When Lieutenant Colonel ShaiLin KingSlack spoke to students at Sunridge Middle School, she was open and honest about her experiences in school. “Going to school wasn’t always easy for me; there were some hard things, like being singled out for the color of my skin or not getting chosen for sports,” KingSlack said. But she just kept going and focused on what she was passionate about, like music, art, and things she liked, regardless of negativity from other people.
KingSlack was at SMS on January 23, 2024, speaking to Native American students about leadership. KingSlack works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Walla Walla District. A graduate of West Point Military Academy, she is an experienced and decorated soldier who was deployed to Iraq and served in Europe. KingSlack currently oversees more than 800 engineers and professionals in civil works, interagency programs, and operations of Corps of Engineers projects for Eastern Washington, Idaho, and parts of Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah.
When she started at West Point and in her early career in the U.S. Army, KingSlack said she didn’t know if she was cut out to be a leader, but she found her purpose in defending America by serving her country in the military.
“Being a leader can be inherent, but it can also be taught,” she said. Things leaders do are encouraging others and being loyal to others, she emphasized to students. She encouraged students at this stage of their lives to discover their “mission,” which could be getting good grades, becoming better at playing a musical instrument, or doing well in sports.
KingSlack said that students can later turn their strengths into leadership skills. “Not every leader is a good leader, but try to be a good one.”
In addition to visiting SMS, KingSlack spoke to students on January 23rd at Pendleton High School and Nixyaawii Community School. The presentations were organized through the Title VI program in the Pendleton School District.
CTE Spotlight – Kelli Nelson
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgPendleton High School CTE Student Spotlight – Kelli Nelson
Name: Kelli Nelson
Grade: Senior
What CTE classes/pathway are you taking?
Animal Science and Agriculture, which will directly transfer to my future career of animal science and veterinary medicine.
What do you enjoy about your CTE classes at PHS?
The hands-on learning and experience are what I enjoy most. My level of engagement and retention of the information seems to increase with the real-world application. Seeing what I am learning and not just reading it from a textbook helps me develop my critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
How are CTE classes making a difference in your education?
Because these classes are educating me about everything that is happening in the world and in the veterinary and animal industries, they are improving my education. My agricultural education classes molded me into the mentor and leader I am today. We can begin to understand how agriculture affects the world around us and learn other crucial life lessons by teaching and studying it. The cycle of growth, life, and death—a cycle that all living things go through—is the foundation of agriculture.
Would you like to share anything else about CTE at PHS?
The advisors, Mr. Campbell and Mrs. Hunt are always willing to help you succeed and be your most potential self. You can always lean on them with questions or for advice.
CTE Spotlight – Viviana Martinez
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgPendleton High School CTE Student Spotlight – Viviana Martinez
Name: Viviana Martinez
Grade: Senior
What CTE classes/pathway are you taking?
I am taking Advanced Studio Art, which aligns with the Visual and Media Arts CTE Pathway.
What do you enjoy about your CTE classes at PHS?
I really enjoy how freely we are able to create within the classroom. The studio art classes are entirely independent, which encourages me to plan and design virtually anything I want. Mrs. Prevot, the art teacher, also gives positive feedback and advice for my and other student’s ideas, which is encouraging.
How are CTE classes making a difference in your education?
Since I want art to be my future career pursuit, the Visual and Media Arts CTE Pathway has made it exponentially easier to learn different drawing/painting techniques and how to navigate through different digital applications. Being able to use different digital art/photography programs has been beneficial since those skills are needed in a professional multimedia environment.
Would you like to share anything else about CTE at PHS?
Taking any CTE Pathway is a good way to keep track of what skills and knowledge you need to know for your future career.
CTE Spotlight – Ella Guenther
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgPendleton High School CTE Student Spotlight – Ella Guenther
Name: Ella Guenther
Grade: Senior
What CTE classes/pathway are you taking?
I take aerospace engineering classes.
What do you enjoy about your CTE classes at PHS?
I like being able to do hands-on projects to learn about flight and space.
How are CTE classes making a difference in your education?
Engineering classes at PHS have shown me opportunities that I wouldn’t have considered before and allowed me to work with a variety of different people doing hands-on projects.
Would you like to share anything else about CTE at PHS?
I would strongly recommend trying engineering classes at PHS, even if it doesn’t sound interesting.
Guest Speaker Discusses Leadership at SMS
/in District Site News, Sunridge News /by rthornburgWhen Lieutenant Colonel ShaiLin KingSlack spoke to students at Sunridge Middle School, she was open and honest about her experiences in school. “Going to school wasn’t always easy for me; there were some hard things, like being singled out for the color of my skin or not getting chosen for sports,” KingSlack said. But she just kept going and focused on what she was passionate about, like music, art, and things she liked, regardless of negativity from other people.
KingSlack was at SMS on January 23, 2024, speaking to Native American students about leadership. KingSlack works for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers/Walla Walla District. A graduate of West Point Military Academy, she is an experienced and decorated soldier who was deployed to Iraq and served in Europe. KingSlack currently oversees more than 800 engineers and professionals in civil works, interagency programs, and operations of Corps of Engineers projects for Eastern Washington, Idaho, and parts of Oregon, Nevada, Wyoming, and Utah.
When she started at West Point and in her early career in the U.S. Army, KingSlack said she didn’t know if she was cut out to be a leader, but she found her purpose in defending America by serving her country in the military.
“Being a leader can be inherent, but it can also be taught,” she said. Things leaders do are encouraging others and being loyal to others, she emphasized to students. She encouraged students at this stage of their lives to discover their “mission,” which could be getting good grades, becoming better at playing a musical instrument, or doing well in sports.
KingSlack said that students can later turn their strengths into leadership skills. “Not every leader is a good leader, but try to be a good one.”
In addition to visiting SMS, KingSlack spoke to students on January 23rd at Pendleton High School and Nixyaawii Community School. The presentations were organized through the Title VI program in the Pendleton School District.
2023-24 PELC Learning Targets
/in District Site News, Early Learning Center News /by rthornburgVideo – McKay Battle of the Books 2024
/in District Site News, McKay Creek School News /by rthornburgRead Bowl for Grades 2 & 3 at McKay Creek Elementary School
/in District Site News, McKay Creek School News /by rthornburgWho needs the Super Bowl in February? McKay’s students have the Read Bowl!
Second graders in Shelby Cook’s classroom and third graders in Noele Mead’s classroom have been highly focused on reading with a fun football component. The students in the two classes are participating in Read Bowl, which uses a football theme and some friendly competition in the four weeks leading up to the Super Bowl.
Each day, students get to count the reading they do while at school – this could be reading instruction, reading silently, group reading, or anything they have read during the day. They also keep track of the minutes they read at home. On their own football tracker, they color in how many minutes they read every day.
Second-grade teacher Cook said she saw the idea of Read Bowl on social media and thought she would try it to get her students reading more because she has a lot of students who really like football. “My main goal is to help my students find books they really like so they start loving to read!”
Mead’s third-grade class is also participating. At halftime, or halfway through the Read Bowl of four weeks, Mead’s students have read 26,838 minutes (about 447 hours). “This competition has really helped all my students, even the non-readers, find a love for reading!” Mead said.
So, no matter who wins the Super Bowl, these young readers are stars!
District Responds to ODE Graduation Rate Release
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgOn Thursday, January 25, 2024, the Oregon Department of Education released graduation rates for school districts in Oregon.
The Pendleton School District’s graduation rate for 2022-2023 was 76.70%, as compared to 81.99% the previous year. This number includes Pendleton High School, Hawthorne High School, and Nixyáawii Community School. Kevin Headings, district superintendent, said, “Our rate dropped slightly, and while that’s of some concern, there are a lot of positives in our numbers. Considering all our students have been through the past few years, we’re considering these numbers a success.”
The graduation rate for Pendleton High School (PHS) for 2022-2023 was 82.4%, above the state average, but a decrease from 89% in 2021-22. Hawthorne High School’s rate continued a 5–year upward trend with a 44.7% rate, as compared to 39.1% in 2021-2022. Nixyáawii Community School’s rate was 76%, which was a slight decrease as compared to 2021-2022.
Headings said the real improvements were among our Native American students. PHS’s Native American graduation rate was 82.4%, which represents a 10% increase from last year and is 13% above the state average. Nixyáawii Community School’s Native American graduation rate was 78.3%, which is a 2% increase over last year and well above the state average. PSD’s overall Native American graduation rate was 80%, which is 12% above the state average and a 13% increase from last year. “Our staff have not stopped working to help all students graduate. Our overall numbers continue to be positive with continued improvements in key areas,” Headings said.
“Although the district would like to see more students graduate, the results across the board are positive, especially with our Native American students,” Headings said, “These increases reflect the many hundreds of hours PSD staff, students, and families pour into their efforts to find success. We are working to improve and grow at all levels in our schools and remain committed to every student, every day,”
District Appoints New Sherwood Elementary School Principal
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District School Board has approved the appointment of TJ Presley as Principal of Sherwood Elementary School, effective July 1, 2024.
Presley is currently the vice principal at Sherwood Elementary. Prior to his time in Pendleton, Presley worked in Pilot Rock School District, where he taught middle school math before being hired as their secondary principal and athletic director. Before going into public education, Mr. Presley worked in senior-level management at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Hermiston.
Colleagues describe Mr. Presley as a talented leader who is thoughtful, considerate, and passionate. He is also described as a leader who has a high level of integrity and puts the needs of students, staff, and parents at the forefront of every decision he makes.
Mr. Presley earned a bachelor of science in business and management/finance from Western Oregon University in 2007. He earned his Master of Arts in education from Eastern Oregon University in 2017.
According to Superintendent Kevin Headings, appointing Mr. Presley as principal of Sherwood was an easy decision. “Mr. Presley has proven to be a skilled and talented administrator – both during his time in Pilot Rock and in his two years with Pendleton. He has the respect of the Sherwood staff, students, and families. He possesses the qualities needed for Sherwood Elementary’s continued success – high integrity, student-centered decision making and strong communication skills. We’re fortunate he works in Pendleton School District.” Headings said.
Mr. Presley will officially take over as principal on July 1. He is replacing Principal Ronda Smith, who is retiring effective June 30, 2024.
January is Board Appreciation Month
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgJanuary is School Board Appreciation Month, and we recognize the hard work and dedication they give to the Pendleton School District! YOU ARE APPRECIATED!