Dear North Eugene Families ~

We hope the summer is off to a great start! Reminder that the building is closed on Fridays during the summer and open Monday - Thursday, 9am - 12pm & 1pm - 3pm. Please make your way into the school during these hours to take care of official school business.

Go NORTH!

DISTRICT CALENDAR

NEHS HIGHLANDER STUDENT NEWS

Welcome New Principal, Ricci Huling

🎉 Welcome to Our New Principal, Ricci Huling! 🎉

We’re thrilled to welcome Ms. Ricci Huling as the new principal of North Eugene High School!

Ms. Huling is a thoughtful and dedicated leader with over 20 years of experience in education. She most recently served as assistant principal at South Eugene High School, where she championed inclusive practices, student leadership, and restorative approaches. Her journey in education started right here in 4J—and in fact, she taught at North Eugene back in 2009–10!

She brings with her a strong equity lens, a cross-cultural perspective, and a deep commitment to amplifying student voice. We’re excited for the energy and care she’ll bring to the Highlander community and know she’ll make a meaningful impact on our students, staff, and families.

🌍 Fun fact: In 2015, Ms. Huling and her family spent a year living and working abroad in Chile, embracing the experience of a new culture and language!

Please join us in giving a warm Highlander welcome to Principal Huling—we’re lucky to have her leading the way!

No-cost Summer opportunities for NEHS students 

Summer School

Summer programs for academic learning and enrichment help students boost their well-being, expand their learning and remain engaged with peers. 4J is providing several summer learning programs for selected students.

High school & transition programs:

• Summer Bridge high school transition (all incoming ninth graders; enrollment limited—contact your high school) | August 4-8
• Summer Intensive Courses for students entering grades 9–12 (registration open)
• Summer High School Credit Recovery (by invitation only) | July 7-August 8
• Extended School Year for selected students receiving special education (by invitation only) | July 8-31

Free Summer Meals for Kids

Free breakfast and lunch are available to all youth ages 18 and under, Monday–Friday, June 30 through August 8 (closed July 4), at the following locations:

• Howard Elementary School – 700 Howard Ave.
• Chávez Elementary School – 1510 W. 14th Ave.

Meal times:

• Breakfast: 9:00–9:30 a.m.
• Lunch: 12:30–1:00 p.m.

Meals must be eaten on-site. Grab-and-go options are not available.

FOOD for Lane County also will provide free summer meals at numerous parks community sites from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. from Monday, June 23, through Friday, August 22. A full list of meals sites can be found on the FOOD for Lane County website

School Office/Health Center Summer Schedules 

Most district offices are open year-round. High school offices remain open through the summer but operate on reduced hours. Elementary school offices, middle school offices, and school-based health centers are closed for most of the summer and reopen in August. 4J’s website has information about enrolling your student during the summer.

2025-26 Academic Calendar

Summer Office Hours

District Office:
Open regular hours
Closed: June 19 & July 4

Elementary & Middle Schools:
Open: June 16–20 & June 23, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. & 1–3 p.m.
Closed: June 24–August 14
Reopen: August 15, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. & 1–3 p.m.

High Schools:
Open throughout the summer
Hours: 9 a.m.–12 p.m. & 1–3 p.m.
Closed: June 19 & July 4

Health Center Summer Schedules
4J has two school-based health centers that serve all elementary, middle and high school students. These clinics, located at Churchill and North Eugene high schools, offer care for most health needs—like illness, injuries, chronic conditions, physicals (including those needed for sports), reproductive health, and immunizations. Call to schedule an appointment. Same-day appointments for physicals and illness care as usually available.

• Churchill Health Center (541-790-5227): Closed starting June 17, reopens August 12
• North Eugene Health Center (541-790-4445): Closed starting June 18, reopens August 11

Visit 4J Health Center webpage for more information.

4J COMMUNITY NEWS

Summer EBT

4J families with eligible school-aged children can receive a total of $120 per child to buy groceries during the summer when school is out.

Families receiving certain federal benefits, such as SNAP, TANF or OHP (Medicaid), will automatically receive Summer EBT benefits, as will those enrolled in migrant programs, who are experiencing homelessness or who are attending Head Start. Families not receiving federal benefits can apply for Summer EBT benefits, although they must meet the income guidelines to receive them. The simple application will be available starting this summer.

Visit the Summer EBT website to apply by September 3, 2025. When applying, you will be asked to provide your child’s name, school, date of birth and address. You will also be asked to report your household income.

Partner with North Eugene High School Athletics – New Sponsorship Opportunities!

Host an Exchange Student in the coming School Year

Hosting an exchange student is a truly rewarding experience that not only enriches the lives of the students but also creates lasting connections and friendships. If your family is unable to host, we would greatly appreciate it if you could help us in our search by reaching out to your community connections or forwarding this email to anyone who might be interested in opening their home to an exchange student. 

Below, I have included brief profiles of some of our students, each with their own unique interests and passions. But I am specifically asking for your help in locating a new host family for a 5-month student from Italy named Valentina, who is 17 years old, has a 4.0 GPA and is a volleyball player. She was placed with a host family in a district south of you, but due to miscommunication with the district, they can no longer accept her and we are desperate to find a new family and school for her within striking distance from Eugene airport, where she is scheduled to arrive on August 23rd. She already has her visa and is ready and excited to spend her fall semester in Oregon!

15-year-old Simone from Spain (female 3.3 GPA) – Loves sports, riding horses and skiing. She also loves to cook and bake desserts! Family is very important to her and she likes to cook with her dad. She will bring much energy and excitement to your home and will be excited to learn about our culture!

16-yr-old Carola from Italy (female 4.0 GPA) – Has done ballet and enjoys exercising. She has 8 siblings, and her youngest (brother) has downs syndrome, whom she loves “endlessly”, and his happiness is very important to her. She is a big family person and has a special relationship with all of them. 

17-yr-old Valentina from Italy (female 3.5 GPA) – Cheerful, respectful, and curious! Has done artistic gymnastics for several years and now competes in cheerleading. She enjoys music, traveling and being around animals, especially dogs! 

16-yr-old Franka from Germany (female 3.7 GPA) – Loves riding horses, baking, playing volleyball and has a big heart for people and animals! (Vegetarian)

17-yr-old Francesco from Italy (male 3.7 GPA) – Loves to cook and likes motorcyles. He is taking lifeguard classes. He’s into computer science and would like to work in cyber security. He has also helped design school merchandise.

16-year-old Matheus from Brazil (male 3.5 GPA) – Lives on a farm. Plays soccer and loves to watch basketball. He goes fishing and hunting with his father.

16-yr-old Balde from Norway (male 3.6 GPA) – Loves to golf! He is so excited because the U.S. is such a big golf nation. He’s calm and easy going. He looks forward to spending time in a country with greater diversity of personalities, cultures and perspectives.

15-yr-old Franz from Germany (male 4.0 GPA) – Open and adventurous. Loves sports and has been doing track and field for many years at a competitive level. He also enjoys snow skiing. He is helpful around the house and likes grocery shopping with his mom.

If any of these profiles resonate with you or if you believe you know a family who would be a great match for one of our students, please reach out to me. I would be more than happy to provide further information and assist with the application process. We have many other students still waiting for a home, so if you are interested in seeing other students’ profiles, please let me know, and I would be happy to send you others. You can also go to www.meetourstudents.org to see some others who need a host family.

To begin the application process or to learn more about hosting, please visit iwanttohost.org

Thank you for considering opening your home to one of our students. Your generosity and hospitality make a significant difference in their lives and contribute to fostering global understanding and friendship, which is of the utmost importance, especially in this time.

Kind regards,

Mary Primbs

Regional Director

Pan Atlantic Foundation

971-237-6528 (direct)

From July 16th - August 29th we will have clinics at the Eugene Public Library, Springfield Public Library, and virtually. Our virtual clinics will be by appointment only and our in-person clinics will take appointments as well as walk-ins. Youth can sign up for an appointment by visiting our LinkTree. A quick reminder that our services are for young people 14 and older. Anyone under 14 needs a signed permission form to access our services.

1. See the attached summer clinic flyer and schedule
2. Follow us on Instagram (@hootsinschools) here!
3. Sign up for email updates on our LinkTree here!