KUA News

April 2025 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

As KUA leadership realigns our school’s priorities and schedules for the 2025-26 academic year, we want to ensure you have all the necessary information before completing KUA’s intent to reenroll form. The form is available via ParentSquare and must be submitted by April 30.

Please note the following important information for the 2025-2026 school year:

Academic calendar: KUA remains a year-round school. The finalized 2025-26 academic calendar will be shared via the KUA website and ParentSquare.
School hours: The school day will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a 9 a.m. late start on Wednesdays.
Breakfast & Drop-off: Breakfast will continue to be free to all students. Drop-off will begin at 7:30 a.m., with a classroom preparedness block from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
Afterschool Enrichment: Pickup for students not participating in enrichment will be 3:00-3:30 p.m. Pickup from Afterschool Enrichment is 4:30-5 p.m.
Transportation: KUA will no longer provide transportation between White City and Medford due to Pre-KU Early Learning’s return to the Medford campus. Families residing in White City who wish to attend KUA will be responsible for their own transportation to and from school in Medford.
Enrollment prioritization: Students residing within the Medford School District zone will receive priority enrollment as KUA returns to three cohorts per grade level.

We appreciate your trust in KUA’s mission and look forward to another successful year. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

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

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

Lindsay Ochs

Principal

From the Principal’s desk

Parent involvement has grown exponentially this year at Kids Unlimited Academy! This trend upholds KUA’s student-parent-school compact as a key component of our shared mission.

Family volunteer and engagement hours increased by 137% in the first five months of the 2024-25 school year compared with 2023-24. The total number of families participating increased by an average of 88.75% during the same time.

Parents’ participation reached a peak in June 2024 with a total of 910 family hours spent attending Royals awards assemblies, as well as graduation ceremonies for KUA’s kindergarten, fifth and eighth grade classes. With just over 1,600 total guests, KU’s Whoville Family Fun Night kicked off the holiday season Dec. 17, 2024, as the single best-attended event of the year.

Collected by KUA’s parent-volunteer coordinator, this data doesn’t just assist the efforts of school staff. A variety of government and foundation grants that support KU and KUA require these statistics.

Every time you scan the provided QR code or sign in for a school event, you not only fulfill your family’s agreement with KUA — you promote equity among all our families and encourage your student’s success in school.

Higher levels of parent involvement and engagement have been shown to promote students’ higher academic achievement. The student-parent-school compact also outlines standards for families to meet at home that support their students’ education.

As we enter the final trimester of 2024-25, opportunities to attend school events and get involved only increase. A chance to show off and learn some new Zumba moves comes with April’s Family Night. Site council and kindergarten orientation will be offered on Zoom in April.

Check with your student’s teacher about chaperoning for class field trips this spring. May brings KUA’s popular spring musical theater performance, Field Day and staff appreciation week. And June awards assemblies and graduations for kindergarten and fifth grade cap off the school year.

Thank you to all our families who show up, lend a hand and share in our vision for making KUA a better place!

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.

Fresh pineapple is coming into season, but fruit canned in its own juice is a wholesome choice all year. These pineapple-carrot muffins make breakfast and brunch menus extra-special. Bake a double batch for freezing up to 2 weeks. Just take one muffin out of the freezer each morning and microwave for 1 minute, or reheat in a toaster oven for 5 minutes, for a grab-and-go breakfast!

This batter even makes a cake when baked in an 8-inch pan for 30 to 40 minutes. For an easy, delicious frosting, mix 4 tablespoons softened cream cheese, with 2/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt and 1-2 tablespoons honey until smooth and creamy. Spread a thin layer of frosting over each muffin or 8-inch cake. Please note: The batter does not come out well when doubled or baked in a pan larger than 8 inches.

Find more family-friendly, quick-fix, wholesome recipes at cookingmatters.org

Pineapple-Carrot Muffins

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot
1 cup canned crushed pineapple with juice
5 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon white distilled or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch ground nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
1/2 cup shelled, chopped walnuts or raisins (optional)
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Rinse and peel the carrot; shred with a grater. Measure 3/4 cup shredded carrot.
In a medium bowl, add the pineapple with juice, the oil, vinegar, 3/4 cup shredded carrot and 1/4 cup water. Mix with a fork to combine.
In a large bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Blend well with a fork to break up any lumps.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
If using walnuts or raisins, gently stir them in now.
Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with some of the nonstick cooking spray. Or line muffin cups with paper liners. Fill each muffin cup about three-quarters full with batter.
Bake on middle rack of preahted oven until muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean, for about 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

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 is your favorite Easter candy?”

“Which is cuter: baby bunnies or baby chicks?”

“What kinds of things can people do to care for the Earth?”