Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 6th: Walk and Roll Month Kick Off! Spooky Walk and Roll Day!
Friday, October 8th: No School
Monday, October 11th: Indigenous People's Day
Wednesday, October 13th: Parent Council Meeting (Zoom to come!)
Friday, October 29th: 1/2 Day, Grading Day
Monday, November 1st: No School, Conference Day
2021/2022 Calendar is available here!
Administrator's Message
Dear Village School Families
October has arrived and we had a beautiful fall weekend. Halloween is on the minds of many children but before we talk about those festivities let’s take a look at what is happening this week.
We now have 111 students participating in the free weekly home COVID test kits. The number increases each day. Thank you if you already signed up. To sign up, it’s a two step process. 1) Go to At Home Testing, fill out the application. 2) Be sure to bring the paper form from your signup to the office. Next, you will get a kit each Tuesday to return on Wednesday morning. You will be texted your results within a couple of days!
Speaking of COVID tests also brings to mind quarantining. We are following numerous protocols. If there is a possibility of a presumptive case in one of our students, other children may be asked to stay home as part of a “pause” so we can do contact tracing, gather data and take directions from Lane County Public Health. We may need a day or two to investigate thoroughly and determine if indeed a student has been in close contact with the student that is a presumptive or a positive case.
Read more in this issue about Walk & Roll to school. It begins on Wednesday, October 6. If your child can participate, it is a fun way to add healthy practices for individuals and the environment on a daily basis. Also, remember that Friday, October 8 is a teacher work day. No school for students this Friday.
Here is your friendly reminder to complete a Free and Reduced Lunch application -- even if you think you don’t qualify. Please follow through via this downloadable form here or this online application. We need as many parents to apply as possible to secure Title I funding. It only takes a few minutes.
In closing, a note on helping children (and adults) on all the change that happens so quickly these days. Name your emotions: Change feels uncomfortable. But just putting a name to your feelings can lessen the sting of these emotions. Unfortunately, most of us don’t spend enough time thinking about how we feel. So when a child is faced with a major change, have them talk elaborately about how they’re feeling. More importantly, help them find — and define — the right words to describe it (e.g., sad, happy, frustrated, nervous, eager).
May the entire month of October be as lovely as last weekend
Sincerely,
The Village School Administrative Team
Bob, Andy, Shannon and Sue
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!
OHA COVID-19 Testing General Consent Form
4th Grade Fall Art
4th Graders Cora, Juniper and Zoe portray scenes from the season.
Walk + Roll to School Day is this Wednesday, Oct 6th!
We're encouraging as many students as possible to bike, walk, scoot and ride the bus to school on Wednesday, October 6th for International Walk + Roll to School Day!
If you live far away and don't ride the bus, you can drive or carpool to a spot a few minutes away and walk the rest of the way. Do it as family, or gather together as a group with other families. Whether you’re continuing a habit, or starting a new one, join us to make Walk + Roll to School Day a huge success!
Title I Student/Teacher/Parent Compact
There is no need to sign or return this sheet, simply discuss it with your child and family and work together to commit to the agreements.
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.
Village School Kitchen
Meet Jackson, our school kitchen’s dishwashing machine. Jackson overheated on Friday and we had to shut it down. Having no dishwashing machine in a commercial kitchen is no fun!
A technician came out this morning, worked on it for an hour and ordered a few new parts. They will be back later this week to install a probe and relay in hopes that will solve the problem. If not, we move into the board which will be interesting!
We adjusted the lunch menu slightly to accommodate the issue. Instead of chili and cornbread today which is an entree that makes A LOT of dirty dishes, we swapped it for the sandwich day which was scheduled for the 12th. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Send good thoughts for Jackson!
Warmly,
Toña Aguilar
Toña Aguilar The Village School Eugene, Oregon w - 541-345-7285
Parent Council
The first Parent Council Meeting of the year will be on October 13th!
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 each month starting again in the fall!
You can also engage with Village School families on the Parent Council Facebook page, The Village Vine!
Library News
I'm very excited to get library book check out started again for many students. I will be visiting several classes with books for students to choose from. Please help students keep track of their books so they don't get lost or damaged. Having one place in your home to keep borrowed books is helpful. If your student's class isn't having regular classroom visits by me, they can check in with their teacher about drop-in library visits during the school day. Families can also visit the library after school on Thursdays to check out books. If you still have Village School library books at home, please return them to your child's classroom or the office. If you know they have been lost or damaged, please let me know and we can figure out how to get replacements.
Wanted: library volunteer to shelve books. I would be very grateful for a volunteer or two to shelve books in the library. If you would be available during the day Monday or Friday, or after school on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, please let Becky know. I will arrange a short training on how to properly shelve the books.
Thank you!
Monday, October 11 is Oregon's first official Indigenous People's Day. Here are several books I recommend by Indigenous authors and/or about Indigenous people:
Picture Books
We are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation)
We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom (Anishabe/Metis)
Bowwow Powwow by Brenda Child (Ojibwe)
Grades 3-6
I Can Make this Promise by Christine Day (Upper Skagit)
Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (Umpqua))
Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Nation)
Young Adult / Middle School
Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (Onondaga Nation)
Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich by Annie Boochever (in collaboration with Roy Peratrovich Jr., Tlingit Nation)
Thanks!
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!
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
