📚 April is School Library Month! Meet Edith Hounshel, Media Coordinator at Penderlea School. She brings a love for reading & learning every day! Favorite book? "The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors" by Drew Daywalt & Adam Rex! 💙📖 #SchoolLibraryMonth

End of the Year Testing Season is just around the corner, take the opportunity to send your "smart cookie" a little treat to know you're thinking about them! 🍪 Penderlea Junior Beta Club will be selling a 3-pack of Otis Spunkmeyer cookies to be delivered on testing days. You can place your order and pay online via the QR code or on the order form that goes home next week and pay with cash. Orders can be placed through May 9th. 🎉🍪🎒📝 Digital Cookie Order Form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSctgnc8FcxPg_w4A3tYrb4Hgtke_1Ag0FrjzfsBEXHPaeSF7w/viewform?usp=header

Hornet of the Week for April 11, 2025. Congratulations, Hornets!


This Week's Word of the Week is INFER. INFER means to make a guess based on facts and observations. See how many times you can use the word at home with your students. #PenderleaIsThePlaceToBe #OnePender #WestsideRising #ExperienceTheExcellence

Next week we will have Military Spirit Week. Let's celebrate our military!

🌧️ Due to the forecasted rain & storms today's ⚾️ BASEBALL ⚾️ game vs. Cape Fear Middle will be rescheduled. There is also no practice for baseball players today. ☔️
This game will be played on 4/17.
🏐Volleyball will play today as scheduled! 🏐
🏆This Week in Hornet Athletics 🏆
Make plans to come out and support our Hornets at home all week! 🐝
#penderleaistheplacetobe #feelthesting #westsiderising #onepender

This Week's Word of the Week is REVEAL. REVEAL means to make something known to others. See how many times you can use the word at home with your students. #PenderleaIsThePlaceToBe #OnePender #WestsideRising #ExperienceTheExcellence

Hornets of the Week for April 4, 2025. Congratulations, Hornets!


April 18-21--No School Reminder

PBIS will be hosting a popcorn fundraiser with the popcorn brand, Double Good. This fundraiser will be starting April 7th at 8 am and ending April 11th at 8am. It will be a four day virtual fundraiser and 50% of the proceeds go to our school to help continue funding items in the Hornet’s Nest School Store. All orders will be shipped directly to them and prices start at $11 and there’s a variety of flavors.


Congratulations, Ms. Gurganus! You are the 2024-2025 Teacher of the Year! All of your hard work is appreciated!





Congratulations to our top 4 nominees for Teacher of the Year! They are Ms. Aluise, Mr. Black, Ms. Finn, and Ms. Gurganus.








📣 March is Social Work Month! 🎉 Meet Ashanti Craine, one of our incredible school social workers! Ms. Craine has nearly a decade of experience in social work and has worked across multiple states in youth shelters, domestic violence shelters, and child protective services. For almost a year, she has been proudly serving as a School Social Worker in Pender County, focusing on prevention and mentoring students and families.
✨"One of my proudest accomplishments has been helping four students graduate when they were on the verge of quitting—an achievement that reaffirms my passion for this work every day."
🎉 Fun Fact: Ms. Craine once flew on an Army C-5 airplane to the small town of Battle, Alaska, where the sun doesn’t rise for months during the “dark season”!
Join us in thanking Ms. Craine and all our amazing school social workers for their dedication! 💙👏

This Week's Word of the Week is CONTRIBUTE. Contribute means to help to cause or bring about. See how many times you can use the word at home with your students. #PenderleaIsThePlaceToBe #OnePender #WestsideRising #ExperienceTheExcellence

🚍 Help Us Prepare for 2025-26 Bus Routes! 🚍
The Pender County Schools Transportation Department is gearing up for the next school year, and we need YOUR help to ensure accurate bus assignments!
📢 Important Steps for Parents/Guardians:
✅ Check your child’s Parent Letter for their current bus stop details.
✅ If there are NO changes, return the form with all “YES”s circled by April 16, 2025.
✅ If changes are needed, update your info using the Student Ridership Survey (https://bit.ly/4lb0ZLF) by April 16, 2025.
⏳ Deadline Reminders:
🔹 Schools must update all transportation data in Infinite Campus by May 9, 2025.
🔹 The Google Form will NOT reopen during summer – all new student transportation requests will go through Infinite Campus.
📌 Let’s work together to ensure every PCS student has the right bus assignment on day one!

🗓️ Mark your calendars! 🗓️
⚾️ 🏐 ⚾️ 🏐
We are gearing up for our spring sports games to begin! When we return on Monday, we will also host our first home volleyball game!
See you in the stands, Hornet Nation! 🐝
#feelthesting #onepender #westsiderising

Join us for an informative session on the consequences and health effects of substance use, including its impact on adolescent brain development and the increased risk of addiction. This session, presented by the Poe Center, will cover:
✅ The latest research on youth substance use
✅ Risk factors & protective measures
✅ Strategies to empower youth in making healthy choices
✅ Tools & resources for ongoing conversations
📅 March 26 | 6:00-7:30 PM | Heide Trask High School
📅 March 27 | 6:00-7:30 PM | Topsail High School
Let’s work together to educate and support our youth! 💙
Acompáñanos en una sesión informativa sobre las consecuencias y efectos del uso de sustancias, su impacto en el desarrollo del cerebro adolescente y el mayor riesgo de adicción. Presentado por el Poe Center, hablaremos sobre:
✅ Últimas investigaciones sobre el uso de sustancias en jóvenes
✅ Factores de riesgo y medidas de protección
✅ Estrategias para ayudar a los jóvenes a tomar decisiones saludables
✅ Herramientas y recursos para mantener conversaciones continuas
📅 26 de marzo | 6:00-7:30 PM | Heide Trask High School
📅 27 de marzo | 6:00-7:30 PM | Topsail High School
¡Juntos podemos educar y apoyar a nuestra juventud! 💙


✨ Feature Friday: Meghan Gallen✨
PLES Speech-Language Pathologist and valued member of the EC Play-Based Team, Meghan Gallen, is the definition of teamwork and dedication. She is always willing to go the extra mile in her work, always going out of her way to assist in any way possible. Whether it is conducting observations, supporting teachers, or creating student visuals, Meghan's commitment to students and staff is evident.
Her ability to collaborate, appreciate a variety of thinking, and champion staff is irreplaceable. She not only brings value to student learning, but to staff as well by sharing best practice and promoting the use of therapy strategies in class.
💬 "She is always willing to help and never afraid to support students and staff in any way she can."
Thanks, Meghan, for all your hard work and commitment! #OnePender


