Thank You School Board Jan 2025

School Board Recognition Month – January 2025

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January 2025 is School Board Appreciation Month.  Thank you for your hard work and continued service to the Pendleton School District.

Thank You School Board Jan 2025

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Online Survey to Provide Input

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If you were unable to attend the open forum (January 13, 2025, at 7:00 pm in the PHS Auditorium) with the consultants from McPherson & Jacobson, L.L.C., Executive Recruitment, and Development, who were selected to assist the Pendleton School District in the important task of selecting superintendent candidates for the board to interview, you may provide input using the online survey link provided.

The five-question survey, available in English and Spanish, will be open for participation from Monday, January 13, through Monday, January 20, 2025.

https://survey.k12insight.com/r/Pendleton2025

Meghan Hoyt

Welcome to PSD – Meghan Hoyt

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Meghan Hoyt
Kindergarten Teacher
Pendleton Early Learning Center

Meghan grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and western Washington. She moved to Pendleton this past summer.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Central Washington University and her master’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis on social and emotional learning from The University of Washington.

About working in the Pendleton School District, Meghan said, “I am so excited to connect with all of my students; I am looking forward to seeing their growth once spring comes. I enjoyed my initial teacher training through PSD. They inspired so many ideas that I look forward to implementing in the classroom, from academics to classroom management.”

When she has free time, Meghan said, “I am a new mom, so spending time with my daughter is my absolute favorite thing to do. We also love camping, hiking, and fishing.”

Meghan Hoyt

Kevin Headings

Pendleton School District Superintendent Announces Resignation

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Pendleton School District Superintendent Kevin Headings announced he will not look to extend his contract past the 24-25 school year and will resign effective June 30, 2025. Headings was hired as Superintendent of Pendleton School District in April of 2022. He signed a three-year contract through June 2025.

Headings said upon being hired, he was thrilled with this new chapter in his life and excited about the opportunity to lead Pendleton School District as superintendent. Headings said he’s pleased with what’s been accomplished during his time as superintendent and positive with the direction the school district is headed.

However, while Headings said he was excited with the new opportunity and the progress of the district overall, he realized over time that his heart is still in working as a building principal. “I’m pleased with our work around improving instruction and making our buildings safe for our students and staff and I’m confident with the direction the district is headed. I look forward to finishing out the year strong.” Headings said, “But I’ve realized, over the past year and a half or so, that my heart just isn’t in it. I kept thinking it would change, but it really hasn’t.  I’ve been a principal in several different districts and superintendent in two. Working as a building principal with daily interactions with teachers, staff, students and parents is truly where my heart and passion are,” Headings said.

Headings said he is grateful for his time in Pendleton and for the opportunity the Pendleton School District afforded me. He has enjoyed getting to know the people of Pendleton, working with the various staff in the district, and working with the school board, he said.

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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

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

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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.

PELC Fish Hatchery

Salmon Hatchery Field Trip for PELC Students

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In early April, all of the kindergartners at the Pendleton Early Learning Center went on a field trip to the CTUIR’s salmon hatchery facility.

As the district’s young learners made their way around the facility, they got to see and touch coho and steelhead salmon, feed the fish, and examine a lamprey.

Easton Powaukee, a Technician III at the fisheries site, said he is always happy to see students visit. “To have the kids see the different types of salmon in the rivers they live near is good and to experience the involvement of the schools with the tribe is positive,” Powaukee said.

The facility houses about 660,000 fish at this time of year and is part of the large effort to increase the number of salmon in the region’s waterways.

Squeals of surprise and excitement could be heard at all the stations, especially from those who held the lamprey. Lamprey technician Kanim Moses-Conner said he loves to see the reaction of the students when they see the lamprey’s teeth, which some see as scary. “Most of the students have never seen a lamprey, so I want them to have a memorable experience here, to be introduced to the lamprey and be able to pass on their knowledge,” Moses-Conner said.

The PELC thanks those who helped with the field trips:

Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities Staff:
Iron Cody
Tysen Minthorn
Shaun Montgomery
Easton Powaukee

Lamprey Project:
Aaron Jackson
Kanim Moses-Conner
Paul Sheoships
Jerrid Weaskus

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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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