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Writer's pictureAndrew Peara

Village Voice - Volume 21, Issue 35


Upcoming Events

  • Wednesday, May 18th, 5:30PM: Board Meeting (Zoom)

  • Thursday, May 26, 6:30PM: 1619 Project Discussion Group (Zoom)

  • Monday, May 30th, No School - Memorial Day

 

Administrator's Message

Dear Village School Families,


Today we had a group of visitors from our sponsoring District, Eugene 4J. The charter school review team came to oversee our campus and operations. We took a tour of the school and had a delicious lunch of stacked enchiladas in the Commons. The school looked fantastic, the sun was shining, the students were working studiously, and we had great information to share with them about our day to day runnings.


These visits are very important to our school because it’s a time when we can ask questions, show off our artwork, showcase our beautiful lessons and experienced staff, and make connections with our sponsoring district. It went very well, thanks in large part to our fantastic and supportive community–the students, staff, and parents of our beautiful school.


In a more newsy light, please be sure to check out the


Warmly,

Shannon, Sue, Bob and Andy


 

Covid Update

CDC Community Levels vs. Transmission Levels

In early March, the CDC recommended that policy makers adopt a new measure for gauging community risk levels associated with the spread of Covid variants. The "community level" considers the extent of Covid cases and related hospitalizations. At this time, Lane County and much of the country is in the green "low risk" zone, which partly reflects the fact that the most current variants are causing a lower percentage of hospitalizations than prior variants. That being said, the number of cases in Lane County and much of the country reflects a high level of transmission. If you are concerned about the heightened level of Covid cases, wearing a mask and getting vaccinated are among the most powerful steps to preventing disease transmission.


 

Summer Day Camp Subsidies

The Village School is not offering its own summer day camps, but is using its allocation of state summer program resources to help Village School families pay for day camps. The program will provide subsidies to students attending day camps this summer on a scale based on whether their families qualify for free meals, reduced meals or Oregon Extended Income Guidelines. Those qualifying for free meals will receive the largest of these subsidies. That beging said, our families may not need these subsidies for some summer programs. Some programs are already providing subsidies for students served by the Eugene 4J school district which includes charter schools like The Village School.


We will be circulating a survey to families to help determine the number of families seeking summer day camp support and the amount of subsidy requested.


 

Volunteering is Back!


As we work toward reuniting our Village School community, more opportunities to volunteer are coming up! Be sure to watch your email, the Village Voice and the Village Vine for messages from Parent 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 enjoy.


One of the ways to contribute to our school community is by attending Parent Council Meetings! We are still holding these meetings by Zoom so they are easy to attend (even while making dinner or folding laundry) and every parent and guardian's voice is valued in decisions about what Parent Council funds are used for, events that are held and collaborations with departments and teachers at the Village School!


Don't forget to sign in to HelpCounter and report your hours so we can see the amazing contributions from our Village School Families


 

Help Wanted


Volunteer Gardeners

It's that time of year again. While the gardening seasons is getting off to a slower start than usual, the amount of work that needs to happen is ramping up quickly.


The garden needs help with planting, weeding, and path maintenance.

Any and all help is appreciated.


Contact Brett brettj@eugenevillageschool.org to get started.


Handwork Assistant (for 2022-23)


Duties: Assist classroom teacher by working with students individually or in small groups with hand crafts. Qualifications: Experience working with children and adults in a positive manner Knowledge of Waldorf Handwork curriculum including skills in knitting, crocheting, cross-stitch and various other needle work as well as classroom management skills a plus Ability to lift and carry 40 lbs. Willingness to get CPR training Background check required Complete Covid vaccination records Starting Salary Range: $ 14.62 – $16.35 per hour

Strong verbal and written communication skills



1st Grade Teacher (one year position for 2022-23 only)


Qualifications:

Either Valid Oregon Teaching License or Waldorf Teacher Certificate

Minimum Bachelor’s Degree

Demonstrated ability to interact with children and adults in a positive manner

Strong verbal and written communication skills

Commitment to arts-integrated education and familiarity with Waldorf education

Willingness to get CPR training

Willingness to attend Waldorf education trainings

Ability to lift and carry 40 lbs


Salary Range: $41,653 - $64,011, depending on experience and education. Additional variable compensation included. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability, PERS and defined contribution pension, and lunch from our healthy kitchen.


Main Lesson Teacher Job Functions


1st Grade Classroom and Title I Assistant beginning 2022-23

Duties:

Serve as 1st Grade Classroom Assistant

Tutor individual or small groups of 1st grade to support reading and math skill building. Collaborate with lead teacher and Title I staff.

Support for OAKS testing and progress monitoring Qualifications:

Bachelor’s Degree preferred

TSPC license preferred

Strong Reading and Math Instruction Skills

Strong Classroom Management Skills

Knowledge of Waldorf Curriculum Preferred

Previous experience or training is necessary

Ability to interact with children and adults in a positive manner

Willingness to get CPR training

Fingerprinting/Background check required

Ability to lift and carry 35 pounds


Starting Salary Range: $ 17.38 – $19.46 DOE. Benefits include our healthy lunch service, disability and pension coverage.

 

Village School Guests & Volunteer Vaccination Protocol

Spring 2022


  1. Our volunteer policy is as follows:

    1. Volunteers who work directly with students, including field trip chaperones,

      1. must provide proof of vaccination, along with standard volunteer documentation, to the office before working with students.

      2. If a volunteer is not boosted, they need to fill out exemption paperwork in the office and get tested weekly, or just prior to a volunteer job if preferred.

      3. Chaperones who are not boosted are required to take a rapid test the day prior to and the day of the planned trip.

  2. Volunteer protocol must be followed for all school organized activities, including any off-campus field trips that are planned and sponsored by the school.

  3. Volunteers who have direct contact with students are required to adhere to the above policy.

    1. Vaccination requirements do not apply to volunteers who make deliveries or help setup for events as long as they are not working directly with students.

  4. All parents regardless of vaccination status are welcome to be on campus for pick up and drop off times, and during community outdoor events (such as May Day and the Rose Ceremony) or community events held in the Commons (such as the Mentorship evening and 8th grade graduation).

  5. These decisions will be upheld through the end of this school year. We will take all opinions and new data into consideration over the summer and reconsider our policy for the fall.

 

Library Notes - May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Month


May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Here are some recommended books by Asian American authors that can be found in the Village School library. You can also visit the Library of Congress' page on Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to learn more about Asian American history and to see a schedule of online events.



Grades K-2


Bilal Cooks Daal by Aisha Saeed

A Boy Named Isamu: A Story of Isamu Noguchi by James Yang

A Different Pond by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui

Jasmine Toguchi: Drummer Girl by Debbi Michiko Florence

Meet Yasmin! by Saadia Faruqi, illustrated by Hatem Aly

The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin


Grades 3-5


The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida

Copper by Kazu Kibuishi

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte, illustrated by Ann Xu

Stargazing by Jen Wang

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

A Wish in the Dark by Christina Soontornvat The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin


Grades 5-8

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed

Amina's Voice by Hena Khan

The Best at It by Maulik Pancholy

Dear America: The Story of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park

Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim


Grades 7-8 (YA)


Almost American Girl by Robin Ha

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Displacement by Kiku Hughes

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

We Are Not Free by Traci Chee


As always, please contact me with questions or concerns.


Molly Bautista, VS Librarian

 

Keep Sick Children at Home

It has come to our attention that several parents are dropping off sick children at school. Though Covid-19 conditions have receded, it is our longstanding policy that sick children stay home. If a sick child arrives at school or a child becomes ill at school, the school will call parents or emergency contacts to pick up the child as soon as possible.

 


Sewing enrichment class students at their work!

 

Village School Kitchen


We have been welcoming a few special guests to the kitchen recently. Last week, the dietician who is helping us calculate nutritional information for our recipes visited campus for the first time and enjoyed a Village School Kitchen lunch. After the experience she shared " The lunch was so tasty and well-prepared! Thank you so much. Everyone was so friendly and accommodating." We also had a surprise visitor who wandered in from the courtyard!

Today we welcomed a number of 4j staff who were on campus for a charter review. We take great pride in the unique food program we have built and enjoy sharing the experience with others!


Those of you who have entered the double doors to the upper wing will have noticed our colorful collage board that students pass every day when coming to lunch. Many children stop here to look at the monthly menus we have posted to see when their favorite meal is scheduled. Surrounding the collage are photos of students, volunteers and staff. Last week we updated the photos with ones taken in the past year.

Thank you Alice and Klara from the 6th grade for helping put up new photos.


Volunteers Still Needed

We are still looking for a Monday morning prep volunteer and a Thursday morning laundry folder. If either of these could work for your schedule, please consider signing up to volunteer for the last few weeks of school. Our style of food service program requires a lot of intentional input from many loving hands!


Have a fabulous week!


Toña Aguilar

541-510-8604


BTW: A special thanks to the Village School Kitchen for making a fabulous Lunch for staff members on our Friday Professional Development day!!


 

Is State Testing Happening this year?


Yes, For the 2021–22 school year, state testing will return to normal. The Village School is required to administer annual statewide assessments of language arts and math for students in grades 3–8 and science in grades 5 and 8. Testing at The Village School will begin after April 11. You will be notified which days the test will be administered once the actual days are determined. One bit of good news is that the assessments are much shorter than they were several years ago. They were shorted in 2019 and have since then been shortened some more.


All public schools in the U.S. are required to systematically assess student learning and report participation and results in school accountability systems. Students in Oregon are assessed periodically to measure proficiency in state and district standards, including completing statewide assessments in certain grades. State test results provide important information for students, parents, teachers, schools and districts.


Can students opt-out of state testing?

Yes. Under Oregon law, a parent or adult student may opt out of Oregon’s summative statewide assessments of math and language arts for any reason, by annually submitting a form. 2021–22 state testing notice and opt-out form (English / Español). For students who opt out of a particular assessment, their test score will default to a “Non-Proficient” rating. This could affect our proficiency ratings in subject areas across the grades as it is used as a performance indicator in our annual state Report Card. Further, our participation rate is evaluated by the 4J School District and is part of our compliance requirements. If we do not meet 4J’s participation expectations, our evaluation could be negatively impacted. Parents may submit an opt-out form at any time. Preferably the forms are submitted 30 days prior to the administration of the tests. If you have any questions please send an email to principal@eugenevillgeschool.org


For the science assessment, there is no opt-out form. Requests for exemption must

  • Be submitted in writing to principal@eugenevillageschool.org

  • Include the reasons for request (disability or religion)

  • Propose an alternative learning activity for the student

Exemption requests are subject to review and determination whether to approve.

 

Please join us at the May Parent Council Meeting!


Please join us and send questions and ideas to parentcouncil@eugenevillageschool.org.


The notes from past meetings can be found here.


Every Village School parent and guardian is a part of Parent Council - The Virtual Parent Council Meetings are open to all parents and guardians on the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

You can also engage with Village School families on the Parent Council Facebook page, The Village Vine!


Don't forget to sign in to HelpCounter and report your hours so we can see the amazing contributions from our Village School Families



Monthly LGBTQ+ and Allies Gathering!


Sarah Maxwell and her family will be "hosting" a monthly gathering at Tugman park, the first Sunday morning of each month at 10:00 am, at the picnic tables on the Hilyard side of the park. The meetings are open to all LGBTQ families & allies, with the simple mission of just building community.


There is no need to RSVP or commit to bringing anything, and masks are welcome but optional. Students of all ages and their families are welcome and encouraged to join in! The last gathering date will be Sunday June 5.


 

Wanted Participants for

The 1619 Project Book Club!


Thursday, May 26th! 6:30-7:30pm

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Book Study

Let’s celebrate our commitment to studying history. We had a good showing of folks at our last meeting. Thursday May 26, 6:30 to 7:30 PM, via Zoom. Please come, even if you haven't read chapters 1 and 2. Please join in this community event. Our dialogue is part of the courageous conversations our school community is having about diversity, equity and inclusion. There is a loaner copy of the book at the school office. Call if you want to reserve it. You may want to listen to a free Apple Podcast about the book, HERE. It is also possible to purchase an audio version of the book (or take advantage of a free trial) via Audible Books. Here is the LINK




 

LTD Passes Available!


If you have signed up for your child, their touchpasses are waiting! Come on into the office and pick it up this week!


The Village School has worked with 4j and LTD to make touchpasses available to Village School students!


Fill out the form below to sign up and provide permission for your Village School student to have a card. Then come into the office to have a card assigned to your child!



If you have a child that does not attend Village School, please contact their school to see if they have touchpasses available for students. We are only able to provide passes to Village School Students.

 



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