Sunrise Lions Gazette
March 2020
A message from Principal Dial...
Spring is in the air and we are excited for a wonderful month at Sunrise. We know our state testing is just around the corner and we are doing all we can to prep our 3rd-6th grade students so that they will show just how much they have grown this year. We ask that you pay close attention to our schedule so that you can ensure your child is in attendance (and on time) when his/her grade is testing. We do offer make up tests but it can be stressful for students not to take the test with their teachers so we prefer that they are here on the day their classes test.
At Sunrise we feel like it is important to give back! This year we are collecting pop tabs for RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities). This charity allows families to stay in a Ronald McDonald House while their child is hospitalized. It is a comfortable facility that provides meals and a way to interact with other families also dealing with the trauma of having a very sick child. We donate the tabs to them and they recycle the tabs for money. Last year pop tabs allowed the 3 Phoenix houses to raise $27, 000. Wow! You can learn more by watching this one minute video...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3OEWTAGVVE
Much thanks to our amazing gifted teacher, Ms. Arnold, for taking on this very important cause and for helping our students to give back.
Events this month...
6th, 13th, 27th
No school days
16th-19th for spring break
Other dates to know
2nd- Penny Wars begins
4th- Kinder field trip to the zoo
5th- literacy night, Battle of the Books
10th- Sunrise Sonic Night, 5-8pm
13th- staff vs student kickball game, end of quarter 3
26th- 4th grade to take AIMS Science test
27th- Q3 Honor Assembly @ 8:30
Literacy Night!
Sanford Harmony update from Ms S..
This quarter we are focusing on Working Together, and our Sanford Harmony program supports this PAWS expectation with lessons on empathy, communication, and peer relationships. Important skills for working together include taking turns, encouraging participation, accepting different ideas, and solving conflicts fairly. In the classroom, student interaction is fostered through cooperative learning activities, which improve both academic performance and social skills. Teamwork is an important life skill, leading to success in the workplace and beyond.
Meet Our Pride!
Nurse Penny!
Hello, I’m Nurse Penny! I was born and raised right here in Phoenix, Arizona. I have been married 14 years and we have a daughter in 5th grade and a son in 2nd grade. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, running or playing games with my family. I love to go to our family cabin near Flagstaff, were we spend a lot of time outdoors- hiking and kayaking in the summer.
When I was a Senior at Horizon High School, I was a member of the Student Council and volunteered in a toy project for sick children at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital. It was rewarding to bring those children joy during times when they were not feeling well. I chose to become a nurse to continue to help children get better when they are not feeling well. If I were not a nurse, I would be a children’s fitness instructor or PE teacher. Helping kiddos to feel good and enjoy exercising would be another valuable way to support my community.
I choose to work at Sunrise for the Amazing Sunrise Staff! I appreciate the support the Sunrise Staff gives to our wonderful students to help them be successful in their education.
Fun Fact about Nurse Penny- My parents are big fans of music and they named me after The Beatles’s Song “Penny Lane”
Mr. Denman (music teacher)...
I was born and raised in the very snowy town of Camillus, New York which is on the outskirts of Syracuse, and moved to Phoenix about 6 years ago. Back in New York are my parents Mark and Hannah, my older sister Kim, my older brother Chris, and four nephews - Chase, Colton, Cannon, and Ryker.
I became a music teacher because even though I loved music class, it never really came naturally to me as a kid. As I grew up I worked incredibly hard and always went from the bottom ensembles to the top, as well as getting into all the colleges I auditioned for. Not only do I want to share my passion for music, but I want to be the inspiration for students to follow their dreams and accomplish their goals. If I weren't a music teacher, I would be a freelance artist or follow in my grandparents' footsteps and be an actor.
I chose Sunrise because of the staff. I work with the most amazing people in the world, and I am so incredibly grateful for the positive campus culture. Sunrise is truly my forever home, and I am excited to see the growth of my Kinders to 6th graders.
In my free time, you can usually find me either drawing and painting, learning other languages, watching scary movies, or doing personal development. For vacation I love going to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter because Hogwarts is my second home away from Sunrise. 10 points for Hufflepuff! Something you might not know about me is that I can decorate a mean cake and for a hot second I considered going into cake decorating professionally.
Gallery of Greatness!
We love our PTO!
Mr. Hewlett is amazing!
Spring is in the air...
Sunrise Elementary School
Email: karen.dial@dvusd.org
Website: https://www.dvusd.org/Domain/31
Location: 17624 North 31st Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone: 602-467-5900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunriseElementarySchool-DVUSD-717071555161598/
Twitter: @SunriseLions