School Events & Important Dates
3/9: 4J AVID Spotlight Event (11:00am, District Office)
3/9: 4J Learn to Ride a Bike Event (4:00pm, District Office)
3/13: Kindergarten Orientation Event (5:30pm, Room 20)
3/13: Awbrey Park PTO Meeting (6:30pm, Room 16)
3/14: Field Trip: Eugene Symphony Orchestra (4th & 5th Grade)
3/15: School Board Meeting (7:00pm via Zoom)
3/16: PTO Family BINGO Night (6:00-7:30pm)
3/17: Staff Workload Relief Day (No School)
3/27-3/31: Spring Break (No School)
4/3: Professional Development & Planning Day (No School)
4/4: Students Return to School!
March News, Events & Updates
Dear Awbrey Park Families,
Spring break is just around the corner and we have a lot of exciting events happening over the next two weeks. We have a Kindergarten Orientation Event on Monday, March 13th and our PTO is hosting a Family BINGO Night on Thursday, March 16th.
Our Awbrey Park Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) team will be competing at regionals on Saturday, March 11th at South Eugene High School. We had about 40 students participate in OBOB this school year and we are excited to cheer them on at regionals. I also want to extend a special thank you to Mr. Chesterman for all of his hard work preparing them for Saturday’s event. Good luck Sparklers!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Have a great Thursday!
Sincerely,
Jared Tiecke, Principal
March PTO Meeting
Our March PTO meeting will be on Monday, March 13th at 6:30pm in Room 16. We have invited our incoming Kindergarten parents/guardians to attend and plan to discuss our open PTO positions for next school year, as well as our BINGO Night on Thursday, March 16th.
If you interested in volunteering and/or helping to organize events at Awbrey Park, consider joining our Parent-Teacher Organization! Our PTO meets on the second Monday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm. Please contact Kellie Rushing karushing22@gmail.com or Katie Schnider katie@ohdeugene.com for more information.
State Testing Notice
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 turn it into the school office prior to March 27th.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office for more information.
PTO Family BINGO Night!
Join us on Thursday, March 16th from 6:00-7:30pm in the Awbrey Park cafeteria for our PTO Family BINGO Night! This is a great opportunity to get connect with friends, family, and the Awbrey Park community. Hope to see you there!
Kindergarten Orientation Event at Awbrey Park!
Do you know a child who will be 5 years old by September 1st? If so, it’s time to register them for Kindergarten!
Join us for an in-person Kindergarten Orientation Event on Monday, March 13th from 5:30-6:30pm. You will learn about our kindergarten program and enrollment process, meet Awbrey Park staff, and have an opportunity to ask questions. Childcare will be available from 5:30-6:30pm.
Following the event, you are welcome to join us at 6:30pm in Room 16 for our PTO meeting to learn more about how families can support our school and students. Please call office if you are unable to attend the orientation and/or have questions about the enrollment process. We look forward to seeing you!
Head Lice Reminders from Nurse Suzie
As we approach spring, this is a great time to remind families that head lice is not considered an infectious disease, but rather nuisance at home and school.
Head lice are commonly found in children due to their close contact with each other and are not considered a sign of poor hygiene. Parents should discourage their children from sharing personal items such as hats, scarves, headbands, helmets, brushes, combs or pillows to decrease the chance of spread from one person to another.
If someone in your child’s class develops head lice, there is no reason to assume your child will ‘catch’ lice. See the following handout linked below for more information and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great Spring Break!
Suzie McCall, RN
541-790-4050
Lost & Found
As a reminder, encourage your child to check the Lost & Found near the cafeteria prior to spring break! All non-claimed items will be donated at the end of the day on Friday, March 24th.
We do our best to return items labeled with students’ names to them. If you haven’t already, please label your students’ jackets and sweatshirts/sweaters with their names.
The lost & found will also be available during our PTO BINGO night on Thursday, March 16th. Hope to see you there!
2023 NextStep Electronics Recycling Competition! (REPEAT)
Have any old electronics collecting dust? If so, Awbrey Park is participating in an electronics recycle competition with other Lane County schools! If an item is mostly metal, has a plug, or takes batteries it counts. E-waste examples include microwaves, TVs, printers, old cords and cables, cell phones, computers, and audio/visual equipment.
Between February 1st and April 30th, drop of any old electronics at NextStep (245 Jackson Street, Eugene) and let them know you are supporting Awbrey Park Elementary School. We will also be hosting our own on-site collection box March 20th-24th near the front office.
The school with the most “e-waste” collected wins a $500 grant and a Next Step Robot made by a local artist. For questions, please contact Kristie Long in the front office at 541-790-4050. Help support Awbrey Park by recycling some old electronics!
Nominate "A Champion in Education" Today!
Who is your 4J champion in education? An inspiring teacher? An encouraging school secretary? A caring school counselor or nurse? A dedicated volunteer? A principal who leads by example? A bus driver who always takes the time to listen? A custodian who helped in a time of need?
Now is the time to recognize their contributions at 4J's annual ACE (A Champion in Education) Awards! To learn more and nominate a 4J employee or volunteer, visit 4j.lane.edu/2023ace. The nomination deadline is March 31.
Come see your nominee be honored at the awards ceremony on May 4, 5:00–7:00pm, at South Eugene High School. One nominee in each of the five categories will be named an ACE Award champion.
If you have questions or need assistance, please contact 4J Communications at information@4j.lane.edu.
Learn to Ride a Bike – A Free, All Ages, Drop-In Event!
Thursday, March 9 stop by anytime between 4:00-6:00pm, Bob Keefer Center, 250 S 32nd St, Springfield, OR.
Do you or your child want to learn how to ride a bike? 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.
Join Willamalane; 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 pedal-powered smoothies, bike checks, information about bike share, and workshops for families and individuals of all ages on biking for transportation.
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 (541) 228-0699 or jack.blashchishen@springfield.k12.or.us with questions or to volunteer.
FREE Fun, Food, Prizes at Neurodiversity Festival
The Eugene 4J School District invites students and families to a Neurodiversity Festival on Wednesday, March 15 from 6:00-8:30 pm in the cafeteria at South Eugene High School, located at 400E. 19th Avenue. The event will welcome everyone, with fun activities, prizes, art, food and entertainment.
Come celebrate Neurodiversity Week and Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and see the wonderful gifts and strengths that all people contribute to our community. FREE fun, food, learning & enrichment for the entire family!
4J Medical or Religious Exception Process for Volunteers (REPEAT)
4J has created a process for religious and medical exemptions for volunteers. The information can be found on the 4J website under the Risk Management and School Safety Department and the Parents tab under "Volunteers”.
Linked here are the Instructions for filling out the COVID-19 Exemption Request Form.
- Volunteers not vaccinated against COVID-19 due to a qualified medical or religious exception, may complete the Oregon Health Authority’s Medical Exception Form or Religious Exception Form (Medical Exception Form or Religious Exception Form).
- The completed document should be uploaded to the Volunteer Application, where proof of COVID-19 vaccination is requested.
- Volunteer Obligations: Upon exception approval the volunteer will receive a Vaccine Exception Accommodation letter signed by the Director of Risk Management and School Safety stating the volunteer exception has been granted and the volunteer will comply with all recommendations and guidance for reducing the spread of COVID-19 published by governmental authorities, including the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Department of Education, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as maintaining physical distancing and wearing an approved face covering and will also comply with all rules, guidelines and protocols adopted by Lane County School District 4J for reducing the spread of COVID-19.
New Request for Pre-Arranged Absence Form (REPEAT)
Our 4J Attendance Committee has a new Request for Pre-Arranged Absence Form families should:
- Complete for or all absences that are 3 or more days in length
- Submit the form to the office at least 2 days prior to the absence
The form does not apply to sickness, an emergency, or an authorized religious holiday, but is required to excuse any planned absences 3 days or more. Without the form, absences will be unexcused.
Parents/guardians only need to complete the first section and then turn into the office. If you don’t have your child’s Perm ID #, our office staff can assist with that once the form is submitted. For questions, please contact Jade Chrissis at 541-790-4050 or at chrissis_j@4j.lane.edu. Thank you!
Inclement Weather (REPEAT)
With the possibility of inclement weather quickly approaching, this would be great time to double check that your contact information is updated in the event of a school closure or delay. Information will be communicated through our regular notification system (via text, voicemail and email) from the district office. You can subscribe to our flash alert notification system by visiting the Eugene School District website or by logging into ParentVue and updating your contact information.
