The Transition Times

Due to the devastating fires 4j School District has decided to postpone the start of school by one week. Therefore orientation will begin on Monday the 21st.  We hope all of you and your family and safe and healthy and can breath easier as the week progresses.

We had a great turn out for the information night and are looking forward to working with all of our new and returning students. We will continue to update you on the new calendar. Please email Jasmin any student phone numbers or personal email address updates using quitta @4j.lane.edu.

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Hello 4J families:

As we get ready to embark on a new year, many families have questions about what school will look like for students with special needs and how Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) will be met.

All 4J schools will start the school year on September 14 with comprehensive distance learning (online learning) for the first trimester, through December 4. There will be some limited, targeted on-site supports for some individual students or small groups, but not regular classes or full grade levels attending school in person. On December 7 or later, depending on public health conditions, schools may resume in-person instruction in a hybrid of on-site and online learning. That decision will be made in November.

We want you to know that the district is working diligently to develop plans for all of our students and any information regarding what is happening with schools districtwide also applies to your student. This is the base. Students receiving special education services have a support layer added that is above and beyond what their general education peers receive.

We have workgroups meeting daily to develop more concrete plans for our students on IEPs. We learned a lot from the emergency distance learning last spring and there are silver linings that have come out of that work, including strong collaboration with our general education teachers.While we are continually working on districtwide plans, we also recognize that each child has individual needs that will need to be addressed in their IEP. Your child’s special education teacher or case manager will be contacting you within the first few weeks after they return to work in September to discuss your student’s IEP and a plan for what additional services we will be providing your student in the fall.

We know that the return to learning during the pandemic will be challenging for many, and every parent has concerns about how your child’s needs will be met and how they will engage in distance learning. Thank you for your patience as we work through this process, and please know we are working to prepare for the fall and to be ready to welcome your child into their classroom from a distance.

The district has posted answers to frequently asked questions on the website, including a section specific to students with IEPs. There are a lot of plans in the works and the FAQ is frequently updated, so please visit the page, www.4j.lane.edu/coronavirus/questions, to be updated on the progress we are making.

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If you are unable to attend the Connections Informational Presentation please see the power point in the tab above to get the information. Please contact Anders or Jasmin to let them know that you would like to participate in Connections Fall term if you have not yet done so.

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4j is providing a lap top, hot spot or free internet for students who need these to access instruction. If you need any of these please contact Connections teachers ASAP. If possible access the Churchill computer checkout scheduled for Wednesday 9am to 1pm by complete the electronic request form https://chs.4j.lane.edu/computer-checkout-september-9/

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All the staff at Connections hope that you all had a healthy and happy summer! We really look forward to seeing all our returning and new students so we can get down to the business of learning.  We wish we could meet all of our students in person but circumstances will not allow that at this time.  

All eligible students will be receiving phone calls and letters over the next week to welcome them to the new school year with instructions on how to participate.  If you do not get a call or letter, cannot attend the presentation or have not yet expressed interest in Connections please contact Anders or Jasmin using the staff contact information information below.  We will be hosting Connections Information Meeting via Zoom on Thursday September 10th at 6pm.  Please use this link to join us for the presentation and ask questions.

https://zoom.us/j/91576033715?pwd=YXZKRTByWHBPVi96ZDdJdndIZGx0Zz09

Meeting ID: 915 7603 3715
Passcode: 411807
One tap mobile
+19712471195,,91576033715#,,,,,,0#,,411807# US (Portland)

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Wow, what a year! I could never have imagined how this school year would turn out. I’m truly sorry that I have not been able to see you in person and I hope that the future brings people back together in real life. One thing I do know is that each of you are stronger and more resilient that you can every imagine. I hope everyone has a great summer and I wish the best for your future.

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Because of safety concerns due to Covid-19 the district denied the request to hold a Connections Moving on/end of the year BBQ. We are planning on rescheduling it for the fall and we are deeply disappointed that we will not get to see all of you in real life.

If you borrowed technology from the district it will need to be returned by Wednesday June 10th. Your case manager or advocate will contact you about how to return the equipment.

There are some summer vocational opportunities available for students and please check out the web sites below to find out more information. If you are interested, please contact your case manager right away and we can help the application process.

OVRS Pre employment summer services:
https://www.oregon.gov/DHS/EMPLOYMENT/VR/Pages/YTS-Pre-ETS.aspx

ARC of Lane County World of Work summer program:

World-of-Work

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A message to parents and guardians from Eugene School District 4J
4J Schedules Furlough Days This Week & Next
Cost-saving measure will save funds to offset cuts next school year

Dear families,

Eugene School District 4J and all Oregon school districts are bracing for significant budget impacts in the next few years as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The district is taking steps and considering all options to address the coming shortfalls.

Our goals are to, to the extent possible:
• Maintain class sizes
• Minimize layoffs
• Preserve a full school year next year

Earlier this spring, as the budget implications of the pandemic began to emerge, the district quickly instituted hiring and expenditure freezes to conserve funds. Now the difficult decision has been made to reduce school days in this already disrupted school year as an important cost-saving option to offset further cuts next year.

The district will implement two furlough days in June.

Friday, June 5 will be a no-teacher day for middle and high school students.
Wednesday, June 10 will be the final school day, instead of June 11
This will save about $1 million to help protect school days and staff positions next school year. On furlough days employees do not work and are not paid by the district.

4J joins many other school districts locally and across Oregon in implementing this cost-saving measure. In an effort to hold staff financially harmless through the furlough, the district has applied for the Work Share Oregon program, which combines state unemployment and federal funding, to offset employees’ lost wages.

The district is committed to supporting the needs of families and will continue to provide free meals throughout the furlough period. Staff will work modified schedules to ensure this important service continues.

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Wednesday June 10th will be the last day of the 19-20 school year! We will also be hosting a moving on/end of the school year social gathering outside of the Connections Building. We will start at 11:00am and ending around 2:30pm. We will be socially distancing, provide masks if necessary and monitor hygiene/bathroom disinfecting. Various BBQ foods will be provided as well as drinks, vegetables and desert. Please RSVP to Heather at williams_he@4j.lane.edu or to your case manager or advocate.

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I hope all of you are enjoying the change in weather and it sure feels like summer is coming! If you have any concerns that need to be addressed please contact your Advocate or Case Manager right away since there are only a few more weeks left of school. Our last official day will be June 12th!

We are planning a social distancing barbeque to be held on Friday June 5th in the early afternoon. Stay tuned for details! There will also be two furlough days before the end of the term and we don’t yet know exactly what day or what it will look like. If the furlough will be o

n a Friday we might move the barbeque to Thursday June 4th. That’s next week 🙂

A second round of gift cards will be mailed out at the end of this week. If you would like a different one please let us know right away and we will try our best to fulfill your request. Keep participating!

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