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2023-24 State Assessment Results

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The Pendleton School District has received the 2023-2024 state assessment results from the Oregon Department of Education.  The Statewide Assessment System (SBAC) includes summative assessments administered annually, as required by the State and Federal Departments of Education.  These assessments are given to students in grades 3 – 8 and 11 in the areas of math, language arts and science.

Scores improved from the previous year in 9 of the 17 areas tested, specifically in the following grades and subjects: grade 3 math, grade 3 language arts, grade 4 math, grade 4 language arts, grade 7 math, grade 8 language arts, grade 11 science, grade 11 math and grade 11 language arts.

The highest gains are in grade 11 language arts with a 19.9% increase in the number of students meeting the achievement standards, grade 8 language arts with an 11.6% increase and grade 7 math with an 11.8% increase.

The areas where test results dropped by 5% or more were grade 5 science, grade 5 math, grade 5 language arts, and grade 6 math.

PSD administrators, teachers and staff continually work toward academic improvement and success for all students in all areas.  The district will dive deeper into the test results in the coming weeks to identify specific areas which may need a more focused effort.

“Although we’d like to see improvement and growth in all areas, we are encouraged by these preliminary results.  These improvements in nine areas, some very significant, validates all the hard work our staff do each day to educate every student, every day.” -Kevin Headings, Superintendent

“We appreciate the support from families and students who participate in these assessments.  The results of these assessments provide feedback to our teachers and administrators to help identify where our greatest needs are.” – Matt Yoshioka, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Detailed state, district and school results may be found at: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/educator-resources/assessment/Pages/Assessment-Group-Reports.aspx

PHS Araya Library

PHS Student Loves New Library Volunteer Job

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Araya is a Transition Student at Pendleton High School who recently started volunteering at her dream job. She volunteers once a week at the Pendleton Public Library, something she has been training to do for a long time.

Araya uses a self-driven, powered wheelchair and has the functional use of one hand. Several years ago, she started volunteering as a Teacher’s Assistant in the Pendleton High School Library. Jami Niord, Library/Media Specialist at PHS, trained Araya to complete various jobs in the library. Araya often said, “I want to be a librarian when I grow up.”

When she applied for the public library volunteer position, Araya’s application included a “resume” of skills she had learned in the PHS library, including locating bar codes and checking books in and out, shelving, cleaning and sanitizing various areas, and straightening up chairs and tables. In her new job, Araya independently checks books and DVDs into the public library and places them on a rack to be shelved later.

Coree Terjeson, PHS Special Education Teacher, said the years of experience in the school library guided by the PHS media specialist and Paraprofessionals helped Araya flawlessly step into her new role. “Araya’s disabilities do not conquer her; instead, they fuel her determination. Everyone knows and loves Araya for who she is. She is turning her passion for books into invaluable job skills, and her journey is a testament to the power of opportunity,” Terjeson said.

PHS Paraprofessional Peggy Ruiz has worked closely with Araya for several years and said that Araya is very proud of herself for having an “adult” job since she is a PHS graduate. Ruiz said that often, when learning something new, Araya needs repetition to remember; when she says, “I can’t do it,” Ruiz replies with, “You can figure it out because you are what”? Then Araya replies with, “I am smart, and I am capable.” Ruiz said, “She has definitely learned she is both of those things.”

PHS Araya Library PHS Araya Library PHS Araya Library

Immunization Clinic and Well Child Visits

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The Student Based Health Clinic is holding well child visits and immunization clinics at the Pendleton Early Learning Center.  This is available to all PSD students with no cost to families.

October 14, 2024
November 18, 2024
December 9, 2024
January 27, 2025

Services offered :
Well Child Exams
Vision Screening
Immunizations
Referrals as needed

Please call ahead to make an appointment at 541-966-3857 or 541-966-3432

Pat Dutcher

PHS – Cellphones to be ‘Bell to bell, no cell’

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An article from the East Oregonian regarding cell phones at Pendleton High School starting August 27, 2024.

Pendleton High cellphones to be ‘Bell to bell, no cell’

 

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District Seeking Applicants for Vacant School Board Position

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District Seeking Applicants for Vacant School Board Position

Due to a recent vacancy, the Pendleton School District is seeking applicants for Position 6 on the Pendleton School Board; 3 years remain on this term. Applicants must be legally registered voters who currently reside and will have resided within the district boundaries for one year immediately before the appointment.

Please submit applications no later than July 15, 2024, to the Pendleton School District Office at 107 NW 10th Street, or they may be emailed to Ronda Thornburg – Board Secretary

Application letters should include:

  • Full Name
  • Physical Residence Address
  • Phone Number
  • Email address, and…

Address the following:

  1. Why you would like to serve on the School Board?
  2. A list of prior involvement in district activities.
  3. A description of your understanding of the role of an effective board member.

Should you have any questions, you may contact the board chair, Beth Harrison.

Keri Kubesh

Washington Elementary Intern Spotlight – Keri Kubesh

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Washington Elementary School would like to thank and acknowledge Keri Kubesh, who was an intern working on her Master of Social Work (MSW) degree at the school during the 23-24 school year.

Kubesh worked closely with Maria Davis, Child Development Specialist, and Jaime Larsen, Behavior Specialist, at the school, as well as with Principal Kevin Dinning and Assistant Principal Heidi Paullus.

Kubesh did job shadowing, ran student groups focusing on Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and responded to crisis calls. She said she loved the staff at Washington and that everyone was helpful and really supportive. She is grateful for the opportunity and for the school administrators.

What was one challenge? Kubesh said trying to make the SEL student groups engaging for different students, especially those who have trouble paying attention, was sometimes difficult.

However, Kubesh said, “I’ve always worked with kids, and I just love it.”

Keri Kubesh

 

Pat Dutcher

PHS End of Year Message

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An End-of-Year Message from Principal Dutcher.

 

Rachael Olson

Washington Elementary Intern Spotlight – Rachael Olson

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Washington Elementary School would like to thank and acknowledge Rachael Olson, who was an Administrative Intern at the school during the 23-24 school year.

Olson, who works for InterMountain ESD, was a Special Education Instructional Coach at Washington this year, providing instructional support for two new teachers at the school. In addition, Olson was an intern obtaining hours toward earning her Administrative License through COSA (Coalition of Oregon School Administrators) and the University of Oregon.

She worked with Principal Kevin Dinning and Assistant Principal Heidi Paullus, doing job shadowing, observing meetings, and more.

Olson said the intern experience has been amazing and exceeded her expectations. She said she wasn’t sure how she would feel about someday being a school administrator, but she has grown to love it. “I could see myself doing this in the future. I really like being in a building, and I love seeing the little faces of the students.”

What was surprising to Olson was the amount of steps an administrator gets walking around in a day. She said you are never really sitting at a desk.

Rachael Olson

SMS 5th Grade Night

Sunridge Middle School – 5th Grade Night

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On Tuesday evening, May 21, 2024, Sunridge Middle School staff was on a mission to get fifth grade students and their families excited about middle school! The school hosted the 5th Grade Night to introduce fifth grade students from the district’s three elementary schools to Sunridge, where they will attend sixth grade in the 24-25 school year.

The event got off to a great start, with families enjoying hamburgers served by SMS Leadership students. Then, Principal Piper Kelm introduced all of the sixth-grade teachers and went through a short slideshow to discuss what sixth grade is like. She reiterated that some things are the same in middle school, like math, language arts, and science, but some things are different because students go to separate classrooms for each one. Other points Kelm made were the school’s No Cell Phone Use policy for students during the school day and three-minute passing times to get to your next class.

Principal Kelm also mentioned that sports are available, more food choices at lunch, the importance of regular attendance, and the social-emotional learning and supports that Sunridge Middle School has in place for students.

A couple of students from SMS Leadership talked about fun school spirit/dress-up days, Friday reward activities, and student Activity Nights that occur throughout the year. “You will want to get involved in these activities here!” they said.

After the presentation, fifth graders and their parents toured the sixth-grade hallway and classrooms, met teachers, and asked questions.

Principal Kelm said that 5th Grade Night is always a positive time to showcase SMS and connect with fifth grade students and parents. “We want them to feel comfortable when they arrive at Sunridge in August, and introducing them to our building and teachers now helps in that process,” Kelm said.

Currently, the Pendleton School District has 238 incoming fifth graders to the middle school in the fall.

SMS 5th Grade Night SMS 5th Grade Night SMS 5th Grade Night SMS 5th Grade Night SMS 5th Grade Night

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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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