Ridgeline eNews

RIDGELINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

SEPTEMBER

Thursday 9/18 Ridgeline 101 - for new families, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Thursday 9/25 Last day to order Ridgeline gear

Tuesday 9/30 Monthly Donor Drive ends - give here!

OCTOBER

Friday 10/3 No School

Friday 10/6 Fundraising Committee Meeting 9 a.m.

Wednesday 10/8 Walk+Roll to School Day 7:45 - 8:15 a.m.

Wednesday 10/8 Equity Committee Meeting, 7 p.m. on Zoom

Thursday 10/9 Volunteer Power Hour 8:15 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

Thursday 10/9 Board Meeting 6:00 - 8 p.m.

Friday 10/10 No School

Saturday 10/11 Board Retreat 8:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Wednesday 10/15 End of Normalization

Saturday 10/18 Ridgeline Tee Party 10 a.m. (volunteer t-shirt prep party)

Wednesday 10/22 Picture Re-take Day

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.

Ridgeline 101: New Family Orientation, tonight - September 18

We are so excited to have you join the Ridgeline community! 🌟

You’re invited to our New Family Orientation: Ridgeline 101
📅 Thursday, September 18
🕕 6:00–7:15 pm

This is the perfect chance to:

Learn the ins and outs of being a Ridgeline parent
Get your questions answered
Connect with other new families

👶 Limited childcare is available for toilet-trained children. Sign up here!

We know the first few weeks can feel overwhelming as you settle in. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org with any questions—big or small.

2025–2026 Ridgeline Gear – Order by September 25

T-SHIRT TIME! 👉 Place your order here!

Order deadline: Thursday, September 25 (NOTE: this is a short ordering window for quick turnaround – gear expected by end of October!)

👕 This year’s options:

T-Shirts: $15, black or light blue
V-neck: $24-32, available in black only
Crew Neck Sweatshirts: $40–$52, black or light blue

💙 Every student should be able to show Ridgeline pride! Families who qualify for financial assistance and have completed the Benefit Program Eligibility Survey can request a FREE t-shirt. E-mail Cynthia.friedman@ridgeline.org for more information.

Show your spirit and order today! 🎉

Monthly Donor Campaign: 12 Days Left to Sign-up!

We’re halfway through The Art of Giving monthly donor campaign — and your generosity is already rippling outward.

Where We Are

10 new monthly donors joined
7 current donors increased their gifts
That’s 17 gifts bringing us nearer to reaching our monthly donor campaign goal!

What’s Left

We still have $650 in matching funds on the table
We need 13 more new or increased donors
Every new or increased donation unlocks another $50 until we hit $1,500

Click here to become a monthly donor!

Exciting News!

We are thrilled to announce Ridgeline’s first-ever website sponsor: Peak Credit Union (formerly Northwest Community Credit Union—a division of TwinStar Credit Union). On September 15, Peak launched its new logo, which you can now see featured at the bottom of our homepage.

About Our Partnership
Collaboration is one of Peak’s core values, and we’re proud to highlight that spirit through this new partnership. Together, we are working to strengthen and support the community we all share.

About Peak

Formed in 2025 through the merger of TwinStar Credit Union and Northwest Credit Union, Peak carries a legacy that stretches back to 1938. Rooted in teachers and wood products, their mission has always been about building brighter futures, board by board, lesson by lesson. Today, their vision is to foster communities where all feel financially secure and empowered to reach their dreams.

A Heartfelt Thank You
We extend our sincere gratitude to Peak and their dedicated team for the meaningful support they are providing to Ridgeline’s staff, students, and families.

📣 Volunteer Interest Survey – We Want to Hear From You!

We’d Love to Get to Know You!
Please take a few minutes to fill out the short survey below. Your responses will help us learn more about you—your interests, talents, and the ways you might like to support Ridgeline this year with your time, skills, or resources.

Click here to complete the Volunteer Interest Survey!

Thank you for helping us build a strong and connected school community!

Library Checkout Times

📚 Each week, students may bring home up to 2 library books.

✅ Tips for families:

Check your student’s backpack to see which books they’ve checked out.
Decide together which night books go back into the backpack for their library day.
Talk about the importance of keeping track of borrowed books.
Double check for books that need to be returned to the Eugene Public Library.

🔍 If a book goes missing:

The first reminder will come from your child’s teacher, encouraging a deeper search at home, in the car, or anywhere else books may hide.
If the book still isn’t found, a second reminder may come from the office, giving families an additional 2–4 weeks to locate it.
If the book cannot be found, a replacement cost will be charged, plus a $6–$8 processing fee (to cover cataloging and reshelving).

🎯 Our goal is not to charge families—it’s to help students build responsibility in keeping track of and returning their books, while keeping our library shelves full for everyone.

Thank you for your support in helping our students become responsible library users!

Volunteer Thank Yous

🌟 Thank you to Kari Stubbert for donating brand-new foursquare balls for outdoor recess—our students are thrilled!

🙌 High fives to our amazing classroom organizers who are already providing extra support to teachers and keeping families connected. A huge thanks to: Blaise Cooper, Megan Thompson, Ruth Tabak, Michelle Osgood, Shuga Knopp, Rachael McEachern, Shannon Harty, Meredith Calzia, and Kari Stubbert.

🍔 Shoutout to Amanda Donofrio for coordinating our first all-school fundraiser of the year! The McMenamins Friends & Family Night was great! It was such a joy to see so many Ridgeline families enjoying a night out together. We’ll share the fundraising total with you soon!

Volunteer Opportunities - NEW

Volunteer Opportunities:

🚶‍♀️🚴 Fall Walk+Roll to School Day - Wednesday, Oct 8

Mark your calendars! Walk+Roll to School Days happen twice a year—on the first Wednesday in October and the first Wednesday in May.

These nationwide events are a fun way to:

Build connections within the Ridgeline community
Promote healthy exercise
Encourage safe commuting to school

If you have a green volunteer badge and would like to help out, click here to sign up.

👕🎉Ridgeline Tee Party - Saturday, Oct 18

Join us for a Ridgeline Tee Party! We need 5- 7 volunteers to help press, fold, and package school t-shirt orders alongside the fabulous Dandi Turner, former Ridgeline parent and longtime volunteer.

📅 Date: Saturday, October 18
🕙 Time: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm (we’ve set aside 5 hours but anticipate it will take less time)
📍 Location: Ridgeline Library

It’s a fun, hands-on way to earn volunteer hours, support our school, and connect with fellow Ridgeline families! Click here to sign up in Track It Forward

Volunteer Opportunities - Ongoing/Still Needed

Volunteer Crossing Guards - STILL NEEDED

Help Ridgeline students safely cross W. Amazon to access the Amazon Trail and the creek bridge by volunteering as a crossing guard. Your support is needed most on Thursdays and Fridays from 8-8:30 am and 3-3:20 pm. Sign up for a morning or afternoon shift (or two!) by visiting Track it Forward, and make a difference in our community!

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

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

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!

Ridgeline Board Meeting Update

Hello Ridgeline families!

On behalf of the Ridgeline Board of Directors, WELCOME to the 2025-26 school year! We hope you and your students are experiencing a smooth transition. I'd like to introduce the Board's people and our work to new Ridgeline families.

Our Board of Directors is charged with supporting Ridgeline's students' education and welfare. We work to ensure that Ridgeline is fulfilling its mission and charter obligations. The Board is primarily responsible for the legal and financial oversight of the school, and we collaborate with our administrators to move the school toward its stated vision.

The Ridgeline Board holds public meetings every month (on second Thursdays), where we discuss ongoing and emergent issues, and identify the work that needs to be done to address them. We are a dynamic and hard-working group, and we enjoy working together to support Ridgeline's exceptional community and educational program. All Ridgeline community members are warmly invited to join us at meetings, where you may observe our work, learn more about decisions that affect your students, and offer public comment. Meeting agendas are posted in the e-news the week prior to meetings, and you may attend in person or on Zoom.

The Board of Directors includes:

Jenny Noyce -- President

Rachael McEachern -- Secretary

April-Kay Williams -- Equity Committee Representative

Dave Rogacki

Meredith Tufts

At our Sept. 11 meeting, the Board heard reports from our administrators about a successful start to the year. We also learned about changes to 4J TAG testing services and recent updates to the public meetings laws that govern our work. Our Executive Director shared exciting news about Ridgeline's upcoming partnership with the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector: Montessori experts will review our program's materials, culture, classrooms, and other artifacts and provide guidance and reflection. The partnership will help Ridgeline identify strengths and challenges, and provide time and space for staff to collaborate and think deeply about their work. The Board also brainstormed topics for our October Work Retreat, welcomed and got to know a prospective member, and did an initial reading of several policies which we will adopt at our next meeting (Oct. 9).

We're glad you're part of our Ridgeline community!

Sincerely,

Jenny

Ridgeline Meal Program

All Ridgeline students, regardless of family income, can take free morning snack and lunch if they want to!

What You Should Know

Families don’t need to do anything to receive free student meals; there is no sign-up or income verification process. ALL students can choose to participate in the meal program.

How You Can Help

As we dial in this new part of the daily routine, we ask that participating families review the weekly meal choices regularly. Having conversations with your student about which meals they want to participate in will help reduce overages and food waste.

MENUS & ALLERGENS

There is a new link to view the weekly menu and it’s been updated on the Ridgeline website, under Ridgeline Meal Program. It is also available on LINQ Connect.

Instructions

Filter ‘School’ to Spencer Butte Middle School.
On the far right hand side, under the 'Menu Plan’ dropdown there is a '2025 Fall - Ridgeline Lunch’ option.
Under the ‘Calendar Mode’ toggle between weekly or monthly views.
Hover over any item to see nutrition information or use filters for allergens and dietary restrictions.
You may print menus by using the icon in the right corner of the menu page.

Nut Allergies

4J Nutrition Services does not serve tree nuts or nut products (including peanuts). Note that some items are made in facilities that possibly process nuts.

***4J Nutrition Services offers vegetarian options, but typically not strictly vegan meals in most cases due to the requirements for participating in the National School Lunch Program through the USDA.

What is Normalization?

In Montessori, the first six weeks of school are known as the Normalization Period. This is when classroom communities settle into routines, build relationships, and establish a peaceful learning environment with as few outside interruptions as possible.

After this period (ending October 23), students and teachers will be ready to welcome volunteers into classrooms. Now is the perfect time to:

Complete and sign your Background Check form, and provide a copy of your driver’s license (email both pieces to bethany.dilla@ridgeline.org)

Sign the Volunteer Code of Conduct (both available on our website)

That way, you’ll be ready to jump in when the time comes!

Want to learn more? Watch for an upcoming Ridgeline Revealed article talking about Normalization at the end of September.

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:

🚲 Join the Charlemagne–Ridgeline Bike Bus!

Thanks to Avalon at Cascadia Mobility, Ridgeline students can hop on the Charlemagne–Ridgeline Bike Bus on Friday mornings. Click here to learn more!

A Bike Bus is like a school bus—only way cooler! Instead of wheels on a bus, it’s pedals powering a group of students, families, and neighbors as they ride to school together. It’s a rolling party on bikes that builds confidence, independence, and community—one ride at a time.

Middle School Ultimate Frisbee League - Ridgeline Students Welcome in Grades 5-8

Emerald Valley Ultimate is starting a new middle school Ultimate Frisbee team in Eugene!

Who: Students in grades 5–8
When: Mondays & Wednesdays, 3:30–5:00 pm
Where: Tugman Park
Start: Practices began Sept 8 (late registrations welcome)

Students are invited to try two practices for free before registering.

👉 See the attached flyer for details and registration information.

Eugene Family YMCA Early-Release Rec Swim – Wednesdays

💦 Starting Wednesday, Sept. 3, we’re adding new Rec Swim hours perfect for early-release days!

Details:

📅 Every Wednesday (throughout the school year)
🕐 1:00–3:45 pm
👨‍👩‍👧 Open to all ages
📍 Small Pool
✅ No registration required (standard Rec Swim policies apply)

A great way for kids (and families) to enjoy those extra Wednesday afternoon hours with fun in the pool!

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.

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!