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Sunridge Honors Longtime Educator with School Fight Song

Most middle schools do not have their own fight song. But that didn’t deter Sunridge Middle School leaders and students – they just created their school’s first fight song. And like a good fight song, it’s pretty exciting!

The idea for a fight song came up when the school was brainstorming ways to honor a longtime teacher at SMS, David Payne. Payne was the middle school’s band teacher for more than 25 years. During his tenure, Payne inspired thousands of Pendleton youth to play a musical instrument and develop a deeper appreciation for music. He retired in June 2019 and tragically lost his battle with cancer in December 2020.

When Payne was a teacher, he taught his advanced band the fight song of the University of Michigan every year. Entitled “The Victors,” the song is the epitome of a good fight song – rousing, upbeat, with lots of brass instruments, definitely written and played to inspire. Payne used the song because he liked it himself, and it was a challenging but playable song for middle school musicians.

To honor Payne, the SMS Leadership Class, in cooperation with the school’s Music Department, created a fight song based on “The Victors” with school-specific lyrics for the big yellow school on the hill:

GO SUN-RIDGE BRONCS!
GO SUN-RIDGE BRONCS!
WE WILL BEAT THIS MIGH-TY FOE!
SUN-RIDGE OUR HOME AND GOL-DEN SCHOOL!
GO SUN-RIDGE BRONCS!
GO SUN-RIDGE BRONCS!
WE WILL BEAT THIS MIGH-TY FOE!
S-M-S SUN-RIDGE OUR HOME AND GLOR-IOUS SCHOOL!

At the Pendleton School District School Board meeting on May 9th, the school board officially recognized the new SMS Fight Song. At the meeting, a choir quintet of SMS students (Jaden Atchley, Marilla Holden, Maura McShane, Lorelai Tesch, Claire Welch) sang the new song to keyboard accompaniment by Talan Anderson. The song will be officially dedicated to Mr. Payne by SMS at the school’s end-of-year assembly in June.

“The new song is a heartfelt and fun way to remember Mr. Payne, who made such a huge impact on so many students and music in general in our community,” said Principal Dave Williams. “It’s a great way to remember his tenure at SMS.”

Sunridge Middle School would like to thank the SMS Leadership Class Fight Song Committee of Talan Anderson, Maura McShane and Claire Welch, as well as Principal Williams and teachers Chris Demianew and Carly Elder, for all their efforts to bring this tribute together to honor David Payne.

Go Broncs!

SMS Fight Song Plaque

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Upcoming Events

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  • June 2025

Calendar of Events

M Mon

T Tue

W Wed

T Thu

F Fri

S Sat

S Sun

1 event, 26

2025-05-26

No School – Holiday

No School – Holiday

May 26

No School – Holiday

No school due to Memorial Day observed.

1 event, 27

2025-05-27

Art Show

Art Show

May 27 @ 8:00 am - May 29 @ 5:00 pm

Art Show

Pendleton School District Art Show at the Pendleton Convention Center. Evening only on 5/27/25.

3 events, 28

2025-05-27

Art Show

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

HAHS Graduation

May 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

HAHS Graduation

Hawthorne Alternative High School Graduation @ Hawthorne

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Scholarship Night

May 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Scholarship Night

Scholarship Night is by invitation only in the auditorium.

3 events, 29

2025-05-27

Art Show

2025-05-29

Seniors Last Day

Seniors Last Day

May 29

Seniors Last Day

Congratulations Class of 2025!

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Baccalaureate

May 29 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Baccalaureate

Baccalaureate in PHS Auditorium

0 events, 30

0 events, 31

1 event, 1

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

PHS Graduation

June 1 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

PHS Graduation

Congratulations, Class of 2025!  Graduation will be held in the Round-Up arena on Sunday, June 1, 2025.  More details to come.

1 event, 2

2025-06-02

1 Hour Late Start

1 Hour Late Start

Event Series
June 2 Event Series

1 Hour Late Start

2 events, 3

8:00 am - 9:00 am Event Series

Board Work Session

June 3 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am Event Series

Board Work Session

Meets in the District Office boardroom

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

5th Grade Track Meet

June 3 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

5th Grade Track Meet

1 event, 4

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

4th Grade Track Meet

June 4 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

4th Grade Track Meet

1 event, 5

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

3rd Grade Track Meet

June 5 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

3rd Grade Track Meet

2 events, 6

2025-06-06

School Ends

School Ends

June 6

School Ends

2 hour early release.  Last day of school in the 2024-25 school year.  Enjoy summer!

2025-06-06

End of 2nd Semester

End of 2nd Semester

June 6

End of 2nd Semester

0 events, 7

0 events, 8

2 events, 9

2025-06-09

In-Service

In-Service

June 9

In-Service

No school.  Staff in-service today.

6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Event Series

Regular Board Meeting

June 9 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Event Series

Regular Board Meeting

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0 events, 30

0 events, 1

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0 events, 6

May 26
All day

No School – Holiday

May 27
May 27 @ 8:00 am - May 29 @ 5:00 pm

Art Show

May 27
May 27 @ 8:00 am - May 29 @ 5:00 pm

Art Show

May 28 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

HAHS Graduation

May 28 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Scholarship Night

May 27
May 27 @ 8:00 am - May 29 @ 5:00 pm

Art Show

All day

Seniors Last Day

May 29 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Baccalaureate

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
June 1
June 1 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

PHS Graduation

June 2
All day Event Series

1 Hour Late Start

June 3
June 3 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am Event Series

Board Work Session

June 3 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

5th Grade Track Meet

June 4
June 4 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

4th Grade Track Meet

June 5
June 5 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

3rd Grade Track Meet

June 6
All day

School Ends

All day

End of 2nd Semester

June 9
June 9 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Event Series

Regular Board Meeting

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
June 9
All day

In-Service

June 9 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm Event Series

Regular Board Meeting

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Pendleton School District
107 NW 10th Street, Pendleton, OR 97801
Phone:  541.276.6711  Fax:  541.278.3208

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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