Effective January 1, 2026
Beginning January 1, 4J schools will implement a revised "Off and Away" policy for all personal electronic devices. This update complies with a statewide mandate (Executive Order No. 25-09) designed to minimize digital distractions and support student mental health and academic success.
While 4J has long prohibited device use during instructional time, this revised policy extends the "Off and Away" requirement to the entirety of the school day, including lunch and passing periods.
🗓️ Join Us: Parent Information Night
We recognize that this is a significant shift for our students and families, and we are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible. We invite you to join us to discuss the "why" behind these changes and how they will be implemented at Churchill.
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Date: Thursday, January 8
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Time: 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM
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Location: Churchill High School Auditorium
What we will cover:
- An overview of the Governor’s mandate and district guidelines.
- The benefits of a "phone-free" instructional environment.
- How students can stay in touch with families.
- A dedicated Q&A session to address your questions and concerns.
📞 How to Contact Your Child at School
We want to ensure families remain connected. To support this transition, we have the following systems in place:
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In Case of Emergency: If there is a family emergency, please call the Main Office at 541-790-5100. Our staff will notify your child immediately and provide a private space for them to call you back.
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If Your Child Needs to Reach You: Dedicated student phones are located in the Student Support Center and the Gym. Office staff are available to help students find and use these phones if they need to contact home.
What to Expect on Campus:
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⏰ Bell-to-Bell: Devices must be silenced and stored from the start of the first period until the final dismissal bell.
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🎒 Secured Storage: Devices must be kept in designated locations (lockers, backpacks, or classroom storage—NOT in pockets).
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✅ Exceptions: Use of personal devices remains permitted if required by an IEP, 504, or health plan.
Our goal is to partner with you to help our students stay focused on their education and each other. We look forward to seeing you on January 8!
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1. Why is this policy being implemented now? This policy is in response to the state-wide mandate from the Governor’s office. Research shows that even the presence of a phone reduces cognitive capacity. We are helping students reclaim their focus and reduce social anxiety.
2. How can I reach my child during the school day if there is an emergency? In the event of a family emergency, please call the Main Office at 541-790-5100. We will notify your child and provide a space to call you back.
3. How can my child reach me if they need something? Student phones are located in the Student Support Center and the Gym. Office staff are available to help students find and use these phones if they need to contact home.
4. What about school safety and lockdowns? Safety experts advise against cell phone use during an active emergency because silence is safety (phones can give away locations), students need to focus on life-saving instructions, and outgoing signals can jam local towers.
5. My child uses their phone for medical monitoring. Is there an exception? Yes. Any student with a documented medical need (IEP or 504 plan) will be granted an exemption for that specific purpose. Please contact the school nurse to ensure this is on file.
6. Where will the phones be stored? We use the "Away for the Day" policy. Phones must be turned off (or on silent) and kept out of sight in the student's backpack.
7. Can students use their phones during lunch or passing periods? No. To encourage social interaction and prevent cyberbullying, this is a "bell-to-bell" policy.
8. What happens if a student violates the policy? We use a progressive approach:
We use a progressive approach:
We use a progressive approach:
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Level 1 (first-time offense or minor misuse): Verbal warning and reminder about the policy and school expectations
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Level 2 (Repeated or ongoing misuse): Device will be confiscated and held in the office until the end of the school day, families will be notified, and minor referral issued.
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Level 3 (Defiance or disruptive misuse): Device will be confiscated and held in the office until the end of the school day, followed by a required student conference with a family member and school administrator in attendance. Students may need to check-in their devices at the office at the start of the school day for a set period of time to reinforce expectations.
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🗓️ Monday, 1/5 — 🚫🏫 School Closed
Planning and Professional Development
🗓️ Tuesday, 1/6
🟦 🧭 ADVISORY A DAY
🥫CHS Food Pantry, 3:45 – 4:45 pm
🗓️ Wednesday, 1/7
🟥 B DAY
📱 Student Cell Phone Policy Information & Q&A Session, at Lunch
🚪 Office closes at 2:45 pm
🗓️ Thursday, 1/8
🟦 A DAY
🏛️Site Council Meeting, 5:00 pm
👪📱Cell Phone Policy Information & Q&A Session for parents, 6:30 pm
🗓️ Friday, 1/9
🟥 B DAY
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🗓️ Monday, 1/12
🟦 A DAY
🏫 School Choice Presentation (in person), 6:00 – 7:00 pm
🗓️ Tuesday, 1/13
🟥 B DAY
🥫CHS Food Pantry, 3:45 – 4:45 pm
🗓️ Wednesday, 1/14
🟦 A DAY
🚪 Office closes at 3:30 pm
✈️🇯🇵 Educational/Cultural Trip to Japan Orientation 2026, 6:00 – 7:20 pm
🗓️ Thursday, 1/15
🟥🧭 ADVISORY B DAY
💻 School Choice Presentation (Virtual), 6:00 – 7:00 pm
🗓️ Friday, 1/16
🟦 A DAY
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We are pleased to announce that CHS will be offering an after-school Homework Club, beginning Tuesday, January 13. Homework Club meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:35–4:35 PM in the Library.
This program provides students with a quiet, supervised space to complete homework, study, and receive academic support. All students are welcome to attend. We will share more information about available tutors and support as the program develops.
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Nos complace anunciar que el Club de Tarea comenzará el 13 de enero después de la escuela.
El Club de Tarea se reunirá dos veces por semana, los martes y los jueves, de 3:35 a 4:35 p. m. en la biblioteca.
Este programa ofrece a los estudiantes un espacio tranquilo y supervisado para completar tareas, estudiar y recibir apoyo académico. Todos los estudiantes están invitados a participar. Compartiremos más información sobre los tutores y apoyos disponibles a medida que el programa se desarrolle.
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Our offices will be closed until January 6.
* Planning on obtaining Honors Diploma recognition? The hour logs are due at the end of January. See your School Counselor if you have any questions. Logs are due to Kari Ludington, School Counselor, by January 30, 2026.
* FAFSA and OSAC called, and they are waiting for your applications! Who doesn't like the chance for FREE money?! Winter break may be just the time you've needed to get those applications completed. Even if you are thinking of taking a gap year, joining the military, or going straight to full-time work, fill out your FAFSA and OSAC. If you don't go to college right after high school, then you don't need to use the money. But if at the last second you decide, "Hey! I think I actually might like to go to LCC/PSU (or wherever)," you won't have missed your chance for that $$$.
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A virtual application workshop for the Eugene area Seniors, January 13th, from 5-6 pm. This is a free application for those who sign up (with a 2.5+ GPA requirement).
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Don’t miss your chance to attend RISD Pre-College this summer! Join our community of dedicated art and design students committed to the concept of critical making. Experiment with new materials, tools, and techniques, test your theories, and challenge your ideas. Whether you join us in person or virtually, you’ll take courses led by our accomplished teaching artists and get a taste of the RISD first-year experience alongside talented and like-minded student artists and designers from around the world. Apply early to secure your spot! Pre-College: June 27–August 1. Live on campus in Providence or commute from home and immerse yourself in day-long studio classes, visits to the Nature Lab and RISD Museum, critiques, and projects.
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See Bushnell University in Eugene for yourself.
Take a student-led campus tour, connect one-on-one with your admissions counselor, and tailor your visit to fit your interests—whether that’s sitting in on a class, meeting a coach, or grabbing lunch with a current student.
– Guided campus tour
– Personalized admissions meeting
– Custom visit options
Earn a $1,000 Visit Scholarship when you enroll after your visit!
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The Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls helps girls ages 14-18 grow up to be strong, successful, happy adults. It provides girls with access to professional role models, career education, and resources to live their dreams. Sponsored by the Eugene Soroptimist International Club. Girls learn about career opportunities, setting and achieving goals, overcoming obstacles to success, and moving forward after setbacks.
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Students who submitted early action/decision applications should expect decisions by the end of December. If students have received an email from UO admissions, please update your (STARS) through your UO application status portal.
- Honors College decisions will come separately
- The Regular decision deadline is Thursday, January 15th, 2026.
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- The OSAC Scholarship Early Bird Deadline - 2/17/26 (your application will be entered in a drawing for a $500 scholarship!
- The OSAC Scholarship Final Deadline - 3/2/26
- The Oregon Promise Grant Deadline for high school students graduating from Mar 1 to Jun 30 - 6/1/26
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The sooner the FAFSA or ORSAA is submitted, the sooner Seniors will know if they qualify for any Federal grants, scholarships, or loans. Plus, most scholarships require students to have completed the FAFSA, too. If you haven’t started, please click this link for instructions.
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Winter Break is a great time to work on scholarship essays!
Oregon Student Aid
- On the application, please click the box that says your school will upload your transcript. Transcripts will be bulk-loaded to OSAC between February 5th and February 7th, after semester 1 grades have been processed.
- Oregon Promise - All applicants, your GPAs will be verified by CHS between February 5th and February 7th, after semester 1 grades have been processed.
Individual colleges and universities
Search the websites of colleges or universities you want to attend for institutional scholarships.
Lane Foundation
For students attending Lane Community College for at least 6 credits per term.
The application for the 2026-2027 academic year will open in early January 2026. The 2026-2027 application deadline will be March 3, 2026, at 11:59 pm.
Xello
Go to your Xello account and find Scholarships under the Plan menu, then search for local and national scholarships. Quick Xello access: sign into Canvas, click on any course, then look at the menu on the left and click on the Xello link.
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4J District News and Events |
Eugene School District 4J is committed to open communication and keeping families informed. If you are not receiving emails and text messages from the district or your student’s school, please update your contact information with your student’s school.
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Our Community News section contains information about community-sponsored events, activities, resources, and opportunities that may benefit our students and families. We do not share promotional information for for-profit organizations. Liability is the responsibility of the sponsoring organization. |
📝 Young Writers Short Fiction Contest
Fiction Fantastic
Our annual youth short story contest, Fiction Fantastic, is open for entries from all Lane County students in grades K-12. It’s FREE for students to enter their original short stories between 300 and 3,000 words.
(The contest closes January 10, 2026).
Fiction Fantastic facts
- Contest accepts submissions from Oct 1, 2025, to Jan 10, 2026
- Open to all Lane County students in grades K-12
- Blind-judged by story-loving volunteers
- 4 grade-level categories: K-2 (not judged), 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
- No cost to enter
- Prizes and professional anthology publication for winners (plus chocolate!)
And… if you’d like to read some of the stories yourself, we’d LOVE to have you as one of our volunteer judges. You can sign up to be a judge here. (Just let us know your potential conflict of interest, and we won’t assign you stories that might be from your students.) You can learn all about Fiction Fantastic, read past years’ winning stories, and get the submission guidelines at fictionfantastic.org.
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Our community is rich with resources and skilled, compassionate providers. Our hope is that this guide will be a support to families as they navigate systems and access services. At this time, Relief Nursery is not able to translate the entire Resource Guide into Spanish, though we recognize the need and hope to pursue that project in the future. The Resource Guide includes some Spanish language translation, particularly in the areas that specifically focus on serving Hispanic and Latino clients, English as a Second Language classes, and Immigration and Migrant services.
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Register for ParentSquare: ParentSquare allows you to receive important information and alerts from your student's classroom and school. Registering allows you to set your notification preferences, among many benefits. Remember to register using the email address you provided your school. Register for ParentSquare
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