PCS NEWS

Students from across Pender County Schools came together at Pender High School this week for the latest Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council meeting—an engaging and forward-thinking discussion about the role of Generative AI in education.

Led by Craig Lawson, Director of Digital Education and Technology, and Loren Macon, Director of Technology Services, and Kayla Davidson from Instructional Services, the presentation introduced students to the potential benefits of AI in the classroom. From enhancing learning experiences to supporting creativity and efficiency, students explored how AI can be a powerful tool when used responsibly.

Throughout the session, students shared their perspectives, asked insightful questions, and discussed ways AI could positively impact their education—whether through personalized learning, research support, or innovative problem-solving. Their voices continue to shape important conversations about the future of technology in our schools.

The Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council meets four times a year, providing a platform for student leaders from all district high schools to engage in meaningful discussions with Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove on topics that matter most to them. Today’s conversation on AI was just another example of how student input helps drive the future of education in Pender County!

🌾✂️ MORE THAN A BARN RAISED AT PENDER HIGH

Earlier this week on National Agriculture Day, Pender High School proudly cut the ribbon on a brand-new agriculture barn, made possible by a $100,000 CTE grant! 🎉 Students, staff, and community members gathered to celebrate this exciting milestone for agricultural education at PHS.

🐄💡 This barn isn’t just a building—it’s a hands-on learning space where students will gain real-world agricultural experience for years to come. CTE Teacher Mr. Thomas Herren called it a defining moment in his teaching career. Future Farmers of America President Jessica Williams shared how Mr. Herren’s passion has made a lasting impact on PHS students. 🌱

🎥 Watch our video to see how Mr. Herren’s dedication is shaping the future of agricultural education at Pender High! Today, we’re not just cutting a ribbon—we’re growing something great! 🌾💙

More on Mr. Herren’s grant: Click HERE

🐾✨ ROCKY POINT PRE-K EXPLORES THE WORLD OF PETS! ✨🐾

Our Rocky Point Pre-Kindergarten students embarked on an exciting and educational adventure with their Creative Curriculum Pet Study! Through hands-on activities and imaginative learning experiences, our young learners discovered the wonderful world of pets in fun and engaging ways. 📖✍️ In language arts, students wrote imaginative stories about their favorite pets, bringing their creativity to life through storytelling!

🏗️🔬 As part of our STEAM education, they designed and built their very own pet houses, exploring problem-solving, engineering, and creativity. 🛍️➗ Math came to life as our Rams shopped for pets in their very own classroom pet store, practicing essential skills in a fun and interactive way! 🎨🐕 Our young artists honed their fine motor skills by drawing a variety of animals, expressing their love for pets through art. This week was filled with creativity, discovery, and growth, and we couldn’t be prouder of our Pre-K students! 🐶🐱🐰 Keep exploring, learning, and imagining! 💡📚

🎶🎨 CELEBRATING THE ARTS AT SURF CITY MIDDLE SCHOOL🎨🎶

March is a month full of creativity and expression, and Surf City Middle School is proud to highlight some of our talented students in celebration of Music In Our Schools Month and Youth Art Month! From the rhythm of percussion to the strokes of a paintbrush, these students inspire us with their passion and dedication.

🌟 Spotlight on Kaylina Courtright 🌟

A dedicated 7th-grade percussionist, Kaylina has been making music in our band program for two years. She has performed in the PCS All-County Band and has her sights set on joining the Topsail High School Marching Band in the future! 🥁🎵 Beyond band, Kaylina enjoys playing piano in her free time 🎹 and exploring her artistic side by entering multiple contests in Mrs. Berdeau’s art class. She’s also a proud member of the D&D Club 🐲🎲, showing that creativity comes in many forms!

🎨 Honoring Our Young Artists 🎨

As we continue celebrating Youth Art Month, we are proud to highlight some amazing young artists who are making waves with their creativity and talent.

🌟 Harry Roy (7th Grade) 🌟

Harry’s passion for art, conservation, and music is inspiring. His favorite art media include colored pencils and watercolor, and he is eager to explore acrylic painting in the future. His accomplishments include:

✅ 3rd Place Winner – Art of Conservation® Songbird Art Contest™ 🐦🌿

✅ 3rd Place Winner – State Fish Art Contest (Fish Habitat Writing category) 🐟🌊

✅ WonderWorks ART-OLINA Contest Winner – One of only 10 works selected from NC & SC to be displayed for a year! 🌟🏙️

✅ Apprentice Artist Award recipient for dedication and creativity 🎨

✅ Plays tenor saxophone in the Surf City Middle School Band 🎷🎶

✅ Loves fishing, reading, and playing chess 🎣📚♟️

🌟 Bailey Miller (7th Grade) 🌟

Bailey’s love for 3-D art and mask-making sets her apart. Inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, she believes art is a universal language connecting people around the world. 🌍🎨 When not creating, Bailey showcases her creativity through acro and tumbling 🤸‍♀️!

🌟 Eva Hughes (7th Grade) 🌟

Eva is a State Fish Contest Writing 🥈 winner and recipient of the Apprentice Artist Award. She expresses her creativity in multiple ways, including playing electric & bass guitar 🎸 with the School of Rock in Wilmington! Her favorite art media is colored pencils, and she admires Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth. 🌾🎨

🌟 Sadie Tranter (7th Grade) 🌟

Sadie’s passion for realism shines through in her watercolor, acrylic, and graphite artwork. 🖌️✏️ She’s a Superintendent’s Choice Art Award winner 🌟, a D&D Club member 🎲, and has helped build sets for school performances 🎭. She also plays flute in the Surf City Middle School Band! 🎶

🌟 Josephine North (8th Grade) 🌟

Josephine believes that all art is beautiful in a unique way 🎨✨. She enjoys working with oil pastels, paint, and colored pencils and was a semifinalist in the NC Department of Transportation’s Aviation Art Contest! ✈️🎨 When not creating, she’s practicing Muay Thai, boxing, and volleyball! 🥊🏐

👏 Celebrating Creativity and Passion! 👏

Whether through music, painting, sculpture, or writing, these students show us that the arts are alive and thriving at Surf City Middle School. Their passion, hard work, and creativity inspire us all. Keep shining, artists and musicians! 🎶🎨✨

📚🎉 ROCKY POINT CELEBRATES READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK 🎉📚

What an incredible week we had at Rocky Point Elementary celebrating Read Across America! Our students fully embraced the magic of reading, participating in exciting activities that brought books to life. From snuggling up with their favorite stories 📖✨ to rocking fun and funky socks 🧦🎨, the energy and creativity were off the charts!

One of the highlights of the week was Character Dress-Up Day, where students transformed into their favorite literary figures! 📚🎭 Seeing beloved book characters come to life in our hallways was a fantastic way to celebrate the joy of storytelling and imagination.

SPRING SPORTS ARE UNDERWAY!

Great weather, competition, and sportsmanship on display at today’s Track Meet! Thanks to all involved for a great event.

ATTENTION PLEASE

From Surf City Elementary - Happy first day of spring from Mrs. Montaruli's Kindergarten class! 🌸

AND...Ms. Rickard's 5th graders just finished up their genetics and heredity unit and wanted to see the genes that make up all of our genetic traits. To see that, the class extracted the DNA from strawberries in a science lab today. 🍓🔎🧬

From Burgaw Middle - 6th grade students learn about Holocaust Sculptures around the world with lesson plans from the Women of Shoah Foundation. This prepares students to see the Women of Shoah Holocaust sculpture this Friday in Greensboro!

AND...We are so proud of Annelyse Penny for representing Burgaw Middle School and Pender County Schools at the Regional Spelling Bee in Charlotte, NC! Thank you 🙏🏽 to The 1865 Society for sponsoring this amazing opportunity. ⭐

From Heide Trask High - Congratulations to our Unified Titans for taking 3rd place in their Tri-County Unified Kickball Tournament today! They played hard, showed great sportsmanship, and represented Titan Town extremely well! What a great way to kick off the weekend!

From North Topsail Elementary - Last week, our K-5 students were entertained by the amazing African Unplugged, and our K-2 students were captivated by the storytelling magic of Donna Washington! 🎶📚 A huge thank you to the Grassroots Grant for supporting these enriching experiences!

AND...Check out our Top Banana winners and our Attendance Data for Q3! 🍌 Although we didn’t reach our goal of 95% Responsible Attendance, we recognize the challenges posed by flu and other illnesses. 🤒 Let’s work together to ensure everyone is healthy and ready to push for our goal in the final quarter of the 24-25 school year!

From Pender Early College - This week we are showcasing one of our graduating seniors, Kymberli Smith, who will be earning her A.A.S in Chemical Technology and hitting the workforce after she graduates.

AND...PECHS students enjoying the spring weather outside today during lunch. #🌸🌺🌷🌼🍃 #🏐🏀🏈🚲

From Topsail Middle - Today was an unforgettable experience for the TMS News Club as we visited the WECT news studio! 🎥✨ We had an incredible tour and gained valuable insights into the world of journalism and broadcasting. A special thank you to Gabe and Brian for guiding us, and to Bob for helping us make this connection with @wectnews!

From Cape Fear Middle - During the internet outage yesterday, Mrs. Merrit's classes keep going with sunshine and reading. Great job Grizzlies!!!!

AND...Ms. Morin's students are exploring their career interests by working their way through their top four career clusters. Each "center" has a notebook of engaging information, a To Do list, and several tasks related to those careers. All materials are in a box and students work in pairs to accomplish the tasks. In the process, they learn more about the careers like what high school courses align, working conditions, and more. They have the opportunity to complete a small project related to that career as well. Thanks for all your hard work preparing these centers Ms. Morin!

From West Pender Middle - ✨ Sixth graders in Ms. Miller's Social Studies class dove into Japanese culture! They learned about Japan’s history, and even created their own mini kimonos! 👘🎨 Great job, future world explorers! 🌍

From Topsail Annandale Elementary - Today we announced our 2024 - 2025 Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to our 4 nominees Mrs. Schott, Mrs. Haraway, Coach Redd, and Mrs. Lee. We greatly appreciate all that you do to help our Osprey's SOAR. All of the nominations were well deserved.

Our official teacher of the year for the 2024-2025 school year is Mrs. Lee! Mrs. Lee has done a tremendous job taking on a new role this year, as well as helping out in many aspects of our building above and beyond her call of duty. We are so thankful to have you at TAES. Congratulations!

AND...Kindergarten students are learning about the seven continents during their Wit & Wisdom block. Students are noticing and wondering about Europe. They made posters showing the map of Europe and the amazing animals that live there.

From Malpass Corner Elementary - Check out those cute little Leprechaun Eagles in Ms. O'London's Classroom! We know they weren't up to St. Paddy's Day shenanigans! Now those tall leprechauns pictured ... we have to keep an out for them! 🍀 💰 🌈 🎩 ☘️

From South Topsail Elementary - A GIANT congratulations to our very own Mrs Prevatte for winning STE's Teacher of the Year!!!!!!!! We are so lucky to have her beautiful energy around the school, supporting our students every day. 🫶🏼✨❤️

From Cape Fear Elementary - Ms. Coleman’s class is finishing up their “Building Study” this week. Today they created a labeled map using real pictures as a guide of the Rocky Point Community. This map featured many locations they utilize or get to see on a daily basis (Cape Fear Elementary, Food Lion, Rocky Point Post Office, McDonald’s, Rocky Point Fire Station etc).

From Surf City Middle - Ms. Hill’s science class mimicked mechanical and chemical digestion in order to extract the DNA from strawberries.

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! 💙

🎉 Penderlea Day is Almost Here! 🎉

Mark your calendars for April 12th from 10 AM – 2 PM and join us for a day of fun, food, and community spirit—all while supporting our students! All proceeds from this event will go directly back to Penderlea School to benefit our students.

🌭 Delicious food – hot dogs, wings, snacks & more!

🎯 Games & a fun kids' zone

🎶 Live entertainment

🚜 Touch-a-Truck

🛍️ Vendors

🎨 Student Art Display – just announced!

🎸Guitar Lessons – don’t miss this exciting opportunity!

We need YOUR help to make this event a success! If you're interested in:

✅ Volunteering

✅ Being a vendor

✅ Performing on stage

📧 Contact us at pls_info@pender.k12.nc.us for more details.

Come out, bring your family, and have fun! We can’t wait to see you there!

📍 Penderlea School

11 Garden Rd, Willard, NC 28478

Interested in joining Color Guard? Check out the flyer for more information!