Important Dates

Holmes Calendar

• Monday, 10/14 - NO SCHOOL / Staff Development Day
• Wednesday, 10/16, 9:30-10:30 AM - Family Coffee Meeting
• Friday, 10/18 - 8th Grade Band Night - Edison High School 
• Friday, 10/18, 5-9 PM - Annual Basketball Tournament at Luther Jackson MS
• Wednesday, 10/23, 5:30-6:30 PM - PTA Meeting
• Wednesday, 10/23 Fall Festival during After-School Program
• Friday, 10/25 - Picture Retake Day
• Thursday, 10/31 -  2-HOUR EARLY RELEASE / 1st Quarter Ends
• Friday, 11/1 - NO SCHOOL / Diwali and All Saints Day
• Monday, 11/4 - NO SCHOOL / School Planning Day
• Tuesday, 11/5 - NO SCHOOL / Teacher Workday
• Monday, 11/11 - NO SCHOOL / Veterans Day
• Wednesday 11/27 - Friday 11/29 - NO SCHOOL / Thanksgiving 

Table of Contents

• Message from Principal Giron
• Admin/Counselor Team Information
• Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar
• Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 
• After-School Program Weekly News
• From Holmes MS Family Liaisons
• Holmes MS PTA
• Free Immunizations
• Digital Citizenship Week
• Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation!
• FCPS News - In Case You Missed It
• How to Stay In-Touch
• Follow Us on Social Media

Message from Principal Giron

Holmes Families,

Our 7th grade students enjoyed their field trip to Hidden Oaks Nature Center this week.  They learned about the food web, erosion, conservation and how to be a good steward of our local environment! 

If you haven't already taken the Family Cell Phone Storage Pilot Survey, please take a moment to look for the survey link through your email.  The email was sent out on September 30th.  

As a reminder, we will also hold our 2nd annual Fall Festival with PTA support on October 23rd during our after-school program from 2:15 - 4:45PM.  The festival is available to all Holmes students and includes a DJ, dance, movies, and many fall activities.  Please encourage your child to sign up before 10/23 to attend.  Sign-ups will open 10/7 and can be found in the all student Schoology course.  For any questions, please contact Matt Kruk; @email.  You can also reach out to the PTA at [email protected] if you are interested in volunteering or donating.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Serena Giron

Principal

Admin/Counselor Team Information

Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar

Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 

After-School Program Weekly News

Hawks Highlights from After-School from week 10/07-10/11

Flag Football

Future Entrepreneurs

ASP Upcoming Schedule 10/15-10/18

Fall Festival – Wednesday October 23 (during After-School from 2:15-4:45)

• On Wednesday 10/23, we’ll have our annual Fall Festival during the After-School Program.
• The festival is available to all Holmes students and includes a DJ, dance, movies, and many fall activities.
• Regular After-School buses will be available to our students.
• Students must sign-up before 10/23 to attend.
• Sign-ups for the fall festival will open on Monday October 7^th and can be found in the all student Schoology course.
• For questions – contact Matt Kruk; @email

Students Leaving After-School before 4:45

• Any student staying after school must be signed out of the main office by a parent or guardian if leaving before 4:45.
• Walkers with parent/guardian permission, may sign themselves out any time after 3:30 when first block ends.
• Walkers must have written permission (may be emailed) from their parent/guardian to walk.
• Students must be picked up no later than 5pm.
• Students are not permitted to leave school grounds before checking out in the main office.

Questions/Concerns

Contact the After-School Specialist, Matt Kruk, @email

From Holmes MS Family Liaisons

We invite you to the family coffee meeting on October 16 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. We will be discussing adjusting to middle school. We encourage you to attend in person to connect with school staff and other families. Refreshments and language interpretation will be provided.

Please see the flyer below for more details.

Holmes MS PTA

Join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings (4th Wednesday of the month; translation services provided)

• PTA Facebook
• Join
• Purchase Spirit Wear
• Upcoming events:
  • Every Wednesday Papa Johns 11am-11pm, use code HMS4010 for 40% off your order (Annandale location only)
  • 10/11 Panera Spirit Night, 4-8pm Vincent Gate Terrace location, enter code FUND4U at online checkout
  • 10/23 Fall Festival, sign up here to volunteer or make a donation
  • 10/23 General membership meeting, Holmes library and Zoom
  • 11/8 Jollibee Spirit Day, 9am-10pm, 4809 Beauregard St. location, mention Holmes, and 20% of your order comes back to the school

Free Immunizations

Safeway Pharmacy will be providing immunizations for all FCPS students at no cost! Parents or guardians may schedule an appointment and provide consent for their student(s). The immunization clinics are being held at Frost Middle School on:  

• Saturday, October 12, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Students under the age of 19, with a scheduled appointment and parental consent, must be accompanied by their parent, guardian, or another adult over the age of 19. 

Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are highly encouraged to avoid wait times. A parent or guardian must accompany walk-in students under the age of 19 in order to provide consent.  

Transportation services are also available. Please visit our Immunization Resources webpage for details. 

Parents may learn more about this Safeway Pharmacy and other immunization resources and FCPS school-required immunizations

Digital Citizenship Week

Digital Citizenship Week is October 14, 2024, through October 18, 2024.

Community Digital Inclusion Opportunities: Here are community-based opportunities for digital connectivity and digital literacy learning. On the Digital Equity and Inclusion website, families can learn how to:

1. Find Free WiFi
2. Borrow a Computer
3. Visit Fairfax Access Locations
4. Take Free Tech Classes
5. Sign up for an ACP Internet Discount

Families can access the Media Balance and Wellbeing Toolkit to support the healthy use of technology. FCPS will continue leading efforts to promote a positive culture of media and technology use, supporting both students and their families.

Our Schools, Our Future: Register Today for a Community Conversation!

Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will host a series of Community Conversations this fall. She invites you to share your thoughts and ask questions. Click the dates below to register for any of the following conversations:

• Monday, October 14, at Fairhill Elementary School.
• Monday, October 21, at Virginia Run Elementary School.
• Wednesday, October 30, at Herndon Middle School.

Events take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Childcare and language interpretation services will be provided.

FCPS News - In Case You Missed It

• FCPS News In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
• All FCPS Schools Accredited
• How FCPS Is Teaching Reading and Writing
• Become a Special Education Teacher

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today. 

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
• monitoring your student's progress with SIS Parent Account
• join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings

Follow Us on Social Media

Stay connected with Holmes Middle School by following us on social media! It's the best way to keep up with our latest news, celebrate student achievements, and be part of our vibrant community. Whether you're a student, parent, or community member, you'll find exciting updates, important announcements, and inspiring stories that showcase the spirit of Holmes!

Links: Instagram