Pirate's Cove Updates

Dear Pirate Families,

It was wonderful seeing everyone at Open House on Thursday evening! The excitement and enthusiasm were contagious! As we begin another school year, I want to remind families that we are all partners in your child’s success. Open communication and a strong home-school partnership are essential, and we encourage you to reach out early whenever questions or concerns arise.

When a concern comes up, we ask that you begin by connecting with your child’s teacher. Our teachers know your child best in the classroom and are often able to address questions, make adjustments, or provide additional support right away. If a concern remains unresolved, or if through those conversations the teacher and family determine that additional support or resources may be helpful, Mrs. Pickett or I are always happy to join the conversation. Our goal is to work together as a team, with everyone communicating openly and respectfully, to find the best path forward for your child. We believe that giving each member of the team an opportunity to be part of the conversation helps us build trust, strengthen relationships, and ultimately provide the best support possible for every student.

Bus stop information can be found in ParentVue. Don't forget to download the Here Comes the Bus App (more info below) for up-to-date information on the location of your child's bus. You will need code 86784 for General transportation or 30196 for Special transportation. Please note that students should be at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to the posted pick up time and may need to wait up to 10 minutes after the posted time. This is true especially in the first few weeks as drivers learn their new routes. Students in grades prek-2nd grade are required to have an adult at the stop to receive the child. Thank you for your understanding as our drivers work to keep our students safe!

We can't wait to see our Head Start, Kindergarten, and Special Program Students tomorrow. And then we will welcome our 1st-5th grade students on Tuesday! As a reminder, parents will not be allowed to accompany their child to class. This helps to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff.

Proud Pirate,

Mrs. Sotzing

We are planning a Back-to-School Block Party of Friday, September 18th. We will host prek-2nd grade parents/guardians from 9:20-11:20 and 3rd-5th grade parents/guardians from 12:30-2:30. There will be time to visit classrooms and learn what to expect this year in your child's classroom and then time for some fun! In between the morning and afternoon session, we invite parents to join Dr. JT Taylor for a session on "Parents with a Purpose". All attendees of Dr. Taylor's session will enjoy a free lunch! More information will be shared as details are finalized!

Please pardon our mess as we work to finish up the office renovation that has been underway this summer. As we progress, we may need to temporarily make changes to drop off and pick up procedures. We appreciate your patience and flexibility!

We have moved back into the main office! We can't wait for you to see what has been done so far and to see the remainder of the project when it is completely done!!

Does your child need help with school supplies? Please reach out to the Ms. Kandetzki, the school social worker, or one of our school counselors, Ms. Lufuluabu or Mr. Bramlett. They will work to make sure your child has everything he/she needs!

If your child needs medication available in the clinic during the school year, please plan to drop it off this week. Don't forget that all medications do require a doctor's note and "plan" from the doctor for how it should be administered. It also needs to be in its original container. This includes inhalers and epipens. Please reach out to Nurse Brandy if you have any questions! We are hopeful her extension will be up and running on Monday!

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!

Consider joining the PTO. Dues are just $5.00. You can reach out to the PTO Board at spespiratespto@gmail.com for more information on how to become a member!

AUGUST

10th Transition Day (1st day for Head Start, Kindergarten, and Special Programs)

11th First Day of School for 1st grade-5th grade

14th Summer Academic Challenge calendars due

19th Spirit Night @ Red Robin

25th PTO Meeting @ 4:00pm

SEPTEMBER

2nd Fall Pictures

4th Color Run Fundraiser Kicks Off

7th HOLIDAY

9th Spirit Night @ Sweet Frog

18th Back-to-School Block Party

21st HOLIDAY

22nd Color Run

OCTOBER

6th Spirit Night @ Jimmy T's

9th End 1st Nine Weeks

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 fo rstudents

3rd Teacher Workday-No school for students

10th Spirit Night @ Panera

11th Veterans Day Event

19th STEAM Night

23rd Fall Break begins

30th Students return to school

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