Pence Press
April 19, 2024
Pence Families-
I want to take a moment to explain our Pence philosophy on recognizing students for their accomplishments as each of the middle schools do things a little differently based upon their school culture and community. First, we try to recognize as many students as we can throughout the entirety of the school year for demonstrating acts of character. Students are awarded positive referrals and Knight Spotlights on a continuous basis as they are “caught being good.” Each instance, students are given a copy of their recognition and are awarded with a small reward. Furthermore, at the end of each 9-weeks, we recognize our students who most consistently demonstrate the pillars of character as our “Knights of the Roundtable.” These students receive a certificate and an ice cream sundae. Simply put, we place a high value in trying to encourage trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Therefore, we recognize these achievements on an ongoing basis. Our Kelly Cogsdale Character Counts and Rotary Code of Ethics award winners are also recognized during the school year at special events.
On Friday, May 31st, students meeting certain criteria will also receive certificates of recognition for various achievements. All students who have earned straight A’s through the first 3 terms will receive an A Honor Roll Certificate. Eighth grade students who have an equivalent GPA of a 3.5 and at least one pass advanced score on an SOL in middle school will receive the Presidential Gold Award for Educational Excellence. The school will also recognize select students who have achieved despite personal hardships with the Presidential Silver Award. Every 8th grade student will receive a personalized token of remembrance highlighting their career at Pence. Yearbooks will also be distributed on this day. Additionally, some of our elective classes, clubs, and organizations choose to hold their own after school programs to recognize students on various dates.
Instead of having an awards ceremony or middle school graduation, we choose to have a school-wide celebration with our Pence Pride field day on the last day of school. We do this for several reasons. First, the middle school years are times of change. They are times of excitement, maturation, fun, struggles, and transition. We feel it is important to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of all. Second, students generally have 5th grade celebrations in their elementary schools and will be graduating from high school in just four short years. We believe in keeping those ceremonies special, especially the high school graduation as it is a culmination of many years of education, including the middle school years. Finally, we believe that awards ceremonies where all students are present and only 5% of the students receive awards can actually be detrimental to our students’ self-esteem based upon their ongoing maturation process while they are in “the middle.”
In summary, we do believe that we should educate, advocate, and celebrate! And this is the path we choose to take at Pence at the end of the year. Because we are truly Better Together!
Go Knights-
John Childs
3rd Quarter Knights of the Roundtable
Rotary Code of Ethics
The Rotary Club of Harrisonburg honors two students from each of the schools in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Blue Ridge Christian School and Eastern Mennonite High/Middle School to recognize the importance of ethics in our community. These awards will be presented at the Annual Code of Ethics Awards Program on Monday, May 13, 2024 at the James Madison University Festival Center.
Criteria: Truthfulness, consistency, dependability, integrity, service to and concern for others, friendliness, depth of commitment and reverence.
Dare to Dream Concert
Scholastic Bookfair
FCCLA State Leadership and Recognition Conference
Congratulations to the following FCCLA members who traveled to VA Beach for the State Leadership and Recognition Conference. Some of these students will be given the opportunity to travel to Seattle Washington this summer. Way to represent Pence, ladies!
4-H and FFA Market Animal Exhibitors
Reminder to all 4-H and FFA Market Animal Exhibitors, entries for hogs, goats, lambs and dairy steers is due April 22nd.
SOL Testing
Please make sure your students are present on SOL testing days. We are unable to call into classrooms on testing days so be mindful of taking your students out early on those days. You will have to wait until your student is done testing before we are able to release them.
5/9 - 8th grade Civics SOL
5/14 - 8th grade Science SOL
5/16 - ALL grades (6th-8th) Reading SOL
5/21 ALL grades (6th-8th) Math SOL
Homework Help / Activity Buses
Homework Help and Activity Buses will conclude at the end of April.
Rising 7th Grade Immunizations
Current 6th Grade Pence Families- Please see the attached information regarding immunization requirements for students prior to entering 7th grade.
WSPMS Sports Information
Pence Track & Field
Track Practice is daily after school until 4:30/5:00pm. Meets begin at 4:30pm
4/16 - HOME w/ Elkton
4/23 - AWAY @ Montevideo
4/30 - HOME w/ THMS, EMHS
5/8 - AWAY @ Harrisonburg High School (District Meet)
TAHS basketball
7th and 8th graders interested in hearing information about TA basketball for next year will meet with Coach Harris on Wednesday (4/24) at Pence.
11:30 - 11:45 - 7th Grade
11:50 - 12:05 - 8th Grade
Summer Camps
Attendance
Our office/attendance email is wspmsattendance@rockingham.k12.va.us
Email us when your student is on vacation.
Email us when your student is sick or has an appointment.
Email us notes about early dismissals or late arrivals.
Email us changes in bus/transportation needs. We need to hear from both sets of families when a student is riding the bus with another student.
Just email us to keep us informed!
KNIGHT’S CAFÉ
Counseling & Administrative Support
Change of Schedule Request Forms and Check-In or Appointment Request Forms can be found online on our School Counseling page: https://wspms.rockingham.k12.va.us/o/wspms/page/school-counseling
Which counselor works with you?
Lisa Holsinger-Thomas, Counselor / Teresa Shank (Assistant Principal)
Works with all students with last names A-K
Matt Nyce, Counselor / Jody Randolph (Assistant Principal)
Works with all students with last names L-Z
Sandy Hackbarth, Part-time Counselor - available on even days
Information for Parents, Guardians & Students
Please bookmark these pages for your reference:
You can also visit us on Facebook & Instagram:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/penceknights
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theknightspotlight/?hl=en
"Rooms" - New Communication Platform
Families likely received a text message this past week with information about a new communication platform called “Rooms.” Please see the message below from RCPS for more information about this new tool:
We're thrilled to introduce a new feature in our district app called Rooms! This platform is designed for seamless communication between staff and families, making it easier than ever to stay informed about school updates and activities. As we roll out this new tool, we're starting with a small group of teachers, all spring sports coaches, and our Middle School and High School Principals. While not all staff members will immediately transition to using Rooms as their primary communication tool, we're moving in that direction and aim to have full implementation by the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. Stay tuned for more information and resources as we continue the rollout. Effective communication is essential to our school community's success, and we're excited to embark on this journey with you through Rooms!