Upcoming Events
Wednesday, December 8 - 5:30 - 7:00 pm: Parent Council Meeting
Wednesday, December 15 - 5:30 - 7:30 pm: Board Meeting on site
Thursday, December 16 - Friday, December 30 No School, Winter Break
Monday, January 3: No School, Teacher Work Day
Tuesday, January 4: School Resumes with normal schedule
Administrator's Message
Dear Village School Families,
We hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. Perhaps you had a memorable day with family and friends around the table or took a long walk and enjoyed the natural wonders of our beautiful world. Speaking of holidays, Hanukkah begins today. For our families and friends celebrating Hunukkah, we wish you and your family peace and light during this special time of year.
No Change in Village School Mask Wearing Policy
All students and staff will continue to wear masks indoors and outdoors. We expect parents and guardians when on campus to also wear a properly fitting mask at all times, even if you are on campus for just a few minutes during drop off and pick up times.
While the Oregon Health Authority has lifted the mandate for wearing masks outdoors*, we are using our local decision making authority to maintain the mask wearing mandates. The Village School health and safety committee meets on December 8. At that time we will consider what changes, if any, in our mitigation strategies we might put into effect on January 4, 2022 when school resumes after the winter break. Until further notice we will continue to follow the same mask wearing protocols at The Village School.
* Go to Outdoor Mask Mandate, August 24 to learn more which groups the rule does and doesn’t apply to.
Test to Stay in School Program
The Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority are developing a test to stay in school program. One page OHA brief here. The purpose of Test to Stay is to reduce quarantine time and to safely keep children in school. It is for unvaccinated students or staff who:
● Are determined to be a close contact to a COVID-19 positive case in a school setting in which universal masking is in place (i.e., in the classroom or on the school bus).
● Are free of any COVID-19 symptoms.
The following One Page Flyer for Parents describes how the new program will work in schools. Participation in the program requires parental consent, The Village School administrative team will receive more information on December 6 and 13. Stay tuned.
There is a lot going on each day for our students and their families. Don’t hesitate to call the office and speak to one of us regarding any of your school related needs. As the seasons turn we march toward winter. We look forward to the Winter Solstice on December 21. Although the winter can be bitterly cold, on occasion we can step outside on a clear night and celebrate in that canopy of starry lights in which we all share.
Warmly,
Shannon, Sue, Bob and Andy
Winter is Coming
Use all the layers possible at home to reduce the transmission of the virus. The Layers of Safety illustrate the same strategies we use at school to reduce transmission. Try your best to limit gatherings and non-essential activities. If you visit with folks outside of your household it is recommended to wear a mask and maintain social distance, especially if you are indoors.
Vaccination available for Ages 5-11
Lane County Public Health has a list of places to go and how to make appointments Covid-19 Vaccine for Children & Teens. The following venues are taking children's appointments:
Pharmacies: Costco CVS Fred Meyer Health Mart Rite Aid Safeway/Albertsons Walgreens Walmart.
Practices: Community Health Centers of Lane County* McKenzie Willamette Medical Center Oregon Integrated Health Oregon Medical Group White Bird Clinic
Lane County: Lane County Source to Vaccine Clinics.
8th Grade Wreath Sale!
The 8th grade had a wonderful wreath and swag making workshop yesterday led by Cecilia Storey. Students learned how to create wreaths using the grape vines from the school garden as a base.
Stop by the school courtyard at pick up time any day this week to see what they created. Students will be selling them to raise funds for their 8th grade class trip this spring.
Please consider supporting our 8th grade class trip by purchasing a wreath or swag. Students will be selling these November 29-December 3, or until sold out.
If you are interested in one but are unable to be on campus during those times, please contact Toña at 541-510-8604 or villagelunchlady@gmail.com before next Monday to reserve one.
Swags and wreaths will be available to purchase after school in the courtyard next week from 2:45-3:15. They will go fast!
Counseling Corner
The Gratitude Wall
Cats, Family, In-Person School, The Forest, Gaga Ball, Pizza, Pets, Food at this School, Beach, Friends, Food, The Earth
These are just a few of the many things that students at The Village School are grateful for. Prior to Thanksgiving Break students were given the opportunity to write down what they are grateful for to be added to a larger wall of gratitude. When you are on campus I encourage you to stop by the outdoor eating area to check out the Gratitude Wall. You can also develop a gratitude practice for your family. You can start a gratitude jar where you write down your gratitudes each day and add them to the jar or keep a family gratitude journal.
Rebecca Macemon
rmacemon@eugenevillageschool.org
Afterschool Programming to Begin in January 2022
Village School staff are working on a schedule of after school classes to begin the first week of January after the break. Currently we are looking into providing classes in ceramics, art, robotics, creative writing, marimba and drama. We hope to have a schedule out in the next few weeks.
Village School Kitchen
We caught Mr. B singing at the condiment line today. He has been looking forward to Stacked Enchilada day since the start of the school year!
Check out the December breakfast and lunch menus! They can always be found on The Village School website. You can also pick up a paper copy from the office to put in a handy place at home so your child knows what to expect for school day meals.
Warmly, Toña The Village School Eugene, Oregon w - 541-345-7285 c - 541-510-8604 taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org
P-EBT Benefits for 2021-22
This year school meals are free for all students; however, P-EBT benefits worth roughly $1,000 per student are only available to families who qualify for federal free and reduced meals. We just were informed that the state of Oregon is currently applying to extend P-EBT benefits to the 2021-22 school year. Last year, the sooner families qualified, the greater were the benefits.
How to qualify?
Please submit your Free and Reduced Meal Application. If you qualify, your family will be included when we report this information to the state.
Other reasons to apply:
The more families that qualify for federal free and reduced meals, the more funding we receive for Title I small-group instruction in reading and math. These reading and math groups are vitally important for many of our students. Our funding can shift by as much as $30,000 depending on how many families apply.
Application:
Please complete the Free & Reduced Meals application. Apply either of 2 ways:
Download, fill out and return the following form. (Click here).
Complete the online version at https://www.ode.state.or.us/apps/frlapp.
LTD Passes Available! - Deadline Extended to December 30th
The Village School is working with 4j and LTD to make touchpasses available to Village School students!
(The deadline has been extended by LTD to December 30th account for the challenges they have had getting touchpasses out to schools and students)
If you have a child that does not attend Village School, please contact their school to see if they have touchpasses available for students. We are only able to provide passes to Village School Students.
Fill out the form below to sign up and provide permission for your Village School student to have a card. Then come into the office to have a card assigned to your child!
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 are 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.
December Parent Council
The next Parent Council Meeting will be Wednesday December 8th at 5:30 pm
Please join us for the last meeting of 2021 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
Lost Library books
Recently several children have told me they may have lost their library books. When this happens I usually instruct them to tell a caregiver and to keep looking around their home or other places they may have taken it (vehicle, daycare, etc). If the library book(s) still cannot be found, contact me and I will let you know the cost of replacement, and you can pay the office. Once the book(s) are paid for, students can resume checking out books from the library. Please let me know if the cost is a hardship for your family and we can work something out. My goal is to maintain access to the library for all students as much as possible.
Here are some tips for helping keep track of library books:
- Check in with our child on their library day and find out what book(s) they brought home.
- Designate one spot in your home to keep them until your child is ready to return them. If you have many books from other libraries, it may help to keep them separate.
- It may work best for your child to choose (books) from the library but keep them at school in their desk or cubby.
Thank you for helping keep as many books available for our Village School community as possible!
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB)
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
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!
