Pence Press
May 2020
Please recognize Kim Dove as the Lucy Simms Educator of the Year for Rockingham County!
Pence Families-
We wanted to take a moment to update you on a few items:
First, due to the current school closure and the identified need to participate in focused remediation to begin the next school year, along with sensitivity towards families who are dealing with current difficulties, a motion was made to postpone the staggered start times to the 2021-2022 school year. (There are certainly other considerations that went into this decision.) This motion was passed by the board. Therefore, we will not have a staggered start schedule (which was the later start to the school day) for next year.
Second, paper packet 2 (modiles 5-8) will be available for pick up at Pence beginning on Tuesday, May 5th. You only need to pick up a paper packet if your child is NOT completing assignments online. You may also return any completed work when you pick up your next packet. Please put completed work in an envelope labeled with your child's name. Library books can also be returned at this time. Please make sure you call the school (878-2535) prior to your arrival.
Finally, the county has set May 29th as deadline for all school work to be completed and submitted. Teachers will be working with students to adjust the pacing.
Please, be safe, stay well, and take care! Know that we miss our students dearly and we cannot wait until the day comes where we can see them again.
Sincerely-
John Childs, Candice Ray, & Teresa Shank
A Message From Our Counselors
Basic phone texting Who kids are talking to. Texting is mostly limited to people kids know in real life, but anyone with your kid's number can call, text, and even video-chat with them. What a spot check reveals. A lot (unless kids delete their call logs). Phones log every call and text and may add the sender to your kid's contact list automatically. What to watch out for. Group texting is huge with kids who have their own devices. It also opens them up to being contactable by anyone on the chain—and some people may be strangers. Contacts can be hidden and texts can be deleted, so looking at your kid's phone may not show you everyone they're talking to. Also, watch out for spam bots—texts that look like they're from real people but are actually ads; if kids don't recognize the number, they shouldn't respond. Useful settings. iPhones allow you to manage kids' contacts (go to Settings/Screen Time/Communication Limits). Both iPhones and Android phones allow you to restrict third-party apps from automatically adding all of your contacts, which helps kids keep their circle smaller.
Social media Who kids are talking to. Kids usually chat or send pics back and forth with only friends, as well as friends of friends, but they can pretty much chat with anyone they want. For example, on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok, unless kids enable privacy settings to prevent contact with strangers, they can direct-message (DM) anyone who follows them and anyone they follow. The platforms also make it super easy to extend your network by recommending new accounts to follow, allowing you to sync all your social media contacts, and offering QR codes that let you add people with your camera. What a spot check reveals. You should be able to see all of your kids' contacts from their account profile page. On Instagram and TikTok, you can read chats by tapping on a contact name and viewing the history. You can also follow your kids on those platforms to see what they post publicly. But Snapchat automatically deletes chats and public posts (stories) after they're viewed. What to watch out for. Cyberbullying, drama, and time spent are all hazards of social media chatting. Unwanted contact, such as predatory behavior or inappropriate requests, is a risk—and it can come from strangers or kids they know. Useful settings. Most platforms offer privacy settings that allow kids to keep their accounts private, prevent contact from strangers, and limit comments. Some apps go further: Instagram offers an array of settings for kids to manage their circle of friends, and TikTok offers a small suite of parental controls, including the ability to disable direct messaging.
Conversations with Common Sense Join us for today's webinar, Building Skills in Young Kids. Ellen Galinsky, chief science officer at the Bezos Family Foundation, will share concrete ideas on how to use tantrums and social isolation anxiety as opportunities to build life skills in children. Check out our COVID-19 series to register for more upcoming talks. Register today
Games Who kids are talking to. Kids play with friends they know in real life, but competing against new people is a huge part of the fun. So most gamers have lots of casual online pals they've made just from playing certain games or playing on a certain platform, such as Steam or Roblox. What a spot check reveals. It depends. In most games, you can see a list of your kids' contacts, and you might be able to read your kids' chats and private message history. But some game chat is done by voice—so you might be able to only hear what your kid is saying when they're gaming, which is possible if you keep their console or computer in a family room instead of a bedroom. What to watch out for. Game chat—whether voice, video, or written—can run the gamut from edgy (with really graphic language) to cruel (including hate speech and homophobic slurs) to kind (since gamers can forge friendships through gaming). Game chat can be totally off topic, too. Be aware that not all game chat occurs on the platform kids play on. Some gamers prefer to use the chat app Discord to talk with their teammates, so you'll want to find out whether your kid uses it (it has the same visibility as other social media). Useful settings. Games usually offer privacy settings that allow players to keep a tightly curated list of contacts. You'll want to go through the game settings to enable the protections you're comfortable with, from limiting all contact to just friends to moderated chat, which is available on some platforms.
Keep the conversation going If you've relaxed a bit about your kid meeting up with friends online, it's a good time to check in. Review your rules about who they can talk to on different platforms. Are you comfortable with text chat in Roblox but not OK with DMs in TikTok? You can ask what differences they've noticed between face-to-face interactions and online conversations. Will they keep up with the video chatting when they can finally see their friends again? What have they learned about themselves during this experience? Also: Don't forget to tune in to our new podcast Parent Trapped, available May 6 on iTunes and wherever you get your podcasts. —Caroline
On our radar
- Rapper Travis Scott slays on Fortnite. In-game live events like Scott's record-setting concert kick the blues and connect the world in uncertain times. Yes, there'll be more
- Major Messenger Kids update. Facebook now lets parents opt in to expanded, kid-controlled connections. Get the deets
- Parks and Rec reunion! Tune in Thursday night for a special, timely episode featuring old faves and guest spots. Proceeds go to Feeding America
- Celebrate National Teacher Day. Coming next Tuesday, this day is now more important than ever (since you know how much they really work). Get appreciation ideas
Counseling Hotline Number
Many of us may be struggling more with our mood during this time. A wonderful resource became available this week that allows people to call counselors in the Shenandoah Valley anonymously. The information is included below:
Counselors in the Shenandoah Area have created a hotline to help support those of us who are struggling with our mood and emotions. Calls can be made anonymously. The hotline is open on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 7 p.m., until 10 p.m., and from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. for Spanish speakers.
Hotline Number: 540-820-5762
TAHS Choir next year!
All 8th Graders are invited to join a TAHS Choir next year! You may sign up for Concert Choir or audition for "Mixed Chorale." Interested students should contact Mrs. Mumbauer or Mr. Dunlap (wdunlap@rockingham.k12.va.us) for information, audition instructions, and materials! You don't have to already be registered, you can change your schedule later! What are you waiting for?
As Mrs. Mumbauer says "it's the EASIEST audition you'll EVER have!" :)
Chromebook Help!
Pence Families-
I wanted to share the plan for providing ongoing technology support to students for the next couple of months. Students/families can request remote tech help using this Google Form. It is linked at technology.rockingham.k12.va.us. Tech staff will reach out to families via email or phone and try to troubleshoot remotely. If tech staff deems that a replacement charger or device is needed, then they will direct families to call the school's main office to arrange a device and/or charger pick up.
Sincerely-
Pence Administrative Team
Feeding the Knights: DAYS
Meal Distribution Days
Thank you!
Thank you School Lunch Heroes!!!
Get ready for next year with some new Pence Gear!
About Us
Wilbur Pence Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1j84fxh9NC/?igshid=1ugnqkq1hn27l
WSPMS WEBSITE including "Parent Resources" & "Student Resources"
http://wspms.rockingham.k12.va.us/
Email: jchilds@rockingham.k12.va.us
Website: http://wspms.rockingham.k12.va.us/
Location: 375 Bowman Road, Dayton, VA, USA
Phone: 540-879-2535
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penceknights/