Ridgeline eNews

MARCH

Thursday 3/19 Board Work Session 1-3pm

Monday 3/23 Spring Break starts

Monday 3/30 No School

Tuesday 3/31 School resumes

APRIL

Wednesday 4/8 Papa’s Pizza Fundraiser - West 11th

Thursday 4/9 Board Meeting 6-8pm

Friday 4/10 No School - Scope & Sequence

Friday 4/17 Fundraising Meeting 1:30-3pm

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.

Only 3 of our 65 silent auction baskets did not receive bids on Friday night! We’ll save a couple for a fun raffle at the end-of-year picnic—but this one is too good not to share.

This basket includes a One-week of Free Summer Camp Registration at the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) PLUS other fun items (see description below) and we’d love for a Ridgeline family to enjoy it!

• Flash Sale Price: $150 (a $297 value) - An incredible deal!

• Spots for summer camps are filling quickly, so don’t wait—this is first come, first served
• Email ridgelineoffice@ridgeline.org to claim it! Snag this amazing opportunity before it’s gone!

BASKET WITH DESCRIPTION BELOW:

This basket includes:

• One-Month Family Membership at Downtown Athletic Club — $741

• One Week of Free DAC Summer Camp — $297

• Chalk, reusable water balloons, bubble wands, and sparkling water — $22

• (2) Ridgeline T-shirts, Youth Size 14–16 — $20

• (2) Handel’s Ice Cream — $10

• (2) Bounce Open Gym Sessions — $20

We are seeking 1–2 volunteer team leads to run the Student Marketplace event. This role includes planning, organizing, and overseeing all aspects of the event.

Important: If we do not have a volunteer lead confirmed by Monday, March 30 at 5 PM, the event will not be able to take place this year. Please also note, the volunteer planning this event will need to begin coordinating efforts directly after spring break (the week of April 1). Lead volunteer(s) will receive 40 volunteer hours for this role. See volunteer job description here.

The Student Marketplace is a beloved school event. It's a student-led arts and crafts fundraiser that supports our school and builds real-world skills.

If you’re interested in stepping into this leadership role, please contact Bethany via email or call the office at 541-681-9662. 💛

Student Art Show & Silent Auction Shoutouts – With Deep Gratitude

We are incredibly grateful for the long list of incredible volunteers who made this event such a success—thank you for your time, energy, and heart! 💛

DDD Written Pieces

• Special thanks goes to Jen Anonia, for writing the lovely DDD pieces, capturing the heart of why as a community we fundraise and speaking to the value of art and learning for every Ridgeline student.

Art Show Support

• Thank you to Sunset Cordero, Kimberly Ritley, Jennifer Little, Heather Riedman, Heather Evans – who carefully mounted and displayed student artwork, bringing the gallery to life.

Classroom Raffle Baskets

• Big thanks to all of the classroom organizers: Blaise Cooper, Megan Thompson, Ruth Tabak, Michelle Osgood, Shuga Knopp, Rachael McEachern, Shannon Harty, Meredith Calzia, and Kari Stubbert – who coordinated and collected themed items to create engaging raffle baskets.

• Special thanks also goes to all the families who donated items to make these incredible and enticing baskets. Together, we raised over $1800 in raffle basket ticket sales - amazing!

Silent Auction Crew

• Round of applause goes to Blaise Cooper, Jessica Lynch, Jen Anonia and Michelle Dressler – who assembled and organized 65 beautiful auction baskets.

Community Art Project Artists

• Thank you to Shoshanna Holman, Kunu Dittmer-Bearchum – who helped design and create the interactive community art piece, as well as the large classroom art pallet signs.

Photo Booth Frames & Props

• Thank you to Mia Sims – for creating fun frames for the photo booth experience. And thank you to Ben Mooney for loaning his 5-gallon paint buckets to use as themed stage props.

Art Gallery Set-Up Team

• Big thanks goes to Jenny Noyce, Alison Cassin, Jessica Lynch, John Sims, Tia Ramos, Joe Ramagli, Aaron Dilla, & Heather Riedman – who climbed ladders, wrangled duct tape, and hung butcher paper, preparing and setting up the gallery space in the gym the day before the Art Show!

Day-of Event Set-Up Support

• Special thanks goes to Blaise Cooper – who assisted with final event setup, silent auction arranging, and display work.

Cookie Table & Hospitality Helpers

• Kudos to Amber Bell, Laura Waters, Laura Holland, Peter Verrey, Tammy Nezol, Laura Allen, Marisa Fairbanks, Rachel Kinsey – who welcomed guests, collected cookie tickets, and kept the hospitality table running smoothly the whole night!

Themed Treats

• Special thanks goes to Laura Waters (owner of Hedge Witch Pastry Kitchen) – who designed and prepared all of the delicious, art-themed gluten-free treats.

Photo Booth

• Thank you to Amber Bell – who helped families capture fun memories at the photo booth.

Photographer

• Big thanks goes to Garret Zallen – who captured special moments and highlights from our special event.

Raffle Ticket Sales & Cashier Team

• Round of applause goes to Tony Konig, Lillian Groff, Anna Ruiz, Jenny Noyce, & Jen Anonia – who managed ticket sales and handled transactions throughout the evening.

Community Art Project Attendants

• Shoutout to Shoshanna Holman, Kunu Dittmer-Bearchum, & Sunset Cordero – who guided participants throughout the event, as they worked on the community art activity.

Silent Auction Attendants

• Special thanks goes to Amanda Bedortha & Amy Hess –who monitored silent auction tables and assisted bidders.

Checkout Cashier Team & Clean-Up Crew

• Shoutout to Blaise Cooper, Laura Waters, Jen Anonia, Jessica Lynch, Suzanne Stover, Joe Ramagli, Aaron Dilla, Lara Ravitch, Michelle Dressler, Jenny Noyce – who managed the checkout process and stayed to help clean up and reset the gym after the event. You ROCK!

• And one last very special thank you to two Ridgeline staff, Jesse Cloninger and Shu Weng-Ramos – who jumped in wherever it was needed, from setup to troubleshooting to cashiering. Thank you for going the extra mile.

This event truly reflects the strength and generosity of our Ridgeline community—thank you for making it so meaningful and a HUGE SUCCESS! ✨

6th Grade Bike Safety – Volunteers Needed 🚲

Our 6th graders will participate in Bike Safety with the City of Eugene from March 31–April 9. We need parent volunteers to help on the last two days: April 8 & 9. You do not need to have a 6th grader to help.

Volunteer shifts:

• Wednesday, April 8 | 9:30–11:30 am

• Thursday, April 9 | 9:30–11:30 am

If you’re available to help, please email bethany.dilla@ridgeline.org to sign up. Thank you for supporting our students! 🚴‍♀️

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 - Coming in April 2026

• Spring Walk + Roll to School - Coming in April 2026

• Hospitality Team (staff appreciation week ) - Coming in April 2026
• 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.

We would like to congratulate three Ridgeline students for being named finalists in the 2026 Wordcrafters Fiction Fantastic Young Writers Contest. Congratulations to:

• Hazel Rallen and Autumn Mooney, who co-wrote The Tale of Two Bunnies and Their Pet Human and to;

• Julia Thompson-Mueller for The House That Watched.

Their stories will be published in this year’s anthology, Alchemy of Courage. We are so proud of these talented Ridgeline writers. Please join us in congratulating Hazel, Autumn, and Julia!

As a public charter school that receives State School Fund dollars, Ridgeline is required to participate in state testing for grades 3-8.

One important factor in our school’s evaluation is the participation rate. If we don’t meet the required participation threshold, the number of students who fall below that rate are automatically counted as not meeting state standards. This lowers our overall performance results. This means that even if Ridgeline students excel, a low participation rate can misrepresent our school's true academic success. For the past three school years, Ridgeline has fallen short of the required 94.5% participation rate.

State testing provides us with objective data that informs our teaching practices, allowing us to assess academic growth, identify areas for improvement, and refine our instructional strategies.

By engaging fully in state testing, we not only demonstrate the strength of our Montessori approach but also ensure that our students' achievements are accurately reflected. At Ridgeline, we approach testing in a low-stakes, student-friendly way, ensuring plenty of time, breaks, and a relaxed environment so that students can engage in the process without stress.

By allowing and encouraging your student to participate in state testing, families help ensure that teachers and students have the information and support needed to make learning as effective as possible.

In case you missed it, the February 2025 edition of Ridgeline Revealed, Common Reasons for Opting Out of State Testing and Why You Should Reconsider, goes into even greater detail on this topic.

Combined 30-day notice and opt-out form (English)

Combined 30-day notice and opt-out form (Spanish)

5th and 8th grade only: OSAS Science Testing Exemption (English)

5th and 8th grade only: OSAS Science Testing Exemption (Spanish)

Return completed forms to the office, or to Cynthia via email.

As part of Ridgeline’s commitment to strong leadership and thoughtful organizational continuity, we’ve begun the search for our next Principal. This is an exciting opportunity to welcome a Montessori-aligned instructional leader who will build on our strong foundation and support students, staff, and our school community.

View and share the Ridgeline Principal Brochure

We’re grateful for your partnership in sharing this opportunity with your networks as we plan intentionally for Ridgeline’s future.

• Ridgeline Revealed: How Do We Know We’re Doing Montessori Well? An Outside Review of Our Program

Recent Articles

January 2026

• The Ridgeline Lottery and the Waitlist Why Enrollment Matters (More Than You Think)

• Discovering Our Cosmic Purpose at Ridgeline: Through Preparing, Sharing, & Acts of Service

October 2025

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

September 2025

• Normalization in Montessori: What Is It and Why It Matters

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.

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

Check out the flyer below to learn more about the Summer Days of Wonder and the Arts at the Eugene Waldorf Cedar Summer Camps!

Do your kids love nature exploration and outdoor adventures? Then check out Nearby Nature's Natural Neighbors After School program! K-5th grade participants enjoy hiking, natural science, Earth art, and free time in Nearby Nature's outdoor classroom and Alton Baker Park.

• Programs happen Tuesdays and Fridays from 2:30-5:30 pm and Wednesdays from 2-5:30 pm, rain or shine, with flexible drop off for the first hour of each day and pick up between 5-5:30 pm.

• Online enrollment is ongoing -- details at Natural Neighbors After School.

• Scholarship assistance available. https://www.nearbynature.org/natural-neighbors/.

• See flyer below with more information about summer camps!

Former Ridgeline Learning Center assistant teacher Ruby Nelson runs programs for children’s forest school activities, focused on herbalism and crafting. Her program The Moon School offers one-time weekend workshop days, beginning February 7, a spring break, and a summer camp.

The Moon School creates a space for children to spend time in nature, connect with their creativity, and make botanical medicines. We are a great program for families who value outdoor education, arts and music in a wholesome, whimsical space that feels like a children’s storybook.

For more information, check out www.the-moon-school.com and follow @themoonschooleugene on instagram. To contact Ruby directly, email themoonschooleugene@gmail.com.

Spring Break Camps

1. For more info about the 5-day Forest Path Nature Camp click here

2. For more info about the 3-day Old School History Camp for Today’s Kids 2026 click here

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: Mar. 30, Apr. 10, Jun. 5

Register Now