors are critical to positive academic, social, and emotional success. All students in grades 3-12 have the opportunity to participate in the screener twice a year, in the fall and spring.
The SEL Screener elevates the voices of our students by making sure their perspectives are considered in decision-making. Screener data is used to plan programming for the division, schools, and individual students. Division and school level results, which do not include individual student information, may be used by staff to improve SEL and mental wellness practices and to inform strategic plans. Division and school level results may also be shared with the community to describe the needs of our student body and provide opportunities for partnership.
Individual students’ Screener data will only be accessible to teachers, administrators, and staff with legitimate educational interests. Results will be maintained in secure files and databases accessible only to these individuals. In partnership with families, staff review this data alongside other information to plan interventions for students with identified needs. Parents and guardians will receive an individualized report regarding their student’s screener results following each assessment window. School staff are available to discuss results with families.
The SEL Screener will be given during SOAR Time on Wednesday, October 11.
You can opt out your child from participating in the SEL Screener by emailing Mr. Christopher Kamar at [email protected]. The opt out applies to the current school year and must be completed annually.
For more information about the SEL Screener and access to its contents visit https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener.
Vision and Hearing Screenings
On October 16th- 18th we will be administering vision and hearing screenings to 7th 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 24th 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
- Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
- Students Reading by the Third Grade
- Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations
- Free COVID-19 Tests
- 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 10/2-10/6
Student of the Week
- The After-School Program Student of the week: Isabella Izaguirre
- Isabella was nominated by staff for her kindness and taking initiative to help her peers by providing math tutoring to those that needed it during the After-School Program.
- Great work Isabella!
After-School Action
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Students enjoyed playing on the soccer pitch during Soccer Club this week.
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Students showed off their culinary skills while making tasty pizza in Cooking club this week.
ASP Schedule 10/9-10/13
Students Leaving After-School before 4:45
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- 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
- Monday, 10/9 - NO SCHOOL / Staff Development Day
- Tues - Fri, 10/10-10/13 - Science 7 Field Trip
- Saturday, 10/14 - Cross Country Meet
- Tuesday, 10/24 - Picture Retakes
- Wednesday, 10/25 - PTA Meeting
- Thursday, 10/26 - Fall Festival
Holmes MS PTA
Don't forget to check out these important links:
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- 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
Lightspeed Parent Report on Child’s Device Activity
FCPS has tools to help parents know more about their child’s activity on any FCPS device. These tools are provided at no cost to families by Lightspeed, the school division’s internet content filtering service.
Parents may sign up for a weekly Parent Report, which will provide a list of the top sites your child visited. The report also offers parents the ability to sign up for free access to the Internet Use Parent Portal. Through the portal, parents may pause their child’s access to the internet on their FCPS device during non-school hours.
Learn more about Lightspeed Parent Reports.
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
Supporting Your Child’s Mental Health
Children go through a lot of changes, and it can be hard to tell if their behavior is developmentally appropriate or if they could benefit from mental health support. It’s important to talk to your child and pay attention to their actions, especially these warning signs:
- Increased irritability, hyperactivity, energy, and/or aggressive behavior.
- Excessive sadness, hopelessness, or worries.
- Loss of appetite, or significant weight gain or loss.
- Lack of sleep or too much sleep.
- A decline in grades, school avoidance, or attendance concerns.
- Alcohol or drug use.
- Withdrawal from activities and/or friends and family.
- Thoughts of harming themselves or others.
If you notice any of these warning signs or feel your child may be experiencing a mental health challenge, help is available. All Fairfax County public schools have at least one school counselor, school psychologist, and school social worker.
Please reach out to one of these staff members to discuss your concerns and identify resources. Call your school or visit their website for staff members’ contact information. Find additional information to support your child’s wellness.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing a mental health crisis such as thoughts of harming themselves or others, please take action right away. Call 988, go to the nearest emergency room, or contact the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health Emergency Services at 703-573-5679.
No Cost Therapy for High Schoolers
High school students can access virtual mental health services at no cost through an FCPS program with Hazel Health. Hazel Health therapists are licensed and also trained in teen-specific challenges.
Students can be referred by a guardian or designated staff member and participate in weekly video therapy sessions. The therapists will work with students until they achieve their therapy goals, or they can help connect the family with long-term mental health services in the community if needed.
Learn how to opt your students into this service.
Students Reading by the Third Grade
During the Academic Matters and strategic plan update segments of Thursday’s School Board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid presented on the divisionwide target to have students reading by third grade.
FCPS has continued to improve its approach to reading over the last several years through our Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) plan. Reading by third grade is also one of the measures of Goal 3: Academic Growth and Excellence in our 2023-30 strategic plan.
By focusing on foundational skills for our young readers and literacy intervention for upper grades, FCPS has made significant progress towards narrowing the achievement gaps in this critical skill. Visit the Strategic Plan webpage 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!
Free COVID-19 Tests
Every U.S. household can place an order to receive four more free COVID-19 rapid tests delivered directly to their home.
Review health and safety guidance for schools to stay up to date on the best ways to prevent the spread of disease, and for information on when students should stay home from school.
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