Upcoming Events
Tuesday, April 18th, 5:30pm, VS Board Meeting, Library
Tuesday, April 18th, EWEB Greenpower Signup Deadline
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!
Happy Spring! The sun is shining (amidst a few showers!), the days are getting longer, and summer is on the horizon!
Things are whizzing along like shooting stars here at the Village. Field trips are getting planned, festivals and concerts are being organized, tests are getting completed, lessons are being taught, meetings are being held, and plans are being made all over this place. We are on course to stick the landing on this lovely year!
We are so grateful for all the help and input from all of our stellar volunteers. This school wouldn’t be half of what it is without your help. We have such a sparkling array of talented people here who show up and roll up their sleeves and put in the work to make this special place run. We will forever be grateful to you beyond what words can reflect. Our community would not be the same without you. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!
We hope you are warm, dry, and cozy!
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
PS. You may have noticed an astral theme in this week's administrator’s note…this is an homage to the annual Lyrid Meteor shower happening above us as we speak! The peak of the shower will be on Saturday, April 22nd. May the skies be clear for optimal viewing!
Vote for the Village School to win $50,000 EWEB Grant
Deadline to sign up is Tuesday April 18th
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 footprint 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 7 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
Counselor's Corner
For the next few weeks the Counseling Corner will continue to focus on the different strengths that students will explore in the Sources of Strength curriculum. Today’s focus is on Positive Friends.
Positive Friends lift us up and make us laugh. They are honest with us, and are there for us when we need them.
Friendship skills are something students work on everyday at school. Treating others with dignity and navigating peer conflicts can be difficult at times. Check out this article from the American Pediatric Association: What Parents Can Do to Support Friendships.
Rebecca Macemon
School Counselor
rmacemon@eugenevillageschool.org
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
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, such as our next big event, May Day on 5/2! 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, May 9th 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.
Art Field Trip
The students created these beautiful handmade abstract pocket sketchbooks to take along on a field trip last week. Our group had an enriching experience visiting the Rick Bartow exhibit at the Karin Clarke gallery and other stunning art shows at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
Village Kitchen
This week the 4th grade class is partnering with the kitchen for an Earth Week project. This past Friday, students discussed ways that food waste negatively impacts our natural environment. Students shared their thoughts on why food is wasted including these thoughtful observations: "Sometimes we eat with our eyes, not with our stomachs." "Sometimes I take a bunch and then don't eat it all so it gets wasted." "Some days we have more time to eat lunch than others." "Sometimes we are so hungry when it is time to eat and the food is so good so we take a lot and then it's too much."
To start their project, students will focus on one easily measurable area of our school's food waste. Monday through Friday of this week, 4th graders will measure and record the amount of milk discarded by each grade every day. The goal is to capture a typical week's worth of milk waste. Students will then take that information and lead an educational campaign to inspire the community to change their food waste habits. After educating others, they will measure the amount of milk discarded again in hopes of seeing a reduction of waste.
Thank you 4th grade. We look forward to hearing how it goes!
Toña Aguilar
April Menus
Parent Council
The next Parent Council Meeting will be on Tuesday, May 9th 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!
Community Bulletin Board
Wildling Collaborative Arts
Wildling Collaborative Arts is a new local artist collective focused on creating a creative and healing space for the community and was founded by 5 women, three of which are parents of Village kiddos! We are excited to let the Village community know that we at Wildling Collaborative Arts are currently offering Kid & Parent Clay Classes, among many other clay, sewing, and leatherwork classes. We are also offering a Mother's Day event on May 13th, 11am-3pm, at 250 Taylor where kids and adults can come to make gifts for (and even with) moms & caregivers. For more information or to sign up for classes, you can check out our website WildlingCollaborativeArts.com or follow us on IG (wildlingcollaborativearts) for announcements. We hope to see you there!
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.
