Good evening, Holmes Families! 

I hope that you all enjoyed the snowy weekend and that students enjoyed the snow day today!  Tomorrow, classes will begin at 9:30 due to the 2-hour delay.  

We look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening (Jan. 17th) for our Curriculum Night to help inform your decisions for course selection for next year.  Parents of 8th graders should plan to attend Annandale High School's parent night on Wednesday, January 16th for 9th grade course selection.  

Please note that we will have a our PTA meeting on an alternate night again this month.  Join us at 5:30 on Thursday, January 17th to meet as a PTA.  Our featured topic that evening will be Digital Citizenship (Managing Distractions & Screen Time!), and we'll do a quick Academic Advising preview to support you during Curriculum Night.  Our 5th grade parents are also welcome to attend!

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

• FCPS CARES
• This Week's Schedule
• After School Program Information and Schedule
• G-love Winter Clothing Drive 
• Curriculum Night, January 17th
• 8th Grade Parent Night for Students and Parents at Annandale HS - Wednesday, January 16th 

• Global STEM Challenges Program at Edison High School

• Fairfax County Public Schools Offers Support to Families Impacted by the Partial Federal Government Shutdown
• FCPS Adds Second Hiring Event for Furloughed Federal Employees
• Holmes, Glasgow, and Frost Middle Schools to Host ARTSFAIRFAX Artists in Residence
• Important Dates
• How to Stay in Touch

Thanks, everyone, and have a wonderful week!

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: 1/14 - 1/18

This week: Mon., 1/14 = SNOW DAY! Tues., 1/15 = White Day w/ NO ER (2-hour delay) Wed., 1/16 = Blue Day Thurs., 1/17 = White Day w/ ER 3 & 4 (Annandale counselors visit 8th graders) Fri., 1/18 = Blue Day  *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE.

After School Program - Week of 1/14

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.

The following Clubs will start in January 2019:

Monday, January 14th: Mad Scientist Club

Wednesday, January 16th: Game Board Club

Wednesday, January 23rd (tentative): Band of Brothers 6th and 7th Grades (two separate clubs)

G-love Winter Clothing Drive!

Holmes Middle School Curriculum Night - January 17, 2019

8th Grade Student and Parent Night at Annandale HS

Global STEM Challenges Program at Edison High School

A limited number of spaces are available for the Global STEM Challenges Program, which will continue at Edison High School for the 2019-20 school year for interested ninth grade students who will have successfully completed Algebra 1 by the start of ninth grade. This STEM-focused, three-year, interdisciplinary program consists of three honors and IB level integrated math, science, and engineering courses for each of the students’ first three years of high school and focuses on project-based learning. Students have the opportunity to earn a tenth credit in Computer Science, which is embedded throughout the program. Interested parents and students are encouraged to attend the parent information session at Edison High School on January 29, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. and an open house on March 19, 2019 at 6:30 p.m. to learn about the program and how to request to enroll for 2019-20. Information about this opportunity will be shared with parents of current eighth-grade students through a News You Choose message.

Fairfax County Public Schools Offers Support to Families Impacted by the Partial Federal Government Shutdown

To support families affected by the current partial federal government shutdown, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) will continue its current practice to ensure that no FCPS student will go hungry and will sponsor a hiring event for furloughed federal employees. 

Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all students regardless of ability to pay or temporary financial circumstances. There will be no “lunch shaming” and unpaid balances will be allowed to accrue during this time.

In addition, FCPS will hold a hiring event for furloughed federal employees interested in substitute teaching positions on Friday, January 11, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the FCPS Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042.

“The Fairfax County School Board and I know there are many talented people in our community who work for the federal government,” said Scott S. Brabrand, FCPS Superintendent.  “We want to show support for federal employees who have been furloughed and may be looking for work during the partial shutdown. There is always a need for substitute teachers, and we pledge to work with qualified people to expedite their hiring.

“Additionally, FCPS believes in the benefits of a healthy meal to support academic success in the classroom, and wants to ensure that none of our students comes to school hungry, no matter their family’s economic circumstances.”

Anyone interested in serving as a substitute teacher should complete an application for employment. Individuals interested in attending this event should also complete the Eventbrite registration.  Candidates should bring to the hiring event original documents required for form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification.  Background checks are required for all FCPS employees and volunteers. Additional details, including a link to the employment application, can be found online.

Substitutes facilitate the instructional process and contribute to providing for a safe, educationally productive environment at school. Duties may include the planning, delivery, and assessment of classroom instruction along with safety and management of a classroom or assigned instructional setting.

For more information about the hiring event, contact the FCPS Department of Human Resources at 571-423-3000.

FCPS Adds Second Hiring Event for Furloughed Federal Employees

Fairfax County Public Schools has added a second hiring event for furloughed federal employees interested in substitute teaching positions. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, January 15, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. at the FCPS Administration Center, 8115 Gatehouse Road, Falls Church, VA 22042. The initial event, scheduled for Friday, January 11, is at capacity.

Anyone interested in serving as a substitute teacher should complete an application for employment. Individuals interested in attending the January 15 event should also complete the Eventbrite registration. Candidates should bring to the hiring event original documents required for form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. Background checks are required for all FCPS employees and volunteers. Additional details, including a link to the employment application, can be found online.

Substitutes facilitate the instructional process and contribute to providing for a safe, educationally productive environment at school. Duties may include the planning, delivery, and assessment of classroom instruction along with safety and management of a classroom or assigned instructional setting.

For more information about the hiring event, contact the FCPS Department of Human Resources at 571-423-3000.

Holmes, Glasgow, and Frost Middle Schools to Host ARTSFAIRFAX Artists in Residence

Art students at Holmes, Glasgow, and Frost Middle Schools will work with artists as part of the ARTSFAIRFAX Artist Residency Program. The artists will connect printmaking, theater, and visual arts to social studies, language arts, and creative writing for unique and innovative learning experiences.  
The 2019 program will include:

•    Heidi Fortune Picker, Ford’s Theatre teaching artist and director of constituent engagement with 1st Stage Theatre in Tysons, will engage Holmes Middle School art students in “Exploring Movement in Improvisation” from January 7-18. The residency will integrate language arts to offer students opportunities to practice effective communication and active listening skills by creating original, imaginative stories through improvisation. The residency culminates with an in-class showcase of improvisations performed by and for the students.  

•    Chitra Sharma, a screen printer, visual artist, and designer, will work with Glasgow Middle School art students on “The Glasgow Print Society” from February 11-28. Sharma’s residency integrates social studies, language arts, poster design, and printmaking, enabling students to communicate their ideas about the community and environment. Student posters will be exhibited in communal school space. 

•    Suzy Scollon, professional artist and art educator with over 20 years’ experience and a coach for primary classroom teachers at Wolf Trap Institute for Early Childhood Learning through the Arts, will work with Frost Middle School students in the spring.  She will integrate creative writing and promote empathy among peers and the global community, offering students the opportunity to use ceramic projects for storytelling in “Creating Connections in Clay.” Student artwork and “stories” will be exhibited in a school show. 

"The teaching artists’ ability to integrate their professional skills into the FCPS curriculum teaches students communication skills, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity while developing confidence and building common experiences shared through art,” said Linda S. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of ARTSFAIRFAX.    

ARTSFAIRFAX is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization, incorporated in 1964, as Fairfax County’s designated local arts agency, and is funded in part by Fairfax County, corporations, foundations, individuals, the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. 
For more information, contact Dana Stewart at 571-395-4624 or [email protected]. 

• Wednesday, 1/16, 7 pm - 8th Grade Parent Night for Students and Parents at Annandale HS
• Thursday, 1/17, 5:30 pm - PTA Meeting (Rising 6th Grade Parents Invited)
• Thursday, 1/17, 6:30 pm - Curriculum Night for Parents (Information about choosing courses for students' schedules)
• Friday, 1/18  - Students Released Three Hours Early
• Monday, 1/21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Holiday  - No School
• Thursday, 1/24 - Last day of 2nd Quarter (No Early Release)
• Friday, 1/25 - Student Holiday / Teacher Workday

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