Dear friends and families of Yujin Gakuen:
Welcome back, or shall I say, welcome back to a normal schedule 5-days a week (with early release on Fridays). Things are not quite back to normal for us, since we are in the 850 Howard building for the first time with all students at once. Even though we occupied the building last year, this will be our first year with all students together sharing the building with Kelly Middle School.
Please review the information below regarding staff changes, general school information, and COVID related information.
Thank you for supporting Yujin Gakuen. More details about school procedures and other updates to follow next week.
Sincerely,
Thomas Piowaty
Changes to Yujin Gakuen Staff!
We have some changes to our staff to report.
Robin Sensei – Robin Seno, who had been our English kindergarten teacher for many years has taken a job teaching kindergarten at Holt Elementary. She will be missed very much by the entire YG community.
Wendy Sensei – Wendy Williams has also left Yujin Gakuen. She will be joining Robin Sensei at Holt Elementary. She will also be missed.
Taylor Sensei – Taylor Morris will be our new kindergarten teacher (English), replacing Robin Sensei. Taylor has recent experience teaching first grade and preschool. She’s interested in arts and crafts as well as gardening. She also started learning Japanese when she was 12. She invites you to explore her website to find out more about her and her beliefs about teaching.
Claryn Sensei – Claryn Lindley served as an education assistant last year during hybrid. She will join the kindergarten team as their new Education Assistant supporting English instruction. Claryn is a graduate of the University of Oregon. In addition to speaking Japanese, she taught English in Japan.
Maran Sensei – Maran Reyes will be taking a leave of absence for the entire school year. She will still be involved in school matters, but mostly as a parent of two students at YG.
McKenzie Sensei – McKenzie Zimbelman will be our first grade teacher this year while Maran Sensei is on her leave of absence. McKenzie Sensei served as the first grade teacher (English) last year while we were in hybrid. Please welcome her back this year.
Michelle Sensei, First Grade Education Assistant (English) – Michelle Melvin joined YG last year as a Hybrid Utility person. This year, she joins the first grade team as an education assistant, working exclusively with the first grade in reading.
Janesta Sensei, Special Education Assistant – Janesta Sola worked last year as a long-term substitute when Mary Rosenbaum resigned. Janesta was hired this year as the permanent assistant for the learning center.
Below and on the Yujin Gakuen Website School Staff Directory are our classroom teaching assignments for the year:
KG: Takako Schneider, Taylor Morris, Reiko Monteagudo (EA), Claryn Lindley (EA)
1st: Sayaka Chesterman, McKenzie Zimbelman, Michelle Melvin (EA)
2nd: Kumiko Vanderbush, Monica Vanderbush
3rd: Kenji Naito, Amanda Christie
4th: Jemei Suematsu, Ashley Baker
5th: Mariko Maddock, Kelly Stroh
YMCA After School Care
The YMCA After School program is full, but it’s not too late to get on the waiting list. The Before School program still has room for additional students. See the linked YMCA Flyer below or visit the YMCA Website for details.
Homework Club
We will have a limited number of students in Homework Club this year. We have limited space and we will not be able to accommodate as many students as in past years. We are still working out the number of students we are able to serve. More information about Homework Club will be sent in the next update.
School Hours
Monday – Thursday 8:30-3:00
Friday (Early Release) 8:30-1:45
Building hours and breakfast times are to be determined.
First Days of School
KINDERGARTEN: First day of school is Thursday, September 9th, 8:30-3:00.
ALL GRADES: First Day of school is Friday, September 10th, 8:30-1:45.
All students will enter the building through their assigned entrances as they did during hybrid last year. See the map below:
Class Assignments
Class lists will be emailed to families the afternoon of Friday, September 3rd, just prior to Labor Day weekend.
Kinderzone
Kindergarten students do not start with an assigned classroom teacher and class lists are built as we learn more about our incoming students!
School Supplies
The district is providing most of the supplies families usually buy. For now, please plan on sending your student to school with a backpack (no wheels, please) and headphones (preferably with a straight headphone jack). Your child’s teacher may have a few other small supply requests which they’ll share once school starts, but we have the pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, and other basics covered.
Enroll Now!
If you are new to Yujin Gakuen and have not yet enrolled, please contact the office at: (541) 790-4606 or email Laura Whitney at: whitney_l@4j.lane.edu
Parking Lot Reminders
The parking lot is for families who want to walk their child into the building during arrival or who wish to meet their child at the end of the day at dismissal. If a student arrives before the doors open at 8:20, they will wait in their car or stand on a sidewalk spot by their assigned entrance.
Curbside Pausing Parking Reminders
In the mornings, students may be dropped off along the curb. At the end of the day, drivers can ‘pause park’ along the curb to pick up their students when they come out at dismissal. Please note the following rules for pause parking:
- Drivers must remain in their cars at all times.
- Drivers should pull forward as space becomes available.
- Drivers should NOT stop in marked crosswalk areas.
- When getting in or out of a car, students must use the door on the sidewalk side. Students should never get in or out of a car on the driver’s side. It’s unsafe for the student and it slows traffic.
Drivers must remember to ALWAYS yield at the painted crosswalks and sidewalks.
Technology Updates
ALL students please UPDATE your iPad by clicking HERE for instructions.
If you’re having trouble with your iPad please click HERE for instructions.
Health & Safety Protocols
Face coverings, physical distancing, frequent hand-washing, increased ventilation, and other health and safety measures will be required in schools this fall. See the 4J COVID News for details and see below for Holt specific protocols:
Arrival Procedures – To help maintain 3-feet for physical distancing, each wing has their own entrance/exit with spots along the sidewalk for where students should stand. See the map below for your child’s entrance. A staff member will be stationed at each entrance to welcome students and to do a visual check for any signs of illness. Students will walk directly to their classroom where their teacher will greet them and will also do a daily screening of students for signs of illness. Any students showing signs of illness will be walked to the office.
Morning breakfast and supervision times are to-be-announced once the district makes a decision, but if a student arrives early (before staff supervision begins), they will wait in their car or stand on a sidewalk spot by their assigned entrance.
Dismissal Procedures – At the end of the day, students will exit the building with their teacher, using their designated entrance/exit doors. Students biking or walking will be dismissed.
Drivers should follow the one way direction traffic flow indicated in the map below.
Late Students to Office – Any students arriving at school after 8:30 need to check in at the office before going to class. All other entrances will close starting at 8:30 starting the first week.
Mask Requirements – See 4J’s Mask Covering Requirements for full details, but students and staff must wear face coverings properly at all times.
- Face coverings must be worn at all times indoors (with the exception for meal times) and riding on a school bus.
- Face coverings should fit snugly and cover the nose, mouth and chin at all times.
- Face coverings must be an effective design. No gaiters, bandanas, masks with valves, or face shields alone (face shields may be worn in addition to masks).
Families are encouraged to pack an extra face covering or two in their student’s backpack in case the one they’re wearing becomes wet, dirty, or breaks.
Update Your Child’s Health Information – Ensure your child’s health records are current. We especially want to be aware of respiratory based diagnosis, such as asthma & seasonal allergies, because if we do not have a written record of those conditions (signs & symptoms), the student will be sent home for exhibiting symptoms of COVID. Linked here is the Asthma Assessment Form and the General Medical Profile Form, which you can email front office staff.
Breakfast & Lunches – All students will be provided with a free breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, students will pick up their meal upon entering their classroom and will be given time to eat each morning. Students will eat at their desks and are allowed to remove their masks while eating. Lunch will be eaten in the cafeteria with some students eating outside when possible or practical. Students will have assigned seats and tables and seats will be sanitized between grade level groups.
Nut Free Home Lunches – Breakfast and Lunches will be provided for free for all students. Families are welcome to send home lunches if they choose, but those lunches need to be “Nut Free” (both peanuts and tree nuts), since we are eating in classroom cohort groups and do not have space in the cafeteria for our usual Nut Free Table.
Visitors & Volunteers – Only students and staff are allowed inside the building at this time. Crossing Guard Tom Mohr will continue to assist with supervision outside the building as he did last year.
Classroom Set-Up – Students will be spaced 3-feet apart. Students will not share supplies and school supplies will be provided for each student.
Health Rooms – If a student does become sick, they will be escorted to the office. We have designated rooms for a student showing signs of illness to wait until their family is able to pick them up. These rooms have been outfitted with air purification systems to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses.
Yujin Gakuen PTO Meeting
The first PTO meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 16th at 6:30pm on Zoom (link will be posted the Tuesday before the meeting. See the Yujin Gakuen PTO website for more information.
Student Information Available to Non-Custodial Parents
Yujin Gakuen is able to provide all co-custodial or non-custodial parents a duplicate copy of all district labeled mailings. Please let the school office know if you would like the name of a co-custodial or non-custodial parent added to the student’s enrollment information.
Messages for Students
Please make sure that your child knows what they will be expected to do when the school day is over before they leave home in the morning. Staff is not available to hand deliver messages throughout the day and when the bell rings at the end of the school day it becomes quite difficult to reach individual children that we have taken messages for. We will be happy to deliver messages in an EMERGENCY situation, but if at all possible please make sure that your child(ren) knows who will pick them up, if they should walk home, or ride the bus before they leave for school.
Student Attendance and Tardies
One of the most reliable predictors of school success is regular attendance. Absences for any reason result in lost instruction time. We know that students who fall behind often become discouraged learners. It is our hope that we can work together to encourage your child’s regular attendance and success at school. We understand that there are many factors in your lives that make it difficult, at times, for your child to be in school or on time. However, it is important that we work with you to reduce these to an absolute minimum. Class activities start promptly in the morning. This morning class time is one of the most important times of the day. When a child comes in late, not only have they missed valuable class time, it is disruptive to their classmates.
When your child is going to be late or absent from school, please call the attendance line at 790-4606, before 8:20 a.m. and inform the office. You may leave a message on the voice mail, if calling before office hours. Please leave the name of your child, their teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence. It is extremely important that this be done, as every child must be accounted for on a daily basis. As a friendly reminder, according to Oregon Truancy Regulations, if your student has eight unexcused half-day absences in any four-week period, you will receive a letter from the school notifying you of our attendance concerns. Please understand that if irregular attendance continues, we will be obligated to make a referral to a truant officer for further investigation.
DISTRICT NOTIFICATIONS
Regarding Bullying, Intimidation, Harassment, Discrimination, Hazing and Retaliation – Eugene School District 4J has policies and programs to prohibit and prevent bullying, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, hazing and retaliation. Discrimination is prohibited on the basis of disability, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital status, socioeconomic status, source of income, cultural background, familial status, physical characteristic, or linguistic characteristic of a national origin group, in any instructional program, extracurricular activity, or in the provision of any other service or benefit.
The district encourages students, parents and other patrons to share their concerns with district officials if they believe they or someone else has been the victim of bullying, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, hazing or retaliation. They can be assured that no reprisal or adverse action will occur as a consequence of initiating a complaint. Complaint forms and information about the complaint process are available in all 4J school offices and at the 4J Education Center, 200 North Monroe Street, Eugene, OR 97402. For more information, contact your school principal or the superintendent’s office, 541-790-7707.
School to Inform Parents if Their Student Receives a Threat – “Oregon law requires schools to inform parents if their son or daughter’s name appears on a targeted list (i.e. a “hit list”) that threatens violence or harm from another student.” We will be using the following procedure to inform you if your student either receives or makes a serious threat of violence or harm.
If your son or daughter’s name appears on a list threatening violence or harm by another student, we will attempt to meet with you personally, or talk by telephone, within 12 hours of learning about the threat. We will tell you about the threat, who made it (if we know) , and the action we are taking to respond to it. We will also send you a notice within 24 hours, stating that your son or daughter received a threat. Our number one priority will be to make sure that school is safe for your children.
If your son or daughter made the threat, we will let you know that he or she made it and the action we are taking, including informing the parents of the student who received the threat that your student made. We are also required by the district’s “Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook” to inform the police.
Stay Connected! YG Social Media Links
In addition to our school website and school newsletters, stay connected through our social media accounts on Facebook. These accounts are used to share information, events and activities happening at Holt throughout the school year. Hopefully this will become an easy way for families to stay in touch with what’s going on at our school.
Breakfast & Lunch Menus
Breakfast and lunch menus are available on the 4J Menu Website. Schools are listed in alphabetical order, but make sure you filter to Kelly & Yujin Gakuen.
Dates to Remember
8/23, Office Open Daily
8/29, 2:00-4:30, Project Hope Back-to-School Giveaway (North Eugene & Willamette Christian Center)
9/3, 3:00, Class Lists Emailed to Families
9/9, First Day for Kindergarten (Transition Day)
9/10, Classes Begin for All Students
10/15, No School, Professional Development Day