Principal's Note - Dec 6, 2024

By Serena Giron
Principal's Note
December 09, 2024

Table of Contents

Important Dates

  • Wednesday, 12/4 - Wednesday, 12/11 - Winter Book Fair
  • Friday, 12/6, 7PM - Musical
  • Saturday, 12/7, 2PM and 7PM - Musical
  • Wednesday, 12/11, 7PM - Winter Chorus Concert
  • Thursday, 12/12, 6:45PM-8PM - Comprehensive School Boundary Review at Annandale HS
  • Tuesday, 12/17, 7PM - Winter Band Concert
  • Wednesday, 12/18, 9:30-10:30 AM - December Family Coffee
  • Wednesday, 12/18, 7PM - Winter Orchestra Concert
  • Friday, 12/20 - Winter Arts Showcase
  • Monday, 12/23/24 - Friday, 1/3/25 - NO SCHOOL / Winter Break

Message from Principal Giron

Holmes Families,

Don’t forget to come see our annual winter musical!! You can catch Disney’s Newsies Junior tonight, 12/6 at 7pm, or tomorrow 12/7 at 2pm and 7pm. More than 70 students from our school are involved int his production!  Tickets for students are just $5 and can be purchased at the door! Tickets may also be purchased ahead of time by clicking here. We can’t wait to see you there! 

Additionally, NJHS members will be selling the candy grams with the candy cane during 6th period lunches on Tuesday 12/10 and Thursday 12/12.

Below are themes of the upcoming winter spirit week: 

Winter Spirit

Holmes Band Students and Teacher Hit the Right Notes with Engaging Activities

On the photo below, 8th grader Johan Benavides is preparing to hold the American Flag at the Washington Commanders game and our band teacher Mr. Perez is preparing to perform in the pregame show. Mr. Perez is a member of the Washington Commanders Marching Band.

Band

This is 6th grader Amir Hanaity and 7th grader Noah Schaefer and Mr. Perez performing at Tuba Christmas. 250 Tuba and Euphonium players performing traditional Christmas carols on stage at the Kennedy Center.

Band

Winter Book Fair

Get ready! This Winter 2024 Book Fair is going to be epic! We've turned up the volume with more fun, more choices and more excitement! Remember - every purchase supports our school! Students will be coming to the Book Fair with their English or Social Studies classes, however; they can also purchase books before and after school and during lunch! The Book Fair starts on Wednesday, 12/4 and ends on Wednesday, 12/11! The location is the Holmes MS Library.

Please see below for some important information.

Book Fair Website: All the information you need will be on the website, however, some important links are below as well!

eWallet: Set up an eWallet for your child. 

Volunteer: Sign-up to volunteer at the Book Fair.

Preview: Get a sneak peek at some of the Book Fair titles!  

Book Fair Contact: Librarian, Jennifer Blanco (@email) 

The Book Fair will be open to families the following dates/times:

Table

Full time AAP referral

Parents/guardians of students in Grades 6-7 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Mary Keane @email no later than December 15, 2024. 

The window for families to submit a referral for Full-Time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually.  Forms for Full-Time and part-time referrals are available on the AAP Forms Page. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted. 

Submitting a referral form for Full-Time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for Full-Time placement.  Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Mary Keane @email

Referrals for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for Subject-Specific AAP or Part-Time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for Full-Time AAP next fall. 

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener Results Coming Soon

Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of October, providing information on their SEL skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

Individual student SEL Screener results are now available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be sent via postal mail.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to Natrisha Sanchez (@email) with any questions.

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Serena Giron

Principal

Reporting Your Student’s Attendance

All Day Absence: 

1. Use ParentVUE. Log in and click “Report Absence.” Don’t Have a SIS ParentVUE Account Yet? Contact your school for an activation code and follow the directions on the SIS ParentVUE Account webpage.

OR

2. Call the attendance line on 703-658-5919 and leave a message with spelling of your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for absence. 

OR

3. Send an email to @email with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for absence. 

Partial Absence: 

To report late arrivals, early dismissals, or to update already submitted attendance

1. Call the attendance line on 703-658-5919 and leave a message with spelling of your student's first and last names, and a reason for late arrival or early dismissal.

OR

2. Send an email to @email with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for late arrival or early dismissal. 

Changes to Dismissal and Early Pick-Ups

To request a bus pass for your student, please email the front office at [email protected] no later than 1:30 PM. Additionally, ensure front office has consent from the parent of the student to whose house your child will be traveling, as this is required for approval.

If you have to pick up your student early, we ask that you do so before 1:30PM to avoid interrupting safe dismissal process. Please note that doctor's appointments are not considered emergencies.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. 

Admin/Counselor Team Information

Admin Team

Holmes MS 2024-25 Blue/White Calendar

Calendar

Holmes MS 2024-25 Bell Schedule 

bell

After-School Program Weekly News

Hawks Highlights from After-School from week 12/2-12/6

Newsies Jr – School Musical Cast

ASP

Future City Builders

ASP

Video Games Club

ASP

ASP Upcoming Schedule 12/9-12/13

ASP

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

Please mark your calendars for our Family Coffee event on December 18th, from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at Holmes Middle School. You can join us in person or virtually, though we encourage in-person attendance to connect with school staff and other families. Refreshments will be provided, and interpretation services in different languages will be available.

Topic: Positive Discipline Strategies for the Teenage Years

For more details, please see the flyer.

Coffee

The FCPS website on Access to Technology. There is some great information on computer equipment, internet accessibility, software through free and discounted services, and community locations for Wi-Fi. These resources are critically important for students to access learning when they are out of the school building.

Closet

The Prevention of Blindness Society of Metropolitan Washingto is hosting an adult eye clinic on December 7 from 9am-12:30pm at the Willston Multicultural Center in Falls Church. See attached flyers for more information.

Eye Clinic

Holmes MS PTA

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

PTA Meeting Recording - 12/4

At our meeting on 12/4, we were thrilled to welcome Dr. Ricardy Anderson (School Board, Mason District) and Dr. Michelle Boyd (Region 6 Superintendent)  as special guests. We learned about the PTA budget, upcoming events, and how you can get involved with the PTA. Dr. Anderson shared the slides from the FCPS Boundary Review community sessions.  They are available on our website here.

The next PTA meeting will be on Wednesday, January 15th from 6:30-7:30pm.

Update on Potential Changes to Middle School Start Times

At Tuesday’s School Board work session, staff from Prismatic Services, Inc., presented options for adjusting start times at FCPS middle schools. As a reminder, Prismatic is charged with developing an action plan to help the School Board reach its goal of starting middle school at or after 8 a.m.

The presentation includes five options for adjusting middle school start times based on the consultant’s analysis from community forums, surveys, and interviews with staff, parents, associations, and other groups. The School Board will provide next steps to the superintendent.

Watch a video of the work session. Visit the Middle School Start Times webpage for more information on the project.

2025-26 FAFSA Form Now Available

The 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available. Any college-bound high school senior — regardless of income — who wants to be considered for federal, state, and school financial aid programs should complete a FAFSA form. 

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to work with their children to complete the FAFSA as early as possible. Check each college’s financial aid office webpage for deadlines and financial aid forms. Then, create an account, if you have not already done so, and fill out the FAFSA.

The Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application will be available in late January for students who are unable to complete the FAFSA. To help determine which aid option is right for you, visit the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia website.

Get Help Filling out FAFSA From College Access Fairfax

Over the next few months, College Access Fairfax will be offering several programs on completing the FAFSA/VASA and finding and applying for scholarships. Get information on these programs and how to access them on the College Access Fairfax website.

In addition, College Access Fairfax staff are available for virtual one-on-one help sessions to complete the FAFSA/VASA. To request an appointment, families should email @email.

Preparing for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.

FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated. 

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange for childcare if needed.

Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call Fairfax County's Coordinated Services Planning at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health care.

Boundary Review Community Meeting

Community meetings regarding FCPS’ comprehensive boundary review will take place in each of the division's six regions. You are encouraged to attend the meeting in our region, which will take place on Thursday, December 12, 6:45-8:15 p.m., at Annandale High School (Cafeteria). 

If you are unable to attend on this date, view the full list of meetings on the Comprehensive School Boundary Review webpage.

Please register in advance by clicking on the date. Language interpretation will be available. 

How to Stay In-Touch

Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:

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