Bulldog Bulletin

3/10-3/15: ELPA Testing

3/12: PTO Family Dinner Night! (11:00am-10:00pm, Red Robin)

3/12: Conscious Discipline Parent Series: Session 7 (6:00-7:30pm, Room 16)

3/13: Site Council Meeting (5:30-6:30pm, Room 16)

3/14: 4J Neurodiversity Festival (5:00-7:00pm, Sheldon High School)

3/15: 4J Elementary OBOB Regionals (8:00am-2:00pm, ATA Middle School)

3/17: Girls on the Run Begins! (3:15-4:45pm, Track)

3/18: 4th & 5th Grade Field Trip (9:45am-12:15pm, Hult Center)

3/18: 5th Grade Outdoor School Family Information Night (5:30-6:30pm, via Zoom)

3/19: Spirit Day! (Book/Movie Character Day)

3/19: Awbrey Park PTO Meeting (6:30pm, Room 16)

3/24-3/28: Spring Break! (No School)

3/31: Staff Professional Development Day (No School)

4/8: 3rd Grade Field Trip (9:30am-1:00pm, Eugene Science Center)

4/10: PTO Family BINGO Night! (6:30pm, Gym)

4/11: Mid-Term Grading Day (No School)

4/14-4/17: 5th Grade Outdoor School (Camp Tamarack)

Dear Awbrey Park Families,

I can hardly believe that spring break is just two weeks away! With that said, there are some exciting activities to share with you this month. We will have a PTO Family Dinner Night at Red Robin (1221 Executive Parkway) on Wednesday, March 12th. Our 4J Elementary Music Festival is scheduled for Saturday, March 15th, and the Spring Girls on the Run Program will start on Monday, March 17th.

Additionally, our Awbrey Park Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) team will be competing at regionals on Saturday, March 15th at ATA Middle School. We had 26 students participate in OBOB this school year, and we are thrilled to cheer them on at regionals. I want to extend a special thank you to Mrs. Donaty and Mrs. Wemple for all their hard work in preparing our students for next Saturday’s event. Good luck, The Fluffy Pink Fireballs!

As a reminder, spring break begins on Monday, March 24th, and continues through Monday, March 31st. Students will return to school on Tuesday, April 1st. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns, and I hope you all have a safe and relaxing spring break!

Sincerely,

Jared Tiecke, Principal

Our next PTO Family Dinner Night is Wednesday, March 12th from 11:00am - 10:00pm at the 1221 Executive Parkway Red Robin restaurant.

You can support our PTO fundraiser with dine-in or take out orders. Just bring the Red Robin flyer with you when you order or start your order at order.redrobin.com and select the 1221 Executive Parkway Red Robin restaurant, then select the Fundraisers (To-Go Only) drop down menu. Awbrey Park PTO will receive 20% of the value of your food purchase! Share this flyer to raise even more funds.

All students should have received a Red Robin flyer in Monday Mail last week. See the flyer below for more information!

Join us on Tuesday, March 18th, from 5:30 - 6:30pm via Zoom (Link here) for our 5th Grade Outdoor School Family Information Night. The Camp Tamarack staff, along with our Awbrey Park team, will present important information for 5th grade students and families regarding the upcoming outdoor school experience. The presentation will cover required forms, health and safety information, and include a suggested packing list.

This year, our 5th-grade outdoor school will be at Camp Tamarack (Suttle Lake) from April 14 - April 18 (overnight). For more information and to explore some of the exciting activities planned, please visit the Camp Tamarack Outdoor School website.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child's teacher or our Student Success Coordinator, Kristen Gianforti (gianforti_k@4j.lane.edu) for more information.

The Sluggo Home Run Reading Program is underway! Completed bookmarks are due by Thursday, March 20th. All students who achieve their grade-level reading goal will receive 2 free ticket vouchers for an early season Emeralds game, in addition to a token that can be used in the Awbrey Park book vending machine!

Reading Goals:

Kindergarten/1st Grade: 10 books
2nd Grade: 15 minutes per line
3rd Grade: 10 books or 10 chapters
4th/5th Grade: 45 minutes per line

If you have any questions, please be sure to contact your child's teacher for more information.

Are you interested in volunteering and/or helping to organize events at Awbrey Park? If so, consider joining the Awbrey Park Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)! Our PTO meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm.

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 19th at 6:30pm in Room 16. Parents/Guardians are welcome to enter through the purple hallway doors.

See our February Awbrey Park PTO Minutes below for all the latest news and updates!

For more information, please contact our PTO Co-Presidents, Caitlin Alcorn and Brian Richardson at awbreypto@gmail.com.

The Awbrey Park Health Room is one of the places students go when they occasionally get wet, muddy, or need a change of clothes. As such, we could use some of the following clothing items for all students:

• Underwear (Sizes: Small & Medium)
• Pants, Sweatpants & Leggings (Sizes: Small & Medium)
• Socks (Small sizes preferred)

If you have any questions, please contact the office at 541-790-4050. Thank you!

Each spring our 3rd-5th grade students participate in state assessments in English Language Arts, Math, and Science (the Science assessment is given to 5th grade students only). These tests occur during the regular school day and students are encouraged to take their time to do their best to demonstrate what they have learned in the past year.

Under Oregon law, a parent or student age 18+ may opt out of Oregon’s annual statewide math and language arts assessments by filling out an annual opt-out form provided by the Oregon Department of Education. Exemptions from the English language proficiency or science tests may also be requested based on a student’s disability or religious beliefs. Opt-out/exemption requests are only valid for the school year in which they are completed.

Please click on the following link to learn more about each test and the opt-out/exemption process. Families wishing to opt-out of statewide testing must complete the required form/exemption process in the link above and submit it online or turn it into the school office prior to Friday, April 18th.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office for more information.

This spring Awbrey Park will be hosting a Girls on the Run program after school! The program is designed for 3rd – 5th grade students and is scheduled from March 17th – May 26th (10 weeks). Participant registration begins on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 and scholarship opportunities are available. See the registration link here!

Practices are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:45pm at Awbrey Park Elementary School. See the flyer below for additional details.

For questions regarding the Girls on the Run program, please contact our coach Alyssa Nelson (nelson_a@4j.lane.edu) for more information.

We are excited to welcome volunteers back into our schools! If you are interested in volunteering at Awbrey Park Elementary School, please contact your child’s teacher for upcoming opportunities.

Volunteers will need to complete a volunteer application on the district website and be approved prior to volunteering. Please contact Jade Chrissis in the school office at 541-790-4050 for more information.

Educational excellence is at 4J's core. So we are thrilled to announce the second year of our Golden Apple Awards, our revamped employee and volunteer recognition program for 4J. Formerly known as ACE, the Golden Apple Awards continue to honor the outstanding contributions of our educators and volunteers with added features to make our celebration even more special. Learn more about what's new, including our new Apple Seed Award for early career staff: 4j.lane.edu/goldenapple.

Nominate a valued staff member or volunteer through Sunday, March 23, by completing and submitting the online form. SAVE THE DATE: Join us to celebrate all our nominees and winners at the Golden Apple Awards, Thursday, May 6, at 5 p.m. at North Eugene High School.

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact 4J Communications at info@4j.lane.edu.

NEW! Internet Safety Video Series. As part of our district's ongoing commitment to student safety and well-being, we’re excited to introduce SCREEN SENSE—a five-part video series created in partnership with the University of Oregon. The 3-minute videos are designed to help families navigate the ever-changing digital landscape and support safe, healthy internet use for school-aged children. Watch the series: 4j.lane.edu/internetsafety

Topics Include:

• Online Risks
  
• Healthy Online Relationships
  
• Healthy Internet Use
  
• Cyberbullying
  
• Digital Contracts

While adults are the intended audience for this video series, they are appropriate for all ages.

The Eugene 4J School District invites students and families to the third annual Neurodiversity Festival on Friday, March 14 from 5:00-7:00pm at Sheldon High School, located at 2455 Willakenzie Road.

Students and families can celebrate neurodivergence, connect with community resources, and enjoy fun activities, music, food, and entertainment. Spanish interpretation will be provided. We hope to see you there!

The 4J Elementary Music Festival will be held Saturday, March 15th, from 10am-3pm at Buena Vista Elementary School.

This exciting event will feature musicians from Buena Vista, El Camino/River Road, Edgewood, Gilham, Awbrey Park, Chavez, and Chinese Immersion Elementary Schools. There will also be opportunities for families and all participants to engage in group music-making. Come join the fun!

Email: tiecke_j@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://awbreypark.4j.lane.edu/
Location: 158 Spring Creek Drive, Eugene, OR 97404, USA
Phone: (541) 790-4050
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AwbreyPark