Important Dates

Holmes Calendar

• Thursday, 10/10 - 8th Grade Band Night - Annandale High School
• Monday, 10/14 - NO SCHOOL / Staff Development Day
• Thursday, 10/18 - 8th Grade Band Night - Edison High School 
• Friday, 10/25 - Picture Retake Day
• Thursday, 10/31 -  2-HOUR EARLY RELEASE / 1st Quarter Ends

Table of Contents

• Message from Principal Giron
• Admin/Counselor Team Information
• Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar
• Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 
• After-School Program Weekly News
• Parent/Caregiver Checklist: Have You Completed These Important Forms?
• FCPS Cares
• When a Student Should Stay Home From School
• Checking out Students
• 6th Grade Language Arts Curriculum
• Varsity Tutors
• Holmes MS PTA
• How to Stay In-Touch

Message from Principal Giron

Holmes Families,

I hope you had a restful weekend!  

Come join us on Thursday, October 10th for 8th grade Band Night at Annandale High School at 6PM.  We will do the same at Edison High School on October 18th!

We will also hold our 2nd annual Fall Festival with PTA support on October 23rd during our after-school program from 2:15 - 4:45PM.  The festival is available to all Holmes students and includes a DJ, dance, movies, and many fall activities.  Please encourage your child to sign up before 10/23 to attend.  Sign-ups will open 10/7 and can be found in the all student Schoology course.  For any questions, please contact Matt Kruk; @email

Sincerely,

Serena Giron

Principal

Admin/Counselor Team Information

Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar

Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 

After-School Program Weekly News

Hawks Highlights from After-School from week 9/30-10/4

VEX robotics

Video Games Club

Eco Hawks

Future Entrepreneurs Club

Teacher Support

ASP Upcoming Schedule 10/7-10/11

Fall Festival – Wednesday October 23^rd (during After-School from 2:15-4:45)

• On Wednesday 10/23, we’ll have our annual Fall Festival during the After-School Program.
• The festival is available to all Holmes students and includes a DJ, dance, movies, and many fall activities.
• Regular After-School buses will be available to our students.
• Students must sign-up before 10/23 to attend.
• Sign-ups for the fall festival will open on Monday October 7^th and can be found in the all student Schoology course.
• For questions – contact Matt Kruk; @email

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.
• Walkers must have written permission (may be emailed) from their parent/guardian to walk.
• Students must be picked up no later than 5pm.
• 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

Parent/Caregiver Checklist: Have You Completed These Important Forms?

We understand that the multiple school forms caregivers receive during the first weeks of school can feel overwhelming, but each one helps set your child up for a successful school year! If you do not have a SIS ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage. 

🩹 Immunization Requirements 

Please check with your healthcare provider as soon as possible to make sure your child is up to date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia. Starting Monday, September 30, students who have not provided proof of immunization will not be allowed to attend school. 

You may check your child’s immunization compliance and submit their immunization record in SIS ParentVUE. Records may also be delivered to your school’s front office. 

Alternative immunization documents (below) may also be provided to your school’s front office, but they may not be uploaded in ParentVUE:  

• A healthcare provider’s written statement specifying all administered immunizations.
• A healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption.
• A notarized Religious Exemption form objecting to the administration of immunizations due to conflicts with religious tenets or practices.

Find more information on immunizations. 

📋 Permission Forms

Families can easily grant permission for their children to access a variety of school resources through the Parent Digital Consent system. Parents can opt their child in or out of resources including online educational tools, school counseling services, and tutoring services. They can also change how student information is managed.Visit the Parent Digital Consent webpage to access the system. Watch this video to see how to use the tool. 

Student Rights and Responsibilities (SR&R)

The SR&R document explains expectations for student behavior and adult responses. Parents using SIS ParentVUE will be prompted to sign the document when logging in to that platform. A printable version of the document with a signature sheet is available on the SR&R webpage. This form should be signed and returned ASAP.

💻Digital Consent for Resources

This year we’ll be using a variety of FCPS approved online resources. In order to be in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we need you to fill out this brief form stating that you give your permission for your child to use these applications.  

FCPS Cares

Want to recognize a Holmes staff member who is going above and beyond?  

Submit a story through the FCPS CARES Program.   

When a Student Should Stay Home From School

When students need to miss school, it is important for parents/guardians to communicate those absences with the school.  This can be done by calling the main phone line at 703-658-5900 – press 1 for English or 2 for Spanish. Then select option 1.  Or you can submit up to two full day absences via SIS Parent VUE

Whether students miss school because of illness or any other reason, missing school leads to learning loss.

Help your child succeed by encouraging them to attend as many days as possible, but do make sure your child stays home if they are sick. Visit our website for information on when to keep your child at home.

If your child has a chronic illness, make sure to notify their teacher so that assistance can be provided if needed. Keep an open line of communication with your school's public health staff.

Read about how families can help form good attendance habits. Attend today, achieve tomorrow! 

Checking out Students

Families, remember that when coming to the school to pick up your student, an official photo ID must be presented to the Main Office staff. Please understand that this is for security purposes. Driver’s licenses, passports, and military IDs are appropriate examples of official IDs.

6th Grade Language Arts Curriculum

This school year there are multiple changes in store for Language Arts curriculum, assessment, and intervention. This video from the Language Arts Office provides an overview of the changes for the 2024-2025 school year.  We look forward to partnering with you throughout the year!

Literacy Back to School Night video

Varsity Tutors

📑 Varsity Tutors Provides On-Demand Support at No Cost

FCPS is partnering with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors’ services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on-demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, and study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests. Learn more about online tutoring with Varsity Tutors.

FCPS News - In Case You Missed It

• FCPS News In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
• All FCPS Schools Accredited
• How FCPS Is Teaching Reading and Writing
• Become a Special Education Teacher

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

Holmes MS PTA

Join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings (4th Wednesday of the month; translation services provided)

• PTA Facebook
• Join
• Purchase Spirit Wear
• Upcoming events:
  • Every Wednesday Papa Johns 11am-11pm, use code HMS4010 for 40% off your order (Annandale location only)
  • 10/11 Panera Spirit Night, 4-8pm Vincent Gate Terrace location, enter code FUND4U at online checkout
  • 10/23 Fall Festival, sign up here to volunteer or make a donation
  • 10/23 General membership meeting, Holmes library and Zoom
  • 11/8 Jollibee Spirit Day, 9am-10pm, 4809 Beauregard St. location, mention Holmes, and 20% of your order comes back to the school

How to Stay In-Touch

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
• monitoring your student's progress with SIS Parent Account
• join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings