Good evening Penderlea Families,
As we move into the week of October 6th through October 10th, here are some important reminders and updates to help keep your family informed and prepared for the weeks ahead. Thank you for staying connected and involved!
Million Minute Reading Challenge Begins!
Pender County Schools is launching the Million Minute Reading Challenge, a district-wide initiative encouraging families to read together outside of school. The goal is for students, parents, and caregivers to collectively log one million minutes of reading at home between October 1, 2025, and May 21, 2026.
Reading can include bedtime stories, reading before practice, or family reading time together. Families will log their minutes online, and weekly updates will be shared on the PCS website and social media.
Penderlea families can log their reading minutes using the link below:
As Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove shared, “Reading at home is one of the most powerful ways families can support student success.” Let’s make reading a fun, shared experience across our Hornet community!
3rd Grade Parent Night – October 21st at 5:30 PM
All 3rd grade families are invited to join us on Tuesday, October 21st at 5:30 PM in the Penderlea School Library for our 3rd Grade Parent Night!
This event will help families learn what to expect during this important school year, including information about EOGs, NC Check-Ins, Read to Achieve, intersession, and more.
Food will be provided, and a Spanish translator will be on site. We hope to see all of our 3rd grade families there!
Penderlea Family Lunches
We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Family Lunches! This special event gives you the opportunity to enjoy lunch with your student and head to their classroom for a fun activity together. We are doing it a bit differently this year by splitting up the elementary and middle school lunches.
If your student is in Kindergarten through 5th grade, you will be coming for their class and lunch on October 8th. A flyer was sent home before break with information on what times you will need to be here on this date. This information can also be found on our social media accounts.
If your student is in middle school, you will be coming on November 3rd. More information will be sent home after fall break.
If families would like to eat lunch in the cafeteria, the cost is $6.00 (cash only) per guest. You can find the lunch times for each grade level on the flyer attached to this email.
This is a wonderful chance to connect with your child, meet other families, and see the great things happening at our school.
We can’t wait to see you there!
Girls on the Run & STRIDE Begin This Week!
We’re excited to kick off another great season of Girls on the Run and STRIDE at Penderlea! Practices will be held after school on Mondays and Thursdays, and students will need to be picked up by 4:20 PM in the front circle.
These programs are a wonderful opportunity for students to build confidence, set goals, and stay active while having fun with their teammates!
Boys Basketball & Girls Soccer Tryouts
Tryouts for Boys Basketball and Girls Soccer are coming up soon! Students interested in trying out should plan to stay after school on the following dates:
Wednesday, October 8th
Thursday, October 9th
Wednesday, October 15th
Thursday, October 16th
Tryouts will run after school until 4:15 PM each day.
All student-athletes must have their forms completed in BigTeams and a parent or guardian must have attended a Penderlea Athletic Parent Meeting in order to try out.
If your family attended the parent meeting in August, that meeting counts toward this requirement. If not, a parent meeting will be held on Thursday, October 9th, at 3:30 PM in Mrs. Umphress’s classroom.
We’re excited to kick off another great season of Hornet athletics
Mental Health Awareness Week – October 6–10, 2025 
This week, Penderlea School joins Pender County Schools in recognizing Mental Health Awareness Week as part of our Month of Awareness. Millions of students and families are affected by mental health challenges each year, and this week is a chance for us to show care, support, and remind one another that it’s okay to talk about how we feel.
Wear GREEN this week to show your support!
Throughout the week, we’ll share tips and activities that promote kindness, resilience, and taking care of ourselves and others.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 or text HELLO to 741-741
Together, we can build a caring, supportive community at Penderlea.
October Cafeteria Menu Now Available
Our October breakfast and lunch menus are here! Check out all the delicious and nutritious meals planned for the month ahead.
An image with the full menu is attached to this email for your convenience.
Upcoming Athletics Games
Football:
Home vs. Surf City. Wednesday October 8th at 4:30 PM
Home vs. Surf City. Wednesday October 14th at 4:30 PM(8th Grade Night)
Admission for middle school and up is $5
Softball:
Away at Cape Fear Middle School. Tuesday October 7th at 4:30 PM
Home vs Burgaw/West Pender. Thursday October 9th at 4:30 PM.(8th Grade Night)
Admission for middle school and up is $5
Don’t forget: Penderlea Game Passes are available and include admission to regular season home games all year long! Student passes are $25, Parent passes are $50, and a combo pass (for 2) is $65!
We can’t wait to see our community filling the stands and cheering on our teams! Go Hornets!"
Flu Clinic at Penderlea – November 6th
Penderlea School will host a flu vaccination clinic on Wednesday, November 6th, beginning at 7:30 AM.
Attached below is the consent form that must be completed for any student or staff member who wishes to receive the flu vaccine. Please review, complete, and return the form as soon as possible to ensure your child is included.
This clinic is a convenient way to help keep our Hornet community healthy as we move into the colder months.
You can access the consent form using the link attached to this message.
Flu Vaccine Consent Forms:
Staff Consent Form - https://form.jotform.com/252656140740150
Student Consent Form - https://form.jotform.com/252656216931156
Formulario de Consentimiento del Estudiante - https://form.jotform.com/252656755627166
School Pictures – Save the Dates
We want to be sure families have plenty of notice for this year’s student, class, and sports pictures:
Student & Class Pictures
Fall Makeups – October 22 (a great opportunity if your child missed fall pictures this past week)
Kindergarten Cap & Gown – February 26
Classroom Group & Spring Pictures – March 31
Upcoming Sports Pictures
Cheer – October 8
Attached to this email, you will find more information regarding upcoming sports pictures. Additional ordering details will be shared closer to each date.
If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out via email at pls_info@pender.k12.nc.us or call the school at 910-285-2761.
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. Together we will continue to make Penderlea the Place to Be!
Stephen Harris
Principal-Penderlea School
