Pence Press
April 2020
Building Hours, Spring Break, Etc.
However, due to "Spring Break" this week, the building will be completely shut down for phone calls.
Meals WILL continue to be served on Monday and Wednesday from 4 pm - 6 pm.
Distance Learning: Next Steps
A Message from Guidance
Hi Everyone,
The Pence School Counseling Department will frequently check emails between the hours 8 am and 3:20 pm. As a reminder, emails or phone calls should be from parents or guardians, unless there are extenuating circumstances or other arrangements have been made. In the following weeks, there will be a new Pence Counseling post included in our weekly newsletters. This is a new way for us to get resources and information to our families. Below please find a link to a Prezi on Online Student Success, as well as a few other resources:
Tips for Distance Learning Success:
Prezi Works Best in Google Chrome: For those of you who may not be able to access the Prezi, we have attached a handout with the information.
Information for families who don’t currently have internet:
Comcast is offering free internet for two months for families that qualify. After two months, the internet service will cost $9.95 per month.
To qualify:
- Families must be eligible for public assistance programs such as the National School Lunch Program, Housing Assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, and others.
- Families must live in an area where Comcast service is available
To Apply:
- Call the call center at 1-855-8-INTERNET (1-855-846-8376) during business hours and an agent will walk you through the easy application process. The whole process takes about 10 minutes if you do not have to submit documents. Hours of operation are from 8 AM to Midnight (EST), seven days a week.
How to Help Yourself and Your Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak: For those of you who aren't able to access information through the link below, we have attached the information in a document.
Take Care,
Meg Helbert, Lisa Holsinger-Thomas & Jill Hoover
School Counseling Department
Library News
Virginia Readers' Choice Voting
The Ballot is Available for VOTING from NOW through Wednesday, April 15th.
You are eligible to vote if you have read at least FOUR of the ten nominees, there is
NO requirement for taking the quizzes this year.
New online resources
Keep Up-To-Date with the Library by visiting the website often: www.wspmslibrary.weebly.com
New online resources have been added to our WSPMS Catalog to help you explore your interests, and enjoy reading while you're away from school. Join Google Classroom Code: p373lvi for more important details and login information!
Enjoy your extra time for reading and delving into those topics you've been curious about but didn't have time to research! Any questions, email: jhall@rockingham.k12.va.us.
Distance Learning in Action
A Message from the Teachers
Student Belongings in the Building
Feeding the Knights: NEW DAYS
Meals Available on MONDAY & WEDNESDAY from 4:00-6:00 pm
Thank you!
Most Recent Message from Dr. Scheikl/RCPS
April 3, 2020
As we continue to work through this unprecedented health crisis, we want to update you again on some of the topics we have been asked about and which we have discussed on a daily basis. The most important message continues to be that we will get through this together as a community. Your concerns are heard even though we can not address all of them immediately.
We continue to focus on health and safety. More than a thousand families receive meals at our food distribution sites, and 250 others have had boxes of food from the Hope Distributed food pantry delivered by our amazing friends at the Rockingham County Fire and Rescue Department. We are taking inventory of medical supplies we can potentially share with first responders, and we have continued conversations about the needs of essential employees across the county.
Our learning plans are taking a more defined shape, and you will continue to receive updates from us. We recognize that many families are in daily struggles due to job loss, health issues, or many other factors that can make life very difficult. Our goal is to prepare students for the future, whether that is for their next step after graduation or to be ready for next school year. This will take many forms, including the current learning packets, extensive summer programs, or additional help at the beginning of next year. Not everything related to school has to be accomplished immediately. We want to provide opportunities rather than create more obstacles.
We want our staff and student families to stay healthy and take care of their physical and mental well being as much as possible rather than worrying about assignments and grades. Learning is important, but that can take many forms. It can be the recognition that the entire planet is facing a common crisis and that so many things unite us as human beings. It can be the understanding that overcoming a crisis like this takes a community commitment and many sacrifices. It can also be the completion of meaningful learning activities. All of these go far beyond percentages and letter grades, and we will all benefit from that understanding in the long run.
1. To our high school seniors
Please know that we are very much aware that the closing of schools has fundamentally changed a school year that should be the celebrated culmination of your high school career. We have had to cancel all school events as a result of the Governor’s executive orders, but this does not mean that we have forgotten about the special place the senior year may hold in your heart. Whether or not you will continue your formal education after high school, your graduation from high school should and will be a special day in your life. Some of you will celebrate graduation as a major milestone in your ongoing education. Some of you will celebrate the conclusion of your high school career on your way to employment, service in the armed forces, or another path you have chosen. Some of you will be the first person in your family to graduate from high school. We will celebrate your accomplishments with you. I can not tell you the date of that celebration or the location. I do not know what exact form it will take, but we will figure something out. We will celebrate with you and your family. You have earned that and so much more.
2. Pick-up for essential belongings only
We have received a number of questions related to students needing to pick up belongings at the schools. For now, we want to limit this to essential belongings such as medications, glasses, or other belongings that are truly needed at this point. If you need to retrieve these essential belongings, please schedule a time with your school. We will provide access to our buildings at a later time for non-essential belongings once the current restrictions have been lifted or relaxed.
3. Zoom and other video conferencing tools such as Google Meet
Our current position is to not enable video conferencing between staff and students. We have Google Meet as part of our Google for Education Suite but other divisions that have enabled student access to that tool have found it extremely difficult to ensure that students are not able to misuse the tool (access Meets for student to student video conferencing after the staff-created meet session is over, provide access to Meets to people outside of the division domain, etc.) and that appropriate privacy protocols are in place to protect both student and family privacy in their own home.
Vendors are slowly making progress in adding controls to make their video conferencing tools more suitable for K-12 student use but we cannot confirm that those safeguards have been fully put into place. We are monitoring this evolving situation and may reconsider our position if/when we are confident that we can sufficiently control and monitor Google Meets to ensure the privacy and safety of our students and their families. While we hear your concern, we also appreciate your patience as we try to most responsibly navigate remote communication between staff and students.
Materials distribution
Starting this week, schools began to distribute review materials to students. In the middle and high schools, this material has been assigned through Schoology, our Learning Management System. Unfortunately, Schoology has been having some technical problems which have made it difficult for some students to log in. We have been in touch with the company and we anticipate these issues to be resolved in the near future.
Distance Learning will begin in earnest on Monday, April 13. Beginning that week, in grades K-12, teachers will be sending materials home to students to complete. In the elementary schools this will be a combination of review and new material. At the middle and high schools, teachers will begin introducing new material that was not covered before the school closure. At the secondary level, most students will access this material online. However, for students who do not have internet access, schools will provide paper versions of the assignments. Specific information about the pick up of these paper materials will be coming from each middle and high school.
You can find additional information, including a feedback page and FAQ document at the following location:
We are here to help you as we all work through the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Please stay safe and healthy. We will get through this together.
Oskar Scheikl
RCPS Superintendent
3 de abril de 2020
A medida que continuamos trabajando en esta crisis de salud sin precedentes, queremos actualizarlo nuevamente sobre algunos de los temas que nos han preguntado y que hemos discutido diariamente. El mensaje más importante sigue siendo que lo superaremos juntos como comunidad. Sus inquietudes se escuchan a pesar de que no podemos abordarlas de inmediato.
Seguimos centrándonos en la salud y la seguridad. Más de mil familias reciben comidas en nuestros sitios de distribución de alimentos, y otras 250 han recibido cajas de alimentos de la despensa de alimentos Hope Distributed entregadas por nuestros increíbles amigos en el Departamento de Bomberos y Rescate del Condado de Rockingham. Estamos haciendo un inventario de los suministros médicos que potencialmente podemos compartir con los socorristas, y tenemos conversaciones continuas sobre las necesidades de los empleados esenciales en todo el condado.
Nuestros planes de aprendizaje están tomando una forma más definida, y usted continuará recibiendo actualizaciones nuestras. Reconocemos que muchas familias tienen dificultades diarias debido a la pérdida de trabajo, problemas de salud u otros factores que pueden dificultar la vida. Nuestro objetivo es preparar a los estudiantes para el futuro, ya sea para su próximo paso después de la graduación o para estar listos para el próximo año escolar. Esto tomará muchas formas, incluidos los paquetes de aprendizaje actuales, extensos programas de verano o ayuda adicional a principios del próximo año. No todo lo relacionado con la escuela debe lograrse de inmediato. Queremos brindar oportunidades en lugar de crear más obstáculos.
Queremos que nuestro personal y las familias de los estudiantes se mantengan saludables y cuiden su bienestar físico y mental tanto como sea posible, en lugar de preocuparse por las tareas y las calificaciones. El aprendizaje es importante, pero eso puede tomar muchas formas. Puede ser el reconocimiento de que todo el planeta enfrenta una crisis común y que muchas cosas nos unen como seres humanos. Puede entenderse que superar una crisis como esta requiere un compromiso de la comunidad y muchos sacrificios. También puede ser la realización de actividades de aprendizaje significativas. Todo esto va más allá de los porcentajes y las calificaciones con letras, y todos nos beneficiaremos de esa comprensión a largo plazo.
1. A nuestros estudiantes de último año de secundaria
Tenga en cuenta que somos muy conscientes de que el cierre de las escuelas ha cambiado fundamentalmente un año escolar que debería ser la culminación celebrada de su carrera en la escuela secundaria. Hemos tenido que cancelar todos los eventos escolares como resultado de las órdenes ejecutivas del gobernador, pero esto no significa que nos hayamos olvidado del lugar especial que el último año puede tener en su corazón. Ya sea que continúes o no tu educación formal después de la escuela secundaria, tu graduación de la escuela secundaria debe ser y será un día especial en tu vida. Algunos de ustedes celebrarán la graduación como un hito importante en su educación continua. Algunos de ustedes celebrarán la conclusión de su carrera en la escuela secundaria en su camino hacia el empleo, el servicio en las fuerzas armadas u otro camino que hayan elegido. Algunos de ustedes serán la primera persona en su familia en graduarse de la escuela secundaria. Celebraremos tus logros contigo. No puedo decirte la fecha de esa celebración o el lugar. No sé qué forma exacta tomará, pero resolveremos algo. Celebraremos con usted y su familia. Te has ganado eso y mucho más.
2. Recogida solo para pertenencias esenciales
Hemos recibido varias preguntas relacionadas con los estudiantes que necesitan recoger sus pertenencias en las escuelas. Por ahora, queremos limitar esto a pertenencias esenciales como medicamentos, anteojos u otras pertenencias que realmente se necesitan en este momento. Si necesita recuperar estas pertenencias esenciales, programe una cita con su escuela. Proporcionaremos acceso a nuestros edificios en un momento posterior para pertenencias no esenciales una vez que se hayan levantado o relajado las restricciones actuales.
3. Zoom y otras herramientas de videoconferencia como Google Meet
Nuestra posición actual es no habilitar la videoconferencia entre el personal y los estudiantes. Tenemos Google Meet como parte de Google for Education Suite, pero a otras divisiones que han permitido el acceso de los estudiantes a esa herramienta les ha resultado extremadamente difícil garantizar que los estudiantes no puedan hacer un mal uso de la herramienta (el acceso se reúne para videoconferencias de estudiante a estudiante después del la sesión de reunión creada por el personal ha terminado, proporciona acceso a Reuniones a personas fuera del dominio de la división, etc.) y existen protocolos de privacidad apropiados para proteger la privacidad de los estudiantes y la familia en su propio hogar.
Los proveedores están progresando lentamente en la adición de controles para que sus herramientas de videoconferencia sean más adecuadas para el uso de los estudiantes de K-12, pero no podemos confirmar que esas salvaguardas se hayan implementado por completo. Estamos monitoreando esta situación en evolución y podemos reconsiderar nuestra posición si / cuando estamos seguros de que podemos controlar y monitorear suficientemente Google Meets para garantizar la privacidad y seguridad de nuestros estudiantes y sus familias. Si bien escuchamos su preocupación, también apreciamos su paciencia mientras tratamos de navegar de manera más responsable por la comunicación remota entre el personal y los estudiantes.
Distribución de materiales
A partir de esta semana, las escuelas comenzaron a distribuir materiales de revisión a los estudiantes. En las escuelas intermedias y secundarias, este material ha sido asignado a través de Schoology, nuestro sistema de gestión del aprendizaje. Desafortunadamente, Schoology ha tenido algunos problemas técnicos que han dificultado el inicio de sesión de algunos estudiantes. Hemos estado en contacto con la compañía y anticipamos que estos problemas se resolverán en el futuro cercano.
El aprendizaje a distancia comenzará en serio el lunes 13 de abril. A partir de esa semana, en los grados K-12, los maestros enviarán materiales a los estudiantes para completar. En las escuelas primarias, esto será una combinación de revisión y material nuevo. En las escuelas intermedias y secundarias, los maestros comenzarán a introducir material nuevo que no estaba cubierto antes del cierre de la escuela. En el nivel secundario, la mayoría de los estudiantes accederán a este material en línea. Sin embargo, para los estudiantes que no tienen acceso a Internet, las escuelas proporcionarán versiones en papel de las tareas. La información específica sobre la recogida de estos materiales en papel vendrá de cada escuela intermedia y secundaria.
Puede encontrar información adicional, incluida una página de comentarios y un documento de preguntas frecuentes en la siguiente ubicación:
Estamos aquí para ayudarlo mientras trabajamos con los efectos de la pandemia de COVID-19. Por favor manténgase seguro y saludable. Vamos a superar esto juntos.
Oskar Scheikl
Superintendente de RCPS
Link to the Pence Sideline Store
Community!
Sheetz Launches Free Meal Program for Children in Need
Sheetz is proud to announce a new Kidz Meal Bagz program providing free food to help children and families in need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meal Bagz will be available all day starting Thursday, April 2 and will include a turkey sandwich, chips and a drink.
Families interested in taking advantage of the free Kidz Meal Bagz program should go to participating Sheetz locations and ask an employee at the register for a meal. Families will be offered one bag per child and meals will be available daily while supplies last.
The Kidz Meal Bagz program will be available at 293 stores across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. The program will start April 2, 2020 and be available for a period of two weeks at which time it will be reevaluated based on community need.
A full list of participating locations can be found here: https://www.sheetz.com/news/kidzmeals
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/