Pence Press
April 12-19, 2021
Information for Tomorrow!
Time and Traffic Update
Morning and Afternoon Traffic at Pence
The return of most of our students into the building four days a week will also increase the amount of traffic we have with accessing the school during drop-off and pick-up times. Please note the following adjustments that we will be making to accommodate these times as we have worked in cooperation with the Dayton Police Department with a plan to make sure that these times can be done in a safe, effective, and orderly manner.
Morning drop-off time will begin at 7:55 AM. If you arrive prior to that time, please have your student remain in the vehicle until prompted to exit by a staff member.
The current morning drop-off procedures are running very smoothly as families have spaced out the arrival times prior to the start of our school day. It would be best to continue with this practice that you are currently following.
Car riders and walkers will be dismissed at 3:13 PM in order to try and clear out the traffic prior to bus departure. Students will wait on the front lawn for their rides to arrive.
All drop-offs and pick-ups must occur in the front of the school. Anytime you are parked along the sidewalk, students should exit (in the morning) or enter (in the afternoon) in a safe and timely manner to keep traffic flowing. Reminder: All cars must turn right out of the parking lot when exiting the school.
Refer to the map included above. All traffic should approach the school from the south on Ashby Street when approaching the school to prevent Bowman Road from backing up and creating hazardous conditions. If you are approaching the school from Bowman Road, you will need to turn onto Westview street and go down one or two blocks before circling back to Ashby Street to ensure you are approaching the school from the correct direction. The best recommendation is to use 257 to access Ashby Street.
As with any transitions, there will be a period of acclimation and adjustment as things are worked out both by the school and our families. We appreciate your cooperation with helping make this go smoothly as well as your patience.
Thank you!
Bell Schedules
Daily Protocols and Procedures
The following protocols and procedures will be followed while students are at school. Please note, a majority of these are already in place and have been implemented effectively over the last five months while we have had students in school during the “Hybrid A/B” schedule.
Mask wearing has been identified as the key factor to mitigating the spread of the virus. If a student will not properly wear his/her mask covering the mouth and nose during all required times, then he/she may be asked to finish the school year in the Home Learning Academy (HLA).
-Masks will remain on while students are in the building with the exception of when they are eating inside.
-Students will be spaced 3 feet apart while in the classrooms.
-Students will be spaced 6 feet apart while eating inside or outside.
-When students are outside, masks may be removed when they are 6 feet apart.
-We will be eating lunch outside as much as the weather permits.
-When we have to eat lunch inside, multiple lunch shifts have been created with half the students eating in the cafeteria, and half returning to the classroom to eat in order to maintain safe distancing.
-Some classes will take advantage of our newly acquired outdoor tables and seating to hold classes outside.
-Students will need to be prepared for the appropriate weather as they will be outside regularly.
-Students will continue to have four minutes for classroom exchanges, will be carrying their backpacks, and will stay on the right side of the hallways to minimize contacts.
-Hand washing and sanitizing will continue to be encouraged.
-The number of students in a bathroom at one time will continue to be limited.
-Water fountains will continue to be used for water bottle refilling only.
-Students will not be dressing out for PE unless they specifically ask.
-Cleaning protocols and procedures will occur.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the school at any time.
Home Learning Academy on April 12th
Home Learning Academy
Program & Plan
The Home Learning Academy (HLA) is still available to students who are already enrolled. As we transition to four instructional school days for all students on April 12, 2021, you may notice some changes in HLA scheduling. Please be aware of the following expectations:
All students, including students in HLA, are expected to attend classes four days per week - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will remain an asynchronous day for all students. Students may be assigned asynchronous activities on Wednesdays, which they are expected to complete.
Students in HLA are expected to attend all scheduled classes. They are also expected to arrive on time at the start of each class and to remain in class until they are dismissed by the teacher.
It may be helpful for students to create a simple scheduling document for themselves to help them remember their schedule for each day. You can find a fillable sample schedule here. You will need to make a copy and save it to your Google Drive or desktop to edit this document.
Cameras are required to be turned on during class. If this is not possible, parents will need to call to discuss the reason with a Pence administrator.
Students should participate in class. Students are expected to respond verbally or in the chat (if the chat feature is enabled). Students are also expected to open and access documents and materials as prompted by the teacher.
In order to be counted present, students must show evidence of participation. This includes but is not limited to turning on the camera, participating or responding verbally or in the chat if that is an option, opening and accessing documents and materials as prompted by the teacher, and actively completing assignments during class.
As we transition to four days of instruction for all students, some elements of HLA scheduling may evolve and change from class to class (Important: Please see the charts below). These changes will allow for:
More opportunities for independent practice
More opportunities for individualized teacher check-ins
Potentially less screen time for HLA students than the 80 minutes allotted daily
The following is a brief overview of aspects which will remain the same and the kinds of variations you and your students can expect and plan for during the final nine weeks of the school year.
Bus Transportation
Proper mask wearing will be expected of all students and windows will be cracked or fully open (weather depending) to maintain good air circulation for the safety of our students.
Food Service and Take Home Meals
School News
Final Make up Picture Day
Thursday, April 22 beginning at 8:30
Please schedule ant HLA student pictures during the morning only by calling the school
@ 879-2535.
Athletics
Track & Field
Track practice begins on Monday, April 12. Please meet Coach Anderson and Coach Linthicum in the auditorium after school.
Wrestling
Wrestling practice begins on Monday, April 12. Please meet in the cafeteria after school. Practice ends at 5:30.
Spring Sports at TAHS beginning April 12th!
Attention Knights!
You must have a completed physical prior to the first practice. Do this now!
https://www.vhsl.org/vhsl-physical-form/
Baseball
Andrew Armstrong - andrewarmstrong@rockingham.k12.va.us
8th-12th Grade eligible to try out.
JV and Varsity teams
Softball
Clint Curry - clintcurry@rockingham.k12.va.us
8th-12th Grade eligible to try out.
JV and Varsity teams
Girls Soccer
Jon McClure - jmcclure@rockingham.k12.va.us
8th-12th Grade eligible to try out.
JV and Varsity teams
Boys Soccer
Simon Timbrell - stimbrell@rockingham.k12.va.us
8th-12th Grade eligible to try out.
JV and Varsity teams
Boys Tennis
Matt Shockey - mshockey@valleyesp.com
8th-12th Grade eligible to try out.
Girls Tennis
Karen Clark - karenclark1@verizon.net
8th-12th Grade eligible to try out.
Boys Track and Field
Justin Thompson - jthompson01@rockingham.k12.va.us
9th - 12th Grade
Girls Track and Field
Denise Shiflet - dshiflet@rockingham.k12.va.us
9th - 12th Grade
Homework Help Is Available!
Our Homework Help Program takes place Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30 - 4:30.
Assistance will be given with homework assignments, late, or missing work and difficult learning areas.
Interested?
Please complete the Homework Help Permission Form and return it to Mrs. McAvoy. Transportation is also available! If transportation is needed, please complete the Transportation Form and return it to the office. Make plans now to join the Homework Help Program 2021!
Community
School Bus Driver Training
Rockingham County Public Schools has a need for bus drivers. If you are interested or know someone else that may be, please see the information below.
School Bus Driver Training
April 20th-22nd
Contact Chris Sours for more information (540)433-2458
Share your pictures for the yearbook.
Help our yearbook include pictures you have taken!
Do you have pictures of our students playing in the snow?
Do you have pictures of sporting events?
Do you have pictures of students working asynchronously or HLA students zooming into class?
We would love to consider them for our 2020-2021 yearbook! Please visit http://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=pencems to upload photos of our WSPMS students!
Tuesday, March 31 is the absolute LAST DAY to pre-order a yearbook. This is both online and in-person payments. There will be extra yearbooks in May/June when they are distributed, but the number will be limited. Please be sure to pre-order to ensure your copy. If you are unsure if you have ordered a yearbook previously, please contact Mrs. Dove at kdove@rockingham.k12.va.us.
Grab Some New Pence Gear!
NEW guidelines
- Please read carefully the RCPS immunization/Physical Examination Schedule for 2021-2022. Under sections Grade 6th and Grade 7th, ALL rising 7th graders will need to have their Tdap-booster (must be 11 years old) that is required for entry into 7th grade regardless of the interval since the last dose of tetanus-containing vaccine by this fall 2021-22 school year.
- They now also require all males and females to get their first dose of HPV and Meningococcal vaccine before entry of the 7th grade as well. We would like for you to start planning ahead on this and get your doctor's appointment scheduled now so this will be done prior to Augusta 2021.
The Health Department is still closed for these types of appointments and it will not be easy to make these appointments at the last minute.
If you have any questions please call and speak to the school nurse or ask your doctor.
Immunizations
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/