Good afternoon, Holmes Families!

It has been a beautiful weekend!  These past few months have brought too much screen-time in the Barnes household, so we are taking a break this weekend and spending a lot of time outside and doing projects around the house.  

These past few days have also led to some difficult conversations with my little one around what she has seen when we have the news on and about the events that led to the protests that are taking place around the country.  While we have not allowed her to be totally immersed in the images, we have allowed her to be exposed to some of what is happening around us.  Even at her age, my husband and I feel a deep responsibility to speak with her honestly about our strong feelings against police violence.  As many of you know, my husband is an officer with the Fairfax County Police Department, so there are so many complicated emotions that we are navigating in our household:

• We want our child to feel safe and be able to trust the law enforcement officers whose job it is to serve and protect our community
• We want our child to know the heartbreaking truth and understand that sometimes there will be people who will make negative judgments about her just because of what she looks like and how important it is that she does not do that to others
• We want our child to know how to speak out against what is wrong while also not allowing her "big feelings" to cause harm to others or property

I encourage you to speak openly with your child about what's happening around us (e.g., racism, the pandemic, economic hardship, etc.), as I know many of you are already doing.  Be sure to listen more than you talk to help them process those "big feelings".  There are a wealth of resources online to support parents with these difficult conversations, and there are a number of young adult novels that address the issues as well that would be good summer reading.  

Distance Learning

Just 2 more weeks of Distance Learning for this school year.  Our last day of distance learning classes, will be Friday, June 12th.  We will continue to follow the schedule we've been using since April through that date.  

FCPS Summer Continuity of Learning Plan

For information about FCPS' Summer Distance Learning Plan, visit this page: https://www.fcps.edu/news/fcps-announces-2020-summer-distance-learning-programs-preliminary-information-about-2020-21

All students will receive a workbook that they will have the option to work on throughout the summer, and Math and English teachers at each grade level will be available on a very limited basis for students to check in and ask questions.  

UPDATE - What about laptops?  Please note that ALL students who received a school-issued laptop will be able to keep it through the summer so that they can access summer learning opportunities.  Later this week, I'll share a more detailed plan about opportunities this summer.  

We would ask, though, that if your student is moving out of FCPS next year or already has access to a device at home, please return the school-issued laptop on June 15th or 16th when we collect them.  

Student Item Dropoff & Pickup

If you have not done so already, please sign up for an appointment time using the SignUp Genius link for curbside pickup of the student's items.  The process is detailed below.  At no time will you or your student need to exit your vehicle.   Curbside pickup of your student's items will be available between 7:30 am and 3:30 pm on the following dates: Monday, 6/1 Tuesday, 6/2 Thursday, 6/4 Monday, 6/8 Tuesday, 6/9 Thursday, 6/11 NOTE: Any items (including medications) not collected by June 30th will be  discarded.

Steps to follow:

• Choose a time to pick up your student's items, using the SignUp Genius link.  Once you choose a date, please ensure that you save the appointment time on the calendar.  You will also receive an email reminder 24 hours before your appointment time. 
• Have your student locate and gather items that are the property of the school (e.g., library books or other books that may have been borrowed from teachers' classroom libraries.)  Students in Mr. Abbott's Geometry class and Ms. Covington's Algebra classes should also return their calculators.  (NOTE: See below the map for instructions about laptops and instruments.)
• At the time of your appointment, enter the school parking lot at the entrance closest to the pool (see map below). 
  • Drive straight along the line of buses and turn right and pull up to Door 6 to check in.  At Door 6, you will return any items you have, you will sign for any medications returned to you (if applicable), and then you will be directed to the next station
• The next station will be doors 2-5, depending on your student's last name:
  • Door 5: Student Last Name A-EL
  • Door 4: Student Last Name Em-L
  • Door 3: Student last Name M-Q
  • Door 2: Student Last Name R-Z
• Student items placed in your car.  A staff member wearing a face mask and gloves will place the bag of items retrieved from your student's locker(s) in the trunk or backseat of your car.  
• To help with the flow of traffic, turn left and drive past door 1 to exit the parking lot at the exit closest to Braddock Road.  

What about instruments & performance attire for music classes?  ALL students in band and orchestra should keep their instruments and method books through the last day of school.  For 8th graders going to high school, for any students who are not returning to Holmes next year, or any students not continuing with band, chorus or orchestra classes next year, we will send out a process for returning the instruments, performance attire, and method books at a later date (after June 12th).  

If you have any questions about picking up items for your student, please contact your student's administrator: 

• Student Last Name A-L: Mrs. Moore - @email
• Student Last Name M-Z: Mr. Simmons - @email

Lost & Found We have quite a few items in our lost and found.  Please take some time with your student to look through this folder of pictures to see if any of the items belong to you.  Send me an email letting me know which item belongs to your student, and we can add the item to your student's bag.

Student Intention Forms for 2020-2021

We need your help in projecting our total enrollment for next school year.  For current 6^th and 7^th grade families, if your student is NOT returning Holmes Middle School for the fall of 2020-21, please complete and return the “Student’s Intention for the Next School Year” form by Friday, May 29.  For 8^th grade families, if your student is NOT attending the projected high school based on student address on file, please complete this form as well.

On the form, a typed parent/guardian name on the Parent Signature line is acceptable.  Student ID Number may be left blank.  Save the completed form, attach it to an email and send to Mrs. Asma Hindi at @email

If you have technical difficulties, please contact Ms. Hindi as well.  You mall also access the “Student’s Intention for the Next School Year” on the FCPS public website: https://www.fcps.edu/registration/forms#intention-form  

2020-21 Course Requests

Current 6th & 7th Grade Students: To see the list of courses that your child selected for upcoming school year, please log into your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the course requests tab. Directions for how to view your child’ course requests online in ParentVUE can be accessed at the following link : Online Course Requests in ParentVue . Students can also view their list of courses on the course request tab in SIS StudentVUE. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. Elective choices are subject to change based on addition of intervention course, space, teacher availability, and schedule conflicts.

Please review this preliminary list of courses and look for the following errors:

• Too few or too many classes
• Absence of a required course
• Inaccurate placement by grade or course level.  

Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have questions or concerns about the selected courses.

Director of Student Services	Serena Giron	@email
School Counselor (A-El)	Victor Carias	@email
School Counselor (Em-L)	Bessie Fealey	@email
School Counselor (M-Q)	Kelly Murphy	@email
School Counselor (R-Z)	Erika Davis	@email

Current 8th Grade Students: To see the list of courses that your child selected for ninth grade, please log into your SIS ParentVUE account and click on the course requests tab. Directions for how to view your child’ course requests online in ParentVUE can be accessed at the following link : Online Course Requests in ParentVue . Students can also view their list of courses on the course request tab in SIS StudentVUE. This list of courses is NOT a schedule, but a confirmation of the courses entered into the student information system. If you have questions about your child’s course requests, please contact the high school your child will be attending for ninth grade. The Student Services department can assist you with your questions.

Annandale HS Student Services

Edison HS Student Services

In today's newsletter, scroll down for information about:

• Holmes MS Distance Learning Schedule
• 2019-20 Yearbooks
• Affordable Internet Options
• Food Resources (UPDATED)
• Community Resources
• Social-Emotional and Wellness Resources for Families
• Important Dates
• How to Stay in Touch

Thanks, everyone, and have a wonderful week!  Please feel free to reach out to me or anyone on my team with any questions you have!

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes

Proud Principal, Holmes MS

[email protected]

#SoarTogether

Holmes MS Distance Learning Schedule

Distance Learning Chart by Teacher

 

Yearbooks are still on sale!  Reserve a copy of the 2019-2020 Holmes Middle School yearbook today (with the option of a digital version in addition to the hard copy of the yearbook).  Use this link to purchase a book or find an existing order.

NOTE: We did explore an option about shipping directly to student's home, but we have opted to have all yearbooks shipped to the school to be picked up at a later date.  Once we are able to allow students back in the building to clean out lockers, we will also use that time to collect laptops and distribute yearbooks. 

Affordable Internet Options

If you or someone you know is in need of free or low-cost internet, please explore the options below: 

• Comcast/Xfinity: Internet Essentials
• Cox: Cox Connect2Compete supplies broadband internet access to low-income, unconnected families in Fairfax County. Households who meet income and other guidelines will be offered free Internet service through July 15, ($9.95 per month afterward), free modem rental, free installation, and a price guarantee for two years. More information is available on the Cox website
• Verizon: Lifeline

Food Resources

FCPS Continues to Provide Breakfast and Lunch to Students

Click HERE for details.  

Free Hot Meal Courtesy of Chef Jose Andres & World Central Kitchen

Free Meals from Real Food for Kids

Community Resources

Social-Emotional and Wellness Resources for Families

School-Based Social Emotional Learning and Wellness Resources During Distance Learning

School Counselors, School Psychologists, and School Social Workers are available to support students, families and staff during distance learning. They are supporting students, families and staff in many of the same ways as they did prior to distance learning, but it may look different now.

Here is what schools are doing to continue social emotional learning and mental wellness:

● Instructional activities addressing social and emotional skills and mental wellness topics are embedded in instruction to include school counseling and Health & PE lessons/activities.

● Consultation for teachers is provided to support students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs in an instructional setting.

● Individualized student and family support is available at all school levels to address social emotional learning, mental wellness, and access to basic needs.

● Mental Wellness Consultation: Parents may schedule a 30-minute phone consultation with a school psychologist or school social worker, for either themselves or their middle or high school student. This is an opportunity for parents to receive guidance on how to support their student’s emotional well-being. For more information, click the following link: Mental Wellness Consultation

To learn more about these activities, please contact your student’s school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker.

Here is more information on what you can do to support your student at home:

• The FCPS Learning from Home: Support for Families webpage is updated frequently and has many helpful links: FCPS Learning from Home: Support for Families

• The FCPS COVID-19 Website contains valuable information regarding how to talk with your child about the Coronavirus, managing stress, healthy coping, community and emergency mental health resources. For more information, click the following link: COVID-19 Mental Health & Community Resources website

• Online training simulations are available to help you learn and recognize signs of distress, manage conversations, and connect your student/family to support services. For more information, click the following link: Kognito

• Video clips of FCPS students sharing their thoughts and tips on coping with Coronavirus. To view these videos, please click the following link: Student Voice: Coronavirus

• Our Healthy Minds Blog will also be updated with entries throughout the closure: Healthy Minds Blog

• In case of an emergency or for immediate assistance, please click on the following link: Mental Health Resources and Emergency Services Information

Important Dates

• Student Item Pickup Dates (7:30-11:30 am & 12-3:30 pm)
  • Mon., 6/1
  • Tues., 6/2
  • Thurs., 6/4
  • Mon., 6/8
  • Tues., 6/9
  • Thurs., 6/11
• Fri., 6/12 - Last Day of School (regular Distance Learning schedule)

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