Upcoming Events
Tuesday, April 11th, 5:30pm, Parent Council Meeting (Zoom)
Wednesday, April 12th, 5:30pm - 6:45pm, 5th Grade Parent Meeting
Tuesday, April 18th, 5:30pm, VS Board Meeting, Library
Tuesday, April 18th, EWEB Greenpower Signup Deadline
Thursday, April 20th, Volunteer Appreciation Day
Tuesday, May 2nd, May Day Celebration
Wednesday, May 3rd, Walk & Roll
Wednesday, May 3rd, 5:30pm - 6:30pm, 2nd Grade Parent Meeting
Administrator's Message
Greetings Village School Community!
The rain! It keeps tumbling down from the sky! It helps to picture the precipitation packing the mountains with snow that will melt throughout the summer, keeping streams and rivers strong through the hottest days of the year. Salmon rely on these waterways, the adults depend on them for migration and spawning and the fry live in the shallow gravel beds and puddles before heading back to the ocean to reach maturity. Without a healthy rainfall in winter, the ecosystem struggles. Remembering this makes it easier to keep showing up on these chilly gray days!
That said, cold damp children are not at their best for learning. Please take some time to check in with your student and/or teacher to ensure that they have all the extra gear they need to make taking a break outside comfortable. Boots, rain gear, and extra clothes to change into are a necessity, even for older students. We completely ran out of extra pants in the office today, so making sure that students have their own extras is important.
We hope you’re all staying warm and dry during these April showers! And we join you in looking forward to the May flowers that are sure to follow.
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
Ps Take a look at the horizon in the northwest after sunset tomorrow and you may catch a glimpse of Mercury at maximum visibility for folks in the Northern Hemisphere!
Vote for the Village School to win $50,000 EWEB Grant
Our Project:
The Village School is planning to install 27 KW of Solar Panels on the Commons and power storage so that we can reduce our carbon foo
tprint and create emergency power resources when the grid is down. We also plan on having a visible meter that displays any charging that happens in real time. Parents helped raise money for this project in 2018-19.
We Need your Vote!
To help pay for this project, EWEB is offering a $50,000 Greenpower Grant which is chosen by a vote of Greenpower subscribers. The Village School is among 6 candidates. Becoming a Greenpower subscriber is easy and can cost as little as $1.50 per month.
If you subscribe by Tuesday April 18th 2023, EWEB will email you a ballot and you can vote for our proposal. Votes must be submitted by April 20th 2023.
Here's a Copy of our full proposal:
How Can You Help?
Click the following Link: eugenevillageschool.org/greenpower
Here's the instructions
1) Input name and address
2) Click I would like to: Subscribe
3) Click Greenpower
4) Choose subscriber lever:
- for minimum cost, choose "Small Block" and "1" block
- for maximum subscription, choose "100% Greenpower"
5) Review terms / conditions and submit
6) EWEB will send you a ballot - Vote for the Village School!
Share the word with friends: refer them to eugenevillageschool.org/greenpower
Rules for a Safe Morning Drop Off
Please do not park in the lower North lot when dropping students off in the morning. This lot is 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. Please make sure to leave room for others cars to park, as we have limited parking spaces.
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
After School Enrichment Programs Space Available
The Village School
After School Enrichment Program
Spring Session 2023 (April 10 - June 9)
Dear VS Families. We still have space available in our Bookbinding and Yoga and Games classes. We have extended the deadline to Tuesday, April 11.
Bookbinding - Printmaking / Frederique Chateau* - Grades 5 - 8, Wednesdays, 3:15- 4:45 (6th grade class) Get ready to make fabulous one-of-a-kind prints and showcase them into your own handmade books! This creative class will introduce students to several forms of printmaking, including carving and reduction techniques for block printing, stamping using found objects and recyclables, and cyanotype printing. Using traditional bookbinding techniques, the students will then design and stitch their own journal and make an accordion fold book to showcase their prints. Each class will offer a journey for the artists to experiment with new techniques and materials, explore the various elements of art and composition, and cultivate their artistic expression.
Yoga & Games / Mercedes Cervantes - Grades 5 - 8, Thursdays, 3:15 - 4:30 (Library) Breathing, movement, and awareness mixed with modern games that inspire creativity and mindfulness exercises. Mats are provided, if children already have mats they are encouraged to bring them. Things to bring: Change of clothes to promote mobility (stretch pants, sweatshirt and sweatpants, comfortable clothes etc), water bottle.**Please give your student a small snack that is light but beneficial for them to eat before we start!
Please contact Rachel Burk-Bayer bayer@eugenevillageschool.org if you are unable to access the form on-line.
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, April 11th 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. It has come to our attention that some parents are dropping off sick children at school. If a sick child arrives at school or a child becomes ill at school, the school will call parents or emergency contacts to pick up the child as soon as possible. Please take a look at the poster below to see what our current policies are. Thank you.
Salsa Classes
This week and next, middle school students are learning to dance Salsa with Lane Arts teacher, Florabelle.
Village Kitchen
This week we welcome 5 students from the University of Oregon's Department of Education who have chosen our school as their field placement site for the upcoming term. Liv, Kassidy, Beatriz, Kim and Yuxing represent the next generation of educators and we are excited to open our kitchen to them. Each student will visit once a week to assist and learn what makes our nutrition service program unique.
After serving lunch to the whole school on Friday, Yuxing got a chance to sit down and enjoy a meal. She let us know "This is the first time I have ever eaten a school lunch and it was delicious!"
April Menus
Parent Council
The next Parent Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, April 11th 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!
State Testing
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. 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. 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
Community Bulletin Board
Ultimate Frisbee
Ophelia's Place
Ophelia’s Place is a prevention-based nonprofit, serving girls ages 10-18 in Lane and Linn Counties. Their spring calendar of events and activities for youth and parents can be found on their website: https://www.opheliasplace.net/activities-workshops
WordCrafters
See upcoming Workshops and Reading groups from WordCrafters. Wordcrafters provides writers and readers opportunities to strengthen their craft, deepen their connection with literature, and share their knowledge with each other and with future generations.
