TAPP - Oct 2023

TAPP Dinner at Washington

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Washington Elementary held its first TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) Dinner on Thursday, October 26, 2023.

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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!!!!

EllaMae Looney

Washington Elementary – New Painting by Native American Artist

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August 29, 2023

When students at Washington Elementary School enter the building for their first day of school this week, they will notice a large, new painting hanging in the foyer of their school. The acrylic painting entitled “Generations Shall Never Fade” was created by EllaMae Looney, an artist who lives in Mission. Looney, of the Yakama Nation, attended Washington Elementary from kindergarten through fifth grade and graduated from Nixyaawii Community School in 2018.

The large, colorful painting has deep meaning for Looney. It shows a woman in the center, who Looney said symbolizes missing and murdered Indigenous women. A young girl and boy on either side of the woman represent Indigenous children who were taken away from their families, put into residential schools, and stripped of their cultural identity.

Looney said her time as a student at Washington is full of good memories of awesome teachers and being very excited to put on regalia during the school’s powwow in Native American Heritage Month to show her friends how proud she was of her culture. “I want Indigenous kids and all kids to be proud of who they are. When they see the painting, I want them to see that a Washington student did that, and they can do good things in their life, too,” Looney said.

Stacey Jacobs, Tribal Attendance Family Advocate for the Pendleton School District, is the person who commissioned Looney to create the painting. Funds came from the district’s TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) grant. Jacobs is thrilled that a former Wildcat created the painting and that the Looney family, who have been a large part of Washington Elementary for a long time, have a forever connection to the school. “I don’t expect our students to get the entire meaning of the painting, but it’s a powerful reminder of difficult challenges that Indigenous people historically endured and still face. I hope students can look to the painting by a former student creating art now and think about what they can become,” Jacobs said.

Looney Painting

Kevin Headings

Superintendent Message – August 21, 2023

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August 21, 2023

Dear PSD Parents –

The start of school is only a few days away. This time of year is always exciting, with new classes, new teachers, new faces, and the overall start of a new year.

Our teachers and staff are excited to serve you and your child(ren). The principals are already back at work, along with the secretaries, teachers, and support staff, preparing their buildings, yearly plans, and school functions for the 2023-24 school year.

The safety and security of our district facilities is always our highest priority. We’ve spent a good portion of the summer making sure our emergency plans are highly functional and in place and that our buildings have strong security. Recently, our district safety team attended a regional “Safety Summit” at the Pendleton Convention Center. Our plans, procedures, and security measures are comprehensive, strong, and effective.

After attending this summit, there are several things that are important for you, as parents, to do and not do if there is an emergency/crisis at your child’s school. Please see below.

Do:

  • Go to the district website for the latest information, including where to pick up your child or what to do next.
  • Listen to local radio – 1290 KUMA or 103.5 FM – for information
  • Visit the Pendleton School District Facebook page

Don’t:

  • Call the school or district office, as the phone lines will be needed for the school/district to communicate with 1st responders and emergency personnel.
  • Go to the school – you won’t be able to get in as it will be sectioned off. First responders and emergency personnel need the space to operate.

While we know that in situations like this, stress levels will be high, it is best to be prepared ahead of time.

And now, a few logistics for the new school year. The first day of school for all our students is Tuesday, August 29.   We will have bussing routes and bussing information on our district website the week before school starts. Additionally, we have added 5 minutes to our school day, so please check the website of your child’s school, or call the school for school day start times and end times, along with any other questions you may have.

One more logistic about our school year. 6th and 9th graders will have orientation on Monday, August 28. Kindergarten and 1st graders will have a soft start from August 29-31. Again, please visit the school’s website, or call the school’s office for specific information regarding K-1, 6th, and 9th grade soft start and orientation.

We are excited to see our students and families back in our buildings and looking forward to serving you for the 2023-24 school year.   I wish you a great start to the school!

Sincerely,
Kevin Headings, Superintendent

Summer Lunch Program

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The Summer Lunch Program will be at the PELC from 11:30-12:30 beginning June 19 – August 18, Monday – Thursday (Closed July 4).

Rules of the Summer Lunch Program:
1. Must be 1-18 years of age
2. All food and milk must be consumed in the cafeteria
3. No one over the age of 18 or under the age of 1 can eat or drink any part of the meal
4. Shoes and Shirts must be worn
5. No horseplay

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Pendleton School District
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Phone:  541.276.6711  Fax:  541.278.3208

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