Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 20 & 21, 2023. Please contact your student’s school if you have questions.
K-5
Monday, Nov 20: 4 – 8 pm
Tuesday, Nov 21: 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
SMS
Monday, Nov 20: 4 – 8 pm
Tuesday, Nov 21: 7:30 am – 1 pm, 2 – 7 pm
PHS
Monday, Nov 20: 4 – 8 pm (commons)
Tuesday, Nov 21: 7:30 am – 1 pm (virtual), 2 – 4 pm (virtual), 4 – 7 pm (commons)
Pendleton School District’s Outdoor School (ODS) program recently encountered a big change. This is the last year that sixth graders from Sunridge Middle School will attend ODS. For several weeks last month (October), this year’s sixth graders attended the program. While ODS is usually run in the spring, the middle school had sixth graders attend this fall, as all fifth graders in the district will be attending in Spring 2024.
The district transition from having all fifth graders attend this traditional program instead of sixth graders was done for various reasons. The spring schedule conflicted with the testing schedule for sixth graders at SMS; also, many substitute teachers were needed for long periods of time.
The same curriculum and model, where students rotate to different stations around the outdoor camp, will be used for the fifth-grade Outdoor School program.
“Our sixth graders had a great time this fall at Outdoor School. We are excited to continue the program since it is a longstanding tradition for PSD, and we know our fifth graders will really enjoy the experience,” said John Summerfield, SMS Social Studies Teacher and ODS Coordinator.
Pendleton School District’s Outdoor School has been running for 52 years. It is held at the U.S. Forest Service’s Buck Creek Cabins/Corporation facility on the Umatilla National Forest, on the banks of the Umatilla River. Students are bused to the site every day and spend the day in field studies to learn about natural habitats and outdoor skills. The field studies are taught by federal, state, and local natural resource employees and volunteers from the region.
First Student, LLC., the transportation company Pendleton School District contracts with to bus students, is increasing its focus on safety with a Safety Stand-Down Week from October 25-31. This is a special event in which company leaders pause to talk directly to employees about safety and provide education and training on specific safety topics.
According to materials from First Student, the company is having the event because “we have a responsibility to learn from recent safety incidents and ensure they do not happen again by reinforcing fundamental safety principles.”
Stand-Down Week will focus on three key areas: Manage Distractions, Focus on the Task at Hand, and Apply Your Training. Some of the safety practices being re-emphasized for bus drivers are:
According to Patrick Phillips, Location Manager for First Student, the Pendleton location employees will be able to sign Safety Pledges, watch reminder videos, and get daily reminder posts during the event. First Student will also be running special safety radio messages. “The Safety Stand-Down is an opportunity for our company to reiterate to employees to get back to the basics of safety,” Phillips said.
Matt Yoshioka, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Pendleton School District, said the district is pleased that First Student has organized Stand-Down Week to re-focus on safety. “Student safety while being transported to and from school is a top priority for First Student and our district, just as keeping students safe at school is,” Yoshioka said.
Start of the 2023-24 School Year
Exciting news for PHS football! EOA Network will be broadcasting PHS football games this year, and they are starting tonight, September 1, 2023. You can stream the games on the following platforms:
EOAlive.TV
https://www.facebook.com/EOAliveTV
https://www.youtube.com/eoalivetv
August 21, 2023
Dear PSD Parents –
The start of school is only a few days away. This time of year is always exciting, with new classes, new teachers, new faces, and the overall start of a new year.
Our teachers and staff are excited to serve you and your child(ren). The principals are already back at work, along with the secretaries, teachers, and support staff, preparing their buildings, yearly plans, and school functions for the 2023-24 school year.
The safety and security of our district facilities is always our highest priority. We’ve spent a good portion of the summer making sure our emergency plans are highly functional and in place and that our buildings have strong security. Recently, our district safety team attended a regional “Safety Summit” at the Pendleton Convention Center. Our plans, procedures, and security measures are comprehensive, strong, and effective.
After attending this summit, there are several things that are important for you, as parents, to do and not do if there is an emergency/crisis at your child’s school. Please see below.
Do:
Don’t:
While we know that in situations like this, stress levels will be high, it is best to be prepared ahead of time.
And now, a few logistics for the new school year. The first day of school for all our students is Tuesday, August 29. We will have bussing routes and bussing information on our district website the week before school starts. Additionally, we have added 5 minutes to our school day, so please check the website of your child’s school, or call the school for school day start times and end times, along with any other questions you may have.
One more logistic about our school year. 6th and 9th graders will have orientation on Monday, August 28. Kindergarten and 1st graders will have a soft start from August 29-31. Again, please visit the school’s website, or call the school’s office for specific information regarding K-1, 6th, and 9th grade soft start and orientation.
We are excited to see our students and families back in our buildings and looking forward to serving you for the 2023-24 school year. I wish you a great start to the school!
Sincerely,
Kevin Headings, Superintendent
The Summer Lunch Program will be at the PELC from 11:30-12:30 beginning June 19 – August 18, Monday – Thursday (Closed July 4).
Rules of the Summer Lunch Program:
1. Must be 1-18 years of age
2. All food and milk must be consumed in the cafeteria
3. No one over the age of 18 or under the age of 1 can eat or drink any part of the meal
4. Shoes and Shirts must be worn
5. No horseplay
The Pendleton High School Class of 2023 Graduation will be live-streamed on the PHS Media YouTube account: https://youtube.com/@PHSMedia
June 3, 2023
Ceremony begins at 10:00 am in the Round-Up Stadium.
Gates open at 9:00 am
Seating is at the West end of the stadium
Programs are handed out in three locations (Top of stairs to West Grandstands. Bottom of rail to West Grandstands. South entrance)
Bathrooms are open on the second level of West Grandstands
Suggestion: Bring a water bottle with you
Three 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.
The Pendleton School District assures that no person shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability or income as provided by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related authorities, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any Pendleton School District sponsored program or activity.
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