Dates to Note
Wednesday/Thursday, October 22rd/23rd - School Picture Day (students will take pictures during their Health/PE Block)
Wednesday, October 22nd - Mission Tomorrow Field Trip (8th Grade)
Thursday, October 23rd - Spirit Night at Panera
Friday, October 24th - End of the First Quarter; Student Half Day
Friday, October 24th - Boo Bash (see ticket information above)
Monday, October 27th - Friday, October 31st - Spirit Week
--Monday 10/27 - Pink Out
--Tuesday 10/28 - Pajama Bottoms
--Wednesday 10/29 - Dress Alike Day
--Thursday 10/30 - Grade Level Colors
--Friday 10/31 - Costume Day
October 29th and 30th - Fall Growth Assessment Testing
Monday, November 3rd - Wellness Day for students and Staff - Schools Closed
Tuesday, November 4th - Clerical Day - No school for students
Thursday, November 6th - Fall Parent Teacher Conferenes
Tuesday, November 11th - Veterans Day Assembly and Veteran Reception
Half-Day Permission To Walk Form - Fri, October 24th
As a reminder, if students will be walking home, we need to know ahead of time, so we can identify those students. If your student will be walking home next Friday, please either write a note and have your student turn it into the main office by the end of Advisory on Thursday, October 23rd, OR complete this electronic permission form. Only students given parental/guardian permission will be allowed to walk home on Friday, October 24th.
Safety Reminders:
If your student walks home from school, we ask you to discuss safe walking reminders with them. Safety reminders include:
Stop at all major intersections and follow all traffic signals.
Only cross the road at designated intersections and/or within the pedestrian crosswalks
Before crossing roads and/or parking lot entrances/exits, stop and look both ways to ensure there is no traffic.
Please also remind students of safe and respectful behaviors to exhibit while visiting local stores/restaurants after the early release. We want our students to be excellent stewards in our community. Your help in communicating expectations is very helpful!
Thank you for discussing these points with your student.
School Picture Day - October 22nd and 23rd
Students will take their school picture during their HPE class on October 22nd or 23rd. Ordering information will be sent prior to the event. Prepay School Picture Envelopes will be sent home with your child on 10/14. Advisory teachers will pass out the forms. Follow the directions below to pay online.
Pictures will be taken during their PE class. Any students absent these days, will be able to have their picture made on Picture Makeup/Retake Day, December 5th.
*8th graders who are on the Mission Tomorrow Field Trip on October 22nd during their HPE block will take their picture upon return.
Boo Bash - October 24th - Join the Fun!
Students, mark your calendars and join us for a night of costumes, dancing, and fun! The Halloween Boo Bash is Friday, October 24th from 6:00-8:00 PM.
Beware of our Haunted House too! Costume attire is highly recommended for this festive school dance! Students must follow the school dress code.
Tickets are $10 - on sale 10/21-10/24 in the cafeteria during advisory. Ticket includes admission to the Boo Bash & Haunted House. Light concession will be available at the dance for $1 each (cash only).
End of Quarter 1 Reminders
The first nine weeks ends on Friday October 24th. Between now and then, students will demonstrate their knowledge of content material through a variety of class projects and/or assessments. Check out the Hawk Boards for details about what is occurring in each class.
Now is a great time to check in with your student and discuss their grades. Parents are encouraged to use PowerSchool Parent Portal to review their student's grades. If you have questions about scores or comments in the gradebook, please reach out to the teacher.
Advisory is a great time for students to check their grades, complete assignments, and study for assessments. Please encourage your student to use Advisory time in a manner that increases their academic performance in their classes.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, November 6th from 4:30-7 PM.
Parents/Guardians can sign-up for a 10-minute conference slot with as many of their student's teachers as they wish. Each conference will be individual - so just the parents/guardians and the content teacher. If you wish to meet with multiple teachers, you will need to schedule multiple conference times. When they register for a slot, parents/guardians will be able to choose an in-person or virtual option for the conference.
On Friday, October 24th - we will release a sign-up link through Bookings. Specific sign-up instructions will be included in that message. Additionally, teachers will share their individual links after the 24th. Sign-ups will be closed on Monday, November 3rd.
8th Grade Mission Tomorrow Reminder
8th graders, who returned a permission slip, will attend the Mission Tomorrow field trip from Wednesday, October 22nd from about 10:00 - 12:45. Mission Tomorrow is an awesome opportunity for students to explore a wide variety of career fields, and we are excited for our 8th graders to learn from and engage with employers.
Prior to the trip, Advisory teachers will be reviewing behavior expectations with 8th graders! Students are reminded to be respectful, kind, and engaged throughout the event! All HCPS and Pocahontas behavior expectations are in place while on the trip.
Fall Growth Assessment Testing
On Wednesday and Thursday, October 29th and 30th, all students will participate in the fall administration of our growth assessments. Please see the message sent in ParentSquare on Monday, October 13th, for assessment details.
We will have an altered schedule on these days. Students will attend Advisory, and then move to their designated testing room. We will remain in the testing location from approximately 8:55 - 11 AM. The schedule is subject to change, depending on the number of students still testing. If a student needs additional time, it will be provided. If you are scheduling appointments for your student, please be mindful of when testing will occur.
While testing, students cannot have access to any personal electronic device. This includes cell phones, headphones, and smart watches. Students will be asked to turn in their electronic devices to ensure they are not accessed while testing is occurring.
Digital Citizenship Week
This week is Digital Citizenship Week, and we are dedicated to equipping our Hawks with the skills they need to thrive in their complex, digital worlds. We recognize that guiding middle schoolers through the challenges of screen time, social media, and online identity requires a strong home-school partnership. Attached is a weekly outline providing links to the videos our Hawks will watch each morning on the announcements, along with suggested resources (like Carpool Conversations and family tip sheets) for you. We encourage you to watch these daily themes and use them as a starting point for meaningful, low-pressure conversations with your Hawk.
Take a look at our Digital Citizenship Calendar to see topics that will be discussed and resources you can access to follow up with your student. We hope the family resources are helpful! Thank you for partnering with us to help our Hawks learn to stay safe online.
Veterans Day Assembly
Pocahontas will honor veterans on Tuesday, November 11th during a school-wide ceremony beginning at approximately 2:00 PM. We will have a guest speaker, performances from all three of our music programs, and an opportunity to recognize veterans in our community.
To make the event as meaningful as possible, please take a moment to complete this form. We would love to include the names and pictures of veterans who are family members of our school's students and staff.
Thank you in advance for adding to our collection of names and pictures! We hope this personalization brings meaning and honor for all those who are participating in the program.
WATCH DOGS Interest Survey
We would LOVE to reinstitute a Watch Dogs program at Pocahontas. Take a look at the information below to learn more about how and why WATCH DOGS is beneficial to schools. If you are interested in serving our school community as a WATCH DOG, please complete this interest form.
From WATCH DOGS:
The Dads of Great Students, WATCH D.O.G.S.®, program is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement organizations designed and developed by educators, experts, and parent & guardian volunteers over more than two decades.
Our programs for Elementary and Secondary School campuses help provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Meanwhile, we provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying and provide a greater sense of campus safety allowing students and teachers to focus on learning and instruction.
HCPS High School Applications
Specialty Center Applications are OPEN. On Friday, October 24th, a few specialists will be on site to provide application help/support for our 8th-grade students. Ms. Milby sent out a Schoology message for students to sign up if interested. Students interested in getting guidance/support should sign up using the link shared by Ms. Milby. Participants will receive their time slots before Friday morning
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 |
Words Matter - Be Kind. Be Positive.
As you are discussing school with your student, please speak with them about the importance of kind, non-judgmental language. Students must think before they speak, being sure their words are respectful and free from negativity and/or harm. Even as jokes, words can be hurtful, and we want all students to be comfortable and at ease while at school.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to build our Hawks into kind, contributing citizens of our world!
ID Reminders
Most of our students are doing a wonderful job of meeting our expectation of having their IDs visible daily. The IDs are being used as the students enter and exit buses, as they pay for their lunch, and as they checkout library resources.
Important information about IDs:
Each student will wear their ID on their HCPS lanyard for the entirety of every school day.
Students should have their IDs visible throughout the school day. IDs/lanyards are removed for PE, science labs, and at the teacher's discretion during other activities.
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.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month
On Wednesday, October 22, 2025, HCPS will join others across the nation in Unity Day by encouraging all HCPS staff, students, and families to wear and share the color orange to send a visible message of building unity through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying.
Did you know that you or your child can submit an anonymous alert about bullying? The link can be found on the Pocahontas Website.
Information about bullying for families can be found at this link. Bullying Prevention 101: A quick guide for adults
Winter Sports Information
As fall sports draw to a close, it is time to start thinking about our Winter sports season. Winter sports include boys basketball and wrestling. Gymnastics is also a winter sport, but their season does not begin until the new year.
There will be a winter sports interest meeting in the auditorium at 6:30 on Oct 21st. Please try to attend if you would like to try out for boys basketball or wrestling this year.
Winter sports tryouts start Thursday, November 6th. The boys' basketball and wrestling season run until Jan 21st. Students MUST have a current physical and all athletic forms signed to tryout. If you have questions, please reach out to our Athletic Director, Ms. Felicia Schooley. at faschooley@henrico.k12.va.us.
PTA Panera Spirit Night
Our Next Spirit Night is Thursday, October 23rd at Panera Bread! Visit the 11703 W Broad St location from 4:00-8:00 and use the code FUND4U when placing your order at panerabread.com, on the app, or at the in-store kiosk. Panera will donate 25% of the proceeds back to Pocahontas.
The proceeds from this event will all go to our Strings Department at Pocahontas to offset costs for Instrument Stands and other needs so go warm up your soul and the music room with soup from Panera :)