Village Voice - Volume 25, Issue 29
- Chrissy Barry
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Upcoming Events
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!
Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th-century Christian mystic, poet, composer, artist, and healer, has been popping into our minds as the spring weather starts unfolding around us. Hildegard wrote at length about viriditas, which can be translated from Latin as “greening.” She used the term to describe a sort of spiritual photosynthesis, a process during which humans connect with the spiritual energies of the world to enable healing, renewal, and flourishing that moves through the natural world and through us, as well. As the spring greening is happening in the leaves all around us, this feels like a lovely moment to notice and nurture a little human viriditas.
We hope you can make it to the Talent Show this Friday! There are a lot of wild talents on the list for presentation including (but not limited to) Rubic’s Cube demos, piano and stringed instruments, comedy, ventriloquism, yoyo feats, singing, puppet shows, dancing, cartwheeling, and jump rope. Don’t miss out, see more details below!
We hope you’re staying cool but cozy,
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
Talent Show
The Talent Show and Raffle is coming up this Friday evening! There will be a spaghetti dinner from 5:30 - 6:30pm and the talent show and will be from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Come support our student performers and the 8th grader's trip!
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. We are still needing a lot of volunteer help. This is the last big celebration of the school year, and a great opportunity to meet your volunteer hours.
You can sign up here to Volunteer!
April Birthdays
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:
Handwork Happenings
Finn, Gael, and Olive share their finished Handwork Projects!
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 hope you'll join our efforts!
Village Kitchen News
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.org or pop by the kitchen to say hi and get more information.
Village School Lunch Diaries
Baked tofu sushi bowls with the freshest veggie sides and toppings.
Piping hot ramen bowls, perfect for this chilly, transition weather!
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!
NAMIWalks Lane County is a free family & pet friendly community event to bring awareness to mental health. There will be giant yard games, laser tag, face painting, sensory zone, and balloon twisting!
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!
