Powhatan High School and Middle School Future Farmers of America (FFA) students received outstanding recognition for their achievements in state-level Career Development Events (CDEs), which are designed to allow students to develop career skills in each associated area. On Nov. 12, the School Board recognized the following:
Powhatan Middle School FFA
State Forestry Career Development Event: 3rd Place Team; Joseph Arnold (3rd High Individual), Taylor Shenk, Hunter Smith (10th High Individual), and Hayden Columbo-Powell. Coach: Tom Walton.
Middle School Plant Science Career Development Event State Convention: 4th in State; Aurora Yates (10th individual), Joseph Arnold (12th individual), and Casey Luna. Coach: Jen Baker.
Middle School Ag Mechanics and Technology Career Development Event: 6th in State; Joseph Arnold (20th individual), Hayden Columbo-Powell, Aurora Yates, and Taylor Shenk. Coach: Jen Baker
Middle School Small Animal Care Career Development Event: Madelyn "Madi" Chaffins (13th individual). Coach: Jen Baker.
State Dairy Judging Career Development Event: Madelyn "Madi" Chaffins (4th High Individual FFA Reasons). Coaches: Albert Tucker and Johns Bailey.
Powhatan High School
Agricultural Mechanics: Team Members - Carter Estep, Sam Fens, Parker Smith, and Jonah Davidson. Team Award: 3rd Place Team in VA. Individual Award: Carter Estep (10th Place Indiv. Overall). Coach: Chris Whitlow.
Horse Judging: Team Members - Anna Franklin, Kennedy Martin, Reghan Kerns, Savannah Morris, and Sarah Kunze. Team Award: 3rd Place Team in VA. Individual Awards: Savannah Morris (7th Place in Halter, 7th Place in Reasons, 7th Place Indivi. in VA) and Anna Franklin (7th Place in Reasons). Coach/Sponsor: Caitlin Smith and Emilee Meinhard.
Horse Hippology: Team Members - Sarah Kunze, Savannah Morris, Kennedy Martin, and Regan Kerns. Team Award: 4th Place Team in VA. Individual Award: Reghan Kerns (6th Place Individual in VA). Coach: Caitlin Smith.
Floriculture: Team Members - Jadyn Palka, Ava Tucker, Caris Grell, and Casey Grell. Team Awards: 11th Place Team in VA. Coach: Emilee Meinhard.
Soil Team: Marilyn Robinson.Team Award: 2nd in State. Coach - Tommy Walton.
The Virginia Association of Agricultural Educators (VAAE) awarded the Agriculture Teacher State Recognition to this group based on the number of agriculture students they taught who have now become agriculture teachers. Chris Whitlow - VAAE Teacher of Teachers- Gold for teaching 6+ agriculture teachers. Caitlin Smith (not pictured) - VAAE Teacher of Teachers- Bronze for teaching one agriculture teacher. The School Board recognized these two outstanding teachers on Nov. 12. #teampowhatan #wearepcps
VAST (Virginia Association of Science Teachers) recognizes exemplary contributions to science education through its annual Recognition in Science Education (RISE) awards program. The RISE awards are presented to outstanding educators at all levels. In addition, school administrators and businesses are eligible to be recognized for their support of and contributions to quality science education. The VAST Awards Committee selected Powhatan County Public Schools teacher Jill Dewey to receive a VAST RISE Award. Mrs. Dewey was recognized at the School Board’s Nov. 12 meeting. #teampowhatan #wearepcps
During the Nov. 12 Recognitions, the School Board honored three Helping Hands Award recipients. With these awards, anyone (student, parent, colleague, or supervisor) can nominate any PCPS staff member who Inspires, Empowers, or Innovates to receive recognition. The following staff members were recognized as Helping Hands Award winners: Annmarie Horne, Counselor, Flat Rock Elementary, nominated for Empowering; Arla Thompson, Nursing Supervisor, Pocahontas Elementary, nominated for Empowering; and Sergeant Major Blakely, JROTC Instructor, Powhatan High School, nominated for Inspiring. #teampowhatan #wearepcps
One of the highlights of each month’s School Board meeting is recognizing the amazing students, staff, and community members during the Recognition portion of the meeting. The November 12 meeting’s Recognition time was packed, and we are going to take today to honor all of those men, women, and students for their achievements. Let’s start with the 2024-2025 PEF Classroom Innovation Grant Award Winners.
The Powhatan Education Foundation (PEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the learning experience for the students, teachers, and staff of Powhatan County Public Schools by promoting innovative educational opportunities, recognizing outstanding achievements, and developing community partnerships. Each year, the PEF awards Innovative Classroom Grants that present ideas for achieving the county’s curricular goals, enhancing students’ personal development, and/or encouraging links with the community. This year, PEF received 14 grant requests. Eight grants were fully or partially funded for a total investment of $15,922.90.
The recipients are:
• Kimochis - Helping Educators and Families help kids manage difficult feelings and challenging behaviors. Kirsten Lightner, Dianne White, Jennifer Lavimodiere, and Taileah Rich, $2,964.01, POCA.
• Turning Tables: Bringing CWD and the Performing Arts Together Through Engineering and Stagecraft. Bilal Z. Raychouni, $3,000, PHS.
• Orff Instrument Xylophone Exploration. Helena Nuckols, $1,750, POCA.
• POCA Pulse News. Zannatul Ferdous and Samantha Martin, $363.23, POCA.
• Real World Coding in the Library. Tiffany Ray, $1,348.66, POCA.
• From Crime Scene to Courtroom. Cheri Ashman and Amanda Wilson Henderson, $2,260, PHS.
• Sphero Indi Coding Cars. Katy Osborne (Tech Resource), Kelly Terry (Library Resource), and Kristen Bentzen (Inn. Learning Coach), $3,000, FRES.
• Unlocking Student Success with Breakout EDU, Kelly Terry and Mary Lisa Watts, $1,237, FRES.
For the descriptions of each project, we will provide a link in the comments. #teampowhatan #wearepcps
We would like to extend a huge and overdue thank you to the staff and community partners who participated in Powhatan High School’s mock interviews earlier in the school year. Thanks to volunteers giving their time, 195 seniors received the invaluable opportunity to practice their job interview skills in a series of mock interviews. Mock interviews are a cornerstone of the high school’s efforts to prepare students for college and career readiness, designed to help them develop confidence in an interview setting and prepare them for the job market. While many of the students practiced in class with a peer first, that is not the same experience as learning to sit across from a stranger and articulate key points about themselves. Since all of the questions posed during the interviews are similar to ones they might be asked in a real job interview, this activity can help students truly think about how to approach the queries and then refine their answers based on the interviewer’s feedback. #teampowhatan #wearepcps
October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Powhatan Middle School Student Leadership students took the time to recognize and honor the strong, courageous, and resilient staff members who have fought or are currently fighting cancer. These remarkable individuals are true examples of strength and perseverance. A special thank you to Kristal McIntyre, Kim Wasosky, Lisa Goff, Catrina Garner, Brenda Bell, Kelly Wilting, and Mike Morin for sharing their inspiring stories and being a shining example for us all. We're so proud of their victories and continue to cheer them on. We would also like to extend our deepest gratitude to the generous local businesses who supported this initiative with their donations: Powhatan Wendy's, Westchester Commons Starbucks, Powhatan Walmart, and Watkins Nursery. Your contributions helped make this event possible. Together, we stand strong in the fight against cancer. 💪💖 #teampowhatan #wearepcps
Today, we pause to recognize and thank all of the brave men and women who have served in our nation's military. Your sacrifices, dedication, and courage have protected the freedoms we hold dear, and we are forever grateful for your service. As a school division, Powhatan County Public Schools is proud to teach the next generation about the importance of service, sacrifice, and patriotism. On this Veterans Day, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all veterans, past and present. Thank you for your service and your commitment to our country. #teampowhatan #wearepcps
To promote the division’s strategic plan goal of family and Community Engagement Initiative, Powhatan Middle School Chorus teacher Mrs. Snyder hosted a Night of Music for parents to join their students in a typical Chorus. Parents learned what their students are learning in regard to pitch matching, posture, warm ups, and creating harmony. We are pleased to say all parents sang along! #wearepcps #teampcps
Don't forget! Tuesday, November 5 is a Student Holiday/Staff Workday. If you have scheduled a parent-teacher conference, make sure you know what time it starts.
🎉✨ Powhatan Middle School had a fantastic time celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a door contest! Students got creative during ACCT time, decorating their doors to showcase different countries. A big congratulations to Mrs. Erazo's class for winning with their amazing door celebrating Ecuador! 🎊 It was inspiring to see everyone’s hard work and creativity shine through as they honored other cultures. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
🎃👻 What a week at the Powhatan High School Library! The Halloween Town 2-Day Special Event was filled with smiles and plenty of spooky fun. Students really got into the Halloween spirit, enjoying spooky treats from the Culinary Class, face and nail painting by talented Cosmetology students, and a variety of activities like Horror Book Bingo, scary button making, and a Haunted Makerspace Walk hosted by the Readers and Writers Club. 🕷️🍬 #WeArePCPS #TeamPowhatan
🎉 It's Red Ribbon Week at Powhatan High School! 🎉 This week, students signed the pledge to live drug-free during lunch and listened to important announcements about the campaign. A huge shoutout to HOSA for their fantastic door decorations and for helping out during lunches! From October 23 to 31, students nationwide are celebrating the importance of living drug-free, and this year’s theme, “Life is a Movie. Film Drug Free™,” encourages everyone to take control of their story with positive, healthy choices. Let’s keep the momentum going, Powhatan! ✨#wearepcps #teampowhatan
🌟 Powhatan Elementary fourth graders recently dove into a reimagined Jamestown Experience in the school library! ✨ Students stepped back in time to build forts that would protect their village and faced life-changing decisions that impacted their survival. With the guidance of costumed educators, they navigated through a maze, learning fascinating facts about Jamestown along the way. It was an interactive adventure that perfectly complemented their upcoming unit! A big shoutout to Mrs. Ball and Mrs. Williams for collaborating on this fun project. We loved hearing about all the creative forts and choices our fourth graders made! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
🌍💪 Earlier this month, Powhatan High School had an amazing day as students from the Planeteers, Interact, and SGA clubs teamed up for a big cleanup around the school grounds. From the parking lot to the stadium, these dedicated volunteers picked up trash to help keep the PHS campus looking its best! Huge shoutout to all the students who participated—you rock! Let’s continue to take pride in our school and keep it clean! ✨ #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Mrs. Johnson’s first graders at Pocahontas Elementary recently showed off their team spirit on Jersey Day. 🎉🧡 Check out this fantastic group photo featuring our young fans in their favorite team jerseys! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
🌟🎉 Happy National Principals Month! 🎉🌟This October, we celebrate the incredible leaders who inspire our students and staff every day! Our dedicated principals not only guide our schools with vision and passion but also motivate everyone to reach their full potential. We asked our amazing principals to share their favorite inspirational quotes, and their responses are truly uplifting! 📚✨ Swipe through to see the words that inspire them and remind us all of the impact of great leadership. Thank you to all our principals for your hard work and commitment to excellence in education! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
🚍✨ As National School Bus Safety Week comes to a close, let’s take a moment to give another kudos to the incredible PCPS Transportation Department! 🙌 Their hard work and dedication ensure that all our school vehicles are running smoothly and safely transporting our students every day. Their efforts truly make a difference in our community! 🧡#wearepcps #teampowhatan
Due to a water outage at Powhatan Middle School and Powhatan Elementary, we have made the decision to dismiss students early today for their safety and well-being. Dismissal will occur at 12:45 p.m. for Powhatan Middle School. Dismissal will occur at 1:00 p.m. for Powhatan Elementary School. All afterschool activities are canceled. Parents and guardians of PMS and POWES students, please check your email for full details.
💖🧡 Check out what Mrs. Simon’s second graders at Powhatan Elementary School have been up to! They had a blast working on structured literacy by building heart words. It’s wonderful to see their knowledge grow day by day. ❤️📚#wearepcps #teampowhatan
