Sherwood Heights Elementary Principal Ronda Smith is thankful for several things this November, but one of the biggest is late-start Mondays in the district. With that time on Monday mornings, Sherwood teachers and paraprofessionals are participating in robust Professional Development that is supporting strong teaching and learning.
“I really want to share with the public how powerful our PLCs on Monday mornings are and how grateful we are for this dedicated time to work on important instructional strategies,” Smith said.
PLC stands for Professional Learning Community, which is a grade-level team that works collaboratively to achieve better results for the students they teach. PLCs operate on the premise that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.
On some Monday mornings, Sherwood has all-staff meetings, which include 10 minutes of instructional strategies that can be used by all staff in the building. These focus on topics like learning targets or guiding student discussion in the classroom. On other Mondays, PLCs meet to discuss curriculum, and sometimes all grade-level teachers from different schools gather to collaborate.
In addition to Monday mornings, on Tuesday through Friday, all of Sherwood’s paraprofessionals engage in 15 minutes of Brain Smart Start activities led by Jolene Hudson, Intervention Specialist. These activities use current brain research methods and strategies to support students who are struggling with behavior that may impede learning. “The learning that happens in these morning sessions is so targeted and specific that our paraprofessionals walk out of the room and use it,” Principal Smith said.
Cami Carlisle, Paraprofessional at Sherwood, said the Brain Smart Starts have helped her this year. She has been using the Q-TIP motto, “quit taking it personally,” which has helped her manage difficult interactions with students. “I have learned to take a breath, step back, and get back to the executive brain function in myself to help the student who is in survival brain mode,” Carlisle said.
Reminders about the strategies they are using are posted in the Staff Room. The entire staff also works on being connected as a team, like sharing wishes and shout outs on bulletin boards.
Using Monday Late-Starts for Effective Professional Development
/in District Site News, Sherwood School News /by rthornburgSherwood Heights Elementary Principal Ronda Smith is thankful for several things this November, but one of the biggest is late-start Mondays in the district. With that time on Monday mornings, Sherwood teachers and paraprofessionals are participating in robust Professional Development that is supporting strong teaching and learning.
“I really want to share with the public how powerful our PLCs on Monday mornings are and how grateful we are for this dedicated time to work on important instructional strategies,” Smith said.
PLC stands for Professional Learning Community, which is a grade-level team that works collaboratively to achieve better results for the students they teach. PLCs operate on the premise that the key to improved learning for students is continuous job-embedded learning for educators.
On some Monday mornings, Sherwood has all-staff meetings, which include 10 minutes of instructional strategies that can be used by all staff in the building. These focus on topics like learning targets or guiding student discussion in the classroom. On other Mondays, PLCs meet to discuss curriculum, and sometimes all grade-level teachers from different schools gather to collaborate.
In addition to Monday mornings, on Tuesday through Friday, all of Sherwood’s paraprofessionals engage in 15 minutes of Brain Smart Start activities led by Jolene Hudson, Intervention Specialist. These activities use current brain research methods and strategies to support students who are struggling with behavior that may impede learning. “The learning that happens in these morning sessions is so targeted and specific that our paraprofessionals walk out of the room and use it,” Principal Smith said.
Cami Carlisle, Paraprofessional at Sherwood, said the Brain Smart Starts have helped her this year. She has been using the Q-TIP motto, “quit taking it personally,” which has helped her manage difficult interactions with students. “I have learned to take a breath, step back, and get back to the executive brain function in myself to help the student who is in survival brain mode,” Carlisle said.
Reminders about the strategies they are using are posted in the Staff Room. The entire staff also works on being connected as a team, like sharing wishes and shout outs on bulletin boards.
Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgParent/Teacher conferences will be held on November 20 & 21, 2023. Please contact your student’s school if you have questions.
K-5
Monday, Nov 20: 4 – 8 pm
Tuesday, Nov 21: 7:30 am – 7:00 pm
SMS
Monday, Nov 20: 4 – 8 pm
Tuesday, Nov 21: 7:30 am – 1 pm, 2 – 7 pm
PHS
Monday, Nov 20: 4 – 8 pm (commons)
Tuesday, Nov 21: 7:30 am – 1 pm (virtual), 2 – 4 pm (virtual), 4 – 7 pm (commons)
Outdoor School Transitions from 6th to 5th Grade
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgPendleton School District’s Outdoor School (ODS) program recently encountered a big change. This is the last year that sixth graders from Sunridge Middle School will attend ODS. For several weeks last month (October), this year’s sixth graders attended the program. While ODS is usually run in the spring, the middle school had sixth graders attend this fall, as all fifth graders in the district will be attending in Spring 2024.
The district transition from having all fifth graders attend this traditional program instead of sixth graders was done for various reasons. The spring schedule conflicted with the testing schedule for sixth graders at SMS; also, many substitute teachers were needed for long periods of time.
The same curriculum and model, where students rotate to different stations around the outdoor camp, will be used for the fifth-grade Outdoor School program.
“Our sixth graders had a great time this fall at Outdoor School. We are excited to continue the program since it is a longstanding tradition for PSD, and we know our fifth graders will really enjoy the experience,” said John Summerfield, SMS Social Studies Teacher and ODS Coordinator.
Pendleton School District’s Outdoor School has been running for 52 years. It is held at the U.S. Forest Service’s Buck Creek Cabins/Corporation facility on the Umatilla National Forest, on the banks of the Umatilla River. Students are bused to the site every day and spend the day in field studies to learn about natural habitats and outdoor skills. The field studies are taught by federal, state, and local natural resource employees and volunteers from the region.
New Faces in Pendleton SD – Dianna Dowell
/in District Site News, Sherwood School News /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
New Faces in Pendleton SD – Deb Airoldi
/in District Site News, Sherwood School News /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
First Student Safety Stand-Down Week
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgFirst Student, LLC., the transportation company Pendleton School District contracts with to bus students, is increasing its focus on safety with a Safety Stand-Down Week from October 25-31. This is a special event in which company leaders pause to talk directly to employees about safety and provide education and training on specific safety topics.
According to materials from First Student, the company is having the event because “we have a responsibility to learn from recent safety incidents and ensure they do not happen again by reinforcing fundamental safety principles.”
Stand-Down Week will focus on three key areas: Manage Distractions, Focus on the Task at Hand, and Apply Your Training. Some of the safety practices being re-emphasized for bus drivers are:
According to Patrick Phillips, Location Manager for First Student, the Pendleton location employees will be able to sign Safety Pledges, watch reminder videos, and get daily reminder posts during the event. First Student will also be running special safety radio messages. “The Safety Stand-Down is an opportunity for our company to reiterate to employees to get back to the basics of safety,” Phillips said.
Matt Yoshioka, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment at Pendleton School District, said the district is pleased that First Student has organized Stand-Down Week to re-focus on safety. “Student safety while being transported to and from school is a top priority for First Student and our district, just as keeping students safe at school is,” Yoshioka said.
New Faces in Pendleton SD – Crystal Umbarger
/in District Site News, Sherwood School News /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
New Faces in Pendleton SD – Cambree Shields
/in District Site News, Sherwood School News /by rthornburgThe Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
Superintendent Video Message – September 29, 2023
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgStart of the 2023-24 School Year
Live Broadcast of PHS Football Games
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgExciting news for PHS football! EOA Network will be broadcasting PHS football games this year, and they are starting tonight, September 1, 2023. You can stream the games on the following platforms:
EOAlive.TV
https://www.facebook.com/EOAliveTV
https://www.youtube.com/eoalivetv
GO BUCKS!!!!