The Pendleton School District School Board has selected Mr. Kevin Dinning as the new Principal at Washington Elementary School.
Dinning is currently the Superintendent/Secondary Principal of Ione School District. Prior to that, he served as Bonners County Middle School Principal in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. In 2016, he was selected as the Bonners Ferry High School Principal. In 2015-2016, Dinning served as both an elementary and high school vice-principal in Bonners County School District.
Colleagues describe Dinning as a talented leader who is thoughtful, considerate, and consistent. He is also described as a “people person” who puts the needs of students, staff, and parents at the forefront of every decision he makes. Other colleagues who have worked alongside Dinning describe him as a true professional who operates with a high level of integrity.
Dinning earned a bachelor of science in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and a master of science degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in Portland.
According to Superintendent Kevin Headings, “Mr. Dinning possesses the qualities we were looking for in our next Washington Elementary principal – high integrity, talented leader, student-centered, and a strong communicator. Finding someone with knowledge and understanding of our region and who is familiar with Pendleton was also important to the selection committee.”
Dinning will replace Coree Terjeson, who resigned effective June 30th earlier in the year. Dinning’s contract begins July 1st. He and his wife, Heidi, have two elementary school-aged children, Sofie and Henry.
SMS 5th Grade Parent Night
/in District Site News, Sunridge News /by rthornburgSunridge Middle School – 5th Grade Parent Night
Discovering what the first year of middle school will be like is the purpose of a May event at Sunridge Middle School. All fifth grade students and their parents in the Pendleton School District are invited to 5th Grade Parent Night on Tuesday, May 23rd from 5 to 7 PM at SMS.
Fifth graders who will be attending the school, along with their parents, will meet sixth grade teachers, take tours of the building, watch a slideshow about electives offered at Sunridge and have hamburgers.
SMS Principal Piper Kelm said the event is a great opportunity for the school to communicate “What does Sixth Grade look like at SMS?” Kelm said, “This is the first time these students and families will all be together as their class, the one they are in from sixth grade through the end of high school. We want them to experience the building and share a meal together.”
Native American students and their families are invited to a special presentation at 4:30 PM in addition to regular Parent Night activities.
For more information about 5th Grade Parent Night, visit the Sunridge Middle School website at https://sms.pendleton.k12.or.us/.
Posted 5/19/2023
Native American Outreach Grants
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThree schools in the Pendleton School District recently received Native American Families Outreach Grants. The Pendleton Early Learning Center received $10,000, Washington Elementary received $7,000 and Sunridge Middle School received $10,000. The purpose of the grants is to support Native American students in navigating public school systems.
SMS Principal Piper Kelm said the majority of the grant at Sunridge will be used to produce signage in the school that incorporates the Umatilla language. Similar signage is already in place at Washington Elementary School.
Kelm said she believes the new signage will help Native American students to feel seen at their school while offering the opportunity for non-Native students to be exposed to words in a different language that is right next door. “We hope this helps foster a school climate of neighbors together in community and also helps sustain this native language for future generations,” Kelm said.
Pendleton Early Learning Center received $10,000 and is also producing signage incorporating native language.
Washington Elementary received $7,000 and has scheduled a Native American Family Dinner on May 25th, during which the Pendleton High School food truck will provide dinner. Washington is also planning some other projects.
PELC Farm Day Field Trip
/in District Site News, Early Learning Center News, High Schools News, Sunridge News /by rthornburgIf you think there is nothing cuter than a kindergartner petting a cute, fuzzy chick, you are probably right.
FFA Plant Sale – May 12-13, 2023
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgJoin Pendleton High School FFA Mother’s Day weekend for their plant sale! Students have been working hard the past couple of months, taking care of flowers and plants to sell at the annual fundraiser!
May 12 from 4:00 – 6:00 pm at the PHS greenhouse.
May 13 from 8:00 – 12:00 pm at the PHS greenhouse
Sunridge Middle School – GO-STEM Grant
/in District Site News, Sunridge News /by rthornburgNext school year, Sunridge Middle School students will have increased opportunities to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning thanks to a $13,300 grant from GO-STEM. SMS Principal Piper Kelm said the grant allowed the school to purchase Virtual Reality (VR) headsets that students will use for computer coding and creating virtual spaces.
During the 2023-24 school year, sixth-grade classrooms will be able to use the equipment, which Kelm said she hopes builds interest in those students getting involved in the school’s Robotics Club for seventh and eighth graders. “We hope and anticipate this STEM grant will serve as a pipeline for our students to become interested in computer science here at the middle school and beyond in high school robotics and computers,” Kelm said.
Three other PSD schools also received GO-STEM grants: Pendleton Early Learning Center ($1,800), Washington Elementary ($8,800), and Pendleton High School ($19,000).
According to their website, GO‐STEM is a regional partnership cultivating a community that values STEM learning, prepares youth for successful STEM careers, and builds pathways and pipelines to meet workforce needs. Learn more at https://go-stem.org/.
Pendleton FFA Farm Day – May 3, 2023
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgPendleton FFA is hosting a Farm Day from 4:30 pm-7:00 pm on May 3rd for our community. Students and kids can travel from station to station to learn about local agriculture and see some livestock animals our students raise throughout the year. There is a $5 entry fee.
We will also be hosting a BBQ fundraiser that will be available for purchase.
Administrative Professionals Day
/in Sunridge News /by pkelmDuring the last full week of April, the Pendleton School District celebrates the work of school secretaries and administrative professionals. Say an extra “Thank You” to your school’s secretary and all the administrators who work in the front office keeping everything running smoothly.
Earth Day
/in Sunridge News /by pkelmCelebrate Earth Day 2023 on April 22nd. This year’s theme is Invest In Our Planet, which focuses on how we take action on climate and work to build sustainable economies to preserve and protect our health, our families and our livelihoods. Learn more at: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/
National Student Leadership Week
/in Sunridge News /by pkelmThis year’s theme is “Ready, Set, Lead!” Celebrating student leaders is a powerful expression of gratitude and recognition for their unwavering dedication, passion, and drive in making a difference within your school, community, and the world. This week we acknowledge the work of our Student Council members and National Honor Society students for their leadership.
Check out more information at: https://www.studentleadershipweek.org/
District Selects New Washington Elementary School Principal
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District School Board has selected Mr. Kevin Dinning as the new Principal at Washington Elementary School.
Dinning is currently the Superintendent/Secondary Principal of Ione School District. Prior to that, he served as Bonners County Middle School Principal in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. In 2016, he was selected as the Bonners Ferry High School Principal. In 2015-2016, Dinning served as both an elementary and high school vice-principal in Bonners County School District.
Colleagues describe Dinning as a talented leader who is thoughtful, considerate, and consistent. He is also described as a “people person” who puts the needs of students, staff, and parents at the forefront of every decision he makes. Other colleagues who have worked alongside Dinning describe him as a true professional who operates with a high level of integrity.
Dinning earned a bachelor of science in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and a master of science degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in Portland.
According to Superintendent Kevin Headings, “Mr. Dinning possesses the qualities we were looking for in our next Washington Elementary principal – high integrity, talented leader, student-centered, and a strong communicator. Finding someone with knowledge and understanding of our region and who is familiar with Pendleton was also important to the selection committee.”
Dinning will replace Coree Terjeson, who resigned effective June 30th earlier in the year. Dinning’s contract begins July 1st. He and his wife, Heidi, have two elementary school-aged children, Sofie and Henry.