Three schools in the Pendleton School District recently received Native American Families Outreach Grants. The Pendleton Early Learning Center received $10,000, Washington Elementary received $7,000 and Sunridge Middle School received $10,000. The purpose of the grants is to support Native American students in navigating public school systems.

SMS Principal Piper Kelm said the majority of the grant at Sunridge will be used to produce signage in the school that incorporates the Umatilla language. Similar signage is already in place at Washington Elementary School.

Kelm said she believes the new signage will help Native American students to feel seen at their school while offering the opportunity for non-Native students to be exposed to words in a different language that is right next door. “We hope this helps foster a school climate of neighbors together in community and also helps sustain this native language for future generations,” Kelm said.

Pendleton Early Learning Center received $10,000 and is also producing signage incorporating native language.

Washington Elementary received $7,000 and has scheduled a Native American Family Dinner on May 25^th, during which the Pendleton High School food truck will provide dinner. Washington is also planning some other projects.

Pendleton FFA is hosting a Farm Day from 4:30 pm-7:00 pm on May 3rd for our community. Students and kids can travel from station to station to learn about local agriculture and see some livestock animals our students raise throughout the year. There is a $5 entry fee.

We will also be hosting a BBQ fundraiser that will be available for purchase.

The Pendleton School District School Board has selected Mr. Kevin Dinning as the new Principal at Washington Elementary School.

Dinning is currently the Superintendent/Secondary Principal of Ione School District.  Prior to that, he served as Bonners County Middle School Principal in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.  In 2016, he was selected as the Bonners Ferry High School Principal.  In 2015-2016, Dinning served as both an elementary and high school vice-principal in Bonners County School District.

Colleagues describe Dinning as a talented leader who is thoughtful, considerate, and consistent.  He is also described as a “people person” who puts the needs of students, staff, and parents at the forefront of every decision he makes.  Other colleagues who have worked alongside Dinning describe him as a true professional who operates with a high level of integrity.

Dinning earned a bachelor of science in Secondary Education from the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and a master of science degree in Educational Leadership from Concordia University in Portland.

According to Superintendent Kevin Headings, “Mr. Dinning possesses the qualities we were looking for in our next Washington Elementary principal – high integrity, talented leader, student-centered, and a strong communicator.  Finding someone with knowledge and understanding of our region and who is familiar with Pendleton was also important to the selection committee.”

Dinning will replace Coree Terjeson, who resigned effective June 30^th earlier in the year.  Dinning’s contract begins July 1^st.  He and his wife, Heidi, have two elementary school-aged children, Sofie and Henry.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Nashville Covenant School community in Nashville, Tennessee, for their tragic loss last week.