Principal's Note - May 5, 2019
Good evening, Holmes Families!
Congratulations to our band, orchestra, and chorus students who visited Williamsburg at the end of last week for their annual trip! Our wonderful teachers - Ms. Eddinger, Ms. Bongard, & Mr. Perez - reported that it was a positive working experience for all groups at the workshop, the performances were great, and the students enjoyed hearing from professors about college. It was a great trip and a fun opportunity for community building with awesome parent chaperones (thank you!). I am so proud of the work of our students and staff and especially love hearing about the positive comments from hotel staff and vacationers in the hotel about our students' behavior.
SOL Testing Starts This Week!
This week marks the beginning of SOL testing. These tests can be one of many important opportunities for students to demonstrate the learning they have done this school year. On days when your student is scheduled to take an SOL test, please ensure that they get a good night’s rest, eat breakfast and come to school ready to show what they know! Please scroll down to see the full schedule, and note the schedule changes that will take place throughout the week. Monday will be a 7-period day to ensure that all teachers have the opportunity to see their students prior to their SOLs this week. The first periods of each day this Tuesday through Friday will be 3-hour blocks to minimize interruption to the testing. Also note that all testing will take place in the morning this year, so it is critically important for students to get to school on time.
Students Celebrating Ramadan: May 5 thru June 4
Ramadan is May 5 - June 4 and we want to ensure that students observing Ramadan are supported during this time. With that in mind, if you would like your child to receive specific accommodations, such as an alternative location during lunch/prayer, please provide the school with a note to express your child’s needs. Additionally, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your student’s administrator:
- 6th Grade: Joyce Cooper, @email
- 7th Grade: Chris Kamar, [email protected]
- 8th Grade: Rose Moore, @email
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Teacher Appreciation Week
We are excited to celebrate our teachers and staff this week! Take a moment to thank a teacher through this site! Each thank you note is an entry for the teacher to win a trip! Here's what the admin team and the PTA have planned for our amazing staff this week:
- Monday, 5/6: Traveling Breakfast Cart / PTA Panera Lunch
- Tuesday, 5/7: Cupcakes & Coffee
- Wednesday, 5/8: Ice Cream Social
- Thursday, 5/9: PTA Anita's Breakfast / Seated Massages
- Friday, 5/10: Seated Massages / Pizza Lunch
If you'd like to make a donation to the PTA for this week, you can do so here: https://www.paypal.me/HolmesMSPTA
8th Grade Celebration - Friday, June 7th!
We are so excited to help our 8th graders celebrate their transition from middle school to high school! Each year, we get donations from parents to fund the event so that it can be FREE for our students to attend. Our parents also work together to plan a fun evening with music, decorations, and fun activities for students to celebrate their accomplishments in middle school. If you are interested in helping to plan the event or volunteer, please email Rose Moore, the 8th grade Assistant Principal.
Seeking Nominations for 2019-20 PTA Board
We currently have a partial slate ready for our 2019-20 PTA Board:
- President, Renate Thompson
- Treasurer, Andre McGinity
- Vice President of Fundraising, Rheanna Bernard
We are seeking nominations for the Vice President of Membership and the Secretary! It would be great to have representation from a few more of our feeder elementary schools. If you are interested, please contact Rob Hardin, our current PTA president. Our election of next year's board will take place at our next PTA meeting on Wednesday, May 15th, at 6:30 p.m.
In today's newsletter, scroll down for information about:
- FCPS CARES
- This Week's Schedule (Note schedule changes due to SOL testing!)
- This Week's After School Program Schedule
- Voices of Now Performance at Arena Stage
- 8th Grade Student Laptop Collection
- 2019-20 Course Requests Available in ParentVue
- Parent Chaperones Needed For Finance Park Make-up Field Trip
- Important Dates (including SOL testing schedule)
- How to Stay in Touch
Thanks, everyone, and have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
#HolmesHawksSoar
FCPS Cares
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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: 5/6 - 5/10
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This week: Mon., 5/6 = 7-Period Day Tues., 5/7 = White Day (2nd, 4th, 6th, No ER) Wed., 5/8 = Blue Day (1st, 5th, 7th, No 3rd) Thurs., 5/9 = White Day (4th, 2nd, 6th, No ER) Fri., 5/10 = Blue Day (3rd, 5th, 7th, No 1st) *NOTE: Students can always find the blue-white calendar in their agendas or on the website HERE. |
After School Program - Week of 5/6
For any specific questions related to the After School Program or to share new ideas for after school activities, please feel free to contact Ms. Taylor, our After School Program Specialist.
Voices of Now Performance at Arena Stage
You are cordially invited to attend our Holmes World Ensemble’s Voices of Now performance at Arena Stage in Washington DC on Thursday, May 16th, at 7:30 pm. Tickets can be obtained HERE, and are FREE!! It is an incredible experience to see our students perform their original work in a professional setting for an authentic audience! We hope you can join us!
8th Grade Student Laptop Collection
2019-20 Course Requests Available in ParentVue
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2019-20 Course Requests are currently available in ParentVue. If you have any difficulty reviewing on the app, we encourage you to log in via a web browser. In the navigation bar click on “course requests.” Please review the course selections and notify your student’s school counselor in writing of any errors or changes that you wish to make. Rising 6th – Ms. Megan Neforos - [email protected] Rising 7th – Ms. Jolana Roberts - [email protected] Rising 8th – Ms. Kelly Murphy - [email protected] ESOL Level 1-4 – Ms. Yolma Torres - [email protected] |
Parent Chaperones Needed For Finance Park Make-up Field Trip - May 31
Our last make-up day for the Finance Park field trip will be Friday, May 31st. We are really in need of more parent chaperones, so if you are available on May 31st, please contact your student’s Civics teacher, and they will add you to the list. During the day, which will be from 8:30am – 1:30pm, you will lead a group of no more than 9 students, as they prepare to be “an adult for the day.” It will require you to drive yourself to the JA Finance Park Facility, which is at 4099 Pickett Road, Fairfax VA. Once again, please contact your student’s Civics teacher (i.e. Mr. Kerner, Mr. Sterzinger, Mr. Hoover, Mr. Schmitz, or Ms. D’Angelo) if you are interested.
Important Dates
- 5/6-5/10 - Teacher Appreciation Week
- Tues., 5/14, 7:00 pm - Chorus & Orchestra Concert, Annandale HS
- Wed., 5/15, 6:30 pm - PTA Meeting
- Thur., 5/16, 7:30 pm - Voices of Now Performance, Arena Stage (Washington DC)
- Tue., 5/21 - Holocaust Museum Field Trip
- Fri., 5/24 - Intermediate Music Field Trip
- Mon., 5/27, Memorial Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
- Wed., 5/29, 7:00 pm - Band Concert
- Tues., 6/4, 7:00 pm - Music Department Recital
- Tue., 6/11, 8:00 am - 8th Grade Awards Ceremony
- Tue., 6/11, 9:15 am - 7th Grade Awards Ceremony
- Tue., 6/11, 1:00 pm - 6th Grade Awards Ceremony
- Wed., 6/12 - SCA Activity Day
- Thu., 6/13 - Last Day of School (Students released early)
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
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May / June SOL Testing Schedule
Interested in learning more about the SOL exams your child will take? Here are links from the Virginia Department of Education for: