Ridgeline eNews

JUNE

Friday 6/5 No School - Grading Day

Monday 6/8 Middle School Adventure Trip - departs

Wednesday 6/10 Middle School Adventure Trip - returns

Wednesday 6/10 Early release at 1:05 (don’t forget!)

Thursday 6/11 Last day of school/Field Day (1:05 early dismissal)

For Quick Access:

• Ridgeline 25-26 Events Calendar
• One Page School Calendar
• Ridgeline's YouTube Channel

Attendance:

• Report an absence: attendance@ridgeline.org

• Planned Absence Form (at least 3 days in advance)

Click here to view the full calendar as some dates may change. Please note that Ridgeline’s calendar differs slightly from 4J elementary and middle school calendars.

What a wonderful year it’s been at Ridgeline! We've seen so much growth—in our students, in our classrooms, and throughout our community. It is truly a joy and a privilege to invest in each Ridgeline student and watch them learn, grow, and thrive. 🌟

A special thank you to everyone who attended last week's End-of-Year Picnic and Celebration. Spending time with friends, connecting with fellow Ridgeline families, and enjoying fresh fruit popsicles was the perfect way to celebrate a fantastic year together! We saw lots of smiles and many happy faces throughout the evening.😊

Many thanks to Alden McEwen for capturing the event and taking so many wonderful photos. We also appreciate everyone who supported Ridgeline by purchasing fruit popsicles at the celebration. Your support helps strengthen our school community. 💙

A huge congratulations to our Ridgeline families with 8th grade graduates! 🎓✨ We are incredibly proud of your students and excited to see where their next adventures take them. The support, care, and involvement of your families have helped make this journey a meaningful one.

Before we shift fully into summer mode, we have one more school-wide celebration to enjoy: Field Day on Thursday, June 11! 🎉

💧 Field Day

Please send your student with a labeled water bottle, sturdy shoes, and sunscreen or a layer of sunscreen already applied.

📘 Yearbooks

Yearbooks will be passed out and go with students on Wednesday, June 10. If you would still like to purchase a yearbook, a limited number remain available in the office for $25 (cash or check). Yearbooks are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Got questions? Email Heather!

⏰ Double Early Release

Don't forget that we have early release on both Wednesday, June 10, and Thursday, June 11.

🌻Gratitude

As the school year comes to a close, thank you for being part of the Ridgeline community. Here's to a wonderful summer break filled with sunshine, adventure, rest, and all the things that fill your bucket! ☀️

We have so much to celebrate this year! 🎊

Curious how our fundraising efforts added up? Watch for a special Smore newsletter on Thursday, June 11, highlighting the incredible generosity and support of our Ridgeline community throughout the 2025–2026 school year.

Each year, Ridgeline works to raise $100,000 to help offset the funding gap and support the programs, experiences, and opportunities that make our school so special. From direct donations and fundraising events to volunteer hours and community partnerships, every contribution makes a difference. 💛

Thank you for helping us do incredible work on behalf of our students. Every gift, every dollar, and every volunteer hour matters—and together, we've accomplished amazing things! 👏✨

Hello Ridgeline Community!

As I wrap up my time serving as the President of the Ridgeline Board of Directors, I want to express my sincere gratitude for trusting me to be a leader in this exceptional community! I have learned so much from our administrators and staff about how to lead with integrity and dedication. I marvel at the efforts everyone at Ridgeline puts forth to serve our mission and our students, and I am struck every day at how well everyone in our community cares for one another.

Thanks to my fellow Board members. You are a dynamic, smart, creative, hard-working bunch of people, and I am so glad to have learned and served alongside you. I'm proud of the work we have done these past two years, and I know you'll continue to provide excellent leadership and support for our dear school. Ridgeline is the community that we create, day in and day out, and I feel privileged to have been, for a time, one of its creators. Take good care, all!

Sincerely,

Jenny

🪨🎨 Special Thanks to Our Rock Painting Project Volunteers! 💛

A heartfelt thank you to Megan Thompson, Nora Fandido, Chris Hamilton, Arielle Bertolone, Rachael McEachern, Shannon Harty, and Meredith Tufts for your behind-the-scenes work on the rock painting project. Your volunteer efforts helped make this special gift for Principal Michelle possible! ✨

Special shoutout goes to Brittany Ambo for taking all of the painted rocks home to seal them. 🖌️💎 They looked absolutely beautiful displayed at the picnic and were a wonderful reflection of our community's appreciation for Principal Michelle's leadership over the past 7 years.

💛 Room 4 Appreciation

🌿🧤 Outdoor Clean-Up Day Thanks!

A special thank you to Marcus Largent, Noah Enelow, Sarah Klain, and Jess Wood for volunteering during our Outdoor Clean-Up Day! 👏 It may have been a small group, but together you accomplished a big task—cleaning up and pruning the entire B Street-side planting bed. 🌱✂️ Your hard work helped keep our campus looking beautiful and welcoming for everyone. Thank you for donating your time and energy to care for our school grounds! 💚

As the school year comes to a close, we want to give one final and heartfelt thank you to our amazing Classroom Organizers (Room Parents)! 🌟

Throughout the year, these volunteers have provided outstanding support, excellent communication, and thoughtful organization, helping both teachers and families stay connected and informed.

From coordinating field trip chaperones and managing volunteer sign-ups to organizing classroom activities and answering countless questions, your behind-the-scenes efforts have made a tremendous difference. We appreciate each of you more than words can express!

Join us in thanking these incredible volunteers for all their time, energy, and dedication this year:

🍎 Kinder: Blaise Cooper
📚 Room 3: Megan Thompson
📚 Room 4: Ruth Tabak
📚 Room 5: Michelle Osgood
📚 Room 8: Shuga Knopp
📚 Room 9: Rachael McEachern
📚 Room 10: Shannon Harty
🎓 Middle School: Meredith Calzia & Kari Stubbert

Thank you for helping build a strong, connected, and supportive Ridgeline community in every classroom. Your contributions have made a lasting impact on students, teachers, and families alike! 💙✨

A special thank you to the many volunteers who helped make the promotion celebration a success:

🎥 Brad Quillen for creating the promotion slideshow and to Garret Zallen for taking photos at the ceremony.

🍦 Sarah Klein for purchasing ice cream for the celebration

🪑 Jess Wood and Jennifer Weaver for picking up extra chairs

🍨 Jennifer Weaver and Tammy Nezol for serving ice cream to families during the event

📋 Meredith Calzia for all of her coordination, organization, and behind-the-scenes work to help make the celebration run smoothly

And one final congratulations to our 8th grade students and families! We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone as our graduates move on to new adventures next year. We are incredibly proud of each and every student and all they have accomplished during their time at Ridgeline. 💙

💦🎉 Field Day Fun! 🏃‍♀️☀️

Let’s celebrate the LAST day of school with a whole gaggle of games, laughter, and fun activities! 🎈

• We’re looking for FOUR more awesome volunteers to help run activity stations, plus a few extra hands for clean-up afterward. 🙌

We’re looking for 2–4 volunteers to help care for Ridgeline’s campus over the summer by serving on our Summer Watering Team. With several people sharing the responsibility, this becomes a manageable and even enjoyable commitment—typically about one evening per week. Your help will greatly support and lighten the workload of our facilities team during the summer months.

Volunteers should be comfortable with communication, attention to detail, and following a watering schedule using a shared spreadsheet. If you’re interested and available to help please contact Jesse at jesse.cloninger@ridgeline.org.

Thank you for helping keep our campus thriving all summer long! 🌱

Volunteer hour reporting is important because it helps us demonstrate community support for Ridgeline when applying for grants and when reporting to our sponsoring district.

Now is a great time to look back at your calendar, jog your memory, and log any past hours. A few tips:

• Don’t worry about being exact—estimates and bulk entries are absolutely fine.
• If you volunteered in a classroom but don’t recall specific dates, you can simply log something like: “classroom volunteer – 15 hours.”

• It’s easy to get started in Track it Forward—just click on the link and follow the instructions.
• The platform is also available as an app if it’s more convenient to use on your phone!

Thank you for taking time to log your volunteers hours - every entry helps!

Below is the list of 2025–2026 volunteer teams and there's always room for more volunteer power! Click on the links below if you want to be part of one of the fun volunteer teams! These groups are a great way to connect with other Ridgeline families and get in your volunteer hours!💌

Event Teams:

• Student Marketplace

• Spring Walk + Roll to School

• Hospitality Team (staff appreciation week ) - Complete for this year
• Stone Soup - Complete for this year
• Student Talent Show - Complete for this year

Ongoing Teams:

• Lunch Bunch

• Library Team

• Crossing Guard Crew

• Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB)

• Helping Hands Material Prep Team (book covering, sign making, etc)

• Campus Care Crew

There’s a place for everyone to get involved and make this year amazing! If you have questions or want to learn more about any of these teams email Bethany at bethany.dilla@ridgeline.org or visit Track It Forward.

***Classroom volunteer opportunities are now available. Look for these sign-ups through your classroom organizer emails.

Volunteers are an essential part of the Ridgeline community, and there are many ways to get involved!

• From serving on committees, preparing materials at home, and helping with grounds work, to assisting in classrooms, chaperoning field trips, acting as crossing guards, and more—your time and talents make a big difference.

Each family is asked to contribute 40 volunteer hours per school year and we’d love to help you find volunteer opportunities that fit your schedule and interests.

• To participate, all volunteers must first complete a background check and sign the Volunteer Code of Conduct.
• Once these two steps are complete, the School Community Coordinator will notify you by email that you are green badge approved and ready to volunteer!
• Visit our website or contact Ridgeline’s School Community Coordinator, Bethany Dilla, or learn more.

Summer of Riding

Summer break is almost here! To help families save on transportation costs and offer youth a safe, reliable way to explore, LTD passes are good through the summer. Youth K-12 can ride all LTD buses free through October 15, 2026, with the student transit pass.

Why Get a Pass?

• Endless Summer Fun: Easily get to pools, parks, museums, libraries and friends.

• Cost Savings: No need to pay for gas or parking.

• Independence: A Reliable way for students to get to summer jobs or activities.

BONUS: LTD passes will be $1 per trip in July and August, so adults/parents can ride with your student(s) for a very low cost. Contact Cynthia Friedman if you'd like a student bus pass before summer break begins.

Learn more at LTD.org/Student-Pass.

Deja que LTD maneje este verano

Los estudiantes de kínder a 12º grado en escuelas públicas, privadas, chárter y en casa en todo el condado de Lane pueden recibir el Pase Estudiantil de Transporte GRATIS. Pide tu pase en la oficina de tu escuela. Más información: https://www.ltd.org/student-pass/

Check out the NEW May 2026 article:

What was Taking Shape Behind the Scenes: How this year’s work is strengthening Ridgeline’s foundation

Previous articles can be found here

If you want to know more about a Ridgeline or Montessori-related topic, please let us know. Simply email your question or suggestion to ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org with 'Ridgeline Revealed' in the subject line.

School is out… but not for summer just yet! 😄

No need to stress about keeping the kids active, happy, and engaged during the day off. Sign them up for Kidsports’ last No School Playday of the year on Friday, June 5!

📚 Grades: 1–5
💲 Cost: $60 per day
⏰ Extended Care: +$15 per day

🕘 Program Hours: 9:00 am–4:00 pm
🕗 Extended Care Hours: 8:00–9:00 am & 4:00–5:30 pm

📍 Location:
Kidsports Fieldhouse
2054 Amazon Parkway
Eugene, OR 97405

🏀 What to Expect

Kidsports is the perfect place for children to stay active and have fun when school is not in session! Participants will enjoy an action-packed day filled with games and activities including:

🏈 Football
🏀 Basketball
🥎 Kickball
🎯 Dodgeball
🟣 Gaga Ball
🥒 Pickleball
🧩 Puzzle games
🕺 Silent disco
🏃 Obstacle courses
…and much more!

Click here for camp info & registration

Registration is now open for our Summer Emotional Regulation Camp for kids age 6-10!

Spots are limited to keep things supportive and engaging, and they tend to fill quickly.

Why families love this group:

• Builds real-life social skills through guided peer interaction

• Small group setting (max of 8) for individualized support

• Play-based approach that keeps kids engaged and learning

• Practical tools kids can use at home, school, and in the community

• Includes a parent webinar to support carryover beyond sessions

Mother’s Hollow, founded by Ridgeline parent, mother of four, developmental psychologist, and writer Dr. Jennifer Weaver, is hosting a Mother’s Circle this May and warmly invites all Ridgeline mothers to join.

Mother’s Hollow offers a safe, supportive space for mothers to explore the profound psychological shifts of motherhood—often in ways that aren’t found in everyday parenting spaces. Through intimate circles, small cohort-style classes, and one-on-one mentoring, mothers are invited to reflect, connect, and be supported on their inner journey.

Learn more at: www.mothers-hollow.com

Gathering Ferns Preschool, run by Ridgeline parent and experienced teacher Shannon Harty, is enrolling now for fall of 2026! Our program is for three- to five-year-olds and runs Monday-Thursday, 8:45a-12:45p. (Children may attend two or four days per week.) We provide a small and nurturing environment focused on community, nature, and art only a mile and a half from Ridgeline.

www.gatheringfernspreschool.com