Bulldog Bulletin

2/17-3/20: ELPA Testing

2/18: Awbrey Park PTO Meeting (6:30pm, Room 16)

2/18: School Board Work Session (6:00pm via Zoom)

2/25: Spirit Day! (Twin Day)

3/4: Regular Board Meeting (6:00pm via Zoom)

3/12: 4th & 5th Grade Field Trip: Hult Center (9:45am-12:15pm)

3/12: Awbrey Park Site Council Meeting (5:30pm, Room 16)

3/18: Spirit Day! (Career Day)

3/18: Awbrey Park PTO Meeting (6:30pm, Room 16)

3/19: Title 1 Family Math Night! (6:00-7:30pm, Gym)

3/23-3/27: Spring Break (No School)

Dear Awbrey Park Families,

Mark your calendars for our upcoming Family Math Night on Thursday, March 19th, from 6:00–7:30 PM in the gym. Join us for a fun-filled evening with math activities for all ages, along with food, prizes, and game kits for every family to take home.

In this month’s newsletter, you will also find important information regarding Immunization Exclusion Day, our Awbrey Park cereal drive, the Next Step Electronic Recycling Competition, and upcoming state testing information. Additionally, if you haven’t done so already, please be sure to check your child's Monday Mailer for their semester one report card, which was sent home last week.

I hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Sincerely,

Jared Tiecke, Principal

Similar to last school year, we will be celebrating friendship throughout the month of February at Awbrey Park Elementary! Instead of focusing on Valentine’s Day as a single event, we have planned a month of engaging activities designed to promote kindness, inclusion, and friendship across our school community.

Our goal with “February Friendship Month” is to create a welcoming and supportive atmosphere where all students feel valued and connected. During February Friendship Month, students will participate in meaningful activities such as decorating our halls with kindness-themed art, community kindness cereal drive, and enjoying February Friendship weekly activities. We will conclude the month with a special assembly focused on friendship and kindness.

To learn more about our February Friendship Month at Awbrey Park, please read our family letter linked below!

During February Friendship Month, we are organizing a school-wide community project called the "Cereal Box Domino" challenge, with the purpose of collecting cereal for Food For Lane County. This initiative is different from our annual food drive, as we are specifically gathering boxes of cereal.

Before sending the cereal to Food For Lane County, we will host a school-wide assembly where our donated boxes will be arranged in the gym and knocked down to create a "domino effect of kindness." Please help us by donating boxes of cereal through Friday, February 27th.

Thank you for your support!

Are you interested in volunteering or helping to organize events at Awbrey Park? If so, consider joining the Awbrey Park Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO)! Our PTO meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 18th, at 6:00 PM in Room 16. Our guest speaker this month will be Awbrey Park Principal, Mr. Tiecke, who will share updates on the 4j budget and potential changes for the upcoming year.

Parents and guardians are welcome to enter through the purple hallway doors or join us via Zoom (click here). ASL interpretation is provided, and Spanish translation is available upon request. See the agenda here for more details.

See our January Awbrey Park PTO Minutes below for all the latest news and updates!

For more information, please contact our PTO President, Jasmine Lawrence at awbreypto@gmail.com.

Our next PTO Family Dinner Night is Tuesday, March 10th from 11:00am - 8:00pm at the Oakway Chapala Mexican Restaurant.

You can support our PTO fundraiser with dine-in or take out orders. Just bring the Chapala Mexican Restaurant flyer with you when you order or order online here through Grubhub and mention the Awbrey Park Elementary fundraiser. Awbrey Park PTO will receive 20% of the value of your food purchase! Share the flyer with friends and family to raise even more funds.

All students will receive a Chapala Mexican Restaurant flyer in Monday Mail the week of March 2nd. See the flyer below for more information!

In a school environment, illness can spread quickly among students. To help prevent this, please be sure to keep your student at home if they are experiencing the following symptoms:

• Fever: A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or greater
• New Persistent Cough: A cough that is uncontrollable and ongoing
• Difficulty Breathing: New or worsening trouble with breathing
• Diarrhea: Three or more loose or watery stools in one day, or an inability to control bowel movements
• Vomiting: Two or more unexplained episodes of vomiting
• Headache with Stiff Neck and Fever: A headache accompanied by a stiff neck and fever

For complete details, please refer to the information sheet provided in the button link below.

Immunization Exclusion Day is Wednesday, February 25, 2026. If your child is not up-to-date on the required vaccinations for the State of Oregon or does not have a valid exemption on file, they will be unable to attend school (per Senate Bill 895). Notifications have been mailed to parents of students missing immunizations. If you have any questions, please contact our school nurse, Suzie McCall at 541-654-9713 or mccall_s@4j.lane.edu.

Do you have unwanted, unused, or broken electronics in your home but don’t know what to do with them? Donate them to help Awbrey Park win the 2026 Electronics Recycling Competition!

Eligible e-waste includes microwaves, TVs, printers, cords, cables, cell phones, computers, computer accessories (monitors, keyboards, mice, computer speakers, etc., whether in working condition or not), tablets, old or broken game consoles, remotes, and AV equipment (i.e., stereos, speakers, DVD players, etc.). But no plastic, non-electronic items (i.e., toys, vacuums, etc.). Your electronics will be recycled properly or repaired and given to community members who need them.

Now through April 30th, drop of any old electronics at NextStep (245 Jackson Street, Eugene) and let them know you are supporting Awbrey Park Elementary School. We will also be hosting our own on-site collection box February 13th - March 6th near the front office.

The school with the most “e-waste” collected wins a $500 grant to support school sustainability. For questions, please contact Jade Chrissis in the front office at 541-790-4050.

During the month of March, students in grades 3-5 will be offered to take a survey called the Student Educational Equity Development Survey (SEED).

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, the state of Oregon requires (HB 2656) school districts to make the Student Educational Equity Development Survey (SEED) available to all enrolled students in grades 3-11. The content of the survey varies by grade level. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and measures student perceptions in four core constructs:

• Access to learning resources
• Opportunity to learn
• Self-efficacy
• Sense of belonging

The middle and high school versions of the survey also include questions about extracurricular engagement and career and technical education. High school versions of the survey further include questions about post-graduation planning. A full list of survey items is available online.

Parents or guardians can opt their student out of taking the SEED Survey by completing the SEED Survey Opt-Out Form and turning it into the school front office. Please click on the following link to learn more about the opt-out process. Students may decline, at any time before or during the survey, to participate in the SEED Survey via their answer to the first SEED Survey question.

Families wishing to opt-out of SEED Survey must verbally notify the school or complete the required form in the link above and turn it into the school office prior to Friday, Friday, March 6th. To verbally opt your child out of the SEED survey, please contact Kristen Gianforti (gianforti_k@4j.lane.edu) at 541-790-4050.

In August, the Oregon Department of Education will release aggregated and suppressed SEED survey results to schools and districts through the Achievement Data Insight (ADI) application, and on ODE’s public website.

Though not a test, the survey is distributed via the OSAS (state testing) portal, and it's open during the testing window. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office for more information.

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 submit it online or turn it into the school office prior to Friday, April 10th.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school office for more information.

This spring, Awbrey Park will host a Girls on the Run program after school! Designed for 3rd to 5th grade students, the program runs from April 6th to May 25th (8 weeks). Participant registration starts on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, and scholarship opportunities are available.

Practices will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15 to 4:45pm at Awbrey Park Elementary School. The season concludes with a 5K run on May 31st. See the flyer below for more details.

For questions about the Girls on the Run program, please contact our coach, Alyssa Nelson, at nelson_a@4j.lane.edu for more information.

With the possibility of inclement weather quickly approaching, this would be great time to double check that your contact information is updated in the event of a school closure or delay. Information will be communicated through our regular notification system (via text, voicemail and email) from the district office.

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.)

St. Matthew’s is providing a free after-school enrichment program for students on Wednesday afternoons from 1:45 to 5:45 PM. The program offers active play, structured activities, homework support, creative projects, and snacks for students in grades K-5.

For questions about the after school program and registration details, please contact St. Matthew’s Office at 541-689-4010 or see the flyer here for more information.

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