Upcoming Events
Monday, November 1st: No School, Conference Day
November 1-5: Celebramos el Día de los Muertos
Thursday, November 11th: No School, Veterans Day
Friday, November 12th: No School, Conference Day
Wednesday, November 17th: Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
2021/2022 Calendar is available here!
Administrator's Message
Dear Village School Families,
We were fortunate to have such a nice weekend. If your family joined in the festivities of Halloween we hope it was safe and enjoyable. The weather was grand. We also hope you took a few minutes to get outside and enjoy this beautiful, brisk time of year.
Not So Scary Festivities
Perhaps you heard of the festivities we had last Friday at school. The kitchen staff presented a brief humorous pirate-themed skit and all the children had an opportunity to guess the weight of a giant pumpkin. Uma Khoury came the closest, guessing 552 pounds. The colossal squash weighed in at 570 pounds. Plus, Sue Romatz with the help of participating staff and volunteers made an exciting Halloween hike with nine stations of fun jack-o-lanterns and decorations. A safe celebration was had by all.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
To those of you that have already signed up for a conference, thank you. There’s still time to email your child’s teacher and check for a slot on November 12th.
Walk and Roll to School
Thanks to all that made the extra effort to walk 'n' roll to school. Please stop by the participation chart posted in the display case in the breezeway near room 106. Students who won the scooter raffle were Malin Longano (grade 6), Sabela Sunderland (grade 3), and Nea Jameson-Martinson (grade 2).
Staying Healthy and Safe
Whether a student has a cold, influenza, or COVID-like symptoms please err on the side of caution and keep them at home. Most respiratory infections can be prevented using the same preventative methods we use to avoid COVID transmission. Masking, social distancing, and hand washing and sanitizing. If indeed you are seeing COVID-like symptoms, please work closely with your primary care physician. Testing is the only method to determine the difference between COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases.
Vaccinations for children 5 years of age and up
We’ve been informed that Lane County Public Health will be ready to vaccinate children by November 8th. The Governor's standing order to begin is scheduled to be posted on November 5th. Albertson’s and Costco will provide vaccines to children 5 and up. The Lane Events Center will be open two days a week for walk-ins. When we learn about the locations of mobile vaccination clinics we will let you know.
Transmission of COVID-19 among school age children
We learned last week that the average number of cases in Lane County dropped from 30 to 20 students identified as positive or presumptive. There are very few transmissions occurring during the school day. Two areas it happens most in the school environment is on a school bus or during athletic events. We have neither at The Village School. The greatest culprit of transmissions occurs during social events with family and friends.
As the fall season drifts to winter, let's remain outdoors as much as possible when visiting with friends and family. Of course, we will go indoors too, so please remember all the protocols for mitigating transmission of respiratory diseases even when spending glorious times with those close and dear to you.
Warmly,
The Village School Administrative Team
Bob, Andy, Shannon and Sue
The Halloween Hike and Pumpkin Contest
Counseling Corner
Our children are growing, changing, and learning new things every day. Sometimes learning something new can be hard and frustrating. A few weeks ago some of our students met the Magical Yet. They learned from the Yet to “keep trying and practice - a lot.” Below are pictures from our 1st graders as they learned that the Yet is always with them as they learn, grow, and explore.
What new things have you learned to do recently or haven’t mastered YET? You can watch a reading of The Magical Yet and learn about having a growth mindset here. - The Magical Yet.
Rebecca Macemon
Counselor
rmacemon@eugenevillageschool.org
From the Kitchen
Kitchen staff had fun putting on a pirate skit for the students on Friday. The pirates encouraged children to guess the weight of the colossal pumpkin resting on our stage. Fifth grader, Uma Khoury, won with a guess of 552 lbs. The true weight of the colossal pumpkin was 570 lbs. Big thanks to Organically Grown Company for donating the massive orange beast and all the staff that helped wrestle it from the pallet to our loading dock. Gratitude also goes out to the kitchen staff and volunteers that helped make the Halloween festivities a success!
This Friday we have two very special guest chefs coming to make an authentic Oaxacan dish for lunch. Our school custodians, Nati and Ana Vasquez Cortez, will be preparing traditional memelas which are made from corn masa and served with various toppings. They will be prepping ones with frijoles y queso fresco. The entire meal will be gluten free and dairy free memelas will be available as well. Warmly, Toña Aguilar
November Breakfast Menu November Lunch Menu The Village School Eugene, Oregon w - 541-345-7285 c - 541-510-8604 taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org
Free Opt-in Testing through U of O and OHA
The Village School has joined other schools in a program that makes weekly testing available to our students! U of O has partnered with Oregon Health Authority to provide free, voluntary COVID-19 testing kits to children attending participating K-12 schools.
Use the link below to opt-in:
Please fill out the following form as well and return it to the office!
Celebramos el Día de los Muertos
Our 2021 school Día de Los Muertos celebrations will be held over the next two weeks. Village School children have been learning about the history and the importance of this, mainly, Latin American holiday.
They are learning about the joy and remembrance that this special day brings. An understanding of the indigenous roots of the day along with the fusion of Spanish and Christian European traditions allows students to see how ancient the holiday truly is.
8th grade student, Emma, works on her Calaca
painting in preparation for Día de la Muertos.
This year we will not be holding an evening event. In its place, we will be celebrating by taking part in the following ways:
The traditional school Ofrenda will be placed in the Commons from October 28-November 4. Students are welcome to place photos of loved ones on the Ofrenda. All students will have the opportunity to view the Ofrenda on Friday, Nov. 5. Families are welcome to come through the commons during conference hours on Monday, November 1.
Students have been creating artwork to be displayed in the Commons during the time the ofrenda is up. Paintings, papel picado, and other Día de los Muertos works of art will be available for viewing on conference day.
A special Oaxacan lunch will be served to students eating the school lunch on Friday, Nov. 5. Nati and Ana (our wonderful custodians) will be cooking traditional veggie memelas for us. ¡Sabrosísima!
The middle school students (grades 7 and 8) are creating Día de los Muertos slides to be shared digitally next Monday.
We hope that you and your family have a joyous day celebrating those who have passed, lending wonderful memories and much happiness.
Sinceramente,
Maestras Sarah y Toña
Parent Council
The next Parent Council Meeting will be on November 10th at 5:30 pm!
Please join us and send questions and ideas to parentcouncil@eugenevillageschool.org.
The notes from past meetings can be found here.
Every Village School parent and guardian is a part of Parent Council - The Virtual Parent Council Meetings are open to all parents and guardians on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.
You can also engage with Village School families on the Parent Council Facebook page, The Village Vine!
Don't forget to sign in to HelpCounter and report your hours so we can see the amazing contributions from our Village School Families
Library News
Meetings for Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) have started for grades 3-5. OBOB is a voluntary state-wide reading program in which children read from a list of 16 books, form teams, then "battle" against other teams by answering trivia questions from the books. In previous years, students formed teams and met outside the school day.
This year, due to cohorting and social distancing requirements, interested students will meet in small groups with me in the library during the school day. Later in the winter we will be forming teams, and the school battles will take place in late February. The winning team will represent the Village School at a virtual regional tournament. The VS library has copies of the books, but students can also get print books, ebooks, and audio books through the Eugene Public Library. For more information about OBOB, please reference the OBOB website or feel free to contact me.
Molly Bautista, VS Librarian
LTD Passes Coming Soon! - Deadline Extended to December 30th
The Village School is working with 4j and LTD to make touchpasses available to students! More news to come! (The deadline has been extended by LTD to December 30th account for the challenges they have had getting touchpasses out to schools and students)
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
On November 14, 1960, at the tender age of six, Ruby Bridges became the first African American student to integrate into an elementary school in the South. Her simple but courageous act of showing up for school each day played an important part in the civil rights movement.
In May 2018, a group of fifth-graders from Martin Elementary School in South San Francisco, California, learned about Ruby and asked their school board to pass a resolution making November 14 Ruby Bridges Day. The San Mateo County Office of Education Safe Routes to School team met with the students about making it a Walk to School Day and invited them to present this proposal to the San Mateo County Board of Education. In years when November 14th falls on a weekend, Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is celebrated the following Wednesday. This year that falls on Wednesday, November 17th.
Learn more on the Safe Routes to School Page!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!
Like Dorothy stepping from her front doorstep and into the land of Oz, the past year and a half has been like stepping into an unfamiliar land filled with unpredictability, unexpected friendships and many challenges; and like Dorothy, many of us are seeking a return to the familiar.
The Village School staff would like to lead you along the yellow brick road, bringing together our community with something purely fun and entertaining!
Each day you can listen to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, each chapter will be read by a different staff member (maybe your child can guess who is reading!)
The chapters will be linked on the front page of The Village School Website so check back each day as our children, families and Village School community go on a journey together!
“The story of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” was written solely to please children of today. It aspires to being a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out.”
L. Frank Baum
Chicago, April, 1900.
Free and Reduced Lunch
If you have not yet done so, take a moment to complete the Free and Reduced Lunch Application, and turn it into the office. You can also apply online. Extra copies are available in the office. Our school’s Title I funding is based on the number of qualified households we have, so it is crucial that everyone see if they qualify.
If you received a direct certification letter from the school district that lists your student(s) eligibility, please turn that into the office instead of the free and reduced lunch application.
Contact Tristin in the office for details at office@eugenvillageschool.org
Wellness Resources - The Well
School Psychologist Kelly Korach created a wonderful resource for Village School families. Please check out The Well for wellness resources for parents and children!
