@backpacksofloveinc is holding a Food Drive through Feb. 23, 2024. Backpacks of Love, Inc. is a local charity that was formed to provide food for school children over the weekend. Children who need such food receive a small bag of food and snacks on the last day of the school week. Our partners at Backpacks of Love are asking for our help! They need food donations. Below is a list of what they need. Please bring donations to your child’s school through Feb. 23. If you have any questions, please reach out to Kelly Sarkees at 804-598-5700 ext 116. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Mrs. Barnes’ AP Physics 1 students at Powhatan High School study simple harmonic motion with pendulums. They determine the effect of mass and length on the time period of a pendulum to swing back and forth. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Powhatan County Public Schools’ Adult Education spring offerings are listed on our website! Thanks to your attendance and interest, the program has grown, from 9 classes when we started a year ago to 17 this spring. The quickest way to get into a course is to go directly to our website (check the first comment for link) and click on "course listing overview" for times/dates, and then go to "indicate your interest." Spread the word about our tour of Fine Creek experience, our CPR/AED/First Aide training, Serv Safe managers training, plate welding, a brewery business tour, project management training, arbory, painting and more! Feel free to share our website on your social media pages and groups. Thank you for helping Powhatan residents enrich lives and expand opportunities.
Powhatan teacher’s first novel embraces magic and joy
POWHATAN, VA – When Nashae Jones decided to incorporate Greek mythology into her first novel, “Courtesy of Cupid,” she took a special approach.
While she knows the concept of being a demi-god – not just a human but being extra special and chosen for something – appeals to kids, she wasn’t interested in characters completing a grand quest. Instead, she wanted a story about life and relationships that was filled with joy and magic. She wanted a story that would explore the topic of love – crushes, familial love, and friendship bonds – in a way that was appropriate for middle schoolers.
Most importantly, Jones, who is a Powhatan High School English teacher, wanted something she missed all too much while growing up as an avid reader – a heartwarming story centered around a person of color as the main character.
“A lot of my favorite stories were centered around people who didn’t look like me. The first time in elementary school I read a book with a character of color, it was ‘Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry,’ ” Jones said. “I remember being devastated by the story. It was so impactful, but it was so sad. It was very much a story of resilience and violence against this black family. I remember thinking I would really like to see more books of joy with people of color in it. I really wanted something that centered on joy and happiness with characters that everybody can relate to.”
With the January 2 release of “Courtesy of Cupid” through Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, Jones is thrilled she has met all of those goals.
Jones’ first novel centers on a girl named Erin Johnson – an overachiever with lofty academic and extracurricular goals, a quirky mom, and a fierce rival in classmate Trevor Jin. As her 13th birthday unfolds, Erin discovers that her mysterious father is actually the love god Cupid – and she’s inherited his knack for romance! Her new magical powers don’t seem like the most useful abilities at first, but when the girl who doesn’t believe in love starts to embrace her magical pedigree in her race to beat her nemesis, she begins to learn that love is much more complicated than she realized.
“She had to learn magic isn’t the thing that controls these bonds; love and relationships take a lot of hard work,” Jones said.
Hard work is a concept the Powhatan author knows well. She wrote the book in 2021 while juggling writing with taking care of her family and teaching full-time at the high school. A teacher for 12 years, she has been with Powhatan County Public Schools since 2016 and still loves to help shape young minds in the small, rural county.
As much as she adores teaching, becoming a published author is a life-long dream come true for Jones. “Before the internet, I used to write fanfiction for books I loved. I used to rewrite the ‘Boxcar Children’ and ‘Nancy Drew.’ I always imagined it would be something I would be able to make a career of out of someday.”
Despite getting a pre-empt publishing offer two weeks after taking the novel out for submission and going through about 19 months of the editing and publishing process, Jones said the situation didn’t feel real to her until two days before Christmas, when she opened a box holding the first 25 published copies of her book.
“That is when it really hit me. Actually holding the book and knowing it was going to be on bookshelves, that is when I really hit me,” she said with a huge grin.
The book launch for “Courtesy of Cupid” was held January 2 at Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, where Jones noted an incredibly supportive group of PHS co-workers showed up in specially printed “Courtesy of Cupid” sweatshirts to buy her book and cheer her success.
“That is what Powhatan is really about. That is what this school system has been about – the love and support I get from my work family and the community,” Jones said. “It is not just people at work – the Powhatan community itself has been so largely supportive.”
Nashae Jones lives in Powhatan with her husband, T.J., and her children, Chase and Nia.
“Courtesy of Cupid” is for sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Books-A-Million, and Fountain Bookstore.
National School Counseling Week 2024 (#NSCW24) is being recognized from Feb. 5-9, 2024, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. PCPS continues National School Counseling Week by recognizing the counseling staff of Powhatan High School: Doug Reimondo, Sarah Baltimore, Chrissie Holley, Kelyn Captain, Kyla Monie-Huss, and Caryn Rehme. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Mr. Robertson’s Culinary 1 students at Powhatan High School made yeast rolls during a recent class. More than just making a yummy snack, this lesson taught the students about how yeast reacts - how it creates carbon dioxide and makes the bread rise. Before this, the students had made quick breads such as pumpkin bread and cheddar biscuits. This was the students’ first time working with yeast and making something that rises before it goes in the oven, so it also involved exercising their patience skills. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Are you a Powhatan grandparent raising a grandchild? Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is a weekly group offering support and resources for grandparents raising grandchildren. The group meets on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to noon at 3910 Old Buckingham Road. Learn how to process and navigate common challenges.
Powhatan High School senior Hunter Atkins, who is part of the Teacher for Tomorrow 2 class, shadowed Mr. Freund’s P.E. classes at Pocahontas Elementary School as they warmed up and played floor hockey. As part of this Career and Workforce Development program, Hunter is building up experience to do a lesson of his own. When he graduates, he wants to be a history teacher at the secondary level. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
This is a reminder of tonight's Sophomore/Junior Night!
The School Counseling Department, along with guest speakers, will be hosting an information night for Sophomores and Juniors. This event will be held at PHS today, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Students and parents are encouraged to attend. As students are making their course selections for the next school year, this is a great opportunity to review graduation requirements and scheduling options. Additional topics to be covered include:
AP Course Offerings
CTE Clusters and Credentials
Career and Community College Options
NCAA and Athletic Eligibility
PSAT and SAT's
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Charting success! During a collaboration with the Library, Mrs. Vandell's Algebra Functions students at @powhatan_high_school participated in stations focused on slopes, parallel lines, and perpendicular lines. At the Slope and Line Station Activity station, students went into the courtyard to capture photos of perpendicular and parallel lines to analyze shapes in the real world. The iPads the students used to take photos were purchased this school year thanks to the support of a Powhatan Education Foundation Grant that PHS Library Media Specialists Mr. Smartschan and Mrs. Jacobs applied for so they can use them for collaborations. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Thank you to the families who came out Thursday for the @powhatan_high_school Instructional Fair to learn more about the awesome classes and programs the school has to offer. A big note of appreciation also goes to those staff members and students who gave their time to represent their programs during the fair and answer questions from students and parents. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
In Powhatan High School’s Intro to Power Systems class, Mr. Counts’ students worked on building birdhouses. The students had to pick a wooden board and measure and cut it down to 6 feet long. Throughout the project, they are scored on their measuring, cutting, and assembly skills as well as the final product. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Powhatan County Public Schools highly recommends that families with smartphones download the free PCPS app and enable notifications. When alerts such as notice of school delays or closings are sent out, the notifications through the app appear to be the one of the fast means of receiving the information. You can sign up for notifications sent to the entire school division as well as only your child's school; see the news feed that mirrors what goes on our social media accounts if you don't use Instagram or Facebook; and see the division and school calendars. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
The small group of students who take Mr. Faria’s Computer Systems 1 class at Powhatan High School get excellent experience to prepare them for potential future careers. As part of the career and workforce development program, students in this class help run the Tech Bar, assisting their peers with Chromebook issues and working with Mr. Faria to address some PHS staff members’ computer problems. Students gain experience working with a variety of devices, such as these two students, who are troubleshooting hard drives and doing a hard drive swap. #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Powhatan County Public Schools is now accepting ECSE Preschool applications. Applications are available through Feb. 9, 2024. In-person screenings/play dates will be scheduled from Feb. 12-23. All children must participate in the screening and play date in order to be considered for this program. The week of March 4, families will be notified by email of acceptance or rejections/waitlisted. For more information, contact: Loretta Mabry, Lead Teacher/Instructional Coach, Special Education at Flat Rock Elementary School, at 804-598-5743 ext. 1109. For the Role Model Brochure and Application, visit https://www.powhatan.k12.va.us/article/1412720.
Powhatan County Public Schools will open on a two-hour delay on Friday, January 19, 2024.
Governor Glenn Youngkin has recognized January 14-20, 2024, as Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week, and we will wrap up by honoring Chris Sumner, principal of Powhatan High School. The governor’s proclamation recognizes that school principals work cooperatively to direct, develop, and inspire all members of the school staff and student body, and to communicate effectively with parents to engage them in the learning process. Principals work collaboratively with teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community at-large to proactively prepare students to be self-reliant and productive citizens. Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognize the hard work of Virginia school principals and to recognize the importance of school leaders in ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. Thank you, Principal Sumner, for all you do! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Governor Glenn Youngkin has recognized January 14-20, 2024, as Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week, and we will continue by honoring Courtney Jarman, principal of Powhatan Middle School. The governor’s proclamation recognizes that school principals work cooperatively to direct, develop, and inspire all members of the school staff and student body, and to communicate effectively with parents to engage them in the learning process. Principals work collaboratively with teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community at-large to proactively prepare students to be self-reliant and productive citizens. Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognize the hard work of Virginia school principals and to recognize the importance of school leaders in ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. Thank you, Principal Jarman, for all you do! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Governor Glenn Youngkin has recognized January 14-20, 2024, as Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week, and we will continue by honoring Constance Deal, principal of Powhatan Elementary School. The governor’s proclamation recognizes that school principals work cooperatively to direct, develop, and inspire all members of the school staff and student body, and to communicate effectively with parents to engage them in the learning process. Principals work collaboratively with teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community at-large to proactively prepare students to be self-reliant and productive citizens. Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognize the hard work of Virginia school principals and to recognize the importance of school leaders in ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. Thank you, Principal Deal, for all you do! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
Governor Glenn Youngkin has recognized January 14-20, 2024, as Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week, and we will continue by honoring Tom Sulzer, principal of Pocahontas Elementary School. The governor’s proclamation recognizes that school principals work cooperatively to direct, develop, and inspire all members of the school staff and student body, and to communicate effectively with parents to engage them in the learning process. Principals work collaboratively with teachers, staff, students, parents, and the community at-large to proactively prepare students to be self-reliant and productive citizens. Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week is an opportunity to recognize the hard work of Virginia school principals and to recognize the importance of school leaders in ensuring that every child has access to a quality education. Thank you, Principal Sulzer, for all you do! #wearepcps #teampowhatan
