Monday, September 14th - PTA Sponsored 6th Grade Hawk Hangout (sign-up coming soon)

Saturday, September 12th - HCPS Specialty Center Information Session at Highland Springs High School (11 AM - 2 PM)

Monday, Sept 14th - Friday, Sept 18th - Marcos Spirit Event for Pocahontas PTA

Tuesday, September 15th - Fall Fundraiser Kick Off

Wednesday, September 16th (6-8 PM) - Pocahontas Back-to-School Night

Thursday, September 17th - Fall Sports Pictures

Saturday, September 19th - HCPS Resource Fair at Tuckahoe YMCA

Monday, September 21st - Student/Teacher Holiday for Yom Kippur

Tuesday, September 22nd - 8th Grade Specialty Center Presentation at Pocahontas (7th block)

Thursday, September 24th - HCPS Specialty Center Information Session at Tucker High School (6-8:30 PM)

Monday, September 28th - Student Holiday/Professional Learning Day for Staff

Monday, October 5th - Thursday, October 8th - Frozen Auditions (permission slip and sign-up required)

Pocahontas Schoolwide Fundraiser

We are excited to announce that our Fall Fundraiser starts next Tuesday, September 15th! We will be sending home all the information with your student.  The morning of September 15th, students will learn all about the fundraiser, incentives, and how they can help our school!  We will be raising money for student & staff incentives, programming for students/families, and field trips.

Last year, our school community came together and raised thousands of dollars! We have been able to purchase 2 new school murals, several pieces of flexible seating for spaces around our building, make a large donation to the 8th grade celebration, add an outside amphitheater, and so much more because of the fundraising money! We want this year to provide the same opportunities!

We are asking ALL parents to pre-register their student(s) here:

https://www.fundgive.com/reg/code/XHKU7 

Group Code: XHKU7

If asked about a specific teacher, please input your student's Advisory teacher

The first step in reaching our goal is for every student to have at least one person support our fundraiser before the official kick-off day.  How cool would it be if we took a chunk out of our goal BEFORE the fundraiser even starts?

Back to School Night

Join us on Wednesday, September 16th  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.

We encourage families to use the PowerSchool Parent Portal to access your student's schedule. Our counselors will be in the main hallway to provide families access to their student's schedule, as needed. 

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.

Focus Friday Lesson

This year, we are excited to launch Friday Focus, a weekly advisory lesson designed to help students develop the study skills, organizational strategies, and success habits that lead to confidence and independence in school.  Below, you will find a copy of this week's lesson, along with a sample one-week planner template. Students who already use a planner are encouraged to continue with the system that works best for them. For students who do not currently have a planner, the attached template can serve as a helpful tool for getting started.

This Week's Friday Focus: Planner 101 - Using a Planning System for Success

During this week's lesson, students explored why successful people rely on systems to stay organized rather than trying to remember everything on their own. We discussed common challenges that students face, including:

Students learned that using a planner can help reduce stress, improve time management, and keep them focused on completing their work. We discussed the importance of recording:

Students were also introduced to our 3-Step Planner System:

One of the key takeaways from the lesson was that successful students are not successful because they remember everything. They are successful because they create systems that help them stay organized and prepared.

How Families Can Support at Home

Your partnership plays an important role in helping students build strong organizational habits. Here are a few ways you can support your child:

✅ Ask your child to show you their planner each evening.

✅ Encourage them to share upcoming assignments, quizzes, tests, and projects.

✅ Help them record activities outside of school, such as sports, clubs, family events, and chores.

✅ Establish a consistent homework routine that begins with checking their planner.

✅ Praise organization, effort, and responsibility. Strong habits developed now will support success throughout middle school and beyond.

✅ Encourage your child to regularly check both HawkBoards and PowerSchool to stay informed about assignments, grades, and upcoming deadlines.

Looking Ahead

Over the coming weeks, Friday Focus lessons will continue to provide students with practical strategies and tools that support academic success, personal responsibility, and positive decision-making. We encourage you to ask your child about each week's lesson and discuss how they can apply these new skills in their daily lives.

 Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together!

Labeling Items

Each day, students accidentally leave their water bottles and/or lunch boxes in a variety of places around the building. 

We are asking for all lunch boxes and water bottles to be labeled with the student's name. This will help us return items to the owner.  

Frozen Jr. Auditions

Frozen Jr. auditions are happening soon! Auditions are open to all Pocahontas students and will take place after school on October 5-8. To sign up, students must get a paper permission form from Ms. Justice AND complete a Google Form online. The Google Form lets students select the specific days they will stay after school to audition.

Students should choose to do their singing audition either Monday 10/5 or Tuesday 10/6 and their acting audition either Wednesday 10/7 or Thursday 10/8. There are optional dance auditions being held after the acting auditions on 10/7 and 10/8 for students who would like to be considered for a featured dance role. Invited callbacks will take place after school on Friday 10/9.

Dates to keep in mind when auditioning: Saturday 2/20 is a mandatory technical rehearsal for all cast and crew; the show runs February 26-28.

All audition information, materials, and sign-up links are located at tinyurl.com/pocadrama.

Please note: Being cast in a previous Pocahontas Players musical does not guarantee a role onstage in this production.

Please email Ms. Justice at mljustice@henrico.k12.va.us with questions.

Marco's Pizza PTA Spirit Week

A HUGE SQUAWK for our Sponsorship Partner MARCO’S PIZZA! We will kick off our Partnership with MARCO’S during Back-to-School Week, September 14th-18th! Use the code HAWKS at checkout to give 20% of your purchase back to our PTA and take dinner OFF your to-do list! (Valid at Short Pump and West Park locations).

Hispanic Heritage Month

In celebration of Hispanic/Latine Heritage Month (September 15–October 15), we are excited to announce this year’s districtwide virtual Reflections Showcase, allowing HCPS students, families, and staff to celebrate the historic and cultural contributions made by the

Hispanic/Latine community that continue to shape and strengthen our county, our country, and our world. HCPS students from all grade levels are invited to share their voices and creativity around the theme of “Roots & Routes,” exploring where we come from and where we are going.

Students may submit a reflection in a creative medium of their choice, including but not limited to written expression (i.e., poetry, essay, short fiction), visual arts (i.e., drawing, painting,

photography, multimedia design/infographic), performing arts (i.e., music, dance, spoken word, film, etc.), or other related thematic expressions.

Showcase submissions will be accepted from September 15, 2026 through October 11, 2026. Click here to submit!  Upon review, qualified submissions may be selected for the districtwide virtual showcase. The virtual showcase will be shared with schools by October 15, 2026.

Safety Drill Announcement

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 14th - September 18th). Information about the drill will be sent directly before and after it begins.

Check out the 2026 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 16
Hermitage High School (8301 Hungary Springs Rd)
6:00-8:00 PM

HCPS Fall Resource Fair

The Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) Division of Empowerment, Development, & Opportunity

(EDO), the HCPS Division of Family & Community Engagement (FACE), and the Tuckahoe YMCA are

excited to announce the upcoming Fall Resource Fair, a community resource fair 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 event

provides HCPS families with the opportunity to connect with key resources, organizations, and support

networks, both within HCPS and in the broader community, to support their child’s academic, social, and

emotional success and ease their transition into our community.

Event Information:

● Date: Saturday, September 19th, 2026

● Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

● Location: Tuckahoe Family YMCA - 9211 Patterson Ave, Richmond, VA 23229

8th graders: HCPS Specialty Centers

Henrico County Public Schools offers specialty centers at each high school. These centers give students the chance to focus their learning around specific subjects, skills or career goals.

In addition to the strong academic programs already available at every HCPS school, specialty centers provide advanced courses and unique opportunities. By joining a center, students can dive into an area their passionate about while also challenging themselves with engaging, hands-on learning experiences.

As students think about their future, an HCPS specialty center can help them strengthen their skills, discover new interests, and prepare for the opportunities ahead.

All of our Pocahontas 8th graders will attend a session about specialty centers on Tuesday, September 22nd during 7th Block.

Click here to explore the HCPS Specialty Center website.

Save the Dates: HCPS Specialty Center Information Sessions

8th grade students and families are encouraged to attend one of the two HCPS Information Sessions for the high school Specialty Centers. Specialty center information sessions provide a brief overview of the application process and the opportunity to hear from representatives of specialty centers of interest to your student. The information sessions are identical.

The first session will be Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Highland Springs High School from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM.

The second will be on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at J.R. Tucker High School from 6:00 - 8:30 PM.

Specialty Center Open House Dates

Sept. 29 @ 6:00 - Center for Allied Health & Human Services @ The Forum, ACE Hermitage

Sept. 30 @ 6:30 - International Baccalaureate @ Auditorium, Tucker HS

Oct. 1 @ 6:00 - Advance College Academy, Business Administration @ Highland Springs HS

Oct. 6 @ 6:30 - Center for Communications & Media Relations and Center for Environmental Studies & Sustainability @ Auditorium, Varina HS

Oct. 7 @ 6:30 - Advance College Academy, Social Sciences @ Tucker HS

Oct. 8 @ 6:30 - Center for the Arts @ Henrico HS

Oct. 13 @ 6:00 - Center for Engineering @ Highland Springs HS

Oct. 13 @ 6:00 - CodeRVA - repeated on Dec. 8

Oct. 14 @ 6:30 - Center for Information Technology @ Deep Run HS

Oct. 15 @ 6:30 - Center for Spanish Language & Global Citizenship @ Auditorium, Tucker HS

Oct. 17 @ 1:00 - Maggie Walker Governor's School

Oct. 20 @ 6:30 - Center Leadership, Government & Global Economics @ Freeman HS

Oct. 21 @ 6:30 - Center for Education & Human Development @ Glen Allen HS

Oct. 22 @ 6:30 - International Baccalaureate @ Henrico HS

Oct. 27 @ 6:30 - Center for Cybersecurity @ Henrico HS

Oct. 29 @ 6:00 - Todd A. Phillips Center for Medical Sciences @ Godwin HS

Nov. 4 @ 6:00 - Center for the Humanities & Civic Engagement @ Hermitage HS

Nov. 5 between 6:30-8:00 - ACE Centers (all campuses) @ ACE Hermitage

Dec. 8 @ 6:00 - CodeRVA - same content as 10/13

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