KUA News

April 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

With more than 10 weeks left in Kids Unlimited Academy’s academic calendar, we’re already planning for next school year.

Building on the momentum of our early kindergarten enrollment, KUA is asking families to sign up now for the 2026-27 academic year. Enrollment is open for all grades, and there are still spots in KUA’s incoming kinder cohort.

Please complete KUA’s online re-enrollment form to secure your student’s spot for the coming school year. Or contact KUA’s front office staff. Upon your completion of the form, our office staff will follow up later this spring regarding completion of Medford School District’s registration process.

Introductions to KUA for all incoming kindergarten students are planned for 5 p.m. Thursday, April 16, when questions will be answered in a Zoom meeting with administration, and 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 23, when new kinder families can tour the school and meet staff during Kinder Launch. Invite family, friends and neighbors who have kids ready for kindergarten to join us!

And if you know families in our community who would be a good fit for our public charter school, please refer them to the KUA front office for more information. A school of choice, KUA accepts students from outside the Medford School District.

Mark your calendars for our Thursday, April 9, Site Council meeting on Zoom. KUA’s physical education teachers are planning a fun and active family night Tuesday, April 14. There is no school Friday, April 24, for staff development.

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

Spring is in full swing, and it’s the season for Kids Unlimited Academy’s state testing.

KUA fifth graders will kick off our charter school’s Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) assessments. The standardized science test will be administered only to KUA fifth graders April 6-8 during their science block.

Oregon fifth grade science standards include instruction in life science (from molecules to organisms and ecosystems); physical science (matter, motion and energy); earth and space science; and engineering, technology and the application of science.

State testing expands to KUA third, fourth and fifth graders throughout this month and into May with SBAC evaluations for mathematics and English language arts. SBAC produces standardized tests and upholds expectations for what all students across Oregon should know and be able to do at each grade level.

A 3 or 4 is a passing SBAC score. A 5 means students are “way above grade level,” according to KUA’s instructional coach Cheryl Graham. KUA receives a school “report card” that compares students’ performance on state assessments with other local schools that have similar demographics.

Math computer-adaptive tests for KUA grades 3-5 are April 14-17; math performance task assessments are April 20-23. English computer-adaptive tests for grades 3-5 are May 5-7; English writing tests are May 11-15. These tests will be administered during students’ special morning blocks.

In preparation for SBAC, KUA administers practice tests and embeds strategies in students’ daily classroom learning. Students reported that a lot of the test questions in spring 2025 looked like their daily warm-ups.

Parents also play an important role in testing preparedness by ensuring students arrive early at school, get plenty of rest and consume wholesome meals. All of these habits reduce anxiety and boost mental function. Students who are not on time for school cannot test.

For students who are still learning their math facts, parents can help by purchasing and using flash cards, available at most dollar stores. Math facts are key, not only to state testing, but students’ long-term success in math, which will be too difficult at higher levels for students who don’t know their multiplication tables, according to Graham.

Here are more of Graham’s tips for developing kids’ math skills in fun ways at home:

Build conceptual meaning around numbers with short, daily “number talks.” Students learn to calculate quickly and visualize problem-solving. Count clouds in the sky, guess the height of a fence or a tree. Ask “How many is that?” or “What would half of that look like?” Older kids can prepare a recipe and adjust the measurements for a double batch. Or build something together, using tools and calculations to determine measurements.
When talking about math, avoid negative messaging that could create anxiety or transfer it onto your children. Instead, try focusing on the difficulty and effort involved by saying things like: “I understand how challenging this is. It was hard for me, too. I’m confident we can work it out together.”
Help students see the patterns in numbers by skip-counting — counting forward by numbers other than 1. Instead of saying numbers in sequential order, you “skip” a certain amount of numbers each time: 2, 4, 6, 8 or 5, 10, 15, 20. Multiples of 7, 11 or other less commonly used numbers make the exercise harder for older students. You can also skip-count backwards.

Thank you for always supporting your students and our KUA school community’s mission!

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 carne asada tacos and green pozole. Check out the menu at kuaoregon.org/menu

All Kids Unlimited Academy 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.

Students starting their school day with a wholesome breakfast is never more important than during state testing weeks. A breakfast with protein, whole grains and healthy fats gives students the fuel to focus in the classroom and complete tasks.

If you can’t get to school in time for KUA’s free, freshly prepared breakfast, make sure your student consumes a healthy morning meal. Granola can fill the bill but often is expensive. Make your own granola in large batches as a budget- and health-conscious alternative. The following recipe uses less sugar and fat than most store-bought granola. Combine it with plain yogurt for breakfast, or enjoy it as an afternoon snack.

Find more family-friendly recipes at cookingmatters.org

Homemade Granola

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
4 tablespoons sliced or chopped almonds
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, dates or prunes)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, combine the honey, oil, and cinnamon. Whisk with a fork.
Add the oats and almonds. Stir until well-coated with honey mixture.
Coat a baking sheet with some of the nonstick cooking spray. Spread oat mixture evenly onto sheet.
Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, for about 10-15 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to cook evenly. Watch closely to be sure granola does not burn. Remove from oven. Let cool completely.
Transfer cooled granola to a medium bowl. Stir in the dried fruit.

Makes 9 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’s one thing you can do to care for the Earth?”

“What does it mean to reduce, reuse and recycle?”

“Which are your favorite fruits and vegetables?”