Principal's Note - Oct 29
Dear Holmes Families:
Good evening, families! It is the last week of 1st quarter, already! As we prepare to celebrate our students' successes, we have been asking students what they would like their Honor Roll Celebrations to look like this year, and we would like your feedback as well. See below for more information from Mrs. Giron, our Director of Student Services.
I also wanted to share some guidance for student dress on Halloween this Tuesday. We enjoy being festive for all sorts of occasions (Spirit Week was great!), and we just ask you to help us remind students to wear clothing that is appropriate for school, so no masks, no props, and no violent images. In the same vain as Spirit Week, students should ensure that their clothing will allow them to fully participate in class activities and not restrict their movement.
Thank you, and have a wonderfully spooky week!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes, Principal
Schedule of Classes*: 10/30-11/3
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*NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE. |
Parent Feedback Needed: Honor Roll Celebrations
The end of the quarter is nearing and we are looking forward to celebrate our students’ success through an Honor Roll celebration. To ensure we are providing the best form of festivity, we asked students to identify how they would like to be rewarded for being in the Honor Roll. The top four selections were: Dance Party in the Lecture Hall; Gym Time; Ice Cream Party; and Raffle for Prizes. Students overwhelmingly chose “Ice Cream Party” as a form of celebration. Please note that a celebration where students would be formally recognized by students, staff, and families, was an initial option for the students to choose; however, this option was not chosen by the students.
We would also like to get your input on how Holmes MS should celebrate students who have made the Honor Roll. Please take our brief survey so we can gather your input. Please respond by November 3. Please click HERE for the survey.
More details will be forthcoming, once we have gathered the data and finalize planning based on both parent and student feedback, but please save the date for the morning of November 16th for our celebration.
Please contact Mrs. Giron, Director of Student Services at @email should you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you in advance for your support and input!
Supervisor Gross visits Future City!
Future City is a project-based learning program where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future. A group of our students go to James Lee Community Center each week with Ms. Oviatt to plan their cities. This week, they had a special guest in Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross! Thank you for supporting our students!
After School Program (ASP) - Week of 10/30
NOTE: The next Voices of Now series will return in November (see flyer below)! Students should see Miss Ferrante or Mr. Cabezas to sign up.
Please contact Mr. Cabezas at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns about the ASP Schedule.
SIS Gradebook Reports & ParentVUE Availability
FCPS Weekly Progress Reports generated through SIS will not be sent to parents between Wednesday, Nov.1, and Sunday, Nov.12, while first quarter grading is completed and report cards generated. These dates will be posted in the SIS application as well as on the public webpage. Email messages from FCPS will be generated and sent to all parents who have SIS Parent Accounts during the week of October 30, to notify them.
Additionally, the gradebook module in ParentVUE and StudentVUE will be closed Friday, Nov.3 at 4 p.m. through Wednesday, Nov.8, at 6 a.m., while teachers work on completing report cards.
FCPS is Seeking Student Voices!
As part of an effort to amplify FCPS student perspectives and ideas, and showcase their work, Communication and Community Relations (CCR) is seeking submissions from High School and Middle School students for a new digital storytelling section of FCPS.edu that will focus on various themes. Student stories will published on the website and shared via social media. CCR is asking students submit their work (video, audio, editorial, or photos) via a Google Classroom with the assistance of a teacher. CCR will review submissions and determine those that will be shared. This month’s theme is Mental and Physical Health and Wellness. Full details are at www.fcps.edu/studentvoice
Community Conversations with Dr. Brabrand
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Superintendent Scott S. Brabrand will host five Community Conversations this fall to hear what students, parents, employees, and members of the community are thinking about and what issues are important to them. Brabrand welcomes community members to attend and take part in any of the upcoming sessions that are convenient for them.
Community members needing an interpreter can make a request for services online.
The meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by discussion and questions from the audience from 7 to 8 p.m.
Meetings will be held as follows:
- Wednesday, November 8, Hayfield Secondary School, 7630 Telegraph Rd., Alexandria, Lecture Hall 1604 (Region 3).
- Tuesday, November 14, Irving Middle School, 8100 Old Keene Mill Rd.
Springfield, Lecture Hall (Region 4). - Tuesday, November 28, Chantilly High School, 4201 Stringfellow Rd.
Chantilly, Lecture Hall (Region 5) - Monday, December 11, Jackson Middle School, 3020 Gallows Rd.
Falls Church, Cafeteria (Region 2).
For more information, contact the FCPS Office of Communication and Community Relations at 571-423-1200.
School Safety & Threat Assessment
Fairfax County Public Schools has a well-established policy and protocol for responding to threats of violence in the schools. To help parents and older students learn more about the role they can play in keeping schools safe, we have collaborated with the Youth Violence Project of the Curry School of Education, University of Virginia to develop short videos with useful information. These brief modules were developed for parents and children aged 12 and up, and you may want to watch the student video with your child to answer any questions which may arise. To access these modules go to www.schoolthreatassessment.com and use parent code pgvsdt and student code sy8zk2as a password.
Congressional App Challenge - Deadline 11/1/17
Student interested in technology and coding are encouraged to participate in the Congressional App Challenge! See this site for details.
TJHSST Invitational Science Fair 2018
The TJ Mythvestigations Club would like to cordially invite any interested students at your school to participate in our sixth annual Invitational Science Fair. Participants will complete a research project and prepare a presentation for our science fair on March 3, 2018. Now is the time to register for the event and start work on projects! The final pool of approximately 40 entrants will be chosen first come, first serve from all registrants on November 30, 2017. Students may register at http://bit.ly/isf2018.
More information and full details about this event, including registration instructions, can be found on our website: https://tjsciencefair.wordpress.com/about/
Important Dates
- Tuesday, 10/31 - "Mix It Up" Day at Lunches for Students
- 10/31-11/2 - 8th Grade Finance Park Field Trips
- Friday, 11/3 - Last day of Quarter 1 / 2-hour Early Release Day
- Monday, 11/6 - SCHOOL PLANNING DAY / STUDENT HOLIDAY
- Tuesday, 11/7 - ELECTION DAY / STUDENT HOLIDAY
- Friday, 11/10 - PTA Family Movie Night
- 11/13-11/17 - Scholastic Book Fair
- Monday, 11/13 - PTA Meeting (Topic: IB Middle Years Program)
- Thursday, 11/16 - Mini-Conference Night
Stay In Touch
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
- keeping your contact information up-to-date throughout the year
- 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
