KUA News

March 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

Spring is just around the corner, bringing our annual Spring Camp! This year’s session at Kids Unlimited Academy includes K-5 peers from Medford elementary schools who participate in KU Afterschool.

Sign up now for the March 23-27 slate of sports, field trips, arts and crafts and science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and a snack are served daily.

The cost is $10 per day for students already enrolled in KUA afterschool enrichment, or $50 per day for students not currently enrolled. Daily themes will be “Out of This World,” “Dragons & Fairies,” “Spy Academy,” “Jr. Scientist” and “Superhero.”

Register for Spring Camp in the KUA front office or download the registration packet at kuoregon.org/after-school-program and return to jpatterson@kuaoregon.org

We’re already looking ahead to summer and the opportunity for KUA students to benefit again this year from summer school. KUA anticipates offering summer school from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday for three weeks. This opportunity will be free and open to all KUA students, supported by Oregon Department of Education’s Summer Learning Grant.

KUA’s certified teaching staff will lead academic sessions with a focus on elevating English language arts literacy and mathematics, including project-based learning to reimplement KUA’s school garden. Breakfast, lunch and a snack will be provided.

KU’s enrichment portion of each day will run 3:30-5 p.m. for an extra fee. Enrichment activities may include arts and crafts, dance and martial arts, music and performing arts, sports and culinary arts. Water safety classes at Rogue X will be incorporated in the schedule, along with several other field trips.

Families who are interested in summer school and summer camp are asked to complete this survey to assist KUA’s planning and grant-writing efforts. Summer programs are a cherished tradition at KU, and we look forward to continuing to provide a safe, fun and educational environment over the school break.

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

Lateness equates to absence when students are frequently tardy. A minute or two each day adds up to many minutes in a month — and entire days missed during the course of the school year.

Students who are tardy and absent lose learning opportunities and risk their academic development. When students arrive late, they struggle to adjust to the classroom environment and keep pace with their peers. Late arrivals also disrupt the class schedule.

The importance of being present when information is delivered cannot be overstated. When students miss a lesson one day, they likely missed something critical to their understanding of a subject over the next several days. Students who are consistently in attendance and on time stay on track and feel confident, boosting their motivation to return to school each day.

Missing just two days a month — even if those absences are excused — compounds into chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 18 or more days of the school year, according to the Oregon Department of Education. A student who is five minutes late each day misses an hour and 40 minutes each month, or roughly 16 hours — nearly 2.5 days — each school year.

If you or your family face barriers to arriving at school on time, please contact Kids Unlimited Academy’s front office or administrative staff for assistance.

Students should stay home, however, when they are sick. KUA must follow all Jackson County Health Department regulations and requirements that may require your child to stay home for a specific period of time. Please refer to page 15 in KUA’s Student/Parent Handbook (English and Spanish) for specific symptoms indicating your child is too sick for school.

Spring may be in the air, but dressing for the weather and outdoor play remains an important element of school-day preparedness and success at KUA.

Adding layers according to the temperature outside should not detract from KUA’s daily dress code. Under coats and other outerwear, students must wear a KUA polo shirt (with collar) Monday through Thursday. In addition to coats and jackets, hoodies may be worn every day over students’ polos.

Bottoms should be black, gray, khaki (beige) or navy in color Monday through Thursday. This includes pants, skirts, skorts or shorts (appropriate length).

Any shirt, including T-shirts, that display KUA/KU logos may be worn on Friday, also “casual day” for pants. Students may wear jeans, sweatpants, joggers or athletic shorts on Fridays only (no pajama bottoms). No ripped attire is allowed anytime at KUA, and hats, beanies or any other head coverings are not allowed indoors.

Please refer to the full KUA Uniform & Dress Code Guidelines for details about proper attire on school spirit and free dress days, as well as steps school staff follow when students are in violation of the dress code.

We believe KUA uniforms are among the reasons families choose our public charter school. Thank you for your cooperation and belief in the KUA 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 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.

Lasagna has become a KUA student favorite! This Italian classic is a budget-friendly way to stretch a little bit of meat and fill in the layers with vegetables, including any leftover cooked veggies from your family’s meals.

Spring is the time for fresh spinach, but frozen spinach is a more affordable and convenient alternative. Just be sure to squeeze all excess water from frozen and thawed spinach before adding to the recipe.

Find more family-friendly recipes at cookingmatters.org

Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 (8-ounce) package whole wheat lasagna noodles (may substitute no-boil lasagna noodles)
3 cups fresh spinach (may substitute frozen and thawed spinach)
8 ounces button mushrooms
1 large zucchini
3 cloves garlic
1 (6-ounce) block mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, no salt added
1 large egg
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. In a colander, drain noodles and run under cold water until cool to the touch. Complete steps 3-9 while noodles cook. (If using no-boil noodles, skip this step.)
Rinse the spinach, mushrooms and zucchini. Peel the garlic.
Chop spinach. Thinly slice mushrooms. Dice zucchini into 1/2-inch pieces. Mince garlic.
Grate the mozzarella cheese. Set aside 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping lasagna.
In a medium bowl, add spinach, mushrooms and zucchini. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Set over a colander to drain. When completely drained, pat veggies dry with paper towels.
Stir minced garlic, the basil, oregano, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and the black pepper into the canned tomatoes to make a sauce. Do this directly inside opened can.
In a medium bowl, crack the egg and beat with a fork. Add the cottage cheese and grated mozzarella. Mix.
Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on bottom of dish.
Layer 3 noodles over sauce. Then, layer 1 cup cheese mixture, 1 1/2 cups veggies and 2/3 cup tomato sauce. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with 3 noodles. Cover with remaining tomato sauce. Sprinkle reserved 1/4 cup grated mozzarella over top of lasagna.
Bake in preheated oven until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top and lasagna is bubbly, for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Makes 8 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 could do to make your school a better place?”

“What’s one thing people can do to make the world a better place?”

“What’s your favorite animated movie?”