CONGRATULATIONS to the Pendleton School District 2025 Crystal Apple Award Winners!

Nicole Kuza – Lead Secretary at Sunridge Middle School
Jess Cooper – Science Teacher at Pendleton High School
Emma Sims – Paraprofessional at Sunridge Middle School
Carol Aldrich – Title I Teacher at the Pendleton Early Learning Center

The Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) celebrated 10 years of teaching kindergartners on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

In the 2015-2016 school year, the Pendleton School District embarked upon a new, exciting venture by opening the PELC. The new school, created by totally remodeling the old Hawthorne building, houses all the district’s kindergartners in one building.

Several teachers and staff members who worked at the PELC in the first year were at the school to celebrate the 10th anniversary. A group of them chatted in the school’s library, remembering what it was like to start working in the new building in fall 2015, which also marked the first year of all-day kindergarten at PSD.

They said they had to start from ground zero with every procedure, like where to line up, how to take kids to lunch, all the recess rules, everything. They commented that procedures changed a lot in that first year as they adapted to the space and to having 200 five-year-olds in one school.

“Over the next couple of years, we changed things and found better ways to do things,” said Jan Levy, former Kindergarten Teacher.

Some of the teachers who started at the PELC came from elementary schools that had only one kindergarten teacher, so the new school provided opportunities to collaborate with other kindergarten teachers. “One of the best parts about the PELC is that because it’s an all kindergarten school, you have teachers who all teach the same level and their resources so that you can figure things out much quicker,” said Brian Zimmerman, who started teaching the first year and is still teaching at the PELC.

Mireya Wolf, Paraprofessional, was there for the first year and still works there. She said that in the first year, everyone was nervous but also excited about the beautiful, colorful building. She said she loves coming to work at the PELC every day, and her favorite part is seeing the kids.

Lori Curtis, Lead Secretary, has welcomed students and families to the school for 10 years. She remembers the first year was all about working out the kinks of a new school building, and the decade since then has gone by so fast. Curtis loves the concept of the PELC and said, “It’s amazing having all the kindergartners in one location, and it’s fun having Head Start and IMESD preschool here and getting to know those families before the kids become kindergartners.”

Pendleton School District Superintendent Kevin Headings thanked the visionary administrators who established the PELC, which is considered a unique early learning center on the West Coast. “Until today, I didn’t realize how many staff who started here 10 years ago are still here, and that says something about the PELC, its culture, and what you all have created. The district is very proud of this school. Thank you to the PELC staff for doing what you do for the youngest learners in our district, it’s much appreciated,” Headings said.

PELC teachers and staff who started the first year and are still working there are: Donna Bostwick, Lori Curtis, Rachele Johnson, Shawndine Jones, Madelyn Naughton, Tracey Perkes, Mireya Wolf, Shellie Wyss, and Brian Zimmerman.