Dates to Note
Tuesday, March 25th - Pocahontas PTA Spirit Night at Gelati Celesti
March 31st - April 4th - Spring Break - Schools Closed
April 4th - April 11th - Spirit Week
Friday, April 11th - Senior Walk at Pocahontas
Friday, April 11th - Rally Day (alternative schedule) and Spring Fling (ticket information coming soon)
Thursday, April 17th - Spring Sports Pictures
We are headed into our last week of school before Spring Break! Please review the information below for important school updates.
Friday, March 21st was the last day of quarter three. Over the next two weeks, teachers will be finalizing grades. If you have questions/concerns about your student's progress, please do not hesitate to reach out to the specific teacher.
Tomorrow, Monday, March 24th is the first competition for many of our Spring Sports teams. We are excited to cheer on our teams! Go Hawks!
Join us Tuesday, March 25th at Gelati Celesti to raise money for our school. See details in the PTA section of this newsletter!
The additional 20 minutes added to our school day will end on Wednesday, March 26th. On Thursday, March 27th, we will return to our normal bell schedule and dismissal will occur at 3:15. On the 27th we will return to our normal protocol of early dismissals stopped at 2:50 PM.
Spirit Night - Gelati Celesti
Support our school and get some ice cream along the way! Stop by Gelati Celesti on the evening of Tuesday, March 25th, and as you order, tell them you are with Pocahontas Middle School.
20% of the proceeds from orders tied to Pocathonas will come back to the PTA and our school!
Pocahontas Book Study
Our first discussion of the book Anxious Generation was a huge success! If you would like to join us for our future discussions, please SAVE THESE DATES:
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
For our second session, please RSVP using this Anxious Generation Book Study Form. The TEAMS link will be sent to anyone who RSVPs. Even if you cannot attend, the form allows for you to request information to be shared after the discussion.
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.
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.
Dress Code Reminder
With Spring comes warmer temperatures. Please review the following dress code requirements and discuss them with your student.
1) In regards to shorts/skirts/skorts - "Clothing must reach the tip of the thumb when hands placed at the sides (arms straight with palms flat)"
2) Open back/Backless tops are not to be worn as they expose undergarments.
• The code of code says students cannot wear "Clothing that is see-through, revealing the midriff (while sitting or standing), or resembles undergarments."
3) Sunglasses, hats, and pajama pants cannot be worn in the building unless it is a part of a school-wide spirit week.
Clothing for Cash
As you are cleaning out closets during Spring cleaning?!?! 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.
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
Spring Spirit Week - April 7th - April 11th
Monday 4/7 - Jersey Day
Tuesday 4/8 - Neon Day
Wednesday 4/9 - Pattern Day
Thursday 4/10 - Favorite Color Day
Friday 4/11 - Hawk Pride
Summer Camp Offerings
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.
Virginia State University hosts the US Army Educational Outreach Program's Unite STEAM L.I.T. (Leaders in Training) program, a four week experience for rising 9th-11th grade students. Its purpose is to encourage students to pursue college majors and careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) related fields. Visit the USAEOP website for details, and to find the information on how to apply. Applicants will need to provide an academic transcript and a short essay.