💙🐾 The Panther Pride kept rolling this afternoon! 🐾💙 Our high school wrapped up Homecoming Week with a pep rally full of laughs, competition and plenty of Panther spirit! The seniors kicked things off with a VERY entertaining choreographed dance 😂 before each grade battled it out in Head, Shoulders, Knees, Grab the Pom or Wig Snatch. Our Homecoming royalty took their turn at “Sing the Word”—just like the elementary staff did this morning—and even the football team and high school staff got in on the fun! A huge THANK YOU to our cheerleaders for organizing such a fun pep rally and bringing the energy all week long! 📣 And thank you to our administration for setting everything up so our elementary students could watch the high school pep rally live through Hudl. One Panther Family from one building to the next! 💙 Now there’s only one thing left to do… 🏈 KICKOFF: 7:00 PM TONIGHT! Let’s FILL THE STANDS, get loud and cheer on our Panthers! 🐾💙 GO PANTHERS!

🐾💙 PANTHER PRIDE WAS LOUD this morning at our PEP RALLY at the elementary! 💙🐾 📣 The cheerleaders got everyone fired up by leading a cheer 🎤 Our seniors introduced themselves to the elementary students 🎶 Staff members battled it out in a friendly (and hilarious!) game of “Sing the Word” 📣 We wrapped things up with one more cheer before our students headed back to class through another Panther tunnel! A huge THANK YOU to our cheerleaders for organizing such a fun morning and to all of our seniors for continuing to invest their time in our elementary students. 💙 The elementary was definitely feeling the Panther Pride this morning! 🐾 GO PANTHERS!

Following High Five Friday this morning, our kindergarteners and seniors came together for our 3rd Annual Kindergarten–Senior Coin Exchange, one of our favorite Homecoming traditions! Each kindergartener was paired with a senior to exchange these special Panther coins—a reminder of where their school journey begins and where it will one day lead. Class of 2039, meet the Class of 2027! 🥹 We loved having parents join us to watch this special moment and seeing our youngest and oldest Panthers together as part of today’s Homecoming festivities. From kindergarten to senior year, we’re all ONE Panther Family. 💙🐾 🎥 Take a look at this sweet tradition in action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT7DFcY6BIc

🏈 PANTHER YOUTH FOOTBALL NIGHT IS TONIGHT! 🏈 Tonight, our 3rd–6th grade Panther football players get the chance to experience Friday Night Lights alongside the high school team! 💙🐾 Youth players will run onto the field with the Panthers before kickoff and be recognized again at halftime! 🚨 PARENTS: Youth football players need to be at the field by 6:35 PM. Please meet at the WEST GATE entrance by the concession stand. Players should wear their uniforms! 🏈 Panthers vs. Schuyler ⏰ Kickoff: 7:00 PM Recognition is for grades 3–6, but we’d LOVE to see our younger Panther football players in the stands tonight, too! Come cheer on the big kids and get a glimpse of what Friday Night Lights will look like for you someday. 💙 👉 3rd–6th grade families: Check the attached document for the full schedule and additional details.

✋💙 HIGH FIVE FRIDAY: HOMECOMING EDITION! 💙✋ We kicked off Homecoming Friday in a BIG way this morning! 🎉 All of our senior athletes made their way to Bennet Elementary for a very special High Five Friday! With balloons, music pumping, and plenty of Panther spirit, our students started a morning full of Homecoming festivities with lots of smiles and LOTS of high fives! 🙌 There’s just something special about seeing our youngest Panthers looking up to our seniors—and our seniors taking the time to make their morning a little more exciting. 💙 What a way to kick off Homecoming Friday! #OnePantherFamily #HighFiveFriday #PantherPride

🐾 WOW! Bennet Elementary students have STEPPED UP! ❤️💙 We’ve already surpassed $20,000 in donations for the Panther Fun Run, and our students now have their eyes set on that $25,000 goal and an ICE CREAM TRUCK coming to school! 🍦🙌 So far, eight classes have earned an extra recess with Mr. Haag, students cashed in on Hat Day last Friday, and they still have Pajama Day, Music at Lunch AND a Panther Picnic at Bennet Park to look forward to! But all that fun is helping fund something pretty special. 🪑 🎥 Check out these boys as they explain why you should support this year’s 5th Grade Legacy Project! https://youtube.com/shorts/WpW3cuhjnPs?feature=share And Bennet Elementary alumni…you might get an extra good chuckle out of this one. 😂 Apparently, some things around here have been around for a very long time! ❤️💙 Keep those donations coming, Panthers!

It's Softball Game Day! #GoPanthers

It's HS Volleyball Game Day! #GoPanthers

It's XC Meet Day! #GoPanthers

It's Girls Golf Meet Day! #GoPanthers

Mark your calendars for Tuesday, September 22! Stop by Runza and enjoy a meal while supporting an incredible program in our schools. 10% of sales will be donated to TeamMates Mentoring! TeamMates connects students with caring adult mentors who show up, listen, encourage, and make a lasting difference — often with just one hour a week. And we are always looking for more mentors to join our TeamMates family! Interested in learning what it takes to become a mentor or want to know more about the TeamMates program at District OR-1? 👉 Learn more here: https://www.districtor1.org/page/teammates-mentoring Then, don’t forget to make Runza your dinner plans on September 22! ❤️🙌

It's HS VB Game Day! #GoPanthers

It's JV FB Game Day! #GoPanthers

It's Panther Softball Game Day! #GoPanthers

👑 Congratulations to our 2026 PHS Homecoming Candidates! 👑 Queen Candidates: Ellie Anderson • Dannica Hose • Elyse Lenhoff King Candidates: Kobee Martin • Matthew Unruh • Gavin Waggerman Congratulations to all six of our candidates! Join us Friday night as the Panthers take on Schuyler at 7:00 PM, with the Homecoming King and Queen crowned following the varsity football game! 🏈👑 Good luck to our candidates, and GO PANTHERS! 🐾❤️💙

It's JH VB Game Day! #GoPanthers

It's ECNC Girls Golf Meet Day! #GoPanthers UPDATE: Hayden Gruber placed 4th with a score of 50! Great job Hayden!

Here's the week at a glance for PHS activities!

🏠🎉 HOMECOMING WEEK STARTS TOMORROW! 🎉🏠 Time to dig through the closets, raid the dress-up bins, and ask yourself, “Does this count as a meme?” 😂 Homecoming dress-up days kick off TOMORROW, and we can’t wait to see what our Panthers come up with! 📣 Parents: Consider this your friendly reminder before someone announces at 7:42a.m., “WAIT! IT’S BEACH DAY TODAY!” 😅 Elementary and High School have different themes, so check the graphics and get those outfits ready! ❤️💙 Let’s see that Panther spirit all week long! Happy Homecoming Week, Panthers! #Homecoming2026 #PantherPride #OnePantherFamily #SpiritWeek

Bennet Elementary is currently without power. At this time, we do not know when power will be restored. Our emergency lighting is limited, and we do not have air conditioning in the building.

Out of an abundance of caution and with the safety of our students and staff as our top priority, Bennet Elementary will dismiss at 1:30 PM today.

We want to make sure every student has the opportunity to eat lunch before heading home. Fortunately, our hot lunch was prepared prior to the power outage, so we are able to serve lunch to all students as scheduled. We will continue with business as usual through the lunch period and then prepare for our 1:30 PM dismissal.

We are communicating this now to give families a couple of hours to make any necessary arrangements.

IMPORTANT: Our school phones are currently down.

All communication regarding changes to your child's dismissal plan MUST be sent by email to benoffice@districtor1.net. Please CC your child's classroom teacher on the email as well.

Our office will be monitoring that email closely and communicating dismissal changes to teachers as they come in. Please do not attempt to call the school, as we are unable to receive phone calls at this time.

If you would prefer to pick your child up before 1:30 PM, you are absolutely welcome to do so at any point. Please come to the school, and we will get your child to you.

This early dismissal is for Bennet Elementary only. Palmyra High School will continue with a normal school day and normal dismissal time. All scheduled district activities later today will also continue as planned.

Again, our priority is keeping everyone safe, making sure every student is fed, and giving families as much time as possible to make arrangements. We appreciate your patience and flexibility as we work through an unusual situation.