Ridgeline eNews

Full calendar: http://www.ridgeline.org/calendar

May

Friday 5/17 Budget Committee Meeting 8:30-10am

Monday 5/20 Site Council Meeting 5-6:30pm

Thursday 5/23 Handel’s Ice Cream Fundraiser 11am - 10pm

Thursday 5/23 Board Meeting 6-8pm

Monday 5/27 No School - Memorial Day

Thursday 5/30 End of the Year Picnic at Ridgeline - 5:30pm

June

Tuesday 6/4 Fundraising Committee Meeting 9am

Wednesday 6/5 Equity Committee Meeting 7pm

Thursday 6/6 8th Grade Graduation 6pm

Friday 6/7 No School - Grading Day

Tuesday 6/11 Board Meeting

Thursday 6/13 Field Day 9am - 12pm

Thursday 6/13 Last Day of School ***Early Dismissal at 1:05pm

Be sure to check the full calendar at https://www.ridgeline.org as some dates may change. Please note that Ridgeline’s calendar differs slightly from 4J elementary and middle school calendars.

Lane County Public Health officials declared on Wednesday a community-wide outbreak of pertussis, an illness that’s more commonly known as ‘whooping cough,’ following a surge in cases within the last week, according to county officials.

Public health officials said on May 15 that, in the last seven days, the number of presumptive and confirmed cases have doubled, with the total number of cases at 40 and more still awaiting lab results. Some cases are linked, but sporadic cases scattered throughout the community suggest the illness has spread throughout the county.

According to the CDC website, “Whooping cough vaccines work but are not perfect. For people who've been vaccinated but still get whooping cough, their illness is generally milder.” Whooping cough appears similar to a common cold early on. Healthcare providers often don't suspect or diagnose it until more severe symptoms appear.

Early symptoms can last for 1 to 2 weeks and usually include:

• Runny or stuffed-up nose

• Low-grade fever (less than 100.4°F)

• Mild, occasional cough

If you have cold-like symptoms, please get tested. In the unfortunate event of a pertussis diagnosis, it is paramount to follow medical advice, including taking prescribed antibiotics until completion, isolating until no longer infectious, and notifying the school if your student is diagnosed with pertussis.

An early diagnosis can help prevent the length of time a person is contagious. Individuals can transmit the bacteria from the onset of symptoms for up to three weeks after coughing begins.

Should you require further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Lane County Public Health at http://www.lanecountyor.gov/publichealth.

Lane County Public Health urgently requests your cooperation in the following areas:

1. Ensuring that your Tdap vaccination is up to date.

2. Promptly referring students and/or family members displaying cough symptoms to see a doctor for assessment.

3. Stay informed about the evolving situation.

Additionally, Lane County Public Health advocates for good respiratory hygiene to curb the spread of pertussis and other respiratory illnesses. They recommend adhering to the following preventive measures:

• Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

• Disposing of used tissues in a waste basket immediately.

• Coughing or sneezing into your upper sleeve or elbow if a tissue is unavailable and refraining from coughing into your hands to prevent transmission.

• Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

• Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer when soap and water are unavailable.

• Staying home when you are unwell.

For more information about whooping cough, visit the CDC website here.

Families and staff, thank you for assisting your students over the past few weeks, by noting their acts of kindness. Every paper link has contributed to each classroom’s kindness campaign chain. Each classroom set out to create a paper chain long enough to encircle the gym and these chains are getting quite long! Ridgeline students will celebrate their classroom's many acts of kindness at the upcoming PAC Assembly.

Dear Ridgeline Community,

As part of our ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion, outlined in Ridgeline’s Equity and Inclusion Statement, we will soon conduct the school climate survey. This survey is an essential part of our efforts to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all.

In the next week, we’ll be reaching out to students, families, and staff to gather your insights through an anonymous survey. Your feedback is invaluable as it helps us understand your views and experiences regarding our school’s climate. This feedback is crucial not only for meeting funding requirements but more importantly, for guiding our decision-making processes as we strive to reduce educational disparities and enhance our community's sense of belonging and equity. If you took the survey last year, you will notice that the number of questions has been greatly reduced. This year we are primarily focusing on peer relationships. Next year, Ridgeline will be administering the SEED survey. You can learn more about it here.

Here's what to expect:

Students in Grades 3-8: Students will be asked to share their thoughts on topics such as their sense of identity, belonging, and peer relationships. The survey content will be similar but adjusted appropriately for different age groups. Families interested in reviewing the student survey can request a copy at the front office.

Please rest assured that your responses will remain confidential and will only be used collectively to maintain anonymity in all reports.

We look forward to your participation and thank you in advance for helping us make Ridgeline a better place for everyone. We expect to share the 2022-2023 survey results from last year with the entire school community by the end of May.

Next Thursday, May 23 is Ridgeline's ice cream fundraiser! You will need to bring the flyer to Handel's, located at 550 Pearl St, in the 5th Street Public Market and hand it to the cashier during checkout. We will be sending flyers home with students on Friday, May 17. This fundraiser goes all day from 11am to 10pm. Invite friends, arrange for a class meet up, or bring your neighbors--this will be a fun one!

Thank you again Ridgeline families for sharing your favorite recipes, sweet and savory treats, taking the time to write handwritten notes, make cards, and deliver other special small gifts for Ridgeline staff. We appreciate YOU so much and find immense joy investing in your children. Here's to a wonderful rest of the school year!

There are several amazing volunteers, who have not yet logged all their volunteer hours this year (see the colorful graph below). Please take a moment and do that at your earliest convenience. If you know that you volunteered in the classroom but aren’t sure which days, simply log: classroom volunteer, 15 hours. It is easy to add your name to Track it Forward, just click on the link and follow the instructions. It is even available as an app if it is easier for you to use your phone!

Volunteer hour reporting is important for us to show support for Ridgeline when applying for grants and for reporting to our sponsoring district. Right now is the perfect time to check your calendar and jog your memory and log past hours. Don’t worry too much, estimates and bulk logging are fine. As a reminder, we encourage each family to aim for 40-hours a year. Thank you for giving your time to Ridgeline - it means so much!

Ridgeline uses Track it Forward for volunteer sign-ups and to log your volunteer hours. If you are new to Ridgeline or have not yet created an account, please do so! Last year we had a lot of folks forget to log their hours. Volunteer hour reporting is important for us to show support for Ridgeline when applying for grants and for reporting to our sponsoring district.

If you are a first-time Track It Forward user and have not set up an account you will need to create an account first. If you already have an account, skip to step two.

1. Go to https://www.trackitforward.com/user

-Select sign in

-Create your account

2. Go to the app store on your device and search for Track It Forward

-Download the app

-Log In

You are all set!

Field Day (Last Day of School) - Thursday, June 13 - Come celebrate the last day of school with a gaggle of fun field day activities! We need several volunteers to help that morning. Sign up here if you’d like to volunteer.

We are also asking for the following donations: popsicles, bubble solution, bubble wands, temporary tattoos: flowers, temporary tattoos: cats & dogs, temporary tattoos: glow in the dark, temporary tattoos: summer fruit, temporary tattoos: assorted sports. Please drop your donation off at the front office by Thursday, June 6. Thank you for helping make this a fantastic end of the year celebration for all Ridgeline students.

The Lower Elementary Classrooms need clean 2 liter or 64 oz bottles (caps still on) by May 23. They are making Peacemaker bottle dolls and will need a total of 87 bottles.Thank you for helping provide the supplies for this special work!

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. To help us get to know you better and your areas of interest, please fill out the Volunteer Interest form here.

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.

Do you want to learn more about Ridgeline’s finances and participate in the budget process? If so, email Chrystell.reed@ridgeline.org! Attendance at the first meeting is vital as we take time to explain the different line items of the budget and review historical data. Budget committee meetings are open to the public and will be held on Fridays from 8:30-10:00 am, beginning May 17-31.

Site Council will meet this Monday, May 20, from 5-6:30 pm in the Ridgeline Library.

Students, parents, classified staff, certified staff, board members, and administration make up the Site Council. No more than half the council may be teachers, and no more than half can be parents at the school. Each stakeholder group meets on a regular basis to identify areas of concern and suggest agenda items for the full Site Council's consideration. In this way, the Site Council ensures that everyone involved in the school has a voice in how the school grows, develops, and is governed. No group is able to dominate site council decision-making, because all action decisions are made by consensus.

Meetings are open to the entire Ridgeline community, and we encourage your attendance and input. You can reach Site Council through the facilitator at sitecouncil@ridgeline.org. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions or give input!

The Ridgeline Board will have an executive session from 5:30 to 6:00 pm or 8:00 to 8:30 pm and a regular meeting on May 23rd from 6:00 to 8:00 pm over Zoom and in person in the library. Information and Discussion items on the agenda include 2022-23 Climate Survey Results, OSBA April 2024 Policy Updates First Read, Ridgeline School Calendar 2024-25, and Sick Leave Policy and Sick Leave Bank. All are welcome to join the regular board meeting and there is time at the beginning of our agenda to make a public comment.

The agenda will be finalized and posted here by Tuesday May 21st the Zoom link to join is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88176985729?pwd=UDFvdGk0blZhZzVVbHR0RzlHWmFlUT09 Meeting ID: 881 7698 5729 Passcode: 766547. Board meetings are open to the public, except when an executive session is indicated on the agenda. All are welcome to attend. There is time at the beginning of our agenda to make a public comment.

You can always reach the board by email (board@ridgeline.org). Members of the public may also provide comments to the board in written form by emailing board@ridgeline.org prior to the meeting. The board will read (not aloud), review, and take into consideration all comments. In order to be fully considered at this meeting, comments must be received by noon on the day of the meeting. Please clearly label the email subject line as: "Public Comment."

Hello!

Do you want to give back to your community? Are you energized to work on a variety of diverse projects? Do you enjoy working collaboratively within a group? If so, consider joining the Ridgeline Montessori Board of Directors! We are a diverse group of thoughtful, inquisitive community members who enjoy serving the Ridgeline community. Prior experience is not important. If you'd like to learn more, please read this letter from the Board.

We will have several openings on the Board going into next school year. I would like to personally invite interested community members to join our meetings (virtually or in person), or to meet one-on-one. I can share information about Board responsibilities and insight about how we support the public Montessori education that allows our children to thrive. If you are curious about Board work, please get in touch via email at april-kay.williams@ridgeline.org

Warmly,

April-Kay Williams, Board President, parent, Ridgeline Equity Committee member

Interested in running cross country next fall? Connect with the team and coach here. Practices are scheduled to start Monday, July 8.

Positive Community Kitchen creates organic nutrient-dense food for people undergoing a health crisis. In the kitchen, we have volunteers learning about nutrition and kitchen skills. Previous kitchen skills are not needed to join us, just a good attitude and willingness to learn. The summer cohort runs from June 17th to September 18th.

SAVE-THE-DATE: Thursday, June 6th 4-6pm for PCK's Summer Volunteer Orientation in the Stellaria Community Room, 150 Shelton McMurphy Blvd on the second floor above the PCK kitchen. We will be talking more about PCK and our services, learning more about volunteer opportunities, and eating some PCK food! RSVP Here: https://signup.com/go/ugXwDWg

Here is the link to sign up to volunteer: PCK Application & Waivers

The Maude Kerns Art Center will be holding the 25th annual juried Mayor's Teen Art Show in September, which offers teens an opportunity to exhibit their art and learn many valuable skills. The application deadline is May 31, 2024. There is no fee to participate and a variety of cash prizes and awards will be given including the Mayor’s Award.

This show is open to all teen artists ages 13 – 19 years old living in Eugene, Springfield, and surrounding areas. We accept all work in 2-D and 3-D art forms including but not limited to: painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, photography, collage, printmaking, digital art, video art, costumes or wearables, fiber art, jewelry, assemblage, etc.

Please visit our “Call to Artists” page to download the application and invite students to apply via email or paper: https://www.mkartcenter.org/calls.html. Please direct all questions to exhibits@mkartcenter.org and to submit an application.

The Eugene Family YMCA is excited to announce they have openings in the before/afterschool programs at Ridgeline for the upcoming school year. If you have not yet registered, please take a moment to do so. They have increased the number of possible youth in these programs next year, which means there is a lot of room for new families. Please help spread the word and share the flyer below.

The Eugene YMCA is happy to introduce a before-school care program at Ridgeline starting this September! The before-school program will run in the Ridgeline Montessori gym from 7am to 8:15am, and is available for registration NOW! If you are interested in signing your youth up, please get started by clicking here. If you have any questions, please the YMCA Youth Development Team at youth@eugeneymca.org.

Registration closes soon for K-12 school and program visits to the 2024 Engineering Expo on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis on June 7, from 11am-2pm, at the CH2M Hill Alumni Center and LaSells Stewart Center.

This free event is open to the public and is a great opportunity for your students to see firsthand the kinds of diverse activities, technologies, and challenges they can immerse themselves in as future engineers. The Expo is a spectacular showcase of ingenuity, featuring projects developed by Oregon State engineering students to address real-world challenges. Many other fascinating exhibits from our engineering community will also be on display.

The length of your visit is up to you, and the Expo is open to explore in whatever way works best for your class. A preview of all Expo projects and visit-planning guidance will be provided to all teachers who register their class for an Expo visit. There are two options for your class to experience the Expo:

In-person visits:
The College of Engineering is offering up to $500 in transportation support per school/program. Funding is available on a limited first-come, first served basis. The final deadline for schools/programs to register is Friday, May 10, at noon.

Online experience:
The 2024 Engineering Virtual Expo will open at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, June 5. It will feature virtual project display pages created by some of the student teams showcasing their projects at this year’s Expo. Virtual display pages will include project descriptions, videos, digital posters, and more. Visitors will have the ability to ask teams questions about their projects. The Virtual Expo site will remain open until Sunday, June 30.

Note: All staff and volunteers are dedicated to ensuring a great experience for your students. Because of the size of this event, tours of engineering facilities will not be available on June 7. Information regarding self-guided campus tours will be provided to all teachers who register their class for an Expo visit. For questions or assistance: engineering.events@oregonstate.edu

It’s time for spring cleaning! This week we will begin collecting donations again for our second annual Pop Up Thrift Shop. Similar to last year Lane County youth will be able to download a voucher for $20 per day to shop in the thrift store. Our goal is to send Youth into summer with a few new items to help them feel good about themselves and prepare for summer activities. The thrift store will also be open to the general public and funds raised go towards the NAACP Youth Council and scholarships. We will be accepting donations for the next six weeks and hosting our 3 day thrift shop the second week of June. This event is youth led and this year they even designed the flyer below.

Below is a list of items we are hoping to receive via donations -

Bikes, Helmets, Protective gear

Clothing, Shoes, Eyewear, Jackets

Camping gear, Heaters, Fans,

Exercise equipment and apparel.

Electronics, Cameras, Laptops,

Art, Instruments & Art supplies

Books, Backpacks, School supplies

Small home furniture, Vacuums, Dishes

Etc …

Thank you for your continued support of the Eugene / Springfield NAACP and our programs for youth. Your donations and participation made our first pop up thrift shop a huge success! Let’s come together to support our youth in this endeavor to give back to the community.