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- Wednesday, 5/14-16 Voices of Now Festival @ Arena Stage
- Thursday, 5/15, 9:30-10:30am - Family Coffee
- Wednesday, 5/21, 7pm - Spring Orchestra Concert
- Thursday, 5/22 Broadway Desserts @ Annandale HS
- Monday, 5/26 - NO SCHOOL / Memorial Day
- Tuesday, 5/27, 7pm - Spring Band Concert
- Wednesday, 5/28, Spring Carnival through After School Program and 6:30-7:30pm - PTA Meeting
- Thursday, 5/29, 7pm - Spring Chorus Concert
- Friday, 5/30, 7-9pm - 8th Grade Dance
- Friday, 6/6 - Field Day
- Monday, 6/9, 8-9am - Awards Ceremony
- Wednesday, 6/11 - Last Day of School / 2-Hour Early Release
Dear families,
HMS National Junior Honor Society is hosting an After School Spring Carnival on May 28th. We’ll start the afternoon with Minute to Win It games and the opportunity to pie some of the administrators. Students will then have the option to participate in outdoor activities, indoor games, movies and crafts. Students who want to attend need to sign up using the Google Form in the after school folder; students can sign up from 5/12 - 5/23. If you have any questions, please reach out to Sloan Waters at slwaters@fcps.edu and Emma Gashel at elgashel@fcps.edu.
As a reminder, we will continue with SOLs next week (see calendar below). The teachers have prepared them and they are ready!
As a parent/guardian, here are some things you may want to consider to help them show their best thinking:
- Encourage your student to go to bed early the night before a test and get lots of rest.
- Encourage your student to have a good, healthy breakfast at home or at school.
- Come to school on time. We will start testing after morning announcements.
- Encourage your child to relax and do their best! We are proud of the work they have put in this year!
Thank you! Have a great weekend!
Serena Giron
Principal
As we enter SOL season in the next couple of weeks, please support your student by encouraging good sleep habits and making sure they arrive to school on time. The SOL testing schedule is provided below.
Holmes and George Mason University have teamed together to offer a four-year instate tuition scholarship to GMU to an eighth-grade student who has demonstrated the potential to be successful in a four-year college program (a cumulative middle school GPA of 3.5 or higher). You and your child should have received an email last week if your child qualifies. The (online) application packet and teacher recommendations are due by 3pm on Friday, May 16th, 2025. Please reach out to Ms. Dane (kdane@fcps.edu) if you have any questions.
Yearbooks are now available for $30, and orders can be placed using the link below (School ID – 13717).
Pre-Order Here: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/
Prefer to buy in person? Stop by the main office - cash or check only.
Our Hawks will be participating in Field Day, a day of indoor and outdoor games to celebrate our successes and close out the year. All students are participating in grade-level activities. We are also reminding students daily about the importance to continue being kind to one another through the end of the year. Students have been informed that discipline incidents can lead to the privilege of participating in our Field Day to be taken away. If a student has a full day suspension, either in or out of school, or has excessive tardies, they will not be allowed to participate in Holmes Field Day 2025.
Our students will get to enjoy Field Day this year. Let's help our amazing Holmes community wrap up the year with a fun day — June 6, 2025 (rain day- June 10th)!
We accept volunteer work and/or monetary donations to finance the day's activities
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Volunteer:Our amazing PTA will be supporting us with this. Be in the lookout for communication from them.
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Donate:Help us fund the items we may need to make the day more entertaining! Some of the items we'll purchase are:
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Equipment: We will need items like nets, balls, sponges, buckets, etc.
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Crafts: Indoor actiities will provide alternative activities and we'll need paper, glue, glitter, etc.
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Mist tent: June might be super hot and it will help our kids stay cool.
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Refreshments: Ice pops and tons of ice will help to bring the temperature down!
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Tshirts: We will send our students off with a memento from this school year!
Please make your donations in the My School Bucks link
MySchoolBucks - Products
We thank you for your continued support!
- We're collecting student laptops, chargers, and cases during Gym classes on Wednesday, June 4th and Thursday, June 6th.
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Summer School: If your student is in summer school for credit recovery or academics, they can return their laptop at the end of their program.
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Lost or Damaged Tech - Fines Due Now: Fines can be paid by check, cash, or MySchoolBucks to Holmes Middle School.
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Lost Charger:$20
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Lost Plastic Case:$40
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Graffiti:$10
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Cracked Screen:$50
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Missing Keys:$10
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Important: Unpaid fines or unreturned items will cause delays in students getting their laptops back next school year (this includes rising 9th graders at their next school).
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Lost Entire Computer: Please email Mr. Rossen (ghrossen@fcps.edu) ASAP. The replacement cost is $375. Students are responsible for lost or damaged technology, according to the Students Rights & Responsibilities guidelines.
The 8th grade dance will be taking place on Friday, May 30th from 7-9 PM at Holmes Middle School. This dance is only for 8th graders and will be free. If you would like to donate, you can do so through the MySchoolBucks portal and select the tab labeled, “8th grade dance”. (My School Bucks Link) We are also informing students that it is important to continue being kind to one another and that discipline incidents can lead to the privilege of attending the dance being taken away. If a student has a full day suspension, either in or out of school, or has excessive tardies, they will not be allowed to participate in the 8th grade dance.
Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener during the month of March, 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 our school staff with any questions.
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 holmesmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu 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 holmesmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and a reason for late arrival or early dismissal.
To request a bus pass for your student, please email the front office at holmesmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu 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.
Last Day of ASP for 2024-25
- The final day of our After-School Program for this school year will be Thursday, May 29th.
- Students will not be permitted to stay after school after that date.
ASP Upcoming Schedule 5/12-5/16
Students Leaving After-School before 4:45
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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, mjkruk@fcps.edu
Dear Holmes Family,
You are invited to our upcoming Family Coffee Workshop!
Topic: Summer Learning and Activities in Fairfax County Public Schools and Local Community Programs
Date: Thursday, May 15
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Location: Holmes Middle School and Virtual Option Available
Zoom Link: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/93949335090
Why This Workshop Matters:
To discover the many opportunities available for your family this summer! From learning programs to fun community activities.
Families who stay informed are more likely to get involved, enroll their children—or even participate themselves! This kind of engagement leads to more learning time, exciting enrichment experiences, and the support students need to succeed. The result? Improved school performance and more confident, prepared students.
We truly hope you’ll join us for this valuable session and get ready for a summer filled with growth, fun, and discovery!
PTA Meeting 4/30 Recap:
Unfortunately, We were unable to record our meeting. Please see key takeaways below:
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)
- Tuesday, May 27th— Domino’s Pizza Doughraiser
- Wednesday, May 28th, PTA General Membership Meeting 6:30-7:30pm in the Holmes library and on Zoom
- Friday, June 6th— Field Day volunteers (sign up coming soon)
- Tuesday, June 10th— Domino’s Pizza Dough Raiser
Our wonderful after school program might go away! Please help us save it!
So far this year at Holmes:
- On average, 150 students stay for the after school program every day
- 70% of the Holmes student body has participated this year
- Holmes offers 60 different clubs & activities throughout the year including academic intervention, social recreation, fine & performing arts, and athletics to support student physical, social, and emotional well-being
- More than 30 trained and licensed staff members working for the program
- There are various academic and athletic competition against other schools including; Science Olympiad, Esports, Appian Board Games, Future City, Cross Country, Track & Field, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, and more
- The school has several partnerships that provide opportunities to our students including our most recent with Capital One Coders and Little Scholars – Future Entrepreneurship
- The school works closely with our surrounding schools such as Annandale HS and their staff to come in and provide one-on-one tutoring, sport info session, and more.
How You Can Help:
Contact your district supervisor and also email FY26Budget@publicinput.com. (A great way to expose your child to the importance of active participation in government! Kids are welcome to send a message or call their Supervisor to let them know how they feel about the after school program)
Most Holmes families live in the Mason District. The Mason District Supervisor is Andres F. Jimenez. He can be reached at 703-256-7717 or mason@fairfaxcounty.gov .
Parts of North Springfield are represented by the Braddock District Supervisor, James Walkinshaw. He can be reached at 703-425-9300 or braddock@fairfaxcounty.gov
The School Board will hold a public hearing on final budget adjustments on Tuesday, May 13, at 6 p.m. Sign up to speak by Monday, May 12, at 4:30 p.m.
Families, staff, and community members will soon be able to explore and visualize potential boundary scenarios using a customized Boundary Explorer Tool. The tool will be accessible from the FCPS website. You are also invited to participate in another series of community meetings in order to review and reflect on the initial draft scenarios before the start of summer break.
- Thursday, May 15, 6:30-8 p.m., Oakton High School
- Friday, May 16, 6:30-8 p.m., Robinson Secondary School
- Monday, May 19, 6:30-8 p.m., Herndon High School
- Friday, May 23, 7-8:30 p.m., Lewis High School
- Wednesday, May 28, 7-8:30 p.m., Annandale High School
- Thursday, May 29, 6:30-8 p.m., Whitman Middle School
- Friday, May 30, 6:30-8 p.m., Chantilly High School
- Friday, June 6, 6:30–8 p.m., Glasgow Middle School
Each meeting will be hybrid, meaning that you may attend in person or via Zoom. Childcare for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed. Registration links will be shared soon. Another round of community meetings will be held in the fall.
Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review page for more information.
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office will offer two enrichment camps this summer - Tech Adventure Camp and CTE Summer Academy. For details on the activities we have planned, please read below.
All information can be found on our webpages! For Tech Adventure Camp go to bit.ly/FCPS_TAC. For CTE Summer Academy go to bit.ly/FCPS_CSA.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR ALL OUR ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS! Click here to register!
Earn Credit Toward Graduation This Summer
Take advantage of the opportunity to earn a high school course credit via this summer’s online campus program. Registration is now open. Students must register by Friday, June 6. Mathematics, health and physical education, career and technical education, English, science, social studies, and world language courses are available to eligible middle and high school students.
Summer is a great time for high school students to fulfill the Economics and Personal Finance course requirement. This is a self-directed course where students work independently. T
ESOL Online Summer School (MS & HS)
Registration is now open for our ESOL Online Summer School. This program is offered to current middle and high school MLs, levels 1 – 4. The Language and Literacy Connections Program is a 3-week program that is offered either at 10:30 – 11:30am or 7:00 – 8:00pm via Zoom. Families can register online at https://aceclasses.fcps.edu/ or by phone at (703)-658-1201 . Registration closes May 30th.
SoCo Summer Strings Camp
Exciting news! SoCo Summer Strings is returning this summer! The camp will be hosted at South County Middle School from July 7-18, 8:30 AM - 12:30 PM (weekdays only). Camp is open to all rising 5th-9th grade students with at least one year of experience on the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Students will participate in two large ensemble rehearsals, an instrument-specific technique class, and a sectional each day.
You can find more information and register for camp at www.schsorchestra.org/soco-summer-strings. Register early to save money and reserve your student’s spot!
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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
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