Sunset Express
February 9, 2024
Sunset Lake Elementary, PreK-5th Grade Building
At Sunset Lake, We are Lifelong Learners and Lifelong Leaders.
Principal Amie McCaw
Email: amccaw@vicksburgschools.org
Website: Vicksburgcommunityschools.org
Location: 201 N Boulevard St, Vicksburg, MI, United States
Phone: (269)321-1500
Twitter: @TLIMPrincipal
Black History Month
Happy February Sunset Lake!
Thank you, Families, for attending our Student Conferences this week! It was great to give our students a chance to celebrate their growth and share their goals.
Mother Nature seems to be teasing us with the warm days. I heard this morning it's being called Spring Deception!😆 Maybe it's being driven by the fluctuation of temperatures, but we are seeing an increase in sickness at school. Please review the information shared below about keeping our kids healthy and our 24-hour fever-free policy.
This month brings a focus to learning more about our country's Black History. It has been great to hear the variety of lessons and see the visuals popping up all over school that celebrate Black Historical figures of our country. Our 5th graders did an excellent job leading our Student Led assembly last week to kick off the month.
February is also our month to learn more about Habit #5 Seek First to Understand Then to Be Understood. This habit is one of the more challenging habits for all of us. We learn about empathic listening and how to truly listen to others with an open mind.
Please take some time to review Habit #5 as a family.
Kindergarten Registration: Please see our graphic shared below about our 2024-2025 school year Kindergarten enrollment!
We are continuing our Kindness Challenge, so encourage your child to spread Kindness and complete their heart sheet! 🌈
Sweetheart Dance:
Thank you, PTSO, for all your hard work to create tonight's Sweetheart Dance. Reminder it is being held at the Vicksburg Middle School at 7:00 pm.
This SMORE is a long one filled with lots of information, so be sure to scroll all the way through!
Have a wonderful weekend, Sunset Lake!
Thank you, Sunset Lake!
Yours in Learning,
Amie McCaw
Sunset Lake Elementary Principal
IMPORTANT DATES
February 14, 2024 - 5th Grade Ski Trip
February 23, 2024 - Mid-Winter Break
March 1, 2024 - Student 1/2 Day - 12:15 Dismissal
Sunset Lake Battle of the Books Teams
Sunset Lake had 6 Battle of the Books teams compete in this years battle. We had one team move on to the Grand Battle, the Chapter Champs. Make sure you click on the link below and check out all of our Battle teams. We are proud of all of our Sunset Lake Battle teams!!
Kindergarten Registration
If your child turns 5 years old by September 1, 2024 they are eligible for Kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year.
Registration is now open!
To begin the registration process, please fill out the form found here: https://www.vicksburgschools.org/pub/news/posts/11409
First Day Shoe Fund - Spring Distribution
Sunset Lake Families,
The First Day Shoe Fund has selected our school for a spring shoe distribution. FDSF provides shoes to students in Kalamazoo county, free of charge to the families! If your child needs new shoes, order by following this link: http://www.firstdayshoefund.org/order
Ordering begins TODAY, Feb. 1st and is open through Monday, Feb. 19th. NO LATE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Shoes will be distributed on Tuesday, Feb. 27th."
I also have paper order forms that you can send home if families have an internet barrier.
Please Help Us Keep Our Kids Healthy
We've had a lot of sickness roaming the halls of Sunset Lake this week.
Here are some reminders of our practices that will help keep our school as healthy as possible.
*Wash hands with soap and water often
*Cover coughs and sneezes with the inner elbow
*If your student has a fever, they MUST be fever-free WITHOUT medication for 24 hours before they can return to school
*If your student has symptoms before school, please keep them at home
Black History Month at Sunset Lake
Visit this website to learn more....
Thank you China 1 for helping us celebrate Chinese New year
China 1 gave classrooms a great deal on some Chinese food to celebrate Chinese New Year. Several classrooms were able to try several different options and used Chop Stix!! Thank you China 1!!
Habit #5 Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood
5th & 6th Grade Boys and Girls Volleyball
Calling all 5th and 6th grade girls and boys!
Vicksburg volleyball coaches are hosting a Jr. Volleyball Dawgs Co-Ed Clinic!
It's happening Saturdays February 17th and 24th and March 2nd, 9th and 16th from 11:00am to 12:30pm at Vicksburg High School.
First 40 to register get a free ball! Everyone gets a t-shirt!
$75 registration on or before January 31st; $90 late registration.
Register on the Community Education tab of our website: https://www.vicksburgschools.org/dep.../community-education/
February Lunch Menu
Hearty Hustle - Save the Date
Bulldog Lacrosse
Social Media Safety Tips for Kids
Society of Women Engineers / Air Zoo Corporate Engineering Challenge
The Air Zoo and the Society of Women Engineers South Central Michigan Section are proud to present the 11th Annual Corporate Engineering Challenge, where girls aged 9-12 will have the amazing opportunity to spend the day at the Air Zoo and team up with practicing female engineers to compete in a fun and exciting engineering challenge! THIS EVENT AND ADMISSION TO THE AIR ZOO IS FREE FOR PARTICIPATING GIRLS, NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! See event details below.
Each challenge team will be associated with a major local company, all with a history of innovation and advancement in the engineering field. Don’t miss out! This is a great opportunity for young women interested in engineering to interact with successful female engineers in a variety of industries. This year's corporate sponsors include: Charles River, Consumers Energy, CRB, Denso, FEMA, Kellanova, Parker, Performance Validation, Perrigo, Pfizer, Post, Rockwell Automation, RoviSys, Stryker, WMU College of Engineering & Applied Sciences,and Zoetis!
GIRLS AGED 9-12 MUST PRE-REGISTER TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CHALLENGE! SPACE IS LIMITED! Registration begins January 15th.
Free & Reduced Meal Application
Free Lunch Information for Families:
Vicksburg Community Schools is excited to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students for the 2023-2024 school year!
No action is needed for the free breakfast and lunch this year. However, if students would like to purchase à la carte items they will be able to do so as long as they have money in their food service account. Log into your Family Portal to check and add to your balance. https://vicksburg.familyportal.cloud/
Even though meals will be provided for free, it's important for families to continue sharing household income information in order for our schools to receive full access to federal and state funding for educational programs that our students are entitled to. Free and reduced meal applications are used to determine funding for several VCS programs. Every application that is not submitted means lost educational programs and resources for our students.
Please log into your Family Portal and click on the “apply for benefits” button to start an application. The simple application can help make sure VCS gets the support we need.
7 Habits of Happy Kids
Drop Off and Pick-Up Directions
Click on the link for the 2023-24 Drop Off and Pick Up Directions.