Parent Teacher Conferences

Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences

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Parent/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)

ODS Oct 2023

Outdoor School Transitions from 6th to 5th Grade

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Pendleton 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.

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First Student

First Student Safety Stand-Down Week

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First 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:

  • Perform one task at a time
  • Maintain situational awareness
  • Stop and restart if you miss a step
  • If you are late, stay late
  • Properly adjust your seat & mirrors
  • Look left, look right, look left

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.

First Student

EOA TV logo

Live Broadcast of PHS Football Games

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Exciting 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!!!!

Ronda Smith

Welcome Back from Principal Smith

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August 22, 2023

It is a privilege and honor to serve as the principal at Sherwood Heights Elementary in Pendleton, Oregon.  This is a very special school with a positive culture of inclusiveness and acceptance for all.  Our dedicated staff serves 470 awesome students in the first through fifth grades.  We have four classrooms of each grade, making our school the largest attended elementary school in our district. 

Every Sherwood staff member believes that every child can and will learn. We strive to provide an excellent academic education for all students enabling them to reach their fullest potential.  We respond to the social and emotional needs of all students, making our school a safe environment to learn and grow.  All of our staff have been trained on Conscious Discipline, providing positive support for all students, and having effective responses to students who struggle socially or emotionally. Our caring staff is committed to the development of each child academically, emotionally, socially and physically.  

We value a safe, caring and respectful environment where each person feels like they belong.  Sherwood Heights Elementary is a place where the staff is proud to work, genuinely cares for our students, and is focused on making a difference in the lives of our students every day.

I get excited to come to work every day because of the amazing kids who attend Sherwood, the BEST staff members who work tirelessly to give students the best possible experience at school, and the wonderful families who send their kids to Sherwood, trusting that their education is in good hands.  Sherwood is simply a GREAT place to be!

Sherwood Heights is a great school where every student can be themselves and grow as a learner and a citizen.  The future is in our school, and we sure are proud of them!

Ronda Smith, Principal
Sherwood Heights Elementary

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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.

TITLE IX COORDINATOR: Michelle Jensen, PhD Superintendent | Phone: (541) 276-6711 | Email: Michelle Jensen

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