Pocahontas Elementary School

🚍 Ready to take the driver’s seat? 🚍
Powhatan County Public Schools is bringing back our Test Drive a School Bus event – this time in conjunction with our Education Career Fair!
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to drive a school bus or are interested in joining our team, this is a great opportunity to learn more in a relaxed, hands-on setting.
📅 Saturday, March 7
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
📍 Flat Rock Elementary School, 2210 Batterson Road
🚌 Try driving a real school bus*
💬 Meet our team and explore career opportunities
🎟️ Door prize drawing
Questions? 804-598-5700
*Must be 18 or older and have a valid driver’s license to participate in the test drive.
Come see what it’s like to be part of Team Powhatan! 🧡🖤
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

On Tuesday, Katlin McCreery, costumer for the Frontier Culture Museum, helped introduce Pocahontas Elementary fourth graders to their unit on the Civil War. Ms. McCreery talked about the peer pressures of succession, what was required to run an army (i.e. food, munitions, and clothing), and how everyday people like women and children were involved.
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

Recently at Pocahontas Elementary, kindergarten students were strengthening their math skills – one card at a time. 🃏
In Mrs. Renaud’s class, students used a matching-style game to make the number three using different combinations of cards, building both memory and early addition skills.
Just down the hall, students in Miss Stimpson’s class worked on the same concept in a slightly different way, playing a “Go Fish”-style game to collect the cards they needed to create combinations of three.
Different approaches, same important learning – helping our youngest learners see how numbers can be put together in more than one way. 🧡🖤
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

The Student Leadership students at Powhatan Middle School led a drive to make Valentines for Veterans. 💌 Students across the building joined in, creating heartfelt cards to share kindness and appreciation with those who have served our country. Student Leadership members, along with co-sponsors Matt Morin and Lynn Stephens, were proud to present the collection of Valentines to Reed Terry, staff member for Congressman John McGuire, who helped deliver them to our veterans. #WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

Today is National School Resource Officer Appreciation Day, and PCPS wants to recognize and thank the Powhatan deputies who fulfill this important role in our schools. Our SROs are more than law enforcement officers – they are mentors, educators, problem-solvers, and trusted adults who build positive relationships with students and staff. They help create safe learning environments while also taking time to connect with students in meaningful ways. 🧡🖤 Thank you for all you do to support PCPS.
* Deputy Wright - Flat Rock Elementary
* Ronnie Sadler - Pocahontas Elementary
* Maurice Tovar - Powhatan Elementary
* Foster Miles - Powhatan Middle School
* Jason Homer - Powhatan High School
* Sonny Gartrell - Powhatan High School
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

In February 2026, PCPS joins the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) in saluting the service of our school board members with School Board Appreciation Month. School Board Appreciation Month provides a meaningful opportunity for our division and community to recognize the vital role that our school board members play in public education. These local leaders voluntarily take on the significant responsibility of governing our school division and making decisions that shape educational opportunities while upholding the core values of our democracy. Thank you School Board members:
Vicki Hurt - District 1
Susan Smith - District 2
Jeanne Wade - District 3
James Taylor - District 4
Michele Ward - District 5
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

REMINDER: Monday February 16th, which was previously a Student & Staff Holiday, is now a snow make-up day for students and staff. It will be a full instructional day.

Good afternoon PCPS Community. The Powhatan County School Board Recap for Tuesday's regular meeting is ready to view. As always, the goal of this newsletter is to help people who don't have the time to come to or watch full School Board meetings still stay abreast of what is going on in our school division. The newsletter link is in the comments.

Notice about a Powhatan County School Board Budget Workshop.
Pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-3707: Please take notice that the Powhatan County School Board will hold a budget workshop on: Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 2:00 PM. This notice is being provided in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This meeting will be open to the public.

Students in Mrs. Ross’s fifth grade class at Pocahontas Elementary recently focused on strengthening their grammar skills by working on consistent verb tenses. During the lesson, students practiced making sure verbs like "be" and "have" stayed in the same tense throughout their writing. Paying close attention to consistency helps students become clearer, more confident writers.
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

This is a Powhatan County School Board Notice of Special Meeting Attendance. Pursuant to Virginia Code § 2.2-3707, please take notice that members of the Powhatan County School Board may be present at the Strategic Plan Meeting to be held:
DATE: Tuesday, February 17, 2026
TIME: 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
LOCATION: Pocahontas Landmark Center, 4290 Anderson Hwy, Powhatan, VA
This notice is being provided in accordance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act due to the possibility that a quorum of school board members may be in attendance.
No official business will be conducted, and no votes or decisions will be made by the School Board at this event.

Don't forget that Monday, February 9 is a PCPS Student & Staff Holiday (Excludes 12-month employees). Have a great day!

Due to the conditions caused by today's additional snowfall, all PCPS activities are canceled for Saturday, February 7, 2026.

Due to snow accumulation and worsening road conditions, all PCPS school activities are canceled for tonight, February 6, 2026.

This afternoon, the Powhatan County School Board met to discuss adjustments to the school division’s calendar. As a result of prolonged closures due to winter weather, PCPS has missed 11 full days of school as of February 3rd. In an effort to recoup some of the instructional time that has been lost, the School Board convened a special meeting on February 6th to consider reclaiming upcoming dates as full school days.
During today’s meeting, the School Board voted unanimously to make the following changes to the 2025-2026 school calendar:
• February 16th, which was previously a Student & Staff Holiday, will now be a snow make-up day for students and staff.
• March 16th, which was previously a Student & Staff Holiday for all except 12-month employees, will now be a snow make-up day for students and staff.

The School Board has also discussed reinstating April 6th as a holiday. However, that decision will not be considered until the March 10th School Board meeting.
The purpose of these changes is to ensure that students remain academically prepared for the remainder of the school year.
We appreciate your understanding and flexibility as we work to balance instructional time with the needs of our school community. Thank you for your continued partnership and support of Powhatan County Public Schools.

As part of National School Counseling Week, we are thrilled to recognize our middle and high school counselors! 🧡🖤
* Powhatan Middle: Skyler Pecci, Austen Winkler, Terry Baldwin, and Amy Conrad
* Powhatan High School: Kelyn Captain, Doug Reimondo, Caryn Rehme, Sarah Baltimore, and Chrissie Holley
Our secondary counselors support students through some of their most important years – helping them navigate academics, social-emotional growth, and planning for life beyond graduation. From course planning and career pathways to personal support and encouragement, their guidance helps students see what’s possible and take confident next steps. Thank you to our middle and high school counselors for your commitment to our students and your impact across our schools.
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

It’s National School Counseling Week, and we want to celebrate our school counselors! 🧡🖤 We’ll start with our elementary school counselors:
* Flat Rock Elementary: Elizabeth Davis-Crane and Annmarie Horne
* Pocahontas Elementary: Amy Kastelberg, Jennifer Lavimodiere, and Kelsey Pollitt
* Powhatan Elementary: Peggy Jenkins and Sydney-Ann Perry
These amazing staff members help our youngest learners with everything from building big feelings skills to supporting friendships, confidence, and problem-solving. Our elementary counselors play a vital role in helping students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. Thank you for all you do for our students, families, and school communities.
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

REMINDER: Friday, February 6 is a Student Holiday and Staff Professional Development Day. If the School Board votes at its meeting at 1:00 p.m. on Friday to make any potential changes to the school division’s calendar, we will share the information as soon as possible.

It was awesome to welcome students back to school today after so many days out because of snow and ice. The photos here (as well as others posted on our Facebook page) capture a glimpse of students returning to two of our schools – Powhatan Middle and Powhatan High. What a treat to see classrooms full again, routines restarting, and familiar faces back where they belong. Days like today take many people working together, and we’re grateful to everyone who helped make the return possible. 🧡🖤
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan

Opening Powhatan County Public Schools on time this morning was a team effort, and we are so proud of all of the work that went into making today possible before the first bell even rang.
❄️ A huge thank-you to our Facilities staff, who have been working for more than a week alongside contractors to get school parking lots and sidewalks clear and safe for everyone to enter school grounds.
🚌 We are incredibly grateful to our bus and car drivers and their aides for their dedication, professionalism, and steady commitment to safe driving – especially when conditions require extra care and patience. Thank you for all you do!
🔧 We also extend a sincere thank-you to our mechanics, who helped get the transportation lot and vehicles clear to ensure they were ready to roll, and to our transportation department leaders, who monitored road conditions, coordinated logistics, adjusted routes and stops as needed, and communicated updates to families.
🤝 Last but certainly not least, we appreciate our families for their flexibility and partnership as we worked through some modified pickup and drop-off locations. Your cooperation helped make today a success.
We’re grateful for the teamwork and care that helped make today a safe and successful day for our students learning in person.
#WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan