Dates to Note
Monday, November 3rd - Wellness Day for students and Staff - Schools Closed
Tuesday, November 4th - Clerical Day - No school for students
Thursday, November 6th - Winter Sports Tryouts
Thursday, November 6th - Fall Parent Teacher Conferenes
Tuesday, November 11th - Veterans Day Assembly and Veteran Reception
Thursday, November 13th - Glow Party for students who qualified through the Fall Fundraiser (during last block)
Friday, November 14th - Deadline to submit Specialty Center Applications
Tuesday, November 18th - WATCH DOGS kick-off meeting @ 5:00 PM
Tuesday, November 18th - PTA meeting @ 6:00 PM
Teacher of the Year: Ms. Catherine Burkett
We are excited to announce Ms. Burkett as our Teacher of the Year! Ms. Burkett teaches 8th grade - Civics and World History. She is passionate about supporting students, and she works hard to educate students both about history and about what is needed to be a successful young adults. Ms. Burkett demonstrates professionalism, care, and diligence daily. We are so thankful for her! Please help us celebrate her!
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will happen on Thursday, November 6th from 4:30-7 PM. All conferences needed to be confirmed through a sign-up. Because of the tight timeline, teachers will not be able to meet with parents/guardians who have not signed up for a slot. If you signed up for a conference, please click this link to review your times.
All guests coming into the building will need to go through our weapon scanners.
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 Meeting
Thank you to everyone who showed interest in joining our Watch Dogs group! We look forward to volunteers assisting our school!
Our kick-off meeting is on Tuesday, November 18th at 5PM in the Pocahontas cafeteria. If you are interested in attending and have not received an email invite, please contact Ms. Bearer at ekpittarell@henrico.k12.va.us.
Gifted Referral Window
The gifted referral window will be open from Monday, October 27, through Monday, November 10, at 4PM. During this time, students may be referred to the gifted identification process by an educator, parent/guardian, community member, peer, or self. By submitting a referral, you are requesting your student be evaluated to determine eligibility for gifted services. To begin a referral, contact your Gifted Identification Coordinator with your student’s name, teacher, grade, and area of referral (Math, Language, Both). Gifted referrals will not be accepted after 4PM on Monday, November 10. Contact our Gifted Identification Coordinator, Ella Bandy, (eebandy@henrico.k12.va.us) with questions.
Please review the following information:
Henrico Schools Gifted Services Website
VDOE Parent Listening Sessions - SOL Cut Score Information
Information for parent listening sessions
On September 25, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education unanimously approved revisions to cut scores for mathematics and reading Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments. Cut scores define the minimum score a student must achieve to reach a performance level on an assessment. By modifying cut scores, the Board ensures that proficient reflects the skills and knowledge students need to be ready for success in college, career, or in military pathways. The Virginia Department of Education is currently gathering feedback on the implementation of revised cut scores. We value input from parents to inform implementation decisions.
We are inviting parents to participate in an upcoming listening session. Listening sessions provide the opportunity for parents to receive an overview of the proposed implementation models, share their feedback on the models, and identify supports and resources needed by parents to help their child meet higher expectations. Listed below are days, times, and login information for virtual listening. You can also share you input using the feedback form. To learn more about new cut scores and upcoming stakeholder listening sessions, please visit Raising Expectations in Virginia K-12 Education.
November 5, 2025, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Meeting ID: 230 998 444 924 3
Passcode: ui9mv9Nz
HCPS High School Applications
Important Updates for 8th Graders:
The deadline to apply to an ACE Center is Friday, 11/14. To apply click: https://cte.henricoschools.us/page/apply
The deadline to apply to a Specialty Center is Friday, 11/14. However, students should submit their applications by 11/7 to allow teachers time to complete the recommendations. Note: students can still revise their essay, project, and/or video until the 11/14 final deadline. To apply click: https://henricoschools.schoolmint.com
(Students and parents/guardians create a SchoolMint account to access the application.)
Creating a video as part of the Specialty Center application:
Many specialty centers require applicants to create and submit a video as part of the application process. All centers that require a video—except the Center for Information Technology (CIT)—will accept a Google Drive link, YouTube link, Vimeo link, or a file in .avi or .mpg format. Students should ensure their link is set to “anyone with the link” can view.
The Center for Information Technology (CIT) requests that videos be submitted specifically in .avi or .mpg format. However, if students have difficulty, they should follow these steps:
**Please click here for directions to making a video.
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
2025 DATE | CENTER |
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 |
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:
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.
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 Reflections - Student Participation
National PTA has a long-standing commitment to arts education. For over 50 years, Reflections has helped students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning. The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boosts student confidence and success in the arts and in life.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of students in pre-K through grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-created theme. We want our Pocahontas students to represent and express themselves! Any of our students who participate will be recognized, and one winner will move on to the HCPS competition.
This year's theme is 'I Belong.' Check out the Pocahontas Reflections Slideshow for details about submissions! Students can express themselves through writing, film, visual art, photography, or dance. Submissions are due by November 21st!
Thank you for encouraging your student to participate. We look forward to seeing their creations!
"Can-tastic Race" Canned Food Drive for Henrico Christmas Mother
Out annual canned food drive, The Can-tastic Race, is taking place now! Please help us fight hunger in our community by sending in cans of food to your child's advisory class! *We will ONLY be collecting canned foods.*All cans must be in by November 14th.