Friday the 13th feels a little less spooky this time around. After last week’s snow (remote) days it was nice to have a full, normal week back together. There’s something about a regular routine that just feels right, especially after weather that kept us home longer than we’re used to. As we wrap up the week, thank you for staying flexible and patient through it all. Snow in our part of the world doesn’t happen often, but when it does, our families and staff handle it with calm and teamwork. Now we head into the weekend back on schedule, and hopefully with no more surprises in the forecast. ☀
PCS BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVES REVISED 2026–2027 TRADITIONAL CALENDAR
During its regular meeting on February 10, 2026, the Pender County Board of Education voted unanimously to approve Option 5 of a revised traditional calendar for the 2026–2027 school year. The newly approved calendar adjusts the student start date to August 24, 2026, with the final day of school scheduled for June 2, 2027. Read the full story HERE
FAIRWAY FORD, PCS, AND CFCC PARTNER TO CONNECT STUDENTS WITH AUTOMOTIVE CAREERS
The open house will include a guided tour of the dealership, opportunities to meet staff, and hands-on career exploration for students interested in the automotive industry. Rising and current juniors and seniors who are considering enrollment in the Automotive Technician Program at Pender High School are especially encouraged to attend. You can RSVP and read more HERE
WALK TO READ CAMP: READING REIMAGINED!
Walk to Read Camp returns in 2026 with an exciting new chapter for eligible students! Under the leadership of Dr. Oates, Director of Elementary Education, and Meagan Winstead, Early Literacy Specialist, the camp continues to grow into a dynamic, engaging experience where students imagine, explore, and discover their path to excellence. Find out more HERE
J.H. LEA CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Just a reminder that you can follow the progress of our new J.H. Lea Elementary and J.H. Lea Middle Schools through a dedicated online update page. The site includes construction photos from the build location, recent news coverage, and a live dashboard provided by the project management team to track key milestones. We invite families, staff, and community members to check back regularly to see how this important investment in our students continues to take shape. Click HERE to visit the site.
PCS STUDENTS SHINE AT REGIONAL SCIENCE FAIR
Pender County Schools students earned impressive honors at the Regional Science Fair held at UNC Wilmington. Award recipients included Deklin Postema (STE), Earth and Environmental Award; Jane Casey (STE), Creativity Award; and Madigan Robbins (PILA), who received both the Ventures Award and the Naval Science Award. The NC One Water Award was presented to Berklee Hewlett, Charlotte Outlaw, and Emma Outlaw (CFE), along with Madigan Robbins (PILA). Christopher Fiut and Declan Herbert (TMS) earned the Early Inventor Prize, and Reyden Bryant of Penderlea placed second in the Junior Biological Division. Jane Casey was named Elementary Division Exemplary and will advance to the state competition in Raleigh. Christopher Fiut and Declan Herbert also received an Honorable Mention in Engineering. We are proud of these students for representing their schools and our district so well.
GRIZZLY ROBOTICS TAKES ON THE REGION IN BAHAMA, NC
Two of our Cape Fear Middle School Grizzly VEX Robotics teams recently traveled to Bahama, NC to compete against teams from across the region. It was a long but rewarding day of problem-solving, teamwork, and perseverance. Both teams faced a few technical challenges along the way, but our students stayed focused, made adjustments, and kept competing with a positive attitude. One team finished an impressive 7th overall, while the second team placed 18th out of 20 in a competitive field. Most importantly, our Grizzlies represented CFMS with determination and sportsmanship — and they’re already looking ahead to the next competition.
TOPSAIL JROTC CADETS TAKE FLIGHT WITH U.S. COAST GUARD
Topsail High School JROTC cadets had an unforgettable hands-on learning experience on February 12, traveling to Modern Aviation in Wilmington to meet an air crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. Forty-nine cadets boarded a C-130 aircraft for a flight along the North Carolina coast, where they observed touch-and-go landings and were able to safely move throughout the aircraft during flight. Many students had the opportunity to visit the flight deck during takeoff, while in the air, and during landing. Cadets explored the main cabin, looked through the portholes, and spent time near the cargo hatch — and for several students, it was their very first time flying. Cadet Ethan Houston shared that his favorite part was being in the cockpit during takeoff, calling it an experience he will never forget. Anderson Elliott described the trip as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We are grateful to Modern Aviation and the United States Coast Guard for providing this meaningful experience and for investing in the future leaders of Topsail High School.
Million Minute Read - PHS Style!
The Million Minutes Reading Challenge is heating up, and the charts for highest reading minutes in Pender County are in, Pender High is dominating the game! With books ranging from action-packed novels to comics, the challenge is inclusive for everyone. Even our staff is getting in on the action as they are battling out in their own competition to see who can log the most hours! Read more HERE
Great Ram Readers = Great things ahead!
Our school library was definitely not quiet in January — and for the best reason ever! The Media Center hosted a high-energy celebration for K–5 students who completed their reading logs, and wow… our Ram readers showed UP. This party was part of our countywide goal of reaching 1,000,000 total reading minutes this school year. Our Rocky Point students are helping make that happen one page at a time. Read more HERE
PECHS Houses Partner With Local Nonprofits for Community Drives
Pender Early College High School (PECHS) is hosting a series of community drives over the next two months as part of its House competition program, encouraging students to actively engage with the local community while supporting area nonprofit organizations. Each PECHS house selected a different nonprofit to support and is responsible for organizing, promoting, and collecting donations throughout its designated drive week. Students are leading outreach efforts within the community to raise awareness and gather needed items for each organization. Read more HERE
WELCOME ABOARD!!
We are excited to welcome Abigail Kerns and Lynette Gutierrez to Surf City Middle School! Mrs. Kerns brings passion for education and a heart for students, and we are thrilled she is joining our SCM team. We know she will be a wonderful addition to our Shark community as we continue building a school rooted in community, academic excellence, and kindness. Ms. Gutierrez brings enthusiasm, dedication, and a strong commitment to supporting students, and we are thrilled to have her as part of our Shark community. We look forward to the positive impact she will make as we continue to grow together in learning, kindness, and excellence. Please join us in giving Ms. Kerns and Ms. Gutierrez a warm SCM welcome!
JOB SHADOW DAY SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 27, 2026
Pender County Schools is excited to share details about our upcoming districtwide Job Shadow Day, scheduled for Friday, February 27, 2026. This initiative reflects our continued commitment to career exploration, workforce development, and meaningful real-world learning experiences for students. Last year, more than 700 students participated, and the district is looking forward to an even greater impact this year. On February 27, students in grades 7–12 will have the opportunity to spend the day shadowing a professional in a career field of interest, either in person or virtually, while earning an excused educational opportunity absence.
Student Participation Requirements
Students who wish to participate must:
- Secure a job shadow placement with a family member, family friend, or business contact (virtual options are available)
- Complete the Job Shadow Parent/Student Agreement
- Submit the completed agreement to the school counselor by Friday, February 20, 2026
- Join the Job Shadow Day Google Classroom (Code: w337uydp)
- Attend the experience and take a photo with the host/mentor
- Complete the post-experience Google Form in the Classroom and upload the photo for attendance verification
Interested in Hosting a Student?
Business owners and community partners who would like to host a student for the day may participate by completing the Host Interest Form.
Event Schedule
- Middle School: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (full day optional)
- High School: 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Pender County Schools appreciates the support of families, businesses, and community partners in making Job Shadow Day a meaningful experience for students as they explore future career pathways.
PENDER COUNTY SCHOOLS JOB FAIR MARCH 31, 2026
Pender County Schools will host a Career Fair on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, and we invite job seekers and community members to attend and learn more about employment opportunities throughout our district. The Career Fair will be held at Heide Trask High School Gym from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. This event is a great opportunity to meet district representatives, ask questions, and explore career pathways that support students, schools, and the overall success of Pender County Schools. Read more OR APPLY HERE
2026 GRADUATION SCHEDULE
Pender County Public Schools is proud to honor our graduating seniors. Find all the details you need for commencement ceremonies, including dates, times, and locations for each high school.
🍎SCHOOL LUNCH MENUS🍕
You can find school lunch menus for each grade level by following THIS LINK
♥ THE BUS
This week we also celebrated Love the Bus Week, a time to recognize the men and women who safely transport our students each day. Whether it was handwritten notes, small tokens of appreciation, or simple words of thanks, our schools took time to show just how much our bus drivers mean to our families. They are often the first smile students see in the morning and the last wave at the end of the day. Below are just a few highlights from across the district as our schools shared the love.
Happy Bus Driver Appreciation Week! We are so Grateful for our Topsail High School Bus Drivers who always go the extra mile for our students and school family!
Hop on! 🚍 It's Love the Bus Month — we're celebrating all the amazing drivers we have at SCE that get our students to and from school every day. Share a thank-you for your favorite driver below! ❤️👏🚌
🚍If you hop on the bus tomorrow morning, be sure to wish your bus driver a "Happy Bus Driver Appreciation Week!" Thanks to these everyday heroes, our Titans have safe and reliable transportation to school!
We DONUT know what we would do without our amazing bus drivers! 💛 This morning, we showed our appreciation with donuts, coffee, and smiles to thank the dedicated drivers who safely transport our students every single day. From early mornings to steady hands and caring hearts, our bus drivers truly keep our school moving. Thank you for all you do for our students, families, and school community! Smiles that start the day, hearts that keep our kiddos safe, and drivers who show up with love every single morning. This caricature captures just a small piece of the BIG impact our bus drivers make!Thank you for being the first friendly face our students see and the last one to get them home safely. We appreciate you today and always!👇 Drop a 💛 or 🚌 in the comments to show our drivers some LOVE
🚌💛 Happy Bus Driver Appreciation Week! 💛🚌 Today we celebrate the incredible bus drivers and monitors who safely get our students to and from school every single day. Your dedication, patience, and care do not go unnoticed—especially on those early mornings, long afternoons, and days when you’re covering extra routes. Thank you for being a steady, smiling start and finish to our students’ school days. We appreciate you more than words can say! ⭐
Happy School Bus Driver Appreciation Week! 🎉 Big thanks to our Penderlea drivers for keeping students safe every day.
Feeling the love at TMS today! During Bus Appreciation Week, our incredible bus drivers started their morning with a special breakfast to say thank you for keeping our students safe every day. Teachers also enjoyed a cozy coffee & hot chocolate bar — smiles all around!
WEEKLY ATHLETICS SCHEDULE
From Pender High - 🎉Congrats Seniors! 🎆 We are proud of your hard work and dedication !
AND...Super excited!!! Our Student Store is up and running! Actual sales will begin on February 20th - online sales coming soon!
From Surf City Elementary - We are so proud of Elani, Reinette, and Gwen as they represented Pender County and Surf City Elementary School this weekend at the Southeast Regional Science Fair at UNCW.
AND...Field trip day! 🚌📚✨ Fourth Grade students have been learning about the causes of the Revolutionary War in Social Studies, and are in Module 3, "The Redcoats are Coming!' in ELA classes. Students took a field trip to Moore's Creek Battlefield to see the location of an important battle of the Revolutionary War.
From Surf City Middle - 🎉 The ART-OLINA Student Art Gallery is officially OPEN at WonderWorks Myrtle Beach! 🇺🇸🎨 We’re excited to share photos from this year’s gallery display and celebrate our Surf City Middle School winners! 🌟 Mason Boone (6th) 🌟 Aurora Fluke (6th) 🌟 Maddie Siemon (8th) 🌟 Dahlia Kuchta (8th) Their artwork is now on display for a year as part of the 2026 theme America the Beautiful, honoring 250 years of American independence. Thank you to all of our sharks who participated this year’s talent was truly outstanding. We’re so proud of all our student artists!
From South Topsail Elementary - South Topsail's resident old timers 👵 👴 celebrated 100 days of school last Friday- complete with cardigans, canes and confidence. Here's to 💯 days smarter 🧠 Stingrays!!
From Heide Trask High - Meet Ms. Fabianna Seri — Multilingual teacher at HTHS and the February PCS Beginning Teacher of the Month! 🏅 Her energy, professionalism, and commitment light up the classroom. We are honored to have her in Titan Town! Congratulations again!
From Cape Fear Elementary - Mrs Robertsons Preschool class have been collecting post cards or Valentine's Day cards across America. The colored states are states they received a card from. Thank you to everyone who is helping us continue this fun project.
From Pender Innovative Learning Academy - The otters are on the move!! High school students in grades 10-12 are on the Cape Fear Community College campus learning about some of the amazing opportunities that are available for them there.
From Pender Early College - Congratulations to Austin Hermanowicz! He will be attending East Carolina University next school year! AND...Congratulations to Dakota Wehunt! She will be attending UNCW in the fall!
AND...Congratulations to Uri and Abby Blick on winning gift cards for completing their FAFSA!
From West Pender Middle - Join us in congratulating our 7th grade January Warrior of the Month nominees! 🎉Marvin, Ja'ron, and Lillian 🎉 AND...Congratulations to our 6th Grade January Warrior of the Month — chosen by her teachers to represent the whole grade! 🌟Evolet 🌟
From Topsail Middle - What an unforgettable day for Mrs. Vickers' 5th grade homeroom! They dominated the Malcolm Mitchell Read Bowl with an astounding 16,631 minutes. This achievement highlights effective student engagement, classroom culture, and literacy-focused leadership. We were honored to welcome former Baltimore Ravens quarterback Brad Roach, who presented awards and connected with our top readers — a meaningful experience that reinforces the value of reading and mentorship.
AND...Our 6th graders had an amazing Day 1 at iFLY! Students stepped into the vertical wind tunnel to: 🔬Explore how fluids exert external forces on objects (science, yay!) 🔬 ➗Apply algebraic thinking to understand proportional relationships (math, yay!) ➗ 📊Investigate variability, uncertainty, and error in experimental results (science & math, yay!) 📊
From Topsail Annandale Elementary - Our first graders have been busy engaging in hands-on, standards-aligned learning this week! Students applied key literacy and numeracy skills through their core curriculum work, demonstrating focus, perseverance, and growing independence. Beyond the textbook, our learners also explored creativity and spatial reasoning through STEAM-inspired centers. Using pipe cleaners and geometric materials, students designed intricate snowflake structures while strengthening fine motor skills and pattern recognition. In our building center, students collaborated to construct shape-based designs, applying early engineering thinking, problem-solving strategies, and mathematical concepts. We love seeing our students learn, create, and think critically every single day! ❄️📚
From Rocky Point Elemenetary - Check out these "Students of the Month!" They are recognized for all of their hard work and for showing our character traits of Responsibility, Achievement, Manners, and Safety. Way to go, Rams!
From Malpass Corner Elementary - Today was Red, White, and Pink Day at MCE, and our Eagles showed up in style! ❤️🤍💗 The hallways were filled with bright colors, big smiles, and lots of school spirit. It was so much fun seeing our students and staff celebrating together and bringing positive energy to the building. Way to go, Eagles, for showing your spirit and making the day extra special! 🦅✨
AND...MCE Pride has been amazing this week!💙💛 The hallways were filled with Eagle pride, bright smiles, and lots of school spirit. It was amazing to see our students and staff showing ownership and love for our school community. Days like this remind us how special it is to be part of the MCE family. Way to go, Eagles—thank you for bringing the pride and positive energy! 🦅✨
From Penderlea School - 🌱🌿 Our 3rd Graders Got Their Hands Dirty—in the Best Way! 🌿🌱 Earlier this week our amazing 3rd graders had a special visit from the Master Gardeners, and it was full of learning, digging, and growing! Students discovered how to propagate plants by taking cuttings and growing brand-new plants in both water and soil. They learned where to make the cuts, how roots develop, and how a simple clipping can turn into a thriving plant. 🌼✂️ We also explored how to grow potatoes using the “eyes.” The students were fascinated to learn that those little sprouts on a potato can grow into an entirely new plant! 🥔 To put their learning into action, we planted potatoes in our class compost so they can continue growing throughout the year. We can’t wait to watch them sprout and see what we harvest! A huge thank you to our Master Gardeners for inspiring our young growers and helping us cultivate both plants and curiosity. 🌎💚
From Cape Fear Middle - Rain or shine, cold or warm—Grizzlies are READING! 📚🐻 ⏰ Don't forget about the Million Minute Challenge! ⏰ We're making progress, but we need YOUR minutes to reach our goal! Every page you read counts—whether it's during breakfast, before practice, or right before bed! 💪📖 Log those minutes and let's hit ONE MILLION together! Keep it up, Grizzlies! 🎉
Mrs. Kropp, music teacher at North Topsail Elementary, is the recipient of a grant to bring The Dancing Drum to our school for a 3 day residency! Director Steve Campbell will work with our 3rd-5th graders for 2 days, provide a Family Drum night and then a school wide assembly. He was at our school 2 years ago and his program is fantastic (Dr. Breedlove even got to join in the fun last time!)
Topsail High School Band is hosting our 7th Annual Mattress Fundraiser on Saturday, March 21st, from 10am-4pm. Please invite family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and anyone else you can think of. We need your help to find just one person who is already planning on buying a mattress and get them to come to the event. Not only will they get a great deal, but they’ll also sleep better knowing their purchase supports the Band. Watch this video! More information can be found here: FB EVENT LINK
WECT - Pender County school board approves 2026-2027 calendar, bus driver training resolution WECT - Topsail High School booster club member charged with embezzlement PORT CITY DAILY - Pender County schools balks at breaking calendar law, approves new 2026-2027 schedule PORT CITY DAILY - Topsail booster club board member arrested for money laundering, embezzlement WWAY - Pender County Schools board holds emergency meeting after alleged booster club embezzlement WWAY - Pender County Schools suspends Topsail Athletic Boosters as treasurer removed STARNEWS- Topsail Athletic Boosters treasurer charged with embezzlement
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