Week 37 - Pocahontas Middle School Updates/Reminders

Dates to Note

Thursday, May 28th - 8th Grade Soar Ceremony at Godwin High School

Friday, May 29th - Last Day of School; Half Day (Early Release @ 12:15), Rally Day

Early Release - Walking Home - Safety Reminders

On Friday, May 29th, our last day of the school year, we will dismiss at 12:15 PM. We will follow an alternative bell schedule for the last day, and students will visit each of their classes for one last time. We will end the day in our Pocahontas tradition, with a pep rally where each grade level moves-up to their next grade!

Grab-and-go lunches will be available for interested students.

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, May 28th, OR complete this electronic permission form. If you completed the form earlier this year, you do not need to do it again. Only students given parental/guardian permission will be allowed to walk home on Friday, May 29th.

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.

Final Call - Laptop/Charger Collection

Thank you to our students, staff, and families - we had a VERY successful two days of computer and charger collection! We have a few devices that still need to be turned in. If your student is NOT enrolled in a summer program, please make sure they turn their computer/charger into the help desk ASAP.

Pocahontas Laptop and Charger Collection

As students moved through the collection process, their computer and charger were scanned. If they turned in a device that was not assigned to them, they were informed. Our staff took their time to make sure items were carefully reviewed and scanned, ensuring our information is thorough and accurate.
This week, we will contact parents/guardians of students who have not submitted their charger and/or computer.

Yearbook Delivery

We anticipate yearbooks will arrive at Pocahontas on Tuesday, May 26th. If this timeline is accurate, we will begin handing out yearbooks in Advisory on Wednesday, May 27th. If students pre-ordered a yearbook, they should have it by Thursday morning.

Any extra yearbooks will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis in the library on Thursday morning from 8:05 - 8:35. Supplies are limited.

8th Grade Event Reminders

This week, many of our 8th Graders are attending a field trip on Tuesday. Then, on Thursday, students will attend SOAR Ceremony practice from about 9:00AM - 10:30 AM. Thursday evening, we will celebrate our 8th graders with their families at our SOAR Ceremony. Details for the activities are below!

8th Grade SOAR Ceremony Practice

Thursday morning, May 29th at Pocahontas (approx 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM).
8th graders MUST participate in the practice.
During practice, the 8th graders will review the process for arriving at Godwin and where they will meet when they enter the facility. They will also learn how to process and recess during the event.

8th Grade SOAR Ceremony -

Thursday, May 29th at 7 PM at Godwin High School.
Students will report to Godwin at 6:15 PM.
Families received four tickets for the event.
We ask students to wear semi-formal attire. Outfits must follow the HCPS dress code. Suggested clothing options include: slacks, khakis, dresses, skirts, polo/button down shirts, blouses. Please avoid: spaghetti traps, short skirts and dresses, heels that students cannot walk comfortably in, jeans, and/or visible undergarments. Students will be crossing the stage and walking up and down stairs. They should keep this in mind as they plan their outfit.

Rising 7th Grade Vaccination Reminder

Families, thank you for your efforts in following the HCPS Vaccination Policy. As a reminder, ALL rising 7th graders must receive a Tdap and Meningo vaccination before beginning 7th grade. We will begin notifying families of students for whom we do not have vaccination information this week.

Please call our clinic if you have specific questions.

Medication Pickup

If your student has medication(s) in the clinic, the last day to pick up their medicine will be Friday, May 29th. All medicine should be picked up by 10 AM on May 29th.

If you have any questions, please call 804-364-0830 and press 3 for the school nurse.

Godwin High School Fall Tryout Information

Attention Rising 8th and 9th Graders:

Below is the link to the Godwin Athletic Department website, which is where Fall Tryout Information can be found. If your student is interested in any of the fall sports, please review the information.

www.godwinathletics.com

Godwin High School Football

Rising 9th graders! Join us for strength & conditioning now through the summer! For more details, visit our team website and the team app.

Reach out to the Godwin head coach, Peter Gallagher, with questions.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

HCPS joins the nation in recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Check out the resources for things you and your student can discuss together.

• Affirmations for more good days and why they work

• How to feel better about yourself: Simple steps backed by science

• Journal prompts for more good days

• Movement for mental health: Why it doesn’t have to look like exercise

• Why hobbies are good for your mental health

Mental Health & Wellness information sessions hosted by Henrico County Public Schools and Capaz+IT. Events are free & lunch will be provided.
In these sessions, participants will:

Learn parenting tips to support your child to succeed at school
Learn how mental health affects your community
Become a mental health advocate in your community
Join a safe space to ask questions and connect with others
Earn a certificate as a health advocate
Learn about valuable mental health and wellness resources available to your and your family at Henrico Schools and beyond.

Find a session and register at hcps.info/MHSessions

Pocahontas is here to Help! - As the end of the school year approaches, our students may feel excited and anxious. Those feelings can manifest in many ways; some students may act out while others become withdrawn.

If your student is struggling in any way, our amazing school counselors, school psychologists, school social worker, and administrators are here to help. We can work with individual students and families to connect them with school and community resources. Through our partner Care Solace, students and families also have 24-hour access to a multilingual team to help research community mental health care options on your behalf that match your needs and preferences and quickly secure appointments for you. The service is FREE regardless of whether or not you have insurance.

If you have questions, concerns or need assistance, access Care Solace online at https://caresolace.com/site/henricocps or contact the school by calling (804) 364-0830. More details about Care Solace are below!

Working together, we can ensure a safe and strong end to the school year for all students.