Principal's Note - Dec 5, 2021
Good evening, Holmes Families!
I hope that you all have had a great week! Congratulations to the cast and crew of "Far From Together", a play written and performed by former and current Holmes students this past week at Holmes. Thank you to Ms. Murphy for putting together such a great show! It is so wonderful to see students performing again!
Outstanding Employee Awards
Families, please take a moment to vote for our Fall 2021 Holmes MS Outstanding Employee nominees using the link below! Families and staff will have a chance to vote (one vote per category) until 2:15 next Friday, December 10. You will see the current position of each nominee and the write-up from their nominator. Once a winner in each category is selected, those names will move on to the next levels in the selection process—the pyramid, region, and division levels! Thank you!
Fall 2021 Holmes MS Outstanding Employee Award Nominations
A few things from Ms. Oncho, our Family Liaison:
Family Needs Survey
Please take a moment to complete this short survey. We would like to know your needs and your interest area for workshops and training.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3zwdaWSU9t1Uf4JIxvVlhs-W4vULQW7xI_E9KSH2svEAIpw/viewform.
Sign Up for TalkingPoints App to Receive Information in Your Language
TalkingPoints is an application that allows you to receive information in your home language from the Holmes Family Liaison.
You can sign up for TalkingPoints by using a web app or a mobile app. All you need is an email address.
To sign up on the web, go to www.talkingpts.org and click on ‘Sign Up For Free’ button. To sign up on your cell phone, go to the app store and search for "TalkingPoints for Parents" and install the app.
The join code for the Holmes families is KXJPTH.
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
- After School Program Next Week
- Annual Bookfair
- Toy and Clothes Drive
- Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
- Important Upcoming Dates
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- Free COVID Testing
- Free Computer Classes For Job Seekers
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Thank you, have a great week!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
HOLMES UPDATES
This Week's Schedule - 12/6-12/10
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, 12/6 - WHITE DAY
- Tuesday, 12/7 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 5)
- Wednesday, 12/8 - WHITE DAY
- Thursday, 12/9 - BLUE DAY (SOAR & ER 6)
- Friday, 12/10 - WHITE DAY
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.
Annual Bookfair
The annual bookfair is off to a great start! Students are very excited to have the bookfair return to Holmes Middle School! Parents: please know the bookfair runs through next Thursday, December 9th and students can shop with their English classes, at lunch and a few other opportunities during the day. The bookfair accepts cash, checks and all cards.
Additionally, the bookfair will be open before and immediately after the choir concert on Tuesday, December 7th. Please email Ms Haywood with any questions at @email.
Toy and Clothes Drive
Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
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 1 or 2 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!
Important Upcoming Dates
- Dec. 1-10: Annual Book Fair
- Dec. 7, 7 pm: Winter Chorus Concert (& special evening book fair)
- Dec. 14, 7 pm: Winter Orchestra Concert
- Dec. 20-Jan. 1: Winter Break / NO SCHOOL
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 & COMMUNITY UPDATES
Free COVID Testing
Take a look at the flyer below for information about free COVID testing. For more information about testing and vaccination sites in Fairfax County, check out this link.
Computer Classes For Job Seekers
Computer Core offers eligible adult students free online classes to learn the computer skills and tools needed for career advancement. For more information, please go to
https://www.computercore.org/wp-content/uploads/Computer-CORE-class-flyer-7-9-21.pdf
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