Bulldog Bulletin
Awbrey Park Elementary School Newsletter
School Events & Important Dates
1/8: Awbrey Park PTO Meeting (6:30pm, Room 16)
1/11: Virtual School Choice Presentation (5:30pm via Zoom)
1/15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School)
1/17: PTO Family Dinner Night! (Panda Express)
1/17: School Board Meeting (7:00pm via Zoom)
1/18: In-Person School Choice Presentations (9:30am, Library & 6:00pm, Room 16)
1/25: Conscious Discipline Parent Series: Session 3 (5:45pm, Gym)
2/1: Semester Grading Day (No School)
2/2: Transition Day (No School)
2/5: Awbrey Park PTO Meeting (6:30pm, Room 16)
2/7: School Board Meeting (7:00pm via Zoom)
2/8: PTO Family Craft Night! (6:00-7:30pm, Cafeteria/Gym)
2/19: President's Day (No School)
2/21: School Board Meeting (7:00pm via Zoom)
2/22: Conscious Discipline Parent Series: Session 4 (5:45pm, Gym)
January News, Events & Updates
Dear Awbrey Park Families,
Welcome back! It has been great seeing all of our students and families again after winter break. While our January newsletter has a lot of repeat information, please be sure mark your calendars for our PTO Family Dinner Night on Wednesday, January 17th, our Conscious Discipline Parent Series (Session 3) on Thursday, January 25th, and our PTO Family Craft Night on Thursday, February 8th. I also included information on the proposed 2024-25 and 2025-26 4J school calendars.
This month we will be hosting our virtual school choice event on Thursday, January 11th from 5:30-6:30pm (via Zoom) and two in-person opportunities on Thursday, January 18th from 9:30-10:30am (Library) and 6:00-7:00pm (Room 16). The presentation will also be recorded for parents/guardians who are unable to attend the event.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Have a great Monday!
Sincerely,
Jared Tiecke, Principal
Family Craft Night!
Mark your Calendars! Join us on Thursday, February 8th from 6:00-7:30pm in the Awbrey Park cafeteria for our Family Craft Night.
This is a great opportunity to get creative with your friends, family, and the Awbrey Park community. We hope to see you there!
State Testing Notice
Each spring our 3rd-5th grade students participate in state assessments in English Language Arts, Math, and Science (the Science assessment is given to 5th grade students only). These tests occur during the regular school day and students are encouraged to take their time to do their best to demonstrate what they have learned in the past year.
Under Oregon law, a parent or student age 18+ may opt out of Oregon’s annual statewide math and language arts assessments by filling out an annual opt-out form provided by the Oregon Department of Education. Exemptions from the English language proficiency or science tests may also be requested based on a student’s disability or religious beliefs. Opt-out/exemption requests are only valid for the school year in which they are completed.
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 Friday, April 19th.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office for more information.
Join the PTO at Awbrey Park!
Are you interested in volunteering and/or helping to organize events at Awbrey Park? If so, consider joining the Awbrey Park Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)! Our PTO meets on the first Monday of each month from 6:30-7:30pm.
Our next meeting will be on Monday, January 8th at 6:30pm in Room 16. Parents/Guardians are welcome to enter through the purple hallway doors. See our tentative agenda here.
See our December Awbrey Park PTO Minutes below for all the latest news and updates!
For more information, please contact our PTO Co-Presidents, Caitlin Alcorn and Brian Richardson at awbreypto@gmail.com.
PTO Family Dinner Night! (REVISED)
Our next PTO Family Dinner Night is Wednesday, January 17th from 10:00am-8:00pm at the Valley River Center Panda Express.
You can support our PTO fundraiser with dine-in or take out orders. Just bring the Panda Express flyer with you when you order or use the code 364638 when ordering online and Awbrey Park PTO will receive 20% of the value of your food purchase! Share this flyer to raise even more funds.
All students should receive a Panda Express flyer in Monday Mail next week. See the flyer below for more information!
January is School Choice Time in 4J! (REPEAT)
In Eugene School District 4J, every school offers an excellent education for our students. Students may enroll in their neighborhood school at any time, or may request to enroll in a different 4J school provided there is space available. School choice requests will be accepted in an order determined by lottery.
To be included in the lottery, 4J residents must apply by January 31 at midnight. Non-district residents must apply between March 1 and 31. All students who want to obtain a transfer must apply, including new incoming siblings and students who have moved out of our school neighborhood or the district and want to remain enrolled next year.
Virtual and in-person school visits are scheduled in the month of January. If you have any friends or family members who are considering school choice, please invite them to learn more about our wonderful school and their school choice options!
School Choice Information Sessions
- Get answers about the school choice process
- Spanish interpretation provided during Spanish presentation
Tuesday, Jan. 9, 6:00pm – English Session (Join Zoom Meeting)
Tuesday, Jan. 11, 12:00-1:00pm – English Session (Join Zoom Meeting)
Thursday, Jan. 11, 6:00pm – Spanish Session (Join Zoom Meeting)
Virtual School Visits
- Learn about your neighborhood school and more!
- Each school offers live virtual visits or in-person info sessions with an opportunity for questions
- Request interpretation support in advance
School event schedule: https://4j.lane.edu/22061_3
Awbrey Park Elementary School Choice Presentations
- Thursday, January 11th: Awbrey Park School Choice Presentation (5:30-6:30pm, Virtual via Zoom - Meeting ID 969 1694 3820, Passcode 344040)
- Thursday, January 18th: Awbrey Park School Choice Presentation & Tour (9:30-10:30am, In-Person, Library)
- Thursday, January 18th: Awbrey Park School Choice Presentation & Tour (6:00-7:00pm, In-Person, Room 16)
- Spanish translation & childcare for Kindergarten - 5th grade children will be available for this event.
Conscious Discipline Parent Series (REPEAT)
Come learn, connect, and explore approaches that empower you with skills to help create a safe, connected, problem-solving environment for your family. Our Title 1 Coordinator, Carissa Boyce and Student Success Coordinator, Kristen Gianforti will be leading this seven-part series.
Conscious Discipline® is an approach to parenting built around the science of crafting caring and respectful relationships. An authentic, loving connection between parents/guardians and their children is the root of a healthy, thriving relationship built on trust and understanding. This is a great way to empower children to make positive choices!
See the details below regarding our five remaining sessions:
- Thursday, January 25th (Assertiveness)
- Thursday, February 22nd (Encouragement)
- Tuesday, March 19th (Choices)
- Tuesday, April 23rd (Empathy)
- Tuesday, May 14th (Positive Intent & Consequences)
We will be providing dinner and childcare for children Kinder-5th for all in-person sessions for FREE! If you have any questions, please contact our Student Success Coordinator, Kristen Gianforti (gianforti_k@4j.lane.edu).
Girls on the Run After School Program (REPEAT)
This spring Awbrey Park will be hosting a Girls on the Run program after school! The program is designed for 3rd – 5th grade students and is scheduled from March 18th – May 27th (10 weeks). Participant registration begins on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 and scholarship opportunities are available.
Practices are scheduled for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:15pm at Awbrey Park Elementary School. See the flyer below for additional details.
For questions regarding the Girls on the Run program, please contact our coach Auriana Koutnik (akoutnik@gmail.com) for more information.
Student Attendance & Tardy Reminders (REPEAT)
There is a strong correlation between good attendance and success in school. On the other hand, students who regularly miss school are also more likely to struggle in school.
Missed days add up quickly: Just two days a month (2 days x 9 months = 18 days/year or 10% of the school year) puts a child's success in jeopardy because students fall behind and disconnect. By third grade, it gets much more difficult to catch up. Students who regularly miss school can quickly feel hopeless, and returning becomes harder and harder (“Why Attendance Matters”, ODE).
It is our hope that we can work together to encourage your child’s regular attendance and success at school. When your child is going to be late or absent from school, please call the attendance line at (541) 790-4054, before 8:30am and inform our office staff. You may also leave a message on our voice mail if you are calling before regular office hours. Please leave your child's name, their teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence.
If we can be of any support to you or your child in improving their attendance at school, please reach out to our Student Success Coordinator, Kristen Gianforti at 541-790-4050 or gianforti_k@4j.lane.edu.
Inclement Weather (REPEAT)
You can subscribe to our text alert notification system by logging into ParentVue and updating your contact information or by calling the school office at 541-790-4050. You can also visit district website for the most recent weather updates, alternate bus routes, and school closure information.
How to find out if there is a change:
- Check the district website, www.4j.lane.edu
- Follow 4J social media: Facebook, X @4Jweather & @4Jschools
- Tune in to local radio and television news stations
- Text message from the district (If you are concerned about the weather and have not received a text by 6:30 a.m., check the 4J website, Facebook page, radio or TV.)
Be an Educational Assistant Substitute at Awbrey Park! (REPEAT)
Are you interested in substituting as an Educational Assistant at Awbrey Park? If so, apply today through the 4J Educational Assistant Substitute Pool!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Awbrey Park Principal, Jared Tiecke at 541-790-4050 or at tiecke_j@4j.lane.edu.
Volunteering at Awbrey Park! (REPEAT)
We are excited to welcome volunteers back into our schools! If you are interested in volunteering at Awbrey Park Elementary School, please contact your child’s teacher for upcoming opportunities.
Volunteers will need to complete a volunteer application on the district website and be approved prior to volunteering. Please contact Jade Chrissis in the school office at 541-790-4050 for more information.
District News & Announcements
Proposed 4J District Calendar for Next Two School Years
Eugene School District 4J has developed a proposed calendar for the next two school years: 2024–25 and 2025–26. Traditionally, the school board has approved a one-year calendar in the spring for the following school year. However, our district believes moving to a two-year calendar, with earlier notice of no-school days, will provide greater stability for families and staff.
The proposed two-year district calendar is similar to this year's calendar. Students in kindergarten and grades six and nine (transition grades) will start school a day earlier than others to explore their new building. There will be no school Thanksgiving week for parent-teacher conferences and the traditional holiday break.
Kindergarten Smart Start, a program to support students and families to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten, will return next fall. Under the program, the first two weeks of the school year are adjusted to support a different schedule for our students entering kindergarten; we will have additional details to share later this spring.
Clearing the Air at 4J Schools
With the recent passage of a No Idling Policy by our school board, we are advancing our commitment to reducing environmental pollutants for the safety of our students, staff and community at large.
What does this mean for you? When you're waiting to drop off or pick up your students from school, we kindly request that you turn off your car's engine. During extreme weather, we encourage you to arrive close enough to the start and end times so that idling will not be necessary. The policy also applies to all school buses as well as other district and delivery vehicles.
This action may seem small, but it can make a big difference in reducing student and staff exposure to air pollution at our schools. Thank you for not idling!
About Us
Email: tiecke_j@4j.lane.edu
Website: https://awbreypark.4j.lane.edu/
Location: 158 Spring Creek Drive, Eugene, OR 97404, USA
Phone: (541) 790-4050
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AwbreyPark