PSD Art Show Recap
Hundreds of Pendleton School District students took field trips to the annual District Art Show on April 9 and 10 to see their own artwork and that of fellow students in the district. The event at the Pendleton Convention Center was also attended by hundreds of district parents, families, and community members.
A wide variety of artwork was on display at the event, from textiles, wooden collages, and painted masks to bird sculptures and paintings.
The show kicked off on Monday, April 8, with an Opening Night celebration that included free books and cookies handed out by Altrusa International of Pendleton.
Abbey Prevot, Art Teacher at Pendleton High School, and John Bradt, Art Teacher at Sunridge Middle School, organized this year’s show. “It’s very exciting to have the show up, and for me, it’s completely new. It’s great to see all K-12 art together. It’s helped our programs make connections with the elementary schools and be able to collaborate on this huge project,” Prevot said.
Bradt said since this is the first year he and Prevot have organized the event, it was a little stressful, but the show turned out great. His favorite part is the variety of the art, even within each classroom where they are doing the same project, but all the pieces look different.
The district thanks the Education Foundation of Pendleton for funding this year’s art show.
District Selects New McKay Creek Elementary School Principal
The Pendleton School District School Board has selected Mrs. Anne Sokoloski as the new Principal at McKay Creek Elementary School.
Sokoloski is currently the Dean of Students at Loma Vista Elementary School in the Hermiston School District. Prior to that, she was a Counselor at Desert View Elementary in Hermiston and a Child Development Specialist at the Pendleton Early Learning Center in Pendleton.
“I am thrilled to return to Pendleton to serve as principal of McKay Creek Elementary,” Sokoloski said. “The past two years as Dean of Students at Loma Vista in Hermiston have been invaluable in helping me grow as a leader. The Hermiston School District, colleagues, students, and families have played a pivotal role in my career, and I appreciate their support and collaboration.”
Sokoloski earned a bachelor of science in Speech Communication from Oregon State University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Eastern Oregon University. She received her Professional Administrator Licensure from Lewis and Clark College in 2019.
According to Superintendent Kevin Headings, “Mrs. Sokoloski possesses the qualities we are looking for in our next McKay Elementary principal. She’s a skilled leader, student-centered and a strong communicator. Finding someone with knowledge and understanding of our region and who is familiar with Pendleton is an added bonus.”
Sokoloski will replace the outgoing principal, Sherri Kilgore. Sokoloski’s contract begins on July 1, 2024.
Author Gary Hogg Visits Washington Elementary School
On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, all of the students at Washington Elementary School got to spend time with an author in their school. Gary Hogg, author of the Spencer’s Adventures and Charlie Bacon books series, plus other books for young readers, visited the school thanks to funds from Altrusa International of Pendleton and the Parent Club at Washington.
Hogg started the all-school assembly by relating a story of him and his children encountering spider monkeys in the jungle on a family trip. His descriptions of a monkey jumping in the car and several of his children trying to get the monkey out of the car had Washington Wildcats engaged and laughing. Hogg explained that everyone has stories to tell. “You have a voice in the world, and the world needs your author’s voice,” Hogg told the students.
When he was in elementary school, Hogg told jokes to his fourth-grade teacher, who finally encouraged Hogg to turn those jokes into stories into books that would be read worldwide. And that’s what Hogg has done. He encouraged students to listen to their teachers, who are working hard for students and whose “superpower is hearts that hold hope for all of their students.”
After the school-wide assembly, Hogg conducted workshops in the school library with each grade level. During the fifth grade, the author outlined a few strategies for effective writing:
- Use fancy colors
- Use interesting size descriptions
- Put names on things
- Describe places
- Be a detail detective
Students then worked on writing personal narratives. One last piece of advice from Hogg was, “Remember, there is only one you in the world. When you write, to be powerful, you have to be original.”
Gary Hogg grew up in Burley, Idaho, with a mom who loved to read and a dad who loved horses. He is the author of 26 books and has visited more than 3,700 schools. Learn more about him at garyhoggbooks.com
Families Gather at Holiday TAPP Dinner
Families Gather at Holiday TAPP Dinner
Washington Elementary School hosted families for some holiday fun at the December TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) Dinner on Thursday, December 14, 2023. TAPP is a program focused on supporting the attendance of Native students in nine Oregon school districts. Pendleton School District is one of those districts.
About 250 people enjoyed dinner from Mazatlan Mexican Restaurant and had the chance to visit Santa and get a photo with him. Families were encouraged to take home ornament-making kits, and every student received a free movie pass and concessions from Wildhorse Cineplex. There was a candy jar guessing game and raffles for five chances each to win Safeway gift cards or Arrowhead Travel Plaza gas cards. Families were serenaded with holiday music by Mrs. Dinkel playing a present wrapped piano.
Stacey Jacobs is the TAPP Family Advocate for the Pendleton School District. “We were really happy about the turnout for our Holiday Dinner. It’s always a fun event to celebrate the season with our families.” Jacobs organizes three dinners each school year with the intention of fostering connection between Native students/families and the school and helping adults feel comfortable in the school.
Forest Service Visits 4th Grade at Washington Elementary
Fourth Graders Enjoy Visit from U.S. Forest Service
Washington Elementary School’s fourth grade students learned about the U.S. Forest Service and had a special guest in their classrooms on December 8, 2023. Two Northwest Youth Corps interns, Bailey Langley and Fabian Spencer, visited the school and talked about the U.S. Forest Service and the Umatilla National Forest.
The two were there to promote the Every Kid Outdoors program, which provides free access to national forests to every fourth grader in the United States.
First, Langley and Spencer talked about where the Umatilla National Forest in eastern Oregon is and asked students what they could do when visiting the forest. Answers ranged from camping, playing, and fishing to making tree forts and taking a sleigh ride.
Students then participated in a group activity about the ten essentials a person should carry in their backpack when exploring a forest. Through a group effort, the students decided which items were most important, things like a flashlight, matches, map and compass, clothing, and food. They were correct in choosing eight of the ten crucial items, which Spencer said was really good.
Langley then read the students the true story of Smokey Bear, the bear cub rescued from a wildfire in New Mexico in 1950. And then the real Smokey Bear walked into the classroom to the delight of the students! After some high-fives and a couple of photos, Smokey left to get back to his important forest work.
Washington Elementary fourth grade teachers thank the Umatilla National Forest for visiting and leading the lesson.
New Faces in Pendleton SD – Trisha Bunker
The Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
New Faces in Pendleton SD – Janice Zaugg
The Pendleton School District is happy to feature new PSD teachers.
1st Grade Pumpkin Patch at Washington
First graders at Washington Elementary were treated to their own Pumpkin Patch at their school on Friday, October 27, 2023. Pendleton Walmart donated pumpkins to all the first graders, which is four classes of about 80 total students. The pumpkins were set out in the grassy field behind the school.
On that day, first grade teachers told their students they were going on a “walking field trip,” but they didn’t reveal why. The students walked through the school’s front doors and around the building to be greeted by pumpkins just for them.
Makenna Watkins, First Grade Teacher, said when the students arrived in the area, they stood in a big circle and were told what the expectations of the event were. Then on the signal word of “Pumpkin!” they went to choose their own pumpkin to take home at the end of the day. Photos of each class were taken, too.
“The students had such a great time, and they are still talking about it!” Watkins said. She also shared that although students were encouraged to choose a pumpkin they could actually carry themselves, there were still a few who struggled with very large pumpkins.
With the extra pumpkins from the day, the students are going to do some pumpkin investigations, like counting the seeds from the pumpkins, seeing if the seeds float or sink, and tasting pumpkin puree.
Washington Elementary thanks Pendleton Walmart for their generous donation of the pumpkins.
Monday Mugs in 4th Grade at Washington
Mondays are sometimes hard, so what if someone told you to take 30 minutes every Monday, have a hot beverage, and read a book? Well, for fourth graders at Washington Elementary, that is exactly what is happening.
The fourth-grade teaching team at the school started Monday Mugs at the beginning of October. After lunch, fourth graders return to their classroom, get their mug of hot chocolate, tea, or apple cider, and quietly read a book from 12:30 to 1:00 PM. According to teacher Hunter Erwin, the intention of the time is to inspire a love of reading in students. “The students can read whatever they choose, and that’s part of the beauty of this time is to embrace the sheer joy of reading,” Erwin said.
The idea for Monday Mugs came from teacher Josh McGraw, who enjoyed the activity when he was in fourth grade at McKay Creek Elementary.
Once a month, fourth graders are allowed to have a family member or loved one join them for Monday Mugs so they can read a book together.
Keep reading, Washington Wildcats!
