Principal's Note - Oct 24, 2021
Good evening, Holmes Families!
I cannot believe that next week is the last week of the first quarter! Please encourage your students to check their missing assignments in SIS Student Vue and communicate with their teachers about what they should focus on completing this week.
To celebrate our first quarter back in-person, we will be extending the 15-minute break to 30 minutes next Friday, 10/29! (See the bell schedule for next Friday further down in the newsletter.) All students will be dismissed at 12:15 pm, and there will be no after school program.
I want to apologize for the inconsistency of my weekly News You Choose updates these past few weeks. In an effort to ensure I am focused on my family on weekends and not sending late newsletters on Sunday evenings, I have decided to move the weekly update to Friday afternoons/evenings. In addition to helping me balance things a bit better, I am also hoping that gives you more time to plan for the upcoming week as a family.
Spiritwear
Spiritwear was distributed to all students and staff this past week. If your student did not receive his/her spirit wear, please contact @email.
PTA Meeting - Wednesday, 10/27/21, 6:30 PM
Our next PTA meeting will be this Wednesday, 10/27, at 6:30 pm on Zoom. I'll send the link out Wednesday afternoon. I know that I still owe you all a recording for my presentation from last month...I have not forgotten!
PTA Fundraiser - GO APE! on Monday, 11/1/21
Looking for a way to burn your middle schooler's energy on the November 1st Teacher Workday, the day after Halloween? See below for the flyer for Go Ape to do that AND raise money for the Holmes PTA!
Mini-Conferences - Tuesday, 11/2/21, 7:30 am - 3:00 pm
Mini-conferences are a chance for parents/guardians to meet briefly with their student's teachers to discuss 1st quarter grades and student progress. Families will only be allotted 10 minutes per teacher. We recommend prioritizing which teachers you visit based on your student's grades in SIS since the time will not allow for all teachers to meet with all parents/guardians.
When: November 2, 7:30AM -3:00PM (10 minute slots per teacher/ per family).
Where: In person or Virtual - You choose!
Use this link to sign up with your student's teacher(s).
If you encounter any issues signing up, please contact our School-Based Technology Specialist Mel Mollick (@email)
If you would like to come in person, we will also have a couple of opportunities for you to consult with our counselors and admin and meet other staff, like our new family liaison, who can support you and your student.
Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS!
In the last two months at Holmes, we have...
- ...promoted a custodian (Congratulations, Ms. Palma!)
- ...hired a new...
- ...administrative assistant (Welcome, Ms. Tahmazova!),
- ...family liaison (Welcome, Ms. Oncho!),
- ...public health attendant (Welcome, Mr. Al Tarawneh!), and
- ...student monitor (Welcome, Ms. Vasquez!)
- ...and submitted requests for hire (still being processed) for...
- ...a registrar,
- ...a COVID case manager,
- ...a finance technician, and
- ...another public health attendant
Whew! We have been busy ensuring that we have the operational staff needed for safety, organization, and student support. We have also been without a School Health (Clinic) Aide for the past month, and the Fairfax County Health Department has been doing a fantastic job providing substitute coverage and has already selected a new aide who will join us at the end of November. A HUGE kudos to my staff for going above and beyond every day to cover these critical positions until replacements are hired.
As you know, we still have a few buses arriving late (or super early!) in the mornings and going home late in the afternoons, and we scramble every morning to ensure we have substitute coverage for classes with teachers who are absent due to various types of leave. It is a countywide issue, and we really need your help!! To help us meet these critical needs, here is a reminder of some job opportunities that we have a available at Holmes and throughout FCPS:
- Student monitors (Holmes needs 2 or 3 more)
- Substitutes (short- and long-term) - School Board just approved an increase in pay for short- and long-term substitutes!
If you or someone you know is looking for work and may be a good fit for one or more of these positions, I encourage you or them to apply!
Here are today's newsletter topics:
Holmes Updates
- Student Services - Important Information
- 2021-22 Blue-White Calendar
- 2021-22 Bell Schedule
- This Week's Schedule
- Bell Schedule for Friday, 10/29
- After School Program This Week
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS Updates
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Thank you, and have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
HOLMES UPDATES
Next Week's Schedule - 10/25-10/29
The Blue-White Calendar can also be found on the inside cover of student agendas and can be found HERE on our school website.
- Monday, 10/25 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 1)
- Tuesday, 10/26 - WHITE DAY
- Wednesday, 10/27 - BLUE DAY - (SOAR & ER 2)
- Thursday, 10/28 - WHITE DAY
- Friday, 10/29 - BLUE DAY (NO SOAR), 2-hour early release
- Monday, 11/1 - TEACHER WORKDAY / STUDENT HOLIDAY
- Tuesday, 11/2 - TEACHER WORKDAY / STUDENT HOLIDAY / MINI-CONFERENCES (7:30 AM - 3:00 PM)
Bell Schedule for Friday, 10/29/21
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After School Program Next Week
Reminders:
- Students should check Schoology for messages from Ms. Parker about how to sign up for specific activities
- Late buses run Monday through Thursday. Friday is pickup only.
- Late buses typically arrive between 4:30 and 5:00, so students could arrive home as late as 5:30 or 6:00. You are also welcome to pick them up any time from after school by 5:00.
- Your student's late bus is DIFFERENT than the regular late bus. Mrs. Parker will go over late bus assignments with students each day after school.
- For any and all questions related to the after school program, please contact Mrs. Parker at @email.
How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
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
FCPS UPDATES
Stay Connected with FCPS
Being connected to your school and division is important every year, and even more so now as we navigate our return to school. The best way to stay informed is to sign up for newsletters through News You Chose.
Your school and FCPS have a variety of topics you can choose from, including:
- School Newsletters- featuring everything you need to know about your child’s school
- FCPS This Week- a weekly newsletter featuring news and happenings from across the division, published Wednesday mornings
- School Board Meeting Update- a recap of important news coming out of school board meetings, published the Friday morning after the meeting
- FCPS Employee News- weekly updates just for staff, published Tuesday mornings