February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER NEW DECADE! / Winter Edition
School Year 2019–2020
Our Principal,
Mr. Jonathan Saipe
We rolled out Kindness Week, January 27–31, with enthusiasm.
The goal of this week was to teach students that kindness is a
way to connect with one another and provide a safe, inviting and
inclusive environment for all. With different Spirit Days and
Kindness Stations, students engaged in the power of kindness.
Our children are taking action to ensure that ALL students are
included and feel a sense of belonging at Holmes! They are also
learning how to engage in ways that further develop their own
sense of belonging. We want all of our students to know that
what they say and do really matter!
In early February, we began the complicated work of building our
budget for the 2020–2021 school year. The district priority is to
protect the classroom and make zero cuts to schools. We will be
able to continue to fund critical positions of noon duty
supervision and our library assistant. Our 2020–2021 preliminary
mid–range enrollment forecast is projected to be 555 students,
or four less students than the current year. We will be accepting
CHOICE siblings next year. Class sizes will remain the same at 24
students per teacher in grades TK–2, and no more than 35
students per teacher in grades 4 and 5. (Continued on pg.2)
IN THIS ISSUE:
• Upcoming Events, Teacher of the
Year! & Faculty/Staff Updates
• Message from our PTA President
• “Kids in Motion” Jogathon
• Saturdays in Spring: Campus
Beautification & “Island Getaway”
• Dining for Dollars & Box Tops for
Education
• New on Campus: Student
Recognition Photo Backdrop &
Kinder Bathrooms Artwork
• Holmes Student Council Report
• Mileage Club
• A Look Back: Kindness Week
• Reminder Board! Social Media, Lost
& Found & Staff Appreciation Dates
On Pg.3: Our
2019-2020
Teacher
of the Year!
In Partnership for Excellence:
Principal Saipe (Continued from pg.1)
We strive to continually upgrade our school
facilities; we recently refinished the stage
flooring and hung new curtains in the
auditorium, and it looks beautiful! Currently the
district is installing a new fiberoptic network,
which will increase internet speeds for our
student technology devices; and soon we will be
switching to a Voice Over Internet Protocol
phone system. The Office Entry Redesign is nearing
completion and will improve safety and access for volunteers
and visitors to the campus.
2020–2021 will be a year of construction projects:
• The Campus Lighting Project will replace all fluorescent
lighting with new LED bulbs, which will greatly cut energy/
maintenance costs, improve safety and reduce eye strain.
• This summer, the entire school will be painted in new
school colors!
• The Joint–Use Field Project is scheduled to begin
construction in January 2021.
All of the projects we are undertaking will help us maintain a
safe, beautiful and welcoming campus!
As always, thank you for your continual support of the
students and staff at our school. You make great things
possible!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
Kindness Stations
during Kindness Week
News From Our PTA President
Holmes families are the best!
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
• Mar 3—Recognition Assemblies (gr. TK/K & 4/5)
• Mar 6—Family Friday (8:30–9:30am)
• Mar 6—Recognition Assemblies (gr. 1/2/3)
• Mar 13—Holmes Jogathon “Kids In Motion” (1:30pm)
• Mar 18—Dining for Dollars @ The Habit (all day)
• Mar 24—Spring Photos / 5th Grade Grad Photos
• Mar 26–27—Parent/Teacher Conferences (12:30 dismissal)
• Mar 30–Apr 3—Spring Break (no school)
• Apr 10—Family Friday (8:30–9:30am)
• Apr 10—PTA Movie Night (5:30pm)
• Apr 15—Dining for Dollars @ Blaze & Yogurtland (1–8pm)
• Apr 18—Saturday Campus Beautification Project (9:00am)
• Apr 20–24—Scholastic Book Fair
• Apr 23—PTA Assn. Mtg. and Open House (5–7:30pm)
• Apr 25—Island Getaway Spring Gala (6:00pm; adults only)
• Apr 30—Science Night (6–7:30pm)
Teacher of the Year:
“Coach” Sue Welker!
Heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to our talented
Physical Education instructor, Susan Welker,
for being awarded the honor of 2019-2020
Holmes Teacher of the Year! This special
recognition of hard work and positive energy is
voted upon annually by all of the teachers at
our school. Holmes is so fortunate to have you!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
FACULTY/STAFF UPDATES:
• School Secretary Linda Pepin retired in Dec. 2019
• Raquel Gonzalez has been promoted to School Secretary
• Ms. Amy Abbott joins the Holmes teaching staff (Kinder)
• We wish Kim LeBouef well in her retirement from teaching!
• Mrs. Brittni King (Speech/Language) will be taking
maternity leave soon with her first baby (girl)! Soon-to-be
congratulations to the young family!
• Welcome Lila Burchett, new Special Education Assistant
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
Your Holmes PTA
PRINCIPAL – JONATHAN SAIPE | PTA PRESIDENT – DEENA CARNEY
HAWKEYE EDITOR – JANET KNEIER
Full PTA Board list at www.holmespta.org (About Us)
Also visit www.sandiegounified.org/schools/holmes
The HAWKEYE is a quarterly newsletter sponsored on behalf of
Holmes Elementary School by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
We are currently filling the PTA Board for the 2020-2021
school year. Consider serving in an open position!
Message from our PTA President,
Deena Carney
I don’t know about you, Holmes families, but this school year is
flying by! I truly don’t want to miss a minute of watching my
daughter, Eden, tackle 4th grade with the force of the bubbly,
joyful, tiny hurricane that she is. It is one of the main reasons I like
being involved in PTA. I get to stay in the loop with everything
going on here at school, and I get to have a voice in activities and
programs that affect all of our students. It is also the reason I am
asking all of YOU to get involved throughout your children’s
elementary school years. The days when they run over to see you
and hug you, or want to hold your hand, may be gone sooner than
you think. If you have ever walked into your children’s classrooms
and seen them light up with pure joy, this is one of the best
feelings we will have as parents. Don’t pass up these opportunities
to volunteer for Arts Attack, Junior Achievement (coming up soon),
or at our spirited Holmes Jogathon in March. We are also currently
building our PTA Board for next school year! There are so many
ways to get involved and make lasting memories FOR and WITH
your little ones. You won’t regret it, I promise! See you on campus!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
Coming Up: “Kids in Motion”
Annual Jogathon
Our Kids in Motion Jogathon fundraiser is on Friday, March 13,
and it is time to start collecting donations from your family,
friends and colleagues! This is the PTA’s largest fundraiser of the
year and makes it possible for our school to continue providing
all of our students with critical enrichment activities such as Arts
Attack, Choral Music, Junior Achievement, field trips, school
gardens, a computer lab, community events like the Halloween
Carnival and SO much more!
Our goal this year is to raise $35,000; our school needs your
help to get there! We are asking each student to secure a
minimum of $60 in donations to support him/her in the
Jogathon. To assist with this process, we have created a personal
fundraising page for each student. Please note we are requesting
that each student secures flat donations, not donations based on
the number of laps run. Find your student’s fundraising page and
donate at http://www.holmes.myfunrun.com. The link on your
student's page is unique to him/her so copy, paste and share!
Donations can also be made by cash or check (payable to Holmes
PTA) using the pledge sheet and envelope that were sent home
with your child (extras are in the front office). All cash and check
donations must be turned in by Wednesday, March 11, and
online donations must be made by Friday, March 20 for your
student to receive contest credit. Prizes will be awarded!
A HUGE THANK YOU to our 2020 Jogathon sponsors to date!
Platinum Sponsor – Conveyor & Storage Solutions, Inc.
Rancho Santa Fe Audiology
Gold Sponsors – Law Offices of Jennifer B. Siverts
The Legacy Real Estate Co.
TimingHQ
Silver Sponsors – Copper Sponsors –
Allstar Premiere Insurance Services American Quick Print
Ascot Shop Bill & Judy Conklin
Ashley Ortega of CMG Financial Champs Lounge
Helix Electric Melanie Parker
K-Co Construction Orthodontics
Kickforce Martial Arts Simon De Lira of
Laura Kelley – Keller Williams Realty Movement Mortgage
Lawrence Lotzof, DDS
MidWest Financial Partners
Rode Family
Russ Eskilson Real Estate
Youth Pickleball Academy
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
Saturdays in Spring:
“Island Getaway” Gala & Auction
Adults with a connection to Holmes are invited out for an evening
of fun, dancing and dinner on Saturday, April 25 from 6:00 to
10:00 pm. All who attended the spring event last year had a great
time and appreciated the opportunity to meet fellow parents,
grandparents and staff/teachers that make up the greater Holmes
family. There is sure to be something for everyone at the silent
auction. Take out your island attire and buy your event tickets
today! Prices increase on March 16! Click here for tickets.
Saturdays in Spring:
Campus Beautification Activity
Approximately twice a year, students and staff come together on
a Saturday to keep our outdoor school environment clean and
inviting! It is only a two–hour activity, and yet it makes a huge
difference that benefits both our school and our community!
This semester on Saturday, April 18 at 9:00 am,
the focus will be a particularly fun activity: giving
the mulch area around the Hawk statue (near the
auditorium) a landscaping makeover! Bring your
work gloves and closed-toe “tennies”! By lending
your helping hands, you will take new pride in the
beauty of your school while meeting other families,
joining Holmes teachers and staff, and smiling
your way through a fresh-spring-air day!
Children are welcome
with parental/guardian
supervision.
Mark your calendar and
see you on April 18!
Did you know?
The painted metal
columns around
campus that look
like No.2 pencils
were created on a
Saturday Campus
Beautification Day!
Come have some
fun and keep your
school beautiful!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
Box Tops for Education
EVERY Box Top counts to keep our school programs running!
Review the “new process” and scan after each eligible purchase.
You are now able to designate a classroom for competition credit!
Visit https://youtu.be/qWuXDKejVEg for an easy tutorial.
Dining for Dollars
Dining for Dollars continues in 2020 as a fun and easy
way to help raise money with our PTA and to support
all of Holmes’ wonderful programs. Our goal is to
raise $5,000 each year through Dining for Dollars
(DFD) events. To date this school year, together we
have raised over $3,000 (60% of our goal) through
DFD opportunities! Here are the events still coming up
this year; SAVE THE DATES!
• Mar 18—The Habit (all day)
• Apr 15—Blaze & Yogurtland (1-8 pm)
• May 6—Islands (all day)
• May 20—Skateworld (5-8 pm)
Watch for Konstella reminders and fliers with details
on how to participate during each of our Holmes’
Dining for Dollars events. Thanks for your support
and see you all there!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
New on Campus:
Recognition Award Backdrop
The PTA has purchased a red carpet and cheerful, full-of-school-
spirit photo backdrop so that students receiving a recognition
award can pose for memorable pictures and have fun after being
honored. These big smiles seem to approve of Holmes’ new
awards-day feature!
New on Campus:
Kinder Bathrooms Artwork
The Scrimger family (with two students at Holmes) donated their
own products through the business they own, Volume 11
Graphics (https://www.volume11inc.com), to “refresh” the interior
of the kinder bathroom building with cute and bright wall wraps!
THANK YOU to the Scrimger family for this colorful improvement!
Student Leaders: Student Council
By Larsyn V., Holmes Student Council School Recorder
Hey Holmes Hawks! We've had some really exciting events these
past months with the Student Council. We elected officers from
the group of Classroom Representatives. Our new officers are:
President – Ellie D., Vice President – Hannah S., School Recorder –
Larsyn V., Safety Officer – Riley S., 2nd Grade Liaison – Emma L.,
1st Grade Liaison – Jacob C., Kindergarten Liaison – Chelsea K.
In November the Council started “Campus Beautiful,” with each
classroom assigned to a specific area of the school for trash pick-
up on Thursdays. We also set up Student Council judges to
review the areas. If the assigned areas are cleaned up well, those
classrooms earn 10 minutes of extra recess on Friday!
Our Annual Food Drive (sponsored by the Holmes Student
Council) in November was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday
season. We collected over 5,000 items! Thanks to all of your
donations, we made a lot of hungry families very happy.
Many students submitted their artwork for the Valentine Grams
and it was very difficult to choose. The winners were Abby N.,
Elise E., and Zane A. The Student Council sold the bright pink
Valentine Grams the week before Valentine's Day, attached a
sweet treat, and delivered them on Feb. 13 to the classrooms.
Coming Up! Save your pennies and dimes for our next event,
“Pennies for Patients!” Our collection drive in April will benefit the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Watch for more information!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
2019-2020
Holmes Student Council
Grade 5 – Jacob C., Ellie D., Emma L., Zoie P.;
Carly H., Chelsea K., Madison W., Lawson W.;
Khloe G., California I., Coral J., Emma Y.
Grade 4 – Rhyan B., Teagan M., Jack O., Riley S.;
Evan D., Hunter D., Karis M., Drew R.;
Colton M., Nick R., Hannah S., Larsyn V.
Grade 3 – Wyatt B., Ellery K.; Jordan F., Kenzi M.;
Sawyer M., Taylor P.; Riley G., Leander H.
2019-20 Student Council 2019-20 Council Officers
Find waivers in the front office to participate!
Holmes Mileage Club
Our “running club” on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 8:05-8:20am
allows Holmes students to be healthy, have fun
and burn energy before class begins for the day!
There is no cost for this activity. Students can
join anytime after their guardians sign a waiver.
Kindergartners are welcome if their responsible
adults stay to supervise and walk them to class
after running ends. There is a Konstella group
for updates, and a website so parents can view
their children’s progress. Tokens are earned for
participation and special mileage milestones.
Parent helpers needed; contact the current
parent organizer Joanna De Vos (Konstella or at
[email protected]). Join us!
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
A Look Back on Recent Events...
February 21, 2020
HAWKEYE NEWSLETTER
Holmes Elementary PTA
Reminder Board! Social Media...
JOIN HOLMES FAMILIES IN OUR FACEBOOK GROUP!
SEARCH “HOLMES ELEMENTARY PTA (SAN DIEGO)”
KONSTELLA IS WHERE HOLMES FAMILIES STAY
CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER AND THEIR ROOM
CAPTAINS/REPRESENTATIVES, SHARE PICTURES
AND RECEIVE REMINDERS! DOWNLOAD THE FREE
APP (OR VISIT KONSTELLA.COM) AND USE THE
HOLMES SCHOOL CODE: QQDKOM
Got Lost? Not Found?
Parents: When is the last time you visited the Lost & Found in the
lunch courtyard to check for your students’ items? It is growing
rapidly; stop on by (often) and bring back home what is yours!
ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY: APRIL 22
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK: MAY 4-8