Dear Monroe Families,

This week marked State Testing Week, and we’re proud of how our students showed up and engaged in the process. From focused effort to positive attitudes, they brought their best—and we appreciate your support in helping them be ready each day. With just a little over a month of school left, now is the time to engage, re-engage, and finish strong. For our 6th and 7th graders, this is a chance to end the year on a high note and build momentum for the fall. For our 8th graders, it's an especially important moment to set a solid foundation as they prepare to step into high school. Next week the 8th graders will be touring Sheldon High School as a first step in getting a feel for what it’s like to be a Sheldon Irish! Also, there is a lot of relevant information for 8th grade families as we end the year (Camp Harlow, 8th grade Promotion, etc.) so please pay close attention to those details sent out by Stephanie! 

A huge shout out to the Monroe Parent Organization (MPO) for making Teacher Appreciation Week extra special! Today’s sandwich bar and goodies were a hit, and our staff felt so seen and supported. We’re truly blessed to have such a thoughtful, generous community behind us. Thank you for all you do to lift up our school!

Shout Outs this Week:

• Our track team represented Monroe proudly at districts yesterday—special recognition goes to the girls 4x400 relay team for their standout performance! 

• 5th Graders: we also welcomed 5th graders from Holt, Willagillespie, and Buena Vista as they toured our school to get a feel for life at Monroe. Big thanks to the Monroe and elementary staff who helped make their visit smooth, welcoming, informative, and engaging! 

• Raptor Art Exposition: out of more than 600 submissions state-wide, 17 of our Advanced Art Students were selected for the Raptor Art Exposition- details HERE! TONIGHT 5-7 at Springfield City Hall, there will be a reception for the student artists, and the show is part of the Second Friday Art Walk! We had more artists chosen for the Expo than any other school in OR, and we're the only school where all of our selected students are being shown in both this show and the one at the Cascade Raptor Center. Give these kids a congrats when you see them, and look for these works to also appear at our May 30th Art & Music in the Courtyard!

  • Sophie Filip, Claire Jordan, Meara Smith, Nala Leon, Kamila Salinas, Carrigan Mable, Runa Bungum, Anna Kucinski, Ashley Alfaro, Danna Andrade-Pelayo, Adabelle O’Conner, Laila Hammond, Micah Marwitz, Hazel Pacheco, Elle Smith, and Kellen Hammer-Ewing.

Have a great weekend…Go Mustangs!

Monroe’s Got Talent Auditions: Our first ever Monroe’s Got Talent competition! *If you cannot attend auditions after school 5/19, you may schedule a FLEX Audition for 5/15 or 5/20 HERE.  ONLY request a FLEX audition if you can NOT come after school (eg. you can't get a ride home, etc). We only have a few spots!! You will need to be there after school 6/2 for the rehearsal. email newbold_g@4j.lane.edu with questions. This is a great opportunity for our amazing students to showcase their real talents with guest judges and prizes for the winners!

Art & Music in the Courtyard: Save the date Friday, May 30th 5:30-7:30 PM.  Food trucks + student art + Spring Band Concert + live music + raffles + silent auction in the courtyard. FREE for the entire community! Our biggest and best event of the year! 

Sheldon Fall Color Guard: "Try It Outs" are Monday May 12, Wednesday May 15, and Thursday May 16th from 4:30-6:30pm at Sheldon HS. We will be meeting at the Sheldon HS Band Room. The Sheldon Color Guard incorporates dance and the use of flags and other equipment and performs with the Sheldon Marching Band. Our "try it outs" are a way for our new and returning members to try our color guard program and see if it's a good fit for you. If you would like more information about the program visit our New Member Information at: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J8iNkt8oaEQa2JoX9JncitFmbG-dovfe?usp=drive_link

Courageous Kids: Courageous Kids is offering our camp for children in grief: July 15th-18th.

• To Apply for Camp (Deadline 6/1/25): https://forms.office.com/r/DX9pBNqvFZ 

• Camp Volunteer Interest Apply Here: https://forms.office.com/r/KZtEheFuL9

• We NEED 10 more volunteers!

• For Campers and Families:

• Camp Frequently Asked Questions

  • Thank you for your interest in Courageous Kids Camp! We hope the information below helps answer questions about what to expect from camp as you consider whether this would be the right experience for your child.

  • What is Courageous Kids Camp? Courageous Kids Camp is a FREE grief camp for grieving children and teens who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life.

  • When is Courageous Kids Camp? July 15-18, 2025

  • Where will the camp be located? We are hosting camp at Sky Camp, which is in Fall Creek, Oregon.

  • Who can attend Courageous Kids Camp? Children ages 6-17 who have experienced the death of a significant person in their life. Children need to be able to spend the night in a cabin with other campers their ages.

  • Is it ok if the person did not die on hospice? Yes. The death experienced may have been supported by Sacred Heart Hospice, but this is not necessary. Children experiencing an unexpected death due to car accident, heart attack, etc. are also invited to attend camp.

  • Who is facilitating camp? Courageous Kids Camp is led by professional staff and caring, trained volunteers. All adults supporting campers are required to attend extensive trainings and complete health screenings and background checks. The volunteers support campers in many different roles, including counselors in the cabins and supporting campers with creative expression.

  • What can my child expect to do at camp? The weekend includes traditional summer camp activities, including swimming, “campfires”, art and music, as well as creative grief activities to honor and remember the person who died. Campers can also expect opportunities to be silly and goofy and to have a lot of fun.

  • How is Courageous Kids Camp funded and supported? Courageous Kids Camp is supported by the generous PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center Foundation, and there is no charge to families or campers.

  • What we believe: We believe that all children deserve to be safe and feel free to be their full, honest, whole selves at camp. We create a space that is safe and inclusive to all children and welcome the diversity and uniqueness of each child. We work hard to ensure that every child is cared for, seen, and able to trust that they can go to any adult for support. We also believe that every child has the right to “pass” at camp. We know that grief is hard, messy, and unpredictable. It’s important to us that all campers have autonomy to navigate their grief experience at camp and are able to make choices about how they want to participate throughout the weekend.

  • Contact us! If you have questions or would like to request an application. 458-205-7474

Parent Education Night: On May 13, 2025 Student Support Services is hosting their final Parent Education Night at the District Office from 6:00pm - 7:30pm.  There will also be a livestream option if you can't make it in person.  The theme is "Parent Empowerment" and we will be discussing how to respond to challenging behavior.  We hope to see you there !

Scholastic Book Fair: We are needing volunteers for the Spring Scholastic Book Fair the week of: May 27-30th, and also set up the week before . The Fall Scholastic Book Fair was such a success and the students have been looking forward to this Spring one as well. Volunteer help is needed, before and after school, lunches...and during Art & Music in the Courtyard the evening of May 30th. If you would like to volunteer please sign up HERE or email Dietra (diertra@msn.com) or Tina (tinasmeow@hotmail.com) with questions. Thanks in advance for making this event successful, small shift or long shift, it all helps. The Book Fair is a fun atmosphere to join if you can! 

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is celebrated annually in May in the United States to highlight the history, heritage and contributions of Asian Pacific American communities.  Asian-Americans and Pacific Islander Americans (AAPI) play a large role in the history of the United States. Contributing to stronger societies as individuals and as a group, their ancestry tracks back to continental Asia (the Middle East, East Asia and Southeast Asia) and the Pacific Islands (Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) in the United States. See below and HERE for a few local opportunities! 

• AANHPI Heritage Celebration: May 9th 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Guy Lee Elementary, 755 Harlow Rd, Springfield, Food, Performance, Crafts, organized by Guy Lee Elementary School, AANHPI Celebration

• Asian Night Market: Time-May 23th 5:00-10:00 p.m. at Eugene Farmers Market Pavilion & Plaza. 8th & Oak Sts, Free Admission, organized by Asian American Council of Oregon https://asiancouncil.org/asian-night-market-2025/

Morning Drop Off: as you pull up to drop your students, please keep the line and flow moving. If you need to stop and wait, please pull into one of the parking spots. Thanks for this courtesy so other families can keep moving and not wait too far back in line! 

Applications for the AVID program are now open to all current 6th, and 7th grade students! 

What is the AVID elective?

• The AVID elective is a course designed to build students' skills through collaborative study groups, Focus Notes, field trips, presentations, guest speakers, and community.

• The theme of AVID is academic success with a focus on college.

• It is a year-long class that takes up 1 of students' 2 elective periods; students typically remain in the program through 8th grade and even 12th grade.

Who are AVID students?

• Students interested in pursuing college after high school and are seeking additional organization, adult mentorship, and other support in getting there.

• 1st generation college students or historically underrepresented college students.

• Students interested in being a part of a community within a school.

• Students interested in taking their academics seriously.
  

How can students apply?

• Paper copies are available in the front office. Feel free to print a copy HERE.

• Students can fill out a digital application instead here (available in Spanish as well): Monroe AVID Application (Digital)

• Applications are due Friday, May 30th and interviews will take place the following weeks after. 

Best,

Stephanie Plascencia

Office Manager 

Monroe Middle School

plascencia_s@4j.lane.edu

Phone: (541)790-6324