No School for Students on Monday, February 2

 

As was shared earlier today, all WCPSS schools will be closed for students on Monday, February 2 due to the inclement weather. Instead of a remote instruction day, we will make up this missed day by having a regular school day on Monday, February 16, which was previously scheduled to be a Teacher Workday. 

School Counselors Appreciation This Week (February 2-6)

 

This week is National School Counseling Week, a time when we get to recognize and celebrate the incredible impact our counselors have on our students every day. From navigating social-emotional challenges to helping students plan for their futures, our counselors play a critical role in making sure that every child feels seen, heard, and empowered to succeed. This week, the admin team and our PTSA will be celebrating our wonderful counselors Mr. Brown and Mrs. Haunsperger, and we’d like to invite you and/or your child to do the same if you would like to give them a special shout out!

Love the Bus Week Coming Up Next Week (February 9-13)

 

Next week (February 9-13) is Love the Bus Week across Wake County! For many students, our bus drivers and transportation staff are the first faces our students see in the morning and the last ones they see before heading home. They navigate traffic, weather, and early mornings to ensure our children arrive safely and ready to learn. We are so grateful for their commitment to safety and excellence. Please join us in showering our drivers with "love" next week through a kind word, a handmade card, or a simple "thank you" at the bus stop! We are partnering with our PTSA to try to make next week extra special for our drivers, and have designated Wednesday, February 11 as student and family recognition day, so if you’d like to do something special to recognize your child’s bus driver, Wednesday, February 11 is the day!

Valentine’s Dance on Friday, February 13

 

Our next school dance of the year will take place on Friday, February 13, 2026, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm for all PHMS students, grades 6-8 (students from other schools are not permitted to attend). The theme for the dance is Valentine’s Day. The dress code is casual, so students should come comfortable and ready to dance! Students may wish to wear their favorite Valentine’s colors—pinks, reds, and whites. Tickets will be $7 per person and will be sold before school and during lunch at the following times:

 

• Before school: Tuesday, February 10 – Friday, February 13, from 7:45 am until 8:10 am

• During lunch on the following days for each grade level:

  • Tuesday, February 10 during 6th Grade Lunch

  • Wednesday, February 11 during 8th Grade Lunch

  • Thursday, February 12 during 7th Grade Lunch

 

Tickets will not be sold at the door. Also, as a reminder, the dance will conclude promptly at 6:30 pm, at which point all students will need to be picked up. Students who are not picked up within a reasonable amount of time may not be able to participate in future after-school activities. Students who have received three or more days of in-school OR out-of-school suspensions during the 3rd quarter will not be permitted to attend.

Volunteer to Assist with Valentine’s Dance

 

As mentioned above, our next school dance is on Friday, February 13 from 5:00 - 6:30 pm. This dance will be open to all Pine Hollow Middle School students who meet behavior expectations. That being said, our PTSA Dance Committee is looking for some assistance if you are interested in signing up to chaperone and/or donate snacks. Click here to sign up to assist.

Help Fuel Our PTSA Staff Appreciation Chili Lunch on February 20

 

Our wonderful PTSA is coordinating one of our favorite traditions—our now annual Staff Appreciation Chili Cook Off—on Friday, February 20. If you’d like to assist with this by providing anything, please click here to sign up. Even if you don’t want to make a chili dish, there are other things that you can assist with like drinks, toppings, etc.

Spring Picture Day on February 23

 

Strawbridge will be on campus on Monday, February 23 for spring pictures. Students will take pictures during the period they have Health/PE. Families do not need to pay in advance for these photos. Instead, portrait proofs will be sent home from the school in about 3-4 weeks with additional details about how to order actual photos. Click here to see package prices.

Registration Now Open for PTSA March Madness 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament on March 2

 

Get ready for a March Madness Fundraiser!  The PHMS PTSA is thrilled to host the March Madness 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament on Monday, March 2, 2026 from 4:00 - 6:30 pm. Whether you’re a hoop star or just looking for some fun with friends, we want to see you on the court! Registration is currently open online until February 15 and is $45 per 3-person team. This fee covers your tournament entry and a team t-shirt for each player! Gather your squad of three and sign up today to secure your spot in the bracket and raise money for our PTSA!! 

Save the Date for the 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

 

Parents and guardians of 8th graders, we would like to invite you to go ahead and mark your calendars for our 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony that will take place Thursday, June 11 from 9:00 am – 10:00 am. This ceremony will take place at school.

Athletics Updates

 

For additional details about athletics, be sure to check out The Flight Log, a newsletter intended to keep our families up to date with what is going on in the world of Pine Hollow Athletics. For questions regarding athletics at Pine Hollow MS, please contact our Athletic Director Mr. Jason Adams (pjadams@wcpss.net). 

Thank You to Our 2025-26 PTSA School Sponsors

 

A special thank you to the generous local businesses who have signed on to be a sponsor for the 2025-26 school year. If your company—or one that you know—is interested in serving as a sponsor, please connect with our PTSA Fundraising Co-Chairs at phmsptsafundraising@gmail.com.

 

 

No School on Monday, January 26

 

There is no school for students on Monday, January 26, due to the previously planned Teacher Workday. Although students on the year-round calendar have a Remote Instruction Day on Monday (1/26), our students will NOT be expected to do any remote work on Monday, January 26. As we learn more details about Tuesday (1/27) and beyond, we will communicate with students and families. 

Potential School Closures This Week Due to Weather

 

Please pay close attention to email and text messages as we may have some school closures this week, which would require us to activate a Remote Instruction Day for students. To learn more about what to do during remote learning, click here.

Valentine’s Dance on Friday, February 13

 

Our next school dance of the year will take place on Friday, February 13, 2026, from 5:00 – 6:30 pm for all PHMS students, grades 6-8 (students from other schools are not permitted to attend). The theme for the dance is Valentine’s Day. The dress code is casual, so students should come comfortable and ready to dance! Students may wish to wear their favorite Valentine’s colors—pinks, reds, and whites. Tickets will be $7 per person and will be sold before school and during lunch at the following times:

 

• Before school: Tuesday, February 10 – Friday, February 13, from 7:45 am until 8:10 am

• During lunch on the following days for each grade level:

  • Tuesday, February 10 during 6th Grade Lunch

  • Wednesday, February 11 during 8th Grade Lunch

  • Thursday, February 12 during 7th Grade Lunch

 

Tickets will not be sold at the door. Also, as a reminder, the dance will conclude promptly at 6:30 pm, at which point all students will need to be picked up. Students who are not picked up within a reasonable amount of time may not be able to participate in future after-school activities. Students who have received three or more days of in-school OR out-of-school suspensions during the 3rd quarter will not be permitted to attend.

Volunteer to Assist with Valentine’s Dance

 

As mentioned above, our next school dance is on Friday, February 13 from 5:00 - 6:30 pm. This dance will be open to all Pine Hollow Middle School students who meet behavior expectations. That being said, our PTSA Dance Committee is looking for some assistance if you are interested in signing up to chaperone and/or donate snacks. Click here to sign up to assist.

New Quarter and Semester Starts!

 

This past week we wrapped up the second quarter, which means we have officially completed the first semester of the 2025-26 school year. Whenever we return, we will launch the third quarter, meaning that many students will have new elective classes. All students will receive physical copies of their updated second semester schedules in their homeroom/advisory class. Furthermore, we plan to send home second quarter report cards on Friday, January 30, so be sure to check with your student to ensure that you can see how they did.

Thank You to Our 2025-26 PTSA School Sponsors

 

A special thank you to the generous local businesses who have signed on to be a sponsor for the 2025-26 school year. If your company—or one that you know—is interested in serving as a sponsor, please connect with our PTSA Fundraising Co-Chairs at phmsptsafundraising@gmail.com.

 

 

 

No School on Monday, January 19

 

This is a reminder that school is closed on Monday, January 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. As we reflect upon and honor the life and legacy of Dr. King, let us keep his dream of justice, equality, and unity alive within our community and beyond.

Bus Safety Reminders

 

While on the bus, students are expected to refrain from eating and/or drinking. Students should use kind words and actions, as well as refrain from playing loud music, getting up, or engaging in any distracting behaviors for the driver or others. Failure to act appropriately on the bus could result in lunch detention, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, or removal from the bus. We met with all grade levels after the holiday break to remind them of these expectations. We appreciate your support at home to ensure all students and staff remain safe to and from school. If you have any questions or concerns about the bus, please reach out to Ms. Gordon (clgordon@wcpss.net) who will be overseeing bus transportation and bus discipline for the remainder of the year. 

SOS Trainings for 7th Graders

 

As we do each year—along with other WCPSS middle schools—we will be offering depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program that our district promotes. The program has proven to be successful at increasing help seeking by students concerned about themselves or a friend and is the only school-based suicide prevention program listed by SAMHSA for its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices that addresses suicide risk and depression, while reducing suicide attempts. If you have questions about this, please consult with your child’s assigned counselor.

Quarter 2 Ending and Quarter 3 Kicking Off

 

Please note that the second quarter officially ends on Friday, January 23. Teachers are currently working hard to wrap up grading to finalize grades for second quarter report cards, so please reiterate to your student(s) the importance of finishing the quarter strong. Due to the tight timeline to wrap up grades for the quarter, options for submitting late/missing work may be very limited at this point. We will start our second half of the school year with the third quarter beginning on Tuesday, January 27, meaning that many students will have new elective classes. All students will receive physical copies of their updated second semester schedules in their homeroom/advisory class.

Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) Window Open

 

The Single Subject Acceleration test request window is open from January 5 - 23.  SSA is an option for current 6th grade students, 7th grade ELA, or 7th grade Math 7 students only.  Testing will be completed in March, but all requests for testing must be received during the test request window. Late requests will not be permitted. Parents who are interested in their student completing the SSA assessment should email Ms. West (cwest4@wcpss.net) for additional information. 

For Rising 9th Graders – Application for Game Design Academy at Leesville Road HS Now Open

 

Applications for Leesville Road High School’s Game Design Academy are now open — and they only have 50 spots available for next year’s freshman class. If you are interested in attending a virtual information session, mark your calendar for Wednesday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m.

 

For those of you who may not know, the Game Design Academy is a small, career-focused learning community where students explore game design and earn Adobe industry certifications while taking core high school classes with a supportive cohort of peers. Students also participate in job shadowing, career fairs, industry tours, and much more — all designed to help them explore future careers in digital arts and game design. Families can learn all the details at the January information meeting!

Thank You to Our 2025-26 PTSA School Sponsors

 

A special thank you to the generous local businesses who have signed on to be a sponsor for the 2025-26 school year. If your company—or one that you know—is interested in serving as a sponsor, please connect with our PTSA Fundraising Co-Chairs at phmsptsafundraising@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Reflection on First Week of 2026 & Behavioral Reminders

 

It was so great to welcome our students back last week after the winter holiday break. It is always nice to be able to have a break to relax and recharge; however, we also know how important it is to make sure that we utilize the immediate days and weeks after long breaks to reset and re-establish expectations, norms, and routines. This past week, the administrative team met with each grade level during assemblies in the auditorium where we had a chance to celebrate a few things going on at our school, while also reviewing expectations with students. To view the slides that were reviewed with students, click here.

 

One of the things that we spent quite a bit of time discussing with students was bullying/harassment—specifically comments made about people’s race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, immigration status, body image, etc. We have seen an uptick in unkind remarks so I wanted to personally express to students how serious these things are and that any kinds of comments like this will not be tolerated at our school. Furthermore, many of these things fall under new policies and laws that will automatically trigger law enforcement involvement and/or additional consequences that extend beyond the school level and rise to the district level. Please reiterate this with your students.

School Plan for Remote Instruction (If Needed)

 

As you may know, earlier in 2025, the Wake County Public School System Board of Education modified our practices for makeup days related to school closures. As such, in alignment with state law and WCPSS Board Policy 3102, the Superintendent may—when warranted by an emergency—direct temporary remote instruction (up to five days or thirty hours). Doing so allows us the opportunity to continue learning without adding make-up days for students or extending the school year. This approach will also help reduce disruptions to family schedules, keep students connected to learning during unexpected closures, and align WCPSS with neighboring school districts in our state that use similar practices. To learn more about what we will do in case we need to switch to a Remote Instruction day, click here.

Reminders for Parent-to-Student Communication

 

This past week, we’ve had a significant uptick in the number of phone calls the front office has received after 2:30 pm with messages for students (i.e., changes to transportation). To assist us in limiting classroom disruptions and contributing to a really hectic time before dismissal, we ask that messages that need to be relayed to students be shared before lunch so that we can communicate with them then instead of interrupting classes multiple times. 

 

Another idea that some parents/guardians have found to be successful is emailing their child with updates since many students have their Chromebooks and student emails open at different points in the day (you may want to tell them to respond to your email though so that you know they have received the message). 

Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) Window Open

 

The Single Subject Acceleration test request window is open from January 5 - 23.  SSA is an option for current 6th grade students, 7th grade ELA, or 7th grade Math 7 students only.  Testing will be completed in March, but all requests for testing must be received during the test request window. Late requests will not be permitted. Parents who are interested in their student completing the SSA assessment should email Ms. West (cwest4@wcpss.net) for additional information. 

For Rising 9th Graders – Application for Game Design Academy at Leesville Road HS Now Open

 

Applications for Leesville Road High School’s Game Design Academy are now open — and they only have 50 spots available for next year’s freshman class. If you are interested in attending a virtual information session, mark your calendar for Wednesday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m.

 

For those of you who may not know, the Game Design Academy is a small, career-focused learning community where students explore game design and earn Adobe industry certifications while taking core high school classes with a supportive cohort of peers. Students also participate in job shadowing, career fairs, industry tours, and much more — all designed to help them explore future careers in digital arts and game design. Families can learn all the details at the January information meeting!

Thank You to Our 2025-26 PTSA School Sponsors

 

A special thank you to the generous local businesses who have signed on to be a sponsor for the 2025-26 school year. If your company—or one that you know—is interested in serving as a sponsor, please connect with our PTSA Fundraising Co-Chairs at phmsptsafundraising@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Happy New Year!

 

Welcome Back and Happy New Year! On behalf of the PHMS faculty and staff, I hope your winter break was filled with rest, joy, and quality time with loved ones. I look forward to welcoming our students back to school on Monday and to starting the second half of our school year.

 

The turn of the calendar offers us a unique opportunity to hit the "reset" button. In the next week or so, we will be focused on doing just this as we will be working to reset and re-establish routines and expectations. 

Single Subject Acceleration (SSA) Window Open

 

The Single Subject Acceleration test request window is open from January 5 - 23.  SSA is an option for current 6th grade students, 7th grade ELA, or 7th grade Math 7 students only.  Testing will be completed in March, but all requests for testing must be received during the test request window. Late requests will not be permitted. Parents who are interested in their student completing the SSA assessment should email Ms. West (cwest4@wcpss.net) for additional information. 

For Rising 9th Graders – Application for Game Design Academy at Leesville Road HS Now Open

 

Applications for Leesville Road High School’s Game Design Academy are now open — and they only have 50 spots available for next year’s freshman class. If you are interested in attending a virtual information session, mark your calendar for Wednesday, January 21 at 6:30 p.m.

 

For those of you who may not know, the Game Design Academy is a small, career-focused learning community where students explore game design and earn Adobe industry certifications while taking core high school classes with a supportive cohort of peers. Students also participate in job shadowing, career fairs, industry tours, and much more — all designed to help them explore future careers in digital arts and game design. Families can learn all the details at the January information meeting!

Thank You to Our 2025-26 PTSA School Sponsors

 

A special thank you to the generous local businesses who have signed on to be a sponsor for the 2025-26 school year. If your company—or one that you know—is interested in serving as a sponsor, please connect with our PTSA Fundraising Co-Chairs at phmsptsafundraising@gmail.com.