Village Voice - Volume 25, Issue 28
- Chrissy Barry
- Apr 16
- 5 min read
Upcoming Events
Monday, April 20th, 6:00pm, Village Community Council Meeting, Zoom
Tuesday, April 21st, 5:30pm, Board Meeting
Thursday, April 23rd, 4th Grade Field Trip to Cascades Raptor Center
Friday, April 24th, 5:30pm - 8:00pm, Talent Show
Friday, April 24th, Art Enrichment Field Trip
Monday, April 27th, 4th Grade Field Trip to Science Center
Wednesday, April 29th, 1st Grade Field Trip to Nearby Nature
Friday, May 1st, May Day Festival - Volunteers Needed, Sign up Here!
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!
April 15th! A wild day in every respect.
First, it is widely considered by many named and unnamed people on the internet to be a day of “ruination.” A partial list: Abraham Lincoln met his demise (4/15/1865), the Titanic sank (4/15/1912), a train collided in Italy (4/15/1978), the Hillsborough Stadium disaster took place (4/15/1989), the Boston Marathon bombing happened (4/15/2013), and Notre-Dame Cathedral caught fire (4/15/2019).
Lest you think it’s all ruinous, a lot of great things happened too, April 15, 1947, was Jackie Robinson’s first MLB game; Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s on 4/15/1955 (file that one wherever you feel it belongs); Kendrick Lamar won a Pulitzer on 4/15/2018; and Leonardo da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452.
Speaking of birthdays, April 15th is also the birthday of Andy Peara’s mom, née Elizabeth Kuenzli (1936), Shannon Powell’s grandmother, Gladys Albrethson, née Rice (1919), and Denise Huebner's mother, Mary Lou Polacek (1955)! What an amazing day: the birthday of three shining women who went on to create a direct line to three VS champions, Andy, Shannon.and Denise.
Lastly, we wanted to say thanks for paying your state taxes…without them, we’d be at a literal loss.
We hope you are staying cozy!
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
May Day
Our annual May Day celebration is coming up on May 1st! We will need plenty of flowers to make Flower Crowns and to adorn the Maypole. Please share the bounty of your gardens - we will have buckets placed outside the office on the morning of May 1st.
You can sign up here to Volunteer!
Talent Show - Friday April 24th
Our 8th graders will be sponsoring a Talent Show next week. While the exact details of the evening are a work in progress, now is the time to let your children know that a one of a kind opportunity to share their special talents is just around the corner. Auditions will be held early next week!
Environmental Club Announcement: Loose Plastic Recycling Competition.
Each classroom will collect soft plastics in designated boxes.
How to Win
The class that brings in the most qualifying plastic by the end of April wins!
The winning class gets a popcorn and popsicle party.
What Happens to the Plastic?
• Collected weekly
• Weighed
• Posted on a leaderboard
What Counts?
• Bread bags
• Tortilla or bagel bags
• Ziploc bags
• Plastic grocery bags
Reminder
Make sure plastics are clean and dry.
Start bringing in plastic from home and help your class win and help the planet.
Plastic Film & Our Planet: Why Bread Bags and Grocery Bags Matter
Plastic film includes thin, flexible plastics like bread bags, grocery bags, plastic wrap, and packaging. Because it is lightweight and used once, much of it becomes waste. Understanding its impact can help us make smarter choices and protect the environment.
Key Facts
Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags each year — about 300 bags per person.
Plastic film can take 10–20 years (or longer) to break down, and it never fully disappears — it turns into microplastics.
Only about 5–10% of plastic film is recycled because it can clog recycling machines.
Plastic waste in oceans harms more than 800 species of marine animals worldwide.
Real-World Impacts on Plants and Animals
Sea turtles often mistake floating plastic bags for jellyfish, which can block their digestive
system.
Birds and fish can become tangled in plastic film, making it difficult to move or eat.
Plastic in soil can block water and air from reaching plant roots.
When plastic breaks into tiny pieces (microplastics), it enters food chains and can affect entire ecosystems.
How You Can Reduce Plastic Film Use
Bring reusable shopping bags to stores.
Choose products with less plastic packaging.
Reuse bread bags or plastic wrap when possible.
Use reusable containers or beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap.
How to Recycle Plastic Film
Do not place plastic bags or film in curbside recycling bins (unless your city allows it).
Many grocery & retail stores have collection bins for clean, dry plastic bags and film.
Remove food or crumbs before recycling.
Look for labels that say "Store Drop-Off" on plastic packaging.
Small choices — like using reusable bags or recycling correctly — can help protect wildlife, plants, and our planet’s future.
State Testing
Spring brings with it OSAS testing… Parents may submit an opt-out form at any time. Preferably the forms are submitted to Angelique in the Village School Office, on paper or via email (angelique.brennan@eugenevillageschool.org) 30 days prior to the administration of the tests. If you have any questions please send an email to principal@eugenevillgeschool.org.
Here are the opt out forms:
We’re hoping you have some fun plans: travel, rest, play, eat, read, breathe in some fresh air, whatever. I’ll leave you with another poem by a favorite of mine:
Traffic Safety at Drop Off and Pickup
Please review the drop off and pick up policy below and be mindful of children crossing the street on 35th avenue. There have been reports of close calls at both pick up and drop off. Thank you!
Annual Giving Campaign - Commemorative Tiles
Our first round of commemorative tiles are on display just outside the office. Our long term plan is to create a more permanent display once we get more tiles. You can order a tile at https://polarengraving.com/eugenevillageschool or use the following QR Code:
With a tile purchase, you will help us towards our goal of raising funds to install a new merry go round. We've raised $6,000, enough to purchase the equipment; the remaining $4,000 will pay for the installation. We hope you'll join our efforts!
Village Kitchen News
The fabulous foursome: Dan, Morgan, Plaedo and Pete
Every other Tuesday morning you will find a band of Village School Papas having a joyful time in the school kitchen. Pete folds laundry, Plaedo preps the carrots and beets, and Morgan and Dan stay for a stretch, lending a hand with everything from cutting cukes to washing apples. Smiles abound and spirits are lifted with this lovable group of guys.
Toña Aguilar
Looking to fulfill your volunteer hours for the school year?
We have a couple of bi-weekly spots we'd love to fill with helpers for the remaining few months of the school year. Contact Toña at taguilar@eugenevillageschool or pop by the kitchen to say hi and get more information.
Handwork Happenings
New, fantastic handwork creations by Ray, Theo, and Fritz.
Eugene Spring
Mother Nature threw us a spring curveball yesterday, and we had a little moment of hail storm joy!
LTD Passes
Health Reminders
Community Bulletin Board
Rose Children's Theatre's production of Something Rotten Jr opens next Friday. Come see Village School Middle Schoolers, Alison, Indigo, Marie, Serena, and Mandala perform!
If you are looking for ways to support families at risk and in fear due to the increasing presence of ICE in our community, please consider donating to Escudo Latino. They are working long hours and playing an important role in supporting those who need it most right now. Thank you!
Summer Camps
Summer camp with our very own Ms. Blaise!
Comments