Hornet Happenings

Fall Dance

Thank you to our sponsors: Scale, Nothing Bundt Cakes and Foster Art! Thank you to all of our volunteers! It was an amazing event. If you had your photos done in our photo booth you can find your photos here.

Hospitality

Thank you to our hospitality committee for a wonderful spread for conferences and to everyone who donated!

Dining Night Out

DNO at Chipotle was a success! Thank you to everyone who stopped by and ordered in support of Hollymead.

The Hollymead Spirit Wear store is up on the PTO website! Check out it out to view our current inventory and order online.

Do you volunteer often? Save time during check-in with the Raptor PassPort Safe app! This convenient app lets you store a QR code from Raptor right on your phone. Simply scan your code at the Raptor Visitor System each time you visit—no need to rescan your ID or take a new picture every time. Just remember to bring your phone with you for each check-in!

The Literati Everglow Forest Book Fair is coming to Hollymead from November 10-13! Students will have the chance to get a sneak peek Friday, November 7th! Did you know that November is Family Literacy Month? Families are specially invited to visit the fair during our Family Night/Math Night on November 11th from 5:30- 7pm. Every purchase supports our school! We hope your reader will be inspired!

Want a 20% volunteer discount? Sign up for one of our volunteer shifts to lock in your discount! The volunteer sign up can be found here! Not sure what time your student will be visiting the fair? Check out our class sign up here!

Support Classroom Libraries
Don't forget to visit our Teacher Wish Lists both online and at the fair! Purchasing from a teacher's list is a wonderful way to help build their classroom library. Books purchased at the fair will be delivered to classrooms. Books ordered through our online fair will be delivered after the fair.

Literati Gift Cards

Literati gift cards are a safe and easy payment method for kids! You can purchase gift cards online at Literati.com/Store. If you choose to create an account, you will be able to view all gift cards associated with a given email address, merge old balances to a new card, edit details like recipient name, transfer a card to a different email address, and more!

Shop Online Anytime
Browse from the comfort of home, check out curated collections, and shop items you won’t find at the in-person fair. The Online Book Fair will run through November 13th! Head over to our Book Fair website to explore a wide selection of books from Literati, including online-only exclusives! Every purchase supports our PTO and helps us put more books directly into the hands of our students!

Join us for Dining Night Out at Chipotle on Wednesday, November 12th from 11 AM-10 PM! Skip the cooking and support our PTO—20% of your order will be donated back to our school!

How to Participate:

• Show the flyer to your server (printed or digital)

• Mention Hollymead PTO

Every bite makes a difference—thank you for your support! We can’t wait to see you there!

With chilly days ahead, our stock of tissues and cleaning wipes is running low. If you’re able, please consider sending in a donation with your student or purchase directly from the PTO Amazon wish list which will be sent to the school. Together, we can help keep our classrooms healthy and ready for learning all winter long!

Our Lost and Found is filling up—especially with jackets and other cool-weather gear! All unclaimed items will be donated after Family Night at the Book Fair/Math Night on November 11th.

Are you passionate about our school community and love organizing events? We're looking for enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers to join our PTO Board for the 2025–2026 school year!

Vice President of Events

Help bring our school events to life!
This key role works closely with event leads to plan, organize, and support school events throughout the year. Responsibilities include:

• Supporting the PTO President and stepping in as needed

• Managing event timelines, budgets, and logistics

• Ensuring smooth communication and coordination with volunteers

If you are organized, love planning, and want to make a big impact—we’d love to hear from you!

If you're interested or want to learn more, please reach out to Nadia at:

hollymeadptopresident@gmail.com

Your time and talents make a big difference—thank you for supporting our school!

Math Curriculum

• ACPS is working with Kiddom to fix ongoing issues in the new math program.

• Teachers are encouraged to use Kiddom, Investigations, and other trusted materials that best fit students’ needs.

• Hollymead is piloting Get More Math in grades 3 and 5, following positive results at other ACPS schools.

• Small group (ELT) math instruction continues within classrooms; some grades may explore flexible grouping across classes in the future.

📖 Reading & Writing

• ACPS data shows significant reading gaps, especially for Black and economically disadvantaged students, despite high per-student spending.

• Hollymead teachers are reviewing student data and creating individualized support plans, with dedicated time provided for this work.

• Typing is now required for students in grade 3 and above for tests and essays, though ACPS does not currently teach formal typing skills.

💬 Parent-Teacher Conferences & Communication

• Parents shared concerns about short notice for conference scheduling and overlapping dates with other local schools.

• Hollymead administration is taking this feedback and will adjust scheduling for future conferences.

• Teachers aim to acknowledge parent emails or Remind messages within 24 business hours and follow up as soon as possible.

• Email remains the best way to contact teachers with questions or concerns.

🤝 Support During the Government Shutdown

• Families impacted by the federal government shutdown can reach out for help with lunch accounts, EDEP, or other supports.

• Contact: Principal Joe McCauley, Assistant Principal Kim Gentry, or Counselor Megan Kopley for assistance.

• November 10-13: Fall Book Fair
• November 11: Fall Book Fair Family Night/Math Night, 5:30-7p
• November 12: Dining night out at Outback, 11am-10p

• November 13: Online book fair ends

• November 20: PTO Meeting, 7p

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