Ridgeline eNews

RIDGELINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

AUGUST

Friday 8/29 Back-to-school forms due (see links in email)

SEPTEMBER

Monday 9/1 Labor Day - office closed

Tuesday 9/2 Staff work day

Wednesday 9/3 First day of school & 1:05 pm early release

Wednesday 9/3 ½ Kinder class from 8:30-10:30 a.m.; ½ from 11:00-1:05 p.m.

Thursday 9/4 ½ Kinder class from 8:30-11:30 a.m.; ½ from 12:00-3:05 p.m.

Friday 9/5 ½ Kinder class from 8:30-11:30 a.m.; ½ from 12:00-3:05 p.m.

Friday 9/5 Supply fee due

Tuesday 9/9 Back-to-School Picnic 5:30-7 p.m.

Thursday 9/11 Board Meeting 6-8 p.m.

Tuesday 9/16 McMenamins (on East 19th) school fundraiser, dine-in between 5-10 p.m.

Thursday 9/18 Ridgeline 101 for new families, 6-7:30 p.m.

For Quick Access:

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.

New to Ridgeline? Welcome to the eNews!

The Ridgeline eNews is our weekly newsletter, sent every Thursday afternoon.

It’s your go-to place for:

Important updates and school news
Volunteer opportunities
Fundraising and community events
And much more!

Each issue is also posted on our website for easy access and sharing. Some weeks will be packed with information, so we encourage you to read carefully. The eNews is the best way to stay informed, connected, and up-to-date with everything happening in our community.

Reminder: Complete Back-to-School Electronic Forms by Friday, August 29

Back-to-School packets with links to fillable forms were sent via email on Friday, August 22. Please read through this information carefully and complete the required forms for your student's class by Friday, August 29. If you have questions, please contact the front office at ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org or 541-681-9662.

Supply & Technology Fees - link to pay below

All Ridgeline Students: $90 Supply Fee

As the office works hard to order high quality Montessori supplies and general school supplies for all of our students, your annual supply fee is so important.

Families can pay the $90 supply fee here by Friday, September 5.
If this fee causes a financial hardship for your family, please fill out the Financial Assistance Form.

Middle School Only: New $30 Technology Fee

Each middle school student is issued a dedicated Chromebook for their use during the school day. To maintain this program and support the replacement of accessories, such as chargers and cases, and the repair of devices when possible, we are implementing a $30 annual technology fee for all middle school students.

Middle School families can pay the middle school technology fee here.
If this fee is a financial hardship for your family, please fill out the Financial Assistance Form.

No Devices During School Day

In July, Governor Tina Kotek signed an executive order mandating a statewide “bell-to-bell” cellphone ban for all K–12 students, effective at the start of the 2025–2026 school year. This new order is fully in alignment with Ridgeline’s existing policy.

As a reminder, this policy applies not only to cellphones but also to smartwatches that can send and receive text messages. We appreciate your partnership in helping students remain fully present and engaged in their learning.

If your student needs to reach you during the school day, they may use the phone in the school’s lobby. To help us uphold this policy, please remind your student to use the office phone—and if you happen to receive a direct call or text from them during school hours, kindly let the office know.

Health & Medication Reminders

Whenever possible, please administer medication at home. If your child requires medication at school, please review the following reminders:

Medication Drop-Off

The office cannot intake medication on the first day of school.
Please schedule a time with Cynthia Friedman or call 541-681-9662.
Available dates: Aug. 22, 27, 28, 29, or Sept. 2.

General Guidelines

All medication (prescription or OTC) must be brought to the office by a parent/guardian in its original, non-expired container.
Children may not carry or deliver their own medication.
OTC medication may only be given per manufacturer’s directions. Any change requires a doctor’s note/prescription.
Prescription medication must match the prescription label. Any dosage change requires a new prescription.

Self-Administration

Only allowed with annual written authorization from the Executive Director and Prescriber or School Nurse.
Controlled substances cannot be self-administered.
If your child self-administered last year, please contact the office for updated forms.

Health Forms & Care Plans

A new Health Assessment Form is required each year. Complete forms sent by Cynthia or Roxanne and return by August 22.
If your child has a health condition (listed below) and you have not been contacted, notify Cynthia immediately.
An Individualized Health Care Plan is required for conditions such as:

Severe allergies requiring an epi-pen (doctor must fax Emergency Care Plan)
Seizures
Cardiac issues
Swallowing issues
Diabetes
Adrenal insufficiency
Asthma requiring an inhaler at school

For questions, contact Cynthia Friedman or Roxanne Grayboyes, RN (remote nurse consultant).

Volunteer Thank Yous

Special thanks goes to the following family volunteers who have helped us get ready for the start of school!

Megan Ary for your help with Lower El production work
Kai Rodrigues, Brian Olszewski, Micah Derrintgon-Via, and Jeff & Zak Schroeder for your help with grounds and indoor/outdoor maintenance work
Heather Cates, for your support with art preparation

Volunteer Opportunities

VOLUNTEER HELP NEEDED

Additional volunteer opportunities needed (starting in September):

Click the links below to learn more & sign up

1. Crossing Guard - pick a weekly 30-minute shift (or two!)

2. Lost & Found Manager - create a process to organize and return lost items (weekly or monthly)

3. Driver to drop off donations - haul away items that need to be donated (as needed)

4. Ongoing facilities tasks - weeding and grounds clean up (on your own time)

5. Lunch Line Assistant - Thursday helper

Volunteering - What You Need to Know

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.

Track it Forward - Information for New Volunteers

Why It Matters

New beginnings prompt the opportunity to form new habits! When it comes to volunteering, we need everyone to consistently track ALL volunteer hours throughout the school year in Track It Forward. Volunteer hour reporting is important for us to show support for Ridgeline when applying for grants and for reporting to our sponsoring district, Eugene 4J.

How to Get Started

If you are new to Ridgeline and have not yet created a Track it Forward account for logging your volunteer hours, please take a moment to do so. If you are a first-time Track It Forward user and have not set up an account you will need to create an account first.

Go to https://www.trackitforward.com/user or go to the App store on your device and search for Track It Forward
Next download the App
Create your account/log in
Sign up for volunteer opportunities and log your volunteer hours!

More information coming soon!

Stay tuned to learn more about Ridgeline Board of Directors, Equity Committee, Fundraising Committee, and more.

Don't Miss This!

School Schedules & Early Release Wednesdays

We strongly encourage families to prioritize helping their children arrive at school at 8:15 a.m.
The snack cart will be available (free) to all students from 8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. in front of the school.
Classroom group activities begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
Students not in class at 8:30 a.m. must report to the front office to collect a tardy slip.
Early release days are Wednesdays at 1:05 p.m.

Classrooms Open..……………………………………………….........................8:15 a.m.

Tardy: must check in at the front of school…….............…….........8:30 a.m. and after

Dismissal on Monday……………………………………………………….....................3:05 p.m.

Dismissal on Tuesday………………………...……………………………....................3:05 p.m.

Dismissal on Wednesday—EARLY RELEASE…………………………........1:05 p.m.

Dismissal on Thursday………………………...………………………….....................3:05 p.m.

Dismissal on Friday………………………...……………………………….....................3:05 p.m.

Get Out Your Sharpie and Start Labeling!

Let’s keep the lost and found pile small this year! Please take a few minutes before the first day to label jackets, water bottles, backpacks, indoor shoes, and any other items that might get left behind on the playground or in the gym. A quick name on the tag makes it so much easier to return belongings to their rightful owner. Ten minutes now will save you time, money (no need to replace that favorite jacket!), and keep our lost and found pile low—label away!

Operation School Bell

The Assistance League of Eugene’s Operation School Bell offers shopping days at Fred Meyer for students whose families need assistance buying clothing for school. Ridgeline has been awarded a limited number of spots for our students to participate. If your family would benefit from this assistance, please contact Cynthia by Tuesday, September 11th. If you are requesting this program, please make sure you have filled out the Benefit Program Eligibility Survey. Depending on the demand, we may not be able to accommodate everyone’s request but we definitely want to hear from you!

Classroom Substitutes at Ridgeline! 🌱

Are you, or somebody you know, interested in joining our amazing substitute pool for the 25-26 school year? At Ridgeline, substitutes support our Montessori classrooms in the role of classroom assistant, working alongside the lead staff member to help maintain a calm, productive learning environment.

Whether it’s a pre-planned absence or a same-day need, we count on our subs to step in with flexibility, reliability, and care. If you enjoy working with children and being part of a supportive school community, we’d love to hear from you! For more information and to apply, click here. NOTE: Starting in the fall of 2025, the substitute pay rate will increase to $18 an hour.

Community Engagement Hotline 🎉

Hey Ridgeline families! We'd love to hear about the fun things you have been doing in the community! Maybe you’ve taken your kids to an event and thought, "This would be even more fun with more Ridgeline friends!" 👫🌟

Great news! 🎉 You can now send activity suggestions to the Community Engagement Team at CET@ridgeline.org (one of Ridgeline's awesome volunteer teams!) 📧. We’ll share your ideas through grade-specific channels so everyone can join in the fun! 🙌

🏀 Planning to attend a UO game?
🥾 Thinking about a hike up Spencer Butte?
🎨 Visiting an art exhibit?

Let us know! The more, the merrier! Just try to give us 1-2 weeks heads-up so we can spread the word through the weekly eNews, Ridgeline's Facebook page, and our fabulous Classroom Organizers. 💡 Let’s keep building community and connection through the activities we already love to do with our kids.

See you out there! 🌈💙

Marty Wilder & Laura Allen

On Behalf of the Community Engagement Team
📧 CET@ridgeline.org

Ridgeline’s Recommended Reading Articles

Ridgeline Revealed is a monthly article series that offers behind-the-scenes insights into the school, providing families with information on key aspects they may not typically see. Our goal is to share timely topics and increase transparency about day-to-day operations in a short, easily digestible format.

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.

Articles from 2024-2025:

Ridgeline to River Group Ride & Plaza Grand Opening - Saturday, Sept 13

Eugene is celebrating two major milestones with the Ridgeline to River Ride on Saturday, September 13th.

This group bike ride marks the completion of a fully protected biking route that connects the south Eugene area to the Willamette River and the opening of the Downtown Riverfront Park and Plaza.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The group ride will begin at 10:30am at Ridgeline Montessori, with riders departing at 11:00am and picking up additional participants at Amazon and 24th around 11:20am.

The ride will conclude at the Downtown Riverfront Park and Plaza Grand Opening, which includes food trucks and live music.

Designed to be safe and accessible for all ages and abilities, the Ridgeline to River route links the E. Amazon Protected Bikeway, Amazon Path, the newly opened High Street Protected Bikeway, and the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Path.

TELL ME MORE

The Riverfront Park and Plaza officially opened on August 7th and is the newest

addition to Eugene’s riverfront park system. This one-acre space blends natural and

urban elements, featuring a tree grove, interactive public art, a splash pad and water

feature, an adventure playground, and ample seating with views of the Willamette River.

When surrounding redevelopment is complete, the plaza will be framed by multifamily

housing and a restaurant, creating a vibrant urban gathering space.

The Ridgeline to Rivers Ride and Downtown Riverfront Park and Plaza Grand Opening invites everyone to come together, explore the finished biking route, and enjoy the beauty of Eugene’s evolving riverfront.

Community Kids Art Classes

Check out this amazing opportunity to register for children’s art classes - taught by a former Ridgeline family. Can be facilitated online or in-person - location is close to Ridgeline.

Back2Youth Programming

Back2Youth outdoor leadership teams support Oregon youth by providing access to nature, bringing exposure to new Eco-systems, activities, sports, and diversity of all kinds, with a focus on team building and self-empowerment skills. They are a multicultural organization that actively engages youth between 11-18 to get out into nature all year around - to get curious, and to explore all the magic that Oregon has to offer. They are results-driven, with a proven record of previous successes.

Coming up, Back2Youth has a Campout Weekend at the beach Sept 5-7, and a Family Empowerment Camp on Sunday afternoons in September. Be sure to check out all they have to offer! For more information, check out their website.

Waka Daiko Free Fall Workshop!! 9/10/25 @ 6:00 PM

Waka Daiko is Eugene’s Youth Taiko club. We invite kids ages 8-18 to join us for a workshop this Fall! Waka Daiko is a volunteer-run organization with no fees. Come try taiko and see if you might like to join a fun group of drummers! Please RSVP to kate.m.downing@gmail.com. See the flyer below!

Stem-Based Creative Art Classes

Check out the flyer below, highlighting some fabulous creative classes in Eugene hosted by an Art Therapist for kids ages 7-11.

FOREST Understory

Does your teen or tween love the outdoors and want to learn survival skills? Whole Earth Nature School has a transformative program called FOREST Understory that does just that! This unique opportunity is an eight-month program that immerses 6th to 10th grade students into the world of ancestral wilderness skills. On the first Saturday of every month, we focus an entire day on a unique skill and improve on lessons from the month before. FOREST Understory builds confidence, creates strong friendships, and deepens nature connection. Come join us for this amazing experience!