Pence Press
August 21, 2022
Welcome Back, Pence Knights!
Pence Families-
With only three days remaining before the first day of school, the entire school is buzzing with excitement in anticipation of the return of our students! Our Pence Family looks forward to the joy that another school year brings to the hallways of this building. Again this year, we will work towards building community and relationships first so effective instruction and learning can occur.
For those new to Pence, our weekly newsletter is our primary means of communication. We will highlight the previous week's events while providing information for the weeks to come. We encourage our parents to take a moment each weekend to review the newsletter with their student(s). This allows you to open up a line of communication with your student regarding their experience at school. We also encourage you to regularly familiarize yourself with the PowerSchool Parent Portal to check your student's academic progress throughout the year.
If you ever have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school. Education is most effective when there is a positive connection between home and school. We also encourage you to have your students take an increasing amount of ownership and responsibility in his/her education by checking his/her PowerSchool account regularly, communicating with teachers, and advocating for his/her own needs.
We look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday, August 24th.
Sincerely-
Pence Administration
Wednesday, August 24th, is an ODD day!
Morning Drop-Off and Afternoon Pick-Up
Remember, please do not block entrances or streets along Ashby Street while waiting in the pickup line.
-Morning drop-off may not occur prior to 8:00 AM. If you arrive sooner, please have your student wait in the car until prompted by a school staff member.
-Students may exit the car along the sidewalk area in front of the school, allowing us to have as many as 6-7 students exits at once.
-We ask that all families dropping off their student(s) approach the school from the south along Ashby Street. In working with the Dayton Police Department, we have identified that this is the safest way to practice and prevents traffic backups along Bowman Rd.
-Please move forward with traffic to keep our traffic flowing.
-Please see the map below.
-In the afternoon, the procedures will be the reverse of the morning, with students loading into their cars anywhere along the sidewalk. We again ask that you approach the school from the south along Ashby Street.
-All cars will need to turn right out of the school onto Bowman road as they exit the school.
-While our dismissal bell is scheduled to ring at 3:18 PM each day, we may hold the bell if buses are late to arrive at Pence to ensure the safety of our students.
Cell Phone and Dress Code
If a student brings a cell phone into the building, it will be required to be silenced (powered off) and kept in his/her backpack throughout the entire school day. Earbuds and headphones will also be kept in backpacks throughout the day.
Please keep the school dress code in mind as you are shopping. The full policy can be found on the RCPS website under Policy JFCJ.
Save the Date - Family Literacy Night
When: September 29th, 5:30-7:30pm
Fun, food, games, the Bookfair and many, many prizes for you! See you there :)
Dressing Out For Physical Education
School Attendance Information!
Parents, we are asking you to partner with us to help regularly get your students to school. In short, attendance matters! That said, we realize that there are times when your student(s) may need to be out.
-If your student is absent, please call the school (879-2535) or email the school (wspmsattendance@rockingham.k12.va.us) before 9:00 AM.
Please try to schedule all vacations around the school calendar. We have seen an increased number of parents pulling their students out of school for vacations over the last year. While family time is valuable, missing an extended amount of time from school leads to student frustration and anxiety as they fall behind on missed concepts. If you plan to take a vacation, requests must be submitted to Ms. Ray or Ms. Shank at least ten school days in advance. Students will be responsible for making up any missed work.
Sport Information
Volleyball
8/24 Picture Day
8/25 HOME VS Thomas Harrison
8/29 AWAY @ Lylburn Downing Middle School (5:00 start time)
8/30 AWAY @ Montevideo Middle School
9/1 AWAY @ Thomas Harrison
9/6 AWAY @ Elkton Middle
All games begin at 4:30pm unless otherwise noted.
Cross Country
8/25 AWAY @ THMS
9/1 AWAY @ SKMS
9/8 AWAY @ Elkton
All meets begin at 4:30pm unless otherwise noted.
General Athletics Information
Greetings Pence Families!
Here are a few athletics updates as we begin the school year:
Currently there are no restrictions or limitations on the number of spectators allowed to attend athletic events.
Students will be able to attend athletic events.
- Tickets to athletic events are $2 for students and $3 for adults.
Concessions will be available for sale at most athletic events.
At this time we do not plan to broadcast live athletic events.
Current physicals run from May 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023. A current physical is required by RCPS for all athletes to participate.
Information, Information, Information
The "Parent Resources" & "Student Resources" tabs are especially useful. I recommend that all Pence families take some time to review the Student Handbook.
Bell Schedules
Counseling & Administrative Support
Students with the Last Names A-K
Assistant Principal: Candice Ray; Counselor: Matt Nyce
Students with the Last Names L-Z
Part-time Counselor: Sandy Hackbarth (available at WSPMS on even days)
KNIGHT’S CAFÉ
If your family chooses to apply for free/reduced price school meals, applications are available on the RCPS website (www.rcps.net). Please consider filling out the online application, as this is faster and easier than the paper application (www.myschoolapps.com). You will be notified by mail of your child's status once the application is processed.
Please contact the Food and Nutrition Services Office at 540-434-7783 with any questions.