4J Educator

Information for Eugene School District 4J employees

• Year-End Message: Superintendent outlines accomplishments during just-concluded school year

• New Leaders: Welcome our new principals, district leaders for the 2023–24 school year

• Dependent Eligibility: Deadline is June 27 for classified employees to submit documentation

• Health Curriculum: The Great Body Shop, Live Well selected for students in grades 6-12

• Just Ducky: Our district office's ducklings leave the nest on last day of school

• The Water Cooler: Check out the latest district-level newsletters

Hello everyone,

As we reach the end of the school year I want to, first and foremost, thank you for all your incredible work. It was a year of opportunities, changes and challenges, and I appreciate the commitment to our students and families that each of you demonstrated every day.

Whether you teach or support students in a classroom, get kids safely to school, ensure they are well nourished for a day of learning, keep our school environments safe and clean or serve in the many other important roles within our school system your work here at Eugene School District 4J makes an immense difference to our community, our children and their futures.

I also want to take the opportunity to reflect back on the year. It's been a busy and productive year for every member of Team Eugene, and it has been an eventful year for our district as a whole. A few notable items with broad effects have been:

• New high school schedule: After much work and valuable input from you, our district will begin the 2023–24 school year with a new high school schedule. The new 2x4 A/B/C schedule for grades 9–12. I appreciated hearing your feedback and concerns, which led to some changes to the schedule as initially proposed. The new schedule offers more opportunities for you and your colleagues to collaborate while ensuring students receiving additional support don’t have to sacrifice their ability to access electives.

• New classified labor agreement: Last fall, the district and the union representing 4J’s classified employees finalized a new three-year contract. The pact sets an $18 an hour minimum wage and provides significant COLA increases to employees represented by OSEA Eugene Chapter 1. I can confidently say the contract reflects our appreciation and value for employees who provide essential support to our students and families.

• District office reorganization: Recently, I announced a reorganization of our district to focus more resources on direct support for our schools. The result also refocuses the executive team on work that is closest to our students and families with the greatest promise of a positive impact. This was a necessary step to directly respond to the new landscape that public education finds itself in post-pandemic; declining enrollment, learning loss and behavioral challenges. As with the high school schedule, I look forward to hearing your feedback on how to best refine these changes during the coming year.

• New school buildings: We opened the year celebrating the openings of the new Edison Elementary School and expanded Gilham Elementary School. We are fortunate to live in a community that makes investment in their local public education system a top priority. And we’re not done! We’ll start the new year on a high note with the opening of North Eugene High School, the brand-new home of the Highlanders, followed by the opening of the new Camas Ridge Elementary School in fall of 2024. I look forward to joining you in celebration of those milestones for our district and community.

In closing, none of the accomplishments above, and the many others not mentioned, were possible without your hard work, ideas and dedication to follow through. It has been my honor and privilege to work alongside you during my first year as superintendent. I look forward to another productive year starting this fall.

Until then, take this opportunity to have fun, share quality family time, and enjoy your season in the sun exploring all the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Andy

Several 4J schools and departments will have new leadership in 2023–24.

Some administrators are moving to new positions in 4J, others are new to Team Eugene. Welcome to these education leaders!

Employees who have dependents (e.g. spouses, domestic partners and children) on their 4J insurance plans must submit documents to verify their dependents' eligibility — or risk losing coverage.

Classified employees should have received information about the verification process from OEBB by email and mail. The deadline to submit the required documentation for classified employees is Tuesday, June 27. (The deadline for licensed and MAPS employees to submit their documentation has passed.)

Questions? Contact OEBB at 503-378-2954 or OEBB.dependenteligibility@odhsoha.oregon.gov.

Our district has adopted a health education curriculum for 4J middle and high school students for the coming school year.

The superintendent recently approved the selection of The Great Body Shop curriculum for middle school, and the Live Well curriculum for high school students. A team of 4J educators and other district employees recommended the two curricula after a thorough review using a district-created evaluation tool that incorporated information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Oregon Department of Education and other sources. The team consisted of almost all parents, many with children in grades 6–12. It included teachers, both first-year as well as those with decades of experience, as well as individuals who identified as LGBTQ+ and BIPOC.

The selected curricula align with Oregon education standards. The lessons and materials will be made available to parents prior to instruction and will not deviate from the standards. An instructional guide will be made available to teachers outlining approved lessons. Parents will be able to opt their student out of learning certain topics, including human sexuality.

The video below provides more information about the adoption of the curricula and next steps. More information is available on the 4J website. We welcome your comments on our district's Let's Talk page.

Our students aren't the only ones who headed out on the last day of school. Just before 6 a.m. on Thursday, June 15, the 10 ducklings who hatched a day earlier right next to the Ed Center's main entrance were led by their mother to the nearby Willamette River, including waddling down the path next to the Owen Rose Garden.

Kris Seibel, our digital media coordinator, happened to spot the ducklings leaving their nest on his way into work. Being a communications professional, he quickly whipped out his phone and captured the launch! You can watch it here.

The mother duck, whom employees had named Delilah, had nested under the large scrub in the planter next to main entrance about a month ago. The presence of Delilah, and especially the ducklings, attracted quite a few onlookers at the district office, as her nest was plainly visible from inside the building's front lobby. Farewell and good luck, 4J ducks!

District-level newsletters:

• Equity Extra, June 2023
• The Library Lowdown, June 2023
  
• Eco Experience with Eco Chick (eco tips and more)
• Hadley Herald (tech tips for 4J educators)
• Prior Written Notice (SSD newsletter), May 2023
  
• EdTech (technology tips, teaching strategies and more)

If you would like your newsletter in The Water Cooler, please add information@4j.lane.edu to your subscription list.

6/15 Last Day for Students

6/16 Last Contract Day for Licensed Staff

6/19 Juneteenth

6/21 School Board Meeting