Pender County Schools -

🚍 We know the first day of the three-tier schedule brought some challenges, while we continue to work to make improvements there is a free tool that can be helpful for families - the Here Comes the Bus app.

With this free app, parents can:
✅ See their child’s bus location on a map
✅ Get alerts when the bus is near your stop or school
✅ Gain peace of mind with notifications when the bus arrives in your area

The good news is that traffic flow improved by 30 minutes in some areas after adjustments from day one. While we continue to make changes, the Here Comes the Bus app can provide extra confidence and convenience for families.

👷‍♂️🔨 Hands-On Learning at Its Best! 🔨👷‍♂️ Meet Mr. Mark Munroe, one of our outstanding PCS CTE teachers, guiding students in Core Construction and Safety in Carpentry. His classroom is more than tools and wood—it’s a place where real-world skills meet academics. Students are not only learning how to measure, cut, and build, but also applying math concepts like fractions and geometry and English skills like reading technical instructions and writing reflections. 📐✏️📚 This is what Career & Technical Education is all about—connecting the classroom to future careers while keeping learning engaging, relevant, and hands-on! 💪 #OnePender #PCSProud #CTEWorks #HandsOnLearning

🚨🤩 Pender County Schools is officially going CRAZY for CTE! 🚨🤩 This first week back, our classrooms are buzzing with energy, excitement, and hands-on learning. From culinary creations 🍴, drone flying ✈️, and CPR skills 🫀, to 3D modeling 💻, interest surveys on career pathways 🎯, and JROTC Raider practice 💪—our students are diving headfirst into opportunities that prepare them to be enrolled, enlisted, or employed after graduation. This week, it’s all about raising awareness for the power of CTE, and trust us—you’re going to want to see what our students and teachers are up to! 🎥📸 Check out the video and photos below to see just how CRAZY we’re going for CTE in Pender County Schools! CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO: https://youtube.com/shorts/YlENQpynmfY?si=TCz9HcF0xxZsdJQg #CrazyForCTE #CTEWorks #OnePender #CareerReady

Weekly PCS Newsletter - https://bit.ly/4lQ7PFg Have a GREAT Weekend!

🌼 HTHS FFA Fall Mum Sale – Pre-Orders Now Open! 🌼

HTHS FFA is excited to announce that our Fall Mum Sale is now open for pre-orders! 🎉 We have a limited supply this year, so be sure to get your order in by September 11th.

✨ Details:
🌸 6 beautiful colors, 2 sizes
💲 $12 or $24 each (depending on size)
📍 Pick-up: Heide Trask High School Greenhouse
📅 Pick-up Dates: September 22 – October 3
(Exact delivery date will be confirmed by Johnson Nursery after our order is placed on September 12.)

Thank you for supporting HTHS FFA! 💛

📧 To place your order, contact:

Mrs. Rogowiecka – joanna_rogowiecka@pender.k12.nc.us
(Room 310)

Mr. Mitchell – mcarthur_mitchell@pender.k12.nc.us
(Room 221)

🚀🔥 PCS CTE is off to an incredible start! 🔥🚀 It’s only been 3 days and our CTE courses are already in full swing! From get-to-know-you activities to 3D modeling & animation projects, our classrooms are buzzing with energy. Students are practicing knife & cutting skills, diving into CPR training, exploring future pathways with NCCareers interest surveys, and learning about opportunities in FFA. Our JROTC Raiders are already training hard, bulletin boards are popping with creativity, and engagement is at an all-time high. 💡🙌 A huge shoutout to our CTE teachers who are absolutely killing it 👏👏 and to our students who are jumping right in. If this is just the beginning… we can only imagine how amazing this school year is going to be! 💯✨ #OnePender #CTEWorks #CommittedtotheCommitment

🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨

Heide Trask High School is looking for a passionate and dynamic Food & Nutrition Teacher to join our CTE team! 🍳🥗🍎

Do you love teaching students real-world skills they can use every day? Do you enjoy sparking curiosity about healthy living, cooking, and nutrition? This is your chance to make a lasting impact while inspiring the next generation of chefs, health professionals, and food lovers!

✨ Why Join Us?
✅ Supportive school community
✅ State-of-the-art CTE programs
✅ Opportunity to grow future leaders in nutrition & wellness

📍 Location: Heide Trask High School, Rocky Point, NC
📚 Course Area: Food & Nutrition

If you’re ready to combine your passion for food with the power of education, apply today and be part of something special at Trask!

👉 Apply Here: https://www.applitrack.com/pender/onlineapp/
Contact: Dominique Bates: dominique_bates@pender.k12.nc.us

#PCSCTE #HeideTraskHighSchool #TeachingOpportunity #CTECareers #FoodAndNutrition

📅 It may be early in the school year, but it’s never too early to plan ahead!

If you have a 7th or 8th grade student who may be interested in dual enrollment opportunities, now is the perfect time to learn more.

🌟 Dual enrollment through Cape Fear Community College gives eligible students the chance to:
✅ Take college-level courses while in high school
✅ Get a tuition-free head start on college education
✅ Transition seamlessly from high school to college

Families can ask questions and get details about:
🎓 College Accelerated Program
🎓 Pender Early College High School
🎓 Career & College Promise

👉 Don’t miss these opportunities to start planning your student’s future!

WELCOME BACK!!! 1st day is off to a great start at Surf City Elementary.

✏️📚 With just a few days before the start of the new school year, Communities In Schools (CIS) Cape Fear has delivered supplies collected through their Stuff the Bus campaign to schools across Pender County 🚌 These donations ensure that every student can start the year ready to learn and succeed - just reach out to the CIS Student Support Specialist at your school 🏫We are grateful for the generosity of our community partners and supporters who made this possible. 💙💛

🌟 Pender County Schools is proud to host opportunities that bring our community together. Special Olympics Pender County is leading a Community Partnership Meeting to connect with local organizations, businesses, and individuals who want to make a difference.

📅 Wednesday, September 10
🕔 5:30 – 7:00 PM
📍 Heidi Trask High School Media Center
14328 NC Hwy 210, Rocky Point, NC 28457

This is your chance to learn more about upcoming opportunities and how you can be part of something truly impactful for our students and community.

👉 To RSVP, contact Antonella Waddill at (919) 862-6968 or awaddill@sonc.net
.
Together, we can create lasting opportunities for all! 💙💛

🎉 Congratulations to Mr. Paul Odom, STEM Teacher at Cape Fear Middle School! 🎉

Mr. Odom has been awarded a FOCUS Broadband Smart Connections Grant in the amount of $2,306 to support the Aerial Drone Competition Program at CFMS! 🚀✈️

This grant will help expand opportunities for students to explore STEM, innovation, and teamwork through hands-on drone technology. We are so proud of Mr. Odom’s dedication to investing in students and preparing them for future-ready careers. 💡📚

Thank you, FOCUS Broadband, for supporting our schools and helping bring this vision to life! 🙌

#PenderCTE #OnePender #STEM #CareerReady

🎉 Middle School CTE Teacher Kickoff Day! 🎉

Today we celebrated our amazing Middle School CTE teachers with a day full of energy, collaboration, and fun! 🙌 Teachers were recognized for their hard work and competed in a Goosechase scavenger hunt that connected them to local businesses and industries—all with the goal of raising awareness around Career & Technical Education. 💡

This year’s theme is “Get Committed to the Commitment!” 💪 Our CTE team is geared up, motivated, and ready to welcome students back on Monday. 🚀

#PenderCTE #CommittedToTheCommitment #OnePender

📢 Reminder!
Tonight is Open House for both our Elementary Schools and High Schools!
🕓 Time: 4:00 – 6:00 PM
This is a great chance to meet teachers, tour classrooms, and get ready for a strong start to the school year. We look forward to seeing our families this evening! 💙💛

🎉 Congratulations to our 2025 Convocation Raffle Winners! 🎉

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Convocation and took part in the raffle. We’re excited to celebrate our lucky winners and the fun they brought to the day! 🏆

Most importantly, we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our generous sponsors who made these prizes possible. Your support helps us start the school year on a positive note and reminds us of the strong partnerships that make Pender County Schools shine. 💙💛

✨ The PCS CTE Kickoff Meeting was a blast and a huge success! ✨ This year, our theme is “Get Committed to the Commitment” – and our teachers showed up ready to do just that! 🙌 💡 We celebrated our amazing CTE teachers and even teamed up with some special student #influencers who helped us create content for our new CTE Awareness Campaign. 🎤 A big thank you to Brooks Harper, our keynote speaker, for inspiring us to keep raising the bar. We are proud to say that your High School CTE teachers are energized, motivated, and committed to the commitment of elite success in Pender County Schools! 💙💛 #OnePender #CTECommittedToTheCommitment #PCSProud

Just a reminder that Open House events begin today for Middle School and PILA!! August 20 - Middle School (4-6pm) August 20 - Pender Innovative Learning Academy (4-6pm) August 21 - Elementary School (4-6pm) August 21 - High School (4-6pm)

Pender County Schools staff came together today at Heide Trask High School for our annual Convocation, closing out the summer and kicking off the 2025–26 school year! 🌟 Colleagues from across the district spent the day reconnecting, celebrating accomplishments, and gearing up for another year of learning and growth.

With local vendors and food trucks on hand serving up some fantastic food, the energy was contagious! Between conversations, laughter, and a shared excitement for what’s ahead, it was a day full of Pender pride. 💛💙

For the first time, we added a student panel featuring voices from elementary, middle, and high school. Students answered questions and offered genuine feedback, giving staff an authentic look at how they experience school life. Their insights brought fresh perspective and inspiration to start the year strong. 🙌

VIDEO - https://youtube.com/shorts/jb20ZcBLajQ

New this year, Pender County Schools will implement Clear Bag Policy 5021 for all major events held on the campus of PCS high schools, including football and basketball games.

Except for the approved exceptions to the clear bag policy listed below, all bags carried by event attendees must be either a) clear plastic or vinyl bags that do not exceed 12” x 6” x 12” in size, or b) clear plastic freezer/sandwich bags (gallon-size or smaller). All attendees carrying non-approved bags will be denied entry and asked to return the bag to their vehicle or other off-campus location before entering the event.

Approved exceptions: (need not be clear, but will be subject to appropriate inspection at the entrance)

Small clutch bags no larger than 4.5” x 6.5” (approximately the size of a hand), with or without a handle or strap
Medically necessary items
Diaper bags with an attending infant/toddler