Welcome to Sunridge Middle School – Home of the Broncs

Dear Sunridge Middle School Students and Families,

It is with great pride and excitement that I write this letter of introduction to you as the Principal of Sunridge Middle School.  I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a school with such persevering students, an extremely dedicated staff, and a supportive school community.  I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the Pendleton School District for over 30 years. First as a Pendleton High School science teacher and most recently as the Assistant Principal at Sherwood Elementary School. I am excited and eager to work with you as a partner in education to ensure your child’s success.

Along with the teachers and staff, I will work hard to continue the legacy of success established by SMS by building strong relationships with parents, students, and community partners.  We will focus on social-emotional learning by continuing our use of Character Strong, CHAMPS, and a strong renewed emphasis on school-wide student behavior expectations. In addition we will continue our  focus on instructional standards for the use of data to drive instruction and to provide consistent implementation of the curriculum in a rigorous manner so that we can continue to increase all of the students’ achievement.

Pendleton School District places high priority on school safety and we continually strive to seek new ways to enhance our school safety operations.  In an effort to keep you informed, we have listed several safety measures currently in place which are designed to safeguard students and staff. 

SMS implements the following safety measures:

• Visitor Registry:  All visitors have to register with the front office before having access to the building. 
• 24 hours Surveillance System:  We have over 130 digital cameras throughout campus to monitor activities inside and outside of our buildings.
• Controlled Access:  All exterior doors are locked and require a dual system to gain access to the building. In addition, classroom doors can be locked from the inside of the classroom. This allows for quicker response time in the event of a lockdown emergency. In addition, several times a day a staff member/custodian walks the building to make sure all our exterior doors are shut and locked.
• Emergency Training:  Our students participate in various emergency training drills. Such training includes “evacuation,” for fire emergencies; earthquake and ‘lockdown”.
• Crisis Planning Team:  Pendleton School District works closely with the Pendleton Police Department to evaluate school safety and emergency procedures throughout the year.  We evaluate existing procedures and evaluate new tools. Our goal is to implement more effective and efficient ways to protect our students and staff.
• Crisis Communications Plan: Pendleton School District has a robust system in place whereby key administrators are informed of an emergency situation.  We currently use two different systems to alert first responders and parents and staff.
  

Important Dates:

Aug 30th: First Day of School

Aug 30th: Fall sports begin

Sept 5th: Labor Day – No School

Sept. 21st: Open House 5-7 pm

• Join us for a free hotdog, chips and a soda
• Enter a ticket for a chance to win some SMS swag
• Have an opportunity to tour our building and meet our amazing teaching staff
• Take a photo in front of our new SMS backdrop 

Oct 5th: Picture Day

School Hours:

• Main office hours: 7:15 – 
• Student hours: 8:45 – 3:15 (except on Late Start Mondays then hours are 9:45 – 3:15)
• Doors open to students: 8:15 

Food Service Information:

• Meal (breakfast and lunch) are free to all students for the 2022-2023 school year
• Food service information such as menus are located on the Pendleton School district website under the “parent resources” tab. Then select “food service”, “check menus”, “menus”

All of us at Sunridge Middle School are eager and excited to begin what promises to be a fantastic school year!  This year is going to be amazing as we continue to provide academic experiences for our students that are rigorous, relevant and help them build relationships while making real-world connections.  As your principal, it is important to me that everyone who steps through our doors is excited to be here!  This attitude enables us to meet the challenges of academic excellence in a positive, fun, and nurturing environment.  Most importantly, I bring a belief that students are at the center of all school-related decisions.  I am excited to unite my experience, my openness to learn, and my child-centered approach to supporting our students.  Because the relationships between families and the school are vital to the success of our students, I encourage you to become involved in every way possible.  I look forward to meeting you soon!

Sincerely,

Piper Kelm, Principal