Ridgeline eNews

MAY 1

Friday 5/1 No School

Monday 5/4 Fundraising Committee Meeting 9-10:30 a.m.

Wednesday 5/6 Spring Bike & Walk to School Day - 7:45 a.m. at Amazon (biking) at Kincaid Park (walking)

Thursday 5/7 Equity Committee Meeting 4-5 p.m. via Zoom

Thursday 5/7 Board Meeting 6-8 p.m.

Friday 5/8 Budget Committee Meeting 8:45-10:15 a.m.

Monday 5/11 Staff Appreciation Week starts

Friday 5/15 Budget Committee Meeting 8:45-10:15 a.m.

Friday 5/15 Last day of Staff Appreciation Week

Saturday 5/16 Student Marketplace 10 - 12p.m., Ridgeline

Wednesday 5/20 Handel’s Ice Cream Fundraiser - 11a.m. - 10 p.m.

Thursday 5/21 Board Meeting 6-8pm

Friday 5/22 Budget Committee Meeting (tentative) 8:45-10:15 a.m.

Monday 5/25 No School - Memorial Day

Tuesday 5/26 6th grade Outdoor School - depart at 8:45 a.m.

Thursday 5/28 6th graders return from ODS at 1:00 p.m.

Thursday 5/28 End-of-Year Picnic 5:30-7 p.m. - South Field, Ridgeline

Saturday 5/30 Volunteers: Outdoor Spring Clean Up Day - 9 a.m. - Noon, at Ridgeline

JUNE

Wednesday 6/3 8th Grade Promotion 6-8 p.m. Ridgeline Gymnasium

Friday 6/5 No School - Grading Day

Monday 6/8 Middle School Adventure Trip - departs

Wednesday 6/10 Middle School Adventure Trip - returns

Wednesday 6/10 Early release at 1:05 (don’t forget!)

Thursday 6/11 Last day of school/Field Day (1:05 early dismissal)

***Ridgeline families - we are in the home stretch! There is a lot coming up, so please mark your calendars with the important dates above.

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.

📅 Date: Wednesday, May 6

⏰Time: 7:45-8:15 a.m.

👕Wear: Ridgeline gear

Let’s get moving, Ridgeline! Kids need about an hour of physical activity each day—and getting to school is a great way to start. Join us for our spring Walk + Roll to School Challenge and be part of the fun!

• Whether you walk, bike, scoot, skate, take the bus, carpool, or try a “Park & Stride,” every effort counts. 💛

🚴 Biking Group (distance = 1.8 miles)

• Meet at Amazon Park at 7:40 AM
• Location: 2600 Hilyard St.
• Roll out at 7:50 AM

🚶 Walking, Scootering, or Roller-Blading Group (distance = 0.6 miles)

• Meet at Kincaid Park at 7:50 AM
• Location: 3938 Kincaid St
• Head out at 8:00 AM

Why It Matters

• It’s a great chance to move your body, connect with friends, and meet new families. Plus, all student participants can grab some fun swag and enter a raffle! 🎉

• Active transportation supports healthy, focused, and independent students—and helps reduce traffic around our school.

Want to get involved?

• Volunteering for this event is a fun way to support the community and log some hours, too!

🙌 Sign up here in Track It Forward.

Curious about how Ridgeline’s budget works and want to play a more meaningful role in shaping our school’s future? Consider serving on our Budget Committee.

This is a unique opportunity to engage more deeply in the life of the school—learning how decisions are made, contributing to thoughtful planning, and helping steward our resources in alignment with our mission and values. This year’s budget will also reflect the valuable feedback gathered through the Possibility Project—ensuring our financial decisions are grounded in our shared values, community voice, and long-term sustainability.

To get involved, simply email Chrystell Reed.

Don’t miss the first meeting—we’ll walk through the budget line by line, review historical data, and connect it to our current priorities so you have a clear understanding of where we’ve been and where we’re going.

All meetings are open to the public and held on the following Fridays from 8:45–10:15 a.m.:

• May 8 (it’s important that everyone attend this initial meeting!)

• May 15

• May 22 (tentative, if needed)

Let’s shower our amazing Ridgeline educators with love, snacks, and heartfelt surprises all week long, starting Monday, May 11!

This year, we’re highlighting food and meaningful messages—including notes, cards, and poems from students that truly make a lasting impact.

✨ Thinking of a gift? We kindly encourage saving classroom-specific gifts for birthdays or winter holidays.

Plan Ahead & Join the Fun:
Monday 🍪 Sign up to bake or bring store-bought treats
Tuesday 🌸 Bring 1–2 flowers or leafy stems to brighten classrooms
Wednesday 🍲 Contribute to our all-staff appreciation potluck
Thursday 💌 Students bring notes, poems, or drawings of gratitude
Friday 🥨 Sign up to bring savory treats & seltzers

We know this is a busy time—please join in however you can! Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who make Ridgeline so special. 💫

Sign-ups coming next week!

Our Lower Elementary students are getting ready for a beloved tradition—the Peacemaker Biography Project! Each student researches an inspiring figure who has helped bring peace to the world, then creates a “bottle doll” to represent them. 🌎💛

To make this happen, we need your help!
👉 Each classroom needs at least 29 clean 2-liter bottles with lids (and more is always welcome!).

♻️ How to help:
Start saving your empty bottles and send them to school with your child anytime (they can also be dropped off at the office). Classes share supplies, so every bottle makes a difference!

Thank you for helping bring these meaningful projects to life! ✨

Our annual Student Marketplace is a fun event where the Ridgeline community and friends gather to spend time together and support our students' creativity. Please join us Saturday, May 16, from 10 am - 12:00 pm at Ridgeline.

Students are invited to make items to sell and to support Ridgeline with a portion of their profits. Our middle school Cookie Crew will sell chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, and hot tea & coffee will be available for purchase as well.

📝Student Vendor Sign Ups Here - the last day to register is May 8

• Proposals will be considered approved unless you hear otherwise within 2 business days.

Want to volunteer? We still need lots of help at this event!

• Click here to sign-up.

Questions?

• Email Jenny Noyce, member of the Marketplace leadership team, at jenny.noyce@ridgeline.org.

Please invite your friends and neighbors to join us and enjoy Ridgeline students' creations!

💛 Volunteer Shoutouts:

• Shoutout to Amanda Bedortha and Shikha DeFazio for helping bake lots of cookies for Student Marketplace.

• A warm welcome and heartfelt thanks goes to Kayla Mathers for joining the afternoon crossing-guard team!

• Round of applause goes to Mica Derrington-Via, Kate Griffith, Ben Callaway, Angela Zallen, and Ruth Tabak for providing extra support in Room 4 this week.

• Last but not least, thank you to everyone who attended the Volunteer Appreciation Tea! And to all those who could not make it: WE APPRECIATE YOU!

Haven’t hit your 40 volunteer hours yet? There's still time to make an impact!

• Sign up here to help with Bike & Walk to School Day, Wednesday, May 6
• Volunteer for Student Marketplace on Saturday, May 16
• Pick up a morning or afternoon weekly Crossing Guard Crew shift

Now is the time: get in those volunteer hours!

More Info Coming Soon:

• Ridgeline will host a volunteer outdoor campus clean-up day on Saturday, May 30, from 9 - noon. This is a great way to get more volunteer hours in and meet other Ridgeline families. Signs ups coming next week!

Ongoing Facilities Volunteer Work

Sign up to volunteer on your own time here: weeding and grounds clean up.

Volunteer hour reporting is important because it helps us demonstrate community support for Ridgeline when applying for grants and when reporting to our sponsoring district. It also helps us prepare for Volunteer Appreciation Week in just a couple of weeks!

Now is a great time to look back at your calendar, jog your memory, and log any past hours.

• Don’t worry about being exact—estimates and bulk entries are absolutely fine.
• If you volunteered in a classroom but don’t recall specific dates, you can simply log something like: “classroom volunteer – 15 hours.”

• It’s easy to get started in Track it Forward—just click on the link and follow the instructions.
• The platform is also available as an app if it’s more convenient to use on your phone!

Thank you for taking time to log your volunteers hours - every entry helps!

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

• Spring Walk + Roll to School

• 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.

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!

Hello Ridgeline Community!

The Ridgeline Board of Directors will meet on Thursday, May 7. During this meeting, we'll hear reports from our Principal's Advisory Committee, administrators, and Board committee members. We will hear from our Executive Director about the Quarterly Financial Report, and update on SB141, the Education Accountability Act, and Ridgeline's Healthy and Safe Schools Plan. We will create an ad hoc summer facilities committee, decide on officer positions for next year, and hear an update from our Organizational Continuity Planning Committee. We will approve a revised banking affidavit and hold an election to make Rachael McEachern our Board Vice President. Following the public session, we will meet in Executive Session (Board members only) for the annual Executive Director Performance Review discussion.

We warmly invite any interested Ridgeline community members to join us at meetings! And if you'd like to learn more about Board service, email us at board@ridgeline.org.

Ridgeline Montessori Public Charter School seeks a skilled, dependable, and student-centered Middle School Classroom Assistant to join our middle school team for the 26-27 school year. This is a full-time position serving students in grades 7-8.

The Middle School Classroom Assistant is a key member of the classroom team. Working under the direction of the classroom teacher, and in collaboration with school staff, this position helps maintain a safe, orderly, engaging learning environment. This role supports students in developing independence, responsibility, self-regulation, and positive participation in the school community.

👉 Interested or know someone who’d be a great fit?

• Check out the full job description on our website and help us spread the word! It’s also posted under the Careers tab on our website.

State testing has started! For students in grades 3-6, it runs from April 13–May 2, from 8:45–11:00 AM. Middle School testing will take place May 4–15.

To help your student do their best:

💤 Prioritize sleep: Keep consistent bedtime routines and aim for a little extra rest.

🍎 Pack extra snacks: Focused brains need fuel!

⏰ Arrive on time (or early): A calm start makes a big difference.

📅 Schedule thoughtfully: If possible, move morning appointments outside of testing windows.

Thank you for helping us protect this important time. State testing provides valuable insights that support classroom learning and growth. We appreciate your partnership in helping students feel prepared and confident! 💛

As a public charter school, Ridgeline is required to administer state testing for grades 3–8, and participation rates play a critical role in how our school is evaluated. If we fall below the required 94.5% participation rate, students who do not test are counted as not meeting standards, which can inaccurately lower our overall performance—even when students are excelling.

State testing also provides valuable data that helps teachers assess growth and refine instruction. At Ridgeline, we keep testing low-stress and student-friendly, and family support in encouraging participation helps ensure our students’ achievements are accurately reflected.

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.

Current Ridgeline families: we will assume your enrolled student plans 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 by April 30.

Contact enrollment@ridgeline.org if you have any questions. We look forward to a great rest of the school year!

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.

Check out the NEW March 2026 article:

How Did Conflict Influence Montessori’s View of Education and Peace? - Peace begins in childhood, nurtured daily through empathy and responsibility.

Previous articles can be found here

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.

• Ridgeline families: don't miss the early child care registration date - Tuesday, April 28 beginning at 7a.m.
• Everyone else can sign up starting on April 30th at 7a.m.

Registration is now open for our Summer Emotional Regulation Camp for kids age 6-10!

Spots are limited to keep things supportive and engaging, and they tend to fill quickly.

Why families love this group:

• Builds real-life social skills through guided peer interaction

• Small group setting (max of 8) for individualized support

• Play-based approach that keeps kids engaged and learning

• Practical tools kids can use at home, school, and in the community

• Includes a parent webinar to support carryover beyond sessions

Mother’s Hollow, founded by Ridgeline parent, mother of four, developmental psychologist, and writer Dr. Jennifer Weaver, is hosting a Mother’s Circle this May and warmly invites all Ridgeline mothers to join.

Mother’s Hollow offers a safe, supportive space for mothers to explore the profound psychological shifts of motherhood—often in ways that aren’t found in everyday parenting spaces. Through intimate circles, small cohort-style classes, and one-on-one mentoring, mothers are invited to reflect, connect, and be supported on their inner journey.

Learn more at: www.mothers-hollow.com

Check out the flyer below for more info. Here is the link to register: https://tinyurl.com/2nyzwxtn.

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

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: Jun. 5

Register Now