Hello North Eugene Families,

As we head into the final week of school in 2025 and the final week of Project Give, we want to thank you for the generosity you've already shown. Your giving truly matters - every single item donated directly supports Highlander families during this season.

We’re also excited to launch our NEHS Site Council for the year. Our first meeting is WEDNESDAY, December 17, and we are looking for parent/guardian representatives to join us. If you’re interested in getting involved, please email northeugene@4j.lane.edu
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And… it’s Spirit Week! 🎉
All week long our Highlanders will be celebrating with themed days, fun competition, and a chance to show off that school pride. Details are listed below - join in and make it festive!

Thanks for staying connected and supporting our school community.

Go North! 💥

DISTRICT CALENDAR

NEHS HIGHLANDER STUDENT NEWS

Welcome New Principal, Dr. Nazia Swartz!
We are excited to share that we are welcoming a new Assistant Principal to our leadership team: Dr. Nazia Swartz.

Dr. Swartz (Nazia w/ staff) brings extensive experience serving diverse student populations across 4J and surrounding districts. She has taught in multiple school settings and brings with her a deep understanding of the needs, strengths, and complexities within our community. Her background includes significant leadership in student intervention systems, where she has supported structures that improve academic and behavioral outcomes for all students.

In addition to her professional experience, Nazia holds a Doctor of Education, with a research concentration on the nuances of attrition among BIPOC teachers. Her scholarship adds valuable insight into issues of recruitment, retention, and support for educators of color, areas that align closely with our school values and ongoing equity work. She also brings strong expertise in research and data analysis, skills that will support our continued efforts to refine systems, elevate student achievement, and strengthen a culture of informed decision-making.

Most importantly, Nazia is genuinely excited about joining the NEHS community. She has expressed enthusiasm for building relationships with staff, students, and families, and for partnering with all of you as we continue to grow, improve, and serve our school.
Please join us in giving Dr. Swartz a warm welcome as she steps into this leadership role.
Spirit Week is December 15 - December 19
Highlanders, get ready to close out the year with some FUN. Our Winter Spirit Week is happening December 15–19, and we can’t wait to see your creativity, your cozy vibes, and your school pride!
Here’s what we’ve got lined up:

✨ MON: Pajama Day Roll out of bed and come comfy. Yes, slippers count.	✨ TUES: Ugly Sweater Day The louder, the better. Bonus points for anything that lights up.
✨ WED: Birkenstocks & Fluffy Socks Peak winter Oregon fashion. Warm toes only.	✨ THURS: Class Colors Seniors & Sophomores ➜ GRAY Freshmen & Juniors ➜ BLUE Rep your class, show your pride!
✨ FRI: Frosty Fits Bundle up in your warmest, coziest, frostiest winter wear. Let’s end this year with joy, laughter, and a hallway full of Highlander spirit.	Go North! 🎄✨🖤❤️

PROJECT GIVE ASSEMBLY is December 18! 🎁❤️
Last call for Project Give donations. The winner's will be announced in our Winter Assembly on Thursday!

This is the last week of collecting food and essentials for families in our North Region for Project Give. Students can donate before school, during lunch, or drop items in Room 115.

Its still 1 point per item toward a grade-level competition! So far the 10th grade class is coming in HOT, with freshmen just behind them!!! 

Juniors and Seniors show us what you're made of!! 

WINNING CLASS IS RELEASED 10 MINUTES EARLY ON A FUTURE ADVISORY DAY GIVING THEM AN EXTRA LONG LUNCH! Let’s see which class shows up with the most Highlander heart. 💪🏽❤️🖤

Thank you for donating and for supporting our community during this season. Every item helps!

Join the NEHS Site Council!

We are looking for parent/guardian representatives to serve on our North Eugene High School Site Council.
What is Site Council?
Site Council is a team of parents, staff, students, and administrators who work together to support school improvement. This group reviews school goals, discusses academic and climate priorities, and helps shape decisions that impact our students and families. Your voice matters—and we’d love to have your perspective at the table.

Commitment:
Site Council meets quarterly from 5:00–6:00 PM
on the following dates:

• December 17
• February 4
• May 6

If you’re interested in serving or would like to learn more, please email northeugene@4j.lane.edu

Thank you for helping strengthen our Highlander community! ❤️🖤

❤️ A Heartwarming IB Project: $2,400 in Gifts for Local Families

We wanted to share a bright spot in this busy season. Our IB Diploma students completed their group CAS project this week — and their impact was incredible.
Together, they raised over $2,400 to purchase holiday gifts for local families in our community. They shopped, wrapped, and packed every single present you see in this photo, all with the intention of spreading joy and support to kids who need it most.

It’s a beautiful reminder of what happens when students lead with compassion, teamwork, and service.
Please join us in celebrating this amazing group of Highlanders and the kindness they’re putting into the world. ❤️🎁
Go North! 

Special C Day on Friday, December 19 - Last Day before Winter Break

Highlander Graduation Guide
We’ve put the finishing touches on this year’s Highlander Graduation Guide, your go-to hub for all things Class of 2026: dates, deadlines, gear, ceremonies, and everything in between. https://www.parentsquare.com/feeds/67384410
The full guide was sent out on Friday, and we want to link it again here, so you can plan ahead with confidence. We can’t wait to celebrate this class and support you through every step of the journey. Go North! 🥁❤️🖤

Senior Photo Deadline is December 15!

Friendly Reminder: Cell Phones in the New Year
As we head into the new year, please remember that cell phones will not be allowed on campus during the school day. The district will be sending out official language soon, but we want our community to be aware of the expectation now.
If phones are seen out during class time or in common areas, staff will collect them according to our school procedures.
Thank you for your support as we work to keep students present, connected, and focused. Go North! ❤️📵

COLLEGE & CAREER CENTER

Dear Seniors,

North Eugene High School invites you to the Lane Community College Information Session, next Wednesday, December 10th, anytime between 8:30am 12:30pm.

Our LCC Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator, Rosa Maria Banuelos-Uribe will be available in the College Career Center to help with all the next steps as you prepare to attend college in the fall. 

• Have you applied to Lane yet? Now is the time!
• Have you submitted your Oregon Promise Grant application? Now is the time!
• Have you submitted your financial aid form, FAFSA or ORSAA? Now is the time!
• Have you claimed your new Lane gmail account? 
• Have you completed your LCC New Student Information Session?
• Have you taken the Placement Test?
• Do you know when and how to register for classes?
• If you answered "no" to any of these questions, this drop-in session is perfect for you!!

Hope to see you next Wednesday - drop in any time between 8:30am and 12:30pm in the College Career Center. This is a great opportunity to come ask Rosa Maria any questions you have about applying or attending LCC!

And lastly, check out the free LCC college course, RTEC 101, especially designed for seniors entering LCC. It's awesome, helpful, free, and gets you college ready. Next course begins in January!

 Scholarship News:

The $1K Stacey Axling Scholarship is due December 18th. This scholarship will be awarded to one NEHS senior. Be sure to apply! Details here!  

The OSAC Scholarship is now open! Seniors should be working on the application now! Due March 2nd. Details here!

The Lane Foundation Scholarship for all Lane-attending students opens early January! Due March 3rd. Details here!NORTH REGION COMMUNITY NEWS

Wordcrafters Writing Contests

Wordcrafters is a local creative writing nonprofit with a mission to empower writers of all ages to tell their stories.

We’ve got two youth writing opportunities that we need your help telling students about.

Fiction Fantastic

Our annual youth short story contest, Fiction Fantastic, is open for entries from all Lane County students in grades K-12. It’s FREE for students to enter their original short stories between 300 and 3,000 words. (The contest closes January 10, 2026).

Fiction Fantastic facts

• Contest accepts submissions from Oct 1, 2025, to Jan 10, 2026

• Open to all Lane County students in grades K-12

• Blind-judged by story-loving volunteers

• 4 grade-level categories: K-2 (not judged), 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12

• No cost to enter

• Prizes and professional anthology publication for winners (plus chocolate!)

Here’s a link to a PDF of the contest flyer.  

You can learn all about Fiction Fantastic, read past years’ winning stories, and get the submission guidelines at fictionfantastic.org.

Write Club
Write Club is a monthly creative writing workshop for young writers.

Write Club gives youth the opportunity to find their writing community, while having time set aside for their creative writing endeavors. It’s a place they feel comfortable exploring writing and sharing with others. 

We’ve offer Write Club at two times:

• Teens (age 13+) meet on the 1st Saturday of every month (starting in January) from 11 am to 1 pm at the Wordcrafters studio (at 436 Charnelton St., Eugene).

• Youth (age 9+) meet on the 2nd Saturday of every month (from September to June), from 11 am to 1 pm at the Wordcrafters studio. Teens are welcome to attend the youth workshop. 

We offer pay-from-your-heart pricing for Write Club to meet varying financial needs, and have some scholarships available, as well. You can learn more at wordcrafters.org/write-club.

Here’s a link to the PDF flyer for Write Club. 

Finally, if you’d like to get monthly updates about Wordcrafters' creative writing classes, workshops, and camps for young writers that you can share with your school community, click here.

So many links to click on! 

Thanks for helping spread the word about Fiction Fantastic and Write Club. It means so much to the students who participate.

Yours in story,

Jeaux Bartlett

Shift Community Cycles Free Bike Repair!

Thursday, December 18th

After school - 3:30-4:30

North Eugene High School - near the bike racks

Get your bike tuned up for the winter! On Thursday, DECEMBER 18, Shift Community Cycles will be on hand to fix flat tires, tighten brakes, adjust gears, and make sure your bike is safe and ride-ready - all for free!

Meet Safe Routes to School and Shift Community Cycles near the bike racks at North for free tune-ups and small repairs. 

Kidsports Basketball League
Greetings!    I wanted to send some info to you about our High School Basketball league, in hope you can pass this along to your students.  This league is open to boys and girls 9th – 12th grades that are not playing on their interscholastic high school team.   

 
This is similar to an intermural basketball programs of the past  that schools have offered to students in an effort to keep more kids playing sports longer.   When we have enough teams, we make different divisions for skill and age.   Registration will remain open until the first of the year, to give students time to get signed up.  
 
If you could send this flyer out to families and/or hang it up at your school or gym, that would be super helpful to get the word out to students that this league is available to them.  I have attached both a PDF and  a JPG of the flyer.