New Faces in Pendleton SD – Noah Eckstine
The Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
BMCC Mobile Precision Agriculture Lab Comes to SMS
Sunridge Middle School eighth graders got to enjoy some agricultural learning in the sunshine on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) brought its Mobile Precision Agriculture Laboratory to the school for some hands-on learning.
First, the class of science students broke up into small groups, made a grid sketch of an open field, and then took the temperature of the soil in each quadrant. After they reported their findings, Drew Leggett, BMCC Precision Agriculture Instructor, discussed with the students how soil temperature can be used by farmers for growing crops.
Thor, SMS eighth grader, said, “It was interesting how the temperature changed throughout the field; you would think the sun would heat it up the same.”
Leggett then went to the mobile trailer and brought out the hit of the show — a large, brightly colored orange drone. He explained this specific drone costs about $50,000 and can fly over 250 acres on one charge of its battery. Leggett explained farmers and ranchers can use drones to fly over their property and gather detailed information about sunlight exposure, water, crop growth, and more.
Eighth grader Hayden said the drone was pretty awesome to see and looked really cool flying through the sky.
What does Leggett want these eighth graders to take away from today’s experience? “I want students to know what precision agriculture is and how it works. I also tell them that it’s a career opportunity throughout the nation, there is a huge shortage of precision ag technicians, and you need only a two-year degree to get into the field.”
This BMCC mobile lab was new in 2022. Annie Claus, Career Connected Learning Systems Navigator at BMCC, said one of the uses of the mobile lab is to connect Career Technical Education (CTE) and Career Connected Learning (CCL) opportunities to students in fifth and eighth grades and high school.
Eighth grader Hayden summed up the morning pretty well, “There’s a lot of stuff to do in science.”
Sunridge Middle School Open House
Sunridge Middle School students and their parents were invited to the school’s Open House on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. In addition to serving Hill Meat hot dogs, chips, and Coca-Cola to families, school administrators hoped the event was a good photo opportunity and a chance for staff to interact with students and families.
It was the first SMS Open House for new Vice Principal Caleb Patterson. He said the school year has started out well and has been a lot of fun. “I hope tonight is a good chance for our students, especially the sixth graders, to show their parents around, for parents to put faces to teachers’ names, and for us to continue building that community feel,” Patterson said.
New teacher Noah Eckstine said his first weeks of teaching science have been great so far, with lots of support from SMS staff. At Open House, he said he hopes parents see him as a stand-up guy, know their kids are being supported and appreciated every day, and that teachers like the students as people.
Seventh grader Emilio Hernandez was showing his mom, Natasha Makin, around the school, taking her to each of his classes in the order he attends them every day. Makin said Emilio has three minutes to get from one end of the building to the other between two classes, so he showed her how he power walks to get there. Makin was happy about the Open House event, saying, “It’s a cool opportunity to meet his teachers in a fun way and not necessarily like at conferences when you might get more negative information.”
SMS Principal Piper Kelm said Open House is always an exciting night for the school. “I am always really happy when we can have our community in the building, put food in their bellies, and have them get a chance to meet our amazing teachers here at Sunridge.”
Middle School Jump Start Program 2023
If your 5th grader has received an invitation to attend Jump Start this August at Sunridge Middle School please contact our Jump Start coordinator Fred Wolotira at fwolotira@pendletonsd.org or (541) 966-3466. He will send you the links to register your child for the Jump Start Program.
SMS Outdoor School
About 190 sixth graders from Sunridge Middle School recently enjoyed the annual Outdoor School during three separate weeks in April and May.
SMS 5th Grade Parent Night
Sunridge 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
PELC Farm Day Field Trip
If you think there is nothing cuter than a kindergartner petting a cute, fuzzy chick, you are probably right.