Hello Twin Oaks! We are so excited for the start of the 2025–26 school year! Our staff has been working hard over the summer to prepare the building and get ready to welcome students and families back. We also spent time together in math professional development, diving into our newly adopted curriculum, Bridges and Number Corner. Learning these new materials as a team has been a great way to start the year with collaboration and shared purpose. The 4J Facilities team has also been busy with summer projects around the building—look a little farther down in this newsletter to learn more about the improvements they’ve made. As a district, we are thrilled to welcome our new superintendent,  Dr. Miriam Mickelson. Dr. Mickelson led professional development for administrators this summer, and I’ve had many opportunities to connect with her in meaningful ways. We are excited to host her at Twin Oaks once the school year is underway. Our school community stands ready to champion Dr. Mickelson and the School Board’s call to action: The 4J Way—Growing Together, Centering Students. As we begin a new year together, I want to extend a heartfelt welcome to every student and family in our Twin Oaks community. Each new school year brings fresh opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. I know this will be a year filled with joy, curiosity, and success for our students. Thank you for your continued partnership and support—we are truly stronger together. Here’s to a wonderful 2025–26 school year at Twin Oaks! Warmly, Stephanie Randall  Twin Oaks Principal

                                 Mark Your Calendar!                                      

  First Day of School Schedules

First Days of School

Kindergarten Smart Start

• All Kinder Students Attend: Sept. 3 & Sept. 8-10
• Only Last Name A–L: Attend Thursday, Sept. 4
• Only Last Name M–Z: Attend Friday, Sept. 5
• No Kindergarten Sept. 11 & 12 (parent/teacher conversations)

• Kindergarten families can visit the 4J Kindergarten Smart Start Website for details.
• Additional info can be found on the Holt Kindergarten Information Webpage. and on the 4J Kindergarten Enrollment Webpage.

Enroll Now! If you know anyone who is new to the area with school-age students, please have them contact Twin Oaks  office staff by phone at (541) 790-3417or email Jenna Hoagland at hoagland_j@4j.lane.edu The office is now open daily 8:00-12:00 and 1:00-3:00.

Meet Your Teacher, Tuesday, Sept. 2nd, 4:00-5:00 

Class Assignments: Class lists will be emailed to families on Friday, August 29th. Watch for an email from your child’s new teacher!

4J Bus Stops and Routes

To find out your student's bus pickup and drop-off times and locations, sign up for a My Ride K-12 account.
Download the app today today to get up-to-date route information and more!

New to My Ride K-12? Check out the 4J Parent/Guardian User Guide.

Snow Routes: Information about snow routes in inclement weather 

Is my student eligible to take the bus?

For route questions, please call 541-790-7474
(Adaptive/special needs routes: sped_transportation@4j.lane.edu, 541-790-7484)

Twin Oaks is looking for volunteers! 

Volunteer Background Check
Interested in volunteering? Be sure to fill out the 4J Volunteer Background Check so you can join in on the fun! 4j volunteer background checks are valid for two years, if you need to check in on the status of your volunteer application, call the office: 541-790-3417


Register for ParentSquare: ParentSquare lets you receive important information and alerts from your child's school and district. Registering allows you to set your notification preferences, among many benefits. Remember to register using the email address you provided to your school. Register for ParentSquare

Twin Oaks Updates!
We had a busy summer of building updates. 

• Playground Update
  • New equipment installed and removal of out of date equipment
• Trash Compactor Installed
• New waterline from the pump house well to the building
• Heat mitigation tarps installed
  • Shade cloth has been added to the east side of the building to help keep indoor temperatures cooler. While not the most decorative addition, these tarps have historically reduced building temperatures by 4–8 degrees—and we’re already noticing the difference. The shade cloth will remain in place through September, then be removed for fall and winter, and reinstalled in late spring as warmer weather returns.

Twin Oaks 2025-26 School Supply List

Since 2021, the district had provided basic school supplies at no cost for students in grades K-5 using one-time federal funding. The funding has expired, and the district can no longer provide free school supplies for elementary school students. 

Rather than have extensive, detailed, grade specific supply lists, Twin Oaks plans to purchase school supplies in bulk for classrooms and for our students. This year we will depend on your contributions to do so. The recommended contribution to help cover the cost of supplies is $40 per student. 

Contributions can be made online HERE or use the QR code below. If you'd like to pay in person or have questions please connect with Ms. Jenna in the office.

We appreciate your understanding about this change. Reach out to the office if you have any questions. 

Additionally Items needed per student: 

Backpack

Water Bottle

Tissue Box

Shoes suitable for PE

If you're willing and able to purchase and donate items we could always use:

tissue boxes

zip style bags in all sizes

individually packaged snacks (goldfish, pretzels, popcorn)

clean wipes

glue sticks 

expo pens 

wide ruled loose leaf paper

printer/copy machine paper

Crayola brand crayons, markers and colored pencils

Oregon Student Cell Phone & Smart Watch Ban

• 1st offense (teacher holds until end of day)
• 2nd offense (stays in office until end of day)
• 3rd offense (parent/guardian picks up from office)

Morning Breakfast

Breakfast will begin serving at 7:30 in the cafeteria and will end at 7:50. Students wanting breakfast may walk to the cafeteria. When they finish eating, they'll wait in the cafeteria to be excused to class by school staff.  Students arriving late should check in at the office and will receive a grab-and-go breakfast. Breakfast and lunch are free for all students.

Late Students to Office

Doors close at 7:55, and any students arriving after that need to check in at the office before going to class.
There will be some grace during the first week of school, but starting the first full week of school, all doors will close promptly at 7:55.

Lower Parking Lot Walkway Pausing Parking Reminders

In the mornings, students may be dropped off along the walkway of the lower parking lot. At the end of the day, drivers can pause-park along the walkway to pick up their students. Students will be staged in the gym and will be called out as their car arrived. Please note the following rules for pause-parking:

• Drivers must remain in their cars at all times.
• You'll receive a student name card, please place that in the window where it is visible to school staff. 
• 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 students, and it slows traffic.
• Drivers must remember to ALWAYS yield at the painted crosswalks and sidewalks.
• If your student needs assistance with a seatbelt or car seat, please park to assist your student. 

Student Attendance and Tardies

One of the most reliable predictors of school success is regular attendance. Absences for any reason result in lost instructional time. We know that students who fall behind often become discouraged learners. We hope to work together to encourage your child’s regular attendance and academic 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 essential that we collaborate 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, but it is also disruptive to their classmates.

When your child will be late or absent from school, please call the attendance line at 790-6111 before 8:15 a.m. to inform the office staff. You may leave a message on the voicemail 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.

Update Your Child’s Health Information

Ensure your child’s health records are current. We want to be aware of respiratory-based diagnoses, allergies, or other health conditions. Linked here are the Asthma Assessment Form and the General Medical Profile Form, which you can email or deliver to front office staff.

Does your child take medication during the day? Please contact our office manager, Jenna Hoagland, to set up a time to come into the office, drop off medication and complete the necessary paperwork. hoagland_j@4j.lane.edu or 541-790-3417

FREE Breakfast & Lunches

All students will be provided with a free breakfast and lunch. No paperwork is necessary. 

Nut-Free Table in Cafeteria

For students with nut allergies, we offer a Nut-Free Table in the cafeteria. Students may bring a friend with them to the Nut-Free Table if the friend has a school-provided meal, which is always nut-free.

Breakfast & Lunch Menus

Breakfast and lunch menus are available on the 4J Menu Website.  Make sure you filter to Twin Oaks Elementary.

Student Information Available to Non-Custodial Parents

Twin Oaks Elementary is able to provide all co-custodial or non-custodial parents with 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.

FROM EUGENE SCHOOL DISTRICT 4J AND THE COMMUNITY

Message from Home Safe Routes to School

As you gear up for the school year, it’s time to think about how your child(ren) will get to school. September weather and the start of the school year are a great time to set new goals for the family. Making small changes to your daily routine can lead to a surprising number of benefits for your family and community! We encourage students to walk, bike, skate, scoot, bus or carpool to school for their health and readiness to learn, the safety and congestion in our parking lot, and the environment. If you’ve got to drive but still want the health and academic benefits for your child and want to avoid the challenge of the parking lot, try parking a few minutes from school and walking the rest of the way. It’s a great time to connect with your child and could become a favorite part of your day!

If you have concerns about your route or would like help planning a walking/biking route or starting a biking or walking group, contact 4J’s Safe Routes to School Coordinator at mazze_s@4j.lane.edu or 541-790-7539. You can find tip sheets on walking and biking and more on the Safe Routes to School Regional website.

When Can My Child Safely Walk Alone?

DISTRICT NOTIFICATIONS

Title 1 Assessment Testing – The Eugene 4j School District administers both reading and math assessments to each of our students three times a year ~ fall, winter, and spring. Students scoring below the 20th percentile may be recommended by the building-level team to receive instructional interventions in reading and/or math. Students receiving interventions will have their progress monitored during regular intervals. At our school, all students receive 45 minutes of reading instruction and 45 minutes of instruction in the area of mathematics each day. Parents/guardians will be notified if their child is recommended to receive additional reading or math instruction.

Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Process - Eugene School District 4J has policies and programs to prohibit and prevent bullying and harassment, including intimidation, cyberbullying, hazing and teen dating violence. District policy also prohibits discrimination, meaning any act that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably differentiating in treatment in any instructional program, extracurricular activity, or in the provision of any other service or benefit on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation (actual or perceived), gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, marital status, age, disability, military or veteran status, or any other factor protected by law.

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 and harassment, including intimidation, cyberbullying, hazing and teen dating violence, sexual harassment or discrimination. No reprisal or adverse action will occur as a consequence of initiating a complaint in good faith.

Incidents should be reported to the school principal or other staff member. An optional Student Safety Reporting Form is available in the front office of the school. If the complainant has worked with the school and is not satisfied with the resolution, or if the principal is alleged to have engaged in wrongdoing, a complaint may be directed to the superintendent’s office. Complaint forms and information about the complaint process are available in all 4J school offices on the 4J website at www.4j.lane.edu/complaints 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, 541‑790‑7716.

School to Inform Parents if Their Student Receives a Threat – “Oregon law requires schools to inform parents if their child’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 child’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 child received a threat. Our number one priority will be to make sure that school is safe for your children.

If your child 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.

504 Parent Notification – See the linked 504 Parent Letter from Eugene SD 4J 504 Coordinator Della W. Thomas highlighting some of the developments that pertain to Section 504. CORRECTION TO THE LETTER: 504 Plans are reviewed annually, not just in specific grades.

K-12 Student Accident Insurance, Apply Online  Are you worried about paying for your child's medical care if an accident requiring medical care happens? Apply online for K&K's student accident insurance. Click the above flyer, application, or website for more info.

Clothing FREE Assistance to Walk, Bike, or Roll to School! If your student will walk, bike, roll, or bus at least some of the time, visit tinyurl.com/eugene4J or click the above flyer for: Lights, reflective gear, or other free gifts, School walking and biking maps, Help finding a comfortable route to school, Safety tips and strategies Clothing Giveaway at Eugene Mission  Happening now until school starts Clothing Giveaway at Eugene Mission School Supplies 1509  1st Ave Donations Entrance M,T,W,TH,F 8:00-4:00  Community Events for B.L.A.Q. Youth Every 2nd & 4th Saturday! The B.L.A.Q. Youth program invites families to join Voices of Legacy on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 10:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. at St. Mark CME Church for dance, wellness, storytelling, and art that build confidence and cultural pride in K–12 youth. Also, don’t miss Soulful Stories on September 20 at Springfield Public Library, featuring read-alouds, crafts, snacks, and free books for kids. Click the flyers for more details and to register—both events are free and open to all!

Parenting Healthy Preteens  Parenting Healthy Preteens’ (4th-6th graders) weekly groups focus on supporting our preteens’ self-esteem, mental health, success at home and school, and ways to take care of ourselves as parents. Enrolling now for summer groups here: https://php.kidsintransitiontoschool.org/lpp/

Mobile Pantry Food and Clothing Distribution The Food for Lane Co. Mobile Pantry runs a monthly FREE food and clothing distribution. See the flyer below or click THIS link