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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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Latest PSD News

  • SMS Open House Sept 2023
    Sunridge Middle School Open HouseSeptember 27, 2023 - 10:36 am
  • PELC Open House Sept 2023
    Pendleton Early Learning Center Open HouseSeptember 25, 2023 - 10:05 am
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    Washington Elementary – New Painting by Native American ArtistAugust 29, 2023 - 4:32 pm
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  • Freshmen Link Crew Day at PHSAugust 21, 2023 - 2:56 pm
  • Sherri Kilgore
    Welcome Back from Principal KIlgoreAugust 21, 2023 - 2:24 pm

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Upcoming Events

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  • District Wide
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  • September 2023

Calendar of Events

M Mon

T Tue

W Wed

T Thu

F Fri

S Sat

S Sun

1 event, 28

2023-08-28

All Staff In-Service

All Staff In-Service

August 28

All Staff In-Service

2 events, 29

2023-08-29

First Day of School

First Day of School

August 29

First Day of School

Welcome to 2023-24 school year! Today is the first day of classes for grades 2-12.

2023-08-29

K-1 Soft Start

K-1 Soft Start

August 29 - August 31

K-1 Soft Start

Kindergarten and Grade 1 will have a soft start from Aug 29-31.  You will receive letters in the mail with details.  If you have questions, please call your student's school […]

1 event, 30

2023-08-29

K-1 Soft Start

1 event, 31

2023-08-29

K-1 Soft Start

0 events, 1

0 events, 2

0 events, 3

1 event, 4

2023-09-04

No School – Labor Day

No School – Labor Day

September 4

No School – Labor Day

1 event, 5

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Board Work Session

September 5 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am

Board Work Session

Held in the District Office Boardroom. 8:00-9:00 am

2 events, 6

4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Open House – PHS

September 6 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Open House – PHS

Pendleton High School is hosting an Open House from 4:30-6:30

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Event Series

Parents Club

September 6 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Event Series

Parents Club

Sherwood Parents Club meets the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the Sherwood Elementary cafeteria. Free childcare is provided to those in attendance. We hope to see […]

1 event, 7

4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Open House – PELC

September 7 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Open House – PELC

The Pendleton Early Learning Center is hosting an Open House from 4:30-6:30

0 events, 8

0 events, 9

0 events, 10

1 event, 11

2023-09-11

No School – Pendleton Round Up

No School – Pendleton Round Up

September 11 - September 15

No School – Pendleton Round Up

1 event, 12

2023-09-11

No School – Pendleton Round Up

1 event, 13

2023-09-11

No School – Pendleton Round Up

1 event, 14

2023-09-11

No School – Pendleton Round Up

1 event, 15

2023-09-11

No School – Pendleton Round Up

0 events, 16

0 events, 17

2 events, 18

2023-09-18

Late Start

Late Start

September 18

Late Start

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

September 18 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

Held in the District Office Boardroom. 6:00-7:00 pm

0 events, 19

1 event, 20

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Open House – SMS

September 20 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Open House – SMS

Sunridge Middle School is hosting an Open House from 5:00 - 7:00

0 events, 21

0 events, 22

0 events, 23

0 events, 24

1 event, 25

2023-09-25

Late Start

Late Start

September 25

Late Start

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

0 events, 28

0 events, 29

0 events, 30

0 events, 1

August 28
All day

All Staff In-Service

August 29
All day

First Day of School

All day

K-1 Soft Start

August 29
All day

K-1 Soft Start

August 29
All day

K-1 Soft Start

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
September 4
All day

No School – Labor Day

September 5
September 5 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am

Board Work Session

September 6
September 6 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Open House – PHS

September 6 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Event Series

Parents Club

September 7
September 7 @ 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Open House – PELC

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
September 11
All day

No School – Pendleton Round Up

September 11
All day

No School – Pendleton Round Up

September 11
All day

No School – Pendleton Round Up

September 11
All day

No School – Pendleton Round Up

September 11
All day

No School – Pendleton Round Up

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
September 18
All day

Late Start

September 18 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Board Meeting

  • There are no events on this day.
September 20
September 20 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Open House – SMS

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
September 25
All day

Late Start

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
View Calendar
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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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