Upcoming Events
Thursday, January 26th, 6:00pm Prospective Parent Information Meeting
Sunday, January 29th, Sibling Applications Deadline
Wednesday, February 1, No School (Grading Day)
Friday, February 10th, Grandfriends Day
Saturday, February 11th, Heart of the Village Festival
Administrator's Message
Greetings Village School Community!
This past week our staff continued our partnership with Roxanne Graboyes, an RN who does consulting work and partners with schools on health plans and health area organization. In the last months, we have done a lot of work updating our health area in the office (both the space and the protocols) and reviewing medical record keeping systems (please see the posting on over the counter medicine changes in this and last week's Village Voice isse!). This past week we continued on with further medical training for staff (medicine administration and a brush up on epi pen training). Roxanne will assist us with creating and modifying health management plans, reviewing health records, supporting students with diabetes when necessary, communicating with healthcare providers and consulting in emergency situations if needed. Roxanne Graboyes is experienced in working with charter schools as a medical consultant, and we are delighted to be working with her!
We also wanted to congratulate the eighth grade class on a successful fundraising event! They had a DJ, a silent auction, a professional photo booth, and caricature artistry! They cleared $4,000 in one night with more expected later, putting their class in a great financial position for the eighth grade trip at the end of the year. Great job!!
Lastly, don’t forget to invite any grandfriends you know who’d like to experience the Village School from the ground level to our Grandfriends Day event on Friday, February 10th!
Here’s to hoping these winter months are treating you with continued health and happiness!
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, Andy
Annual Giving Campaign
Improve Theater Facilities at The Village School We have begun purchasing items with funds for the Annual Giving Campaign, including the new wireless stage microphones. They made an incredible difference for the 8th grade play last month. You could hear everything the students were saying. We will implement items from the campaign as funding comes in.
This year’s campaign aims to enhance our theater experience with improved lighting, sound gathering and mixing, video projection, seating and window blinds. The entire goal is to allow everyone to experience our plays and presentations in full view and sound.
We have raised roughly $2,000 towards our campaign of $20,000. In view of our commitment to music and the performing arts, the proposed changes will greatly improve the experience in our theater. We hope you will join us in our efforts to Improve Theater Facilities at The Village School.
Donations may be made in the office or at ANNUALGIVING.US
Sibling Applications
Priority applications for siblings of current Village School students or children of staff members will be due by Sunday, January 29th. Please submit your sibling application before this date.
Morning Drop off
We wanted to remind families that for 4th and 5th grade students who are not eating breakfast in the commons, we prefer that they are dropped off closer to when class starts, as we do not have morning supervision for them.
Kindergarten through 3rd grade students need a parent to accompany them to breakfast, and to walk them to their classrooms (unless they have an older sibling that can accompany them.) Thank you.
Volunteering for Heart of the Village
We are so excited to bring back Heart of the Village this year after having to pause on holding this wonderful event for a few years. The Heart of the Village Festival is the biggest fundraiser of the year, and all proceeds go to Parent Council, which then uses the funds for the betterment of our school. Some examples of what we have in the works, as well as what we have used funds for in the past are: murals for the middle school bathrooms, a water filling station in the elementary wing (this is how we got the water stations in the middle school in the past), guest speakers for parent education, musical performers into the classroom, the middle school dance, & books for all classrooms by BIPOC authors.
This event truly showcases and embodies what our school is all about. We are a Village, and this is only possible due to the support of you--our incredible families.
We ask each family to contribute 40 volunteer hours per school year. Heart of the Village can go a long way toward fulfilling those volunteer hours.
Volunteer sign ups by grade are available here. If you see a volunteer job for another grade that interests you, and hasn't been filled yet, you are welcome to sign up for that, too! Thank you for making the Heart if the Village a success!
Heart of the Village Call for Donations
Dear VS Families,
This year we are excited to be bringing back our annual Heart of the Village festival! This is a hands-on showcase of music, arts, crafts, and food from Village School students and the community. It is the biggest fundraiser of the year that benefits the Parent Council.
We are looking for donations for Heart of the Village. If one of our school families has a vacation home, perhaps a ski cabin or a house at the coast, and you’d be willing to donate a weekend for our silent auction, please let us know! Or if a school family owns a business that would like to donate a gift certificate or other item? If you’ve already donated to the 8th grade fundraiser, please don’t worry about this. Please contact Jenny Jonak (jenny@jonak.com) with any family donation ideas - thanks!
Grandfriends Day
Grandfriends Day is happening this year on Friday, February 10th from 8:30 to 12:30. Please let the Grandfriends (grandparents or nearby grand friends) in your life know that they can RSVP here or on the Village School Website. We look forward to having them join us!
8th Grade Fundraiser
The Silent Auction Fundraiser was a great success! We were definitely able to raise enough money to send our kids to Twin Rocks this June. Thank you to all the families who attended. We hope you had lots of fun with the music, karaoke, face painting, caricatures, and portraits. We will be sending thank you cards to all of the businesses, bakers, and crafters who were able to donate their services and products. For those of you who got pictures, those will be arriving within the next week.
If you are interested in utilizing the services of any of the entertainers who provided services, they are all happy to hear from you:
DJ/Karaoke: Fallon Love Productions www.fallonloveproductions.com Caricatures: Party Caricatures LLC (Georgiana Thomas) www.spittingimagecaricatures.com Photographer:Graham Tipton Photography www.grahamtiptonphotography.com
The Office Can No Longer Share OTC Medications
There are some school nursing policies that we are changing. One new rule that goes into effect immediately is regarding the dispensing of over the counter medications in the office. If you would like the office to give your child any kind of over the counter medication (Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl, throat drops, etc), please bring in a bottle of that medication with your child's name clearly marked on it, as well as the dosage to be given. (This may not exceed the dosage for their age range/weight that is printed on the bottle.) It must be in original, unopened packaging. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you.
Volunteering!
Village School families are asked to contribute and record at least 40 hours of volunteer work at the school each year, and single parent households are asked to contribute 20 hours. It is this support that allows us to offer such strong programs with limited financial resources. We also welcome grandparents and other relatives to volunteer in your place!
More opportunities to volunteer are coming up! Be sure to watch your email, the Village Voice and the Village Vine for messages from Parent Council, your class coordinator, your child's teacher and the Village School Kitchen, to see the volunteer needs that are coming up for you to enjoy.
If you haven't filled out your volunteer paperwork yet, please stop by the office to pick up a packet.
Another way to contribute to our school community is by attending Parent Council Meetings! Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 10th at 5:30 PM. We are still holding these meetings by Zoom so they are easy to attend (even while making dinner or folding laundry) and every parent and guardian's voice is valued in decisions about what Parent Council funds are used for, events that are held and collaborations with departments and teachers at the Village School!
We adore our volunteers! Village School would not be what it is without you. Thank you so much for making Village School the incredible community it is!
Don't forget to sign in to HelpCounter and report your hours so we can see the amazing contributions from our Village School Families. If you
Spanish News
Fourth grade plays El Juego de la Oca to practice reading in Spanish.
Winter Weather
As the colder, winter weather continues, here is some information on how Village School will let families know about closures or delays.
When hazardous weather is a concern, decisions regarding schedule changes are made in the early morning, before school, when current weather conditions can be assessed. Village School follows the district (4J) when making decisions, although there may be instances where we will declare a closure, even if 4J does not.
How To Find Out: If there is a change in the school schedule, it will be announced through our school phone message system, normally before 6:30 a.m.
Delayed Starts and Early Dismissal: The district generally will avoid delayed starts and early dismissal due to weather. However, it is possible that unpredictable or sudden weather conditions will require such a decision to be made. Delayed start times will not alter school dismissal times.
Parent Choice: On any day when inclement weather is a concern and school is in session, families are encouraged to consider road conditions in their areas and make their own decisions based on safety. Please call your school if your child will be absent. Parents’ individual decisions about school attendance for this reason will be honored.
If you are concerned about the weather and have not received a phone call by 6:30 a.m., check the 4J website, radio or TV for information about closures, delays or snow routes.
Health Reminders
It has come to our attention that some children have been coming to school sick. Please take a look at the poster below to see what our current policies are. Thank you.
The Village Kitchen
Phoenix from the first grade loves putting chimichurri on his quesadillas.
Volunteer Spotlight:
Paul Khoury began volunteering at VS in 2012 after his wife, local OB-GYN Katria Mertz, signed him up to help in the school kitchen. Paul says "It was one of the best things she ever did for me." Their eldest daughter Ella joined the 1st grade that year and their youngest, Uma started a few years later.
Paul was born and raised in Miami. His parents immigrated there from Haiti and Paul says he loves everything Creole. Paul was a semi-professional soccer player for the US youth national soccer team. He took a break from soccer in the past few years due to a knee injury but is hoping to start up again soon.
Though he no longer has children who attend our school, Paul continues to ride his bike here every Wednesday to volunteer.
"It's a calling to properly educate the children in Yummy Bowl etiquette." says Paul who was promoted this fall to serving the grated cheese and Yumm Sauce toppings for the rice and bean bowls.
Paul shares his Yummy Bowl Etiquette here:
When you are asked if you want cheese, the proper response is "Yes cheese." A new appropriate response was offered last week by someone in the younger grades - "Cheesy pleasy." When asked if you want Yumm Sauce, if yes, the answer is "Yum-Yum." If not, the response is "None Yum." A new affirmative response was offered recently by James Sell from the 6th grade with the words "Make it Yummy."
Thank you Paul! The children enjoy seeing your friendly face every week over our service counter.
It is unusual for us to find a local farm selling bulk salad mix this time of year. When Upriver Organics let us know they had some available we were thrilled! They delivered on Saturday and we served it today alongside four of our homemade salad dressing options: Citrus Herb Vinaigrette, Honey Mustard, Balsamic Vinaigrette and Ranch.
Have a great week!
Toña
January Menus
Sewing Class
A beautiful quilted whale from sewing class by Klara Lind & Alice Rose Beaudet.
Village School Lunch Diaries
Pesto pasta is elevated to a new level by fresh cheese, nutritional yeast and olives.
Sandwich day usually comes with perfectly roasted potatoes. Students get to choose their own toppings and condiments--sometimes it's easy to get carried away with all of the delicious choices!
Monday was especially cold--many woke up to frost on their windshields. Piping hot chili is just the thing for days like this.
Parent Council
The next Parent Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, February 14th at 5:30pm!
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!
Rules for a Safe Morning Drop Off
Please do not park in either of the parking lots when dropping students off in the morning. These lots are for faculty only.
Parking is available on 35th Ave, Glen Oak Dr, Knob Hill Ln, and Donald St.
*We require students in grades K-3 to be walked to their classroom door by a parent or guardian.
If you’d like to drop off your 4th-8th grade student please follow these guidelines:
1. Approach the school from Donald Street. This reduces two way traffic on 35th Ave.
2. Use Drop-Off zone for Drop off only. (At the curb near the stairs leading to the school)
3. Always park in the correct direction and on the correct side of the street.
4. Do not park on the wrong side of the street. Do not stop cars in the middle of the street.
5. Have children exit on Curb side of car, not the street side
6. Please say your “goodbyes” before you stop and avoid lingering
Help Wanted
Substitute Teacher & Substitute Educational Assistant
Duties: Serve as substitute teacher or substitute classroom assistant.
Qualifications: Experience working with groups of children. Knowledge of Waldorf curriculum a plus.
Teachers require Valid Oregon Teaching License:
[Main lesson (K-8), Movement/PE, Spanish, Music, Handwork]
Instructional Assistant (BA and fingerprint background check required) Willingness to get CPR training Background check required Complete Covid vaccination records Salary Range: $24 per hour for Teachers, $15 - $18 per hour for Assistants
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Benefits include our healthy lunch service, PERS coverage.
Community Bulletin Board
Mature Blueberry Bushes from Willamette Valley Family Farm
Bare root Draper and Liberty blueberry plants from a family farm in the Willamette Valley that are over 13 years old and about four feet tall. After over a decade of growing blueberries, the family is slowly replacing the farm with Hazelnuts, which is why these are available. What is left on the farm are the largest bushes!
Each plant is $50.00, and instructions for how to reserve bushes are below. Deliveries to Eugene will happen on the following dates and times:
Friday January 27th at 4 pm
Friday February 24th at 4 pm
Friday March 3rd at 4 pm
Bushes will be delivered to the parking lot at the Wayne Morris Family Farm in Eugene, located at 585 Crest Drive. SUVs, trucks, and trailers are most ideal as the plants are large. Limited home delivery for large orders. Payment will be collected day of and cash is preferred. Look for the box truck and you will find your berries!
To reserve bushes, please send your order to Jen at jenjackson1110@gmail.com with your full name, cell phone number, number of plants and variety type, and chosen delivery date. And please, if you reserve plants, please be sure to show up on time to pick them up. Thank you!
