Principal's Note
Good afternoon, Holmes Families!
I appreciate all of the kind and supportive messages from you all this week. I know that it has been a challenging one in so many ways. I have been amazed to see some of the ways that communities have pulled together. I am sure you all have seen many examples of this as well, especially as people post on social media. The staff in Fairfax County Public Schools' (FCPS) Office of Food and Nutrition Services has been doing an incredible job this week getting breakfast and lunch out to students, expanding their numbers of sites each day. On Friday, over 14,000 meals were served across the county. To stay up-to-date with the Grab & Go locations and the Pop-Up sites, periodically check the FCPS homepage, and there will be a link to the locations and to other community resources. I also know that it has been stressful for many families whose employment has been impacted by this crisis. For those who need support with basic needs, the FCPS Office of Family and School Partnerships has shared great resources for families to get "Assistance from a Distance" from the Fairfax County Department of Family Services; see those resources here and here.
Staying Connected
I have been enjoying spending the time with my daughter, and she says every day that she misses her teachers and friends. (She was very upset that she could not wear her St. Patrick's Day outfit to school on Tuesday, but she wore it at home anyway (pic).) I am sure that many of your students are feeling the same way. I know that I miss seeing our Holmes students and our wonderful staff every day. This week to help us stay connected, I met with my staff virtually on Friday, and I posted a couple of notes to the students' grade-level Google classrooms. I have received so many emails from students reaching out just to say hello, to let me know how they are spending their time, and to let me know what challenges they are facing. I also held a videoconference Lunch Bunch on Friday with a few students, which I will do every Friday at 12 with any student who would like to join. I'll post all of the information for those grade-level Google classrooms.
Learning from Home
I appreciate that many of you are - like me - trying to figure out how to work from home while also helping your students to learn from home. Here are a few suggestions:
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Make a daily checklist. Talk through your students' school day with them, and make a checklist of those activities that they should do every day. Here is an example of what Jamie and I made together. I found a strict schedule to be too challenging to balance with my work responsibilities, so this format has worked well for us. She does not have to do them in order, and what they look like each day is slightly different, but she has to do them all.
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Set up a workspace. Jamie has been working at her desk, and I have been working at the kitchen table. Not only does this give us some structure, but it also allows us to step away and separate from it when it's time for a break.
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Dedicate about 30 minutes to each class. While new assignments are not being posted or required right now, there are many things your student can do to help them stay fresh and focused on their learning.
- Work on assignments that they may have been missing for 3rd quarter. Teachers will accept these; take a picture of the work and email the teacher. (Students and parents can check StudentVue or ParentVue for missing assignments.)
- Check the teachers' Google classrooms or sites. Many teachers are posting opportunities for students to review and extend their learning.
- Use the Continuity of Learning resources posted on the FCPS 24/7 Blackboard Site. Parents and students can log in and view these. Our central office Instructional Staff has done an amazing job posting resources there for every content area and grade level.
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READ, READ, READ!! In addition to books you may have at home, there are many resources online for your students to access books about a variety of topics. Encourage them to read nonfiction as well as fiction.
- Passwords to Online Databases
- All students can access ebooks and audiobooks through the FCPS Library Database. See the directions for Follett Destiny here.
- If you have a Fairfax County Public Library card, you can download the Libby app and have access to ebooks and audiobooks. This is one of my favorite apps!
I hope that these tips will help a bit. Feel free to let me or your students' teachers know what questions you have. Thank you!
Margaret Barnes
Proud Principal, Holmes MS
mfbarnes@fcps.edu
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