The Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) celebrated 10 years of teaching kindergartners on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
In the 2015-2016 school year, the Pendleton School District embarked upon a new, exciting venture by opening the PELC. The new school, created by totally remodeling the old Hawthorne building, houses all the district’s kindergartners in one building.
Several teachers and staff members who worked at the PELC in the first year were at the school to celebrate the 10th anniversary. A group of them chatted in the school’s library, remembering what it was like to start working in the new building in fall 2015, which also marked the first year of all-day kindergarten at PSD.
They said they had to start from ground zero with every procedure, like where to line up, how to take kids to lunch, all the recess rules, everything. They commented that procedures changed a lot in that first year as they adapted to the space and to having 200 five-year-olds in one school.
“Over the next couple of years, we changed things and found better ways to do things,” said Jan Levy, former Kindergarten Teacher.
Some of the teachers who started at the PELC came from elementary schools that had only one kindergarten teacher, so the new school provided opportunities to collaborate with other kindergarten teachers. “One of the best parts about the PELC is that because it’s an all kindergarten school, you have teachers who all teach the same level and their resources so that you can figure things out much quicker,” said Brian Zimmerman, who started teaching the first year and is still teaching at the PELC.
Mireya Wolf, Paraprofessional, was there for the first year and still works there. She said that in the first year, everyone was nervous but also excited about the beautiful, colorful building. She said she loves coming to work at the PELC every day, and her favorite part is seeing the kids.
Lori Curtis, Lead Secretary, has welcomed students and families to the school for 10 years. She remembers the first year was all about working out the kinks of a new school building, and the decade since then has gone by so fast. Curtis loves the concept of the PELC and said, “It’s amazing having all the kindergartners in one location, and it’s fun having Head Start and IMESD preschool here and getting to know those families before the kids become kindergartners.”
Pendleton School District Superintendent Kevin Headings thanked the visionary administrators who established the PELC, which is considered a unique early learning center on the West Coast. “Until today, I didn’t realize how many staff who started here 10 years ago are still here, and that says something about the PELC, its culture, and what you all have created. The district is very proud of this school. Thank you to the PELC staff for doing what you do for the youngest learners in our district, it’s much appreciated,” Headings said.
PELC teachers and staff who started the first year and are still working there are: Donna Bostwick, Lori Curtis, Rachele Johnson, Shawndine Jones, Madelyn Naughton, Tracey Perkes, Mireya Wolf, Shellie Wyss, and Brian Zimmerman.
PSD District Art Show
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District had another successful district-wide art show in spring 2025. The event began with a community opening night, followed by two days of art viewing by students and the public.
Abbey Prevot, Art Teacher at Pendleton High School, coordinates the show with John Bradt, Media/Tech Teacher at Sunridge Middle School. Every student in the district creates a piece of art in their class, and it’s displayed at the show. Pieces included paintings, sculpture, paper mache and more.
Prevot said the setup went smoothly this year; they had seven PHS students who helped, and they were great workers. She appreciates all the district teachers who work with their students to create the art, put name tags on every piece, and adhere them to the large paper displays.
“The art show is one of the only community events where all the schools participate, so it’s a great celebration together,” Prevot said. She said art is the first language we learn; before a child learns how to write, they are drawing. “Art is a natural skill people pick up as kids, so fostering and keeping that creativity alive for students is essential,” she said.
The Pendleton School District thanks the Education Foundation of Pendleton for funding the art show and Altrusa of Pendleton for giving out free books on opening night.
2025 Crystal Apple Award Winners
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgCONGRATULATIONS to the Pendleton School District 2025 Crystal Apple Award Winners!
Nicole Kuza – Lead Secretary at Sunridge Middle School
Jess Cooper – Science Teacher at Pendleton High School
Emma Sims – Paraprofessional at Sunridge Middle School
Carol Aldrich – Title I Teacher at the Pendleton Early Learning Center
FFA Farm Day Video
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgPELC Thanks Wildhorse Foundation & Others for Library Upgrade
/in District Site News, Early Learning Center News /by rthornburgKindergartners at the Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) have an upgraded school library with new shelving to display hundreds of new books, thanks to the Wildhorse Foundation and other donors.
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, PELC staff gathered in the library to thank the donors and celebrate the new space. The Wildhorse Foundation grant was for $10,000. Other funding came from Title 1A, a TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) Grant, and Title VI.
Angela Lattin, Principal of the PELC, thanked the Wildhorse Foundation. “This grant, braided with the other funding sources, was really game-changing for our school library. If not for the grant, we would have spent the next 10 years working on these projects.”
Ella Meyers, representing the Wildhorse Foundation, said the organization is really honored to be involved in something that directly impacts the youth in Pendleton and especially the connection to tribal culture. “It’s wonderful to be attending this event today, and it’s really lovely to see it turn into reality,” Meyers said.
The funding made these projects possible:
Principal Lattin said the PELC’s library is well utilized by students. After doing some calculations, she said this school year, there were 6,437 student trips to the library and 3,145 opportunities for students to check out books.
Superintendent Video Message – May 2025
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgPELC Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) celebrated 10 years of teaching kindergartners on Thursday, May 8, 2025.
In the 2015-2016 school year, the Pendleton School District embarked upon a new, exciting venture by opening the PELC. The new school, created by totally remodeling the old Hawthorne building, houses all the district’s kindergartners in one building.
Several teachers and staff members who worked at the PELC in the first year were at the school to celebrate the 10th anniversary. A group of them chatted in the school’s library, remembering what it was like to start working in the new building in fall 2015, which also marked the first year of all-day kindergarten at PSD.
They said they had to start from ground zero with every procedure, like where to line up, how to take kids to lunch, all the recess rules, everything. They commented that procedures changed a lot in that first year as they adapted to the space and to having 200 five-year-olds in one school.
“Over the next couple of years, we changed things and found better ways to do things,” said Jan Levy, former Kindergarten Teacher.
Some of the teachers who started at the PELC came from elementary schools that had only one kindergarten teacher, so the new school provided opportunities to collaborate with other kindergarten teachers. “One of the best parts about the PELC is that because it’s an all kindergarten school, you have teachers who all teach the same level and their resources so that you can figure things out much quicker,” said Brian Zimmerman, who started teaching the first year and is still teaching at the PELC.
Mireya Wolf, Paraprofessional, was there for the first year and still works there. She said that in the first year, everyone was nervous but also excited about the beautiful, colorful building. She said she loves coming to work at the PELC every day, and her favorite part is seeing the kids.
Lori Curtis, Lead Secretary, has welcomed students and families to the school for 10 years. She remembers the first year was all about working out the kinks of a new school building, and the decade since then has gone by so fast. Curtis loves the concept of the PELC and said, “It’s amazing having all the kindergartners in one location, and it’s fun having Head Start and IMESD preschool here and getting to know those families before the kids become kindergartners.”
Pendleton School District Superintendent Kevin Headings thanked the visionary administrators who established the PELC, which is considered a unique early learning center on the West Coast. “Until today, I didn’t realize how many staff who started here 10 years ago are still here, and that says something about the PELC, its culture, and what you all have created. The district is very proud of this school. Thank you to the PELC staff for doing what you do for the youngest learners in our district, it’s much appreciated,” Headings said.
PELC teachers and staff who started the first year and are still working there are: Donna Bostwick, Lori Curtis, Rachele Johnson, Shawndine Jones, Madelyn Naughton, Tracey Perkes, Mireya Wolf, Shellie Wyss, and Brian Zimmerman.
PSD Works to Strengthen Behavioral Systems of Support for Students
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgRecently, Julie Smith, Director of Special Programs for Pendleton School District, discussed some new strategies the district has used to support students during the 2024-25 school year. Here are highlights from that conversation with Dr. Smith.
How is student support different now?
The COVID pandemic drastically shifted the landscape for communities, families, children, and schools. Five years later, schools are still working to refine systems of support to better meet the new and different needs of our students. Our systems were built around pre-pandemic student needs. Using a data-driven approach, the district looked at the high number of students who needed significant levels of support and realized we needed to develop a more proactive system.
What is the current system used at PSD?
All Pendleton schools utilize Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS) within our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) for students. The MTSS system has three support levels — Tier 1, 2, and 3. Tier 1 is delivered in the classroom to all students. Some students receive additional support through Tier 2. Some students receive high levels of individualized support through Tier 3.
PSD elementary schools have child development specialists and behavior support specialists providing Tier 2 and 3 supports.
District and school leaders identified there was a higher number of students needing Tier 3 support, indicating practices at the lower tiers of support may not be as effective as they could be. The team worked to identify what was working and what needs adapting to strengthen our system.
How is Pendleton School District responding?
In May 2024, I reached out to colleagues at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) I had worked with on school improvement projects. The ODE partners agreed to support the district as a pilot developing technical assistance tools potentially for other districts asking for support.
Pendleton School District’s K-8 Administrative Team spent a full day training with ODE experts in Behavior Support Systems at the beginning of the 24-25 school year. Building administrators developed action plans to share with their building leadership teams based on this training and an assessment of where they might refine their systems of support. Building leadership teams worked to adjust the PBIS system based on individual building needs.
What are your takeaways from this process?
Building administrators, counselors, teachers, and paraprofessionals are working hard to meet the needs of every student every day. They are working to identify what is working well and what is not working well. We are trying to be proactive while responding to the needs of students who need a high level of support. We want to work in partnership with our families, community partners, and the Oregon Department of Education to make our schools welcoming and inviting for every person who enters our schools.
District Recommends New Sunridge Middle School Assistant Principal/Athletic Director
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District will recommend that the board approve Doug Gunter to be the new assistant principal/athletic director of Sunridge Middle School, effective July 1, 2025.
With the recent announcement that Sunridge will have a vacancy for an assistant principal, the district decided to draw from the strong applicant pool of principal applicants to fill this position for the 2025-2026 school year.
The position of assistant principal/athletic director was offered to Doug Gunter, and he has accepted. Doug was a finalist in our recent SMS principal search, and he comes highly recommended by his colleagues and current supervisor.
Mr. Gunter has been a teacher and executive director at Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School for the past 12 years in the Salem-Keizer School District, and taught at Adam Stephens Middle School before that, also in Salem-Keizer. We’re excited to have him join the SMS team, the Pendleton School District, and the Pendleton Community.
Mr. Gunter will officially take over as assistant principal/athletic director on July 1st. He is replacing Caleb Patterson as he has accepted a position in La Grande.
District Recommends New Sunridge Middle School Principal
/in District Site News, News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District School Board will be asked at their next board meeting to approve the recommendation to hire Angie Horton to be the new principal of Sunridge Middle School, effective July 1st, 2025.
Horton is currently a principal in the Warrenton Hammond School District. Horton has held Principal, Vice Principal, Behavior Support Classroom Teacher, and a 3rd Grade teacher positions in her district. Before her time in Warrenton, she was a Child Treatment Specialist at the Grande Ronde Child Care Centre in La Grande.
Mrs. Horton attended Wallowa High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and business administration in 2001 from Eastern Oregon University, a master’s degree in Special Education in 2019 from Western Governor’s University, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Western Governor’s University in 2022.
Mrs. Horton will officially take over as principal on July 1st. She is replacing Principal, Piper Kelm, who is retiring effective June 30th.
Pendleton School District Announces Superintendent Selection
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District Board of Directors is pleased to announce that a contract for Superintendent of the Pendleton School District has been offered to Dr. Michelle Jensen, of West Linn, Oregon.
Dr. Jensen is currently a Primary School Principal in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. She has worked in her current position since 2019. Previously, she worked in the Hermiston School District as a counselor from 2005 to 2014 and Coordinator of Strategic Initiatives from 2014 to 2016; and as a principal in the Hillsboro Oregon School District from 2016 to 2019.
Eleven individuals applied for the position, and the Board interviewed two finalists for the position on March 10. Dr. Jensen will assume the duties of Superintendent beginning July 1, 2025.
Dr. Douglas Nelson and Mrs. Heidi Sipe of McPherson & Jacobson L.L.C. served as consultants in the search process. Mrs. Sipe will continue working with the Pendleton School District Board of Directors and Dr. Jensen in helping establish performance objectives for her.