🍂 FALL IS IN THE AIR!
🍂 The mornings are starting to turn crisp, the leaves are beginning to change, and Friday night lights can only mean one thing—fall has officially arrived in Pender County Schools! 🎃🍁 Classrooms are buzzing with hands-on learning, athletic fields are full of energy, and our students and staff are showing their school spirit in every corner of the district. From art projects that capture the season’s beauty to community events that bring families together, there’s so much to celebrate this time of year.
As we settle into October, we’re also shining a light on our Month of Awareness, recognizing the importance of mental health, inclusion, kindness, and making healthy choices. 💚💙💛❤️ It’s a perfect season to pause, reflect, and appreciate how our students are growing not only in knowledge but in compassion and character. Grab your favorite fall drink ☕ and enjoy this week’s stories that remind us why PCS is such a special place to learn and grow!
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING TUESDAY
The Pender County Board of Education will meet for a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. The closed session portion of the meeting will begin at 5:00 PM. If you are unable to attend, the meeting will be live streamed on the Pender County Schools YouTube channel. The meeting notice, agenda, and board packet may be found on our meetings website no later than 48 hours prior to the meeting.
CELEBRATING SPECIAL NEEDS AWARENESS WEEK
💙 This week, Pender County Schools is proud to recognize Special Needs Awareness Week (October 13–17)—a time to celebrate inclusion, understanding, and the unique strengths every student brings to our classrooms. Across the district, schools are highlighting the importance of acceptance and empathy through lessons, activities, and conversations that remind us all that every learner deserves to be seen, supported, and valued.
From student-led projects to classroom discussions about diversity and kindness, this week reinforces our commitment to creating learning environments where all students can thrive. Together, we’re building a culture of respect and belonging—one where differences are not just accepted but celebrated. 💛
C.F. POPE TEACHERS BRING GLOBAL INSIGHT BACK TO THE CLASSROOM
Four teacher leaders from C.F. Pope Elementary recently took their professional growth to a new level at the World View K–12 Symposium—an event focused on preparing students for success in an interconnected world. Representing multiple grade levels and subjects, Tina Croom, Rachelle Snipes, Katie Billig, and Amanda Solomon joined educators from across North Carolina to explore innovative ways to bring global perspectives into everyday learning.
Thanks to scholarship funding from the Anonymous Trust, the educators attended the symposium at no cost to the school, gaining fresh ideas and strategies to share with their colleagues. Their participation reflects C.F. Pope’s ongoing commitment to developing compassionate, culturally aware, and globally minded learners.
Read more about how these teacher leaders are inspiring global thinking in their classrooms.
PROGRAM ALREADY IN PCS MAY SOON BE REQUIRED STATEWIDE
Thanks to the dedication of two Pender County parents and nurses, every school in Pender County Schools is now equipped with a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) and an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)—making PCS one of only two districts in North Carolina to reach this level of cardiac readiness.
After both experienced cardiac emergencies involving their own children, Lesslie Duncan and Jamie Uhlman teamed up to strengthen school safety through training, emergency planning, and access to life-saving equipment. Their efforts, in partnership with Project ADAM, have set a new standard for preparedness across the district.
Read more about how this parent-led initiative could soon become a statewide requirement through the proposed Smart Heart Act.
FLU SHOTS OFFERED FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF
Pender County Schools is partnering once again with the Pender County Health Department to provide flu shots for students this fall. This initiative will be available to all students across the district, with vaccines administered by health department nurses.
To participate, students must be eligible to receive the flu vaccine and have written parental consent. For children without insurance, state-supplied vaccine will be available at no cost.
Consent forms will be sent home with students. Families also have the option to complete the online forms using the links below:
- Staff Consent Form
- Student Consent Form (English)
- Formulario de Consentimiento del Estudiante (Español)
For more information, please contact your child’s school or the Pender County Health Department.
FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR ALL STUDENTS!!
🍔As part of National School Lunch Week (Oct 13-17) ALL STUDENTS in Pender County Schools can enjoy free breakfast and lunch! 🥪 No signups, no forms - nothing. Just show up. 🍗Students at Topsail Annandale Elementary, Topsail High, Topsail Middle, and Surf City Middle (Schools that are currently not part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)) are included this week. 🍎
EXPLORING THE AMERICAN WEST AT PENDERLEA SCHOOL
Penderlea students are embarking on an exciting new Wit & Wisdom module all about the American West! 🌄 Through hands-on activities, they’re learning how geography influenced life in the region, creating timelines of key historical events, and exploring the vital role of the buffalo in Native American culture. These lessons are sparking curiosity, creativity, and meaningful discussions about history, culture, and change. Read more to see how our young explorers are bringing the West to life in the classroom!
BEST WISHES TO VALERIE VANN
Pender County Schools is saying goodbye to Valerie Vann, who will be leaving the district on October 10 to begin a new chapter closer to her home in Clinton, NC. For the past nine years, Valerie has been a valued member of the PCS family. Her professionalism and positive spirit have made a lasting impact across the district.
While change is never easy, Valerie reminds us that it’s one of life’s constants, and she’s embracing this next step with the same enthusiasm she’s always brought to her work. Though she’ll be missed dearly, her influence and friendships will remain a part of the PCS community. We wish Valerie and her husband Allen all the best in their new journey!
🍎SCHOOL LUNCH MENUS🍕
You can find school lunch menus for each grade level by following THIS LINK
WEEKLY SCHEDULES
'TIS THE SEASON
What an exciting day at TMS! We celebrated our fall sports with our first pep rally of the year, recognizing our incredible fall sports athletes on the softball team, football players, and cheerleaders! The students and teachers had a blast playing games together! A huge thank you to Ms. Gadek, Mr. Mortensen, and Mr. Brittain for stepping up and being good sports! Shoutout to our SGA for planning such a fantastic event!
What a way to close out the home season! Our Cape Fear Middle School Grizzlies brought the heat in tonight's final home game, defeating Topsail Middle School 28-22! The team left everything on the field in front of our amazing home crowd. Thank you to all the fans, parents, and students who packed the stands and showed out for our Grizzlies! Great game, Topsail!
What an AMAZING pep rally today! The energy was UNREAL! From the cheers to the performances, everyone brought their A-game and showed out! Shoutout to all the clubs and teams recognized: BETA Club, Battle of the Books, Color Guard, Softball, Football, and the Cheer Team!!! By the end of the pep rally, it was the 8th grade students who showed they had the most school spirit.
🥎"GO SOFTBALL!" These words rang out after the end of game prayer yesterday evening and this is what sports are all about.
Tryouts for Winter Sports at Topsail Middle School are coming up. Please make sure your student-athlete has all the required paperwork and eligibility requirements met in order to tryout. Boys Basketball/Girls Soccer start October 20 and Cheerleading starts October 21.
From Burgaw Middle - October is National Bullying Month and BMS is a bully free zone!
AND... BMS would like to give a shout out to Ms. Foster for her fantastic work on creating Appointment Reminders for parents to put on the fridge after signing up for specific times to meet with teachers and staff! Parent's be on the lookout! We can't wait to see you!
From Topsail High - Congratulations to the THS Marching Band on a fantastic start to our competition season at Clinton High School! We had a very successful run of our show and brought home multiple awards, including 2nd Place Colorguard, 1st Place Music, Overall Band, and Percussion! Our program was also honored with the Earl Taylor Pride of Clinton Award for excellence in character and kindness on and off the field! Please join us in celebrating Mr. Wentzek and our award winning band on October 18th for the annual Pirate Classic. Go Pirates!
From Pender Innovative Learning Academy - The staff and students at PILA kicked off mental health awareness week by wearing green!!!!
From Malpass Corner Elementary - Our spirit gear is here, and the MCE staff is rocking their new look! There’s no better way to show off our Eagle pride!
AND… 2nd grade is making magic happen in Mrs. Boerigter's class at MCE! Awesome work, everyone — keep the learning going strong!
From Surf City Elementary - This week we're supporting #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek by wearing green and learning techniques we can use to pick ourselves up when we're having a bad day.
AND… Mrs. Morgan's 3rd grade class is wrapping up a unit about Earth Systems. They are developing a map from clay that represents the patterns of land and water.
From Heide Trask High - Spark Scholars had the incredible opportunity to visit the Dell Campus in Apex! From exploring the inner workings of the manufacturing facility to engaging in meaningful conversations with a panel of passionate Dell employees, our students gained real-world insights into tech careers, pathways, and purpose. These experiences continue to ignite curiosity and spark ambition, one conversation at a time.
From C.F. Pope Elementary - Paws-itive Attendance Alert! Congratulations to our September Attendance Winners! Grade Level Winner: 4th Grade – 96.34% | Classroom Winner: Wright – 97.05% | Student Winner: Kiera. Way to go, Panthers! Your dedication and commitment to being present each day make a huge difference. Let’s keep up the amazing attendance in October!
From Pender Early College High - Congrats to PECHS Students Gracie Karwoski, Natile Holtslander and Ricardo Vega Hernandez and the HTHS Marching Band in the 27th Annual Band Day on 10/4. They won 1st place for Drum Major, 1st place Horn Line and Overall 2nd place Color Guard. #OnePender #
AND… Congrats to PECHS student Levi Boscaljon who won 1st place in the Class AAAA Percussion Divison. 27th Annual Band Day competition was held at Clinton High School on Sat. Oct 4th. Levi is a student at PECHS who also participates in the THS band.
From Pender High - Great informational session from App State yesterday! Our students were able to learn all about the school and best practices for the application process.
From Cape Fear Elementary - Congratulations to our October Crystal Apple recipient. Mrs. Kayla Hollifield transitioned to Kindergarten this year and has done a phenomenal job. She is a natural fit on our Kinder team and a truly nurturing soul to our students. We are so grateful for her dedication and heart!
AND… In this activity, students are challenged to build a glider that will glide as far as possible. Working in groups, students will cut and tape various hoops to their straw. They will experiment with hoops of different sizes, positioning, and throwing styles.
From Topsail Middle - This week at Topsail Middle, our 8th graders engaged in the Work Values Sorter as part of the NC Career Development Plan. This initiative equips students with the skills to navigate high school electives, financial decisions, and career choices. A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Chase and Mr. Brittain for facilitating this valuable activity, and to Ms. Wood for her collaboration with the middle school Career Development Coordinator. Encouraging our students to take charge of their futures!
From West Pender Middle - Taking learning outdoors! Students in Ms. Christoff's 7th grade classes brought their Social Studies projects outside as they worked on travel brochures for their colonies. Fresh air + creativity = great work!
From Rocky Point Elementary - In recognition of National Fire Prevention Week, we received a visit from the Rocky Point Volunteer Fire Department. Students learned about the importance of having a “meeting place” in the event of fire, information about some of the tools on the truck, what firefighters look like in their turn-out gear and that we should never hide from a firefighter if we are inside our house. If you do not have a fire safety plan, we would encourage you to develop one and practice it with your family!
From Topsail Annandale Elementary - This week has started our Family PE week! It has been great welcoming in parents to come and experience PE with their students. We can't wait to welcome others the rest of this week! Thank you Coach Redd for putting together a fantastic experience.
AND… Bats at Night! Kindergarten is learning about geometric shapes and primary colors in Art this week.
From South Topsail Elementary - AIG Stingrays were making mazes and coding Spheros today!
From Cape Fear Middle - Mr. Odom's 8th Grade classes have been finishing off their towers and testing them to the point of failure, 7th Grade has been doing the same thing with their bridges. 6th Grade students have finished up their Tetrahedral Kits and are looking forward to trying them out.
🔥 Pender County Schools is committed to engaging students in exciting experiential learning activities that will prepare them for their futures. These experiences are designed to equip our students with the skills needed for enrollment, enlistment, or employment upon graduation. We're proud to offer incredible opportunities in Career and Technical Education! 🛠️👩🔬👨🎓 Click HERE for the latest from CTE Director Dominique Bates #CTEforNC #ExperienceTheExcellence
PENDER-TOPSAIL POST & VOICE - Front Page
WECT - Pender County moms advocate for bill that would put AEDs in every school in the state
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Created with images by Jan Rozehnal - "Portrait of a cute red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)" • STOATPHOTO - "Whats New.,Communication, business and knowledge concept.,Wooden table" • Thomas - "Green metal lockers along a nondescript hallway in a typical US High School. No identifiable information included and nobody in the hall. " • charles taylor - "random post it stickers" • photocrew - "Nachrichten" • NaMong Productions - "hand holding smart phone with application icons interface and globe networking system. concept technology social network communication."