Principal's Note - May 15, 2022
Good afternoon, Holmes Families!
We have just four weeks of school left. Four! And just three weeks until the 8th grade celebration! We have a fabulous team of parent volunteers who has been helping to get things ready. We'll get a link to a SignUp Genius out soon if you'd like to help with decorating before the celebration or helping out during the celebration.
As a reminder, the 8th grade celebration will be on Friday, June 3rd, from 7-9 pm, and the theme is "Under the Sea/Beach". We are advertising the celebration as a semi-formal, so we want to stress that this is not like a high school prom so it is not formal dress. We want students to keep it simple and have fun! No limos or party buses, please.
We are not charging students to attend, but we do need the help of donations to decorate, and provide food, drinks, and activities. Our goal is to reach $1500 in donations, which is about $5 per 8th grade student. If you are able and willing to donate, you can do so in one of three ways:
- Go to the Holmes store in MySchoolBucks, and select "Donation for 8th Grade Celebration" to donate your desired amount.
- Write a check to Holmes Middle School for your desired amount and mail it or bring it to the school (or have your student bring it to the main office). Please put "8th Grade Celebration" in the memo line.
- Bring cash to the school's main office (or have your student bring it), and ask for Mr. Aly. A note should be included indicating that you would like for it to go to the 8th grade celebration.
Finally, we have let our 8th grade students know that we want all of them to attend the 8th grade celebration, but they will not be permitted to attend if they engage in serious misconduct during 4th quarter. Serious misconduct includes but is not limited to:
- Vaping or being in possession of vaping paraphernalia
- Fighting or assault
- Possession, use, or distribution of tobacco, alcohol, or drugs
- Bullying or harassment (including online)
Please let me know what questions you have. Thank you for helping us to make this year's 8th grade celebration a success!
Screenagers
Just a few more days left to watch "Screenagers"! Click this link to get your FREE ticket. You'll get a link in an email to watch the short film (about an hour) between now and the end of the day on Wednesday, May 18th. I highly recommend it! After watching, please let us know your feedback around our plan to adopt an Away for the Day policy in the 2022-23 school year.
SAVE THE DATE: 8th Grade Awards Ceremony - Thurs., June 9th, 8 am
The 8th Grade Awards Ceremony has been scheduled for Friday, June 9th, at 8 am. (NOTE: It is not a graduation or promotion ceremony.) Families whose students will receive awards will receive a letter from the school inviting them to attend that morning. The rest of that day will be an Activity Day for all students to celebrate the end of the year.
Laptop & Charger Collection
We will be collecting laptops and chargers on June 6, 7 in PE classes. If your child has lost their charger, the replacement cost is $23. If they have lost their computer, please notify Mr. Rossen (@email) ASAP. If lost, You will be responsible for replacing the computer at $472. These items must be collected or paid for in order to prevent delays in receiving a computer next year.
- If your child has lost either item, please have a conversation with them about responsible use. Labeling their technology is a best practice and highly encouraged. All students were given laptop labels at the beginning of the year; many students have peeled off their labels. Again, all students are responsible for lost technology, as stated in the Student Rights & Responsibilities document.
Please, contact Mr. Rossen (@email) if you have a concern.
Spring SOL Schedule
We have completed 2 successful weeks of SOL testing! See below for the remaining testing days.
Students who score between 375 and 399 on an SOL (passing score is 400) will receive a letter to bring home for parents/guardians to provide permission for an opportunity to retake.
Holmes PTA
Our next PTA meeting is Wednesday, June 1st. We'll vote for our 2022-23 PTA Board and close out the year.
Join us on Saturday, May 21st, for the DC United game. The PTA has a block of tickets, so come join the fun!
Restaurant Spirit Night - May 16
DC United Game, Saturday, 5/21, 4 pm - Holmes PTA Block
Click HERE to purchase tickets!
Executive Functioning Fridays
The SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) coordinator at Holmes, Natrisha Sanchez, has many resources available for families to learn about Executive Functioning. This includes resources for managing student stress & anxiety, organization, motivation, self-discipline, etc. Access this information on the Holmes Families Schoology Course (Log into Schoology with SIS Parent VUE username and password. Don't have an account? Click here.) Your feedback is valued. Take a look at the resources, if you have not already, and fill out this quick survey.
Schoology Survey:
The Holmes Families Schoology page has lots of resources to teach families how to use Schoology (Log into Schoology with SIS Parent VUE username and password. Don't have an account? Click here.). If you have used Schoology as a parent this year and would like to give us feedback on how to improve, create new resources, or form more learning opportunities then please complete this survey in English (Translations: Spanish, Chinese, Urdu, Farsi, Vietnamese)
Free Online Tutoring Is Here!
We are pleased to announce that students now have unlimited access to online tutoring support services through Tutor.com at no cost to families. Tutor.com is available 24/7, through online voice or text chat, and in your student’s preferred language. Student participation is optional and parents/guardians can opt their students out of accessing the service. You can learn more about Tutor.com on the Tutor.com Online Tutoring Services website.
Students will be able to access Tutor.com via a link in Schoology. Additional information about how to log in and access a tutor is provided to families via the following instructional videos:
elementary video and secondary video. Questions not answered in the posted resources may be sent to @email.
This new service will help many [SCHOOL] students complete assignments, better understand classroom lessons, and be successful.
Here are today's newsletter topics:
Holmes Updates
- Student Services - Important Information
- 2021-22 Blue-White Calendar
- 2021-22 Bell Schedule
- Next Week's Schedule
- After School Program Next Week
- A Message from Mr. Kruk
- From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison
- Job Opportunities at Holmes & in FCPS
- Important Upcoming Dates
- How to Stay Connected to Holmes MS
FCPS & Community Updates
- School-Required Vaccination For Free
- Celebrate Educator's Appreciation Night with D.C. United - May 18
- Annandale HS Fall Sports & Band Open House - June 6
- Annandale HS Dance Team Tryouts - June 18
Summer Learning and Camps
- Free Summer Work Our For High School Teens
- Summer VIP Camp at Thoreau Middle School
- Annandale High School Summer Sports Camps
- Park Authority Camps
- Stay Connected with FCPS
Please feel free to reach out and let us know what questions you have. Thank you, and have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
HOLMES UPDATES
This Week's Schedule - 5/16-5/20
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, 5/16 - WHITE DAY
- Tuesday, 5/17 - BLUE DAY: Periods 1, 5 & 7 - No SOAR, no ER
- Wednesday, 5/18 - WHITE DAY
- Thursday, 5/19 - BLUE DAY: Periods 3, 5, & 7 - No SOAR, no ER
- Friday, 5/20 - WHITE DAY
After School Schedule - Week of 5/16-5/20
A Message from Mr. Kruk
ASP Students of the Week 5/9-5/13
- Congratulations to this week’s After-School Students of the Week; Janiyah Strickland & Rackeb Abate
- Janiyah is a dedicated member of Art Club and to her own artistic explorations.
- Janiyah brings sunshine to the club with her warm personality and drive to create.
- She is a great example of a student making the most of this special creative time by filling up sketchbook after sketchbook with her figure and character designs.
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- Rackeb came ready to volleyball club practices every day.
- She stands out in her quickness to learn, focus on improvement and her good natured bearing.
- I gave her quite a hard time for taking all our training and enrolling at Edison instead of Annandale and she took it all with a smile.
- Rackeb is a pleasure to have her in our volleyball club.
Chance to Win - free VIP summer camp registration!
- All of our After-School Program Students of the Week will be entered into a raffle at the end of the school year.
- Two students will be selected at random to win a free registration to our VIP Summer Camp held at Thoreau Middle School.
- Reminder that any of our rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Holmes students may register for the VIP summer camp for a small fee relative to all of the activities provided.
- Any questions about the VIP Summer Camp, please email Matt Kruk (@email)
After-School Weekly Highlights; Volleyball Club
- Students enjoyed their final week of volleyball club!
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Movie Club
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Students Leaving After-School:
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- Any student staying after school must be signed out by a parent or guardian if leaving prior to 4:45. Walkers may sign themselves out.
- Students will remain in their clubs or under teacher supervision until they are called to the main office for pickup.
- No student is to leave the school until signed out of the main office.
For any and all questions related to the after school program, please contact Mr. Kruk at @email.
The After-School Program will end on Thursday, May 26th. There will be no more late busses provided after May 26th.
From Ms. Oncho, Our Family Liaison
Spring Into Work Event
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
- Thursday, 5/19, 7:30 pm - Holmes Voices of Now students perform at Arena Stage
- Saturday, 5/21, 4 pm - DC United Game, Holmes PTA Block
- Wednesday, 5/25, 5:30 pm – NJHS Induction Ceremony
- Wednesday, 5/25, 7 pm - Band Spring Concert
- Thursday, 6/2, 7 pm – Music Department Recital
- Friday, 6/3, 7-9 pm - 8th Grade Celebration
- Thursday, 6/9, 8 am - 8th Grade Awards Ceremony
- Friday, 6/10 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (2-hour early release)
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
School-Required Vaccination For Free
Celebrate Educator's Appreciation Night with D.C. United - May 18
Annandale HS Fall Sports & Band Open House - June 6
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Annandale HS Dance Team Tryouts - June 18
Summer Learning and Camps
Free Summer Work Out for High School Teens
Planet Fitness invites high school teens to work out for free all summer long to improve their mental and physical health. High schoolers can visit PlanetFitness.com/SummerPass to pre-register, and get a reminder to formally sign up when the program officially kicks off on Monday, May 16. Teens under 18 must register with a parent or guardian online or in-club.
Planet Fitness locations closest to Holmes MS:
- 4 miles away: Planet Fitness, 6123 Backlick Rd, Springfield, VA 22150
- 4 miles away: Planet Fitness, 4620 Kenmore Ave, Alexandria, VA 22304
- 5 miles away: Planet Fitness, 6270 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church, VA 22046
Click on the link below to learn more about this offer:
Institute for the Arts (IFTA): Camps and Institutes
A summer enrichment program for students currently in grades 6-11.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-institute-arts-ifta
Tech Adventure Camp
A summer enrichment and exploratory program in career and technical education for students in grades 2 - 6.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-tech-adventure-camp
CTE Summer Academy
A summer enrichment and skills development program for students currently in grades 7-11.
https://www.fcps.edu/academics/summer-learning-programs/camps-and-institutes-CTE-summer-academy
Summer VIP Camp at Thoreau Middle School
- This summer, Thoreau Middle School will host our annual Summer VIP camp.
- Any student from Holmes that would like to participate in the summer program may register.
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Annandale High School Summer Sports Camps
Looking for fun activities for your child this summer? Annandale High School is offering various summer sports camps for rising 2nd graders through rising 9th graders led by Annandale coaches.
Camps run each day from 8:30am to 3:00pm. The cost of the five-day camps is only $125 (Olympics Camp is 4 days for $100). Credit cards or checks are accepted. Checks should be made out to “Annandale Athletic Boosters”. Payment is due on the first day of camp. Campers can bring their lunch or purchase lunch at camp, and they should bring a snack and a water bottle each day.
Click HERE to register for any or all of these camps. More information can be found at AnnandaleAtoms.net. See descriptions of the various camps below.
If you have any questions, please email John Ellenberger, Director of Student Activities, at @email.
Camp Information
Multi-Sport Camp - June 13-17: Have fun playing a variety of sports including basketball, kickball, volleyball, soccer, and touch football. This camp includes fun contests, competitions and lots of prizes!
Basketball Camp - June 20-24: Run by Annandale’s Boys Varsity Basketball coach, Andrew Hypnar, this camp is open to both boys and girls and will focus on basketball fundamentals, skill development and game play.
Olympics Camp - June 27-30 (4-day camp at Holmes Middle School): This exciting camp features team activities including soccer, volleyball, basketball, touch football, relay races. In addition, individual campers will get a chance to demonstrate their talent through various skill competitions.
Girls Multi-Sport Camp (Field Hockey, Lacrosse, Basketball) - July 11-15: This camp, led by various Annandale coaches, will provide campers the opportunity to learn and develop skills in three different sports: field hockey, lacrosse, and basketball.
Girls Basketball - July 18-22: Run by Annandale’s Girls Varsity Basketball coach, Maddy DeCou, this camp will focus on the fundamentals, skill development and game play.
Park Authority Camps
Click the link to register https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/camps
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