Quioccasin Q's Letter
Every Griffin, Every Classroom, Every Day!
BACK TO SCHOOL EDITION -- August 2024
Dear Griffins,
Welcome to another exciting year of learning and growing at Quioccasin Middle School. At Quioccasin, we are committed to fostering a safe and inclusive learning environment for all students. Our phenomenal team of educators works hard to provide our students with engaging lessons that encourage creativity, critical thinking, and positive relationships.
As we prepare for the 24-25 school year, our selected theme is Striving for excellence! We are choosing excellence for Every Griffin, Every Classroom, Every Day! This means that we are committed to meeting the academic needs of every student in our building. We believe in our students and we are determined to foster authentic relationships. Additionally, we are looking forward to partnering with our families and community partners to help our students become RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE, and READY, which are our core values.
We are on a quest to make Quioccasin the premier middle school in Henrico County. With your help, we will be! Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or our staff if you have any questions or need assistance throughout the year. Let’s make this a great year!
Sincerely,
Robert L. Stevens, II
Principal
Mrs. Shemia Porcher
6th Grade Administrator
Mrs. Joy Knighton
7th Grade Administrator
Mr. Matthew Reinstein
8th Grade Administrator
Q-CAMP
ALL RISING 6TH GRADERS
Thursday, August 15th: 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM
- Meet New Friends
- Get Your Class Schedule
- Meet Your Teachers
- Pay Fees (if you did not do so online)
- Tour our School
- Shop our PTSO Spirit Wear
- Attend Parent Sessions
Registration Preferred at tinyurl.com/QMS-QCAMP24
QMS OPEN HOUSE
7TH & 8TH GRADE STUDENTS
Thursday, August 15th: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM
- Get Class Schedule/Walk Schedule
- See Friends
- Meet Teachers
- Shop our PTSO Spirit Wear
- Pay Fees (if you did not do so online)
- 7th graders may turn in immunization info in during this time.
(Students won’t receive schedules until the immunization documentation is received.)
First Day of School
Monday, August 19th
BACK-TO-SCHOOL INFORMATION
CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Cell phones and electronic devices are required to be left at home or out of visible sight, silenced, and/or in airplane mode during the school day (8:05 am - 3:15 pm). Please see the linked letter that further details our updated cell phone practices. This letter will be sent in a separate email as well.
WEAPON SCANNERS
Just like last year, Quioccasin students, staff, and visitors must go through weapons scanners as they enter our building. The scanners, similar to the ones you see at amusement parks and professional sporting events, are easier to use than traditional metal detectors while still enhancing our school’s multilayered safety plan. The are in place at all Henrico secondary schools and many elementary schools.
Morning arrival could take longer during the first few days of school, but the impact should be minimal once students get back into the habit of removing their laptops, metal water bottles, and large binders from their backpacks. If you are new to the County or need a refresher, please take a few minutes to watch this brief video explaining what students and visitors should expect to help your family prepare.
STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARDS
Students will receive an ID on the first day of school and they are expected to wear these with the accompanying lanyard and cover beginning the second day of school. This ID will enable students to get on the bus in the mornings, go through the lunch line, check out books in the library, and access other HCPS school technology. It is the expectation that student will wear these IDs everyday while at school.
LAPTOPS AND CHARGERS
Laptops and chargers will be distributed during the first week of school. It is the student's responsibility to keep up with these items once they are received.
MEALS: BREAKFAST, LUNCH, AND FEES
QMS qualifies for a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). This means that we will serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students this school year. Student may opt to bring their own lunches from home if you choose. Please note: fast food drop-offs are not allowed by parents, loved ones, or food delivery services.
WALKERS AND CAR RIDERS
Please submit this form prior to the first day of school to let us know that your QMS child has permission to frequently either walk home from school or get picked up by car. Students are dismissed daily in waves starting at 3:15 pm with walkers and car riders. Students with parent permission will receive a colored pass that can be shown to staff members at dismissal.
Once school starts on Monday, August 19th, walker & car rider permission can only be obtained and submitted via a paper pass. Students can get these from their Advisory teacher or the main office.
Please know that, without parent permission to walk or dismiss with car riders, students must ride their assigned bus home or be checked out by a parent/listed contact from the main office.
The traffic pattern can be viewed and downloaded here.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROCEDURES
Student Drop Off/Pick Up:
School hours are from 8:05 am—3:15 pm. Students should not be dropped off before 8:00 am unless they have a scheduled appointment with their teacher. Students should arrive no later than 8:25 am to be on time for Advisory. For dismissal, students should be picked up no later than 3:30 pm in the main parking lot near the C Hall Door.
Staying Late for a Staff-Sponsored Event:
Students must have a signed permission note from their parent/guardian. Notes should be given to the supervising staff member at the start of the school day.
2024-25 SCHOOL CALENDAR
Click this link to see the day one/day two HCPS calendar along with student holidays, teacher work days, etc. You may access the 24-25 school calendar in multiple languages here.
VOLUNTEERS
There will be opportunities for parents and community members to volunteer at Quioccasin this year. To be eligible for volunteer opportunities, you must complete the volunteer application.
HEALTH UPDATES
REMINDERS
State Law mandates the following vaccines for middle school:
TDAP Booster for 7th graders
Meningitis Vaccine for 7th graders
HPV (optional) for 7th graders
CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS
If your child has a chronic medical condition that will require attention while at school such as asthma, diabetes, food allergies, seizures, etc., please provide an action plan or medication order signed by your physician and parent/guardian as well as any needed medications/supplies before the first day your child will attend school.
ATHLETICS & SPORTS INFORMATION
Information about team sports is located here. This link includes information about tryouts, schedules, and more.
SPORTS PHYSICALS
All physicals on file for the 23-24 year will expire on June 30. Athletes will need a new physical on file before their season starts dated after May 1, 2024
HCPS Online Services
See HCPS Online Services for directions!
BE IN THE KNOW!
To keep track of your child's grades, classes, teachers, and all other happenings at school. Be sure to join Powerschool, Schoology, Ecollect, and OSP!
POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL
Set up your PowerSchool account. PowerSchool allows parents to access schedules, teacher emails, and grades throughout the school year.
Go to HCPS online services for directions to create a brand new PowerSchool account.
Have another student to add to your PowerSchool account? Click here for directions to link students to an existing PowerSchool account.
Aug. 12: All student schedules (elementary and secondary) will be available in PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Aug. 12 by 9:30 a.m.: Bus schedules will be available on the HCPS PowerSchool Parent Portal Transportation page.
SCHOOLOGY
Schoology is the HCPS learning management system. Families may set up accounts in Schoology in order to see classroom agendas, assignments, and homework calendars that are assigned to their students. All teachers will have a uniform Schoology folder and training will be forthcoming.
Parents can log in: https://app.schoology.com/login
Never been in Schoology? Follow these directions to create an account.
ONLINE SCHOOL PAYMENTS
OSP is the HCPS program for paying fees. Be sure to sign in to OSP at the beginning of the year.
Aug. 8: Online School Payments opens to families to pay school fees.
ECOLLECT
ECollect is a one-stop shop app for completing all the required HCPS forms. Find Ecollect Forms in the parent PowerSchool Parent Portal by selecting the “Forms” button on the left. Ecollect makes it easy for families to stay involved year-round with their student’s education and reduces the need for paper with its secure electronic format.
PowerSchool Parent Portal is now open to families for account creation and to complete back to school forms through eCollect Forms.
PARENTSQUARE
Email, text and app notifications are used for daily communication by individual schools and the school division’s central office to communicate important news and information. Those notifications will include things like snow days or other time-sensitive alerts, a principal’s weekly message, a late bus, a student absence, a low meal account balance or event information. Read more about ParentSquare or watch a video introduction to ParentSquare for parents and guardians.
PTSO Corner
Check out the QMS PTSO's website. It has information about joining, meeting dates, upcoming events, etc.
*Being a member does not mean you have to attend any meetings or volunteer, though we would love to have you and will keep you informed about opportunities.*
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
August 19: First Day of School
August 30: Student & Teacher Holiday
Sept 2: Labor Day - No School
Sept 10: Back to School Night
Oct. 14: Student holiday – Teacher in-person professional learning
Oct. 23: End of quarter/Student half day/Flexible staff clerical day
ADDITIONAL EVENTS AND INFORMATION
THE TEAM IN THE MAIN OFFICE
6th grade administrator: Shemia Porcher
7th grade administrator: Joy Knighton
8th grade administrator: Matthew Reinstein
Principal: Robert Stevens
Grade Level 6 Counselor (Last names C-Z): Sara Dougherty
Grade Level 7 Counselor (Last names C-Z): Tamela Tyler
Grade Level 8 Counselor (Last names D-Z): Erin Sams
Counseling Director (Grade 6 A-B, Grade 7 A-B, Grade 8 A-C): Tammy Mizelle
Attendance: Megan Crumley
Financial Secretary: Amy Spangler
Registrar: Ann Maramba
Principal Secretary: Kelly Berkley
Nurse: Caitlin Murfee
Clinic Assistant: TBD
Testing Coordinator: Derrick Herald
Community Resource Coordinator: Gabriel Hernandez
Transportation Contact Information:
Zone 4 – West Area
Christy Liesegang
Office: 804-226-5594
Email: Christy Liesegang