(Parents, you will have to excuse me as this message is primarily for our sutdents this week.)

Pence Knights!

This week, in commemoration of the 20th anniversay of 9-11, we talked about the events of the day, those that lost their lives, those that sacrificed their lives to help save others, and the affect that it had on the history of our nation.

I would now like to turn our attention to what happened on 9-12. Our country was unified in a way like we have rarely seen in our history. We let each other know how much we loved each other! Strangers reached out to strangers! Ethnicity, socioeconomic class, preferences, religions, politics, creeds, etc. no longer mattered. We were united as a nation. We were ALL Americans. When we say "Pence Family," "All Means All," and that "We Are Better Together," this is exactly what we mean. We are all Pence Knights. Let us block out the noise, look for the good in each other, reach out to those in need, and choose kindness above all else.

Yesterday, I attended the JMU football game. They did an unbelievable job of remembering the events of the day and recognizing not only the first responders who lost their lives on that day, but also our local first responders who serve our community. (A couple of pics are included below.) When you attend a football game, thousands of fans pack the stands for a singular purpose. As we attend school, let us fill the school with a singular purpose. To be a community of learners who treat each other with dignity and respect, regardless of our backgrounds.

GO KNIGHTS!

Mr. Childs, Ms. Ray, Ms. Shank, and your Entire Pence Faculty and Staff

THANK YOU to all the students and staff at Pence for raising almost $500 for the American Red Cross! What a great job of raising the money for a great cause.

All are welcome to the PTO meeting at 7pm on Tuesday, Sept 14th in the library.

Students in Virginia public schools will take growth assessments in grades 3-8 in reading and mathematics. Students will take these assessments in both fall and spring of the 2021-2022 school year to measure growth during the school year. Individual student scores will be provided with details on how students performed on each test item, but the growth assessments do not include a passing/failing score. The focus of these assessments is on identifying what students have already learned as well as the skills they may need additional help with during the school year. For more information please visit https://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/test_administration/growth-assessment/index.shtml

WSPMS Fall 2021 Growth Assessment Schedule

Wednesday, September 22nd @ 1:00pm - all Mathematics, grades 6, 7, 8

Thursday, September 23rd @ 1:00pm - all Reading, grades 6, 7, 8

Please make sure your students are present for these assessments.

The assessments students will take - in fall 2021 only - will be based on the previous grade level's content. The intent is to assist in the identification of unfinished learning from 2020-2021 due to the pandemic as well as enable students to show growth during the current school year.

Dear Parents,

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the National Youth Tobacco Survey:

• 88% of adult daily cigarette smokers first tried cigarettes before they were 18 years old

• 3.6 million youth use e-cigarettes (vapes, Juuls, etc.)

• 22.5% of high school students use e-cigarettes (vapes, Juuls, etc.) daily

Tobacco, e-cigarettes, vapes, Juuls, etc. contain nicotine and these statistics suggest that a large percentage of high school students are dependent on nicotine.

There are many tools to help end this public health crisis like policy changes, education, and more. As a community, we can start to address this public health crisis by educating parents about addiction and giving them the tools they need to help their children end their dependence on nicotine products. It is important to show our children compassion as we guide them on their journey to quit using these products.

The Central Shenandoah Health District is excited to offer a three session Tobacco Cessation Education Program. This program will take place in the evening and will be offered virtually. This program will include:

• Information about addiction

• Types of tobacco products

• Tobacco myth busting

• How to talk to your children and create a quit plan

• Quitting tools and programs

• And more!

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please complete the survey linked here: https://redcap.link/6uvdfs8v

This program is open to anyone interested in learning about tobacco products and tools to quit. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katherine Smith, Health Educator, at katherine.smith@vdh.virginia.gov.

We are planning on starting club soccer at Pence in October. Students had an opportunity to complete an interest survey this week. We will focus on skills, drills, and progressing towards playing games. It will likely be held 2 days a week from 3:30-4:30 PM and bus transportation may be an option for those who need it. Once we have a better idea of how many will participate, a formalized plan will be communicated. Please feel free to speak with your student more about this opportunity. The surveys should be completed by Tuesday, Sept. 14th.

7th Grade Basketball

Monday, September 27th - Tryouts begin 3:18pm - TBD

Games begin Monday, October 11th

Games are on Mondays and Thursdays at 4:30pm

Cheerleading

Cheer is open to all students grades 6, 7 and 8

Monday, September 27th - Tryouts begin 3:18 - TBD

Participants should plan to cheer during both the 7th and 8th grade basketball seasons.

7th grade season: Sept 27 - Nov 15

8th grade season: Nov 17 - Jan 27

*All students must have a current VHSL physical on file at Pence on the first day of tryouts.

As you are attending extracurricular events outside of the school day, please consider uploading your photos to our yearbook photo database. Sometimes the best pictures are taken by you. We would love to potentially include these in our 2022 yearbook. Access https://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=pencems in order to add your photos. Please note that you must include the grade level(s) and name(s) of any student in the photo. If this information is not included, your photo will not be added to the database. The photo must also meet policies according to RCPS. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Dove via email kdove@rockingham.k12.va.us or (540) 578-3459. Also, don't forget to preorder your yearbook now, https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/?event=general.displayLanding&jobnumber=13754 and enter the school code 13754.

Want to pre order your yearbook now? You may visit the following link: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/?event=general.displayLanding&jobnumber=13754. The school code is 13754. The cost is $20. You may pre order online until March 31, 2022. Beginning in September, there will also be an opportunity to purchase a yearbook via cash or check. More information will be forthcoming later. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Dove, kdove@rockingham.k12.va.us.

Wednesday, October 6

Thursday, October 7

Pictures are taken during students' PE period.