Village Voice - Volume 25, Issue 2
- Chrissy Barry
- Sep 10, 2025
- 8 min read
Upcoming Events
Monday, September 15th, 6:00pm, Parent Council Meeting on Zoom
Tuesday, September 16th, 5:30pm, Board Meeting
Thursday, September 18th, 4th Grade Field Trip to Skinner Butte Park
Thursday, September 18th, 5:30pm, Back to School Parent Night for K, 1, 6, 7, 8 Grades
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2nd & 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Hult Center
Wednesday, September 24th, 4th Grade Field Trip to Spencer Butte Park
Thursday, September 25th, 5:30pm, Back to School Parent Night for 2, 3, 4, 5 Grades
Wednesday, October 1st, Picture Day for K - 4th Grades
Thursday, October 2nd, Picture Day for 5th - 9th Grades
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!
Fall is in the air! The breezes are blowing cooler and cooler as we inch toward the autumn equinox on September 22nd. After the equinox, the days will be shorter and shorter, signaling the time to gather the final fruits of summer and turn toward the hearth and home. Somewhere far away, druids, pagans and revelers are planning their damp and mossy Mabon gathering at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise above the stones before the descent into wintery dark nights. In China and Vietnam lanterns are being prepared and mooncakes filled with lotus seed paste for the upcoming Mid Autumn Moon Festival. In Japan, relatives are gathering for Ohigan, a Japanese Buddhist equinox custom during which the graves of ancestors are visited and cleaned and decorated, while the sun sets directly west in the land of the afterlife.
Here at the Village School, we’ve had our own celebration marking the passage of time–the Rose Ceremony. It was lovely as usual, and we welcomed another sweet group of children into our Village School grades. (See pictures below) We love watching these beautiful human beings growing and developing through the years and we are already enjoying watching the first graders eating lunch in the Commons, practicing their lines in the breezeways, and meeting with their eighth grade buddies.
A few nuts and bolts:
Village School students in grades 5-8 have an opportunity to participate in an afterschool Ultimate Frisbee team. See the flyer below for more information!
The kitchen could still use a few more volunteers, if you have any time to offer.
Please ensure that you’ve returned any health plan information and your supply fee to the office.
Thank you! Stay cozy,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
Drop Off & Pickup Policy
For late Arrivals, please use the entrance at the bottom of the stairs off of 35th Avenue and ring the intercom. If you are needing accessible parking or are arriving by bike, you are welcome to ring the intercom at the delivery gate off of the Willamette St entrance and we will let you in.
Operation School Bell
The Assistance League of Eugene supports a program of student assistance called Operation School Bell. This program supports families who are experiencing financial hardship to shop at Fred Meyer for $130 on school clothes or shoes for their children.
This year the Village School has 12 spots available. If you would like your child to be included in Operation School Bell this fall please complete The Village School Parent/Guardian Request form .
The form needs to be filled out and submitted by Monday, September 16th. Since spots are limited, if we have more than 12 people apply we will run a lottery and notify you if you receive a shopping spot or not.
Library Agreements
Good afternoon Village School families,
I am very excited to start my tenth year as the Village School's librarian! I love helping your children grow their interest in reading, as well as cultivating a vibrant, diverse library collection that matches the needs of all our students.
This year I'm asking for all your help in keeping our library full of the interesting books that our students are wanting to check out. I'm requiring parents/guardians and students to read and sign a "library use agreement" that lays out some basic rules for book check out. I'm also asking parents/guardians of students in grades 5-8 if they want to opt out of their students checking out "young adult" books.
Please note: Kindergarteners do not check out books in their class visits, but can make arrangements with me to check out books upon request.
Please fill out the online form for each student at the Village School:
OR you can get a paper copy from the office or your child's teacher, sign and return to the library, office, or classroom teacher.
Contact me if you have any questions.
Molly Bautista, VS Librarian
2025 - 26 Electronic Device Policy
Teaching students to use technology safely and appropriately continues to be part of everyday learning; however, cell phones have proven to be a distraction in the classroom and detrimental to the learning environment. We are actively working to maintain the physical and mental health of our students, which has led to the re-evaluation of our cell phone policy. Given current research and data, we believe that removing the phone from the student’s physical presence is best practice. Students may freely use/access their phones before and after school. Our middle school students are assigned a computer each year, therefore, there is little need for additional personal devices.
Village School students grades three through eight will be required to place their phones in a locked box that will be stored safely by their home room teacher. An exception will be made for students who use a cell phone for medical needs. Teachers will return phones at the end of the school day. If a student needs to use their phone for legitimate reasons, they can ask their teacher to unlock it for them. However, students who need to call their parents will generally be referred to the office or a classroom phone for this purpose. Cell phones are not allowed for students in grades k-2, unless as a part of a medical plan.
We are hoping that this new procedure will reduce instances of inappropriate use of phones during transition times, reduce anxiety in students who don’t have cell phones or specific apps that other students have, reduce distractions, and increase community connectedness during the school day. Here is a link to a 500 student survey that found significant correlations between high cell phone use, anxiety, and lower grades.
IF YOU NEED TO CONTACT YOUR STUDENT DURING THE DAY FOR AN EMERGENCY OR FOR TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, CONTACT THE OFFICE AND WE WILL GET A MESSAGE TO THEM.
**Students who do not lock up their cell phones at the beginning of the day and are found to be in possession of their device will be required to lock it up and the class teacher will check in with a parent or guardian. The second instance, the device will be held in the office and a parent/guardian will be required to pick it up.
Headphones/AirPods
All electronic headphones are prohibited during the school day unless the student has a medical exemption, or when directed by a teacher.
Village Kitchen
Feeding a school is fun and a lot of work!
Big thanks to our stellar volunteers who create magic in the kitchen with us every school day. We really need a few more helping hands!
Volunteers, like Billy here, get to enjoy a free lunch after their shift. If you are able to contribute please reach out to Toña at taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org or 541-510-8604.
We especially need a napkin folder on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings after drop off. We also really need someone who can serve lunch to students and staff every Tuesday and every other Wednesday. We also need help with salad bar prep any day of the week.
Students have been enthusiastic about school meals again and parents are grateful that they don't have to pack a lunch, knowing their child will be served a nutritious, made-from-scratch meal every day.
Today these 5th grade students enjoyed their spaghetti along with an assortment of fruits, vegetables and chickpeas from the salad bar. We were blessed to receive a donation of gorgeous carrots and cucumbers this morning from Red Tail Organics, a local farm run by Village School parents David and Jessica.
With a grateful heart,
Toña
Rose Ceremony
At the Rose Ceremony, the 8th graders welcomed the 1st graders into the grades school with a rose. This year's ceremony was beautiful, heart warming and inspirational as always.
Volunteering at the Village School
Welcome to a fresh new school year! Be sure to watch your email, the Village Voice and the Village Vine for messages from Village Community 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 take part in.
We are looking for Kitchen Volunteers! Please let Toña know if you can help. She can be reached at taguilar@eugenevillageschool.org or 541-510-8604. There are multiple ways that you can make a huge difference in our fabulous kitchen program!
We ask families to contribute 30-40 hours of volunteer hours per year, and single parent households to contribute 15-20 hours. Please stop by the office to fill out a volunteer packet if you have not already done so (Background checks are valid for 2 years). All parents have been entered into our online volunteer system, HelpCounter. This is where you can track your hours, and is the system you will be signing in on when you come to the office. You should be receiving an email from HelpCounter soon. Stay tuned!
One of the ways to contribute to our school community is by attending Village Community Council Meetings! The first meeting date is Monday, 9/15 at 6 pm. Meetings are held on Zoom so that you can attend from the comfort of your home. Every parent and guardian's voice is valued in decisions about what funds are used for, events that are held and collaborations with departments and teachers at the Village School!
We are also looking for parent coordinators to represent the kindergarten class. Please let the office know if you are interested in this role.
*Please always make sure to sign in, grab a volunteer badge, and sign out at the office when you volunteer
Reach out to chrissy@eugenevillageschool.org with any questions about volunteering!
541-345-7285
Title 1 Reading/Math Services 2025-26
Every fall, winter and spring, our Title staff and classroom teachers administer reading and math assessments to each of our students. If a student scores below the 30th percentile, she/he may be recommended by our team to receive instructional interventions in reading and/or math with their progress monitored. At The Village School, all students receive up to 90 minutes of language arts and 60 minutes of math instruction each day. If your child will be receiving additional reading or math instruction, his or her classroom teacher or the title 1 coordinator will notify you.
8th Grade Fundraiser
Let's help our 8th graders raise money for their end of year trip! You can do this by getting a yummy dinner tonight at Chipotle!
After School Enrichment Classes
Dear Village School Families,
We are pleased to announce that the Village School will be offering a complimentary after-school enrichment program (ASEP) beginning the week of October 6 - December 12 for grades 1 - 8. Programs are funded by grants from the Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Community Foundation’s Chintimini Fund. Classes will be held directly after school and will be dismissed between 4 - 4:45 pending on the grade level and the class being taught.
An enrollment form for the After School Enrichment program will be posted in the Village Voice asap. Please keep an eye out for the registration form and fill it out promptly as class size is limited and may be subject to lottery. Applications are accepted on a first come, first serve basis.
If you have any questions about the ASEP please direct them to me bayer@eugenevillageschool.org or you may text, or call me at (805) 975-7778. Due to the daily spam calls I receive, I may not answer immediately so please leave a voice message with your name and reason for calling and I will return your call asap.
Regards,
Rachel Burk-Bayer
ASEP Coordinator / Kindergarten EA
(805) 975-7778
Job Postings:
After School Care Assistant
Health Reminders
Community Bulletin Board
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