Village Voice - Volume 25, Issue 33
- Chrissy Barry
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Upcoming Events
Friday, May 22nd, 8:30am, Volunteer Appreciation Coffee and Pastries
Monday, May 25th, No School, Memorial Day
Wednesday, May 27th - May 28th, 7th Grade Field Trip to Ashland
Wednesday, May 27th, Middle School Art Enrichment Field Trip
Thursday, May 28th, 4th Grade Field Trip to Lane County History Museum
Monday, June 1st, Village Community Council Meeting
Monday, June 1st - June 4th, 8th Grade Trip
Wednesday, June 3rd and 4th, 3rd Grade Play
Thursday, June 4th, 6th/7th Grade Medieval Games
Friday, June 5th, No School, Grading Day
Saturday, June 6th, Board Retreat
Tuesday, June 9th, Spring Concert
Wednesday, June 10th, 3rd Grade Field Trip to Willamette Heritage Center
Wednesday, June 10th, 1st & 2nd Grade Field Trip to Gilbert House
Thursday, June 11th, 9:00am, Rose Ceremony
Thursday, June 11th, 6:30pm, Graduation
Friday, June 12th, Last Day of School, 11:45am Dismissal
Quick Links
In the interest of reducing the sheer length of the Village Voice, we have replaced several repeating items with links to shortcuts:
GoFundMe for Village School Family
Administrator's Message
Greetings Village School Community!!
The next 3 weeks at school is packed with field trips, plays and special events, so please be sure to look over the calendar above. In particular, coming up on Friday (May 22nd), we have our Volunteer Appreciation event. If you have volunteered this year, please stop by for coffee and pastries just outside the office. Volunteers bring to life so much of what makes our school special; we truly appreciate all of your efforts!
Looking back on history, in 1682, Nehemiah Grew (pun unavoidable) published a book titled Anatomy of Plants on fruits, vegetables, roots, leaves, and trunks, and the first ever microscopic description of pollen. Nehemiah Grew, along with his contemporary Marcello Malpighi, studied pollen with gusto! According to Wikipedia, Grew’s studies led “to the discovery that although all pollen is roughly globular, size and shape is different between species; however, pollen grains within a species are all alike” and his work was invaluable in the later developed field of palynology.
Yes, yes, that same tiny yellow dust currently making many of us sneeze helped launch the scientific study of pollen, now called palynology. So if your eyes are itchy this week, you are not just suffering through allergy season…you are having a very personal encounter with 17th-century botany! If you’d like to check out some BEAUTIFUL scanning electron microscopy images of pollen (made well over a century after Nehemiah Grew), check out this link! Amazingly beautiful under a microscope, totally rude in the sinus cavity.
We hope you’re enjoying these nice, warm, pollen-filled days as we coast toward summer!
Sincerely,
Roz, Shannon, and Andy
Volunteer Appreciation Coffee and Treats this Friday
Counseling Corner
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. I want to take a moment to focus on one area where we can support and protect children’s mental health. In the book The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt writes, “We have overprotected children in the real world and underprotected them in the virtual world.” By helping protect children in the digital world, we can also help safeguard their mental health and reduce exposure to harmful content and unhealthy online habits.
Some ways families can support healthy technology use include:
Setting screen time limits
Using parental controls and content filters
Delaying access to smartphones and social media
Encouraging balance between online and offline activities
If you would like to explore how you can protect your children with technology usage you can check out these websites that offer guidance on screen time and kids and technology to help children build healthy digital habits and balance online and offline life:
Common Sense Media Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Parental Controls
Child Mind Institute Screen Time and Technology
Screenagers Resources and insights on kids, screens, and mental wellness
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
This week we are celebrating our amazing kitchen volunteers! We have such a diverse group of amazing humans that contribute to our unique food service program. Together we create an uplifting community within our greater school community. Stories, recipes, advice, laughter and so much more are shared every day in our kitchen space. From parents, to grandparents, to U of O students, to alumni, to current students, we have logged over 1000 hours of volunteer contributions so far this year. Wow!
Coming Together for a School Family
Our Village School community is coming together to support Ashley and her children after a sudden death in their family. This fundraiser helps provide stability and care during a difficult time. If you're able, please consider donating or sharing to help surround their family with support.
Link:
Handwork Happenings
Check out this amazing finished projects from Phoenix, Anya, Dhani, Bowie, Dylan, and Nate! Thank you to our amazing Handwork teachers, Anna, Ms. Bee (Sarah), and Hiroko for teaching our students with such warmth and patience all year!
LTD Passes
Summer break is almost here! To help families save on transportation costs and offer youth a safe, reliable way to explore, LTD passes are good through the summer. Youth K-12 can ride all LTD buses free through October 15, 2026, with the student transit pass.
Learn more at LTD.org/Student-Pass
Community Bulletin Board
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