PHS students have been as busy as Santa’s elves during the month of December with several projects and events!
Adopt A Child
18 youth from the Pendleton area will have a great Christmas thanks to this annual program at the high school. Clubs, sports teams and individual faculty members at PHS adopt a child and purchase gifts and other items for them.
Canned Food Drive
This is a district-wide effort with all PSD schools collecting canned goods/non-perishable foods to donate. The district collected a total of 5,251 food items. Here are the amounts collected per school:
PHS 2,919
Sherwood 683
Washington 682
Sunridge MS 531
McKay 436
This year, PHS’s collection of 2,919 cans was 48 more than last year. Josh Linehan’s Advisory Class won the contest by bringing in 865 cans. His Advisory students were able to “pie” (throw pies at) losing classes that didn’t bring in any cans — Lunny, Haguewood and Speer — at the Christmas Assembly on December 12th.
Little Bucks Day
On December 18th, the very popular annual Little Bucks Day happened at PHS, with 27 children participating. Led by students from PHS Leadership, the children took a school tour, did arts and crafts, played games like Pin the Tail on Rudolph, decorated cookies, went on a scavenger hunt, and more.
Christmas Assembly
All PHS students enjoyed the assembly on December 12th, which included Principal Pat Dutcher pulling a “sled” with Shelby McQuinn, PHS Secretary, as part of the staff team in the Run Rudolph Run competition.
Also, during the Santa’s Wish List portion of the assembly, Santa (Vice Principal Curt Thompson) granted a wish for one of the high school’s foreign exchange students, Blanca, from Spain. Her wish was to be Bucky at a basketball game.
Thank you to PHS Leadership students, staff and others who made all of these service projects and festive events possible. Now, you deserve a long winter’s nap!
PHS Operation Christmas Gifts 2024
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgOperation Christmas was a huge success at PHS this year. The PHS Counseling Office organized gift bags for 53 students. This could not have happened without the generous donations we received from PHS Staff and community members. A special shout out to Wildhorse Resort and Casino, Medical Center Dental, Pendleton Faith Center, Premium Tire and Lube, PEO Chapter CM, and the Knights of Pythias.
The joy and appreciation each student displayed was heartwarming, making all the work that went into it worth every minute. We hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas this year.
Holidays around the Pendleton School District – December 2024
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgPHS December Events
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgPHS students have been as busy as Santa’s elves during the month of December with several projects and events!
Adopt A Child
18 youth from the Pendleton area will have a great Christmas thanks to this annual program at the high school. Clubs, sports teams and individual faculty members at PHS adopt a child and purchase gifts and other items for them.
Canned Food Drive
This is a district-wide effort with all PSD schools collecting canned goods/non-perishable foods to donate. The district collected a total of 5,251 food items. Here are the amounts collected per school:
PHS 2,919
Sherwood 683
Washington 682
Sunridge MS 531
McKay 436
This year, PHS’s collection of 2,919 cans was 48 more than last year. Josh Linehan’s Advisory Class won the contest by bringing in 865 cans. His Advisory students were able to “pie” (throw pies at) losing classes that didn’t bring in any cans — Lunny, Haguewood and Speer — at the Christmas Assembly on December 12th.
Little Bucks Day
On December 18th, the very popular annual Little Bucks Day happened at PHS, with 27 children participating. Led by students from PHS Leadership, the children took a school tour, did arts and crafts, played games like Pin the Tail on Rudolph, decorated cookies, went on a scavenger hunt, and more.
Christmas Assembly
All PHS students enjoyed the assembly on December 12th, which included Principal Pat Dutcher pulling a “sled” with Shelby McQuinn, PHS Secretary, as part of the staff team in the Run Rudolph Run competition.
Also, during the Santa’s Wish List portion of the assembly, Santa (Vice Principal Curt Thompson) granted a wish for one of the high school’s foreign exchange students, Blanca, from Spain. Her wish was to be Bucky at a basketball game.
Thank you to PHS Leadership students, staff and others who made all of these service projects and festive events possible. Now, you deserve a long winter’s nap!
Superintendent Video Message – December 2024
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgWelcome to PSD – Zoe Reeder
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgZoe Reeder
Beginning and Advanced Metals/Agriculture 2/Science Teacher
Pendleton High School & Hawthorne High School
Zoe grew up in the United Kingdom and Rogue River, OR. She has lived in Pendleton for about two years and completed her student teaching at Pendleton High School.
She attended Oregon State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Agriculture Science and her master’s degree in Agriculture Education.
About working in the Pendleton School District, Zoe said, “I am most excited about getting to know the amazing community in and outside of the school district!”
When she has spare time, Zoe likes to fish, play with her dog, and explore new places.
Pendleton High School FFA Program
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgPendleton School District Superintendent Announces Resignation
/in District Site News, News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgPendleton 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.
FACT Oregon in Umatilla County
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgFACT Oregon is coming to Umatilla County October 15-17, 2024.
Pendleton School District is Seeking Applicants for Vacant School Board Position
/in News - District & All Schools /by rthornburgDistrict Seeking Applicants for Vacant School Board Position
Pendleton – Due to a recent vacancy, the Pendleton School District is seeking applicants for Position 3 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 October 30, 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:
Address the following:
Should you have any questions, you may email Patrick Gregg, Board Chair.
PHS Culinary Students Gain Work Experience in 1910 Room
/in District Site News, High Schools News /by rthornburgThe 2024 Pendleton Round-Up is just a memory for most people, but for the culinary students at Pendleton High School, they are carrying their experience into the school year. Every year for the past eight years, students from PHS foods classes volunteer in the 1910 Room, an exclusive venue at the Round-Up Grounds that serves gourmet meals to patrons who pay $300 or more a day.
Kaden Clark, PHS Foods Teacher, explains how it works. The Round-Up Association hires a chef for the 1910 Room; for the first six years, outside chefs were hired, but last year and this year, Clark was the chef hired under a private contract. In addition, PHS students volunteer for the Round-Up in the 1910 Room under Clark’s direction. All of the food preparation is done in the kitchen at P-TECH and the food is served out of the PHS food truck at the grounds. For the use of the kitchen and the food truck, the Round-Up Association makes a $5,000 donation to the PHS foods program.
This year, 38 PHS students volunteered. For four days in a row, Wednesday through Saturday, Clark and his students serve a five-course meal during the rodeo to about 165 to 185 people each day in the 1910 Room. And it’s a lot of work. Clark starts Sunday of Round-Up week, working every day from about 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM through Saturday night. The concept is to offer a dining experience you can’t get anywhere else in Pendleton.
“It’s a really cool experience for the students because they don’t really have many opportunities to see the fine dining aspect,” Clark said.
Clark’s favorite part is the menu creation process because he loves cooking from scratch and creating dishes that are his own. The students rolled over 1200 egg rolls this year for one of the appetizers, which Clark said was a good experience for doing bulk prep, which students don’t get in the high school classroom setting. Clark said he enjoys seeing the kids get excited about what they are creating, like making beignets from scratch or getting to cook scallops, a food many are not familiar with. “It’s really fun to give them an experience they’re not going to have anywhere else, to give them a different outlook on food and to really see into the food industry and different opportunities they could have in it.”
What’s it like to serve in the 1910 Room? Students, attired in black pants and black chef coats, learn the proper way to serve and clear dishes, how to approach customers, how to be respectful, and more. Clark said the PHS students do a great job, and every single day, he gets compliments about the job they have done. Clark said although the students are exhausted at the end of each day, they really enjoy the work. He also points out that even if students don’t want to work in the food industry, having employable skills like showing up on time and completing daily tasks is something that will benefit them in any kind of job they have in the future.