KUA News

January 2026 Newsletter

Empowerment Through Opportunity

Our mission: to break down barriers for students by providing more instructional time, enriching programs and a high-expectations, no-excuses environment to ensure high school graduation, college success and career readiness are reasonable goals for all students regardless of race, language, ethnicity, gender, economic status or zip code.

Administrators’ message

Happy New Year, Kids Unlimited Academy! We have a full month of activities planned to welcome 2026.

KUA’s first family night of the new year, Thursday, Jan. 8, is a screening of the animated film “Dog Man.” Snacks will be provided during this PG-rated movie based on the popular graphic novels by Dav Pilkey.

Our second family night of the month, Thursday, Jan. 29, is a “career day” format, when students will get the chance to learn about different occupations and observe some of them in action. Students must be accompanied by an adult at all KUA family nights.

Parents can make their voices heard at KUA’s monthly Site Council meeting, hosted on Zoom at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 15. Administrative staff will share the latest schoolwide data and welcome input. The meeting also will be a joint session with KUA’s new parent-teacher organization.

See the KUA website’s PTO page for more information and links to volunteer. All families signed an agreement during registration week outlining their responsibility to participate in school activities and events.

Thank you to all who attended our Whoville family night, Dec. 18! This festive evening was a time to celebrate the season and share what makes KUA unique. Gifts, food, games and treats, including KU’s handmade pasta, were among the highlights.

KUA’s lost and found piles up amid winter’s colder temperatures and variable weather. Writing students’ names on the tags inside clothing items ensures they will be returned. Please take the time to label jackets, sweatshirts and other pieces that are put on and taken off during the school day. And make a point to check the lost and found in the upper gym during daily pickup or drop-off for items your family may be missing.

There is no school Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. No Medford School District busing is available the following day, Tuesday, Jan. 20.

KUA still has a few openings for new students in a few grades. If you know families who are interested in our public charter school, encourage them to call the front office for a preregistration application or to join the wait list.

Lupita Vargas – KU Director of Educational Services, lvargas@kuaoregon.org

Lindsay Ochs – KUA Principal, lindsay.ochs@kuaoregon.org

David Thygeson – KUA Assistant Principal, david.thygeson@kuaoregon.org

Lindsay Ochs

Principal

From the Principal’s desk

Welcome back from Winter Break! We hope everyone is returning to Kids Unlimited Academy refreshed, recharged and ready to refocus on academic and social-emotional learning.

The holidays may be past, but plenty of KUA celebrations are in store as the entire school earns Royal Pride tickets toward our next reward. When the tickets reached above the goal line last trimester, the entire school earned a movie party: an event that was both fun and energizing! The buzz from that celebration has carried forward, and students already are excited to work toward the next one.

Students earn Royal Pride tickets whenever they demonstrate KUA’s standards and expectations in the framework of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Read more about Royal Pride tickets and PBIS expectations on pages 28-31 of the KUA Student/Parent Handbook (English and Spanish).

Rather than focus on behavior interventions, KUA chooses to recognize the intrinsic — and often overlooked — value of positive behavior. School leadership has seen noticeable increases in positive referrals being submitted by staff.

Taking time to recognize students for their positive choices, kindness and effort has a powerful ripple effect. Students see what’s valued, feel proud of their actions and are motivated to make positive choices, themselves. It also inspires others to strive for that same recognition.

KUA students are beginning to use the shared social-emotional vocabulary taught in our interactive curriculum, Ripple Effects. We see evidence of their growth during classroom conversations, problem-solving and peer interactions — an encouraging sign that the learning is transferring beyond the screen.

One of the biggest strengths of Ripple Effects is its student-friendly, interactive design, which empowers students to explore topics that truly matter to them. Self-directed, students can engage with real-life situations they may be navigating with friends or family while also building essential school skills such as emotional regulation, study habits, collaboration and healthy friendships.

KUA students completed almost 55,000 minutes on Ripple Effects by the end of the fall trimester. And about 250 students were using it on a daily basis. Many have shared how much they enjoy the program and are asking for more opportunities to use it — clear evidence that they feel seen, supported and invested in their learning.

Attendance matters!

Regular school attendance promotes school success and is required by Oregon Law, which mandates that students miss no more than 15 school days each academic year. Any student absent for 10 or more consecutive days will be dropped from KUA enrollment. Your child may lose his/her spot at KUA.

The loss of learning that takes place when your child is absent cannot be replaced. Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten can predict lower test scores, poor attendance and retention in later grades. If you need help getting your child to school on time, please reach out to us!

Always notify the school, by calling the office at 541-774-3900 between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., when your child is absent or going to be absent for any reason. Please provide the student’s full name, grade and reason for absence. A doctor’s note is required for absences of longer than 3 days.

Attendance matters!

Why year-round school?

We can’t speak highly enough of our year-round academic calendar, which is overwhelmingly supported by our families. Below are a few key reasons why we decided in 2021 to become Oregon’s first year-round public school.

Students retain what they learn all year, rather than experience summer learning loss.
Additional time for authentic hands-on learning opportunities, excursions and field trips.
Additional school days help to close the achievement gap.
Increased opportunities for extra help and tutoring.
Consistent routines lead to better-adjusted students — and teachers
Easier access for vacations during the school year.
Decreased teacher and student absences.

What’s cooking?

Our new Food Program puts more variety on students’ plates.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner menus incorporate more locally produced ingredients, including seasonally fresh fruits and vegetables. Beef and veggie Stroganoff and chicken, sausage and veggie jambalaya are new recipes to complement favorites like carnitas tacos and green pozole. Check out the menu at kuaoregon.org/menu

All KUA students are eligible for free breakfast, lunch and dinner — cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients in our on-site kitchen. We are an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Our nationally recognized, award-winning food program is unique in the Medford school district, and we take pride in providing students’ daily nutrition. Build your kids’ healthy habits at home with whole foods instead of processed ones.

Served for New Year’s with a side of collard greens and cornbread, Hoppin’ John is a hearty African-American dish made by slowly simmering black-eyed peas with pork and vegetables. Traditionally served over a bed of freshly cooked rice, this simple yet incredibly flavorful dish is believed to bring luck and prosperity for the upcoming year.

The black-eyed peas are symbolic of pennies or coins, and a coin is sometimes added to the pot or left under the dinner bowls. And collard, mustard or turnip greens often served with the dish evoke the color of American cash! Yet Hoppin’ John is an economical dish when holiday season budgets are tight, and it repurposes leftover ham.

Find more family-friendly recipes at cookingmatters.org

Hoppin’ John

Ingredients:

2 medium celery stalks
1/2 large red bell pepper
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 (6-ounce) slice smoked, lean, low-sodium ham
1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups instant brown rice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
Pinch salt
Pinch ground black pepper
Hot sauce, to taste (optional)

Instructions:

Rinse and dice the celery and bell pepper. Peel, rinse and dice the onion. Peel and mince the garlic.
Dice the ham.
In a colander, rinse and drain the black-eyed peas.
In a large pot over medium heat, add the oil. When oil is hot, add chopped celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic and the thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the broth to pot. Bring to a boil. Add the rice. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
Stir in ham, black-eyed peas, the cayenne, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serve with hot sauce, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Table Talk

Family conversations during meals or before bedtime are a great way to reconnect, help younger kids to develop language skills and help parents to stay informed about happenings at school.

If kids are reluctant to talk about events of the day out loud, encourage them to explore their feelings by drawing or — for older kids — writing some thoughts on paper. Use the Table Talk flyer sent home with students as a guide and return it to the front office for credit toward fulfilling monthly volunteer hours.

“What did you enjoy most about this past year?”

“What are you most excited about for the year ahead?”

“Name one goal you’d like to accomplish in 2026.”