Ridgeline eNews

RIDGELINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

NOVEMBER

Thursday 11/6 Equity Committee Meeting via Zoom, 4-5 p.m.

Thursday 11/6 Book Fair at Barnes & Noble 6-7:30 p.m.

Thursday 11/6 Read-a-thon ends

Friday 11/7 Bingo cards due

Friday 11/7 Flash sale - order Ridgeline gear!

Monday 11/10 No School - Planning Day

Tuesday 11/11 No School - Veteran’s Day

Wednesday 11/12 Dental Screening 9 a.m.

Thursday 11/13 Board Meeting 6-8 p.m.

Friday 11/14 Last day to order Ridgeline gear

Saturday 11/15 Bottle Drop Give starts

Sunday 11/16 Crisp Air Campus Clean-Up 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Sunday 11/16 Book Swap 2-4 p.m., at Ridgeline

Thursday 11/20 Veggie Slicing Day

Friday 11/21 Stone Soup

Monday 11/24 No School - Family Conferences

Tuesday 11/25 No School - Family Conferences

Wednesday 11/26- 11/28 No School - Fall Break

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.

🎉 One More Day to Show Ridgeline Spirit! 🎉

It’s Spirit Week — a full week of creativity and fun with themed dress-up days! From black & white to pajama comfort, to cozy sweaters and rainbow colors--Ridgeline students and staff have truly shined! 🌈🧣👕✨

Let’s finish strong with our final theme: Backward Day!

A quick note: Since Friday, Oct. 31 is Halloween, we ask students to save their costumes for after school and keep lunchboxes candy-free 🍎 — thank you for helping keep our school day focused and fun!

Black & White Day

Flannel & Cozy Sweater Day

Rainbow Day

📚 Ridgeline’s Read-a-thon – Halfway Point!

We’re halfway through our Read-a-thon and have raised $2,000.00 in pledges so far. Let’s keep the pages turning and the momentum going to reach our $7,000 goal! That’s about $27–$35 per student or $777 per classroom — totally doable with 7 days left!

Shoutout to Room 3 - who is nearing $500 in pledges!🙌

Weekend Reading Challenge:

✨ Review your student’s goal sheet — how’s it going?

🎥 Make a short video and share it with 2–3 friends or family members who might want to sponsor your reader.

🎲 Pick a few fun BINGO challenges to do together this weekend!

📅 Don’t forget: Return your BINGO card & goal sheet (with your student’s name!) by Thursday, Nov. 7 to be entered into the raffle!

Big thanks again to Peak Credit Union for sponsoring our Read-a-thon! 💙

📚 Don’t Miss This: The Barnes & Noble Book Fair – Thursday, November 6

The Barnes & Noble Book Fair—our culminating event and celebration of Ridgeline’s 14-day Read-a-thon—is happening in just 7 days!

🗓 Thursday, Nov. 6 | 6–7:30 p.m.
📍 Barnes & Noble | 1163 Valley River Dr | Eugene

Enjoy a cozy evening celebrating reading and community! Families can:
✨ Watch classroom performances
📚 Shop from teachers’ wishlist book bins
☕ Grab a treat from the café (purchases count too!)
💙 Meet other Ridgeline families and support our school

🎶 The night of

Classroom performances will take place throughout the evening—please gather for your student’s performance time only, as viewing space is limited. The performance schedule is listed below.
Stop by the welcome table at the store entrance to pick up your Book Fair ID sticker, so your purchases count! When checking out, tell the cashier you’re with the Ridgeline Book Fair and share our Book Fair ID number: 12915831.
Check out the library and teachers’ wishlist book bins, located in the middle of the store. If you purchase an item from a wishlist, please leave it with the cashier—donated books will be delivered directly to the school.
A percentage of all in-store and café purchases will go to Ridgeline. Treat yourself to a latte or a giant cookie—it all supports our school! 🍪☕

💻 Through the weekend

If friends and family would like to participate but can’t attend in person, they can still support Ridgeline by shopping online November 6–9 using our Book Fair ID number: 12915831.

Let’s wrap up the Read-a-thon with great books, good company, and a big community celebration! ❤️📖

🚨 FLASH SALE! Last Chance to Order Ridgeline Gear! 🚨

Missed the first ordering window? No worries — we’ve got you! 🎉

We’re opening ONE more week to snag your Ridgeline spirit wear!

🗓️ Order Dates: Nov. 6–Nov. 14
👉 Place your order here!

✳️ Important: This is a quick turnaround!
Order deadline: Friday, Nov. 14
Gear will arrive by the end of November — just in time for cozy season!

👕 2025–2026 Ridgeline Gear Options:
• T-Shirts: $15 — Black or Light Blue
• V-Neck Shirts: $24–$32 — Black
• Crew Neck Sweatshirts: $40–$52 — Black or Light Blue

Let’s show that Ridgeline pride — order today! 💙

🍂 Fall Work Party 2 – Let’s Get Outdoors!

📅 Sunday, November 16 | 9:30–11:30 a.m.

Ridgeline families, grab your gloves and join us for some fresh-air fun! Help spruce up campus, meet other families, and enjoy the fall vibes. 🌳✨

👉 Sign up in Track It Forward and join the fun!

🎨 The Art of Reading continues… with Ridgeline’s Book Swap!

📅Sunday, November 16 | 2–4 p.m. | Ridgeline Gym

Keep the reading momentum going and refresh your bookshelf at Ridgeline’s community Book Swap!

Bring gently used books you’ve read and loved, and trade them for new-to-you favorites.
We encourage families to start setting aside books now—donations are also welcome!
To donate books or volunteer at the event, contact Madison McEwen at montgomery.madison@gmail.com or Jen Anonia at janonia@gmail.com.

📚 Couldn't Make the OBOB Meeting on 10/27?

No worries! It's not too late to sign up. Click here to register, by Tuesday, November 4.

As we get closer to finalizing this year's OBOB teams, we need:

ONE more volunteer coach for a team with students in grades 3-5.
1-2 more students to participate on teams in grades 6-8.

If you are interested in coaching, or your student wants to participate, let us know by filling out the OBOB interest survey!

Questions: Contact Jasmine Stull at jasminerosedoula@gmail.com, Ridgeline’s Volunteer OBOB Coordinator.

Volunteer Thank Yous

🍁Field Trip Heroes – Room 3 Chaperones:

Huge thanks goes to Megan Thompson, Paula Luginbuhl, Amber Bell, Isaiah Walker, and Lillian Goff — we appreciate your help and support on the trip to Northern Lights. Pumpkins secured - success!

📖 Reading Rockstar:
Special thanks to Ben Callaway (Room 4 parent) and to Jessica Lynch, Zach Wilson, & Heather Evans (Room 5 parents) for reading to lower El students this week. Your support, time, and encouragement makes a big difference!

📸 Vision Screening:

A huge thank you (again!) to Heather Riedman for helping make the Vision Screening run smoothly.

Bonus feedback: The Lions Club Site & Hearing Foundation volunteers commented on how wonderful and kind Ridgeline students are - kudos to all the caregivers and parents as well!🌟

Volunteer Opportunities - NEW

Veggie Slicing and Stone Soup - volunteer opportunities coming soon!

Volunteer Opportunities - Ongoing/Still Needed

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

🌟 Volunteer Team Sign-Ups

We’ve officially launched our 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:

Stone Soup - Coming soon!
Student Talent Show - Coming in December 2025
Student Marketplace - Coming in February 2026
Spring Walk + Roll to School - Coming in April 2026

Ongoing Teams:

Lunch Bunch
Library Team
Crossing Guard Crew
Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB)
Hospitality Team (staff care and teacher appreciation) - Coming soon!
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.

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!

Fundraising Committee: 🛒 Easy Fundraising with Fred Meyer Community Rewards

Are you a Fred Meyer shopper? You can support Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School every time you shop—at no extra cost to you! Simply link your Rewards Card to Ridgeline, and Fred Meyer will donate a portion of your purchases to our school.

How to Join:

Sign in to your Fred Meyer digital account.
Under My Account, select Community Rewards.
Search for Ridgeline Montessori and click Enroll.

Once you’re enrolled, you’ll see Ridgeline Montessori listed in the Community Rewards section of your account.

💙 Out-of-area relatives can help too!
This program works anywhere Fred Meyer operates, so encourage friends and family to sign up and support Ridgeline! ➡️ Learn more and enroll here

Thank you for supporting Ridgeline while you shop!

Questions? Email us at giving@ridgeline.org or visit Fred Meyer’s Community Rewards FAQ.

🧥 Lost & Found: The Great Reunion!

🧤 Take a peek at the images below — if you see something that belongs to your student, contact the office and we’ll help reunite them with their long-lost gear! Let’s get those jackets, water bottles, and hoodies back where they belong! 💙

Easy Passive Fundraising with eScrip at Market of Choice! 🛒

Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School is part of the eScrip program, where a portion of your purchases can support our school. Locally, Market of Choice donates up to 4% back to Ridgeline when you shop with a registered card!

Involve Out-of-State Relatives:

This program is also a fantastic way for out-of-state relatives to support Ridgeline! Just send them this registration link—they can enter their zip code and select stores they already shop at. Shazam! Every purchase can help support our school!

Here’s the Scoop:
From January to July we’ve raised $319.10 through eScrip. Let’s see what we can do throughout these 6 months, from July through December! We have over 100 supporters signed up, but less than 20% are actively using it this year. We’d love to see more families join in!

How to Join in 3 Simple Steps:

Sign Up: Go to eScrip Sign-Up and enter your zip code, school name, and up to 4 card numbers (no expiration dates or CVVs needed!).
Shop at Market of Choice: Use your registered card.
Watch Ridgeline Earn!

Already registered? Log in to eScrip and make sure your cards are up to date.

Thank you for supporting Ridgeline! For questions, email us at giving@ridgeline.org or check out How eScrip Works.

Early Pick-Up & Late Arrival Procedures

To help us keep attendance accurate and the school day running smoothly, please follow these guidelines:

Absences or Appointments

If your student will miss any part of the school day, notify the office by phone or email at attendance@ridgeline.org, and copy your child’s classroom staff.

Late Arrivals

If your student arrives late (after an appointment, etc.) without prior notice, attendance may not be updated before the daily reporting pull, and you may receive an absent notification.
To avoid this, please email attendance@ridgeline.org before the start of school.

Wednesdays (Early Release Days)

Early release days are especially busy, particularly between 11:45 a.m.–1:05 p.m. when staff are managing medications and other student needs.

If you need to pick up your student early on a Wednesday:

Please notify the office before 11:00 a.m.
Pick-ups may happen before 12:45 p.m.
We cannot accommodate early pick-ups between 12:45–1:05 p.m. Last-minute requests during this time will need to wait until the 1:05 p.m. dismissal.

Thank you for helping us make attendance and transitions smooth for all students!

Ridgeline’s Recommended Reading Articles - NEW Article (link below!)

Check out the NEW October 2025 article:

The Courage to Try: Building Curiosity and Resilience through Friendliness with Error

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.

Recent Articles:

Normalization in Montessori: What Is It and Why It Matters - September 2025

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:

🍎 Lane County Health & Human Services Urges Community to Support Local Food Banks

Lane County Health & Human Services (LCHS) announced that federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding may not be distributed if the federal government shutdown continues past October 31.

To help ensure local residents have access to nutritious food, LCHS is urging community members to donate food or funds to Food for Lane County (FFLC). Roughly 75,000 individuals in Lane County rely on SNAP benefits, and many will struggle to feed their families if benefits are halted.

The loss of SNAP funding would affect some of the community’s most vulnerable residents. Local leaders are encouraging everyone to step up and help soften the impact by supporting food banks and relief organizations. SNAP benefits are essential for helping families maintain a balanced diet, particularly for children, and going without nutritious food for even short periods can have lasting health effects.

Food for Lane County (FFLC) is already seeing increased demand while food supplies are limited. The organization remains committed to ensuring that all Lane County residents have the food and resources they need to thrive.

How You Can Help:
🍞 Donate food or money: www.foodforlanecounty.org/ways-to-give/donate
📞 Call: 541-343-2822
🥫 Need food? Find a pantry near you: FFLC Free Food Finder

Together, we can make sure no one in Lane County goes hungry. ❤️

Eugene Fencing Club- Registration for Ages 8 and Up!

Are you looking for something new for your 8-11 year old to try this fall? Try fencing!

Eugene Fencers Club has space in their Beginner One foil fencing class started on Monday, October 20th - but it's not too late to sign up! All your beginning fencer will need is athletic clothing, a water bottle, and a sense of adventure to explore a sport challenges the mind while also moving the body. All equipment is provided by EFC with the cost of the class. Beginner One provides a great foundation for learning the fundamentals of the sport.

Learn more at https://eugenefencersclub.com/classes/. Click here to sign up.

Coyote Kids - Wednesday After School Program

Our Coyote Kids After School program is back! This is a fantastic opportunity for your students to connect with nature in their own neighborhood, disconnect from screens, and build meaningful relationships with their peers- all while playing games and learning new skills. This program will run Wednesdays from 2-5pm at Tugman Park and is open to kids from any school. All of the info is on the flier I've attached, but please let me know if you have any questions!

PeaceHealth Play Days @ Kidsports

No School? No Problem! We have your upcoming No School days covered here at Kidsports. Kidsports is excited to offer PeaceHealth Play Days for kids when school is not in session. Your kids will get to spend the day having fun, being active, trying new sports & games, being creative and playing with friends.

Grades: 1-5

Cost: $60 per day

Extended Care: additional $15 per day

Days/Times: No-school days 9am–4pm

Extended Care: 8–9am and 4–5:30pm

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

Dates: Nov. 10, Nov. 11, Nov. 24, Nov. 25, Jan. 5, Jan. 19, Jan. 30, Feb. 2, Feb. 16, Mar. 30, Apr. 10, Jun. 5

Register Now