FortifyFL School Safety App

October 25, 2018

As part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement have partnered to provide the FortifyFL app. This is an anonymous reporting app for suspicious activity at school. The app is free to download and will link the user directly to law enforcement and the school district. Please access the website below for more information or download the free app from your app store. 

Website- www.getfortifyfl.com

Bethlehem School is currently experiencing an issue with phone service and has been given a temporary phone number during this outage. The number is 547-7122. This is the only phone line available at the school, so please limit calls to those that are absolutely necessary, and be patient if you are unable to get through on the first try. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

School Activities Update

October 18, 2018

Update:  10/19/18, 9:42 a.m.

Ponce de Leon Elementary Activity Changes:

  • Vocabulary Parade scheduled for Oct. 31 rescheduled to Nov. 16

  • Fall Retake Photos for Oct. 22 are postponed

  • Cookie dough orders can be picked up Oct. 23 at 1:00 p.m.

--------------------------

We have updated information regarding a number of school activities.

Volleyball District Tournament, hosted by Holmes County High School

Monday Oct. 22--Cottondale vs. HCHS @ 4:00 p.m.

Vernon vs. Bethlehem @ 6:00 p.m.

Sneads-Bye

Tuesday Oct. 23--Sneads will play the winner of Bethlehem and Vernon @ 4:00 p.m.

Winner of that game will play the winner of Cottondale and HCHS @ 6:00 p.m. for the championship game.

--------------------------

The Bethlehem Junior Beta Paint Party scheduled for Friday, October 19 will be rescheduled to a later date.

--------------------------

Holmes County High Football Game Info:

Friday night Holmes County High School Football will host Vernon High School at 7:00 p.m. at Memorial Field. There will be no admission at the gate for the game, rather we have partnered with, The Regular Guys Crisis Response Team (RG-CRT), a Military Veteran-led Disaster Relief organization. They will be set up at the entrance gates to receive donations towards those being impacted by Hurricane Michael. You may bring items such as food (perishable and non-perishable), water, snack items, baby supplies (diapers, wipes, powder, formula, food), personal hygiene products, and cleaning supplies. Your support is greatly appreciated! 

Out of an abundance of caution and concern, Holmes County Schools will be closed the remainder of this week. This will allow our students, employees, and families time to take care of immediate needs incurred as a result of the damage in our area. In order to make preparations for the reopening of school on Monday, October 22, all 12-month personnel should plan to report to work on Thursday and Friday. All other employees are asked to report to work on Friday.

Fall Break will continue as scheduled on Friday, October 26 and Monday, October 29.

Our community has gone through a traumatic event, and most people just want things to be "normal" again. Schools are a safe haven for our students, a place where they find consistency and caring. The reopening of school conveys that our community is on track to a normal routine again, and a reassurance that things are going to be okay. Thank you for your understanding during this trying time. We are so grateful for the support our county has received from outside agencies, as well as our own citizens working together to help each other during the recovery process. We are stronger together! The road to recovery will be challenging, but I am confident that Holmes County WILL recover and rebuild! May God bless you and God bless the United States of America! ~ Terry L. Mears, Superintendent of Schools

Holmes County Schools will remain closed on Monday, October 15 and Tuesday, October 16. District leaders and school principals met this afternoon to assess the current needs in the county.  We will continue to monitor the status of power and communication systems and make decisions regarding the reopening of schools on a day-by-day basis.
Our area has experienced the worst devastation seen in our lifetimes and the recovery process will be long. Our thoughts are with all those who have suffered tremendous loss. However, I’m confident that our community will rally together once again and support each other during this time of need. We continue to stay in close communication with the Emergency Operations Center, law enforcement, and other first responders as they assess the needs throughout our county. We were happy to be able to offer our assistance by providing shelters in two of our schools. Rebuilding our community will continue to be a process of all of us working together. There are not enough words to express our gratitude to emergency personnel, first responders, law enforcement, linemen, communications providers, and all those who have been working so hard to make sure our citizens are safe and to begin to restore some degree of normalcy to the area. We WILL recover and rebuild. As the recovery efforts continue, please exercise caution and stay safe. Count your blessings, and hug your family a little tighter this weekend! ~ Terry L. Mears, Superintendent
Based on information received from the National Hurricane Center and Emergency Management, Holmes County Schools will be closed on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday due to Hurricane Michael. This will allow families sufficient time to make preparations and evacuate if desired. Information regarding the opening of the special needs shelter at Poplar Springs School will be announced at a later time. We urge all citizens to make the necessary preparations to stay safe during this storm. The safety of our students and families is our top priority!

Official HDSB Mobile App

October 8, 2018

Have you downloaded the official HDSB mobile app?  The app will be our first line of communication regarding school closures, transportation changes, and other important school info.  It's available for free for both Apple and Android devices by searching "Holmes County Schools" in the appropriate app store. Upon installation, you'll be asked to choose any schools you wish to follow and to set your notification preferences. Don't delay, download TODAY!
There will be no school on Monday, September 3 in observance of Labor Day. Classes will resume on Tuesday, September 4. Have a great weekend!

Free Meals for Students

August 8, 2018

We are pleased to inform you that Holmes County Schools will continue to implement the new option available to schools participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for School Year 2018-19.

Schools that participate in the CEP are able to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches each day at no charge for ALL students enrolled in that CEP school during the 2018-19 school year.