4J Parent News

Information for Eugene School District 4J parents and guardians

• North Star: Hundreds gather to celebrate ribbon-cutting at new North Eugene High School
• Affinity Groups: 4J continues to invest in and expand groups that support student belonging

• Special Education: Family engagement event set for Wednesday, Oct. 25

• Toys for Tots: Families in need can submit a request for no-cost toys now

• Cold Season: Child feeling under the weather? Learn when to keep them home

• School News: Principal appreciation, fundraising walk, and much more!

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

A large crowd celebrated the public unveiling of the new North Eugene High School on the evening of Tuesday, October 10.

Hundreds of people walked the hallways and checked out the classrooms and other learning spaces of the first traditional high school opened in the Eugene-Springfield area in more than a half-century. The open house drew superintendents, school board members, mayors, faculty and students, both past and present.

The new, 216,000-square-foot high school is the largest of the three new 4J school buildings paid for by the bond measure that local voters passed nearly five years ago. District leaders thanked the community for its continued investment in the local K–12 education system, as well as the team who shepherded the project from vision to reality.

“This magnificent, state-of-the-art high school symbolizes our community’s profound faith in the potential of our students and the dedication of our staff,” said school board chair Maya Rabasa, minutes before former school board member Jim Torrey cut a red ribbon, flanked by current and former school board member and district leaders.

Our district continues to invest in and expand student affinity groups so students who share common backgrounds and interests have dedicated time and space to learn and grow individually and collectively.

Additionally, the groups offer students from communities that have been historically marginalized the opportunity to network, build friendships and nurture their personal identity.

There are currently seven* funded affinity groups at 4J: Asian Pacific Islander Student Union, Black Student Union, Gender Sexuality Alliance, Jewish Student Union, Latinx Student Union, Mind Body Divergence Alliance, and Native American Student Union. More than 1,400 4J students participate in these groups at all school levels — elementary, middle and high.

Each group meets regularly and is provided a small budget for activities that include workshops, field trips, film screenings and outreach at community events. Starting in 2021, our district hired district-level program coordinators to support the efforts of school advisors who offer guidance to students and help them plan activities. Last year, advisers began receiving a stipend for their work, bargained through 4J’s employee groups.

“The sense of belonging and connection and learning that you're giving our students is invaluable, it’s irreplaceable,” school board member Jenny Jonak told program coordinators after a presentation about the student affinity groups' work at a board meeting earlier this week.

*The previously published newsletter mistakenly omitted one of the affinity groups.

Our district will hold an informational meeting with the families of our special education students on Wednesday, October 25, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. at the 4J Education Center, 200 N. Monroe Street.

Staff from our Student Service Department will share information about 4J’s neurodiversity affinity groups and the 4J Inclusion Model, our ongoing work to integrate special education students into general classrooms. They will also hold a listening session to hear from parents and guardians about the 4J Inclusion Model and their student’s special education experiences.

Light refreshments will be provided, and child care is available during the event. This is the first of several parent events planned for the school year.

4J families in need can make a request online for their children up to age 13 to receive free holiday toys through the local Toys for Toys program.

The deadline to request a toy is Friday, November 24; late registrations or walk-ins will not be accepted. Individuals also can find local sites to drop off a donated toy, or to make a online cash donation to Toys for Tots.

4J's Welcome Center is working with Toys for Tots to distribute the toys to 4J families. More details, including the distribution site, will be announced once they're finalized.

Founded in 1947, Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Reserve that distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for the holiday season. The program distributed nearly 24.4 million toys last year.

Cold and flu season is upon us once again. Students should not come to school if they are ill or exhibit the following symptoms: fever (at least 100.4° F orally); persistent cough; difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; vomiting; diarrhea; headache with stiff neck and fever; skin rashes or sores; behavior change; jaundice (yellowing of skin); and eye redness and drainage.

More information about what you should look out for and when it is OK for your child to return to school is available here.

The fifth episode of Super Insights, our podcast featuring Superintendent Andy Dey, dropped today.

The podcast gives listeners an in-depth look at the major programs, priorities and issues for our district. The new episode focuses on Future Build, a career technical education program that provides 4J students with real-world projects to develop their skills in the construction trades.

You can find this and prior episodes by clicking the link below. Happy listening!

• Leading by Example: Let's take a moment to recognize our school leaders during October's National Principals Appreciation Month
• New School Board Member: Ericka Thessen begins serving on Position 2 seat
• Fundraising Walk: Kennedy students walk to and from Acorn Park to raise money for school
  

Audiovisual Technology Specialist • Autism Consultant • Bus Aides • Bus Drivers • Coaches • Department Assistant • Dual Language Immersion Instructional Mentor • Educational Assistants • Plumber Specialist • School Psychologist • Senior Groundskeepers • Spanish Teacher • Special Education Teacher • and more!

11/9 No School: Grading Day

11/10 No School: Veterans Day (Observed)

11/15 School Board Meeting

11/20–22 No School: Parent-Teacher Conferences

11/23–24 No School: Thanksgiving Break
12/18–1/1 No School: Winter Break

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