Upcoming Events
Wednesday, February 2nd: NO SCHOOL, grading day
Wednesday, Feb 9, 5:30: Parent Council (Zoom)
Administrator's Message
Hello Village School Families
Saturday and Sunday were good days to get outside. As with friends and family outdoors we still need to be cautious, especially when it comes to immersing ourselves in large crowds or indoor spaces. Even after the sun burns away the fog and we jump at the chance to rejoice in nature’s beauty, let's remain steadfast to the eleven filters of mitigation against Covid-19.
Last Friday, Lane County Public Health stated that a record 1,194 cases were reported on Friday, January 21 over 24 hours. Modeling from OHA suggests the peak of Omicron cases will be in early February. That is just the peak. Our county and state health leaders are urging us to stay vigilant with safety precautions and fighting pandemic fatigue.
Proper use of Masks are Critical for the Safety of Oneself and Others
As we have stated in recent issues of the Village Voice, we highly recommend the use of high quality masks such as the N95, KN95 or KF94. Here are two links: OHA mask recommendation and Types of masks. We have KF94 masks for students of all ages in the office.
Symptom Screening, Stay Home if Ill and Seeking Tests and Vaccinations
We appreciate how our families are following the basic idea that if a child is ill, even with non-Covid-19 like symptoms, to err on the side of caution and to keep them at home. Please continue to screen your child for symptoms each morning before leaving home for school.
If you need more information about seeking Covid-19 testing or obtaining a vaccine, use Testing & Vaccine Locator.
Principal Bob Kaminski Submits Letter of Resignation
Bob Kaminski, our principal for the last two years, submitted his letter of resignation to and it was accepted by The Village School Board on January 19, 2022. He will continue to share the job with assistant principals and teachers, Sue Romatz and Shannon Powell until the first of June. Letter of Resignation
Board Approves Internal Search for Next Principal
The Board approved an internal search for the next principal. A search committee of seven people: two board members, two administrators, two teachers and a classified staff member is being assembled. Since this in an internal search the posting won’t be found on the school’s website.
Whether we are taking a peaceful walk by ourselves or sharing our love of reading, cooking, crafting, or perhaps snowshoeing with our friends and family, may the warmth of the winter sun touch us. May the rays of light remind us of the intersectionality of our unique character and also our shared responsibility as a school community dedicated to providing a safe learning environment where each child has a sense of belonging.
Warmly,
Shannon, Sue, Bob and Andy
PS – A Winter Haiku by Murakami Kijo (1865-1938)
Although there is the road,
The child walks
In the snow.
Traffic Safety
Parents and Guardians we need your help on an important safety issue.
During Drop off and Pick up on E. 35th Ave, you are required to do the following.
Approach the school from Donald Street. This reduces two way traffic on 35th Ave.
Use Drop-Off zone for Drop off only. (At the curb near the stairs leading to the school)
Always park in the correct direction and on the correct side of the street.
Do not park on the wrong side of the street. Do not stop cars in the middle of the street.
Have children exit on Curb Side of car, not the street side
Please say your “goodbyes” before you stop and avoid lingering
Children walking through a knot of automobiles is dangerous. Thank you for your attention to this critical safety issue.
Village School Health and Safety Committee Updates
Booster Shots required by February 14 for Staff and Volunteers
All staff, unless they already have an approved exemption on file, are required to have a booster shot by February 14. Staff that do not have their booster by February 14 will be required to get tested weekly via OHA/Willamette Toxicology. Even if staff have their two vaccinations, but not a booster shot they will be required to submit test results weekly.
All volunteers must also have a booster shot by February 14. There are no medical or religious exemptions for volunteers. They must be up-to-date with their vaccinations – meaning they must have a booster.
Volunteers in Classrooms
When a volunteer has completed and signed the Covid protocol packet/contract teachers may consider scheduling one of the qualified volunteers to assist.
Only one qualified volunteer at a time may assist a teacher for indoor activities.
The number of qualified volunteers that may assist on a field trip is limited to three.
WANTED: Kitchen Volunteers
We need a cadre of reliable volunteers in the kitchen to help clean tables. If you can commit to one or more days each week from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm contact Toña in the Kitchen as soon as possible: taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org.
Mixing Cohorts at Recess
We are pausing the plan for mixing lower grades cohorts for outdoor recess. We will revisit this at a later date.
Grades 5 and 6 will be able to use any zone at their lunch recess. These grades will continue to use assigned zones during the morning recess.
Reading Buddies
Will continue to take place outside or in the Commons and not in classrooms.
Buddy pairs must maintain 3 ft or more distance, and of course wear masks.
Test to Stay
We aren’t implementing the Test to Stay program at this time. With the advent of Omicron we want to be extra safe. Plus with the new 6 ft spacing setup for meals and snacks, we should expect to see fewer students cited as close contacts for quarantine. We will revisit the possibility of implementing Test to Stay after the Omicron surge has passed.
Monthly LGBTQ+ and Allies Gathering!
Sarah Maxwell and her family will be "hosting" a monthly gathering at Tugman park, the first Sunday morning of each month at 10:00 am, at the picnic tables on the Hillyard side of the park. The meetings are open to all LGBTQ families & allies, with the simple mission of just building community.
There is no need to RSVP or commit to bringing anything. Since Village School is continuing to mask outdoors for playtime, our group will be doing the same. Students of all ages and their families are welcome and encouraged to join in! The dates of the gatherings will be Sunday, 10:00 am on Feb 6, Mar 6, April 3, May 1, and June 5.
Village School Kitchen
On Friday we had a Citrus Celebration! Village School alumni Cara Bilinki Boyd and Sahara Valentine joined us in the kitchen to cut up over 1,000 slices of citrus. They assembled bowls for each student and staff, each with 5 different varieties. Students sampled Rio Red Grapefruit, Cara Cara Oranges, Centennial Kumquats, Blood Oranges and Navel Oranges. Students were enthusiastic to share which one was their favorite. Thank you Sahara and Cara!
We are still in need of a lunchtime volunteer helper from 11:20-12:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays. If you can help with one of these days, even if it is just for a few weeks, please contact me at: taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org or 541-510-8604.
It takes a Village!
Warmly,
Toña
The Village School Eugene, Oregon w - 541-345-7285 c - 541-510-8604 taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org
January Menus
We are in the process of working with a nutritionist to provide the total carbohydrate and dietary fiber counts for our breakfast and lunch entrees. We have posted what we have so far on our website and will continue to update the online menus. If you would like a printed copy, click on the link on the website menu or ask Becky for one in the main office. It is our goal at the Village School to support the health and needs of all of our students.
If you have any questions, please contact the administration.
Library News
Class Library Visits and Student Book Choice
We are making the transition from me visiting classes with a cart of books to whole class visits to the library. I am very excited for students to have more books available to them. As a reminder, our library honors student choice in book selection. The library's mission is to provide a wide range of current materials relevant to the school’s curriculum and readers’ interest. We encourage an active learning environment that supports critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, and diversity, with the goal of establishing a lifelong appreciation of reading and literature.
To meet this goal, the library has a wide range of books that appeal to different ages and interests, including early readers, picture books, graphic novels, chapter books, nonfiction, and teen fiction. Student choice in book selection for check out is honored with the understanding that parents reserve the final decision on what their child is reading. An exception is the “Young Adult” section which is restricted to grades 5-8 and contains books with more mature themes and/or language. I highly encourage parents to know their child’s class library visit schedule and check in with their child that day about what they checked out from the library. If you have concerns about what your child is choosing from the library, I am happy to discuss concerns with you and/or recommend alternative books.
Molly Bautista, VS Librarian
February Parent Council Meeting
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
LTD Passes Available!
The Village School has worked with 4j and LTD to make touchpasses available 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!
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.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Book Study
The Parent Council is sponsoring a book study of the text The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story created by Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times.
The project which led to the book, sought to reframe the United States history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the U.S. historical narrative.
The first on-line Zoom meeting to discuss the book will be sometime in January. More information will be forthcoming. Please consider acquiring a copy of the book. We have six loaner copies made possible by a grant from the Parent Council available in the office.
