Upcoming Events
Friday, February 10th, Grandfriends Day
Saturday, February 11th, Heart of the Village Festival
Tuesday, February 14th, Parent Council Meeting
Friday, February 24th, Middle School Dance
Administrator's Message
Greetings Village School Community!
We are officially halfway through the school year! This past week marked the middle school students switch from guitar to marimba (or vice versa) and a new term of Friday enrichment classes. We also completed our second round of Easy CBM testing (thanks teachers and Title team!!), which is a great segue into our next topic, Oregon state standardized testing.
The Village School is required to administer annual statewide assessments of language arts and math for students in grades 3–8 and science in grades 5 and 8. Testing at The Village School will begin later in the spring. You will be notified which days the test will be administered once the precise days are determined.
All public schools in the U.S. are required to systematically assess student learning and report participation and results in school accountability systems. Students in Oregon are assessed periodically to measure proficiency in state and district standards, including completing statewide assessments in certain grades. State test results provide important information for students, parents, teachers, schools and districts.
The expected time spent in class has been reduced over the years. The length of time and standards of the Oregon assessments have been reviewed again since last year and were adjusted to give a better picture of where the students are in the academic realm.
Can students opt-out of state testing?
Yes. Under Oregon law, a parent or adult student may opt out of Oregon’s summative statewide assessments of math and language arts for any reason, by annually submitting a form. Students who opt out of state tests are counted as “not proficient” in our school’s test results that are reported statewide. Further, our participation rate is evaluated by the 4J School District and is part of our compliance requirements. If we do not meet 4J’s participation expectations, our evaluation could be negatively impacted. The school’s participation rate reflects the degree to which the number of students opt-out of testing.
Opt-Out Information for the Oregon Statewide Assessment System (OSAS)
Parents may submit an opt-out form at any time. Preferably the forms are submitted 30 days prior to the administration of the tests. Please print the form and return it to the office.
OSAS Science Assessment Exemption Request
For science assessments, parents may request their student be exempt from testing based on disability or religion. Unlike the opt-out process for Math and ELA, parent requests for exemption from all other tests must satisfy the following conditions:
Be submitted in writing to charter school office
Include the reasons for request (disability or religion)
Propose a quiet, alternative learning activity for the student
Exemption requests are subject to charter school review and determination whether to approve. The form for science test opt out must be printed and returned to the office.
Please feel free to send any questions to principal@eugenevillageschool.org! Also, be sure to read all about the upcoming events we are hosting: Grandfriends Day and Heart of the Village.
Hoping you’re staying warm and dry on these wintery nights.
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and 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. Soon we will be installing new lights and blinds.
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
Volunteering for Heart of the Village
Heart of the Village is approaching swiftly! Please sign up for your volunteer shifts HERE
The Heart of the Village Festival is Parent Council's biggest fundraiser of the year, 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, sound mixing boards, 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!
Bake Sale and Musical Cakes Donations
Heart of the Village is days away, and we need your help to make our Heart of the Village Bake Sale and Musical Cakes event a huge success! Sign up sheets can be found outside all of the classrooms. You can reach out to Karlie for questions about the bake sale at karlie@wipfandstock.com or Chrissy for questions about Musical Cakes at chrissy@eugenevillageschool.org
We are asking the entire school community to bake or bring what they can for both of these. We would also love donations of gluten free and/or vegan goodies. Thank you!
Heart of the Village Silent Auction
Make sure you’ve got February 11 from 11:00-3:00 marked off your calendar for our annual Heart of the Village event! You won’t want to miss this. We have a craft room, pocket person, musical cakes, bake sale and more!
We could still use a few more volunteers so check in with your class coordinator if you would like to volunteer. Our silent auction will features items generously donated by numerous local businesses. We have a catalog of those items to preview below so you can see all of the great packages that are available!
Click the image to see our silent auction catalog!
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!
Counselor's Corner
National School Counseling Week is a week that promotes the work of School Counselors. In 2021 The Village School invested in a full-time school counselor. This investment helped ensure that the school has a counseling program that can support all students.
The American School Counseling Association recommends that schools maintain a ratio of 250 students per school counselor, and that school counselors spend at least 80% of their time working directly for students. The Village School is meeting that recommendation!
A few of the direct services that the Village School Counseling Program provides are:
Individual Student Appointments: Students can self-refer, either by filling out a paper form in the elementary grades or a google form in the middle school grades. Teachers and parents can also request an individual check-in for a student.
Small Groups in various grade levels:
Community Building Circles
Friendship Groups
Zones of Regulation
Lunch Bunch
Whole-Class Lessons
Social-Emotional Skills
Emotional Regulation
Kindness
Friendship Skills
Brain Science - Upstairs Brain / Downstairs Brain - Flipping Your Lid
High School Readiness / School Choice
Sources of Strength
Whole-Class Circles - Building community and connection
“Meet Your Counselor” Lesson
Rebecca Macemon
School Counselor
rmacemon@eugenevillageschool.org
Thank You Rebecca!
This week is National School Counseling Week. We are so lucky to not only have a full time counselor at Village School, but to have Rebecca Macemon as our Counselor. She is a steady, kind, and empathetic presence--someone that our students can always turn to, whether they are having a tough day and need a little extra support individually, or to strengthen their connections through the friendship groups she facilitates. She is a true gift to our community! Thank you for all you do for Village School, Rebecca!
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. Heart of the Village is still looking for volunteers to fill shifts and to donate cakes and baked goods!
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, February 14th 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
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
VSK Volunteer Spotlight
This week we honor VS parent and long time kitchen volunteer, Jocelyn Hollander. Jocelyn's son Felix graduated from our school in 2019. Her daughter, Finney, is in the 7th grade, and her husband, Chris, is our school's marimba instructor. Jocelyn started volunteering in the school kitchen in September of 2011. "I had been reading about the terrible food served at most schools, so I was thrilled to hear that VS was trying to do something different and better. I knew immediately that I wanted to be a part of it.
Jocelyn is a professor of sociology at the University of Oregon. She also teaches empowerment self-defense in the PE department at UO and occasionally in the community. For fun, she gardens, cooks, plays the cello, and hangs out with her family, preferably somewhere near an ocean or river.
Jocelyn volunteers for an hour every Friday morning and loves prepping the salad bar and working with all the colorful vegetables. She heads out at 9:30 so doesn't get a chance to take advantage of our free lunch for volunteers but says "I LOVE Toña's scones and always hope there will be leftovers so I can take one home with me."
Thank you Jocelyn for your many years of service!
Every Monday morning, the 8th grade and 1st grade classes gather in the Commons for reading buddy time. We love watching the pairs enjoy books together as we chop fruits and veggies in the kitchen. On occasion, a number of 1st grade students are absent and their 8th grade reading buddies come to the kitchen asking if they can help for a bit. Last Monday we had Liam, Rosie and Devin pop in for a bit of prep work. This spirit of collaboration, with all its warmth, welcome and ease, is what inspires me most about our community.
Thank you all for being a part of it.
With a full heart,
Toña
taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org
February Menus
Village School Lunch Diaries
The ultimate comforting meal--mac and cheese with real dairy cheese or vegan cheese with the freshest salad, and sweetest Delicata squash rings.
Having delicious, homemade condiments to dip veggies in can convince the pickiest of eaters to try them.
A beautiful and delicious rainbow lunch on Tofu Sushi Bowl Day!
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!
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
Nisse’s Dream is the story of a young man named Nisse who must retrieve his family’s stolen cow from Neem the Queen and her greedy pack of bumbling trolls. On his journey he finds friendship and encouragement from a loyal dog, a pompous bear, and a magical blue witch who just happens to be his mother in disguise. Complete with magic tricks and a “troll ballet” Nisse’s Dream is a delightful addition to the world of children’s music and theater..
Performances at the Richard E. Wildish Theater
February 24, 25 at 7 p.m.
February 25, 26 at 2 p.m.
