Pandemic EBT for Summer 2022 Benefits

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Did you know Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) for Summer 2022 Benefits may be on the way?  You can visit us at the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) website at PEBT.oregon.gov.

Questions can be answered using the call center:  844-673-7328 or 844-ORE-PEBT

FAQ for Families – ENGLISH | SPANISH

 

P-EBT

Safety First

Sherwood Heights Elementary – Safety Efforts

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Fire, lockdown, and earthquake drills are all in a day’s work for today’s students. Because they practice these regularly, they know what to expect if and when a real emergency occurs. And that is what the leaders at Sherwood Heights Elementary are counting on.

“We have a fire drill every month, and we practice one other drill every month,” said TJ Presley, Assistant Principal at Sherwood. “By practicing these scenarios, our staff and students are all more prepared and able to remain calm in situations that do arise.”

Presley and Sherwood Principal Ronda Smith said they collaborate with local law enforcement officers when they have drills, so officers can be on site if possible to help discuss response time and things that could be improved. Pendleton School District School Resource Officer Lance Zaugg was in the building at the school’s March Lockdown drill and debriefed with school administrators afterward. “We test different modalities with our alarm system and phone system to ensure we practice different methods to initiate our emergency protocols when necessary and to be as quick and efficient in a real emergency,” Principal Smith said.

Sherwood recently received two grants totaling $10,000 from the Walmart Distribution Center in Hermiston to purchase new radios for all staff in their building. Presley said the new radios are helpful, as the ability to communicate quickly between all staff in the school is essential.

In addition to physical safety, Sherwood also focuses on social-emotional safety, with regular lessons about feeling safe, trusted adults, reporting concerns, and more.

At the school’s Open House last fall, several parents asked the school leaders to tell them about emergency procedures and protocols, which Smith said they were glad to communicate about. As part of a district-wide plan, Sherwood will host an after-school safety evaluation/walk-through in May with officers from several local law enforcement agencies to identify potential safety issues that can be resolved.

“Safety at our school for students, staff, and visitors is always our number one priority, no matter what,” Presley said. “Having consistent procedures, excellent communication, practice drills, and having everyone on board are essential for our teachers and assistants to facilitate learning and for students to feel safe and learn in the best environment possible.”

Sherwood Heights Elementary and the Pendleton School District use the I Love U Guys Standard Response Protocol for emergency response; visit https://iloveuguys.org/ for more information.

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SMS Parent-Teacher Conferences Summary

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Recent Parent-Teacher Conferences were a whole new experience at Sunridge Middle School in early March. The two evenings on March 7th and 9th were created to be part conference, part school open house, and part student showcase.

Parents could still make appointments to meet with their student’s teachers, and those meetings occurred in the classroom setting. In addition, multiple interactive activities were set up in other classrooms – parents and their students could experience a virtual Escape Room on computers in math class, and microscopes were set up in science. SMS counselors had prepared presentations about what they have been working on with students, including Character Strong, a curriculum that impacts engagement, belonging, and student well-being. These presentations were set up for the entire conference evenings.

For the showcase part, there were performances by Sunridge band, orchestra and choir groups, as well as completed student projects in the Wood Shop that parents and students could view.

Sunridge also fed those who attended conferences with a free baked potato bar each night.

“Ensuring that students and parents feel welcome in our building is always a priority at Sunridge,” said Principal Piper Kelm. “While the interaction and information between teachers and parents are important at Parent-Teacher conferences, we felt it was a good opportunity to connect with our families and show them what students have been learning.”

Stacy Hansen

PHS Science Teacher, Stacy Hansen

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PHS Science Teacher Brings Renewed Passion to Classroom Through Research Grant

Pendleton High School teacher Stacy Hansen spent a lot of time on a beach last summer, but she wasn’t soaking up the sunshine or playing in the surf; she was studying octopuses and endangered abalones. Hansen is the recipient of a Partners in Science Program Grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. This unique Pacific Northwest program pairs high school science teachers with mentor scientists doing cutting-edge research in an academic lab. The purpose is to “help teachers bring knowledge from the research lab directly into the classroom to promote hands-on science education,” according to the program’s website.

Hansen is working on a Master of Biology degree from Walla Walla University. In the summer of 2022, Hansen worked at the Walla Walla University Rosario Beach Marine Biology Laboratory in Anacortes, Washington. Dr. Kirt Onthank, associate professor of biology at Walla Walla University, is the facility’s director and is also Hansen’s mentor. The purpose of Hansen’s study is to study the impacts of climate change on the predatory/prey relationship between Octopus rubescens and pinto abalone. This species of abalone is the only one present in the state of Washington and has experienced a 97% decline in population since 1992. Octopus rubescens is a commonly seen species in Washington’s Salish Sea. Working on this research project was “a whole big adventure and gave me so much inspiration and renewed passion for science and for teaching science,” Hansen said.

After collecting specimens in the ocean, working in the lab, and taking thousands of hours of video of abalones, Hansen prepared a scientific poster of her research and presented it in January in San Diego, California, at the 2023 Partners in Science National Conference.

At Pendleton High School, Hansen teaches Freshman Physical Science, Sophomore General Biology, and Sophomore Honors Biology 1. What does her recent research bring to her classroom and lab at PHS? In addition to reigniting her passion for science, which she shares with her students, Hansen said she is working to make science instruction more than just vocabulary and create labs that promote critical thinking. “I would like to align my class labs with a more realistic view – many times, experiments scientists work on do not turn out the way they predict. This frustration can be good for students because they have to ask themselves, ‘what could I have done differently?’ and gives them the opportunity to persevere.”

Hansen enjoys seeing her students work together and see how important collaboration is to learning, plus she said more hands-on experiments appeal to a different group of students and diversifies who emerges as leaders during lab work. “The world is in desperate need of people who can solve problems, and that sense of accomplishment is amazing,” Hansen said.

This summer, Hansen will return to Anacortes to continue her research. She will then present, defend and write about her research in San Diego in 2024.

For more information about the Partners in Science Program, visit: https://murdocktrust.org/science-research-and-education/partners-in-science-program/

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Sherwood Students

Sherwood Elementary Celebrates Academic Progress & Plans for Parent-Teacher Conferences

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The months of January, February, and March before Spring Break may seem like a long, cold stretch without many days off, but for schools, that time is golden. This period of time offers the longest uninterrupted time in the school year, making it ideal for focused academic time for teachers and students. And at Sherwood Heights Elementary, they are making the most of it.

“Right now, we are really encouraging students and their parents to prioritize good attendance at school, to eat healthy meals, especially breakfast, and to get enough sleep, all of which make for a productive school day,” said Ronda Smith, Sherwood Principal.

Smith is pleased with recent data at her school that Sherwood Spurs are growing academically. Students recently completed i-Ready testing in math and reading. Comparing initial scores in September with January scores indicates that more students are on or above grade level in both math and reading, and the number of students below grade level in the subjects decreased during that time. “We are really happy with our mid-year check data, and we continue to use strategies to help students keep up the progress,” Smith said.

One strategy parents can help with is attending Parent-Teacher Conferences on the evenings of March 7 and 9. Sherwood encourages parents/guardians to make the most of the 20-minute conferences with teachers and to really focus on their child. At conferences, teachers will discuss a student’s i-Ready scores and academic progress, show samples of their work, and talk about their strengths and areas to work on and their social progress. Smith suggests parents ask these questions at conferences:

  1. What kind of academic progress has my child made since the start of the school year?
  2. How is my child doing socially and while interacting in the classroom?
  3. Is there anything I can do at home to help my child’s education?

Another thing parents can emphasize and work on with their child is “soft school skills,” which Smith explains include regular school attendance, active participation in the classroom, following school rules and teacher instructions, and completing and turning in assignments on time. Smith said these skills translate into middle school, high school, and adulthood, helping a child learn organization, time management, and the ability to focus and complete tasks. “Our goal at Sherwood is to help students grow and ultimately become a contributing part of their community.”

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SMS Principal Advisory

Sunridge Middle School – Principals’ Advisory Council

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School leaders at Sunridge Middle School are trying a new concept this school year to get feedback from their most important stakeholders – their students. The Principals’ Advisory Council is a group of students from all three grades at the school who meet with Principal Piper Kelm and Assistant Principal Jared Tesch. 

School counselors selected the students who participate. They were intentional about choosing students who represent the wide variety of students who attend SMS in order to get many different points of view. 

The Principals’ Advisory Council meets twice a month during lunchtime – one meeting per month is with each grade level, and one is with all three grade levels. Kelm and Tesch ask the students what’s going well at SMS and what could be improved. “What we really want from them is input on the culture and climate of our school, how they feel when they are here,” Principal Kelm said.

The meeting with all the participants – about 27 6th, 7th and 8th graders – is scheduled for about one and a half hours. They start with an icebreaker and then discuss topics. Kelm said in addition to getting school feedback, the Council also is starting to help build relationships between students in different grades, which she hopes makes them more willing to share their thoughts. 

Kelm said as the group dives into their work during the second half of this school year, they will write some tasks and goals on large pieces of paper and start to cross them off as they accomplish them, hopefully eventually hanging them up in The Commons to share will all SMS students. 

If the Principals’ Advisory Council continues next school year, some of the same students could participate. “We really want this group to serve as a diverse representation of students at SMS with an opportunity for student’s voice,” Kelm said.

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Wax Museum

McKay Creek Elementary Wax Museum

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After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, McKay Creek Elementary announces the return of the 4th Grade Wax Museum.

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pajama friday

Washington Elementary Last Fridays Events

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Pajama Friday at Washington Elementary

Who doesn’t love Friday? Well, at Washington Elementary School, staff and students are taking Friday fun to a whole new level.

On the last Friday of each month, everyone is allowed to wear their pajamas to school. That day there is also a monthly Snack Sale organized by the school’s Parent Club. Snacks are donated each month by parent volunteers from a designated grade level. Students are allowed to purchase reasonably priced snacks, and proceeds go to the Parent Club.

“This is a fun, easy way to have a little celebration in our building once a month,” said Principal Coree Terjeson.

And what’s better than eating M&M’s in your pajamas?

pajama friday

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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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