News From the Ridge
January 16, 2022
The Sunset Ridge Community will provide a safe and caring place for all children to grow and believe in themselves as learners and individuals.
Office main line: 913-239-7400
Attendance: 913-239-7405
Nurse: 913-239-7413
January Hero Trait-- Feedback is a gift! Look for someone that receives feedback and uses it to stretch their brain.
This week at SRE
January 17 - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 18 - Green Day
8:00 Strings
January 19 - Blue Day
7:45 Choir
Start of Major Saver Campaign
January 20 - Red Day
SRE Spirit Wear Day
8:00 Strings
January 21 - Orange Day
Viewing Canvas Courses and Second Quarter Grades - Available now
Families can now view second quarter grades on ParentVUE.
How do I view my child’s report card?
If you have questions about Standards Based Grading as you view your child’s report card, please review the information found on the Elementary Report Card resource page.
Each new quarter, classroom teachers will publish their next quarter Canvas course. As courses are published, students and families will again be able to see current courses on the Canvas app and Canvas website. For Canvas parent resources, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.
6th Grade Orientation Night (Save the Date)
This year’s 6th Grade Orientation Night will be on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 from 6:30 to 8:00 at Lakewood Middle School. For your convenience, Lakewood Middle School will offer both an in-person and virtual option for families. Specific information will be sent by Dr. Heinauer, principal at LKMS, in the near future.
Incoming Kindergarten Families
We are so excited to start the process to welcome our Kindergarten families for the Fall of 2022.
Children who reside in Blue Valley Schools and turn 5 years of age by August 31 are eligible to attend kindergarten that school year.
If you live in the Sunset Ridge boundaries and will have an incoming Kindergartner next fall,
Please click on this link to pre-register: Pre-Registration Form
General information on Kindergarten in Blue Valley can be found here:
https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/kindergarten
Much more information will follow at the end of February including online registration instructions, and information about Kindergarten Round Up in April.
Please pass this link on to neighbors that might not have a student in our system, and might not yet receive our weekly emails!
2022 MAJOR SAVER CAMPAIGN TO KICK OFF SOON - Wednesday, January 19th
It's that time of year again for our district's MAJOR SAVER campaign. The purchase of these cards is a great way to support the Blue Valley Educational Foundation and it also brings dollars back into our school in the form of grants.
Thank you for your continued support within our district.
Structured Literacy term of the week: Morphology
Morphology is the study of morphemes, or the meaningful units of words- prefixes, roots, suffixes, and combining forms.
In Kindergarten through third grade, the focus in morphology is common prefixes (e.g., un, re), inflectional endings (e.g., -s, -ing, -ed), and suffixes (e.g., -ful, -less, -ness) that are primarily Anglo-Saxon/Old English origin. In 3rd grade and beyond, the focus in morphology is Latin-based prefixes, suffixes, and roots and Greek-based combining forms that comprise literary and informational texts across upper elementary and secondary curriculums.
Future Dates
January 24 - Yellow Day
January 25 - Green Day
Strings 8:00 am
January 26 - Blue Day
Choir 7:45 am
3rd grade Wilderness Science Center
January 27 - Red Day
String 8:00 am
SRE Spirit Wear Day
Major Savor Collection
January 28 - Orange Day
SRE PTO AUCTION - CHANGE IN DATE FOR 2022
COVID 19 Update
Community spread of COVID 19 is currently at the highest rate of incidence since the beginning of the pandemic. The CDC has also released a new set of guidelines for exposures and positive cases. I encourage you to visit the
Blue Valley Website to see the information regarding the new updates.
Free PCR testing is available to all staff, students and families who are symptomatic at the MAWD Drive-In clinic and results are available within 12-16 hours. If you are unable to get an answer at the clinic to make an appointment, please call or email Nurse Megan for assistance. (913)239-7413 or mlwatt@bluevalleyk12.org
SRE Community Service 2021-2022
Respected SRE Community,
Warm welcome to the Holiday Season from the SRE PTO Community Service Committee. It has been a tradition at SRE to motivate and encourage children to participate in various acts of kindness. This year also has continued to be challenging to many at varied levels due to the pandemic. We understand that volunteering might not be a top priority out of concerns for safety. However, if there is any occasion when the SRE children get a chance to participate in any approved volunteering activity, please make sure to record the Service Hours . Service period for 2021 – 2022 is May 1, 2021 through March 31st 2022. The deadline to submit service hours would be March 27th, 2022.
The Service Hours will be tracked in this SRE PTO website only. It has been decided to not to take paper submissions.
Service Criteria details could be found here.
Please find some ideas for Service Activities here approved by Mrs. Riley.
SRE will continue to align with the Blue Valley School District’s decision to honor students’ community service with Blue Valley Service Award with following tiers:
- Bronze: 26-49 hours
- Silver: 50-74 hours
- Gold: 75+ hours
However, we would love to recognize all the children including those with Service hours below the Bronze level as well. Service hours earned during Summer do count.
For more questions or concerns in this matter, please reach out to Neeharika Buddha.
Regards,
SRE PTO - Community Service Committee
Questions about the COVID vaccine for children? Click here:
CROSSING GUARD POSITIONS AVAILABLE - Are you interested or know someone who is?
There are AM openings at Harmony Elementary, Oak Hill Elementary, Oxford Middle, and Stanley Elementary, and a PM opening at Stanley Elementary. Once these are filled, I will still need several more new hires to join as alternates so we have guards available to cover absences.
Please pass this information along to anyone you might know who may be interested.
Attendance Reporting and Notifications
Families can expect automated attendance messages by email, phone, and text if a child is absent and their absence has not already been reported by a parent/guardian. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to report an absence or reply to the automated email or phone message.
What is the purpose of attendance notifications?
We realize that students may occasionally need to miss school for planned absences, illnesses, and appointments. However, when a student does not arrive at school or unexpectedly misses a portion of the school day, we are concerned and want to make sure you are aware that your child is absent.
How can I get push notifications?
Families who would also like a push notification can download the ParentVUE app and manage their notifications. If a child has an unreported absence when a teacher submits attendance, then a push notification will immediately be sent to the parent/guardian's mobile device.
Interested in push notifications? Simply download the ParentVUE app (iTunes app store or Google Play), enable push notifications in device settings and select attendance notifications through in-app settings. Once the app is downloaded, these instructions will help you complete the set-up.
Bus Tracker & Textcaster Information for Families
Durham Bus Services has three helpful tools for families with bus riders. Registration is required each year for families as bus routes and participants change:
Bus Tracker: The Blue Valley Durham location will be using the Bus Tracker mobile app that is available for iOS and Android devices. To use the app, users will create an account that is tied to an email address of the user’s choice. The tool will allow account users to follow the route of a specific bus. Durham is updating daily when a scheduled backup bus is being used for a planned maintenance activity. If a bus is replaced with a quick turnaround due to an unforeseen event, Durham dispatch will make the switch on Bus Tracker at their next opportunity to update the app.
Text Messaging: Families are still encouraged to sign up for Durham Text Messaging. The system is designed to share the “why” as Bus Tracker is designed to tell the “where”. To sign up for Durham Text Messaging visit www.bluevalleydurham.com.
E-Link: Allows for verification of a student’s transportation information (i.e., stop location, bus # and pick-up and drop off times) based on the input of grade and home address. To access E-Link, go to www.bluevalleydurham.com.
Peach Jar Community Flyers
If you want to stay informed on Blue Valley and community events and activities, click the link to our Peach Jar page below.
Sunset Ridge Peach Jar Events
Blue Valley- Education Beyond Expectations
Mary Riley-Principal
Let me know how I can best support you.
