Ridgeline eNews
August 31, 2023
RIDGELINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Friday 9/1 Back to School Forms Due
Monday 9/4 Labor Day - Office Closed
Tuesday 9/5 Staff Work Day
Wednesday 9/6 First Day of School for all students!
Wednesday 9/6 ½ Kindergarten Class in morning; ½ in afternoon
Thursday 9/7 ½ Kindergarten Class in morning; ½ in afternoon
Tuesday 9/12 Back to School Picnic 5:30-7:00 pm
Thursday 9/14 Board Meeting 6:00-8:00pm
We encourage you to regularly check the full calendar at http://www.ridgeline.org/calendar as some dates may change. Please note that Ridgeline’s calendar differs from 4J elementary calendars. 4J schools will be on an early release schedule on Wednesday while Ridgeline will maintain our early release day on Fridays, amongst other differences.
New News
Welcome to the 2023-24 School Year!
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year everyone! If you are new to Ridgeline this is the weekly eNews that is sent out on Thursdays. Each week the eNews will be posted on our website so if you wish to refer back to a certain week, you can always find it there. In fact, if you want to know anything, it is likely on our website.
Middle School Cohort Placements
Staffing Update
Please help us welcome our new PE teacher, Kyle Woods! He joins us with two years of experience teaching elementary school PE. His passion for physical education and enthusiasm for working with kids shined through in his interview and from his references. Bethany Dilla is Ridgeline’s new School Community Coordinator and will begin September 11. She most recently was the Director of Annual Giving at a local university and brings with her a passion for helping others and developing meaningful relationships. She has experience in large event planning, fundraising and leading staff and volunteers among many other areas.
Operation School Bell
The Assistance League of Eugene’s Operation School Bell offers shopping days at Fred Meyer for students whose families need assistance buying clothing for school. Ridgeline has been awarded a limited number of spots for our students to participate. If your family would benefit from this assistance, please contact Cynthia by Friday, September 8th. Depending on the demand, we may not be able to accommodate everyone’s request but we definitely want to hear from you!
New Families
Welcome to Ridgeline! We are so excited to have you join the Ridgeline community. We know that these first few weeks, as you learn about our community, can be overwhelming. Please do not hesitate to contact anyone in the office if you have questions! And feel free to ask the same question more than once. We will be offering a New Family “Ridgeline 101” Meeting on Tuesday, September 19, 6-7:30pm. This is the perfect opportunity to learn all the ins and outs of being a Ridgeline parent and have your questions answered. Limited childcare is available for toilet-trained children. Sign up here.
Back to School Packet Reminder
On Monday, August 28th families received an email with the back to school information and links to forms that need to be completed by tomorrow, September 1st. All classroom links are included below and can be found on our website.
Please read before the first day of school, Wednesday, September 6, 2023:
Please Complete and Submit the following forms by Friday, September 1, 2023:
6. Please remember to pay the 2023-2024 Annual Supply Fee for your student(s).
Rm 3 - Rachel Computer Internet User Agreement For 2023-2024
Rm 5 - Emmanuel Computer Internet User Agreement For 2023-2024
Rm 9 - Meridy Computer Internet User Agreement For 2023-2024
Middle School Computer Internet User Agreement For 2023-2024
Absence Notification
If your child must miss school please contact the office and let us know by 8:30 a.m. You may either call us at 541-681-9662 or email attendance@ridgeline.org. Remember to give us a reason for the absence so we can code it correctly (ie. sick, parent request, medical appointment, injury, bereavement, etc.). If you do not contact us your child will be marked “ABS” and you will receive an attendance phone call and email and the absence will not be excused.
Planned Absence
This is a reminder to avoid planned absences whenever humanly possible. Unless you can guarantee that your child will not get sick this year, it is likely that the planned absence will accumulate with regular sick days and may lead to chronic absenteeism. We sincerely want all of our kiddos to benefit from all the learning opportunities that regular attendance brings. Some life situations are simply unavoidable. If you must take a planned absence, please plan well in advance.
Students may be excused from attendance by Ridgeline's Principal for a period not to exceed five days in a term of three months or not to exceed ten days in any term of at least six months if your student has regular attendance (attendance rate of 90% or better). Your student's absences will be marked as excused for the maximum days allowable in the statement above, any absences that exceed that amount will be marked as unexcused. Fill out the planned absence request form for review and approval by Principal Michelle.
Pre-Arrange Playdates/Pick Up
We know that students are excited to see their friends after the long summer break! Please remember to plan play dates in advance and not during the school day. Honoring the classroom community with as few interruptions as possible is part of the Montessori educational experience we value for our students and staff. If your child will be going home with someone other than you, please send a note to the teacher. We will not release your child to another family without your permission. If you forget to send a note, you may email ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org or call the office at 541-681-9662.
No Animals on Campus
Please remember that the Ridgeline school grounds are an animal-free zone. In order to ensure the safety of all students we ask that you leave your dogs at home when picking up and dropping off your children.
VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED!
Crossing Guards
Crossing guards are needed to help guide Ridgeline students as they cross W. Amazon to access the Amazon trail and the bridge across the creek. Volunteers needed daily at 8-8:30 am and 3-3:20 pm. Safety vests and stop signs provided. Crossing guards need to have a background check within the last 5 years. Sign up for any number of mornings and/or afternoons on Track it Forward
Weeders Needed - Help us get our facilities ready for the start of school by coming and weeding the area near the main entrance of building A and in front of building B (the “island” between building B and W. Amazon sidewalk) . Weeding can happen at any time. Please email to Cynthia to let us know that you are coming.
Thank You - To Cortney McIntyre-Trent for production room work, Jennifer Weaver for help in Emmanuel’s room, John & Wolfie Pavlak for help in Middle School and installing hook boards
Ridgeline Committees and Organization News
Site Council Family Representatives- VOTE NOW!
Marty Wilde and Melissa Kadikau have submitted applications to be a Site Council Family Representative. Please review their applications and vote.
Family Representative Application & Ballot
The Site Council ensures that everyone involved in the school has a voice in how the school grows, develops, and is governed. It includes representatives from all stakeholder groups: student family members, teachers, support staff, board of directors, students, and administration.
The Ridgeline Community Organization (RCO)
Happy Fall to all of our Ridgeline families! We wanted to take a moment to introduce the RCO to families who are new to Ridgeline (and provide a refresher to those who are already a part of our community!). The RCO is our parent organization, all parents/guardians of Ridgeline students are automatically members, and we are focused on community, service and fun :) The RCO Leadership Team meets to plan fun activities for our community and any member of the community is also welcome to join in these meetings to take part (the meeting info will be posted to the Ridgeline calendar). If you have any questions feel free to reach out to RCO@ridgeline.org. We are actively looking for family volunteers to help in leadership roles with the RCO. If you are interested in helping or want to know more about the RCO please email ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org
Back to School Picnic!
The RCO would like to welcome all Ridgeline families back for the 2023-2024 school year and invite you to our Back to School Picnic to be held on the south field Tuesday September 12th from 5:30-7:00 pm. This is a “bring your own” and “leave no trace” event - families should bring their own food (no potluck) and chairs/blankets as well as take all their own trash, etc. We will be enjoying each others company and hearing about all of the fun things families enjoyed during summer break.
Ridgeline t-shirt swap & 2023-2024 Ridgeline Gear. Do you have old Ridgeline t-shirts that no longer fit? At this year’s picnic we will be hosting a Ridgeline t-shirt swap. Old t-shirts can be dropped off at school starting Monday, September 11 to the designated bins. We will also have samples of this year’s t-shirt that you can preview prior to ordering!
Continuing News
Food Pantry
Through generous donations to the food pantry from Ridgeline families we are able to ensure that students have snacks if they have not brought one from home. Teachers and assistants access the pantry as they perceive a need. We are currently accepting donations for the food pantry. Great items to bring include string cheese, yogurt, single serving baby carrot packs, fruits such as apples and oranges, granola bars, etc. Thank you so much for your donation. Last year the food pantry was in high use.
Medication
Students requiring medication are requested to take all doses at home if possible. If medication must be given during school hours, or while students are on school sponsored field trips, a medication distribution form must be completed and signed by the parent. Medication must be given to school staff in the original container with the prescription label attached, and only the amount to be given by school staff in the container. School staff must keep a log of the date, time, and amount of medication given to the student. All medications are kept secured in the school office. Contact the office to make arrangements and complete the paperwork. Students may not have medications elsewhere on the school grounds without prior written approval including a Self Medication Distribution form. This includes over the counter medications and cough drops. All forms are available through the office.
Afterschool Childcare
YMCA still has openings at Ridgeline for after school on site care. See the flyer in the community section below for details.
Fundraising at Ridgeline
As a Public Charter School Ridgeline receives 20% less in state funding than other similarly-sized public schools. So, every year we fundraise to support our public Montessori program. This year our goal is $98,000, which comes out to about $392 per student. Together, we have successfully reached our annual goal each of the last five years. Thank you to everyone who has made that true!
Monthly Donor Match Campaign Starts September 6 - As we look toward our first fundraising event of the year, we would like to send a big THANK YOU out to our monthly donors! Their ongoing contributions to Ridgeline always gets us off to a good start towards the year's fundraising goal! Monthly giving is an easy, flexible, and efficient way to support our school. Small monthly gifts really do add up...a monthly gift of $33 equals that $392 per student goal over the course of a year!
Thanks to generous Ridgeline supporters, we will be hosting our 4th annual Monthly Donor Match to kick off the 2023-24 school year! Sign up as a new Monthly Donor or increase your existing monthly donation during the first month of school (Sept 6 to Oct 6), and you will earn a bonus gift for Ridgeline! More information next week about this exciting and easy way to support our school!
Substitutes Needed
At this time our substitute pool is very low! We are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic to spend a day in a Montessori classroom in the role of the assistant in the event of a staff absence. Subs help with classroom management, assisting students with their work, and tasks assigned by the staff lead for the day. Several of our staff members started their educational careers here at Ridgeline in this role! Subbing is a great way to gain experience and a better understanding of Montessori education at all grade levels.
If you are interested in getting on our substitute list: Please submit a resume and three references with contact information to careers@ridgeline.org. The application deadline is Friday, September 8.
A substitute training will be scheduled the week of September 18th.
Contact Principal, Michelle Texley if you have any questions.
Other News
Need A Piano?
We are looking to rehome two of our pianos. The lighter one is an Everett with a slightly brighter tone. Everything works. The darker one is a Gulbransen. Softer tone. Both have the same size soundboards and are the same style of basic upright piano. We would like to get these in the hands of someone who would play and love these instruments. It would be the responsibility of the interested party to pay for the piano to be moved. Usually this is around $150. Both pianos would need to be tuned as well after being moved.
Volunteering
Volunteers are an integral part of the Ridgeline Community. Families pledge to complete 40 hours of volunteer time per school year. There are a myriad of volunteer opportunities throughout the year. Volunteers serve on committees, make materials at home, do grounds work, act as crossing guards, help in classrooms, chaperone field trips and much more. Teachers will reach out to families in their classroom communications once the six week normalization period is over in mid October, and our School Community Coordinator will include volunteer opportunities in the eNews. To fully participate in most volunteer opportunities, volunteers are background checked. In addition to the background check, volunteers need to complete the volunteer code of conduct. After that, they will be issued a green badge with their name on it and notified that they are ready to go! Visit our website for more information on volunteering.
Ridgeline Family Needs Transportation Help
We have a Ridgeline 5th grader family looking for Tuesday and Thursday after-school transportation help. She is looking for a ride from Ridgeline to the Harlow neighborhood and can help pay gas money. Is any family in the neighborhood and could help? If so please email Chelsea at: cnwhitney@gmail.com
Community News
Children’s Art Lessons Available 2023/24 School Year From Former Ridgeline Family!
Tailored To Individual Student/Small Group - Ages 8+ through high school/college. Earlier ages accepted depending on interest/readiness.
Frequency: 1 hour/week. Lesson times to be arranged individually. School Year/Summer/Year Round Available. Flexibility On Hours.
Location: In Person At Our Home In SE Eugene (3-minute drive or 30-minute walk from Ridgeline) or Virtual Available On Skype.
Cost: $20 per class. Pay for 4 lessons ($80) at a time. $15/mth sibling discount. Small group class option as well for students wanting to learn together.
Contact: Kesha Hawk at thehawksaerie@gmail.com - Please email for complete Art Class Information Blurb details to read before scheduling!
Instructor: Matt Hawk
Details: Classes are tailored to each student or group. Depending on your child's level, they will go from where they are or begin with concept development and learn the basics before moving on to more complex topics.
Topics range from animation to perspective, anatomy, Photoshop/Procreate digital work, comic panels, painting, sculpture, etc. Usually, each 4 classes will include a small project to learn new skills. One of our main goals is that our students learn by having fun, creating in the realms of what they are interested in and passionate about. Long-term projects are also possible. The sky's the limit!
The instructor is my husband, Matt Hawk. He has an associate's degree in Illustration & Graphic Design and has taught art to children in Eugene for over 12 years. He has worked with children all of his life and has also worked with a video game company, illustrated several books, and does freelance and custom artwork as well. We work with differing learning styles/learning issues as suited to each student. Most students tend to remain with us long term, gaining the additional benefit of mentorship. This usually includes intermittent classes through the summer according to summer schedules. Many of our students build up work for future portfolios!
*Recommendation From Prior Student*
This is what my 14-year-old has to say about Matt’s art classes:
“I took Matt’s Photoshop class for a little over a year, best class ever. He gives these very fun projects that slowly help you learn almost every skill in Photoshop, as well as letting you explore your own creative style. He’s more than happy to go at your own pace and help you on anything you’re struggling with. 10/10 recommended.”