Principal's Note - Sept 22, 2023
Principal's Note
All FCPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, September 25, for Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism. See the complete school year calendar. Learn more about Yom Kippur on Brittanica.com.
Hello Holmes Families!
It has been a great week one as Principal at Holmes MS!!! Thank you to all of you who have reached out to congratulate me and send your best wishes! I have felt very welcomed and supported in this transition. Please see below for the message I sent out to the community earlier in the week:
I am truly honored and excited to write this letter to you in my new role as the Principal of Holmes Middle School. It is with great enthusiasm and a sense of responsibility that I step into this role, and I am eager to embark on this journey of growth and learning together with our wonderful school community.
As we begin this new chapter, I want to assure you that my primary focus is on providing a safe, nurturing, and inclusive environment where every student can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. I believe that education is a partnership between the school, parents, and the community, and I am committed to fostering strong connections with all of you.
I am eager to connect with all of you, whether it's at school events, meetings, parent coffee’s, or simply in passing at school. In the coming weeks, I look forward to setting aside some time for parent coffee’s and individual meetings with families to hear your thoughts and aspirations for our school. Your input and partnership with us is invaluable as we strive to make Holmes the best it can be. I look forward to continued collaboration and strengthening the bonds between home and school. Together, we will continue to make Holmes a place of excellence, growth, and opportunity for all of our students. I look forward to the incredible journey ahead and getting to know each of you better.
Interim Director of Student Services
Please help me in giving a warm welcome to our interim Director of Student Services (DSS), Dr. Chapman. She will be supporting us in the DSS role until we complete the process for finding a new DSS. If you are interested in serving on the panel, please fill out this google form.
Dr. Chapman was employed with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) for over 30 years, where she worked as an elementary teacher, a middle school counselor, a high school program specialist, and an administrator at the elementary and secondary levels. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree
in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Towson University; Master of Arts Degree in Student Personnel Services from Virginia Tech University; Educational Specialist Degree in Educational Administration; and a Doctor of Education Degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from The George Washington University. She currently resides in Centreville, Virginia. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, playing golf, relaxing at the beach, and a good spa treatment.
PTA Meeting - 9/27, 6:30-7:30 pm
Come connect with other families and join the Holmes PTA Meeting. The first meeting for this year will occur on Wednesday, Sept. 27 with Special Guest School Board Member Dr. Anderson. You can join in person at the Holmes Middle School Library from 6:30-7:30pm or join virtually on Zoom: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/95932414383.
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!
Recording of Family Coffee on 9/20
Thank you to all families who attended this month’s Family Coffee at Holmes Middle School. The topic was Adjusting to Middle School. Families learned about attendance procedures, academic progress and grades, advanced programming, ways to connect with Holmes, and our Student Services support. The recording, presentation, and resources shared can be found on our Website.
Here are today's newsletter topics:
Holmes Updates
- Student Services Information
- 2023-24 Blue/White Schedule
- 2023-24 Bell Schedule
- After-School Program
- Important Upcoming Dates
- Holmes MS PTA
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- Ossian Hall Park Volunteer Event
- Call For Art Submissions!
- Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations Kick Off
- 2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow's Innovation
- 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 9/18-9/22
Student of the Week
- The After-School Program Student of the week: Johan Benavides
- Johan was nominated by staff for his commitment to several clubs in the program as well being a part of our Cross Country team.
- He is a responsible and respectful student and is a positive influence on others.
- Great job Johan!
After-School Action
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Students created incredible functioning robots during Lego Robotics this week!
ASP Schedule 9/25-9/29
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, 9/25 - NO SCHOOL / Yom Kippur
- Wednesday, 9/27, 6:30-7:30 PM - PTA meeting
- Monday, 10/9 - NO SCHOOL / Staff Development Day
- Tuesday, 10/24 - Picture Retakes
Holmes MS PTA
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
Ossian Hall Park Volunteer Event - 9/23, 9:30am - 11:30am
Calling all Volunteers! Join us on Saturday, September 23rd in celebration of National Public Lands Day. Meet public officials, enjoy some breakfast treats and commemorative giveaways, and help us beautify the park! Volunteers at Ossian Hall Park will assist by picking debris to help brighten this vital community park near Annandale High School. Instructions and supplies will be provided upon check-in. Volunteer Sign Up Link
For 30 years, National Public Lands Day has mobilized volunteers of all ages to engage in a celebration of service and stewardship of our public lands. The event is the nation's largest single-day volunteer event to preserve, restore, improve, and enjoy America's public lands.
https://volunteer.fairfaxcounty.gov/custom/1380/opp_details/188901
Disclaimer: Opportunities offered by organizations other than Fairfax County Public Schools are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the Superintendent, or a specific school. These opportunities may utilize technology tools that have not been assessed by the Fairfax County Public Schools Department of Information Technology. Students should gain permission from their parent or guardian before engaging in any non-FCPS enrichment opportunity and families should review the Terms of Service, User Agreements, and Privacy Policy for any technology platform that the enrichment opportunity may use before participating.
Call For Art Submissions!
Our Schools, Our Future: Community Conversations Kick Off
Join Superintendent Reid for Our Schools, Our Future – A Community Conversation at Hayfield Secondary School on Tuesday, September 26, 6:30-7:30 p.m., or at Whitman Middle School on Wednesday, September 27, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Share your thoughts about FCPS and bring your questions.
These events are part of a series of Community Conversations this fall and spring in each region. Days and times for the additional region events will be shared soon. Visit FCPS’ webpage to find out when and where you can engage with Dr. Reid.
Register to attend. Pre-registration is not required. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided for all events based on staff availability.
2023-30 Strategic Plan — Goal 5: Leading for Tomorrow's Innovation
The 2023-30 strategic plan sets five student-centered goals to create positive change in FCPS. These five goals show where we should focus our attention and will help us align our efforts.
Under Goal 5, every student will graduate ready to thrive in life after high school with the skills they need to navigate, adapt, and innovate for a sustainable future. Using data gathered from students, we will ensure they are ready for a wide variety of options for their futures.
Visit FCPS’ Strategic Plan webpage to learn more about how we will measure the success of Goal 5.
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