Poca Elementary School

Dear PES Families, As we head into the season of chilly mornings and warm afternoons, our Lost and Found is starting to pile up! Jackets, coats, and hoodies are being shed throughout the day—and without names on them, it’s tough to get items back to their owners. Please help us by labeling your child’s outerwear (jackets, coats, hoodies, etc.) with their name on the tag. This small step makes a big difference in returning items quickly. Once our Lost and Found becomes too full, we give students a chance to check for their belongings before we donate any unclaimed items to a local agency. Thank you for your help in keeping our Lost and Found under control!

Updated Bus Change for Bus 1807
We apologize for the inconvenience, but the Transportation Department has made another change affecting students who normally ride Bus 1807.
· Students who ride Bus 1807 will now take Bus 1306 to Poca High School.
· From there, they will transfer to Bus 1703 to go home.
Students may arrive home approximately 30 minutes later than usual. We kindly ask that someone be at the bus stop or home a little before or after the estimated arrival time to ensure a safe transition.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Students who ride bus 1807 will ride bus 204 today. Students may arrive home approximately 30 minutes later. If you need to make a dismissal change, please call the office before 2:15 p.m. 304-755-7561

Dear Families,

Last year, many K – 2 families requested to pick up their child at the gazebo. Unfortunately, this created unsafe conditions, with students running and playing in the parking lot, on sidewalks, and near the bus lanes. With buses, cars, and PMS traffic moving through these areas, this is not a safe option.

To prioritize the safety of all students at PES and PMS, all K–2 students, along with their siblings in grades 3–5, will be dismissed from the back of the building at Door 23 at the gym.

Poca Elementary Family Pick-up dismissal is at 2:55 p.m. Poca Middle dismissal is at 3:05, so you have time to get over to PMS.
We appreciate your understanding and support as we work together to ensure a safe dismissal for everyone. We have tried many different dismissal procedures over the years, and this has been our safest option.

If you made arrangements at Open House for Gazebo drop-off, we will make the exception for today. Beginning tomorrow, we will begin pick-up at Door 23

Thank you!

We’re excited to introduce our two wonderful new Kindergarten teachers for 2025 - 2026: Ms. Emily Harbour and Mrs. Allison Clendenin. You may have noticed Mrs. Clendenin listed as "TBA" on the supply list—! we had to wait until her "official" hiring. Both Ms. Harbour and Mrs. Clendenin bring great enthusiasm, creativity, and a deep love for early childhood education. They are eager to meet you and your children at our Open House on Tuesday, August 19th at 4:00 PM. This will be a great opportunity to say hello, see the classrooms, and start building the strong home-school connection that helps our students thrive.

Packing Day for Backpack Buddy.org will be tomorrow, Saturday, June 7 beginning at 10:00am at the Teays Valley Church of the Nazarene. Come out and help as we pack food and educational items to be delivered to over 1200 families this summer. Hope to see you tomorrow.

PES: PES Families: If your child did not get his/her report card today, you must pick-up the report card at PES on Friday, June 6th between 8:30 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. If your report card is not picked up, it will be sent to PCS Board of Education office in Winfield for summer pick-up.

PES: Thursday, June 5th - Last Day of School! Dismissal is at 11:55 AM. If your child is attending school but needs to leave early, please pick them up before 10:00 AM. If you need to make a dismissal change, please contact the office before 9:00 AM. Have a great summer!

PES Families, As we wrap up another incredible school year, we want to wish all of our families a safe, relaxing, and fun-filled summer! Please remember to keep learning alive over the break: 📚 Read with your child every day ➕ Practice math facts—counting, addition, subtraction, or multiplication 📖 And don’t forget to READ some more! As we head into our final day of school tomorrow, please keep the following important reminders in mind: Dismissal is at 11:55 AM. If your child is attending school but needs to leave early, please pick them up before 10:00 AM. If you need to make a dismissal change, please contact the office before 9:00 AM. Early dismissals can be hectic—your help ensures we keep all students safe and accounted for. MIDGET LEAGUE PARTICIPANTS: If your child is planning—or even considering—participation in any fall sport with Poca Midget League, please keep their report card in a safe place. You will need it to register. At the start of the new school year, our office staff will be very busy and may not be able to provide reprints. Save yourself the hassle—keep that report card handy! Finally, if you haven’t already, please take a moment to thank our amazing staff. Poca Elementary is truly blessed with the best. I’m grateful every day for the passion, hard work, and heart they bring to our school. Enjoy your summer—we’ll see you in August! ❤️

PES: PES Families – Field Day is Today! Gates Open at 8:10 A.M. All families must enter through the gate behind the school or the PMS Football Field entrance, located at the PMS side parking lot near the old gym. If you check out your child, you will do so with the teacher on the field.

PES: Menu Change: Tuesday, June 3rd Lunch: Deep Dish Pizza and Breadsticks

PES: Lunch change for tomorrow, Friday, May 30th Fajitas, Brown Rice, and Apple Sauce

PES: We're excited for Field Day this Friday, May 30th! While the weather forecast isn't ideal, we'll wait until Thursday afternoon to make a final decision. If possible, we'll move forward. If a makeup day is necessary, June 4th will be the day. We will post by 3:00 on Thursday!

PES: 5th Grade Farewell Families of 5th graders, please don't forget tonight's farewell event. You will enter at Poca Middle School front entrance. You can park at Poca Library, PMS Side lot, or in front of the school. Doors Open at 5:40. We will start promptly at 6:00 p.m.

Kindergarten Celebration – Important Information for Families We are excited to welcome you to our Kindergarten Celebration! Please review the following details to help the event run smoothly: • Doors will open at 1:15 PM. • Seating is limited and reserved for adults only. • After the performance, students will be escorted to the cafeteria for dismissal. This helps reduce hallway congestion and ensures a smooth process. SAFETY FIRST! • Only ONE adult should enter the cafeteria to pick up each child. Other family members may wait outside. • If you are taking your child home after the celebration, you must sign them out with the teacher or aide in the cafeteria – not at the main office. • If you are also checking out a sibling, please notify their teacher via ClassDojo ahead of time so they can be prepared for dismissal. Thank you for your cooperation and support. We look forward to celebrating with you!

PES: PES Families: Those students riding bus 1306 will be arriving late. The bus broke down prior to arriving at PES. Another bus will pick them up from PES and bring them home.

PES Families of 3rd–5th Graders, Due to statewide internet issues (WVDE), we were unable to begin testing as planned today. We will try again tomorrow, so please continue to follow the testing tips we’ve already shared and have your child ready to test. All testing has been moved back one day. Please see the updated schedule attached. IMPORTANT: If your child has any appointments between Tuesday, May 7th and Monday, May 12th (5th grade only), please notify their teacher as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding and support!

PES: Cook's Choice - Friday, May 2nd Breakfast - Assorted Breakfast items Lunch - Assorted Chicken, Salad, Fruit

PES Families, Just a reminder about our April Community Service project! We’re collecting snacks for the veterans at the Barboursville VA Home—items like Little Debbie cakes, individual chips, crackers, donuts, Slim Jims, and more. This is one of our favorite projects, and the veterans are always so grateful. Let’s overwhelm them with love and appreciation for their service! Please send in all donations by Wednesday, April 30th. Thank you for your continued support!

PES: Family Care Mobile Bus - Schedule Changes On Thursday, April 24th and Friday, April 25th, the mobile unit staff will be at Cross Lanes Family Care office. Walk-ins welcome or call 304-545-0992 to schedule an appointment.