Saturday 1/28: 10:00-11:00 am Lottery Information Session

Saturday 1/28: 11:30 am-12:30 pm Lottery School Tours

Tuesday 1/31 : UO Test Kit Return

Tuesday 1/31: 8:30-10:30 am Ridgeline Fundraising Committee Meeting

Wednesday 2/1: 7:00-9:00 pm Ridgeline Equity Committee Meeting

Friday 2/3: NO SCHOOL, Grading Day

Monday 2/6: NO SCHOOL, Professional Development Day

Monday 2/6: 6:00-6:45 Middle School Information Session

Monday 2/6: Deadline for the Talent Show video clips

Friday 2/10: Talent Show

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.

Friday, February 10th, 2023 at 6 pm is the Ridgeline Talent Show!

This year, the Talent Show will be virtual with a special viewing event at Ridgeline as well as being available on YouTube so everyone can enjoy it together whether at home or with our school community! We are thankful to have the opportunity to come together on February 10th in the school Gym to watch the video together on a big screen!

Students need to submit a video clip of their talent to wobblykate@hotmail.com by Monday, February 6th.

Talent Show Acts must be 3 minutes or less. Any musical lyrics must be school appropriate. Please avoid themes of violence, drugs/alcohol, sex, etc. Kids are welcome to provide a solo act and/or a group act.

Be sure to send a video clip of their talent to wobblykate@hotmail.com by Monday, February 6th!

If your child is interested in being a classroom MC and introducing their peers, please email wobblykate@hotmail.com. We will accept the first 2 applicants from each class on a first-come-first-picked basis. Parents will be emailed a script for their MC to read/recite on video a few days before the talent show and those videos will play before the class performances. MCs may also submit a talent act, but do not have to submit an act for the talent show.

We will have volunteer opportunities for the evening of the talent show, so take a look at Track it Forward to sign up for the event!

The orders for Ridgeline apparel are up and running! Please enter your information in the website, https://ridgelinemontessorigear.bigcartel.com/ and place your order before February 2, 2023. We will be processing the order in the beginning of February. All apparel should arrive by early March!

We continue our “T-shirts for All Students” program which provides a t-shirt at no cost to any student who qualifies on Ridgeline’s Income Survey Form. If you are able to, please make a donation to go towards another child's t-shirt order. If you need any assistance getting a t-shirt for your child please reach out to the Ridgeline Equity Committee. If you have any questions about ordering, reach out to equity@ridgeline.org.

Happy New Year from the RCO! As we look to the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, we welcome any Ridgeline parents who are interested in joining the RCO as a grade-level representative, or who have suggestions or contributions for RCO-led activities.

RCO monthly meetings (including Zoom link) are on the Ridgeline calendar and open to the entire Ridgeline community to join.

Feel free to reach out to rco@ridgeline.org with any questions, and be on the lookout for upcoming events!

The fundraising committee will be meeting on Tuesday, January 31 at 8:30 at school (meet in the lobby). If you are interested in supporting Ridgeline by helping organize fundraising efforts, please feel free to jump right in and join the meeting or email Amy Sage.

A virtual Middle School Information Session is scheduled for Monday, February 6, from 6:00-6:45 pm. This session is targeted for families of 5th and 6th graders who would like to know more about Ridgeline’s middle school program. Next week we will send out the webinar registration link so that families can sign-up. Participants will be able to hear from each teacher about their program and then time will be provided for questions and answers. The webinar format has been chosen so that we can record the session and make it available on our website for those who can not make the February date, while still protecting the anonymity of the participants.

Please review Ridgeline’s Personal Electronic Devices & Social Media and have a conversation with your student reminding them that the use of cell phones during school hours is prohibited.

Student phones are to be turned off and stored in their backpacks during the day. The only exception would be in the event of an emergency and direction on messaging will be provided to students from teachers. Students and families may contact the school office to relay a message.

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

HELP US TO KEEP ALL OF OUR STUDENTS SAFE!

• Crossing guards are needed daily at 8-8:30 am and 3-3:20 pm.
  This is one of our largest, ongoing needs as far as volunteers!

You will help guide Ridgeline students to safely cross between building B and the sidewalk, and cross West Amazon to and from the Amazon trail.

Safety vests and stop signs provided. Sign-up for any slot that fits your schedule!

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

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

Directions for how to log your hours on Track it Forward are found at the bottom of this page.

Have you ever wondered how Ridgeline uses the State assessment data? Indeed, Ridgeline does not put a lot of emphasis on the State assessment to our students. We present it as another work they participate in, and generally, our students enjoy taking the test because it is so different from what they usually participate in. It’s a novel activity to them.

Behind the scenes, Ridgeline takes the data collected from the test and level teams look for trends. Teams meet to deep dive into what trends emerge, cross-reference what concepts were taught and how, and collaborate on strategies to improve their teaching practices.

Additionally, the data offers information on students' strengths and weaknesses in those academic areas to help form a pathway for following the child as they progress through their experience here at Ridgeline.

The data is also reported to the district and the state; both use it in their assessment and annual reports for Ridgeline.

Oregon schools are required to have at least 94.5% participation of all eligible students each year. Due to a high level of opt-outs and exemptions last year, we did not meet our participation goal, and the results showed that we had under-representation of various student demographics in our school-wide participation. Please keep that under consideration when making a decision for your child.

Parent information about this spring's 2022-23 state testing, including the linked ELA and Math Opt-Out form and the Science Exemption form are available below:

30-Day Notice and Opt-Out Form (English)

Aviso de 30 días para evaluaciones estatales de Oregón en Artes del Lenguaje Inglés y Matemáticas

OSAS Science Exemption Form-English

Aviso de 30 días para evaluaciones estatales de Oregón en Ciencias

The testing window at Ridgeline will open in early to mid-April and last approximately four weeks (Middle school may test a bit later). While we encourage students to test, parents do have the choice to opt their child out of testing by completing the opt-out or exemption forms and submitting them to the school office by Friday, April 7th. Please note that if you wish to opt your 5th or 8th grader out of OSAS Math, ELA, and Science testing, you must fill out two forms (Opt-out for ELA and Math; Exemption for Science).

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 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.

If you haven’t already done so, take a look at the newsletters that our school mental health specialist, Jon Talebreza-May, has sent out from the Wellness Center. Find out about Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and the techniques that they are teaching in classes!

Wellness Center Newsletters

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.

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

Exhibit Opens 1/28 at Museum of Natural and Cultural History

In the 1960s–1990s, hundreds of young women who identified as lesbians came to Eugene.

They founded organizations central to the city and provided leadership for community service agencies. They created lesbian magazines, photographs, music, films, dance performances, theater, and art. They influenced Oregon's political landscape and contributed to the larger LGBTQ movement.

Come discover stories about the Eugene lesbian community from the women who created and sustained it.

Registration is now open for the South Eugene Babe Ruth 2023 youth baseball season! Players ages 6-14 are invited to evaluations on Saturday, February 4th or Sunday the 5th for team placements. New and former players are very welcome. Go South!

Registration & info: https://southeugenebaberuth.sportngin.com

Classes are offered to children ages 10(ish) and above and are tailored to each student or group.

Depending on your child's level, they will go from where they are or begin with concept development and learn the basics before moving on to more complex topics. Topics range from animation to perspective, anatomy, Photoshop/Procreate digital work, comic panels, painting, sculpture, etc. Usually, each 4 classes will include a small project to learn new skills.

One of our main goals is that our students learn by having fun, creating in the realms of what they are interested in and passionate about. Long-term projects are also possible. The sky's the limit!

The instructor is my husband, Matt Hawk. He has an associate's degree in Illustration & Graphic Design and has taught art to children in Eugene for over 10 years. He has also worked with a video game company and illustrated several books. Most students tend to remain with us long term!

Frequency: 1 hour/week; lesson times to be arranged individually - School Year/Summer/Year Round Available

Location: Skype/Zoom or in person on Fox Hollow, just a 3 minute drive from Ridgeline

Cost: $15 per class; pay for 4 lessons ($60) at a time; 50% sibling discount; small group class option as well for students wanting to learn together

Contact: Kesha Hawk at thehawksaerie@gmail.com

Please email for full details!

~Kesha and Matt Hawk~

Eugene IHS is a choice school for students in grades 9-12 offering a 4-year interdisciplinary humanities curriculum focused on international studies. Students spend two class periods each school day in their IHS classes and the other three class periods in host school classes.

ANY student can enroll. All interested students must fill out an online 4J School Choice application, regardless of attendance area: www.4j.lane.edu/choice. The in-district deadline is January 31, 2023.

IMPORTANT DATES for the 2023-2024 School Year:

January 1……Online application period for 4J School Choice Lottery opened for in-district students

January 31…..Deadline to submit in-district 4J School Choice Lottery Applications

March 1………Online application period for 4J School Choice Lottery opens for out-of-district students

March 31……..Deadline to submit out-of-district 4J School Choice Lottery Applications

Spanish and French Immersion students from Monroe and Roosevelt will be enrolled in Eugene IHS without the lottery process because they entered immersion through the lottery in elementary or middle school. However, immersion students do need to submit the Eugene IHS Enrollment Form to the Eugene IHS office at South or Sheldon by the January 31st deadline. This form will be included in a special mailing to immersion families.

If your student has an interest in the world, and wants to learn about other countries and cultures, we hope they will consider becoming part of our Eugene IHS family.

For more information contact one of the Eugene IHS offices below, or visit the Eugene IHS website at www.ihs.4j.lane.edu.

Eugene IHS @ Churchill: 541-790-5225

Eugene IHS @ Sheldon: 541-790-6636

Eugene IHS @ South Eugene: 541-790-8030

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!