The Sunray
Sunset Elementary Newsletter
March 3rd
Spring is on the horizon and as a teacher for the majority of my career, I always have felt like the Spring has brung a variety of mixed emotions. There is an underlying sense that there is still so much to get to that has not yet been taught. There is an excitement for the change in weather and the ending of the school year on the horizon. There is the excitement that comes with culminating activities as students prepare for the next step in their journey, whether it be 5th grade, 8th grade or 12th grade. There is a sense of sadness to the goodbyes that come with the ending of a year. Whether it be students or staff who have chosen to move along in their journey. It's also a time to reflect on the successes that have taken place throughout the school year. We have a solid six months under our belt this year and I am amazed at how much growth I have seen among the student body. I am continually impressed with the commitment and dedication the Sunset staff and community have for this school. Thank you for all you do for Sunset.
Thomas Fletcher
Principal
Sunset Elementary School
Bright Sunrays (UVA)
Brand new"ish" news...
•Gala Tickets~ Extra tickets went on sale today @12:00. They may already be sold out, but if you want to go, check this link now and secure a ticket. They will not last long.
•Play Structure~ Many of you already are aware of this, but the play structure is only open during the school day to students for recess and lunchtime. It is not open before or after school. As you can imagine there are liability issues without supervision and the nice thing is that there is a play structure at Karl Wente. Please be respectful of this policy and know that we do want what's best for your kids, but playing on the structure is not allowed outside the school day.
•Reboot Your Commute~ Golden Sneaker! We had great participation this past week kicking off the Golden Sneaker Contest! Keep it up! There's only one week left. Join in by walking, biking, rolling or taking shared transit. Reboot your commute to jumpstart a new healthy habit, the benefits are endless. The Golden Sneaker Contest is an opportunity for students in participating classrooms to be physically active, build camaraderie and reduce traffic congestion and pollution in the morning. The classroom with the highest percentage of participation in these activities will win the coveted Warriors Golden Sneaker trophy and golden shoe laces. Contest ends on March 10th.
•After School Enrichment~ A Play Ateliar! Join the FUN on Wednesdays to PLAY and GROW! 2nd through 5th grade at 1:40 pm! A unique experience for individuals to stretch their brains and explore themselves and the world through play and creative arts is now at Sunset Elementary!
See Sunset Elementary flier below!
•Spring Pictures~ A reminder that Spring pictures are on March 10th. Only students who purchase a package will have their picture taken.
•PTO Wave of Kindness~ Stop by the MPR the next time you have a chance and check out the really cool "Wave of Kindness" wall.
•Fun Runners~ Fun Runners would like to recognize the top three students in each grade. We have one Student Evelyn Preston that has crossed the marathon mark with 26.53 miles. Two other students close behind - Bridgette Gordon at 25.41 and Aiden Mc Gaughey at 25.30 all in the 4th grade! The top students will also be rewarded at the end of the year.
1st Thelen, Olivia~Crittenden 20.65 miles
1st Carscadden, Hudson~Crittenden 19.57 miles
1st Tofinelli, Maxton~Cross 17.95 miles
2nd Sanchez, Hudson~Hendrick 12.86 miles
2nd Pise, Adi~Furtado 12.54 miles
2nd Nevil, Seeley~Furtado 11.35 miles
3rd Brown, Oliver~Shepard 21.84 miles
3rd Sears, Mays~Costello 18.16 miles
3rd Boddy, Wyatt~Costello 17.51 miles
4th Preston, Evelyn~Knoles 26.38 miles
4th Gordon, Bridgette~Borjon 25.41 miles
4th Mc Gaughey, Aiden~Aub 25.30 miles
5th Brown, Genevieve~Hendrick 21.84 miles
5th Krishnan, Adithi~Linney 20.65 miles
5th Thangavel, Narun~Hendrick 18.16 miles
TK/Kinder Preston, Verona~O'Rourke 17.19 miles
TK/Kinder Gordon, Scarlett~O'Rourke 10.70 miles
TK/Kinder Vieira, Harrison~O'Neill 7.89 miles
Dimmer Sunrays (UVB)
Not brand new news...
•Turkish Earthquakes~ As you may know, there were two massive earthquakes that rattled Turkey recently and a few of our Sunset Community members have connection to Turkey. If you would be interested in helping out, I've included the following.
We believe the easiest and fastest support would be donating money through a trustworthy, reputable organization and supporting local fundraiser events. Considering the Dollar-Turkish lira exchange rates (1 Dollar is almost 19 Turkish Liras), even a tiny amount would make a huge impact.
Here are some trustworthy sites:
https://bridgetoturkiye.org/ (You can track where the funds go daily on this site.)
https://www.tpfund.org/ (You can track where the funds go daily on this site.)
https://etacusa.org/ ( This one is USA based, founded by Turkish Americans, and has been actively helping our people since day one. Their current project is collecting money for generators to be used at the sites in Turkey. They already found a company in Tennessee to produce generators and arranged logistics.)
There will be a fundraising event on March 1st at a local restaurant. I will share the flier as soon as I get a copy. The Coca-Cola Company will match the donations at a rate of %200.
•School Calendar~ See next year's 23/24 calendar is here!
•Yearbook anyone?~ Yearbooks on sale now! Yearbooks are now for sale through our new vendor!
Use this link to order: https://buytheyearbook.pictavo.com/
School Code: 712150
https://buytheyearbook.pictavo.com/PictavoSchool/FindSchool
•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, 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!
•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~
•March 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!
3/10/23~ Spring Pictures
3/13/23-3/17/23~ Spring Conferences early release days
TK/K ~ 1:10 Dismissal
1st-5th ~ 1:30 Dismissal
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