Friday 1/6: 2023-2024 Online Enrollment Application Available

Tuesday 1/10: UO test kit return

Wednesday 1/11: 7:00-9:00 pm Ridgeline Equity Committee Meeting

Thursday 1/12: 6:00-8:00 pm Ridgeline Board Meeting

Monday 1/16: No School - Martin Luther King Jr Day

Wednesday 1/18: 7:00-8:00 pm RCO Planning Mtg

Thursday 1/18: 6:00-7:00 pm Lottery Information Session

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

Welcome to 2023!

We hope that everyone had a restful and enjoyable Winter Break. We have enjoyed returning to our school routine and reconnecting with students. Some families may also have experienced difficulties and uncertainty over break, so try checking in with each other. Connection and belonging are goals that we aspire to in the Ridgeline community and we encourage communicating with other families to strengthen that connection.

Siblings of students who are currently enrolled and will remain enrolled in Ridgeline in the coming year receive enrollment priority. If space is unavailable, students with sibling-level priority will be the first group selected by an equitable lottery process for placement on the waiting list.

In order to qualify for sibling preference, you MUST complete the Online Enrollment Application for any incoming sibling by February 26, 11:59 pm. The lottery application will be available to be completed tomorrow, Friday, January 6th.

Please share the following opportunity with your family and friends!

Ridgeline welcomes community members to join us for a one-hour virtual information session on January 19th from 6-7 pm and January 28th from 10-11 am. Find out more about what makes public Montessori unique. Families will have the opportunity to meet our dedicated school leadership, talented teachers, and participate in a questions and answers session.

Click here to learn more and register for a Ridgeline Information Session

Ridgeline lottery guidelines and deadlines can be found here on Ridgeline’s website.

Ridgeline’s lottery application and process are separate and independent of 4J’s School of Choice lottery.

Ridgeline students spend time outdoors, rain or shine, and that means we sometimes need to lend them clean clothes when theirs get soiled!

We are in need of:

• rain pants in all sizes, youth size 5 through adult small/medium

• versatile pants (especially leggings and athletic pants in gender neutral colors) in all sizes, youth size 5 through adult small/medium.

Your clean clothing donations, brought to the office, are appreciated!

It is important to us that students are comfortable in clean, dry clothing while they are learning, and we are happy to loan clothing to students whenever necessary. Please return laundered borrowed school clothes as soon as possible.

Our pantry is running low! Please bring donations of granola bars (Z bars are a favorite), cuties, individually wrapped cheese, pre-packaged snacks, applesauce or fruit cups, and other healthy snacks to the office so we can stock the cupboards.

Through your generous donations to the food pantry, we are able to ensure students are never left hungry during lunch or snacks.

Ridgeline practices monthly safety drills and utilizes the Standard Response Protocols (SRP) from the I Love U Guys Foundation, providing a common shared language for students, staff, first responders and families. This school year we have practiced Shelter for earthquake and Evacuation drills for fire. We have also implemented a few Holds when it was necessary to keep the hallways clear. A Hold may be used if there is a medical emergency, an incident in the hallway, or another situation requiring hallways to remain clear for a period of time. A Hold is typically short in nature, and students are free to go about their regular routine within their classroom until the hold is released.

We realize that you and your student may have a range of feelings about drills or emergencies. By talking about different situations and practicing drills at school, it assures them there is a plan in place to help keep them safe and they know what to do and expect.

Near the end of this month we will practice a Lockdown drill and later in the year a Secure drill. Your student will receive instruction from their teacher prior to the drills so they know what to expect and they may also practice with their classroom prior to the actual drill. Should an actual Lockdown or Secure be required, families will be notified as soon as possible, although our first priority is your student’s safety.

SRP Parent Handout in English and Spanish

The Ridgeline Board will have a regular meeting on January 12th from 6:00 to 8:00 pm over Zoom and in person in the library. Action item on the agenda include: Meal Contract from 4J . Information and Discussion items on the agenda include Ridgeline’s Annual Review from Eugene 4J, Shared Language, Brainstorm Retreat Topics, Policy KGF/EDC 9.4 Community Use of School Facilities. The agenda will be finalized and posted here by Tuesday January 10th the Zoom link to join is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84542263211?pwd=ank5a0V4d05Zeno5dDRxV2lpYmQyUT09, Meeting ID: 845 4226 3211 Passcode: 709037.

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."

The Ridgeline Equity Committee will have it's monthly meeting on January 11th. All are welcome to join. We will be finalizing information for the annual merchandise order, talk about upcoming community events, and more!

You can join us via Zoom starting at 7:00 PM https://us02web.zoom.us/j/91059890556?pwd=Szg4N3dLd2QxWVp3TXZBQmlBWDBsUT09 Meeting ID: 910 5989 0556
Passcode: XcP4fy

Sign up and work toward your commitment of 40 hours of volunteering at Ridgeline!

SITE COUNCIL MINUTE TAKER

• The minute taker is a nonvoting member of the Site Council that takes key notes during the meetings including decisions that are made, plans created, and action items that need to be completed. If you are interested please contact Becky Fay.

The Site Council meets once a month from 6:00-7:30 at the school. The purpose of the site council is to gather insight from school stakeholder groups to guide leadership with decision making. We are currently in need of a minute taker for the rest of the school year.

STILL NEEDED!

• Crossing guards are needed to help guide Ridgeline students as they cross West Amazon to and from the amazon trail. Volunteers are needed daily at 8-8:30 am and 3-3:20 pm.

  Safety vests and stop signs provided. Sign-up for any number of mornings and/or afternoons on Track it Forward.

If you would like to volunteer, go to the Volunteer Page of our website and review what is required.

Fill out a background check form if you have not done so in the last five years.

See instructions below for more information on how to sign up and track your hours with Track it Forward.

It’s a good idea to wear a mask when:

• You are in a crowded indoor place.

• You’re sick and you live with other people or must be around people at work.

• You tested positive for COVID-19; you should wear a mask around people for at least 10 days total OR for five days after your symptoms have resolved.

Masking tips and resources:

• Tips for choosing a high-quality mask and how to avoid counterfeit products

• Tips for wearing a mask

• OHA’s masking homepage

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention masking guidance

• Find a free mask

Reminder: Please pull all the way forward, regardless of where your students attend class. Direct your vehicle with intention and care to model safety. Lastly, if your student requires your help to exit or enter the car, please park your vehicle on the street to help facilitate the smooth car line we all appreciate.

We encourage you to join us in keeping drop off and pick up safe by volunteering as a crossing guard! See above for volunteer opportunities.

With the new year approaching, Merideth, the Art Specialist, would love donations of old calendars for the photos to use for reference pictures for observational drawing. Animals of all kinds, scenic pictures, flowers, birds, etc. will be greatly appreciated! Please send them in after the break or drop them off at the office. Thank you so much! Happy Holidays to you all!

Ridgeline will continue to utilize 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.

• Track It Forward app can be added to your phone!

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.

Step One:

Go to https://www.trackitforward.com/site/ridgeline-montessori

Select sign in

Create your account.

Step Two:

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

Download the app

Log In

You are all set!