Pirate's Cove Updates

Dear Pirate Families,

As a reminder, there is no school for students on Monday so our staff can participate in Professional Learning. We hope everyone enjoys their long weekend and we can't wait to welcome students back on Tuesday!

Plans are currently underway for the 8th Annual Trunk or Treat Event hosted by the PTO. There is still time to sign up to enter a "trunk" into the evening's festivities. Can't commit to decorating a trunk? You can still support by donating candy or other small treats. Please see below for more information.

Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday from 4:00pm-6:00pm. Please remember that you MUST have an appointment scheduled in order to meet with your child's teacher that evening.

The Book Fair is happening from October 19th-30th. Students will "shop" during their Encore times throughout the window. The Book Fair will also be open during Trunk or Treat if you would like to shop with your child. All funds raised goes directly to the library program.

Proud Pirate,

Mrs. Sotzing

Don't forget to check your student's Yellow Folder for his/her October Attendance Challenge Calendar. When your student has not missed a day for the entire month, he/she will earn a reward when he/she returns it to school On the first of the next month (i.e October calendars are due no later than November 6th).

If your child needs to be out please notify the school of your child's absence by calling the Attendance line (540-898-1514 option #1 or by emailing the attendance secretary at spotswoodattendance@spotsylvania.k12.va.us.

The holidays are fast approaching and deadlines for support are coming up soon! Please click the link below if your family is in need of holiday support this year. Requests must be submitted by October 23rd and requests after this date will be unable to be met.

When requesting assistance, please ensure to list the best way to contact you (phone number or email), as someone from our school team will be reaching out in the next few weeks to follow up on next steps to get you connected to support.

https://forms.gle/tzeRsiPdLVKf7Svi6

Students will be bringing home Impact Aid forms on Tuesday, October 13th. Impact Aid forms are used by local school districts to count and verify federally connected students so the school district can receive federal financial assistance.

Key Purposes of the Forms

• Verify Student Eligibility: Parents or guardians fill out the forms to confirm if their children live on tax-exempt federal property, Indian lands, or military bases, or if their parents serve in the uniformed services or work on eligible federal property.
• Offset Lost Local Tax Revenue: Because federal properties and military installations do not pay local property taxes, the federal government uses this count to reimburse school districts for lost tax dollars.
• Fund General School Operations: The collected data determines how much Impact Aid funding the district receives, which helps pay for teacher salaries, textbooks, technology, special education, and transportation.

All forms are due by October 30th.

The Scholastic Book Fair is almost here! The library is looking for willing and able parent volunteers to support during the book fair from 10/19-10/30. If you can sign up for a volunteer shift (or more!), please click here. If you would like to volunteer, check out our official signup here. Please make sure you have turned in a 2026-2027 SCPS volunteer form to the front office since July 1, 2026.

Support your students and their teachers by volunteering! Make memories by signing up to be a part of our school dance, career day, field day, and more! Click here to express interest in volunteering and we'll be in touch!

It's not too late to become an official voting member of the PTO for the 2026-2027 school year! Dues are just $5 and can be secured via online payment, cash, or check. Official PTO members can vote in meetings and serve in elected positions. Fill out this Google form. The form will also allow you to secure online payment. You will receive an official PTO water bottle sticker when you secure your dues!

Our next PTO Meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 13th at 4:00pm in the library. This is a great opportunity to learn more about upcoming events and different ways you can support the students and staff of Spotswood. We hope to see you there!

The PTO is looking for candy donations! Participate in this week’s fun challenge. Fizzles, our hungry pirate parrot, needs your help! He needs to collect 20,000 pieces of candy to share with all of our pirate friends. CHALLENGE: The grade level that collects the most candy October 12-16 will win a Popcorn Party on Monday, October 19th! Students can bring individually-wrapped candy to the office. Please label each bag with your child's name, teacher, and grade level. Let’s see which grade can feed Fizzles the most!

Other ways to participate:
Host a trunk: https://forms.gle/DXRMjvCkmt3b6qrq7
Volunteer for a carnival game: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/5080B4FAFA72CABFE3-44544875-trunk?useFullSite=false
Attend on October 29th from 5-7 PM.

We are currently seeking caring and dependable bus drivers and bus attendants. Parents and caregivers often make some of the best drivers and attendants because they understand children, value safety, and are deeply invested in the success of our schools.

To make training more accessible, we offer several classes each month, including evening and weekend training options. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents and caregivers to support students while making a meaningful difference in our community.

Interested individuals should apply online at spotsylvania.schoolspring.com.

We are partnering with Topside Federal Credit Union this year! Click here for more information.

OCTOBER

12th Teacher Workday-No school for students

15th Parent-Teacher Conferences (by appointment only)

19th Scholastic Book Fair Kicks Off

26th Red Ribbon Week Kicks Off

29th Trunk or Treat (Book Fair open)

30th Book Fair Ends

NOVEMBER

2nd Division PD-No school for students

3rd Teacher Workday-No school for students

5th 4E Expo 5:30pm-7:30pm @ Courtland High School

10th Spirit Night @ Panera

11th Veterans Day Event

19th STEAM Night

2nd grade performance

23rd Fall Break begins

30th Students return to school

DECEMBER

3rd 3rd Grade Musical Performance

4th Spirit Night @ Urban Air

18th SNOW MUCH FUN

21st Winter Break Begins

JANUARY

4th Winter Break Ends

5th Students Return to School

6th Spirit Night @ Five Guys

7th Parent-Teacher Conferences by appointment

12th PTO Meeting @ 4pm

18th Student-Staff Holiday

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!

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!

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.

Just a reminder that if your child will be a car rider every day, you will need to sign up for a Car Rider number. All car riders are required to sign-up for a new 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.

How to Get Started

Using the app is EASY! You will need the SCPS school district code 86784 for General transportation or 30196 for Special transportation and a Student Information System (SIS) Parent Account.

Parents of students that access both types of buses will need to create a Special Transportation HCTB account and a Regular Transportation HCTB account. They can use the same email, but use different school codes for each account. It is easier to have to have two devices with one account on each, but not necessary. Parents do have to switch back and forth to actively track the bus if using one device, but if they have notifications set up, the notifications will still pop up for both accounts even when logged out of the accounts. Notifications are device based. So if they are signed into their account on the Special Transportation side, they would still get notifications from their Regular Transportation account as well.

Please be sure to follow the detailed instructions below.

-From a smartphone or tablet, download (for free) the Here Comes the Bus® app from the App Store or Google Play.

OR

-From a laptop or PC, access the Here Comes the Bus Website.

Please Note: If a new SIS Parent Account was created, please wait 24-48 hours before proceeding with the detailed instructions below.

Step By Step

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app or visit herecomesthebus.com

2. Select the “Sign Up” button at the bottom

3. Enter your email, first name, last name, and school code and click “continue” followed by “Confirm”

4. Enter in a password following the listed rules and press "Confirm Password"

5. Open your email inbox, and look for a confirmation email from Synovia/Cal Amp. Confirm your account, return to the app, and select "Login".

6. Login using your email, school code, and your password.

7. Enter a Device name and select "Save"

8. Enter your child’s last name and 7 digit student ID number

9. Confirm the stops listed for your student and select "Continue"

10. Read the info about the bus notification circle and select "continue"

11. If you have more students, select Add another student. When finished adding students, select "Done"

12. Now you are ready to explore the app, starting with "Map".

Once signed in, you can customize or edit features, including how the app will communicate with you, and the size and location of the notification radius around your child's bus stop.

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.

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