YG Family Newsletter- June 16, 2022

Early Release – TOMORROW at 11:45 AM

Note: we will release at 11:45 AM TOMORROW, not 1:45 PM as usual.

Students who want a lunch will have the option of picking up a “Grab-And-Go” sacked lunch to take home with them.

Report Cards Update

Report cards will not be sent home with students tomorrow, as some teachers may have informed you. We will be mailing out report cards as we did last year.

Thank you for your patience as you wait for report card(s) to arrive in the mail.

Staff Updates

Kindergarten Teacher Hired

I’m pleased to announce that we hired Alison Johnson to teach kindergarten along with Takako Sensei in the fall. You might know that Alison has been a long-term and frequently requested substitute for YG. She was also an educational assistant for many years and is a parent of two student s- Eleanor at Yujin Gakuen Elementary and Eli at Kelly Middle School. Staff are pleased to have a teacher they know and respect and we are so glad she knows our program and our community very well. Please welcome Alison Sensei to the team!

The following are repeats from prior newsletters, but I’m including them in case you didn’t see them.

Michelle Lampe Retiring

Michelle Lampe is retiring after 30 years in public education, including 16 years working for the 4J Eugene School District. She taught physical education at Gilham Elementary and at Sheldon High School and wrapped up her teaching career here at Yujin Gakuen Elementary. Michelle will most miss her daily interactions with students. During retirement, Michelle plans to substitute teach and spend a lot of time in Arizona and Mexico. Congratulations, Michelle!

Sayaka Sensei Moving to 2nd Grade Next Year

Sayaka Sensei will be changing her teaching assignment and will be joining Maran Sensei to teach 2nd grade next year. As many of you know, Sayaka and Maran Sensei used to teach first grade together. They are looking forward to being on the same team again. This is excellent news for first grade students as they will have a second year with Sayaka Sensei!

News about Taylor Sensei

I have some news to share about Taylor Sensei. She will not be returning to Yujin Gakuen next year as she is moving to the greater Portland area.

We were fortunate to have Taylor Sensei teaching our kindergarten students this year. Her background in preschool and her focus on the social and emotional needs of our youngest students was just what we needed during our first full year back after COVID-19 interrupted on-site schooling. I know our students felt comfortable and safe with Taylor Sensei leading their class. She will be missed, but I’m confident that she will land another teaching job next year. Taylor will be missed by students and staff alike. We wish her well.

McKenzie Sensei to Continue at YG

In case you were wondering about McKenzie Sensei, she will be returning next year in her role as first grade English teacher. McKenzie Sensei made a big impact on our first grade students, having started mid-year during distance learning in 2021 and then teaching on-site this year.

Our first grade students appreciate McKenzie’s calm and friendly approach to working with young ones. She has been a great teacher this year, and I know she will be even better next year. We are grateful to have her continue in first grade at YG.

News about Ashley Sensei

I regret to inform you that Ashley Sensei will be leaving YG at the end of the year to make a change in her career. Ashley got her first teaching job at YG in 2004. I won’t say how many years, but you can do the math.

I recall last year’s ACE Award nomination: Ashley Sensei “is a dynamic and energetic teacher. She always explains the assignment at hand clearly and with examples. Ashley Sensei answers any and all questions with respect for each child who is asking. As a former teacher myself, I have not witnessed a teacher so positive and clear with their students. Ashley stands out among teachers I have been in contact with.” Staff at YG would all agree.

Ashley is a gem at our school. She will be sorely missed by our entire school community, staff, parents, and “cutie potooties” as she calls them. We are sad to say goodbye to Ashley Sensei, but we share in her happiness and wish her well at her new job as 2nd grade teacher at Cesar Chavez.

Jenny Kneale to Join the Yujin Gakuen Next Year

I would like to welcome Jenny Kneale who will be teaching 4th grade next year. Jenny currently teaches 5th grade at Willagillespie. She was also an ACE Award nominee last year. Her nominator describe her as: “amazing. She is willing to speak to me about the individual goals for my child this school year. She is very patient, helpful and is always available for my student when they need assistance or further explanation. She is a great teacher.”

Jenny is a proud parent of McKenzie and Carsyn at Yujin Gakuen Elementary. We look forward to having her as YG staff!

Here’s a summary of our classroom teaching assignments:

Kindergarten: Takako Sensei and Alison Johnson
First Grade: McKenzie Sensei and Japanese teacher to be determined
Second Grade: Sayaka Sensei and Maran Sensei
Third Grade: Kenji Sensie and Amanda Sensei
Fourth Grade: Jemei Sensei and Jenny Kneale
Fifth Grade: Mariko Sensei and Kelly Sensei

Parent & Family Engagement & Partnership Survey

4J is seeking your feedback in order to help our school community and our district improve and to help students be successful. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey below.

English https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZNCBJH7
Spanish  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/28RXV73

If you have more than one student and have different experiences for different students, please fill out a separate survey for each student.

850 Howard Building Closed: June 22nd – August 22nd

The school building will be closed to all staff, including office staff, from June 22nd through August 18th, possibly longer, due to work being done to reinforce and repair the inner gym.

The following are the summer office hours that all elementary schools will be following.

• June 20: Office Closed
  June 21-24: Office hours 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM daily
  June 27-29: Office closed, by appointment only
• August:  Offices reopen with limited hours on August 17 and 18. Contact your school for open hours.
• Regular hours resume on Monday, August 22

Final PTO Meeting Agenda- June 16th at 6:30 PM

YG PTO T-Shirt Image Competition 

Waka Daiko

Are you interested in Japanese Drumming? Check the below flyer out to join Eugene’s youth taiko drumming group. Note: the graphic below is not hyperlinked.

NEHS Open Gym- Basketball

Students 1st – 8th grade have the opportunity to go to North Eugene High School’s main gym for basketball on June 20th!

Check out the flyer for more information.

Open Gym- Basketball