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Holmes Calendar
- Monday, 1/19 - Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday / NO SCHOOL
- Wednesday, 1/21, 6PM - Rising 6th Grade/ New Student Curriculum Night
- Friday, 1/23, 5-8PM - 2nd Annual Title I Rec Night
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Tuesday, 1/27, 6:30-7:30PM - PTA Meeting
- Wednesday, 1/28 - 2nd Quarter Ends / 2-Hour Early Release
- Thursday, 1/29 - Staff Development Day / NO SCHOOL
- Friday, 1/30 - Teacher Work Day / NO SCHOOL
- Monday, 2/16 - George Washington's Birthday / NO SCHOOL
- Tuesday, 2/17 - Teacher Work Day / NO SCHOOL
Dear HMS Families,
Our Cursive Club has received significant media attention over the past few months, and we are thrilled to share that it was most recently featured on the front page of The Washington Post—an incredible moment that highlights the creativity, dedication, and pride of our students and staff. See below for more details!
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Thank you,
Serena Giron
Principal
We’re excited to invite you to our Holmes Middle School Spirit Day on Wednesday, January 14th! 🎉
Join us throughout the day at Chick-fil-A Annandale for a fun and delicious way to support our school. When you place your order, simply mention “hawks” at checkout or enter “hawks” in the Chick-fil-A One App. A portion of the day’s sales will be donated back to Holmes Middle to support our students and programs.
Important: The online code is case-sensitive, so please be sure to enter it exactly as shown: hawks.
Thank you for showing your Hawk pride and supporting our school community. We hope to see you there!
Students are meeting with their counselors to discuss course selection for the next school year.
We will host our Rising 6th grade/ New Student Curriculum Night on Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 starting at 6 pm.
Rising 9th grade students who will be attending Annandale High School should plan to attend the Rising 9th Grade Night next Wednesday, January 14th, 2026. More information about academic advising for Annandale High School can be found at the following website https://annandalehs.fcps.edu/
Information about academic advising for Edison High School can be found at the following website https://edisonhs.fcps.edu/.
Families can learn more about course offerings and programs at these events. School-life balance is an important consideration for students as they strive for academic and personal success. You may contact your student’s school counselor with questions.
6th grade students- Kelly Murphy (kwmurphy@fcps.edu)
7th grade students- Karrah Dane (kdane@fcps.edu)
8th grade students- Erika Davis (emdavis@fcps.edu)
ESOL Students Levels 1-3- Mariam Amarir (mamarir@fcps.edu)
Graduation Requirements and Planning
Planning which courses to take next year — and in future years — must be given considerable thought. Students and families should review the Graduation Requirements and Course Planning webpage to make informed decisions while planning for success in high school and beyond.
The curriculum webpage may also be helpful. Refer to our https://holmesms.fcps.edu/.
We are thrilled to invite you to our 2nd Annual Title I Rec Night! This event is close to my heart, inspired by the "Rec Nights" I attended as a kid in the late '80s. Those nights weren't just about basketball or board games; they were about having a safe space where every child felt they belonged. We want that same sense of community for our HMS students today.
What to expect:
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For Students: Open gym (basketball/volleyball), ping-pong, and teamwork challenges (TBD).
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For Parents: Quick "Learning Stations" to help you navigate Schoology, SIS, and ways to support your child's growth.
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For Everyone: A free family dinner (Halal options available) and free books for every student to take home! Sponsored by Title I!
Last year, nearly 150 community members joined us. Let’s make this year even bigger!
Friday, January 23, 2026, from 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 6-12, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 23. We will administer the survey during SOAR between Monday, March 2 and Friday, March 6. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. The electronic opt-out form can also be accessed at this link.
We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.
WHAT: The Early Identification Program (EIP) is a multiyear (5 year) college preparatory program for students who will be the first in their family to attend a four-year college in the United States. EIP is a collaborative effort between Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) and George Mason University (GMU). The EIP is one of four programs that comprise the College Success Programs in FCPS. EIP goes from 8th grade through 12th grade. Please check out the EIP website at https://eip.gmu.edu/ for more information about the program!
HOW: Nominated students apply to the program at the end of the 7th grade and enter the program in the 8th grade.
Student Participation:
To remain in good standing, EIP students must:
- Maintain a 2.8 GPA
- Attend specified activities/events on Saturdays at GMU Fairfax or Manassas campus
- Attend weekly mentoring / tutoring sessions at Holmes
- Attend the three-week Summer Academy at GMU Fairfax campus every July
- Participate in the Strengthening the Family Workshop
DEADLINE: February 10th, 2026
INTERESTED / QUESTIONS? Please complete the EIP Information Google Form by the deadline if you are interested: https://forms.gle/xfZ1jW2icdUDH5Zj9
Contact Ms. Amarir, School Counselor and EIP Sponsor at 703-658-5942 or via email at mamarir@fcps.edu with any questions.
Dear Rising 9th Grade Parents,
We are excited to welcome you to Annandale High School’s Rising 9th Grade Open House on Wednesday, January 14 from 6:00-8:00pm! We will offer short (optional) sessions on our various Annandale programs, and teachers will be in their classrooms throughout the evening to share all about our core and elective courses for 9th Graders. The goal is for students and parents to leave this event excited about all the opportunities you will have as an Annandale Atom and prepared to complete your course request form when your student meets with their middle school counselor.
Breakout Sessions on the following topics will be offered throughout the evening: Welcome to Annandale, Course Request 101; IB/MYP Program; Activities and Athletics; English for Speakers of Other Languages Program; Special Education Office, and Student Life.
The transition from middle to high school can be difficult and stressful for some students. However, Annandale High School takes tremendous pride in ensuring the transition is as smooth as possible. If you have specific questions that you would like to be addressed during this event, please submit your questions via this Google Form by Monday, January 6. Thank you in advance for your input and assisting us in making this event a success!
Shawn DeRose, Principal
Annandale High School Class of 2026 presents
The Second Annual BLIZZARD BREAKFAST
January 17
9:00–11:30 AM
Location:
Annandale High School Cafeteria
4700 Medford Dr. | Door #7
Activities:
Pancake Breakfast
Crafts | Storytime | Photos | Music
Special Guest: Olaf from Frozen
Admission: $5
Questions?
eemahoney1@fcps.edu
cacole@fcps.edu
All Day Absence:
- 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
- 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 reason for absence.
OR
- Send an email to holmesmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and reason for absence.
Partial Absence:
To report late arrivals, early dismissals, or to update already submitted attendance
- Call the attendance line on 703-658-5919 and leave a message with spelling of your student's first and last names, and reason for late arrival or early dismissal.
OR
- Send an email to holmesmiddle.attendance@fcps.edu with your student's first and last names, your name and relationship to the student, and reason for late arrival or early dismissal.
Please be mindful when requesting for your child to ride the bus with another student. For safety and verification purposes, the school requires written permission from both students’ parents before such arrangements can be approved. Permission emails should be sent to HolmesMiddle.Attendance@fcps.edu first thing in the morning on the day of the request.
Handwritten notes that are dated and signed by both students' parents will also be accepted.
Please note that students will not be issued bus passes without the required written permissions from both students' parents.
If you need to pick up your student early, please do so before 1:30 p.m. to avoid interrupting the safe dismissal process. Please note that doctor’s appointments are not considered emergencies.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us ensure a smooth and safe dismissal for all students.
This schedule is effective as of 11/5/25
NEW opportunities coming to our After-School Program 2nd Semester
Starting in February, our program will be offering some new clubs and activities for our students including the following;
- RC Cars Club
- Comic Book Club
- Capital One “Launch” (previously Capital One Coders)
- Book Club
- Cooking Club
- Engineering Maker Spacer
***Students or families may reach out to Mr. Kruk directly if interested in participating in either of these new clubs for 2nd semester.
ASP Upcoming Schedule 1/12-1/16
Want to learn more about the After-School Program and the activities & clubs that we offer?
Daily Student Sign-ups
- Students will sign-up in the cafeteria with Mr. Kruk on the day(s) in which they plan to stay after-school for any reason (activities, clubs, tutoring, auditions, sports, etc). Please be sure to communicate with your student ahead of time, as we do not provide families with notifications when your student completes the sign-up form and stays after school.
Transportation & Parent/Guardian Pickup.
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Bus Transportation (4:45 ONLY) - Students who regularly take a bus to and from school will be provided with an after-school late bus that will depart Holmes between 4:45-5:00pm. We ask for your patience the first few days of the program as the buses get comfortable with their routes and you may notice that your student is home a little later than anticipated. If you have any questions or concerns regarding transportation, feel free to reach out to the Transportation Office; 703-446-2000.
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Kiss & Ride - Students may be picked up anytime during the program. We prioritize SAFETY during our program thus, parent/guardian must come inside the building and sign out their student if being picked up before 4:45. Students must be picked up from the main office no later than 5:00pm. Students who are picked up after 5:00pm on more than one occasion are subject to losing their After-School Program privileges.
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Walkers . If you would like to have your student walk or bike home from the After-School Program, we require a one-time communication (email) stating that you give permission for your student to walk/bike home from the program this year.
Questions/Concerns?
Join the Holmes MS PTA and attend meetings (4th Wednesday of the month; translation services provided)
PTA Facebook
Join the PTA https://www.holmesmspta.com/
Purchase spirit wear https://www.spiritshop.com/school/virginia/alexandria/holmes-middle-school?mibextid=Zxz2cZ&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. Visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
FCPS high school academies are holding open houses for interested students. Open houses are a great opportunity to visit classrooms and labs, and meet instructors and academy counselors.
An academy is a center within a high school that offers advanced technical and specialized courses to prepare students for postsecondary education and/or career fields. Academy elective courses provide students with various career experiences, including shadowing, mentoring, or internships with local businesses.
Students can explore more than a dozen career fields through FCPS academies! Watch this video to learn more about academy programs.
View the calendar of Academy Open Houses.
Encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process and look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education. Key decision dates and engagement opportunities are coming up in the next few weeks:
- The Fairfax County delegation to the General Assembly will hold a public hearing regarding the upcoming 2026 session on Saturday, January 10, at 9 a.m. in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center.
Fairfax County residents can sign up in advance to speak at the hearing online or contact the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY 711, by Thursday, January 8, at noon.
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Thursday, January 22, Dr. Reid will present the proposed budget to the School Board.
Visit our budget webpage for more information.
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
Please stay in touch with us throughout the year by:
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