Upcoming Events
Wednesday, October 20th: Walk and Roll Your Way to School!
Saturday, October 23rd: Board Retreat - onsite: 8:50am to 3:00pm
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,
There is something nice about fall. During a sun-break the sky can be clear and colors crisp. The change in daylight hours reminds us of earth’s journey around the sun. Jack-o-lanterns are beginning to appear in the neighborhood. Children are giddy with excitement thinking of costumes, candy, and fields of bright orange pumpkins.
A special thanks to the parents and guardians that attended our Parent Council meeting on October 13. It was a good turnout. We are delighted to announce that Shannon Boyd accepted the position of Parent Council president. Another important role some of you may want to consider is becoming a classroom coordinator. Please check with your child’s teacher. There are several unfilled positions.
We have some important news and changes to report:
Volunteers Helping Teachers and Staff.
Teachers may:
Have up to two volunteers working with students, during outdoor activities only
Have up to four volunteers working at a time, indoors or outdoors, when students are not present, (i.e. helping set up for an event)
Volunteers must:
Have proof of vaccination and background check on file in the school office;
Keep 6 ft distance from students and adults, to the extent possible. Otherwise the volunteers could be considered a close contact should there be a positive case;
Agree to read, sign and comply with the protocol checklist of Covid mitigation procedures while volunteering on campus or a field trip;
Agree to be supervised by their host teacher or staff member, and
Have their name entered in a contact tracing log by the supervising teacher.
Lunch
Lunch will remain outdoors through the fall, regardless of cold weather
COVID home test kits
We have five more students participating in the at-home COVID test kit program. We are up to 143 students participating in this program. 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. Your student will get a kit each Tuesday to return on Wednesday morning. You will be texted the results in a couple of days!
Walk & Roll
Walk & Roll to School is all month. On Wednesdays, student’s transportation will be tallied and those who Walk or Roll will be entered into a drawing to win prizes! It’s still rollin’ on. Participate & enjoy!
The Pandemic Is Still With Us
You have heard it before and it is worth repeating. This is no time to let down our guard. The pandemic is still on. The choices we make to manage the school environment helps to minimize the risk of transmission. Lane County Public Health informs us that most of the positive cases among children ages 5-18 occur during events outside of the school day, during social times with family and friends.
We are thankful to you for following risk mitigation guidelines at home if getting together with friends. We also appreciate that ill children stay at home, especially if they have COVID like symptoms.
By the way, Lane County Public Health reports that doses of the Pfizer vaccine could be approved for children on November 8. Public Health will be ready the week of November 15th to provide shots to children in our community if indeed approval occurs.
It is time to enjoy some pumpkin pie and hot soup. Some perfect fall things to do, wouldn’t you agree?
Respectfully,
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!
Parent Council
The first Parent Council Meeting of the year was on October 13th!
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
Walk + Roll to School
Be sure to walk, bike, scooter, or take the bus on Wednesday! Those who participate will be entered into a raffle for weekly prizes, culminating in a grand raffle during the final week of the event: to give away two deluxe scooters!
Walk and Roll for the month of October is now underway, and we encourage you to walk, scoot, bike, ride the bus, or skateboard to school every day and not just on the raffle day Wednesdays. If you must drive, try parking at Market of Choice and walking from there to school, giving yourself a great start to your days!
Check out the graph in the primary breezeway. It's fun to see, schoolwide, how everyone is getting to school. We tally participation and add to the graph each Wednesday.
This is a Title 1-sponsored event, so your support and involvement help to ensure that our wonderful Title 1 program, which includes classroom support and funding for special events, continues.
Let's Walk and Roll!!
Enter the Safe Routes to School Art Contest
This fall we’re asking students why they walk+roll! Is it for health, community, fun, climate, or other? Students can draw their answers and submit them to us by Sunday, October 31 to be entered to win a walking or biking pack plus fun Walk+Roll prizes. Click here to learn more and submit your child’s artwork.
LTD Passes Coming Soon!
The Village School is working with 4j and LTD to make touchpasses available to students! More news to come!
Village School Kitchen
Many thanks to everyone who purchased pumpkins and gourds from us last week to help us pay for the parts and labor to repair our kitchen dishwashing machine. We appreciate the support!
We had a few very special guest volunteers this past week. Village School alumni Max Munsell, Sarah Galpern and Athena Morison did not have school on Monday so they asked to come in and help with lunch prep. They enjoyed a delicious Village School lunch after their volunteer shift. Thank you Athena, Sarah and Max! Many high school students are required to complete volunteer hours as part of their graduation requirements. We love when they choose to do their community service in our school kitchen. All kitchen volunteers are required to show proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and confirm they are in good health.
This week we are blessed to be eating peppers and cucumbers from our friends at the Food for Lane County Youth Farm along with carrots and delicata squash from Organic Redneck Farm. Every fall, many Willamette Valley farms are involved with the Fill Your Pantry event. This is a fabulous opportunity to stock up on locally grown produce, grains, meat and more. Pre-orders can be placed through October 31st. Check it out!
Warmly,
Toña Aguilar taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org
Library News
For the last few weeks I have been visiting first through fifth grade classes with books for students to check out and take home. Ask your child or their teacher if you don't know their library day.
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 from last year 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.
Please stay tuned for more information about participating in Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) this year!
Thanks!
Molly Bautista
VS Librarian
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
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.
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!
