Ridgeline eNews

Full calendar: http://www.ridgeline.org/calendar

Ridgeline’s 24-25 Events Calendar

MAY

Thursday 5/29 End-of-year Picnic 5:30-7 pm, Ridgeline South Field (with Sweet Bay Shave Ice!)

Thursday 5/29 Upper El Open House for 3rd Grade Families 6-6:30 pm

Friday 5/30 Middle School Masquerade Ball 6:30-8:30 pm, Ridgeline Gym

JUNE

Wednesday 6/4 8th Grade Promotion, 6-8 pm, Ridgeline Gymnasium

Friday 6/6 No School - Grading Day

Monday 6/9 Middle School Adventure Trip - depart from Ridgeline

Tuesday 6/9 Upper El Science Fair 3:05-4:05 pm

Tuesday 6/10 Board Meeting 6 pm

Wednesday 6/11 Middle School Adventure Trip - return to Ridgeline

Wednesday 6/11 Early release at 1:05 pm

Thursday 6/12 Field Day & last day for students (AND early release at 1:05 pm)

Bring your family, pack a picnic dinner, grab a blanket, and come hang out as we celebrate the end of a fantastic school year together! This casual, community-focused event is a great way to relax, connect, and have fun with fellow Ridgeline families. We can't wait to see everyone there and to celebrate 25 years of Public Montessori education together!

📚 Special Invite for 3rd Grade Families & Students:
Join us for an Upper El Open House from 6:00–6:30pm during the picnic. This is a great chance to learn more about what’s ahead, check out the classrooms, and say hello to the Upper El teachers.

🍧 Special Treat:

Sweet Bay Shave Ice will be on-site during the event with delicious $5 shave ice available for purchase!

👕 T-Shirt Swap:

Bring gently used Ridgeline gear (perhaps your student has outgrown a t-shirt or sweatshirt) and pick up a new-to-you size for free!

🎲 Lawn Games Needed:

Have corn hole, ladder ball, a giant Connect Four, or jumbo Jenga? It's not too late to sign up here to bring your game! If you bring a game to share, help keep the fun going by eating near your game and facilitating rounds of play. Many thanks!

🧡 Fundraising Fun:

Stop by the Fundraising Committee table to learn about the eScrip program and how you can help raise money for Ridgeline with your everyday shopping.

🙌 Welcome, New Families!
New families starting this fall are encouraged to join us! Let’s give them a warm Ridgeline welcome—say hi and help them feel at home.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🎈

On Friday, May 30 Middle School is having a Masquerade Ball-themed dance from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the school gym. There will be lots of fun snacks, music, and decorations!

->Check out the snack sign-up sheet here if you'd like to help contribute!

Students are encouraged to dress up according to the theme, but masquerade masks are only allowed to cover students' eyes. Masks covering more than half of the face will be removed. More information regarding Ridgeline's Dress Code can be found in the Family Student Handbook on page 17.

Let's get ready for a night of intrigue and splendor!

At our final PAC assembly of the year, we celebrated big wins, student achievements, and Ridgeline spirit! We kicked things off with the much-anticipated taping of Principal Michelle to the wall—our reward for hitting our $10,000 jog-a-thon fundraising goal! Every student got a chance to add their piece of tape before we tested if she would really stick (spoiler: she did—for a while!).

We also honored amazing student accomplishments and awards, including the 78 Ridgeline student artists selected for the Cascade Raptor Center Art Challenge.

PAC hosted Minute-to-Win-It games for every level, and laughter echoed as students jumped, blew, stacked, and bopped their way through each challenge.

We wrapped up with the announcement of an exciting addition to our upper el/middle school playground next year—a Gaga ball pit! The students were thrilled to hear this exciting news!

A final big thanks to our incredible PAC members, especially our 8th graders, for an unforgettable year of leadership, service, and fun!

Our Handel’s Ice Cream fundraiser topped last year’s total—we raised $422, up from $390! Every scoop helped support Ridgeline, and we’re so grateful to everyone who came out to treat themselves and give back. Thanks for making this fundraiser our coolest one yet!

Don't miss the special S'more that was sent via email on Wednesday, 5/29 from the Ridgeline Fundraising Committee. It's titled 2025 Ridgeline Fundraising Update. We have a lot to celebrate this year!🎉

We hope you're all enjoying a smooth slide into summer! As we look ahead to the fall, we’re thrilled to share some exciting updates about new staff members, special education supports, and much-needed facilities improvements. There’s a lot happening, and we’re excited to grow together!

We are so happy to welcome several amazing new staff members to our Ridgeline community this fall:

• Welcome, Oliver Gray, P.E. Specialist
  Oliver holds a Master’s degree in Education and brings over seven years of experience teaching and supporting students of all ages and abilities. He previously served as a Special Education EA at Ridgeline and now returns with expanded expertise in inclusive practices, behavior support, and restorative strategies. With a strong foundation in equity-focused education, Oliver brings energy, empathy, and a love for joyful movement to our community!

• Welcome, Jenny Bertsch, Room 3 Classroom Assistant
  Jenny brings over a decade of experience supporting young learners in both public and private school settings. With a Master’s in Early Childhood Education and a passion for inclusive, hands-on learning, she’s dedicated to helping every child feel seen and supported. Jenny is a thoughtful, collaborative educator, who worked at Ridgeline several years ago and we’re thrilled to have her rejoin the team!

• Welcome, Delaney Luthy, Floating Classroom Assistant
  Delaney brings years of experience supporting K–8 students as a teacher, tutor, and behavior technician. She is passionate about inclusive, student-centered learning and brings creativity, adaptability, and a strong commitment to community. With a background in both academic and social-emotional support, Delaney is eager to contribute to Ridgeline’s mission and support students and staff across all learning environments.

Each of our new staff members bring a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and heart to Ridgeline. We can’t wait for you and your students to get to know them!

We’re also expecting the addition of a half-time Special Education Teacher, which means Ridgeline will now be supported by a robust and caring special education team, including:

• One full-time Special Education Teacher: Jen Kirkwood

• One half-time Special Education Teacher: Lisa Reynolds

• One full-time Special Education Assistant: Ruby Nelson

• One part-time Special Education Assistant: Myles Hoff

• Speech Therapist: Amy Roberts, on campus 1 full day and 3 half days/week

• Occupational Therapist: John Boita, on campus 1 day/week

• Plus a rotating team of specialists for psychological evaluations, TAG testing, and autism consulting
  
  

We’re thrilled to have this level of support to meet the needs of our diverse learners!

Ridgeline is bursting at the seams with amazing students and dedicated staff! To better serve everyone, we're launching a few key facilities projects:

Learning Center Relocation

The Learning Center will move to Building A, in the space near the library. With a few upgrades and a new door, this new location will offer:

• More square footage to accommodate group instruction

• A central location for easy access by all students and staff

• A welcoming and bright learning space

Curriculum & Supply Storage Makeover

To make room for the new Learning Center, we’ll be finding a new home for curriculum and supplies:

1. Room 4 and Room 5 will receive beautiful new cabinetry to better store Montessori materials and organize student cubbies, files, and computers.
   
   

2. Room 2 (Kindergarten) will give up a narrow section of space to become a much-needed supply closet, enclosed by a new wall if time and funding permits.
   
   

3. If this happens, a new exterior door will be added to the Kindergarten to maintain access to the outdoors.
   
   

We’re excited about these thoughtful upgrades and appreciate your continued support as we grow and adapt to meet the needs of our students and staff.

Thank you for being such a vital part of the Ridgeline community. We look forward to welcoming you all back in the fall with fresh faces, improved spaces, and the same strong commitment to joyful, student-centered learning.

Big Thanks!

Huge thanks to the incredible volunteers who have helped make the past few weeks and months so smooth!

💛Thank you to our balloon arch dream team: Arielle Bertolone, Kate Cross, Devin Hughes - you are all amazing!

💛 Round of applause for our breakdown and haul away heroes: Cord Slatton-Valle, Marie Slatton-Valle, Crystal Huskey, and Sean Upton - we appreciate you!

💛 Big thanks to our amazing lunch line assistants: Kathy Horak, Kunu Bearchum, Tate Kelley, Kate Cross, Dandi Alfeldi, and Heather Cates - we couldn't have done it without you!

💛 Shout out to our dedicated classroom reading volunteers: Noora Derrington-Via, Betsy Hoell, Angela Englert, Lowell Evans, Heather Evans, Joan Swift, Shoshanna Holman, Kate Griffith, Paula Luginbuhl, Martha Bullock, Dani Domingue, Jenny Landaverde, Shirlee Lambeth, Omer Giminez (and anyone whose name we may have missed). Your role supporting students has been instrumental!

Thank you for showing up with heart and helping hands! 👏

📦 The Great Ridgeline Closet Clean-Out: June 9 and 10! 🧹✨

Love to Organize? We Need You! Are you someone who finds joy in sorting, labeling, or making a cluttered space sparkle with order? Join us for a fun and satisfying volunteer opportunity as we pack up and reorganize two of our supply closets on June 9 and 10! We’re calling all sorters, stackers, and label-loving legends—come help us turn chaos into calm!

🗓 When?

Join the fun June 9 and 10, from 9am - 4pm, as we pack, purge, and prep for exciting summer changes. Bring a sack lunch, a water bottle, and dress to pack boxes, walk, bend, and lift!

June 9: Sign up here to be a full day helper, or to come for a half day.

June 10: Sign up here to be a full day helper, or to come for a half day.

June 10: Sign up here to bring your van or truck after dismissal and pick up items that need to be donated

🎯 Why?
We’re getting ready for exciting summer facilities projects—including moving our Learning Center to a larger, more central location! Your help will make a huge difference as we decide what stays, what goes, and how to best set up our school for success next year.

Come for the cause, stay for the camaraderie.
Let’s make space for something great—together!

_____________________________________________________________________________

Field Day Volunteers Needed - 8:30am - Noon, June 12

Celebrate the last day of school with a gaggle of fun activities. This is a great opportunity to top off your volunteer hours for this school year! We need volunteer help at each station, a general helper, and a clean-up crew. Sign up here, and join the fun.

More Volunteer Jobs!

To learn more about additional volunteer jobs, check out Track It Forward.

There's always room for more helping hands. 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 - Done for this year!

• Walk, Bike, & Roll to School - Done for this year!

• Middle School Events - Sign-ups available!

• Student Talent Show - Done for this year!

• Silent Auction & Rock Paper Scissors Fundraiser -Done for this year!

• Jog-a-thon -Done for this year!

Ongoing Teams

• Library Team - Sign-ups available!

• Facilities - Sign-ups available!

• Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) - Done for this year!

• Hospitality -Done for this year!

• Office Support - Sign-ups available for Office Fairy!

• Crossing Guard - Sign-ups available!

• Community Engagement - Sign-ups available!

• Parent Education Team -Done for this year!

1. Volunteers are an integral part of the Ridgeline Community and there are many different ways to get involved. Volunteers serve on committees, prepare materials at home, assist with grounds work, act as crossing guards, help in classrooms, chaperone field trips and much more.

2. Families pledge to complete 40 hours of volunteer time per school year. To fully participate in volunteer opportunities, volunteers must first complete a background check and volunteer code of conduct.

3. The School Community Coordinator will notify you via email when these 2 steps are complete and you are green badge approved!

4. We would love to get you connected in the ways that best fit your time and talents. Please visit our website for more information on volunteering. You can also reach out to Bethany Dilla, Ridgeline's School Community Coordinator at bethany.dilla@ridgeline.org for more information.

Hello Ridgeline families!

The Ridgeline Board of Directors met on May 22 for a regular board meeting. We approved a group of updated policies. heard about what is happening in the Site Council, learned about upcoming facility improvement projects, and heard about a recent application for grant funding for playground improvements. We discussed our Board self-assessment materials and voted to approve banking permissions for our bookkeeper. Following our public session, board members met in Executive Session to discuss our annual Executive Director Performance Review.

Wishing all of you a safe and healthy end of a busy school year!

Sincerely, the Ridgeline Board (Jenny, April-Kay, Dave, and Rachael)

Current Ridgeline families: we will assume you plan to return to Ridgeline next year, unless we hear otherwise. No action is needed at this time. If you are planning to make school changes, please complete the Intent to Withdraw Form as soon as you've finalized your plans. Contact enrollment@ridgeline.org if you have any questions. We look forward to a great rest of the school year!

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 so much better with more Ridgeline families here!" 👫🌟

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 families: check out the Ophelia's Place Summer Activities Calendar! Have questions? Contact their office at (541) 284-4333 or email info@opheliasplace.net.

Check out the Back2Youth Summer camps here!

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!