Village Voice - Volume 25, Issue 10
- Chrissy Barry
- Nov 6
- 8 min read
Upcoming Events
Ongoing - Food Drive Collection in the office (see below for details)
Friday, November 7th, Kindergarten Hearing Screenings
Friday, November 7th, Sewing Enrichment Field Trip
Monday, November 10th, No School, Conferences
Tuesday, November 11th, No School, Veterans Day
Thursday, November 13th, 3rd Grade Field Trip to Museum of Cultural & Natural History
Friday, November 14th, Kindergarten Lantern Walk
Monday, November 17th, 6:00pm, Village Community Council Meeting
Tuesday, November 18th, 3,4,5 Grade Field Trip to the Hult Center
Wednesday, November 19th, Picture Retake Day
Quick Links
In the interest of reducing the sheer length of the Village Voice, we have replaced several repeating items with links to shortcuts:
Administrator's Message
Greetings Village School Community!
Far across the globe in Mesoamerica, a beautiful tradition began when Aztek and Spanish customs and traditions mingled to create what would become known as Día de los Muertos. Modern day Día is celebrated primarily in Mexico, where families decorate an ofrenda with photos and mementos of relatives who have passed away. They also include food and drink for those who passed, to honor their lives and to ensure they are not forgotten.
Last night we held our Village School Día de los Muertos Festival and it was amazing! There was a potluck, face painting, crafts, and a performance by Raices de Oregon-Baile Folklorico. One thousand thanks to all the volunteers, Toña Aquilar for the food, Chrissy Barry for helping organize volunteers, and to Santi Lopez who did a fantastic job teaching the students songs, making Día de los Muertos artwork, and facilitating the event. Hopefully you made it out and celebrated with us!
On the heels of such a beautiful evening, we wanted to acknowledge that many families, especially those in the Hispanic community, may be experiencing increased stress at this time. We were informed that Springfield’s Día de los Muertos event, also scheduled for yesterday, was suspended over deportation concerns. We want to reaffirm that The Village School is a place of welcome, care, and connection. We honor your presence, your traditions, and the strength you bring to our community, and we are here to support your children’s well-being.
Hoping that you had a moment to light a candle and reflect on loved ones who came before you, to share memories, tell stories, and to re-connect with their memory…
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
Community Service Walk-a-Thon!
This is our last post re: the Walk-a-Thon. We have exceeded our goal with $20,000 raised!. Half of this will help The Village Kitchen and half will help our partnering environmental education organizations. Thank you so much for your participation!
Here are the totals so far for each class.
Turkey Dinners
This year, A3 High School in Springfield is offering full turkey dinners to families who could use them. If you would like to receive a dinner on Monday, 11/24 please fill out this form by Monday, 11/17.
Meals will be limited to the first 20 families to sign up. Meal pickup will take place at the Village School office parking lot on Monday, 11/24 after school.
Village School Kitchen Food Drive
Thank you to everyone who has so generously brought in items for our Fall Food Drive!
We are accepting items through (tomorrow) Friday afternoon. You can drop food off in the office or in the Commons until then. If you want to contribute but can't make it by tomorrow afternoon, text or call Toña at 541-510-8604 for a drop off time on Sunday afternoon.
We warmly welcome any adult from our school community to sign up for a 10 minute time slot on Monday, November 10th between 8:00am - 4:00pm to choose items for their family. All leftovers will be donated to Burrito Brigade/Waste to Taste.
To sign up for a time, e-mail Toña at taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org.
Toña Aguilar
Additional Food Resources
See below for additional community resources:
and
Willamette Farm and Food
Movement News
The children have returned in full stride. We have spent our time together, remembering all that got us to where we are. Children alight with what inspires them to celebrate a day in Movement class and grumble at the challenges that are unique to their lives. I am here to love and support all of it!
Virtues
Every year we choose virtues that are the stars in our voyage from the beginning of the school year to end. In other years I have allowed children to co-create these virtues but this year I sense a great need for a few. This year our virtues will be…..
Commitment - Cooperation - Compassion
In Movement Class, I regularly highlight behaviors that reflect the virtues our class has agreed to uphold. When students show up with the right attitude an amazing class follows. My hope is that each child finds their way to contribute to a respectful, responsible, and safe classroom.
Life Long Play
The Movement Classroom is the heartbeat of our school. Children arrive and begin moving right away. Every day, I work to instill the joy of life long play. Through play I guide children to live fully with their hands, heart, and whole selves. Through play we achieve our state wide standards. Through play, we build a space together that is diverse, creative, and inclusive. Every student in my classroom will be heard and help shape the destiny of their class. Our classroom’s yearly pattern is Remembering, Learning, and Becoming. In Fall we remember the highlights of our curriculum from the previous year. In the Winter we learn new skills and discuss more about knowledge and virtue, and lastly in the Spring we build our athletic selves and push the boundaries of our potential.
Communication
Over the years I have come to know many of you. Some of your children have been in my care since their first week of kindergarten. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be in your child's life. I can guarantee countless children know me as their ally, guide, mentor, coach, and teacher. If your student has a poor perspective of me or an incident between us, please inquire. Send me an email describing your child's perspective and I can respond with mine on the matter. Right or wrong it will move things within me to extend the kind of communication your child is missing.
Favorite Games
1-3: Sky Wolves, Wax Museum, Star Catchers, Turtle Tag, Monarch, Scare Crow Tag, Star Catchers, River Monsters, and Quiet Corner
4-5: Capture the Bean Bag, Mushroom Dodgeball, Wall Guardians, Soccer, Secret Agents, Swoopers, Avalanche Tag,
6-8: Volleyball, Badminton, Soccer, Basketball, Steal the Stone,
4 Corner CTB, Classic Dodgeball, Kickball, and Ultimate Spaceball
Classroom Expectations
Please talk to your student about…….
Body Space - Keep space between peoples' bodies. High fives, fist bumps, hugs, and hand holds are fine in moderation.
Instruction Interruption - After attention is gathered and Instruction has begun, please refrain from interruption until learning is done.
Random Recess - During class, everyone should participate to feel fair and together. Random recess is normally children trying to have their own personal little fun with a special someone.
Rest, Regulate, and Recover
During class your student always has access to reprieve. They may rest at the mats along the wall if they need…
Rest - A personal, small pause on the activity after they have given effort.
Regulate - An intentional attempt to lower the social - emotional stress of an activity, a drink of water, a cry, a restorative conversation, or a moment of feeling heard/quiet.
Recover - Taking the time to evaluate and treat an injury.
In Movement Class, participation is essential. While each child will have plenty of room for personal exploration, students are expected to engage and move in harmony with their classmates. Movement is designed to be flexible and inclusive, supporting students from grades 1 through 8 in finding their own rhythm while contributing to the collective energy of the class.
If you hear that your child is not participating in my class, please assist them in making a plan to discover how to find their fun.
May our School Year be filled with jubilee and splendor!
Logan Flores
Movement Teacher @ The Village School
8th Grade Wreath Sale
Every purchase you make directly supports our fundraiser to help our class get to Twin Rocks Outdoor School for our 8th grade trip in June 2026.
Choose a holiday wreath or swag for your door! Choose a couple, and get a deal!
Wreaths and swag will be available for pickup at the Village School 12/15 - 12/18. We will also have a couple community pickup sites TBA! For those of you that need further assistance, we are offering delivery with a fee.
Thank you for supporting our class!
Happy shopping! 🌟
The Village School Class of 2026
Día de los Muertos Celebration
What a gorgeous celebration it was last night! Thank you so much to our incredible volunteers and potluck contributors who went above and beyond to make it such a successful night. Thank you also to the teachers who worked with their students, who sang beautifully! And a huge thank you to Toña from bringing her planning, creating, and kitchen magic, and for Santi for throwing their heart into this celebration, and leading it so spectacularly! [Thanks also to Chrissy who help coordinate all of our volunteers!}
Library News - OBOB
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) is starting soon for grades 3-5 and 6-8. OBOB is a voluntary, state-wide reading program in which students form teams of four, read from a set of 16 books, then participate in "battles" where they answer trivia questions about the books. OBOB is a great way to encourage children to read literature from a variety of genres and learn positive teamwork skills. You can also read the books to your child and listen to audiobooks! There is no fee for students to sign up and books can be checked out from the library.
Be on the lookout for OBOB sign up sheets that interested students bring home, or you can complete the digital form. Students may form their own team or sign up and I will place them on a team. OBOB will be an extracurricular activity taking place outside of school hours. I will need at least one parent coach to volunteer for each team. This involves hosting a meeting, (usually once a week or once every 2 weeks) helping the children decide what books to read, and helping them practice answering questions. If you are interested in coaching, please provide your name and contact information on the OBOB sign up sheet. Participation may depend on having enough parent volunteers. For more information, you can explore the OBOB website or contact me. Molly Bautista, VS Librarianmolly@eugenevillageschool.org
Health Reminders
Community Bulletin Board
Come cheer on our Village School middle schoolers - Alison, Marie, and Serena!
Do your kids love nature exploration and outdoor adventures? Then check out Nearby Nature's Natural Neighbors After School program! K-5th grade participants enjoy hiking, natural science, Earth art, and free time in Nearby Nature's outdoor classroom and Alton Baker Park. Programs happen Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:30-5:30 pm and Wednesdays from 2-5:30 pm, rain or shine, with flexible drop off for the first hour of each day and pick up between 5-5:30 pm. Online enrollment is ongoing -- details at Natural Neighbors After School. Scholarship assistance available. https://www.nearbynature.org/natural-neighbors/.
Does your tween or teen love the outdoors and want to learn survival skills? Whole Earth Nature School has a transformative program called FOREST Understory that does just that! This unique opportunity is an eight-month program that immerses 6th to 10th grade students into the world of ancestral wilderness skills. On the first Saturday of every month, we focus an entire day on a unique skill and improve on lessons from the month before. FOREST Understory builds confidence, creates strong friendships, and deepens nature connection. Come join us for this amazing experience!
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