From the Principal

May 20, 2026

Colts and Colt Families:

We are sprinting to the finish. Spring sports are wrapping up, our final theater show has closed, our musicians have played their last solos, and 50+ students attended the LCC trades expo. Last week was our final pep assembly, underclassmen MORP event, and Prom. Advanced Placement (AP), Seal of Biliteracy, Certified Medical Assistant, and Certified Nursing Assistant competency exams have concluded. Elected class officers are being voted on today. Bravo to our students on their leadership, perseverance, and hard work!

Thurston students do more than the minimum. One of our student-athletes says it best: “Knowing that I can be even better is what pushes me.”

We want to encourage students to lean in and take care of business to finish the semester strong. Students are completing assessments and projects. Finals prep is underway. Teachers work hard to support students who show up to class each day.

Days remaining by the numbers:

6 A Days
6 B Days
1 C Day
3 Finals Days

Every single school day remaining can make a difference in how students end the year.

Go Colts!

Principal Pelster

Follow @thurstoncolts for campus highlights or at our new school website https://ths.springfield.k12.or.us/about

In This Newsletter

We are Colts: Caring, Brave, Prepared

Upcoming Celebrations: Student Body Awards Assembly and Senior Scholarship and Recognition Night
Final Exam Prep: Cookies'n'Cram, C-Day and Finals Schedule
Summer School Credit Recovery (Save-the-Dates)
Athletics 2026-27: Academics, Attendance, Summer Camps, Registration, and Fees
Parking Passes for 2026-27
Senior Spotlight: Oregon Promise Deadline 6/1, Graduation Ticket Request Form Due 5/22, Graduation Ceremony Participation Requirements, and Senior Recover Session for Diploma Completion

Academic Supports

After School Tutoring - Tuesdays / Thursdays 3:05 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Academic Support - Wednesdays / Thursdays - 9:25 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
School wide Grading Policies
The next late work deadline Thursday, May 28th

We Are All Colts

Upcoming Celebrations

Our final assembly of the year, Wednesday, May 27th, is the Student Body Awards Assembly. This all school celebration highlights our campus leaders who demonstrate brave and caring leadership. We also highlight our students' college and career readiness. Staff will also award the THS Impact Award recognizing students who embody our community core values: caring, brave, prepared.

Scholarship and Recognition Night at 7:00 p.m. on June 1, celebrates the accomplishments of our graduating seniors. With more than 65% of students completing the FAFSA, and submitting applications for college, we know that our students are prepared to take their next steps with confidence. At this event, we will award several community scholarships. Students being recognized individually will receive an invitation. All are welcome.

Brave: Showing Up, Ready to Try

Final Exams Prep

Finals begin on June 8th with a Finals Prep Schedule. This day allows students to attend each of their courses to gather their final materials to prepare for final exams and project submissions. Finals occur on June 9th thru June 11th. Students are released early on Thursday, June 11th.

Cookies'n'Cram - June 3rd

Wednesday, June 3rd 3:10 p.m. - 4:10 p.m. in the Cafeteria students can prepare for final exams with friends, food, and teacher support. This is a great opportunity for students to do some targeted review with teachers to finish the semester strong.

Late Work Deadline - Thursday, May May 28th!

Encourage your student to prioritize academic support time with teachers each week on Wednesday and Thursday from 9:25 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. to complete test retakes and to submit work.

Summer School Credit Recovery (Save-the-Dates)

Students who are academically off-track and need to recover credits may be eligible for Credit Recovery Summer School. Session 1 runs July 6th - July 16th, Session 2 runs July 20th - July 30th. Please save-the-dates. Sign up information will be shared with students through their counselor.

Prepared: Ready for What Comes Next

Athletics 2026-27

Our athletic program participation and excellence continues to grow. Athletes are expected to be students in good standing as described in our district athletic handbook. Students who do not meet academic requirements are placed on a grade card. Students with irregular attendance will be placed on an attendance contract. Encourage your child to finish this year in good standing!

Extracurricular activities are an important part of a well-rounded educational experience. Participation in athletics helps students feel connected to their school and community, while building connection, confidence, teamwork, and lifelong skills.

As the District continues to prioritize and maintain a high-quality education for students, extracurricular participation fees for athletics are being reintroduced for the first time in several years. This will help sustain programs while continuing to prioritize student access.

For the 2026-27 school year, athletic participation fee rates are set at $75 per extracurricular sport, with a maximum annual cap of $150 per student. If fees are a barrier to your student-athlete’s participation, please reach out to Principal Pelster, Justin Starck, or your child’s counselor for information on fee waivers and financial assistance.

Key Dates:

Summer camp information will be posted on the district website.

Fall sports registration will open on July 1st.
Fall sports practices begin August 17th.

Parking Passes for 2026-27 - 85 to Drive

For our future 11th and 12th graders, regular attendance is expected of students in good standing. Students with 85% attendance or higher for the current school year are eligible to purchase their parking pass for the 2026-27 school year. We are pleased that the majority of students currently meet this standard. For students working to improve their attendance to meet this expectation, a contract process is available. More information can be found on our school website.

Senior Spotlight

Oregon Promise Deadline - June 1st

The Oregon Promise is funding from the State of Oregon that helps students pay tuition at any Oregon Community College. Students must fill out the FAFSA or ORSAA to be considered. For more information and to apply go to: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/

Graduation Ticket Request Form Due May 22nd

Graduation is getting closer! Ticket request forms are due this Friday, May 22nd. Tickets are available for pick-up in the main office starting Tuesday, May 26th.

Please review and be aware of important dates for our seniors. Rehearsal on June 5th is required!

Graduation Ceremony Participation Requirements

Seniors must be passing all required classes for their diploma as of June 3rd. This includes having the Personalized Learning Requirement completed. Students must also participate in the rehearsal on June 5th at 10:30 a.m. Students not meeting these requirements will not be able to participate in the graduation ceremony. Please check in with your child to confirm that they are on-track to participate in this year's ceremony!

Senior Recover Session for Diploma Completion

Seniors who are not passing required classes for graduation as of June 3rd will be expected to attend the senior recovery session through the last day of school, June 11th. This senior recovery session will provide time and support for non-graduating seniors to finish coursework in order to earn their diploma. Sessions will be daily in the library starting at 8:00 a.m.

Academic Supports

Academic Support - Wednesdays / Thursdays - 9:25 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
School wide Grading Policies
The next late work deadline Thursday, May 28th

Academic Support, Wednesday / Thursdays, 9:25 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Students have the opportunity each week to sign-up to check-in with a teacher of their choosing on Wednesday or Thursday during academic support. We encourage students to ask questions, access assignments, and stay ahead by using this time effectively.

Schoolwide Grading Policies

Your student will be academically challenged at high school in many ways. Demonstrations of skills and learning may require any combination of labs, tests, homework, projects, and writing; each class will be different.

Students are responsible for ensuring that they are prepared each day, ready to learn, putting forth their best first attempt on all assignments. As a school, we are focused on seeing students show their understanding of course material, and allowing students the chance to show growth and improvement over time.

For this reason, we have two school-wide grading policies for all courses:

Students may complete re-takes on all summative assignments and assessments.
Assignments completed by the school-wide late-work deadlines will have the opportunity to receive full-credit.
Late-Work Deadlines are the Last B day of each Month - except for the semester change in January

Thurston High School

Stay connected.

Thurston Office (541-744-5000)

Kimberlee Pelster, Principal - kimberlee.pelster@springfield.k12.or.us

Daniel Pestle, Assistant Principal - daniel.pestle@springfield.k12.or.us

Jeffrey Thompson, Assistant Principal - jeffrey.thompson@springfield.k12.or.us

Leslie Watson, Assistant Principal - leslie.watson@springfield.k12.or.us

Jared Taylor, Dean of Students - jared.taylor@springfield.k12.or.us

Thurston High School

Website: ths.springfield.k12.or.us
Location: 58th Street, Springfield, OR, USA
Phone: 541-744-5000
Facebook: facebook.com/ThurstonHighColts
Twitter: @THSColts