Ridgeline eNews

RIDGELINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS:

MARCH

Thursday 3/12 Board Meeting 6-8 pm

Friday 3/13 Last day to give to the Direct Donation Drive!

Friday 3/13 Student Art Show & Silent Auction 5:30-7pm, Ridgeline Gym

Saturday 3/14 OBOB Regionals for grades 6-8 at Kelly Middle School

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

For Quick Access:

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.

💙 DDD Update – Grandmas (& Grandpas, too) are showing up in a big way for Ridgeline!

We have one day left in our Direct Donation Drive (DDD)! In 9 days, we’ve raised $9,878, leaving only $122 left to hit our goal! When we reach that goal, two generous donors will unlock an additional $6,000 match—turning $10,000 into $16,000 in support for our students. We got this, Ridgeline!

We want to give a special shoutout to the grandmothers and grandfathers in our community. So far, $3,500 or 60% of the DDD financial gifts we’ve received have been given by grandmothers—or in loving memory of them—during our Direct Donation Campaign. We’re feeling the warmth, wisdom, and generosity that grandparents so often bring to a community. Their gifts are helping nurture creativity, growth, and opportunity for Ridgeline students, and we are deeply grateful.

If you are a Grandma, Grandmother, Gram, Gigi, Granny, Nana, Nona, Nonnie, Lolly, or Mimi - there is still time to give! Grandmas (& Grandpas) are THE BEST! Once again, thank you to our whole community, for investing in public Montessori education. Every gift—large or small—brings us closer to our larger $100,000 annual goal.

🎨 Don’t Miss It! The Student Art Show & Silent Auction is tomorrow!

Friday, March 13 | 5:30 PM | Ridgeline Gym

Ridgeline parents, caregivers, and family members—we warmly encourage you to join us tomorrow tonight at 5:30pm, for the culminating event of our Direct Donation Drive! It will be a memorable evening celebrating creativity, community, and connection at Ridgeline’s Student Art Show & Silent Auction.

Stroll through a beautiful gallery of student artwork, enjoy a few short and heartfelt student art presentations, savor a complimentary cookie, and join the fun with classroom raffle baskets. You’ll also have the chance to bid on 65 amazing silent auction items—there’s something for everyone!

Your support helps sustain the incredible learning and creativity happening at Ridgeline every day, and this is a wonderful chance to see the results of our students’ hard work. We can’t wait to see you tomorrow, March 13, for a joyful evening of art, fundraising, and community celebration. 💛

Family Fun Activities

🍪 Cookies for Everyone! - Each attendee will receive a complimentary cookie coupon featuring artwork designed by a Ridgeline student. Redeem your cookie anytime during the event! Gluten-free and vegan treat options will be available.

✨ Community Art Project - Stop by our interactive art station and help us complete a special event-themed collaborative piece.

💫 Family Photo Booth - Strike a pose in front of our colorful backdrop! With fun props and big smiles, this is a perfect way to capture the night.

🎁 Classroom Raffle Baskets

Purchase raffle tickets at the event for a chance to win your favorite themed classroom baskets.

Card or cash accepted. Winners do not need to be present to win!

$3 each
2 for $5
5 for $10
11 for $20

🛍️ Silent Auction

We’re thrilled to feature incredible baskets filled with local experiences, self-care treats, family fun packages, date nights, wellness memberships, and more! Perfect for spring break adventures, summer plans, birthday surprises, or a little something for yourself.

✨ Special Sneak Peek - CLICK here to preview some of the baskets with descriptions.

These items represent only a portion of the auction baskets available at the Student Art Show Celebration.
Most opening bids will start at approximately 50% of the item’s value.
Come explore the full collection and place your bids before 6:45 PM—don’t miss your chance to snag a deal while supporting Ridgeline!

🎨 Student Art Show Etiquette - read and discuss with your student before the event!

Parents/guardians are responsible for supervising their own children during the event.
One cookie ticket per person please.
Help us keep the gallery tidy—no food or drinks near the artwork or silent auction items.
Look with your eyes, not your hands.
Please do not touch the artwork or silent auction items.
Walk carefully through the gallery.
Keep voices low so everyone can enjoy the art.

Thank you for helping us celebrate and care for our students’ creativity! ✨

🌟 Sponsor Shoutouts

A HUGE thank you to our generous sponsors for supporting this special event:

🙌 All Our Welcome

Families are encouraged to invite friends, grandparents, and neighbors to attend—everyone is welcome! This truly is a community celebration!

Our students are bursting with excitement to share their art and tell you all about it. All proceeds directly support Ridgeline’s P.E., Art, and Social Emotional Learning programs. Come collect your cookie, purchase raffle tickets, and bid on some really great items!

We can’t wait to see you at the event for a joyful night of art, fundraising, and community celebration! 💛

How To Talk To Kids About Their Art

This guide below, “How to Talk to Kids About Their Art” offers simple questions and conversation ideas that invite students to reflect on their process and artistic choices.

When we talk with children about their art in thoughtful ways, we help nurture their creativity and appreciation for artistic expression.

Reading and using the guide below, can help adults respond to children’s artwork in ways that encourage creativity, confidence, and deeper thinking.

📸✨ Last Chance: Order Your Ridgeline Yearbooks by Friday, March 13 ✨📸

Last call to order your 2025-2026 Ridgeline school yearbook for students, families, and staff! 🎉 It’s a wonderful way to capture and celebrate the memories of this school year.

📕 How to Order

Online ordering only: newleifphoto.inter-state.com
Order Code: 0291HV
Price: $25 per yearbook

🗓 Order Deadline: Friday, March 13, 2026

Don’t miss out—order your yearbook now and enjoy revisiting all the special moments from this year at Ridgeline!

🌟Questions

Contact parent volunteer and Yearbook Coordinator, Heather Riedman, at hcates373@yahoo.com.

State Testing 30-Day Notice and Opt-Out Forms

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.

Volunteer Thank Yous

P.E. Volunteer Shoutout

Round of applause goes to Rachel Narhi for volunteering to teach a mini P.E. residency to all of the kinder and lower el classes. Thank you for sharing your time and talents!

Middle School Chaperone

A big thank you to our middle school parent chaperones Alycia Canavan, Memosa McCurdy, Marci Davis, and Sarah Klein for supporting the recent trip to the Capitol. Your time, energy, and care made the experience possible for our students—you rock! 🙌

Volunteer Opportunities - Still Needed

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! 🚴‍♀️

Volunteer Opportunities - Ongoing

Ongoing Facilities Volunteer Work

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

🌟 Volunteer Team Sign-Ups

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 March 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.

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!

Board Meeting - Thursday, March 12

Hello Ridgeline community! The Ridgeline Board of Directors will hold a regular meeting on Thursday, March 12, at 6:00 pm in the Ridgeline library and over Zoom. All Ridgeline community members are welcome to join our regular board meetings, and to make a public comment. The designated time for public comment is at the start of meetings.

Our agenda includes our regular reports, opportunities to learn about 3-year Financial Projections and updates about Board officer positions. We will hear our Executive Director's Contract Renewal Recommendations, look together at Board recruitment materials, and hear an update about the Possibility Project budgeting process. We will vote to change Board members' banking privileges, approve a Disruptive Public Comment Policy, hold an election, and approve contract renewal recommendations.

You can find the agenda here: 03-12-2026 Ridgeline Board of Directors Meeting Agenda

In order to attend virtually, please use this Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84074040106pwd=R6PzazBjJFrxabUMtT92ZabaJ7bptn.1

Meeting ID: 840 7404 0106 Passcode: 824778

Principal Search Update — Help Us Spread the Word

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.

CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT PICK-UP TIME: PLEASE READ

Recently, there have been several unsafe driving behaviors around pick-up time (3:00 - 3:15 p.m.) We want to clarify expectations and ensure everyone understands the safety guidelines Thank you for helping us keep drop-off and pick-up safe, respectful, and smooth for all Ridgeline students, families, and neighbors.

The Bottom Line

The drive-through queue should extend only to Rosewood Drive (the small “no-name” street)
The curb in this area is yellow (NO PARKING), with space for approximately four vehicles between Rosewood and Ridgeline’s entrance
If the queue area is full, do not wait in the travel lane on West Amazon
DO NOT BLOCK the street or driveways, or mailboxes to the north of Rosewood
DO NOT DRIVE in the left-hand lane of oncoming traffic. It is unsafe and illegal to impede traffic or cross the double yellow line to bypass waiting cars.

Safe Options (Choose One & Please Consider Option 2)

Option 1: If the line is full, CONTINUE DRIVING DOWN West Amazon, TURN LEFT on Snell, CIRCLE BACK by turning left on Fox Hollow, and return to West Amazon when space becomes available.

Option 2: PARK FARTHER UP THE STREET OR ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND WALK OVER TO MEET YOUR STUDENT. Many families choose this option, and it significantly reduces congestion.

Remember that pick-up lasts 10 minutes—there is no need for everyone to arrive right at 3:05 p.m!

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.

Check out the NEW article

February 2026

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)

December 2025

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

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

Eugene Waldorf School Summer Camp Programs

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

Nearby Nature’s Natural Neighbors After School Program for K-5th grade students

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!

For more info, go to https://www.nearbynature.org/no-school-days.

The Moon School with Ruby Nelson - Register Soon, Spots are Filling Up!

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.

Singing Creek Educational Center

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

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

Register Now

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