Pirate's Cove Updates

Dear Pirate Families,

I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable Spring Break. I am excited to welcome staff and students back tomorrow (April 6th).

As you know, we have been working very hard to keep our chronic absenteeism rate at 10% or below. Moving into Spring Break, we were sitting at around 14%, which means we have some work to do! As a reminder, the state does not differentiate between an excused absence and an unexcused absence when calculating the rate. To help us keep kids wanting to come to school, we are kicking off an Attendance Incentive when students return from Spring Break. For each day that a student is present in school, he/she will earn a ticket. Then the ticket will be included in a prize bucket and on the last day of school, we will pull tickets for kids to earn prizes. Prizes include: bikes, hover soccer balls, karaoke microphones, legos, race car tracks, and more!

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

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 hope you can join us for our next Spirit Night at Jimmy T's on Tuesday, April 7th located in the Breezewood Shopping Centre at 10631 Courthouse Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22407.

Class Pictures will be taken on Wednesday, April 8th and cost $13. Class Pictures must be paid for by the end of the day on Wednesday). All students will be included in the Class Picture even if he/she is not purchasing individual Spring Pictures.

Please note that due to scheduling, if your student arrives after their class picture has been taken that the picture will not be able to be retaken. Please make every effort to have your child to school on time.

Spring Pictures will take place on April 8th. Individual Spring Pictures have various package options available.

We hope you can join us on Saturday at Courtland High School from 9:00am-1:00pm for the STEM Innovation Showcase. Many of our students will have work showcased and many of our grade levels are entering examples of various scientific investigations they have completed this year!

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.

  
  

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.

APRIL

3rd Spring Break Ends

6th Students return to school

7th Spirit Night @ Jimmy T's

8th Spring Pictures & Class Pictures

11th STEM Showcase

16th Spring Chorus Concert @ 7pm

21st Teacher Workday

30th SOL Carnival & Community Resource Fair

MAY

4th Staff Appreciation Kicks Off

5th Mental Wellness Discussion & Community Resource Fair

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

28th 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony at Massaponax High School @ 6:30pm

29th Early Release/Last day of school

Lost and Found will be emptied on 3/27. Please claim any outstanding items. Check out the Google album here. Thank you for your support as we seek to maintain this space!

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