Principal's Note - Nov 5
Dear Holmes Families:
Good evening! I hope that you all are enjoying the weekend, which finally felt truly like fall! This is one of my favorite times of the year.
While your students will be home tomorrow, our staff will be engaged in professional development about how to develop our students into stronger writers. In September, all students received the checklist below to keep in their binders, which will be used in all classes to help them communicate their thinking better in writing. They will have lessons throughout the year to support them as they continue to grow in this area.
In a week, we will have our 3rd PTA meeting of the year on Monday, November 13th at 6:30 PM. We hope that you will join us as we share more about what it means for you student to be in an IBMYP (International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program) school. Our IB Coordinator, Donna Starace, will be presenting, along with Kelly Brown, FCPS' Educational Specialist who supports IB programs across the division. In addition to that topic as a focus, we'll have more to share about our newly established chapter of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and about a depressions screening called Signs of Suicide (SOS) that our counselors and clinical staff will be conducting with 7th graders in December.
In our newsletter this week, you'll see information about:
- Holmes Writers' Checklist
- This Week's Schedule of Classes
- This Week's After School Program Schedule, including information about Voices of Now
- The Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program mentioned above
- FCPS' Mental Health & Wellness Blog
- Outstanding Employee Nominations
- SIS ParentVue & Gradebook Availability
- Community Conversations with Dr. Brabrand
- TJHSST Invitational Science Fair 2018
- Our Mix It Up at Lunch Day this past Tuesday, October 31st, when students were encouraged to sit with new people and make new friends (teachers participated too!)
- Important Dates
- How To Stay In Touch
Have a wonderful week! Don't forget to get out and vote on Tuesday!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes, Principal
[email protected]
Holmes Writers Checklist
Schedule of Classes*: 11/6-11/10
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*NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE. |
After School Program (ASP) - Week of 11/6
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.
Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program
Holmes Middle School Counselors Kelly Murphy, Luis Sosa, Yolma Torres, and Megan Neforos, along with Director of Student Services Serena Giron, School Social Worker, Jeanmarie O’Sullivan, and School Psychologist, Diane Woolheater will be presenting the SOS program to 7th grade students through History classes during the week of December 4th. The video that will be shown to students during the program will be available for parents/guardians to view on November 13 during a morning parent coffee and during the PTA meeting that evening.
If you do not wish for your child to participate in the SOS Middle School program, please indicate this on the permission slip (which will be mailed to your home) and return it to Mrs. Girón no later than Wednesday, November 22, 2016.
If you have any questions about the screening, please feel free to contact your child’s counselor. You will also have the opportunity to view the “Time to ACT” video and ask members of our Student Services team questions about the wellness screening on Monday, November 13 in the Lecture Hall from 8 a.m.-9 a.m or during the PTA Meeting that same day between 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Girón at 703-658-5900.
FCPS Introduces Healthy Minds, a New Mental Health and Wellness Blog
Healthy Minds is an online series of articles targeted to parents, educators, and community-based providers who are interested in supporting student mental health and wellness.
The blog represents a collaboration between FCPS’ Office of Intervention and Prevention Services and the Prevention Unit of the Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. It is part of the Healthy Minds Fairfax initiative, which is designed to reinforce emotional wellness in youth and families.
Healthy Minds articles will include tips and strategies for increasing wellness and resiliency, as well as fostering success at home, at school, and in the community. Information about special events and other relevant news updates will be shared, too. New content will be posted weekly.
Interested individuals can SUBSCRIBE to Healthy Minds via News You Choose (enter your email when prompted to automatically be subscribed). You will receive a monthly digest that includes highlights and links to our most recent articles. There may be additional emails from time to time to alert you on critical mental health and wellness information as well. Healthy Minds will replace the School Psychology Services and Resiliency newsletters. If you are subscribed to either of these two newsletters, you will automatically be subscribed to Healthy Minds.
We look forward to providing you this new resource. Thank you for your interest in the well-being of our youth. Everyone can make a difference!
Recent Articles:
- School Year 2016-17 Youth Survey Data Highlights Progress
Binge drinking, marijuana use, and sexual activity are among the behaviors with decreased prevalence.
Outstanding Employee Nominations
Nominations are open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Holmes Middle School Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MWXTF79.
You may nominate an employee in one or more categories. All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The nomination page has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.
- Outstanding Teacher: A teacher or librarian with 3 or more years of experience
- Outstanding New Teacher: A teacher or librarian with less than 3 years of experience
- Outstanding New Principal: A building principal with less than 3 years of experience
- Outstanding Leader: A US-20 or above school-based employee with at least one year of experience in the position (Positions included: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assistant Principal, Director of Student Services, Assessment Coach, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor)
- Outstanding Support Employee: A US-19 or below school-based employee with at least one year of experience in the position (Positions included: Administrative and office assistants, custodial staff, food service staff, Instructional Assistants, Public Health Assistants, Public Health Training Assistants)
- Outstanding Hourly Employee: An hourly paid employee with at least one year of experience working at least 10 hours a week at the same location (Positions included: Parent liaisons, hourly office staff)
Note: The deadline to submit a nomination is December 1.
Once all nominations are collected, we will be looking for a committee of 5-10 teachers, staff, parents and/or community members to narrow down our nominees to the top 5. The top 5 nominees will be presented to the administrative team who will decide the winner in each category.
If you are willing to serve on this committee or you have any questions, please contact Karli Eddinger (Holmes Awards Liaison) at @email.
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.
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.
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/
Student interested in technology and coding are encouraged to participate in the Congressional App Challenge! See this site for details.
Mix It Up Day Pictures
Important Dates
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Monday, 11/6 - SCHOOL PLANNING DAY / STUDENT HOLIDAY
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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
- Wednesday, 11/22 - 2-hour early release day
- Thursday, 11/23 & Friday, 11/24 - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY