The Sunray
Sunset Elementary Newsletter
1.20.23
Kindness is a choice. There are a million reasons why someone might not want to act in a kind manner. There are stressful and depressing situations that cross our paths every day. Regardless of what we are facing, whether it is in or out of our own control, we can choose to be kind. We can't all run for President of the United States. We can't all play a professional sport or land an acting gig on Broadway, but we can choose to be kind. Choosing to be kind is not always the easy thing to do, but I would argue that more often than not, it is the right thing to do and I believe wholeheartedly that being kind is a characteristic worth teaching and modeling for our students. Next week is Kindness Week. Please join us as we work towards making the Sunset Community a kinder place.
Thomas Fletcher
Principal
Sunset Elementary School
Bright Sunrays (UVA)
Brand new"ish" news...
•The Great Kindness Challenge Week~ I talk about kindness every single day on the daily announcements. So having a challenge week is a great way to gauge whether or not kindness has started to become part of our daily mindset. Attached are a few suggestions on how to be kind. (See fliers below)
•Science Odyssey~ We are excited to announce that our annual Science Odyssey will take place in person this year at Junction TK-8 School! Mark your calendars for March 8 & 9, 2023! This will be an exciting opportunity for students to showcase their love of science and engineering to our community. Sign up here
•Sunset Superbowl Scramble Golf Tournament (February 12th) ~ Sign up here
See attached flier
•Sunset Color Run (February 4th) ~ Registration is still open!
Join us for this fun and festive event as we run around the Sunset neighborhood and raise funds for our school! Registering by Jan 25th. You will not get a designed tee-shirt, but you can still get other merch and come run with us.
•Upcoming Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Trainings~ YMHFA certification training includes 2 hours of online self-paced pre-work and completion of a virtual class held on the following days (select one):
Saturday, January 28, 2023 from 8:15 am -1:15 pm (virtual)
Wednesday, February 22, 2023 from 2-6:30pm (virtual)
Saturday, March 4, 2023 from 8:15 am - 1:15 pm (virtual)
Wednesday, March 15, 2023 from 2-6:30pm (virtual)
Email Liisa Hanninen-Danner to sign up!
YMHFA teaches adults how to recognize and respond to signs of a mental health challenge in children and youth. More information on our YMHFA webpage!
•Race to Flagpole~ I'm running the 5k this this year and I hope Sunset shows up with their surfer spirit and we take over this activity! Reduced-price registration through 12/24
When: Saturday, January 28, 2023 at Independence Park.
All proceeds support the annual Olympian Scholarships awarded to LHS and GHS student athletes who demonstrate athletic and academic excellence and citizenship.
What: There is a 1-mile fun run, 5K, and 10K.
See attached flier
Dimmer Sunrays (UVB)
Not brand new news...
•New Picnic Tables~ Thanks to all the support from last year's Golf Tournament and the PTO, we were able to buy 10 brand new picnic tables for the outdoor seating area. It may be hard to tell from this picture, but they may a huge difference for lunch. Make sure to check them out the next time you are on campus.
•Phonics Instruction/Sonday~ Sunset has adopted a school wide reading curriculum entitled Sonday. (Pronounced Sunday) It was created by Orton-Gillingham expert Arlene Sonday who carefully crafted the lessons to teach the essential components of reading (phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension) and it also includes a systematic spelling component.
As I have been observing Sonday lessons in classrooms, I am absolutely blown away by the level of growth and knowledge the students have of the English Language. In a 1st grade classroom this week students were correctly identifying digraphs and identifying consonant, vowel, consonant patterns. 3rd graders were explaining the difference between open and closed syllables and they also reminded me that the "g" and "c" sounds were soft when followed by an "i" an "e" or a "y".
There were example after example of high level phonological awareness that will absolutely translate to better spellers and higher reading fluency. It was exciting and if you know anyone who volunteers in the classroom, ask them what they have witnessed. It is encouraging. It actually can be a little discouraging as I realize how little I know about the English language. lol
If any of you are interested in looking into the Sonday program for some activities to do at home, I've attached some "Parent Empowerment Kits". Please know these are not required for you to use, but they are helpful for me. (A High School Civics teacher who did not teach reading)
LVJUSD Menus~
•January Menus
•Sunray Archive...See below
Fading Sunrays (UVC)
News that's been around a while...
•Amazon~ Support Sunset with Amazon Smile. Did you know that Amazon Smile offers the same prices and selection as Amazon, BUT when you shop using Amazon Smile your purchases can benefit Sunset? How simple is that? You do your usual Amazon orders, but use the Amazon Smile program, and Amazon Smile will donate a percentage of your purchase to Sunset's PTO! Just follow the quick steps below:
From the Amazon Shopping app:
- Tap the Main Menu
- Tap Settings
- Tap AmazonSmile
- Follow the instructions on the screen to turn on AmazonSmile.
- Select "Sunset PTO"
From your browser, visit: "smile.amazon.com," login to using your amazon.com information, then select "Sunset PTO"
We use these three statements to reinforce our positive behavior with our students and would love for your help and support as we teach our students how to behave in all situations.
•PLEASE label your child's water bottle and/or lunch box with a first and last name. We have had several misplaced items with no name.
•The Sunset office is open Monday-Friday 8:00 am-4:00 pm. If you have questions please do not hesitate to call us or stop by and speak to Julie, Colleen or Tara.
Calendar these dates!
1/28/23~ Race to the Flag Pole
2/4/23~ Sunset Color Fun Run
2/8/23~ PTO Bingo Night
2/10/23~ Kindness Day
2/12/23~ Sunset Superbowl Scramble Golf Tourney
3/24/23~ Sunset Gala
Student LVJUSD Gmail Accounts
In accordance with security guidance, IT has updated student passwords to 9-digits. That means students with 8-digit student IDs will need to add a leading zero and students with 7-digit student IDs will need to add two leading zeros to be able to log in. Students with 9-digit student IDs or who had previously changed their password to a personal password were not affected.
If students need help, they can get help from their teachers when school starts.
PTO Website
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Sunset Gala?
March 24th
Where is the Sunset Gala?
@ The Palm Event Center
What is this year's theme?
Rodeo!
Where shall I pick up my child? It would be wise to have a plan for pick up and drop off. Grades 1-5 get out at the same time this year.
Sunset Elementary School
Email: tfletcher@lvjusd.org
Website: https://www.livermoreschools.org/sunset
Location: 1671 Frankfurt Way, Livermore, CA, USA
Phone: 925.606.5230