McKay Creek Elementary Holiday Concert 2025
McKay Creek Elementary students worked hard on their songs and music for their Holiday Concert, which they were happy to perform for their families in December. Check out their great voices and cheer!
National Principals Month
October is National Principals’ Appreciation Month! We’re taking a moment to celebrate the incredible principals who lead with heart, vision, and dedication every single day. Our principals work tirelessly to create schools where students feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn. Their leadership uplifts staff, strengthens families, and shapes the future of our community.
💚💛 Join us in saying thank you to our principals for all they do to make a difference—one student, one classroom, and one day at a time.
#ThankAPrincipal #PrincipalAppreciationMonth #LeadershipMatters
Welcome to PSD – Katie Groshong
Katie Groshong
5th Grade Teacher
McKay Creek Elementary School
Katie grew up in Pendleton and has lived here most of her life, only moving away a couple of years for college. She graduated from Pendleton High School in 2010.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from Eastern Oregon University and her master’s degree from Southern Oregon University.
What is Katie most excited about working in the Pendleton School District? “I am excited to be back in my hometown and to work among friends and family in the district. I’m simply excited to be here!”
In her free time, she loves to craft, bake, play games, and travel.
PELC Thanks Wildhorse Foundation & Others for Library Upgrade
Kindergartners at the Pendleton Early Learning Center (PELC) have an upgraded school library with new shelving to display hundreds of new books, thanks to the Wildhorse Foundation and other donors.
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, PELC staff gathered in the library to thank the donors and celebrate the new space. The Wildhorse Foundation grant was for $10,000. Other funding came from Title 1A, a TAPP (Tribal Attendance Promising Practices) Grant, and Title VI.
Angela Lattin, Principal of the PELC, thanked the Wildhorse Foundation. “This grant, braided with the other funding sources, was really game-changing for our school library. If not for the grant, we would have spent the next 10 years working on these projects.”
Ella Meyers, representing the Wildhorse Foundation, said the organization is really honored to be involved in something that directly impacts the youth in Pendleton and especially the connection to tribal culture. “It’s wonderful to be attending this event today, and it’s really lovely to see it turn into reality,” Meyers said.
The funding made these projects possible:
- 6 units of book shelving across stage area
- 4 units of book shelving on west wall
- Shelving units on front wall
- 806 new books
- Native American book section with 144 books written by Native authors or about Native American topics
- Stuffed animal buddies that students can read with
Principal Lattin said the PELC’s library is well utilized by students. After doing some calculations, she said this school year, there were 6,437 student trips to the library and 3,145 opportunities for students to check out books.
McKay Students Artwork for District Art Show
Students at McKay Creek Elementary have been creating artwork for the Pendleton School District Art Show in May 2025.
Basket Weaving in 3rd Grade at McKay Elementary School
There is a sign hanging in Noele Mead’s third grade class that says, “Perseverance is pushing yourself to work through challenges and obstacles.” Students have been practicing this concept while working on a basket weaving project for several weeks.
Mead wanted to start the basket project in November during Native American Heritage Month, but it didn’t work out. Gayla Blankenship, Indian Education Coordinator from CTUIR (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation), works with students at McKay Creek Elementary and is teaching the basket weaving. Blankenship said baskets like these are traditional root-gathering bags, and the hands-on learning the students are doing relates to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) curriculum.
Abigail, a third-grade student, said she found the weaving to be fairly easy and she likes that she will have a basket at the end to give to her dad. She is using colors of blue, white, and hot pink.
Another student in the class, Bryar, said, “I like how the basket grows up as you weave and it gets harder and harder; your fingers start hurting so it makes it feel like you’re working super hard.” Bryar chose pastel colors like Easter because he doesn’t like darker colors and will use the basket for huckleberry picking.
Third grader Benson said weaving the basket has been challenging and tricky, but fun to do. He said he will use his blue and green-colored basket, reminiscent of the ocean, to carry eggs from his family’s chickens at home.
Their teacher, Mead, said the students have really made progress working on their baskets, with some even taking them out to recess to work on them. The class will end the project soon, so some students will need to finish them at home.
Mead said she hopes the class project will demonstrate to her students that not everything is easy and that perseverance really matters. “Many students thought this would be easy to do, but it’s not, and it’s important just knowing that they can do hard things.”
Welcome to PSD – Makenzie McLeod
Makenzie McLeod
1st Grade Teacher
McKay Creek Elementary School
Born and raised in Pendleton, Makenzie left Pendleton only for college. She graduated from Pendleton High School in 2019.
She attended Eastern Washington University and earned a degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in literacy.
About working in the Pendleton School District, Makenzie said, “I have an amazing team and look forward to working with and learning from them this year! And in the same district that I attended — what a great opportunity.”
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, and walking her dog, Finley.
