Welcome Back, Students!

Kindergarten and first grade students come back to school • Older students will start returning to classrooms after spring break

Eugene School District 4J is happy to be welcoming back students to school buildings in a hybrid model this spring, after a year of distance learning.

Elementary schools began welcoming our youngest students back to schools last week for transition and orientation to on-site learning in the hybrid learning model.

Students in kindergarten and first grade came to school in small groups to meet their teacher, get to know their classroom and the school, and start to get familiar with important health and safety protocols. 

We look forward to welcoming more students back after spring break. Grades 2–5 will have hybrid transition the week of March 29. Middle and high schools will start the hybrid schedule April 12, with transition for some students the week before.

Back-to-School Video: What's New This Spring?

Watch this brief back-to-school overview video with your kids 

We're excited to be returning to in-person learning. It's been a year since most of our students have been inside a school. And for some learners, it's the first time ever!

We want everyone to be safe, healthy and comfortable at school. Your teacher will help your student learn the new rules for school this spring—including staying apart, wearing face masks, washing hands, and more.

Parents and students can watch this video as a brief introduction to what students can expect when they come to school on-site. It is available in English and Spanish.

School Schedules for Hybrid & Online Learners

Five days of learning, two days on-site in hybrid model 

Students are getting ready to return to classrooms after a year of distance learning. Students enrolled in the hybrid model will learn on-site at school two days a week—either Monday and Tuesday, or Thursday and Friday—and online at home the other days. Students enrolled in all-online learning will learn from home five days a week.

Grade-level teams of teachers, specialists and administrators have worked to develop learning schedules that will provide students with high-quality, teacher-directed learning, both on-site and online. School days will feature a combination of live full-class instruction, small group work, and independent learning activities.

School schedules are different for elementary, middle and high school: 

Elementary schools will start each day with a class zoom connecting students in the classroom and at home. Schedules are similar for hybrid and online classrooms.

Daily middle school live class times are moving to the morning, aligned with parent feedback. Hybrid students will also attend class on-site two afternoons a week, while off-site students engage in asynchronous learning assignments at home. 

High schools’ daily schedule in the hybrid model will mirror the schedule during distance learning, with the same class times and the same A/B day schedule, simultaneously for students both on-site and off-site. 

School schedules may vary somewhat, such as to spread out passing periods for different groups of students. Your school will share its specific schedule.

Free Meals Change to Weekly Delivery

Kitchens shifting to serve students in school • Free meals will be available as weekly meal box deliveries

Over the past year, since school buildings closed in spring 2020, 4J has served more than 1,600,000 free meals to 4J students and other youth.

Now, as students return to school buildings, school kitchens will shift to serve daily meals to students attending school on-site each day. Other free youth meals will be distributed by once-a-week delivery to families who have signed up.

After spring break, free weekly meal boxes will be delivered to families who have requested them on Wednesdays, the one day buses will not be busy taking students to school. Delivery is available to addresses within the 4J boundary, per federal rules. All 4J students and youth age 18 years old and under are eligible. There are no income requirements.

Weekly meal boxes will include breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. Options for vegetarian, no-gluten, or other allergens or dietary restrictions are available. Soy or reduced-fat milk options also are available. Everyone who wants to receive weekly meal boxes must sign up, even if they are currently receiving daily meal deliveries.

Youth meal box delivery begins after spring break, with the first delivery on Wednesday, March 31. Pickup locations will not reopen after spring break.

Coming to School? Be Ready to Wear a Mask!

Students and staff must wear a face covering correctly at all times

4J schools have implemented protocols to protect the health and safety of returning students and staff, including daily screening, physical distancing, face coverings, cohorting, and increased cleaning procedures.

Students and staff wearing face coverings properly at all times is essential for health and safety. Many students are already used to wearing a face covering, while for others this will be a new experience. 

Students returning to in-person learning should understand and be ready to follow these simple rules for face coverings—right kind, right way, all the time:

There will be no "mask breaks" for groups or routinely for individual students. Meal periods are the exception. Students may remove their face coverings briefly while eating, while they stay seated and distanced from others.

Consider packing an extra face covering or two in your student's backpack in case the one they're wearing becomes wet or dirty. If you need a face covering provided for your student, ask your school.

Thank you for helping your student be prepared, safe and comfortable in their return to in-person learning.