Upcoming Events
Tuesday, February 14th, 5:30 Parent Council Meeting
Friday, February 24th, Middle School Dance
There will be no after school Ceramics classes this week 2/13-2/17
Administrator's Message
Greetings Village School Community!
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:
We are changing our after school pick up protocol, due to feedback we’ve received, as well as observation of how things are going on campus after school. Our new protocol is as follows:
It is important to us that the school grounds remain a safe and healthy space for child learning and development. For these reasons, we will be enforcing new protocol for after school pick up times. All children grade five and lower must be accompanied by a parent or guardian WITHIN ~25 FEET of the child. Any upper grades students not accompanied by a parent or guardian must be off campus by 3:15pm unless otherwise directed by staff. Any students grades five and below not accompanied by a parent or guardian will be directed to the after care program.
Thank you for helping us teach our children these expectations!
What a week it’s been! The Heart of the Village was a smashing success and raised thousands of dollars for the Parent Council, money that will be used for school wide needs. The event was lively, well attended, and a whole lotta fun! Thanks to everyone who helped put on this fantastic event, most notably Emily Nance, Chris Halaska, Jenny Jonak, Shannon Boyd, Chrissy Barry, and all the parent coordinators!
Grandfriend’s Day was also this past Friday and was such a lovely day. It was so nice to see and meet so many friends and family members connected to our school community! The classroom visits and lunch were merry and sweet and the day went off without a hitch. Thank you to all the visitors for coming and sharing time with us!
State testing is upcoming! Please see the article below.
Stay warm and dry,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
Report Cards
Dear Village School Families,
We have officially begun our second semester, which means we are halfway through the school year! For teachers, this means it’s time to send out Semester 1 report cards. Below is a breakdown of what the different grade levels do for reporting:
Grades K-2 - Report cards are not sent home at this time of year. Instead, teachers will plan to meet with many of you on the parent-teacher conference day, Monday, March 6. Keep your eye out for information from your child’s teacher about scheduling a meeting.
Grades 3-5 - Semester 1 report cards will be emailed this week. We are switching to the 4j Synergy report card system, which has required extra time for teachers and office staff to get them ready. You may also have an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher on the parent-teacher conference day, Monday, March 6.
Grades 6-8 - Semester 1 report cards will be emailed this week. These teachers are using the report card system within JupiterEd. In June, they will switch to the 4j Synergy system. There is not a conference day set aside for middle school. They will have a regular school day on March 6th.
If you have any questions reach out to Shannon or Roz at principal@eugenevillageschool.org
State Testing
State testing is upcoming! Staff members attended our yearly Oregon State Assessment System training on Thursday with Meridith Kidder, our state testing coordinator (and an excellent educational assistant as well!) and we are up and running. A bit more information for you:
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 sometime 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 length of time and standards of the Oregon assessments have been reviewed again since last year and were adjusted to alleviate long testing sessions and 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, beyond a certain threshold for our school, are counted as “not proficient” in our school’s test results that are reported statewide. A student's name or whether they opt-out is not public information. Our school’s participation rate reflects the degree to which the number of students opt-out of testing; participation in state testing is evaluated by the 4J school district as part of our annual review.
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. If you have any questions please send an email to principal@eugenevillgeschool.org
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 an 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 or emailed to office@eugenevillageschool.org
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.
Thank You Volunteers!
A MASSIVE THANK YOU to all the parents who poured their hearts and time and energy into Heart of the Village. It was truly a spectacular day thanks to all of your hard work! We are beyond grateful. It's a reminder of what an incredible community we have!
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, the new stage lights, and next month we'll be installing the new blinds. The most expensive items, the new screen and projector, are awaiting more donations. We hope you will join us in our efforts to Improve Theater Facilities at The Village School.
We have raised roughly $3,000 towards our campaign of $20,000. In view of our commitment to music and the performing arts, the proposed changes will greatly improve your experience in our theater.
Donations may be made in the office or at ANNUALGIVING.US
Middle School Dance
Heart of the Village
What a joy it was to bring back Heart of the Village this year. For many families, this was their first HOV experience ever! Everyone came together to create a celebration to remember. There was fantastic music, pocket people twirling with dresses and capes full of treasure, tables overflowing with scrumptious baked goods, exciting rounds of Musical Cakes, the sweetest photo booth, and delicious food served up by the Village Kitchen. There was also a phenomenal Silent Auction put together by rock star parent Jenny Jonak! Thank you Jenny! Parents truly gave it their all, and we are so grateful to this Village School community for always coming together to make these beautiful celebrations happen.
Grandfriends Day
Last Friday we had the biggest turn out for Grandfriends Day in recent Village School history! It was an incredibly sweet day, with Grandfriends joining students in their classrooms, getting to watch wonderful marimba performances by the middle schoolers, and enjoying a yummy Village Kitchen lunch. Thank you so much to Toña and her stellar kitchen staff and volunteers for preparing delicious muffins and extra lunch, and to 8th grade parent Emily Nance for making sure the Grandfriends had piping hot coffee to start their day off with!
Counselor's Corner
For the next few months the Counseling Corner will focus on the different strengths that students will explore in the Sources of Strength curriculum. Today’s focus is on Mentors.
Mentors are people who are cheering for us in life. They listen when we need it, and help us learn new things and navigate life’s ups and downs.
Last week over 80 grandfriends, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins visited our Village School. All of these people are a mentor to one or more of our students! My hope is that every student at our school has one person in their life who is a mentor. Someone who is cheering for them, listening to them and supporting them.
Who has been a mentor in your life?
Rebecca Macemon
School Counselor
rmacemon@eugenevillageschool.org
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, 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
Unless we wake up to a surprise snow day tomorrow, we look forward to sharing our traditional Village School Kitchen Valentine's Day treats of fruit kebabs!
Extra gratitude to our serendipitous superstars from Friday's surprising amount of Grandfriend visitors - napkin dyer and sewing angel, Loralee, and lettuce king, Ryan. We love you both to the moon and back.
With a full heart,
Toña
taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org
February Menus
Spanish News
From Maestra Sarah and las clases de español,
Students in Grades 1-5 are learning the parts of the body in Spanish this month. We are reading stories, playing games, and putting together short sentences and phrases. They are either learning for the first time, or being reminded of the short rhyme that adults repeat to children when hurt:
Sana Sana
Colita de rana.
Si no sanas hoy,
sanarás mañana.
--
Sarah Lewenberg Spanish Teacher
Student Book Recommendation
Written by Lilah, third grade
Book title: Me, Frida, and the Secret of the Peacock Ring by Angela Cervantes
This book is a (genre): mystery
Why I liked this book: It is suspenseful. I loved this book because I love Frida Kahlo and mysteries.
Note from Ms. Molly: this was also an Oregon Battle of the Books selection for this year for 3rd-5th grade.
Middle School Happenings
The eight graders enjoyed visits from Grandfriends this past week.
The 7th grade class was recently visited by Paola, a graduate student from Guatemala.
Village School Lunch Diaries
Pizza comes in many forms at the Village School! Focaccia pizza and pizza bagels were just two of those that students and staff were treated to this past week! The Village Kitchen roasts cauliflower like none other. Kids have been known to gobble up these perfectly golden cauliflower florets!
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.
