Dates to Note
Wednesday, September 10th - Fall Sports Competitions Begin
Thursday, September 11th (6-8 PM) - Pocahontas Back To School Night
Wednesday, September 17th - HCPS Life Ready Exo at Hermitage High School
Wednesday, September 17th - 6th Grade Hawk Hangout
Thursday, September 18th (during school) - HCPS Specialty Center presentation to 8th Graders (students only)
Saturday, September 20th - HCPS Resource Fair (see flyer above for details)
Monday, September 22nd - Student Holiday/Teacher Professional Learning Day
Friday, October 3rd @ 9 AM - Pocahontas 8th Grade Parent/Guardian Info Session - High School Options
Back to School Night
Join us on Thursday, September 11th from 6-8 PM to meet your student's teachers and learn about their classes.
Parents/guardians will gather in their student's advisory class. Then, they will move from class to class following their student's schedule. In each class, guests will hear a 7-minute presentation from the teacher. They will share important details about their classroom routines, procedures, expectations, and curriculum.
While this is a great time to hear from your student's teachers, this is not a time for 1:1 conferences. If you have questions for the teacher specific to your student, please email/call/or set up an individual time to speak.
During advisory on Tuesday morning, students will write down their class schedule and leave it with their Advisory teacher. Parents/guardians will receive the list of classes when they arrive for the event. Knowing your students' Advisory class number when you arrive will be helpful, but we will be prepared to share that information with attendees, too.
All guests will need to walk through our weapon scanners. Doors will open for the event at 5:40PM with the Advisory presentation beginning at 6PM.
We look forward to seeing you at Back to School Night! And, don't forget to order Marcos pizza for dinner using the code PocaPTA.
Pocahontas School Fundraiser is COMING!
In mid-September, we will kick off our school-wide fundraiser with FundGive! Students will attend a presentation and bring home directions. Our goal is for ALL students to participate in the process!
Along the way, students will receive incentives for their participation.
Attendance Reminders
Attending school on a daily basis is a critical piece of academic success. Missing even one day of learning can cause a setback. Please take a minute to review the HCPS attendance policy and these family resources from Attendance Works.
If your student needs to stay home for the day, please report the absence to the school by calling 804-364-0830.
Students who are car riders are reminded to arrive to school with enough time to enter the building and report to Advisory before the 8:35 AM bell. Students arriving after 8:35 AM are considered tardy and will need to report to the main office to sign-in and receive a pass to class.
Early dismissals for students will end at 2:50 PM. If your student needs to leave school early, please arrive at the main office to sign them out before 2:50 PM.
Front Office Volunteers
We are always thankful for office volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering in our main office, please complete this Sign-Up Genius.
Before volunteering, please be sure to complete the HCPS Volunteer Form.
VALLSS Information
As part of the requirements set forth in the Virginia Literacy Act, students in grades 6-8 that did not pass their Reading SOL at the end of the 2024-25 school year will participate in the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS). VALLSS is designed to provide teachers and families with a better understanding of why students may be experiencing reading difficulties. The VALLSS assessment will help to identify relative strengths and weaknesses with code-based and language comprehension skills. The data from this assessment will be used to guide instruction for improved reading outcomes.
VALLSS consists of four required components.
Students will engage in an oral reading fluency task. They will read a short fiction text and a short nonfiction text out loud with their teacher. This will assess the student’s words read correctly per minute.
Students will complete a spelling test which contains 20 words.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of prefixes, suffixes, and base words by completing the 12 item morphology component.
Students will demonstrate their comprehension at the sentence level by completing the 16 item sentence comprehension component.
VALLSS contains two conditional components. These components are given when a student demonstrates weak oral reading fluency. At this time, the teacher would administer a word reading list and a nonsense word reading list.
As part of the Literacy Act, students that take VALLSS will have a Student Reading Plan for the 2025-26 school year. VALLSS data will be shared with families and used to set reading goals for each student’s Reading Plan. We look forward to partnering with you to increase reading outcomes for your child.
VALLSS assessments will begin on Monday, August 25th.
PowerSchool Activation - Accessing Grades and Attendance
As of August 27th, grades and attendance are live in PowerSchool. Parents/Guardians and students are encouraged to check PowerSchool regularly to monitor students' progress. If you have questions about an assignment and/or grade, please reach out to the teacher.
If you don't have an account, the PowerSchool Information sight has a tutorial and directions
Paying School Fees
Your student may have school fees associated with one or more of the classes they are taking. Paying these fees allows us to maintain the supplies, technologies, and resources needed for these courses.
Please take a moment to log into our Online School Payment (OSP) Website.
When you log in, you can access both required fees (based on a student's schedule) and optional fees (yearbook, etc).
Following these steps will help you see the fees specific to your student:
Visit the online payment system site
Under middle school click, Pocahontas
To access your student's specific payments, you can click where it says "click here." See the small image to the right for a visual.
Log into your account and you can see specific fees for your student.
If you need help accessing OSP, please see directions here. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Family Picture Request - Form Reopened
Thank you to all our families who submitted family pictures for our display board. We would LOVE to add more family pictures to the display board.
The form has been reopened. Check out this ParentSquare message and form to submit your picture!
8th Grade Parent Information Session: Exploring High School Opportunities
Henrico County offers 8th grade students a variety of unique options for high school. While most of our students are zoned for Godwin High School, families should know that students may apply to attend other high schools—both within Henrico County and at regional programs.
Did you know?
Students who apply to and are accepted into an ACE Center are guaranteed a spot beginning in 11th grade. And they still attend Godwin all 4 years!
Eligibility to apply for Maggie Walker Governor’s School is based on specific criteria.
Applications for some programs open as early as the end of September.
We invite you to join us for a 45-minute Parent Information Session on Friday, October 3rd at 9:00 AM in the library.
Ms. Milby, our 8th grade counselor, will provide an overview of these exciting opportunities, including:
Advanced Career Education (ACE) Centers
CodeRVA Regional High School
JROTC Military Science Programs
Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School
HCPS Specialty Centers
Please note: all 8th grade students will also receive a similar presentation during school.
HCPS Specialty Centers
Is your 8th grader a student with a concentrated area of interest or special talent? If so, consider attending an HCPS specialty center. The centers, located in each of the division's high schools offer Henrico County students opportunities to focus their learning experiences. The centers offer advanced courses to students with clear interests and specific educational and/or career goals.
In addition to the traditionally strong academic programs offered at each Henrico comprehensive high school, attending a specialty center is an opportunity to concentrate on a specialized interest while completing a rigorous college-preparatory program. Check out this video for details about HCPS Specialty Centers.
All of our Pocahontas 8th graders will attend a session about specialty centers on Thursday, September 18th, during Advisory.
Families and students looking for more information are encouraged to visit the HCPS Speciality Center page and/or attend one of the Information Sessions:
Sept. 11: Session from 5:30-8 p.m. at J.R. Tucker H.S.
Specialty Center Open House Dates
The calendar below outlines the dates for individual Specialty Center Open Houses. Events are 6:30-8 p.m. unless noted in parentheses.
HCPS high school specialty centers, ACE centers, I.B. programs and regional high schools:
2025 DATE | CENTER |
Sept. 30 | Maggie L. Walker Governor's School: virtual introduction (5:30-6:30 p.m.) |
Oct. 1 | Advance College Academy for Business Administration at Highland Springs H.S. |
Oct. 1 | Center for Education and Human Development at Glen Allen H.S. |
Oct. 7 | Center for Engineering at Highland Springs H.S. |
Oct. 8 | Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability at Varina H.S. |
Oct. 9 | Center for Leadership, Government and Global Economics at Douglas S. Freeman H.S. |
Oct. 9 | Center for Cybersecurity at Henrico H.S. |
Oct. 14 | CodeRVA open house (6-8 p.m.) repeated on Dec. 9 |
Oct. 14 | Center for Information Technology at Deep Run H.S. |
Oct. 15 | Advance College Academy Social Sciences at J.R. Tucker H.S. |
Oct. 22 | Center for Communications and Media Relations at Varina H.S. |
Oct. 23 | International Baccalaureate at J.R. Tucker H.S. |
Oct. 25 | Maggie L. Walker Governor's School open house at 10 a.m. |
Oct. 27 | Center for Spanish Language and Global Citizenship at J.R. Tucker H.S. |
Oct. 28 | ACE Centers (all campuses) open house at ACE Center @ Hermitage |
Oct. 28 | Center for Allied Health and Human Services at Hermitage H.S. |
Oct. 29 | Todd A. Phillips Center for Medical Science at Mills E. Godwin H.S. |
Oct. 30 | International Baccalaureate at Henrico H.S. |
Nov. 5 | Center for the Humanities and Civic Engagement at Hermitage H.S. |
Nov, 6 | Center for the Arts at Henrico H.S. |
Dec. 9 | CodeRVA open house (6-8 p.m.) same content from Oct. 14 |
Student Behavior Expectations
Student ID Cards
Our students are doing a wonderful job of meeting our expectation of wearing their IDs daily. The IDs are being used as the students enter and exit buses, as they pay for their lunch, as they arrive late or leave early from school, and as they checkout library resources.
Important information about IDs:
Each student will visibly display their ID for the entirety of every school day.
If a student needs a new lanyard, they should visit our main office to request a new lanyard.
If a student needs a new ID, the first replacement is free. Any ID replacements beyond the first one are assigned a five-dollar, non-refundable charge.
ID replacements will be requested during Advisory in the library. Any student needing a new ID will be directed to the library. The replacement ID will be given to the student on the nearest Wednesday or Friday to when it was requested.
When a new ID is printed for a student, their old ID is no longer active. If the old ID is found, it should be confiscated.
If a student does not have their ID for four consecutive days, they will be sent to the library to order a replacement.
Safety Drills
In accordance with Virginia State Code and HCPS Safety requirements, all schools must complete Hide and Lock Drills at various times throughout the school year. The drills require students and staff to practice the protocols used in emergency situations. Pocahontas Middle School plans to conduct a Hide and Lock Drill this week (September 8th - September 12th). Information about the drill will be sent directly before and after it begins.
Medication Reminders
Parents/guardians - please note, students should not be bringing medications to the clinic. All medications need to be brought into the clinic by a parent/guardian. For our clinic staff to administer medication to a student, there are specific forms that must be completed and signed by a parent/guardian.
Additionally, students cannot carry any type of medication on them while at school (unless proper documentation is in the clinic). This includes. but is not limited to, allergy medicine, over-the-counter pain or cold medicine, or prescription medicine.
Legacy Book Club
The Pocahontas Legacy Book Club lets you honor the birthday of a Pocahontas student in a lasting way while helping expand the Pocahontas library collection. Here’s how it works:
1. Visit the online payment system to pay your $15 donation
2. During your student’s birthday month, they will choose a brand new book that will be added to our school library.
We will place a personalized nameplate inside the book to honor their legacy on our library shelves for years to come!
The student will also receive a birthday goodie bag with a bookmark, waterproof sticker, eraser, and candy.
Please send any questions or comments to Ms. Walker at mawalker3@henrico.k12.va.us. Thank you for supporting our library!
Box Tops for Education
Are you looking for a quick and easy way to support Pocahontas Middle School? The Box Tops for Education app lets you earn cash for our school library by shopping for products you already buy at any store of your choice! Buy participating products, then use the Box Tops app to scan or upload your store receipt (or if you shop at Walmart, just connect your Walmart account directly to the Box Tops app). The app automatically identifies eligible products on your receipt and credits the earnings to Pocahontas. And yes, it works for online pickup & delivery orders, too!
Box Tops earnings really add up when more people participate, so thank you for supporting our school!
Sports Information
Congratulations to our student-athletes who will represent Pocahontas as members of the girls basketball team, football team, boys soccer team, girls tennis team, and cheerleading team!
Games will begin on Wednesday, September 10th. Soccer, tennis, and basketball will complete on Wedneday at Pocahontas. Come on out and support our teams!
Coaches will communicate team schedules with participants. We are looking forward to cheering on our Hawks!
Annual Page Program
The Virginia House of Delegates administers an annual page program for youths aged 13-14, focusing on civics education, the legislative process, and leadership development.
Applications for the 2026 House Page Program open August 1, and close Friday, October 17, at 5 PM. Each applicant must submit a recommendation letter from their Delegate.
Please see the FAQ provided by the House Clerk’s Office.
French Trip Summer of 2026
If your child or your family is interested in traveling to France with Madame Snyder in June 2026, there’s still time to enroll! This year’s trip is open to all Pocahontas students and their families.
We already have a lovely-sized group going, but there is still room for a couple more families to sign up. I have linked the trip itinerary here, with all the details, the dates, the cities and the cost of the trip. Click here to complete the enrollment form online. If you are unable to make the deposit payment in full, please reach out to the Customer Support Team at Forum by Prométour as they may be able to arrange a payment plan that works for you. You can reach them by email
support@forumbyprometour.com. Sign-ups for this trip will close on Tuesday, September 30th. Please email Madame Snyder if you are interested or have any questions hisnyder@henrico.k12.va.us. Vive la France!!!
PTA Spirit Night - Marcos Pizza
Looking for a quick and easy dinner plan for Back to School Night? Order Pizza from Marcos all day on Thursday, Sept 11 and 20% of the proceeds will go to our Pocahontas PTA. See flyer for details! Order from the Short Pump location (2204 John Rolfe Pkwy) at MARCOS.COM or with the Marcos app, and use code POCAPTA
Message from the PTA President
Hi Pocahontas Parents!
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our Hawk Fund so far this year! If you donated in August, your magnets were sent home with your students on Friday. Please keep in mind that we will have a raffle in early October for either preferred seating or parking at a Hawk performance. You will be entered to win 1 of 20 possible spots! The Hawk fund is a charitable contribution, so keep your receipt!
We're excited to host our September Spirit Night through Marco's Pizza this Thursday, September 11th for back to school night! Please enter POCAPTA at check out for an easy dinner option on a busy night!
Join the PTA! We want to hear your voice and what is important to you and your students! Virginia is $500 million dollars behind where we need to be to support all of our students in any Special Needs programs. This includes the Gifted Program, Special Education, IEP/504 plans, working elevators, and everything in between. More PTA members gives Virginia PTA a larger support to lobby for these big changes! If you want to hear more about what our local Pocahontas PTA is up to, please join us in the Pocahontas Library every 3rd Tuesday of the month, our first meeting is September 16th, all families are welcome!
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, or concerns!
Gracie Herbert
Check out the 2025 HCPS Life Ready Expo
We invite all students and families to check out the Life Ready Expo to learn about career clusters, Career and Technical Education programs, and employment opportunities.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 17, 2025
STUDENTS & FAMILIES IN GRADES 6-12TH
6:00-8:00 PM
Hermitage High School 8301 Hungary Springs Road Henrico, VA 23228
Community Resource Fair
The Division of Empowerment, Development, & Opportunity (EDO), the Division of Family & Community Engagement (FACE), and the Tuckahoe YMCA are excited to announce the upcoming Fall Resource Fair, a community event designed to welcome and support all families in Henrico County with a particular
emphasis on those who are new to HCPS – including, but not limited to recent immigrant, military, or newly relocated students. This fair provides HCPS families the opportunity to connect with key resources, organizations, and support networks, both within HCPS and in the broader community, to help support their child’s academic, social, and emotional success and to ease their transition into our community.
Event Information
● Date: Saturday, September 20th, 2025
● Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
● Location: Tuckahoe Family YMCA - 9211 Patterson Ave, Richmond, VA 23229