Good afternoon, Holmes Families!  Happy Veterans Day to all of our current and former members of the armed forces!  As the daughter of a retired Army officer, I know very well how much families sacrifice in service to all of our families.  Thank you for that service!

Please note that we WILL be in school tomorrow (Monday, 11/12).  

Mini-Conference Night

We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening, November 15th, for Mini-Conference Night!  Scroll down for the flyers and the descriptions of the Early Bird Sessions, which start at 5:00 that evening.  Parking will be available in the school parking lot and the pool parking lot next door.  

Outstanding Employees

Thank you for nominating our staff members as outstanding employees!  Please vote HERE by Friday, 11/16, to let us know your top choices for each category!

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

• FCPS CARES
• This Week's Schedule
• After School Program Information and Schedule
• Mini-Conference Night - November 15th
• Mini-Conference Night Early Bird Sessions
• Student Information System - SIS Account Overview
• Lunch Bunch
• Celebrating Honor Roll
• Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program
• Library Updates
• Digital Citizenship
• Digital Citizenship Tip of the Week
• Important Dates
• How to Stay in Touch

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes

Proud Principal, Holmes MS

[email protected]

#HolmesHawksSoar

Do you know a Holmes Middle School staff member who does ordinary things in an extraordinary way or goes beyond what is expected? If so, then click here to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the good work of Holmes faculty and staff members.

This Week's Schedule of Classes: 11/12-11/16

This week: Mon., 11/12 = Blue Day Tues., 11/13 = White Day w/ ER 3 & 4 Wed., 11/14 = Blue Day Thurs., 11/15 = White Day w/ ER 5 & 6 Fri., 11/16 = Blue Day  *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE.

After School Program - Week of 11/12

For any specific questions related to the After School Program or to share new ideas for after school activities, please feel free to contact Mr. German Cabezas, our After School Program Specialist.  

Note: All After School Program activities will be cancelled during Thanksgiving week. (November 19 - 23, 2018). 

Mini-Conference Night - November 15th

Mini-Conference Night Early Bird Sessions

Early Bird Sessions

5:00PM-5:50PM

Resource Fair (Main Hallway—5-8PM) - [email protected]

During the night of mini-conferences, various resources will be stationed throughout the main hallway providing information on the PTA, Healthcare, Digital Citizenship, Attendance etc.  Feel free to stop by before Mini Conferences officially starts at 6 or in between meetings with your child’s teachers.

Literacy Information (A8) - [email protected] 

Parents/Guardians and students are welcome to come by to learn more about student literacy. They will hear how their student’s RI scores translate to reading levels. There will be an opportunity to explore books that might match their students’ level and interest.  Lastly, we will learn about activities to encourage reading at home.

EL Parenting Network Session (Lecture Hall) - [email protected]

ESOL parents/guardians, have you wondered when you should call the office at Holmes? Maybe you would like more information about your child’s report card. If you have these questions and others, then come join us at the early bird session as we learn about the “Nuts and Bolts” of Holmes and Fairfax County Public Schools.   

Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program Preview—7th grade (A4) - [email protected]

Holmes will be offering a wellness screening on Monday, December 10th through Thursday, December 13th to our seventh graders. This free, voluntary and confidential screening is offered to help students identify and assess whether or not they may have symptoms consistent with depression.  Parents/Guardians will have the opportunity to view the “Time to ACT” video during this early bird session and ask questions about the wellness screening.

ParentVue Information and Sign Up (Library) - [email protected]

Parents/Guardians, are you signed up for ParentVue?  ParentVue is a tool that helps you access information for your child such as live grades, attendance, and test history.  Learn how to sign up for ParentVue or dive deeper into the information available within the system. 

Student Information System - SIS Parent Account Overview

Next Lunch Bunch is Friday, Nov. 16th!

Students can sign up HERE!

Celebrating Honor Roll

Celebrating Honor Roll

We are proud of the hard work students have been doing this year in all of their classes and we look forward to celebrating students who have earned either all A or A & B Honor Roll. Please see below for details on how we will recognize these students!

A & B Honor Roll – Student CeremonyRecognition- Students who have earned A’s/ B’s on their report card will be invited to a ceremony during our ER block time on November 13^th.  The ceremony is for students only and is a special time for us to acknowledge their hard work throughout first quarter! Recipients will receive a certificate and a special treat to celebrate!

Quarter 1 and 2 Honor Roll celebrations will be held during the day and will be for students only.  We invite families to our third quarter honor roll ceremony which will be held on April 25^th at 6PM.

Signs of Sucide (SOS) Program

Signs of Suicide (SOS) Program

Holmes Middle School Student Services along with Clinicians will be presenting the SOS program to 7th grade students through History classes during the week of December 10^th.  As you may know, anxiety and depression are all too common in our youth today.  Educating them about the signs of depression, and on steps they can take for themselves and/or their friends to get help is critical to healthy development and overall wellness. The SOS Program includes both a video and a Wellness Screening.  The psychoeducational video is child-sensitive, with language and images that are developmentally appropriate.  The characters in the video portray what a child might go through when suffering from depression, how it differs from sadness, and how they know when to seek help.  It also coaches students on when to seek help if a friend is exhibiting these behaviors using the acronym ACT (Acknowledge, Care, Tell).  The Wellness Screening used for FCPS in a short survey in which students will check off “yes” or “no” to questions about themselves.

Parents/guardians will have two opportunities to view the “Time to ACT” video and ask questions about the wellness screening:

• Early bird session during Mini Conferences on November 15 @ 5PM
• Parent coffee on December 5 @ 8AM

If you have any questions about the screening, please feel free to contact your child’s counselor. If you do not wish for your child to participate in the SOS Program, please indicate this on the permission slip (which will be mailed home with report cards) and return it to Mrs. Girón, Director of Student Services no later than Wednesday, December 5, 2018.                  

Library Updates

Volunteers Needed! Our library is actively recruiting parent volunteers. If you’re interested in signing up to help, the hours and time commitment are completely flexible. We can use help shelving books, straightening the books on the shelves and various small tasks. As little as an hour a week would be welcomed! If you are interested please sign up on the link below or if you have questions please contact our Librarian, Corina Haywood – @email  or by phone 703-658-5938.  Sign up to volunteer HERE!

Digitial Citizenship

What is Digital Citizenship? 

Digital Citizenship can be described as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior (and its positive and negative impact on self and others) with regard to technology use. 

Why Digital Citizenship? 

It's important for parents to help their child become safe, ethical, responsible and respectful digital citizens. To do that, you’ll use the same successful parenting strategies you’re already using.  

We are committed to providing you with resources to support family learning and conversations around digital citizenship topics but need your voice. Please fill out this questionnaire to let us know where we can support.

https://goo.gl/forms/ra2Xzcyfi93VLPC32

Important Dates

• Tuesday, 11/13, Honor Roll Ceremony (Only students attend)
• Wednesday, 11/14, Thanksgiving lunch (During student lunches)
• Thursday, 11/15, 6:00-8:00 pm - Mini-Conference Night (Early Bird Sessions to start at 5/5:50)
• Monday, 11/19 - Wednesday, 11/20 - All After School Program activities cancelled
• Wednesday, 11/21 - Friday, 11/23 - Thanksgiving Holiday

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