https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Pat-Dutcher-1.jpg604490rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-05-28 12:56:272025-05-28 12:56:27PHS Principal Message
Kindergartners at the Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) recently flexed their artistic skills and had a great time working with staff from the Pendleton Center for the Arts to make their own small books.
The project happened through Roberta Lavadour, Executive Director at Pendleton Center for the Arts. She works with a group called Arts Learning Northwest that supports teaching artists; the organization had some funding available for an in-classroom art activity. Lavadour said that because the arts center loves working with the staff at PELC, it seemed like a perfect partnership.
Lavadour and Kate Brizendine, Coordinator of Education and Outreach at the arts center, spent two days teaching all PELC students how to make their own little book. Lavadour said the simple structures are perfect for highlighting the amazing growth the kids have had this one school year. Once they put together the book structure, students drew pictures and wrote words to make little how-to books. “They were absolutely adorable, and I had one parent tell me a week later that her son was still carrying it with him everywhere,” Lavadour said.
She added that there’s a particular pride in making your own book, and in addition to teaching them the skill, they wanted to provide materials so students could continue to explore handmade books and other art-making activities with their teachers. “Having nice materials to work with really helps engage people of any age in creative expression,” Lavadour said.
Pendleton Center for the Arts donated paint, sticks, liquid watercolors, crayons, cardstock, and a few other items to the school.
PELC Principal Angela Lattin said they appreciate the donation of the art supplies and the ongoing collaboration with the Pendleton Center for the Arts.
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PELC-Art-3.png643493rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-05-22 13:38:412025-05-22 13:38:41Students and Local Arts Center Team Up to Create Books
Kindergartners at the Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) have an upgraded school library with new shelving to display hundreds of new books, thanks to the Wildhorse Foundation and other donors.
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, PELC staff gathered in the library to thank the donors and celebrate the new space. The Wildhorse Foundation grant was for $10,000. Other funding came from Title 1A, a TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) Grant, and Title VI.
Angela Lattin, Principal of the PELC, thanked the Wildhorse Foundation. “This grant, braided with the other funding sources, was really game-changing for our school library. If not for the grant, we would have spent the next 10 years working on these projects.”
Ella Meyers, representing the Wildhorse Foundation, said the organization is really honored to be involved in something that directly impacts the youth in Pendleton and especially the connection to tribal culture. “It’s wonderful to be attending this event today, and it’s really lovely to see it turn into reality,” Meyers said.
The funding made these projects possible:
6 units of book shelving across stage area
4 units of book shelving on west wall
Shelving units on front wall
806 new books
Native American book section with 144 books written by Native authors or about Native American topics
Stuffed animal buddies that students can read with
Principal Lattin said the PELC’s library is well utilized by students. After doing some calculations, she said this school year, there were 6,437 student trips to the library and 3,145 opportunities for students to check out books.
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PELC-Library-Photo-1-scaled.jpg19202560rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-05-16 14:39:442025-05-16 14:39:44PELC Thanks Wildhorse Foundation & Others for Library Upgrade
Third and fourth grade students at Washington Elementary School experienced some exciting hands-on learning with a visit from CTUIR Fisheries in mid-April.
Representatives from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation program brought young and adult lamprey and Coho salmon for the students to see and touch. Students learned that lampreys have been living on Earth for 400 million years.
Shaun Montgomery, Assistant Project Manager for Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities, said it’s effective when children learn through interactive experiences. He said 500,000 Coho salmon are released each year through the program. “We want young people to learn about the salmon recovery program the tribes are doing and how important it is to the environment and to the tribe’s first foods,” Montgomery said.
Due to the COVID pandemic, third and fourth graders missed out on the annual field trip to visit the fisheries site. Shawndine Jones, Walk to Language Teacher at Washington, said the school appreciates the staff from the program visiting the school for those students who missed out a few years ago. “Thanks to the CTUIR Fisheries staff, students enjoyed this hands-on experience and learning about the importance of salmon and lamprey,” Jones said.
Washington Elementary thanks these visitors for sharing their time and knowledge:
Aaron Jackson
Kanim Moses-Conner
Jerrid Weaskus
Shaun Montgomery
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Wildcat-W.png18422000rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-04-25 14:55:382025-04-25 14:55:38CTUIR Fisheries Program Visits 3rd and 4th Graders at Washington Elementary
Students at Sherwood Heights Elementary recently started eating breakfast in the cafeteria. This may not sound like a big deal, but it’s a welcome change for the school.
At the start of the 2024-25 school year, the school had a program called Breakfast After the Bell, which was mandated due to the high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Due to the school’s large student population, it was impossible to fit all students in the cafeteria in the morning to eat breakfast at the same time. So, the school had to offer cold/to-go style breakfasts that students ate in the classroom. Breakfast was served after the first bell, so students didn’t start eating until 8:00 AM.
The school recently revised the breakfast protocol, serving breakfast earlier, starting at 7:30 AM and having students arrive at staggered times between 7:30 and 8:00. This way, they are able to accommodate all students who want to eat in the cafeteria.
TJ Presley, Sherwood Principal, said the recent change allows the school to provide hot breakfast options to students, and all food is served on a tray and eaten in the cafeteria. Presley said this has helped in other ways around campus, such as less mess in the classroom, less waste of food because students are choosing what they want to eat, less garbage , and less interference with instructional minutes during the school day.
“We are also hopeful that the hot meals will improve our attendance and on-time arrivals for the start of the school day,” Presley said.
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Sherwood Spurs are on their way to success!
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Sherwood-logo.jpg253356rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-04-24 13:27:202025-04-24 13:27:20Sherwood Starts Hot Breakfast in the Cafeteria Again
College basketball teams and their fans across America were consumed by the March Madness basketball tournaments last month. But the Pendleton Early Learning Center was busy with its own March Madness!
For the fourth year in a row, the school staged its March Madness Book Battle, a competition to promote the love of books, reading and fun. The program is organized in much the same way as the big basketball competitions. First, the kindergarten teachers choose the Sweet Sixteen – 16 books they want to compete. Each classroom reads the books, then votes on which ones they like best, whittling down the 16 books to the Elite Eight.
Students in classrooms read the books again until they are down to the Final Four. Eventually, the competition comes down to two contenders. This year, they were Mortimer by Robert Munsch, about a boy who won’t be quiet and go to sleep, and Frankie by Mary Sullivan, about a new puppy who has to share with the dog already living in a house.
On the morning of Monday, April 7th, all classes read the two books for a final time and chose their champion. Then they waited for all the votes from all the classrooms to come in.
Teacher Rachele Johnson said the kids love getting to read two stories every single day, and reading the books repeatedly helps the students learn about intonation and punctuation. In the case of the Mortimer book, students were able to sing the song and thump their feet like the characters in the book.
“As teachers, we love to see their excitement about reading, and we get to read picture books that might not normally fit the themes we are doing,” Johnson said. Plus, teachers mix in math related to counting the votes and concepts like having your own opinion no matter what the group thinks, and having your favorite book.
So, who was the school’s March Madness Champion? It was Frankie by quite a lot of votes. It’s hard to compete with a story about a cute puppy.
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/read-books.jpg543800rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-04-18 13:43:482025-04-18 13:43:48PELC Celebrates March Madness with Books
This morning, during bus route pick up and delivery, the driver of route 13 suffered a medical emergency. The driver was able to pull over safely, and Emergency Medical Services were contacted. Students were kept safe on the bus; a replacement driver was able to transport students to their schools. In a separate incident, route 16 was in an accident. The bus was rear-ended by a car. No student injuries occurred, and the students were safely moved to two different buses to transport them to their schools. We are grateful to the First Student drivers for keeping our students safe during these unfortunate events.
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/bus-stop-sign.jpg657800rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-04-10 09:05:052025-04-10 09:05:05Bus Routes 13 & 16 on April 10, 2025
Students at McKay Creek Elementary have been creating artwork for the Pendleton School District Art Show in May 2025.
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/mckay-logo-clean.Blue_.png9601162rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-04-08 12:46:552025-04-08 12:46:55McKay Students Artwork for District Art Show
In early March, the Pendleton Early Learning Center celebrated its annual Community Read-In. More than 90 volunteers came to the school to read with the Kindergarten students. Volunteers included students from Sunridge Middle School, parents, grandparents, ALTRUSA members, law enforcement officers, and more!
https://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/PELC-sign.png616995rthornburghttps://pendleton.k12.or.us/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/pendleton-school-district.pngrthornburg2025-04-02 17:17:172025-04-02 17:17:17Community Read-In at the PELC