The Sunnyside Scoop
School Newsletter -- December, 2020
About Us
Kids Junction: (651) 385 - 4587
First Student (General busing questions): (651) 388 - 8244
Transportation (Bus routing): (651) 385 - 4795
Email: mjpagel@rwps.org
Website: http://redwing.k12.mn.us/sunnyside/
Location: 1669 Southwood Avenue, Red Wing, MN, United States
Phone: (651) 385-4570
Principal's Message...
It's hard to believe we're halfway through December already! I chose a snowy background for this month's newsletter in the hopes that maybe it will generate some of the real stuff for us before the holiday season and winter break. I think many of us are looking forward to having a little time to breathe after a busy and uncertain fall. I've been spending some time the last couple weeks visiting teachers' Google Classrooms, joining in on Meets, and watching the hard work teachers and students are doing via GoGuardian. All of us, I'm sure, wish students were back in the building (It's been pretty lonely around here!), but it's been encouraging to see students and teachers making the best of the situation. I'm proud of our Sunnyside families and our staff, and sincerely hope we are all able to be back together soon. In the meantime, hang in there, and continue to reach out to your child's teacher for support with our online learning environment. We will do anything we can to make this period of distance learning work as well as it can for you.
Mike Pagel
Principal
Dates to Remember...
December:
21- 1/3 -- NO SCHOOL (Winter Break)
January:
4 -- School Resumes
18 -- NO SCHOOL
22 -- End of 1st Semester
Make Sure You're Informed!!!
Be sure to click the links above for important information about Sunnyside Elementary and Red Wing Public Schools. Please pay special attention to the District Handbook and the Sunnyside Expectations & Procedures. Both documents contain important information and are a great reference for many frequently asked questions.
Wednesday Meal Pickup Reminder
With the help of USDA, the Minnesota Department of Education has extended the FREE Meal Program to all children 18 years old and younger. Breakfast and lunch are being provided at NO cost and are available to all children 18 and under. Each Wednesday during distance learning, RWPS holds a drive-through/walk-up opportunity to pick up seven days' worth of meals. Pick up takes place from 7:00 - 9:00 am at several sites around town, including here at Sunnyside (pick up at Colvill is only from 7:00 - 8:00 am).
When arriving to collect your meal, please follow the steps below. In order to ensure the safety of staff, volunteers and residents, those picking up food at the drive-through site will need to practice social distancing protocols at the drive-through events.
- Vehicles will pull up to the designated drive-through locations by the designated doors below.
- Drivers MUST remain in their vehicle.
- Drivers will open their trunk remotely and the meals will be placed in the trunk. If placing the meals in the trunk is not an option, the meals will be placed in the back seat of the vehicle.
Please check out our flyer in English and Spanish for more information.
Updated Health Screening Checklist
RWPS Needs Your Help!
Each year, Red Wing Public Schools receives compensatory aid that helps us provide important things like Title I services, school counselors, general education paraprofessionals and more. This funding is based on the number of families that apply and qualify for the Free/Reduced Price Meal Program (FRP). This year, our number of applications are down significantly, most likely due to the fact that lunches are free for everyone right now. If you believe your family might qualify, or if you have qualified in the past, I would strongly encourage you to consider applying for the program even though lunches are free for all right now. This ensures that Red Wing will continue to receive this funding next year and not have to potentially cut important programs or personnel. Households must complete and return the forms by no later than December 15 so that schools can calculate eligibility and report to MDE. The application and some additional information is linked below.
Distance Learning Tips
Distance Learning can be tough. No doubt about it. We all continue to learn how to do things differently for awhile. Some students, staff, and parents are pretty comfortable with technology. Some, not so much. Teachers have participated in several professional development opportunities, new tools like Screencastify and GoGuardian have helped staff provide a better experience for students, and students were able to spend time practicing more with Google Classroom, Google Meets, and curriculum websites this fall before we had to shift to distance learning. All of that has certainly helped provide a much better online experience than last spring. As parents, here are a few things you can do at home as well to help your child during this time we are fully online:
- Establish routines -- Even though students are home, it's still important to get up, get dressed, and get ready for the day.
- Carve out a good spot to learn -- Students are in school (virtually) for a good chunk of the day. Having a quiet spot with needed materials is important. Avoid loud or busy spots.
- Help your child "own" their own learning -- No one expects parents to be full-time teachers or to be educational and content matter experts. Provide support and encouragement, and expect your children to do their part. Struggling is allowed and encouraged! Don’t help too much.
- Encourage physical activity and exercise -- Use those recess times and other opportunities throughout the day for your child to get up and move.
Technology Support
- RWPS has developed a Technology Help Center for students and families. The site contains helpful videos about a variety of technology tools to assist families with new or unfamiliar hardware and software.
- Your child's teacher may be able to solve many minor issues. The teacher can see your child's screen via GoGuardian, and may be able to help your child solve the issue.
- For issues your child's teacher is not able to solve with you, the RWPS Technology Help Center includes links to email or complete a form to submit to our district tech support team. You can also email them directly at techsupport@rwps.org. Please know that it may take up to one business day for them to respond, depending on the volume of requests they are receiving.
Follow Sunnyside On Social Media!
Sunnyside has it’s own Facebook and Instagram pages! You can link directly to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sunnysideredwing/, and our Instagram handle is @sunnysideredwing. Check out some of the fun things going on at Sunnyside!