4J Parent News

Information for Eugene School District 4J parents and guardians

• Budget Committee: Five new members appointed to review 4J's proposed annual budget

• EEF Grants: Foundation awards more than $148,000 to 50+ school, district projects

• Classroom Support: District continues work to address behavior concerns

• Outside the Classroom: These field trips sure are fishy

• State Testing: Opt-out forms now available

• School News: Nourishing meals, shopping sprees, and more!

• Work for 4J: Serve local youth and the community — apply for a job at 4J today!

Schools are closed starting Monday, December 18 and classes will resume on Wednesday, January 3. (Tuesday, January 2 is a no-school staff professional development day.) 4J district offices remain open during winter break, except for December 25 and 26, and January 1. Have a great holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you again in 2024!

The school choice season for the 2024–25 school year is coming in January.

Families living within 4J boundaries have the option to request to enroll in a 4J school outside their neighborhood. You must request a transfer online between January 1–31 to be included in the annual school choice lottery that determines the order in which transfer offers will be granted. Families living outside of our district’s boundaries who want their child to attend a 4J school next year submit requests later, March 1–31.

Families are invited to explore their school choice options, including their neighborhood school, before deciding whether to request a transfer. Learn more:

General School Choice Information Sessions

Learn about 4J's school choice process and get answers to your questions at the following live virtual information sessions:

• Tuesday, January 9, 6-7 p.m. | English (Zoom link)
• Thursday, January 11, 12-1 p.m. | English (Zoom link)
• Thursday, January 11, 6-7 p.m. | Spanish (Zoom link)

School-Specific Information Sessions & Visits

Click here for the schedule of virtual and in-person school visits at every 4J school.
Contact the school in advance of the scheduled visit to request interpretation support

A world of knowledge is opening up for 4J students through the Eugene Public Library.

In partnership with our local library system, schools has begun distributing free Eugene library cards to all 4J students, whether they live inside or outside the city limits. This new initiative is an exciting expansion of the partnership between 4J and the library, which improves the educational experience and fosters a love for learning for our students, as well as strengthens the fabric of our community as a whole.

The student card provides immediate access to the library’s robust online resources and allows them to check out five physical items at a time. Online resources include ebooks, audiobooks, live homework help by professional tutors and streaming movies, including documentaries and instructional videos. Physical items include books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, art and technology tools, and more.

Congratulations to Scott Fellman, Amy Fellows, Courtney Salic, Abbie Stillie and Dave Wallace, all newly appointed to serve on 4J's budget committee.

The budget committee consists of the seven school board members and an equal number of community members. It reviews the proposed annual budget to ensure that the district is planning to spend money in furtherance of district goals, listens to community feedback, and then approves the budget total to forward to the school board for adoption.

The school board voted to appoint the five members on Monday, December 11, following interviews. Thirteen people applied for one of the five seats. Congratulations to our new budget committee members and thanks to everyone who applied for consideration!

The Eugene Education Foundation has awarded over $148,000 in grants for dozens of classroom and districtwide projects at 4J during the current school year.

The funding will make possible innovative projects, purchase crucial classroom supplies, and provide support for students with the greatest needs at elementary, middle and high schools throughout the district. Educators who applied for grant funding shortly after the start of the school year were notified last week that 55 projects will receive awards. The full list of grants can be found here.

Since 1993, the foundation has connected the generous support of donors, corporate sponsors, and school-parent partnerships with projects and initiatives that benefit all 4J students. For more information, or to donate to support EEF, visit www.eeflane.org.

Like other districts around the state and nation, our district has seen a notable increase in behavioral issues in the classroom. 4J is making substantial, ongoing investments at both the school and district levels to provide a safe and disruption-free learning environment for our students and educators.

A major initiative underway is the Behavior Assistance Teams. These teams will be able to respond rapidly to requests from school staff seeking additional support for students exhibiting the most challenging behaviors. The responding team will observe and assess the situation at the school and then draft an action plan, providing ongoing resources during its implementation to best serve the students and school. This work is an expansion of the teams deployed last fall and is based upon identified successes and lessons learned.

Other steps taken by 4J:

• Added 19 new behavior support educational assistants in grade K–5 to work with individual students in the classroom. 4J now has more than 40 of these assistants in grades K–8.

• Increased the number of mental health specialists
• Expanded training for educators on collaborative problem solving. This training is designed to promote the understanding that students who have trouble meeting expectations or managing their behavior lack the skill—not the will—to do so.
• Implementing a discipline matrix that provides administrators with consistent guidance on a range of appropriate responses and support in their decision-making. It emphasizes an instructional and restorative approach and integrates resources for educators who support students. Our district is focused on teaching skills to students to meet their needs while preventing future episodes.
• Trained more than 200 employees on a state-approved system to de-escalate highly charged situations to keep students and staff safe.

We appreciate your continued support and understanding.

Continuing a decades-old tradition, 4J's younger students are taking a trip to Alton Baker Park this month to release into the wild the young salmon they helped raise in their classrooms.

The release of salmon fry, accompanied by their participation in a fun and educational obstacle course, helps our students better understand both the lifecycle of salmon—one of the Pacific Northwest's magnificent keystone species—as well as its importance to our region’s ecosystem.

Thanks to our partners, Eugene Water & Electric Board and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, for supporting this unique learning activity, both in the classroom and beside the creek.

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. An exemption to participation in the English language proficiency or science tests may also be requested based on a student’s disability or religious beliefs. Opt-out form/exemption requests are only valid for the current school year.

• Nourishing Meals: ECCO students prepare healthy meals for people experiencing illness as part of health class
  
• Shopping Spree: Eugene Police Foundation provides all-expenses-paid shopping excursion for 4J students to select gifts for their families
• Teaming Up: Students in grades 6–12 can apply for design arts apprenticeships with Lane Arts Council; deadline is Dec. 29

Building Behavior Support Assistant • Bus Aides • Bus Drivers • Coaches • Data Coordinator • Education Assistants • Food Service Assistants • French Teacher • Jewish Student Union Program Coordinator • Music Teacher • NATIVE Program Tutors • Plumber Specialist • Special Ed Educational Assistants • Special Education Teacher • and more!

12/18–1/2 No School: Winter Break

1/1–31 School Choice Request Period

1/9 School Choice Live Virtual Info Session (English)

1/11 School Choice Live Virtual Info Sessions (English & Spanish)

1/15 No School: Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday

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