Pender County Schools -

✨ 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

📅 Open House is almost here! 🎒
Come meet your child’s teachers, explore classrooms, and get ready for a great school year!

🗓 Open House Dates:

Elementary Schools: August 21, 4-6 PM

Middle Schools: August 20, 4-6 PM

High Schools: August 21, 4-6 PM

Pender Innovative Learning Academy: August 20, 4-6 PM

Let’s start the year strong — we can’t wait to see you there! 💛💙

🚌 Plan ahead for the first day of school!

Our Bus Stop Lookup tool is now updated with routes, pickup times, and drop-off times for the new school year. This is the easiest way to confirm your child’s bus information before the year begins.

📍 Click here to check your stop: https://bit.ly/3HtS5tz
Let’s make the first day run smoothly for everyone!

📢 North Carolina law now requires all public schools to show safety education videos to students in grades 6–12 within the first five days of the school year.

🛡️ As part of the Protecting Our Students Act (S.L. 2023-128), these age-appropriate videos help students recognize and report signs of abuse, neglect, or unsafe situations and emphasize that reporting is always confidential.

🎥 Pender County Schools is committed to complying with this mandate and making sure students know how to stay safe and seek help if needed. Look for information from your school in your email or sent home with your student once classes begin.
Learn more from the State here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3HbOqAq

🎓Is your student considering a future at a U.S. Service Academy?

Mark your calendar for Saturday, September 20, 2025, as U.S. Senator Ted Budd hosts a Service Academy Day for North Carolina families.

This free event is a great opportunity for high school students and their parents to explore what it takes to attend one of the five prestigious U.S. military service academies. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions and share key information about eligibility, nominations, and the application process.

📍 Open to all high school students and families

🚗🎉 Pender High School is turning 50 — and you’re invited to celebrate in style!

Pender High School is preparing for it's first ever Car Show on Saturday, August 23 at PHS!
📅 Registration begins at 8:00 AM
🎓 All proceeds support the PHS 50th Anniversary Scholarship Fund

Whether you're a car enthusiast or just looking for a fun community event, this is a celebration you won’t want to miss.

📌 Contact information is on the flyer. Let’s make this a golden anniversary to remember!

📣 A big THANK YOU to Cape Fear Community College for hosting our students during this summer’s Career Academy! 🙌

Rising 7th–9th graders from Pender and New Hanover County Schools explored hands-on learning in exciting career fields like aviation, firefighting, interior design, IT, law enforcement, film production, and more. 🎥👨‍🚒✈️🛠️

Programs like this open doors, spark curiosity, and help students discover their future paths. We’re grateful for this amazing partnership! 💛💙 Here's a recap of the week - https://bit.ly/41g1CuW Photo Gallery - https://bit.ly/459Xe1K

🎉 Congratulations to Ms. Danyel New! 🎉

Please join us in celebrating Ms. Danyel New, Health Science Teacher at Pender High School, for being selected as the 2025 Humanitarian Award Recipient by the Southeastern Carolina Nurses League (SCCNL)! 🏆💙

This prestigious award honors individuals who go above and beyond to uplift the vulnerable, serve with compassion, and exemplify humanity in healthcare — and Ms. New does exactly that every single day!

Her unwavering commitment to addressing health disparities, supporting underserved communities, and promoting dignity in nursing has made a lasting impact on students and the broader community.

She will be honored at the 2025 SCCNL Nurses Ball on Saturday, September 27, 2025 in Wallace, NC. 🕊️✨

👩‍⚕️ Pender County Schools is so proud of you, Ms. New! Thank you for your incredible service, passion, and dedication to the next generation of healthcare professionals. 🩺💛

#PenderProud #CTEWorks #HealthScienceHero #HumanitarianAward2025 #OnePender #PCSCTE #TeacherSpotlight #SouthernElegance #ExcellenceInEducation

🎉 Thank you, Pender County, for showing up strong! 💙💛 Today, our Summer Meals team handed out 7,990 total meals on what was supposed to be the final day of the promotion BUT remember, we've extended this until August 13th.

That means two more Wednesdays of FREE breakfasts & lunches for kids 18 and under!

🗓️ Next pickup: Wednesday, August 6 | 12:30–2:00 PM
📍Details & locations: https://www.pender.k12.nc.us/article/2313628

Let’s keep feeding Pender — rain or shine (or heat)! ☔🌞

🎉Summer Celebration🌞Congrats to the PHS Raider Team who received their rings for sweeping the Mixed Raider Best of the Best Competition during the 2024-25 school year. This program has become the standard to which others are measured, and it's an extremely high bar - well done Patriots!!

🥣🥪 Need meals for your kids this week? We’ve got you covered! Our Summer Meals Program continues Wednesday from 12:30–2:00 PM at locations across the county.
🆓 A week's worth of FREE breakfast & lunch for children 18 and under. We hope to see you at any of the locations - rain or shine ☔🌞

🥣🥪 ¿Necesitas comidas para tus hijos esta semana? ¡Nosotros te ayudamos!
Nuestro programa de comidas de verano continúa este miércoles de 12:30 a 2:00 PM en varios lugares del condado.

🆓 Desayuno y almuerzo GRATIS para toda la semana para niños y jóvenes de 18 años o menos.
¡Esperamos verte en cualquiera de los lugares, llueva o haga sol! ☔🌞

📢 We’re excited to share that our Summer Meals Program is being extended through August 13, 2025 — that’s TWO more weeks of free breakfast 🥣 and lunch 🥪 for children across the county!
Each Wednesday, families can continue picking up a week’s worth of meals for children 18 and under — no ID or registration is required. 🙌
At the pace we’re on, with the extended dates we could approach 40,000 meals distributed to families across the county! 💪🍎

🎉 Pender County Schools is shining bright at the NC CTE Summer Conference this week! 💡 Our incredible CTE team is diving into best practices, gaining fresh strategies, and bringing home inspiration to elevate learning for all PCS students this school year! 👩‍🏫🧠💼 ✨ Highlights from this week: 📚 New CTE teachers are wrapping up their licensure requirements and preparing to make a powerful impact in the classroom. 🎤 Alicia Watkins, FACS teacher at Heide Trask High School, presented on Early Childhood Education—sharing her expertise and passion with educators from across the state. 🤝 Dominique Bates, PCS CTE Director, was officially sworn in as President-Elect of the NCACTE Administrators Division—leading the way for CTE excellence across North Carolina! 🩺 Cina Houston from Topsail High School is proudly serving on the HOSA State Board, representing PCS and future health science leaders. We’re proud of our educators for continuing to grow, lead, and represent PCS on a statewide stage. Amazing things are happening—and we’re just getting started! 💪📈 #OnePender #PenderCTE #CTEWorks #FromClassroomsToCareers #NCACTE #PCSStrong

📢Over the first month, Pender County Schools has provided more than 15,000 meals to folks across the county ✨ and we're not done yet! Our next Summer Meals Pickup is tomorrow from 12:30 - 2PM 🚗🚙 While not required, registration is helpful. Use this link if you would like to register - https://bit.ly/3UdXuHT See you Wednesday!! 💙💛

📢 ¡Durante el primer mes, ¡las Escuelas del Condado de Pender han entregado más de 15,000 comidas a familias en todo el condado! ✨ ¡Y aún no hemos terminado! Nuestra próxima distribución de comidas de verano es mañana de 12:30 a 2:00 PM 🚗🚙 No es obligatorio registrarse, pero nos ayuda mucho si lo haces. Puedes usar este enlace para registrarte: https://bit.ly/3UdXuHT ¡Nos vemos el miércoles! 💙💛