No School All Students

• Monday, December 23 - Monday, January 6*

Early Release All Students:

• Friday, December 13 *

*Does not apply to A3 Academy of Arts & Academics, which has its own calendar.

On early release days, elementary students are released at 12:30 p.m.
Secondary (middle and high) students are released at 1:15 p.m.
Lunch is served as normal.

Willamalane winter registration begins on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 8 a.m. To preview winter classes and programs, including youth sports, spring break camps, and more, visit willamalane.org/activities.

Additionally, Spanish-speaking staff will be available in advance of registration day to help answer questions at Bob Keefer Center on Tuesday, Dec. 11 from 5-7 p.m. For more information, go to willamalane.org/register.

As we head into cooler, wetter months, the potential for school delays or closures due to snow and ice becomes a reality. SPS announces delays and closures in several different ways. Our goal is to determine by 6:30 a.m. whether school will be delayed, closed or open as usual. Remember, no news means no change. You can ensure that you will receive announcements of delays and closures in several key ways:

1. Make sure that your contact information is up to date with your student's school.
2. Follow SPS on Facebook, Instagram and X.
   
3. Sign up to receive FlashAlert alerts.
4. Check our website.

Springfield Public Schools students are invited to participate in the 27th edition of the annual Martin Luther King Contest. K-12 students can honor the memory and spirit of Dr. King by submitting art, essays, posters, videos or poetry for judging. This year's theme is “True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”

The art, essay, poetry, poster, and video contest for grades 4-12 has a deadline of January 15, 2025. Entries for K-3 are not judged, and they are due January 17, 2025. All entries should be submitted to Willamalane Center, 250 South 32nd Street by 6 p.m.

Students have the opportunity to win cash prizes for their entries. Student participants and winners will be honored at the 27th Annual Springfield MLK Celebration at Springfield High School on Monday, January 20, 2025. For event questions or details contact Jan Lichenstein at jlichens@hotmail.com.

Join the ultimate after-school sports program! Professional coaches will teach important skills like teamwork, communication, and sportsmanship while your child learns the fundamentals of sports at a recreational level. The deadline to register for fifth-grade boys' basketball leagues and first-grade basketball clinics is Tuesday, Jan. 7. Sign up for all other spring programs starting Dec. 11 at 8 a.m. Scholarships are available. Check the schedule and sign up here.

Does your child need to catch up on immunizations? Students must have an up-to-date school vaccine record by Exclusion Day, February 19, 2025. After that day, students who are not up-to-date, will no longer be able to attend school until their record becomes up-to-date.

The Springfield Schools Health Center (SSHC) is holding a series of immunization clinics to help families get caught up on immunizations. The clinic is open to all Springfield Public Schools students and conveniently located on the Springfield High School campus. Students without insurance that covers vaccines can get immunized for free. If vaccines are covered SSHC will bill insurance including Medicare, Medicaid and OHP.

December Immunization Clinic:

• Tuesday, December 17, 2024
• 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
• Call 541-682-3550 for an appointment
• Springfield Schools Health Center, 1050 10th Street
• Spanish interpretation available
• Please bring any immunization records you have for your student and the student's insurance information, if they have insurance.
• All students are welcome, regardless of insurance status.

The SSHC's warm and welcoming office offers appointments for mental health, Well Child Checks, sport physicals and more, in an easy to access location. Using the SSHC saves families time off from work and school for doctor's appointments.

Springfield youth in K-12th grade can submit their design for this year's theme "Level Up at Your Library." Winners will have their designs professionally printed and available in the library. Entry forms are available in the library and on their website. Entries are due by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7.

Download the entry form here.

All 12 of our elementary schools participated in Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day!

This walk brings students together to honor the legacy of Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to integrate an all-white school at just six years old.

In November, The WELL Project (Water and Energy Learning Lab) students at Thurston High School got to work testing this year's first batch of community well water.

Community members can sign up to have their well water tested by students for free and provide a valuable, hands-on environmental science learning opportunity for students.

💧 Interested in having your water tested? Learn more and sign up for an appointment. The service is free to the public, and a free testing kit with instructions is provided.

For questions about the program, email stephanie.lawless@springfield.k12.or.us

The WELL Project is a science grant funded annually by our partners at the Springfield Utility Board (SUB).

What do otters, kindness and literacy have in common? They are all featured on a new mural recently installed at Two Rivers-Dos Ríos Elementary. Funded by a grant from the Springfield Education Association (SEF), Two Rivers-Dos Ríos partnered with Lane Arts Council to design the mural and give every student in the school two opportunities to paint the mural. Today's students will be able to point to the mural and say "I did that!" for years to come as the mural continues to inspire future students.

Congratulations to Val Graybill! 🎉 During their annual conference, the Oregon Association of School Libraries (OASL) named Graybill, library manager at Thurston Middle School, the 2024 Classified Library Employee of the Year! The award is given to library staff who demonstrate exceptional performance in their school libraries.

OASL stated that Graybill stands out because she is a leader among her peers, she facilitates a library full of innovation and makerspace activities for students, and her superpower is fostering positive relationships with students and staff.

Read more here about how Val is inspiring students at Thurston Middle School and her plans for the future of the library and listen to her story in the video below.

Do you know an awesome Education Support Professional (ESP)?

The Oregon Department of Education has opened nominations for the 2025 Oregon Education Support Professional of the Year. ESPs work as educational assistants, secretaries, custodians, bus drivers and more! Nominations are open through mid-February. Learn more and nominate one of our incredible staff members by clicking the button below.

SPS' goat herd is anonymous no more. In October and November, our District combined the excitement over our new goat herd with an election-day civic exercise to engage students in grades K-8 in naming each of the five male goats. Elementary students gave their ideas for the ideal names, with principals vetting the final nominations for each school. (No Goaty McGoatface here.) Those 12 nominations were placed on a ballot for middle school students to cast their votes on Election Day. With nearly 5,000 total votes counted, the winners are...

🐐 Brownie

🐐 McFlurry

🐐 DJ Drizzle

🐐 Bert

🐐 Cream

Springfield Rotary Club's 6th Annual Mayor's Revue benefit in November raised funds to support arts and culture in Springfield and again this year, that giving was extended to SPS high school music students in the form of a master class conducted by the headliner. This year, Thurston High School welcomed blues icon Curtis Salgado for a personalized performance and question-and-answer session. Salgado, a native of Eugene, gave students insight into his development as an artist in Lane County and his creative songwriting process.

Thursday, December 5

• SHS Winter Choir Concert
• Springfield High School Auditorium, 875 7th St.
• 7 p.m.
• Free

Saturday, December 7

• 72nd Annual Springfield Christmas Parade
• 1 p.m.
• Start: 21st and Olympic Street, down Mohawk Blvd.
• End: Pioneer Parkway E and Main St.

Join Springfield Public Schools, including the marching bands of Springfield High School and Thurston High School, as we celebrate the season at the beloved 72nd Annual Springfield Christmas Parade! This year's theme is "Gingerbread Kisses & Christmas Wishes."

Tuesday, December 17

• SHS Winter Band Concert
• Springfield High School Auditorium, 875 7th St.
• 7 p.m.
• Free

Wednesday, December 18

• SHS Winter Orchestra Concert
• Springfield High School Auditorium, 875 7th St.
• 7 p.m.
• Free

Help support Springfield Education Foundation (SEF)'s mission "To empower student success through community engagement" at their annual "Jazz and Bubbles" fundraiser!

This classy evening cocktail party will be held on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at Tavern on Main. Guests will be entertained by internationally renowned jazz vocalist and Springfield Alum Gina Saputo. Complimentary welcome bubbles and heavy hors d’oeuvres buffet included as well as wine, beer, and soft beverages. Specialty jazz-era cocktails available from the Tavern bar. Jazz-era attire encouraged!

The Oregon Department of Education considers students "regular attenders" if they attend more than 90% of the school year. Did you know that students fall below 90% by missing just two days of school a month?

The winter months can present challenges to getting to school. The Attendance Works organization offers these tips:

1. Have back up plans for getting kids to school in bad weather. SPS' Transportation Department has the equipment and routes to get kids to school whenever it's in session, but what about kids that walk or bike? The Attendance Works organization suggests coordinating with other families to clear sidewalks, walk together, or carpool.
2. Keep kids healthy. Good hygiene habits, including getting regular sleep, will help keep kids from missing school due to illness.
3. Keep your student engaged in learning if they can't attend school in person. Ask your student's teacher about resources for learning or ways they can keep up with schoolwork at home.

The Oregon Department of Education has released the At-A-Glance School and District Profiles for the 2023-24 school year. The At-A-Glance School and District profiles contain previously released assessment data for last school year, previously released graduation data for the class of 2023 and some new data for the 2023-24 school year.

No one cares more for the students in our District than you, our families. We encourage you to apply for one of our open positions to nurture and support every student, every day at SPS. Family members of our students typically enjoy a work schedule that is a good fit for their most important job, raising their children. Come join our warm, supportive team!

We're Hiring for These Positions and More!

Click on the job link to learn more and apply.

• Bilingual Educational Assistant
• Direct Care Nurse: LPN | RN
• Substitute Custodian Pool

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SPS has made it easier to report instances of harassment, intimidation, bullying, cyberbullying and teen dating violence online.

At the top of every school web page, you’ll find a link titled “Safety Concern.” This directs users to two options to report being unsafe at school.

And as always, you can share a concerning incident with a trusted adult by messaging them or talking face to face.

The SPS equity statement reflects the District's mission of serving every student, every day.

The statement stands as an affirmation of the District’s commitment to equity, inclusion and belonging and will guide our continued efforts to support the vision of SPS as a place where students want to learn and staff want to work.

Springfield Public Schools board meetings are available for anyone to watch live or on-demand on the district's Vimeo channel. View the calendar of upcoming board meetings. A Spanish interpreter is also available during in-person board meetings.

In accordance with public meeting law and Oregon HB 2560, the school board will be providing remote access through live streamed meetings to our community.