Cheetah Chatter

1510 W. 14th Street, Eugene, Ore. 97402

School Office Hours 7:30 am-3:00 pm

541-790-5300

carey_k@4j.lane.edu

http://chavez.4j.lane.edu

facebook.com/CesarChavezCheetahs

April 4-8 Electronic Recycling Drop Off at Chavez

April 6 & 8 Walking School Bus

April 12 PACK Meeting

April 13 Walking School Bus

April 14 Orientation for Next Year's Incoming Kindergarteners

April 15 No School - Teacher Professional Development Day

April 18-20 5th Grade Outdoor School

April 20 & 22 Walking School Bus

April 22 Earth Day

April 25 Site Council

April 27 & 29 Walking School Bus

April 29 Jog-a-thon

April 30 Duck Dash

May 4 Walk N Roll To School

https://www.4j.lane.edu/calendars/elementary2021/

Last week was National Farmworker Awareness Week and César Chávez's Birthday. Our school dedicated our library to Larry Itliong on March 30th. Please take a look at the videos made to honor this library dedication.

• A video of the library dedication

• The Larry Itliong video made by Nick Cervantes' 5th grade class

We want to share exciting information about a very fun local event called the Eugene Marathon Kids Duck Dash Presented by OCCU! This is a run for kids ages 2-13 that will occur on April 30th. It is a one of a kind activity where the kids will get to experience a bit of the exciting running culture of Track Town and finish on the new Hayward Track!

Eugene Marathon does not want financial burden to be an obstacle for any kid to participate, so through their scholarship program they are able to offer families in need a discounted or free entry to the race. Families who can afford the entry fee are asked to pay if possible, as the fees help Eugene Marathon be able to provide free entry to others in need. A family will select the race entry fee they want to pay during registration ($20, $10, or $0).

Check out the attached flyers for more information and this short video promoting the event!

Flyers:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kCSHN9sSf5Bt744DIMpGBXthYz_NvDST/edit

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FkBSMwT0UbDFNypVWCgpnAzQc-Zj9a2b/edit

Kids Duck Dash Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLa0ziddrPg

Jog-a-thon envelopes will be coming home soon!

On Friday, April 29th, We will be participating in our Jog-a-thon by either walking or jogging in our César Chávez School Jog-a-thon. We will be doing laps around our school. One hundred percent of the funds we collect will go directly to support student projects and activities, such as building a track at Chávez, playground equipment or PE equipment. We want to propose a track of our own but there are many details to work out!

Once the Jog-a-thon is completed, students will return the envelopes to school with the collected pledges in the sealed envelopes and return to school by Friday, May 6th.

Want to volunteer? Please contact Ms Angie gee_a@4j.lane.edu or call 541-790-5332

Thank you for your support!

We would like to invite parents and guardians to come play with us! If you have an idea for a game, craft, or group activity that you could lead at recess, please let us know. Examples of activities are kickball, soccer, chalk drawing, basketball, Art Cart, Dance Party, and more! Contact your teacher or the office about your ideas and availability.

All recess activity leaders need to complete the 4J Volunteer Application, which includes proof of COVID-19 Vaccination. To learn more, go to www.4j.lane.edu/hr/volunteers/

Be safe and respectful in the parking lot.

• Keep your speed to 5 mph
• Do not attempt to pass other vehicles
• Use the white-striped areas for curbside drop-off and pick-up
• Do not park in the crosswalk

Thank you for working together with our staff to keep everyone safe in the parking lot!

Thank you to everyone who has participated and provided input in the Eugene 4J superintendent selection process so far. The school board is committed to the authentic engagement of our community and valuing everyone’s voice in the superintendent selection process. You are invited to participate in the next stage of the process in two ways:

1. Interview Panel Nominations, due April 10

The board is calling for nominations of stakeholders to take part in a series of panel interviews with the superintendent finalist candidates. Interview panel participants can be nominated by themselves or others by completing the nomination form. Learn more and submit a nomination: bit.ly/3uHaskp

2. Interview Question Submissions, due April 25

All members of the community are invited to submit questions for the interview panels to consider. What do you want to ask candidates to be the district’s next permanent superintendent? Learn more and submit a question: bit.ly/3uHaskp

Thank you. We look forward to your involvement!

The district is soliciting applications to fill two vacant school board positions. The school board will select two community members to appoint to fill the vacancies. District residents are invited to apply to serve on the board to complete the remainder of the departing board members' terms, through June 2023.

School board positions are nonpartisan and are not connected to any specific region or ward of the district. Service on the Eugene School Board is a significant commitment, including both public meetings and time spent outside of meetings. School board members are not paid.

To apply, please complete and submit the online application form by 8 a.m. on Monday, April 18. To request assistance or apply offline, contact the board secretary at 541-790-7706.

Learn more and apply: 4j.lane.edu/2022/03/school-board-vacancies-2022

4J families, does your student or a family member need help with mental health care? Eugene School District 4J is providing students, staff and their families free access to Care Solace, a confidential care coordination service, to help provide an additional layer of care and address the growing need for mental health care and substance abuse treatment.

Care Solace will connect you to verified community care providers matched to your needs, including providers that accept your medical insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or sliding scale options for those without insurance. Their care companion team is always available. Get help finding care providers that meet your needs at caresolace.com/eugene or call 888-515-0595 anytime, day or night, in any language. (Note, Care Solace is not a mental health service provider or emergency response service. In the event of a life-threatening emergency, call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Hotline at 800-273-8255.)

Learn more: 4j.lane.edu/2022/03/care-solace-mental-health-care-coordination-service/

Walk and Roll to School Day is coming up next month on Wednesday, May 4th

Pictured above is our Kindness Case located in the cafeteria. We've been placing a school-wide emphasis on kindness, and all of the cards pictured in there have written on them acts of kindness observed by students or staff, with colors corresponding to grade level. You might also see a few white sheets in there, as I gave 1st graders the option of tossing in our kindness drawings--of a time we were kind to others--completed during MindUp. The tank is even closer to full now and students will have an opportunity to celebrate with a movie.

March was another wonderful month where I got to do classroom visits, small groups, individual student support, and our third (and final for this year) Conscious Discipline Parent Night. Thank you to all who participated and to those of you who filled out the feedback form. Your input is appreciated and can help us shape plans for next year. We'll resume our Conscious Discipline Parent Nights next school year, AND in the meantime Ms. Angie is hosting a book group for interested parents and caregivers.

On March 30, during Farmworker Awareness Week, we dedicated our school library to Larry Itliong, an influential Filipino-American labor organizer whose work was foundational to that of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. The next time you're in the building (which is finally starting to happen a little bit and it's exciting!), I encourage you check out our dedication plaque, and framed poster of Larry Itliong with a bit about his life and work written by one of our awesome new teachers, Mr. Nick (5th grade), whose students also helped create a video for the whole school to learn more about Larry Itliong.

In terms of SEL (Social Emotional Learning), most grade levels continue to learn about how to identify and regulate our emotions, as well as get along with others and problem-solve peacefully. Feel free to check in with your child's teacher to learn more about their SecondStep lessons! Additionally, first and second grades continue to supplement with learning about mindfulness (including gratitude and kindness). I'll post a picture of our gratitude tree in the next Cheetah Chatter; there are lots of shout-outs to you parents and caregivers! Grades 3-5 have continued with Sources of Strength, learning about how our brains work in terms of our basic needs, senses, emotions, and thoughts, and how we can use different strengths in our lives to promote resiliency. It has been a really joyful experience!

Lastly, I've continued to update my virtual office where you'll find a variety of resources, especially in the caregiver corner. Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss your student or family's needs. I'm available via email: sell_s@4j.lane.edu or by phone at 541-790-5383 (direct office line).

Wishing you well,

Ms. Shannon

The next PACK meeting is April 12. New members always welcome! Email for more info: chavezcheetahpack@gmail.com

Click the "Gallery Walk" below to check out some of the amazing work Chávez students are doing in WRITING!

Writing Gallery Walk

Getting to school can be tough. These tips can help students overcome obstacles and be in school – with help from others. Stay tuned as each month, we offer another Attendance Tip from every-day-matters.org.

TIP #2: PLAN AHEAD

Things don’t always go smoothly. Planning ahead can help you be ready for issues with:

• Transportation (Explore carpool, bus, safe walk/bike options.)
• After school pick-up and care (Have a back-up!)

The next Site Council meeting is April 25th.