Dates to Note
March 3rd - March 26th - 20 minutes added to the instructional day
Monday, March 10th - Spring Sports Tryouts begin
Wednesday, March 12th - 7th Grade Field Trip to Marine Corp Museum
March 21st - End of Quarter 3 - Full Day of Instruction
Friday, March 21st - Huskie Hawk Egg Hunt for PreK and Kindergarten students
March 31st - April 4th - Spring Break - Schools Closed
Dress Code Reminder
Two dress code reminders:
1) Pajama pants cannot be worn to school unless it is a part of a school-sanctioned Spirit Week
2) Tops with open backs are not to be worn as they expose undergarments.
Career Day Volunteers Needed
Pocahontas Middle School’s Annual Career Day offers a unique opportunity for parents and community members to visit our school and talk to 7th grade students about their jobs. Parents, if you are willing to spend a couple of hours with us the morning of Thursday, May 15th (from 8:30 a.m. – 10:35 a.m.), we would love to hear from you.
Career Day speakers are asked to talk for approximately 20 minutes to three different groups of students. Topics to share may include: your journey & what led you to this career, the degree/schooling required, responsibilities of a typical day, your challenges, your favorite perks, and how information students are learning now relates to the world of work.
If interested or need more information, please contact Ms. Debra Milby, 7th grade School Counselor drmilby@henrico.k12.va.us
Pocahontas Book Study
Tuesday, March 18th from 4:45 – 6:00 PM – In-person at Pocahontas – Book Focus = Introduction and Part 1
Tuesday, April 8th from 4:45 – 6:00 PM – Virtual – Book Focus = Part 2
Tuesday, April 29th from 4:45 – 6:00 PM – In-person at Pocahontas – Book Focus = Part 3 and 4
The purpose of our study will be to learn from the author’s research, share ideas amongst participants, and connect about how to support teenagers as technology becomes a bigger and bigger part of their lives. Members of our school-based mental health team will be present to participate and offer school-specific guidance where possible.
For our first session, please RSVP using this Anxious Generation Book Study Form. Even if you cannot attend, the form allows for you to request information to be shared after the discussion.
Your next step – pick up a copy of Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt and begin reading! If you need assistance with purchasing the book, please do not hesitate to reach out as we can provide financial assistance, as needed
Opportunity for 8th Graders - Online Dual Enrollment - Econ and Personal Finance
Economics and Personal Finance is a required class for high school graduation. This option allows a student to take the course online. over the summer
Longwood’s Summer 2025 Dual Enrollment Economics and Personal Finance course will run from June 23 to July 26.
Registration is scheduled to open on Monday, March 17, and closes on June 6. $50 Summer 2025 Longwood Dual Enrollment Flyer (includes a registration link and contact information).
Additionally, [LU] will once again offer a Fall 2025 course option. Fall registration opens in June, and the online course will run from August 25 to December 12. $50. Additional details will be available in late Spring.
Extended School Day Information
Thank you for all your patience and support as we have navigated several school closures this winter! From March 3rd - March 26th our school day will be extended by 20 minutes. The 20 minutes will be used for academic support on Quarter 3 materials, intervention, and/or remediation.
The bell schedule we will follow from Monday, March 3rd - Wednesday, March 26th is below.
Pocahontas Extended School Day Schedule
8:35 - 8:50 AM - Advisory (15 mins)
8:54 - 10:15 AM - Block 1/5 (81 mins)
10:19 - 11:40 AM - Block 2/6 (81 mins)
11:44 - 1:30 PM - Block 3/7 (106 mins - 25-minute lunch, 81 mins of instruction)
6th-grade lunch 11:50 - 12:15
7th-grade lunch 12:25 - 12:50
8th-grade lunch 1:00 - 1:25
1:30 - 2:10 PM - SOAR - Extended Intervention (Students stay with their 3rd/7th-period teacher OR move to assigned intervention/remediation location)
2:14 - 3:35 PM - Block 4/8 (81 mins)
At Pocahontas, we will shorten Advisory to allow for more time later in the day. Students will still report to their Advisory for attendance, announcements, and Hox News. All other instructional blocks have remained their normal amount of time.
SOAR, an extended intervention period, will occur after 3rd/7th period. The purpose of SOAR is to provide students with additional time to master previously taught and Quarter 3 content. Our goal is for students to expand their knowledge so they are prepared for the upcoming Quarter 3 Benchmarks and SOLs. No new instructional content will be covered during this time.
During SOAR, students will either remain in their 3rd/7th period class for large group activities or they will participate in small group remediation and intervention efforts.
Large Group Activities:
We will follow the schedule below for large group practice and remediation: Math Mondays (IXL activities), Read and Write Wednesdays (Actively Learn reading and annotation), Science Fun Friday (Students will need headphones to complete science activities)
Tuesdays and Thursdays - Students will work on assignments specific to their individual needs. Time will be allotted for finishing assignments, working on projects, studying for assessments, or making-up work from days they were absent.
Small Group Activities:
Math, English, and some Science teachers will form strategic groups of students to work with 1-2 times per week.
Exceptional Education and ESL teachers will continue providing services and support to their designated students.
Counselors/Administrators will work with targeted groups of students needing academic support
Already established staff and/or tutor-led small groups will continue their weekly meetings
We thank you for your continued support and flexibility. Together, we will SOAR!
Save the Date - Huskie and Hawk Egg Hunt and Crafts
Our Pocahontas FCCLA is teaming up with Holman's FCCLA to host an Egg Hunt and Craft Event for PreK and Kindergarten students! The special event will take place on Friday, March 21st at 5:30 PM at 600 Concourse Blvd.
Spread the word! Families attending with PreK and Kindergarten students should RVSP at tiny.cc/hmsegg
We are looking for donations of candy, eggs, and baskets. If you are able to donate, please sign-up here! Donations should be delivered to the main office at Pocahontas by Wednesday, March 19th. THANKS FOR HELPING!
Summer Camp Offerings
HCPS offers LOTS of opportunities for students over the summer. Please review the two websites below for details about AWESOME opportunities for HCPS students!
Visit tinyurl.com/HenricoSCC for information of Henrico CTE Summer Career Camps.
Visit https://cte.henricoschools.us/o/hwcd/page/teen-summer-fire-academy for more information of the Henrico Teen Summer Fire Academy.
Support Our Library w/ Pizza Purchases
Pizza for you = Money for the Pocahontas Library with POCAPIZZA!
Treat yourself to Papa John’s pizza and enter the code POCAPIZZA. A portion of your purchase will benefit the Pocahontas Library.
Use the POCAPIZZA code when ordering online at any Papa John’s in Central VA, and don't worry – the code still works with all Papa John's coupon codes and discounts.
Thank you for supporting our library!
Clothing for Cash
As you are cleaning out closets this winter, we encourage you to bring donations to our Clothing for Cash Bin.
Do you have clothing items you are ready to donate? Please use the Clothing to Cash bin located in the Pocahontas Middle School parking lot. The Clothing to Cash School Program is designed to fundraise for our school by collecting new and gently used clothes, shoes and textiles. For each pound of materials donated to the program, the school earns money that is put towards student and staff recognition and incentives.
HCPS Partnership with Care Solace
When you, your child, or a family member needs help, it’s hard to know where to turn. In an effort to ease the burden of finding the mental health care and/or substance use treatment services you need, HCPS has partnered with Care Solace, your new confidential mental health care coordination service.
With a network of over 560,000 providers and services, Care Solace will help you find the right help at the right time, 24/7/365, at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance.
You can access Care Solace services in three ways:
Call 888-515-0595 at any time. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365. A dedicated Care Companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow up to make sure it is a good fit.
Search the Care Match website anonymously to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at https://caresolace.com/site/henricocps
Contact a school-based mental health professional at your school (school counselor, school psychologist, or school social worker), and they will submit a referral on your behalf.
No matter what you’re experiencing, there is hope and help. We are confident that our new partnership with Care Solace will help us build a healthier, more vibrant school community.
If you have a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1 or the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8. Care Solace is not an emergency response service or mental health services provider.
Pocahontas Players Present - The Little Mermaid
BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO to the cast and crew of The Little Mermaid Jr! The Pocahontas Players put on FOUR shows this weekend, and each one was smashing success. The students demonstrated leadership, collaboration, perseverance, and, of course, musical and acting talents! Such a joy to watch!
Thank you to Ms. Justice and Ms. Bultemeier for their dedication and leadership. Together, they led a cast and crew of nearly 100 students to new heights.
HCPS Art Show
As a part of Youth Art Mouth, HCPS hosted its annual Art Show this weekend. Congratulations to all of the Pocahontas students' whose art was on display. To our Art teachers Ms. Jones, Ms. King, and Mr. Dickerson - thanks for your efforts in helping students express themselves through beautiful art.
Congratulations to Orchestra and Gymnastics
This weekend, The Intermediate/Advanced Orchestra performed at District 1 Orchestra Assessment and scored straight SUPERIOR SCORES! (This is the highest score possible!)
CONGRATULATIONS to Ms. May and to ALL of our Strings students! We are so proud of you!
Additionally, our Pocahontas Gymnastics Team was UNDEFEATED this season. Amongst lots of school closures, the learned their routines and competed strongly. Thank you to the coaches and team for your efforts and for representing our school so well!
Supporting Pocahontas's PACK Club
There’s a new coffee shop in town and it wants to support Pocahontas and our humane education club, The PACK, and its mission of helping animals in our community. Starting on January 19th, Foxtail Coffee in West Broad Village will be raising funds for Richmond Animal Care and Control. To participate, just bring your pup into the shop, the staff will take their picture and put it up on our Pup Board, and for each picture, Foxtail will donate $5 until we reach $1,000. Simply share with us that your pup is part of the Pocahontas family. We need a lot of pups! There is absolutely no purchase necessary. Thanks for helping out! Contact Ms. Milby, PACK sponsor, with any questions. (drmilby@henrico.k12.va.us)
This is the link to their Instagram reel announcing it: Foxtail Coffee (West Broad Village) (@foxtailwestbroadvillage) • Instagram photos and videos