Ridgeline eNews
June 6, 2024
RIDGELINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS:
Full calendar: http://www.ridgeline.org/calendar
June
Thursday 6/13 Field Day 9am - 12pm
Thursday 6/13 Last Day of School ***Early Dismissal at 1:05pm
Friday 6/21 Office closes for the summer
In the Fall
8/12 Office reopens
9/4 First day of School
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.
NEW NEWS
Field Day (Last Day of School) Outdoor Fun & What You Need to Know About June 13!
On Thursday, June 13–the last day of school–Ridgeline students will participate in field day activities facilitated by our PE teacher, Kyle Wood, from 9:30 am - noon. Please send your child to school that day dressed for outdoor physical activities, with sunscreen pre-applied, and a water bottle with your child’s name on it. Please also make arrangements for early dismissal at 1:05pm. For families that utilize the YMCA, there will be after school care until 6pm.
We have several parent volunteers signed up to help out with the following stations:
-Indiana Jones game, South Field
-Ga-Ga Ball, South Field
-Bubbles
-Tattoos
-Art Station
-Sponge Tag
-Water and popsicles
-Obstacle Course
-Dodgeball/Fireball
Thank you for helping make this a fantastic end of the year celebration for all Ridgeline students. Please contact the office at ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org if you have questions.
Medication At School - Stop by the office before the last day of school
If your child has medication in the office (including cough drops, inhalers, chewable Tylenol, etc), please stop by anytime between now and Wednesday, June 12 to collect it. Medication not picked up will be sent home in the student’s backpack on the last day of school, with the expectation of controlled substances (i.e. ADHD medication). We will be reaching out to those families to arrange a pick up time on Thursday, June 13 during the lunch hour, between 12-1pm. Please note there is early dismissal at 1:05 on Thursday, June 13.
Student Marketplace - Fundraising Update!
The Student Marketplace held on April 27, was an outstanding success, raising an impressive $1963.11 for Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School! With enthusiastic participation from 70 students, the marketplace buzzed with energy and creativity, showcasing a variety of student-made goods. This event wouldn't have been possible without the countless hours of support from parents, the dedication of our volunteers, and the generous donations from our fantastic local businesses to the continental breakfast. Thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a vibrant and memorable celebration of our community's talent and generosity!
Help Care for Our School Library
It’s been reported that Ridgeline library books have been found around town in other free libraries. We need your help to ensure our school library remains a valuable resource for all students. If you find displaced Ridgeline library books, please bring them back to the school! We do not want to start charging replacement fees for unreturned books. Please return all checked-out books to the school this week and no later than next week, June 13. Your cooperation helps us maintain a complete and accessible library collection. Thank you for helping us steward the resources that we have.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Volunteer Thank Yous
Art Room Organization
Shoutout to Heather Cates for organizing all of the art supplies in Room 11. This was a huge job! Materials and supplies get messy and misplaced throughout the year. It feels great to have everything back in its place, tidy, and ready to go for next year!
Peacemaker Bottle Dolls
Thank you to all the parent volunteers who helped with bottle doll decorating in the lower elementary classrooms. It was heartwarming to see the students in Rooms 3, 4, and 5 present their peacemaker projects to parents, families, and peers at the peacemaker galleries in the Ridgeline Library.
Epic Flower Planting
A special thanks goes to our stellar volunteers Robyn Suzumura, Lauren Masak, Marcus Largent, and Devin Hughes. Thanks to your hard work, the staff lunch area looks lovely. Thank you for making this space beautiful by planting flowers in memory of Betsy Brandenfels.
Track it Forward - Information for New Volunteers
If you are new to Ridgeline and have not yet created a Track it Forward account for logging your volunteer hours, please take a moment to do so. Volunteer hour reporting is important for us to show support for Ridgeline when applying for grants and for reporting to our sponsoring district, Eugene 4J.
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!
Volunteer Opportunities - NEW
Facilities - Summer Help Wanted
Is it tough to get your 40 hours of volunteer time in during the school year? Do you enjoy being outside and working with your hands? We have some great summer volunteer opportunities for you to consider. Check Track It Forward to review the Facilities summer projects volunteer help jobs!
For all of these opportunities, please reach out to Jesse Cloninger, at jesse.cloninger@ridgeline.org to sign up (the School Community Coordinator will not be in the front office checking this list from late June through mid-August).
Volunteering - It's not too late to add your volunteer hours to Track It Forward!
Volunteers are an integral part of the Ridgeline Community. Families pledge to complete 40 hours of volunteer time per school year. As we wind down this school year, we want to remind everyone that it's not too late to track your hours! Bulk entries in Track It Forward are perfectly acceptable such as "15 hours of crossing guard duty". Please submit them at your earliest convenience.
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 or reach out to Bethany Dilla, Ridgeline's School Community Coordinator, at bethany.dilla@ridgeline.org. We would love to get you connected in the ways that best fit your time and talents.
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.
CONTINUING NEWS
Openings Available in Before/After Care at Your School! - Eugene Family YMCA
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.
Ridgeline Board of Directors - Seeking Board Members
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
RIDGELINE COMMITTEES & ORGANIZATIONS
Ridgeline Board Meeting - Tuesday, June 11
The Ridgeline Board will have a regular meeting on June 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm over Zoom and in person in the library. Action items on the agenda include: Fiscal Year 2024-25, Committee Appointments 2024-25, School Year Committees: Site Council, Fundraising Committee, and Ridgeline Equity Committee, Ad hoc Committee: Summer Facilities Committee, Setting the board meeting calendar and retreat date for 2024-25 school year, Regular Meetings: Second Thursday of each month at 6:00 PM, Annual Board Retreat Date, Resolution Authorizing Check Signers and Banking Access, and Paid Leave Oregon. Information and Discussion items on the agenda include Check Signers Context and Updates, OSBA April 2024 Policy AR Updates, Ridgeline Totem Pole. 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 Friday June 7th the Zoom link to join is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88176985729?pwd=UDFvdGk0blZhZzVVbHR0RzlHWmFlUT09 Meeting ID: 881 7698 5729 Passcode: 766547.
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."
COMMUNITY NEWS
GirlCon 2024
GirlCon is a fantastic event for girls aged 10-18 and their parents, aimed at empowering young women through inspiring talks, engaging workshops, and fun activities. It's a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together and support the girls in our lives. Click on this link to view the Ophelia’s Place website for more information about GirlCon 2024.