Principal's Note - Sept 6, 2024

By Serena Giron
Principal's Note
September 09, 2024

Important Dates

Holmes Calendar

  • Monday, 9/9, 6:30-7:30PM - Community Conversations with Dr. Reid at Holmes MS
  • Wednesday, 9/11, 6-8PM - Back to School Night
  • Thursday, 9/12 & Friday, 9/13 - Fall Picture Day

Table of Contents

Message from Principal Giron

Holmes Families,

We’ve had a fantastic first three weeks of the school year, and we are excited to invite you to our Back to School Night, next Wednesday, September 11 6-8PM! This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your child's teachers, learn more about our curriculum, and explore the various programs and resources available to our students and families.  Please see the flyer below.

This week students completed SR&R lessons and assessments.  Please continue to review students' rights and responsibilities with your child.

We are excited that our after school program starts next week!  The program is free and available to all Holmes Middle School Students Monday-Friday from 2:15-4:45. The program offers a wide range of fun and engaging activities that balance academics, enrichment, community service, culture, youth development, and recreation with an evaluation plan with assessments on attendance, quality, and student outcomes.  If you plan on your child staying after, please fill out the ASP Registration Form.  More information can be found on our website here.

Thank you for your patience as we all get used to new routines this school year. We appreciate our families following kiss-and-ride procedures and being patient while waiting for school buses. If a bus is delayed, parents/caregivers may access the Bus Delay Notification System or use the Here Comes the Bus mobile app to receive the delayed bus report. Email messages will be sent to announce significant bus delays.  Please contact the Transportation Office at 703-446-2050 with any additional questions. To make sure you receive email messages about bus delays, update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE.

Finally, tonight (September 6) at 7PM, please join us at Annandale High School for the football game where our chorus will be singing the national anthem.   If you or your student plans to come, please take the time to discuss the relevant information below:

  • No backpacks or other bags will be allowed in the stadium.  (Students and Adults)
  • No outside food or drinks are allowed. The concession stand will be open.
  • Students must plan to have their rides waiting for them at 9:30 pm.
  • The purpose for attending our football games is to watch the game, cheerleaders, band and dance team.
  • We cheer for Annandale and not against our opponent. All cheers should be positive.
  • Students planning to attend a game need to leave campus upon school dismissal and return to cheer on the Atoms.
  • The gates to the stadium will open at 6:00 pm.
  • All students must pre-arrange for transportation and plan to leave immediately after the game.
  • Students are expected to be in the stands and not hanging out by the concession stand, bathrooms or other areas; all elementary-aged children must always be supervised by an adult.
  • The stadium is now marked with RED and BLACK fence topping. Any section marked in RED means you are NOT allowed to stand in that area. This is to help keep our athletes safe and the walkways in front of the bleachers clear.
  • Anyone who leaves may not re-enter, even with a ticket stub or pass.
  • Whistles and similar noisemakers are prohibited.

All elementary and middle school students must have a paying parent/guardian to enter and have to be supervised by said parent/guardian throughout the event. Any elementary or middle school student in violation of this policy will have parents called immediately and are subject to being excluded from future extracurricular events and ticket money will not be refunded.

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

BTSN

Schedule

Admin Team Information

Admin Team

Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar

Calendar

Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 

Bell Schedule

Community Conversations with Dr. Reid

FCPS Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid hosts a series of Community Conversations throughout the school year. The events are opportunities for you to share your thoughts and ask questions. 

As a listening leader, connecting and engaging with community members across our division is critical to Dr. Reid.  

Superintendent Community Conversations are events open to all and will be held in each FCPS Region. A full schedule of events is listed below. Please choose the event most convenient for you.  

Pre-registration is not required, but does help us plan. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.

School Year 2024 - 2025  Fall Series - 

  • Monday, September 9, 2024 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Holmes Middle School - Register here.
  • Monday, September 23, 2024 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Newington Forest Elementary School 
  • Monday, September 30, 2024 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School 
  • Monday, October 14, 2024 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Fairhill Elementary School 
  • Monday, October 21, 2024 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Virginia Run Elementary School
  • Wednesday, October 30, 2024 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Herndon Middle School

SEL Screener

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) believes in supporting social and emotional learning (SEL) for all students. In FCPS, students use a tool called the SEL Screener to think about their own SEL skills and experiences at school. At Holmes Middle School, students in grades 6-8 will be participating in the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener in the Fall and Spring. 

After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families without a ParentVUE account. For more information about the SEL Screener including information on opting out please see the Notification of Testing letter sent home with your student. You can also learn more on the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.

Update Your Child’s Immunizations and Records

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

If your child needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Fairfax County Health Department website for a list of child immunization clinics, or access other local services. If needed, families may also provide other immunization documentation including a healthcare provider’s written statement of a permanent or temporary medical exemption or a notarized Religious Exemption Form. 

Find more information on immunizations on the FCPS website. 

Message from Holmes MS Family Liaisons

Holmes Middle School Family Needs Assessment & Workshop Topics

School Year 2024-2025

Family Needs Assessment Overview

At Holmes Middle School, we believe that strong family-school partnerships play a crucial role in supporting student success. To better understand and address the needs and interests of our families, we are conducting a Family Needs Assessment. This will help guide the development of our family workshops and resources for the 2024-2025 school year.

By participating in this assessment, you are helping us:

  • Understand the areas where families need additional support.
  • Customize workshops and resources to meet those needs.
  • Enhance communication and collaboration between the school and families.
  • Empower families with the tools needed to better support their children academically, socially, and emotionally.

The survey is available in English, Spanish, and Amharic.

Por favor complete esta encuesta. Nos gustaría conocer sus necesidades y su área de interés para talleres y capacitaciones. 

እባክዎን ይህንን የዳሰሳ ጥናት ይሙሉ። የእርስዎን ፍላጎቶች እና ለዎርክሾፖች እና ስልጠናዎች ፍላጎትዎን ማወቅ እንፈልጋለን። አማርኛ

👉 Click below link to fill out the form   

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdIAzT5Gp6PLbmMvDWDFDsv-CJR_nzsfK5ppNiciSd6HmwJuQ/viewform

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)
    • 9/16 Chipotle Spirit Night, 4-8pm 6242 Little River Turnpike location Online order code: HABJHXN
    • 9/25 General membership meeting, Holmes library and Zoom
    • 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: