Pirate's Cove Updates

Dear Pirate Families,

Today is the last chance to preorder a yearbook for your child. There will be a very limited supply of extras available in May and will be sold on a first-come, first served basis. Please see information below on how to order online.

The PTO kicked off their Read for My School Fundraiser on Thursday. We hope you can help support them. More information is below.

Our school counselors are currently planning Career Day on April 10th. If you would like to share your career with our students, please use the QR Code below to find out how you can help.

As a reminder, when visiting the building you will need to have your government issued, picture identification out before being able to enter the building. This is to prevent you having to go back to the car to get it. We are required to scan the identification through our Raptor System if you will be entering the school campus, so you must have a "physical" identification (not a picture of your id). Thank you for your understanding in our efforts to ensure our students' safety!

Proud Pirate,

Mrs. Sotzing

Congratulations to Mrs. Speller's 1st grade class for having 100% of her students in attendance this week! The class has earned extra recess! WAY TO GO!!!

If your child is going to miss a day, please be sure to reach out to the Attendance Secretary to let her know why he/she will be out. You can also email the Attendance Secretary @ Spotswoodesattendance@spotsylvania.k12.va.us. Thank you in advance!

We all know the classic question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” At Spotswood Elementary School, we want to help our students answer that question with more than just a guess. We want to show them the incredible variety of paths available to them—and who better to lead the way than you? Please scan the QR code to navigate to the volunteer form below if you are interested in signing up for our school wide Career Day on April 10th. Thank you for helping support our students!

Our 5th Annual Reading Fundraiser is here! Reading logs/fundraising flyers were sent home on 3/12. We would love for every Pirate to read at least 20 minutes a night. Reading aloud/with your child counts toward their log! As a school community, our goal is to raise $5,000. We will be celebrating each student's individual reading progress while celebrating the school-wide fundraising progress! Every donation helps. Please check out our fundraising website here: https://givebutter.com/spotswood-es-5th-annual-reading-fundraiser. Every student is invited to turn in his/her completed reading log on March 27 to be entered in a school-wide raffle. Thank you for your support!

A huge thanks to Terry and his team from Dairy Queen on Courthouse Road for their support for our students! Dairy Queen kindly donated blizzards as a sweet treat as part of an attendance celebration on 3/12 for a group of students who are working so hard to meet their attendance goals. We are so proud of all of our Pirates and thankful to Dairy Queen for their generosity.

Dear Parents and Guardians:

March 27th, 2026, teachers will present a unit on Family Life Education. Please read the following objectives and “Opt Out” procedure. Please also review the Virginia Standards of Learning that will be covered during this unit, located through this link (https://www.doe.virginia.gov/teaching-learning-assessment/instruction/family-life-education). Parents and guardians have the right to review the Family Life Education program offered by their school division, including written and audio-visual educational materials used in the program. If you have any questions regarding content, materials, or opt-out assignments, please contact your child’s teacher.

Grade Level Objectives

4th Grade:

The student may learn factual information as it pertains to the following content: awareness and acceptance of strengths and weaknesses; responsibility within the family; human reproductive organs; physical changes during puberty; human fertilization and prenatal development; human emotions and effective ways of dealing with them; factors surrounding child abuse and neglect; factors contributing to the use of drugs; dangers of substance use and abuse.

5th Grade:

The student may learn factual information as it pertains to the following content: functions of the endocrine system; human reproductive organs in relation to total anatomy; how human beings reproduce, recognition of physical changes during puberty; importance of nutrition; reasons for avoiding sexual activity prior to marriage; effects of personal hygiene; medial messages related to sexuality; developing skill in saying “no”; recognizing threatening situations; effects of substance abuse; awareness of existence of sexually transmitted infection.

“Opt Out” Procedure:

The General Assembly has requested that all school divisions develop a Family Life Education Program. The regulations governing these programs, which were adopted by the Virginia State Board of Education, require that an “Opt Out” procedure be established in which parents may elect for their student to be excused from all or part of the program.

Spotsylvania County Schools’ School Health Advisory Board identified objectives for the program. Parents may “opt their student out” of any activities associated with these objectives. Copies of objectives for each grade level will be available at each school, and parents are invited to obtain copies of these objectives. Every effort has been made to select instructional materials and activities that reflect values our community can support; however, if parents wish their student to be excused from all or part of the program, they may complete the form below and return it to their teacher. Before completing the form, parents may talk with their teacher, who can explain the program and answer questions. During the time missed from Family Life activities, students will be given independent study assignments to be done at the school library or an alternate classroom/space.

Your student brought home an "Opt Out" form on Friday. Please return it by March 25th if you prefer not to have your student participate.

Show your Pirate Pride and gear up for Field Day with this year’s official navy blue T‑shirt! Shirts are available exclusively through SchoolCash Online from March 12th to April 3rd, 2026. Sizes range from Children’s XS to Adult 4XL, and each shirt is $15.

These shirts are pre‑order only, and no extra shirts will be available for purchase on Field Day, so be sure to order during the sale window. All purchases must be made through your scps.schoolcashonline.com account.

For help registering your account, please reach out to junger@spotsylvania.k12.va.us.

For questions about shirts, contact stevenbaker2@spotsylvania.k12.va.us.

Preschool is now accepting applications for the 26-27 school year. Students must be 4 by September 30th. If your SSW and Counselor teams know of any families that have a 4 year old that might qualify for our program, please refer them to us.

Pre-registration for the 2026-27 school year is open. To enter Kindergarten next fall, a child must be 5 years old on or before September 30, 2026.

If a language other than English is spoken in the home and you need assistance registering your child, please call the SCPS Welcome Center at 540-582-7047. You may also visit the ESOL Welcome Center for more information.

To begin the Student Registration Process, please follow these steps and use the links below.

1. SCPS requires parents/guardians to complete an online pre-registration process before going to a school to complete the Student Registration process. Parents/Guardians are encouraged to read the ParentVUE Quick Tip sheet, which provides step-by-step instructions for online pre-registration.

2. After reading the information, please access the ParentVUE Online Portal to begin online registration.

3. Once Pre-Registration is complete, you must finalize the registration process at your child's school site. Please use the forms below to ensure you have all the appropriate documents.

   
   

Important Information

• Birth Certificate: If you do not have an original birth certificate, please visit the Virginia Department of Health - Office of Vital Records website.

• Social Security Number: If you do not have a social security number, please visit the U.S. Social Security Administration website.

  
  

• Physical Examination: Besides the items on the registration checklist, your child must complete a physical examination by a physician. A physical examination form must be completed by a physician no earlier than 12 months before the date of entrance into school if the student is enrolling in public school for the first time. For students who have been enrolled in public school previously, the physical examination form submitted at the time of first enrollment may be used.

  
  

Please plan to attend the Public Hearing on the 26-27 budget on March 26, 2026 beginning at 5:30pn at Courtland High School. Your voice matters and so do our students!

Hello Pirate Families! It's that time of year again, time to order your 2025-2026 yearbook! Order forms went home in your student(s) Friday folders. From now until 2/28/2026 all yearbooks are $20! After the 28th, they will be $25 until 3/15/2026. If you want to personalize it, you must do it online and it's an added $5. If you are paying in CASH or CHECK, make sure to have exact change and checks must be payable to STRAWBRIDGE and returned in the order form envelope that went home.

We are excited to announce our upcoming Multicultural Night to be held on Thursday, March 26th. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Families & Culture.” We are looking for families to come and share their culture. If you would like to volunteer to set up a table, please let us know. This could include food, wearing or displaying special clothing or creating a display of cultural items or pictures. Another way you can help is to bring a kid friendly book that celebrates your culture and read it aloud to students in the library. If you are interested in either of these great opportunities, please complete the form coming home this week and return it to your child’s teacher by Monday, March 16th.

Calling all students looking for a fun, exciting way to learn, explore, and grow this summer!

Join us for our summer enrichment program on June 8-11, 2026!

Spotsylvania County Public Schools offers a variety of Summer Enrichment Programs for current Kindergarten through 5th graders. These classes are taught by highly enthusiastic teachers looking to engage students through hands-on learning opportunities. Students will take control of their own learning and leave feeling empowered. There is something for every student! Go to the SCPS Summer Enrichment Website to view the information and register online. Sign up early as classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration begins on March 16, 2026 and closes on April 17, 2026.

Spotsylvania County Public Schools is committed to continuous improvement, including enhancing how we communicate with our families, staff, students, and community members. Your feedback is important to us, and we encourage you to share your input!

We invite you to take an online survey to help us measure the effectiveness of our current communication practices and determine where we can improve. The survey is completely anonymous and takes about 10-12 minutes to complete. It will be open until March 20, 2026.

Survey Link: https://dgsurveys.com/r/SpotsylvaniaCounty26

Thank you in advance for your participation!

Mark your calendars for Riverbend's Grizzly Mile Bear Cub Run on Saturday, March 28, 2026!

8:00 AM - Grizzly Mile (14 & under)

8:30 AM - Bear Cub 300m Run (10 & under)

Here is the link to register: https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Fredericksburg/GrizzlyMile and the flyer is attached.

MARCH

19th Report Cards Available via ParentVue

20th Student/Staff Holiday

26th MultiCultural Night

27th Read for My School Fundraiser Ends

30th Spring Break Starts

APRIL

3rd Spring Break Ends

6th Students return to school

7th Spirit Night @ Jimmy T's

11th STEM Showcase

16th Spring Chorus Concert @ 7pm

21st Teacher Workday

30th Community Resource Fair & Carnival

MAY

4th Staff Appreciation Kicks Off

12th Spirit Night @ Dairy Queen

13th PTO Meeting @ 4pm

14th DARE Day for 5th grade

25th Student/Staff Holiday

27th Field Day

28th Early Release

29th Early Release/Last day of school

Lost and Found has gotten a refresh! The clothing is now being organized by when the item was lost. We hope this system keeps the items as accessible as possible, especially for our little ones! Please check out the Google album any time to view lost items.

Want to help out in your child's classroom or at school events? You will need to first complete a Volunteer Form (located below). Please know that the form is due at least 5 days prior to you volunteering; however, you only need to fill out the form once for the school year (a new form is required every year). We can't wait to have you join us!

As a reminder, only service animals are allowed on school property. This means even if you are walking to pick your child up from school, you may not bring your dog. This is to ensure the safety of all students, staff, and parents. Thank you for your understanding.

As a reminder, all transportation changes require a handwritten note. Please do not email/message the teacher to make a change, as there is no guarantee that the teacher will see your email/message prior to the end of the day. Also, if you plan to pick your child(ren) up from school, and they typically ride the bus and you did not send in a note to the teacher, please plan to arrive by 3:15 as once dismissal starts there is no guarantee that your student will be called prior to the bus departing.Thank you for your understanding!

In July 2024, the SPCS School Board approved changes to the protocols regarding how birthdays can be recognized in the school setting. I realize that trying to read the entire Handbook online is hard so I am providing a copy of the protocol below. Please be aware that classrooms are allowed two classwide celebrations per year and teachers may invite families to send in special, store-bought treats at that time. This ensures that families with students with health conditions have time to prepare for alternate treats and/or have discussions with their individual child about allergies. All food sent in for those events will be checked by the school nurse and must still be nut-free. Thank you for your support in helping to keep our kids safe!

In SCPS elementary schools, we work hard to ensure that students’ minds and bodies are ready for learning each day. In addition to the hard work our teachers and staff do every day to prepare students for success in the classroom, we also work to encourage healthy eating and physical activity, leading them to lifelong success. We understand that celebrating students is very important and we are committed to recognizing students in healthy and safe ways.

Like many other schools, we have many students who suffer from life-threatening allergies. According to the Centers for Disease Control (2011), allergies have increased more than 20% among American children since the mid-1990s. Childhood obesity has tripled over the past 20 years. As a school community, we must do all we can to lessen the chances of an allergic incident happening and must work diligently to keep our students safe.

Each year, across our elementary sites, feedback from staff and parents is mixed with regard to outside food and treats. We are aware that this is a sensitive subject. We will continue to celebrate student birthdays as a school-wide community, however, should you choose to provide birthday treats to classmates, these goodies must be non-edible. Cupcakes, candy, and/or any other edible food items will not be allowed. Your school will reach out with specific, non-food alternative ways you can use to recognize your child’s birthday at school. Specific, school-wide celebrations will continue with other guidance and forward planning for a safe, healthy event.

As was shared previously, all car riders are required to sign-up for a number each year. This is to help us avoid any confusion if there has been a change for your family. Also, only students that are car riders every day will be issued a car rider number and will be allowed to utilize the car rider lanes. Any student that has a car rider number assigned will not have a bus assigned for the afternoon. Each family is issued 2 car rider tags. Additional tags will be $5.00. Anyone who wishes to pick up that does not have a car rider number issued will be required to park and walk-up to sign their child(ren) out. Please be sure to have your government issued identification available.

School policy states that no cell phones, smartwatches may be used from the start of the day until the end of the day (bell to bell). Students must stow away, in their backpacks, any cell phone, smartwatch, or ear buds that have bluetooth capabilities between 8:25 am-3:30pm. The electronic device should be set to “silent” while in the student’s backpack. Please reference C.12 in the Student Code of Conduct for more information.

We have great news! ALL students at Spotswood Elementary School will receive free breakfast and lunch for the 2025-2026 school year!! Extras, like ice cream, chips, cookies, and juice, will still be available for an additional fee.

If you plan to come eat lunch with your child, please be aware that you will need to sign in at the office first and get a Visitor's Badge. You will need a government issued ID in order to receive a pass. Unfortunately, adults do not qualify for free lunch.

Vision Statement: At Spotswood, every child is seen, supported, and inspired to reach their full potential—building the confidence, compassion, and curiosity to thrive in school and beyond.

Email: jsotzing@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Website: https://wwww.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/o/spotswood
Location: 400 Lorraine Avenue, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
Phone: 540-898-1514
Twitter: @SpotswoodElem