Michelle Jensen, PhD

02/14/2026

Senior Night was something special. 🏀

Tonight we celebrated our senior athletes from both our girls and boys basketball teams — students who have poured their time, heart, and hustle into this program.

The student section was absolutely on point — loud, proud, and all in. The band sounded incredible and brought the kind of spirit that makes high school athletics unforgettable.

To our seniors: thank you for your leadership, your resilience, and the example you’ve set for those coming behind you. You’ve represented our school with pride.

What a great night to be together. 💚💛

02/12/2026

Great night tonight celebrating the partnership of Buck Boosters and supporting Pendleton Sports programs! Thank you to everyone who came out for the dinner and auction. Go Bucks! 💛💚

01/29/2026

Proud to share great news—our district’s graduation rates are up, reflecting meaningful progress for our students and community. 🎓

This milestone is the result of the collective work of our educators, staff, students, families, and community partners. Graduation is built over time through strong relationships, high expectations, and belief in every student.

Grateful for the people who make this work possible every day.

The Pendleton School District (PSD) is proud to announce that its graduation and completion rates for the 2024-2025 school year are the highest in the past 15+ years. Through the […]

01/16/2026

So proud of our students and our community!

What a great night of basketball—watching both our girls’ and boys’ teams compete with heart, teamwork, and determination. And a special shout-out to our dance team for a halftime performance that brought energy and school spirit to the gym!

This is what community looks like. 💚💛

01/13/2026

So proud to celebrate our Kindergarten Little Bucks at today’s awards assembly!

Moments like these are how we begin building a culture of achievement—recognizing effort, growth, and the joy of learning from the very start.

Way to go, Little Bucks! 💚💛

01/13/2026

Grateful for a powerful reminder of why we do this work. 💛💚

Tonight’s board meeting at our middle school was framed by an incredible sunset and elevated by the beautiful performance from our middle school chamber choir. Moments like these keep students at the very center of our work—our purpose, our joy, and our “why.”

I’m especially thankful for our Board of Directors during School Board Appreciation Month and for their continued support of a strong K–12 music and arts program. The arts build confidence, connection, and voice for our students, and tonight they shined in every way.

Proud of our students, our educators, and the community that believes in them.

01/11/2026

Congratulations to our PHS swim team! 💚💛

01/08/2026

Huge thanks to the Pendleton School District 16R Board of Education! 🎓

Serving as a school board member is a demanding role that requires deep dedication to educational excellence and fiscal responsibility. We appreciate your strategic leadership and your unwavering support for our staff and students.

Thank you for helping us shape the future!

January is School Board Recognition Month!

Our school board members are more than just officials—they are our neighbors, friends, and tireless advocates for our children’s futures. They spend countless hours behind the scenes making tough decisions, attending evening meetings or school events, and always putting students first.

Please join us in saying THANK YOU to our seven outstanding school board members for their dedication to Pendleton School District! We are so grateful for your leadership and your heart for our community.

11/14/2023

Rallying through difficult times can be deceiving, masking the toll that prolonged stress can take on our emotional reserves. That's why it's so important to take the strength of your soul seriously and prioritize self-care and emotional well-being. Building emotional reserves is not a one-time task, but rather an ongoing journey of self-care and growth.

It truly is remarkable how resilient the human spirit can be! Throughout the pandemic and post pandemic years in education, educators have rallied again and again. Unfortunately, we have dipped into our emotional reserves, and it is time to understand our emotional reserves and to replenish them. We...

11/06/2023

When was the last time you did something completely new!? Today I decided to try a new thing and built a podcast. As with most things that are brand new, there is significant room for growth, but I invite you to join the conversation and grow with me.

Amidst some of the most challenging years for educational professionals, Walk Straight at Barking Dogs: Leading for Emotionally Healthy Schools by Dr. Michelle Jensen provides a platform for conversation among educational leaders to abandon scarcity mindsets and embrace leadership practices to nurture an emotionally healthy school and a positive school climate.

Listen to Walk Straight at Barking Dogs on Spotify. Throughout this podcast will explore the vulnerabilities, trials, and trams that educational your space. Every day will share stories, insight, an expert advice to help you on your leader ship journey. This podcast is about cultivating emotionally...

07/06/2023

This is a beautiful example of teaching restorative practices in the routines of a kindergarten classroom.

In this kindergarten classroom, students learn conflict resolution skills through a short restorative justice practice.