October 2024

No School:

• Friday, October 11* - All Students

Early Release:

• Friday, October 25 *

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.

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

Willamalane still has openings for the next No School Days Care on Oct. 11. Sign up to celebrate fall with a trip to the pumpkin patch for loads of fun activities and crafts. No school days operate at Ridgeview and Yolanda elementary schools, and enrollment is open to all Springfield Public Schools elementary students. Sign up here.

Attendance is directly linked to a student's success in school.

Regular attendance helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Consistent attendance is also shown to have a significant impact on graduation rates.

In Oregon, if a student misses 10% of the school year—about two days each month—they are considered chronically absent.

“We know that regular attendance is the first step in a successful academic journey," Springfield Public Schools Superintendent Todd Hamilton says. "At Springfield Public Schools, we offer support for each student and family’s needs to remove barriers in order to to encourage regular participation in school.”

Read more about why attendance matters and how you can support regular attendance for your student by clicking the button below. Do you need help supporting your student's attendance? Our Family Resource Centers can provide resources and information.

To strengthen early literacy skills, SPS has introduced the Magnetic Reading Foundations phonics curriculum to all its kindergarten through second grade classrooms.

Watch the video for a look at how the concepts work and what families can do at home to support this crucial early learning that directly impacts later literacy.

3, 2, 1… 🚀

We’re launching a new campaign designed to inspire students. It’s called Go Beyond. The multi-media campaign will remind students about the importance of getting involved at school, keeping a strong grade point average, exploring pathways, and earning all of their credits.

Jump on board and help our students achieve their dreams as they go beyond high school!

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 fourth-grade girls' basketball leagues and second-grade basketball clinics is Tuesday, Oct. 29. Scholarships are available. Check the schedule and sign up here.

Your middle schooler will develop athletic skills, teamwork, and sports mastery in the convenience of their school gym. This program is made possible through a partnership with Springfield Public Schools and Willamalane. It is open to all kids, regardless of skill level or ability, and scholarships are available. The deadline to register for sixth-grade boys’ and girls' basketball leagues is Wednesday, Oct. 30. Sign up here.

In addition to the more common illnesses like cold and flu associated with this time of year, our county and state are seeing increased rates of pertussis (whooping cough) and measles.

To prevent the spread of any communicable disease, remind kids to:

• Wash hands regularly
• Get adequate sleep
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Avoid touching your face

The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles or pertussis is to get the appropriate vaccines. Contact your health care provider or the Springfield Schools Health Center (SSHC) at 541-682-3550 if you need to get your student up to date on immunizations. The SSHC is located on the Springfield High School campus and available to any Springfield Public Schools student for a variety of healthcare needs. The SSHC accepts many insurance plans, including OHP, Medicare and Medicaid, with fee options for those without insurance. See more on OHP plans later in the newsletter.

If a student or staff member has a confirmed diagnosis of pertussis, measles or another vaccine-preventable illness, the school will notify families by letter. It is possible that those who are not vaccinated for the illnesses could be temporarily excluded from school to help ensure their health and safety and contain the spread of illness if recommended by Lane County Public Health.

- The Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority have updated their guidance on when students can return to school after diarrhea or vomiting symptoms. Families are now asked to wait just 24 hours after the student is symptom free to go back to school.

See the updated "When to Stay Home" guide.

- K-8 students will soon receive vision and dental screenings at school coordinated by SPS Health Services and performed by community health partners. Healthy students are better learners and school health screenings help in the early detection of health conditions. As part of our commitment to the health and safety of our students, SPS performs these screenings each year. Contact your school health aide if you do not want your student to have these screenings.

- The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) wants you to know there's healthcare coverage available to you no matter your financial situation. Visit OregonHealthCare.gov to learn about the options and free help to choose a plan and apply.

Fentanyl continues to be a leading cause of overdoses in our area. Fentanyl has no taste or smell, and can be found in fake pills and powders being sold as many different drugs. Fentanyl is found in pills sold as Xanax, Adderall, Vicodon, OxyContin or others. It might be in powders sold as cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy, molly), and heroin.

Narcan, otherwise known as naloxone, quickly reverses opioid overdoses, including ones from fentanyl. Anyone, even teenagers, can ask a pharmacist to provide Narcan.

In the event of an overdose at school, the SPS Health Services team has provided Narcan to each of our schools and trained staff members at each site.

It's important to know that if someone is overdosing and you call for help, you cannot be arrested or prosecuted for drugs. No one gets in trouble for calling 911!

Talk to your teen about fentanyl and together, be fentanyl aware.

Source: Fentanyl Aware Lane County. For more information to help you talk to your teen, visit their website fentanylaware.com.

Research shows that fall is a time of increased risk for youth suicide. Help is available for you and the people you care about from school staff and organizations like the 988 Lifeline. Anyone of any age can call or text 988 for 24/7 support whether you have mental health struggles, emotional distress, alcohol or drug use concerns, or just need someone to talk to.

Find more suicide prevention resources and information on the Oregon Department of Education website.

Springfield Education Foundation (SEF) is celebrating 30 years of supporting the innovative education opportunities created by Springfield Public Schools teachers and staff! This year's "Night of 11,000 Stars" gala, happening October 11, will celebrate this milestone with an evening of entertainment, celebration and fundraising. ✨ Cheers to 30! ✨

This past spring, SEF awarded a record $112,000 in grant funds. Every donation puts innovative learning opportunities in the hands of SPS students, as well as supporting basic needs through our Family Resource Centers.

Learn more about the Springfield Education Foundation and how you can support our students by supporting their mission by clicking the button below.

More than 100 Native American middle and high school students, staff, and guests came together on September 20 for the first-ever summit at Hamlin Middle School. Throughout the day, students connected with peers, built community relations, explored their culture, and learned about local resources for Native students (affiliated or not with a tribe).

The event featured an unforgettable performance and keynote from Supaman, an Apsáalooke rapper and fancy war dancer, activist, and artist. Participating students had the opportunity to join break-out sessions to learn about indigenous cultures of Oregon, discuss challenges and access to a college education, listen to a panel of Native community leaders, and learn how to play the drum.

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.

• Bus Driver
• SPARK Club After School Program Educational Assistant
• Educational Assistant

Monday, October 7

• Learn to Ride a Bike - A Free, All Ages, Drop-In Event For Not-Yet-Riders!
• Free
• 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
• 4J Education Center, 200 North Monroe St, Eugene

Do you or your child want to learn how to ride a bike? Join 4J, Bethel, and Springfield Safe Routes to School programs, the City of Eugene, the City of Springfield, and Shift Community Cycles for this fun event with bike checks, free helmets and information about bike share.

We’ll start with balancing and gliding without pedals or training wheels. Some will learn to pedal in one session, while others may need more practice to reach that final goal. You don’t need your own bike to participate, but please bring a helmet and bike if you have one. Contact Safe Routes to School at mazze_s@4j.lane.edu or albee_b@4j.lane.edu with questions or to volunteer.

SPS is excited to introduce you to the maaah-velous new members of our facilities landscaping team - a herd of five goats!

The goats will be used for weed mitigation in bioswale, easement and other areas not used for student play. The terrain and environmental guidelines for weed removal in these areas make goats the perfect team members to maintain these areas. Their entire work day is an all-you-can-eat lunch break!

Facebook

Instagram

X (Twitter)

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.