Good afternoon, Holmes Families! 

I hope that you all have the chance to enjoy a little bit of the warmer weather outside today.  We are about to begin a nice long stretch of school with minimal interruptions.  We have 7 straight weeks with just a 3-hour early release day on March 11th and a Teacher Workday on April 5th between now and Spring Break.  Getting back to routines will certainly help our students with focus, but what a great time to also focus on Balance, our IB Learner Profile Trait of the month.  We begin our Digital Wellness Week this week with being Balanced as our theme.  See the image below for each day's theme and scroll down further in the newsletter to see how you can support Digital Wellness Week at home.  

For Parents of 8th Graders who will attend Edison HS

Edison High School will be hosting an IB Night and a Rising 9th Grade Parent Night this Tuesday, 2/26.  The IB Night will begin at 6:00 in the Auxiliary Gym, and the Parent Night will begin at 7:00 in the Auditorium.  

Bittersweet News

Our beloved After School Program Specialist, Mr. German Cabezas, has announced his retirement from Fairfax County Public Schools.  His last day at Holmes will be Monday, April 1st.  After many years of dedicated service to Holmes MS and FCPS, always putting students first, we are so sad to be planning for his departure.  

As a result, we will soon begin the process of selecting a new After School Program Specialist.  We would like to have a couple of parents to join us for an interview panel on Wednesday, March 6th (8 am - 2 pm).  If you are interested and available, please contact me to let me know at @email.  Please also contact me if you have input about qualities, skills, and experience you would like for us to consider as we select someone new.  

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

• FCPS CARES
• This Week's Schedule
• This Week's After School Program Schedule
• Parent Chaperones Needed for 2 Field Trips: Theatre Arts Field Trip - February 28 & 7th Grade Newseum Field Trip - March 13-14
• HMS Digital Wellness Week Feb 25 - March 1
• Save the Date: Rising 6th Grade Parent Coffees
• Family Engagement Survey - March 24th - April 12th 
• Holmes MS Music Boosters Fundraiser
• Annandale HS Just World Interact Club Presents: Just World Festival
• Important Dates
• How to Stay in Touch

Thanks, everyone, and have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Margaret Barnes

Proud Principal, Holmes MS

[email protected]

#HolmesHawksSoar

FCPS Cares

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: 2/25- 3/1

This week: Mon., 2/25 = Blue Day Tues., 2/26 = White Day w/ ER 3 & 4 Wed., 2/27 = Blue Day Thurs., 2/28 = White Day w/ ER 5 & 6  Fri., 3/1= Blue Day   *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE.

After School Program - Week of 2/25

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.

PARENT CHAPERONES NEEDED FOR 2 TRIPS

Theatre Arts Field Trip - February 28

All Beginning Theatre Arts and Technical Theatre Arts students will be going on a field trip to Synetic Theatre on Thursday, 2/28 to see a production of Cyrano de Bergerac. We are still looking for several parent/guardian volunteers to help chaperone. Chaperones would meet at Holmes at 9:45am, and depart the school at about 10:00am. Chaperones would ride the bus with us (you do not need your own transportation), and the trip is free for chaperones- there is no cost to you! We’d return to Holmes at about 12:45 at which point you would be free to leave. If you are interested and available please contact Mrs. Murphy directly at @email

Newseum Field Trip - March 13-14

All 7^th graders will be going to the Newseum on March 13^th or March 14^th to explore events in US history through various forms of news media and primary sources.  Your student should have received a permission slip through their history class that will provide more details on the field trip including which day they will be attending.  To make this field trip a success we need parent volunteers to help chaperone.  For the field trip we would need parent volunteers to meet at Holmes Middle School at 8:30am; we will arrive back from the field trip around 1:30pm.  This field trip would not be possible without the help of parent volunteers.  Please email Ms. Lynch at @email if you would like more information about the field trip or if you can commit to volunteering for it.  We appreciate all that you do for your student and Holmes Middle School.

HMS Digital Wellness Week Feb 25 - March 1

Holmes Digital Wellness Week is February 25^th - March 1^st! The focus of the week is Building a Culture of Shared Responsibility around students digital life. Each day during the week, parents/caregivers can take simple steps to find balance and partner together with our Holmes Staff to educate and support students with their digital life.

Linked below, you will find the school's theme of the day along with complementary activities and conversations that you can extend into your home as we talk about these common themes throughout the week with students at school. A common message from trusted adults has a big impact on kids!

We hope Digital Wellness Week will spark some educationally valuable conversations that can be promoted and supported for the rest of the year, by both parents and teaching staff.

Holmes Digital Wellness Week Family Guide

SAVE THE DATE: Rising 6th Grade Parent Coffee

Rising 6^th grade families:

You are cordially invited to attend our second rising 6th grade parent coffee next month.  You will have an opportunity to meet with Holmes staff and to learn more about the transition to Holmes Middle School.

When: Wed, Mar 13 9AM  - (Cafeteria)

Please contact Ms. Serena Giron, Director of Student Services [email protected] or 703-658-5940 with any questions you may have.

We look forward to meeting you!

FCPS Family Engagement Survey - March 24th-April 12th

Dear Families,

Fairfax County Public Schools will be conducting a survey to gather information about family engagement in our schools. Relationships are important to us, and your opinion is critical to help us support your engagement in your child’s education. Your feedback will also help us determine how well we are reaching the goals for Caring Culture we have set in our Strategic Plan. Survey translations will be made available, and the survey can be taken on electronic devices, including smartphones.

Survey administration is scheduled for March 24-April 12, 2019, and you will receive more information about how to take the survey in the near future.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Holmes MS Music Boosters Fundraiser

Annandale HS Just World Interact Club Presents: Just World Festival

The Just World Interact Club of Annandale High School is holding its 13th Annual Just World Festival on March 8th, 2019 from 4-7 pm at Annandale High School. The festival, which is sponsored by Rotary International, aims to teach youth that they are not only a part of their local community but a global one. Through our goal, we want to educate both youth and community leaders alike about global issues, environmental issues, fair trade, human rights, and most importantly social action.

Annandale HS, which is one of the largest schools in Fairfax County, is also one of the most diverse, with students representing 150 nations and speaking 90 different languages. The Just World Festival capitalizes on these strengths, creating a fun and educational environment in which to explore international-mindedness. The festival is focused around an extensive list of exhibits by students, nonprofit organizations, community leaders and national figures. It also includes a Fair Trade Marketplace; dance, music; and a world café provided by the Annandale Bistro.

Along with this invitation to our festival, we are holding a raffle and are requesting donations for items to give away as prizes. Your donation will be recognized in our festival program and your business will be promoted during the event. In addition to donating to our festival raffle, you can also donate a general fund to help host the event. Donations will be eligible for tax write-off.

I hope you will decide to take advantage of this meaningful opportunity. Together, we can make a positive difference in our communities. For more information about the Just World Festival, please visit https://justworldinteract.wixsite.com/justworld or email the student organization at @email

You may reach our teacher sponsor, Ms. Hedrick, at 703-642-4238 or @email

We thank you for your support.

The AHS Just World Interact Club

#unityindiversity

Important Dates

• Monday, 2/25 - Friday, 3/1 - Holmes Digital Wellness Week

• Tuesday, 2/26: Edison HS Events - IB Night, 6:00 pm, Auxiliary Gym; Rising 9th grade parent night, 7:00 p.m., Auditorium

  Wednesday, 2/27, 7:00 pm - Orchestra Concert
• Thursday, 2/28 - Q2 Honor Roll Celebration for students  - (During ER 5 & 6) (Rescheduled from 2/11)
• Thursday, 2/28, 7:00 pm - Band Concert
• Tuesday, 3/5-Friday, 3/8 - Writing SOL for 8th Graders
• Tuesday, 3/5, 7:00 pm - Pyramid 6th Grade Chorus Concert (Annandale HS)
• Wednesday, 3/6, 6:30 pm - PTA Meeting
• Tuesday, 3/12, 7:00 pm - Pre-Assessment Chorus (Annandale HS)
• Wednesday, 3/13,  6:00 pm - EL Family Engagement Night - (Topic: Technology & Summer Programs)

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