Weekly Wildcat
October 21, 2022
Hello Sundance Families!
I hope your Wildcat had a wonderful week celebrating Digital Citizenship Week at Sundance! As we continue to focus on student voice and choice through digital platforms, our 5th Grade Student Council Ambassadors will engage in a broadcast training on Monday, October 24th. Additional details will be shared with you about new projects at Sundance!
Don't miss our daily school spirit days (see flyer below) to celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Thank you to our PAC and parent volunteers for preparing our classroom doors and decor around campus. Mrs. Greenway and Mrs. Cabral will also provide STEAM activities and read alouds in the classrooms connected to healthy choices. I hope to see everyone at our Carnival on Friday, October 28th. Credit card, Paypal, and cash are accepted forms of payment. Please remember to show respect and care towards all parent volunteers, students, families, and staff during events.
Have a nice weekend,
Mrs. Katz, Principal
Helpful Information:
- Preliminary CAASPP results are available! Directions are included below.
- Please note that due to our Fall Festival prep, we will not have a parent coffee following our Friday Flag. Families are encouraged to join for Friday Flag at 7:50am on the blacktop.
- Health Tech Memo
- Arrival/Dismissal: We need support with arrival/dismissal procedures. Please sign-up here to assist 1 or more days per week.
- California Healthy Kids Survey: All 5th graders, staff, and families are invited to take the CHKS beginning on October 24th.
- Please complete: Although school meals are now free to all students under California’s new Universal Meals Program, the application for free and reduced-price meals is still very important. School funding depends in part on the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals. With all students now eating for free, fewer families are completing the application and schools are at risk of losing funds. Household income information is confidential and applying online is quick and easy. Plus, students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals may also qualify for discounts on transportation, ESS, SAT and AP tests, home internet, and college application fees. Apply online at MySchoolApps.com, or pick up a paper application in the school office.
Mrs. Katz, Principal
Calendar
Next Week:
- 10/24-10/28: Red Ribbon Week (Details below)
- 10/25: Dine Out Knotty Barrel
- 10/27: Safety Committee Meeting at 1:00pm (Zoom ID: 777-979-0182 PW: SDES2021)
- 10/28: Halloween Carnival at 5pm
- 10/28: Friday Flag, families welcome to join!
- 10/31: Halloween Parade at 8am, front of our school
- 11/3 - Family Drawing Night with Kyle Tiernan - 6:30 - 7:15 pm
- 11/14: Non Student Day (Conferences)
- 11/15 - November Foundation Meeting @ 7 pm in the Sundance Library
- 11/16: Dine Out Chipotle
- 11/15-11/18: Minimum Days release at 12:25pm (Conference Week)
- 12/13-12/14: Dine Out Flippin' Pizza
- 1/24: School Site Council via zoom at 2:30pm
- 2/28: School Site Council via zoom at 2:30pm
- 3/7: Minimum Day (release at 12:25pm)
- 4/25: School Site Council via zoom at 2:30pm
- 5/30: School Site Council via zoom at 2:30pm
Preliminary CAASPP Results
Preliminary 2022 California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results are available for our individual students and our school.
Test scores are recorded as Standards Exceeded, Standards Met, Standards Nearly Met, and Standards Not Met.
In English language arts, an overall average of 74.18 % of our Sundance students met or exceeded standards on the 2022 CAASPP.
In mathematics, an overall average of 71.27 % of our Sundance students met or exceeded standards on the 2022 CAASPP.
CAASPP was administered to students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 during the Spring of 2022. If your child took the CAASPP, you can access their individual results through ParentVUE. Directions for using ParentVUE are attached to this email (or linked here). Please keep in mind that these scores are only one measure of an individual student’s learning. Data from these assessments is used as part of a broader picture of student achievement. Teachers use these results in conjunction with site and classroom assessments and observations to help tailor instruction throughout the school year.
This was the first statewide test given to California students since 2019. Following the pandemic, the 2022 test was significantly revised by the California Department of Education (CDE), providing a new baseline for school districts and sites to measure progress moving forward. Due to the significant changes in the test, districts and sites are unable to make direct comparisons with previous years’ results. However, consistent strong results are indicative of system-wide collaboration by parents, teachers, and school staff to facilitate student success. We are proud of our students and know their accomplishments are reflected in a variety of ways. CAASPP results are one measure of progress and should be reviewed alongside other learning information as well.
Helpful Info/Links
- Counseling Referral Form linked here. Our counselor will hold group sessions on the following topics: Coping With Anxiety, Friendships, Social Skills, and Self-Control.
- Twitter: Sundance is now on Twitter - handle @SundancePUSD
- Instagram: Find us at SundanceElementary
- Breakfast Menu: Click Here
- Lunch Menu: Click here
Schedules:
PE Schedule: Click Here
Library Schedule: Click Here
Foundation/PAC Memo
1 Week Away - Halloween Carnival is Oct. 28th!
Check out our “Tips” below to plan a fun and memorable night at the Sundance Carnival. We will be pre-selling tickets after school every day, Mon. 10/24- Thurs. 10/27, so grab your tickets early and avoid lines at the event. PRE-SALE ONLY SPECIAL OFFER: Buy 10 tix for $5 and get 2 BONUS tickets!
Please note we accept cash, PayPal and credit cards only. We can’t wait to see the Sundance community come together for our biggest event of the year!
Carnival Teen Help, Parent Volunteers, + Donation Sign Ups
Help! We still need a few more parents and volunteers - sign up here to volunteer for the Carnival on the day of, provide supplies, and more! Check out the photos below of a few members of our hardworking Carnival Committee + Dad’s Club who have been in planning + prep mode already for next week. We also need Teen Volunteers to help run games, help at the food tables, and more. For all older siblings or Sundance alumni, submit your name/contact info directly to our volunteer form or you can message Tiffany Caskey Bair directly at tcaskey1030@gmail.com.
Red Envelope Campaign - Does Your Employer Match?
Do you work for Qualcomm, Sempra Energy or LPL Financial? These companies - and hundreds more - will MATCH your Red Envelope donation to Sundance Elementary! Check out twintrailsfoundation.org/donate to see if your company is on the list. Company Match donations will be accepted all year long. A big thank you to you - and your company - for your support!
Dine Out Night - Knotty Barrel PQ - Oct. 25th - 3-9 pm
Bring the whole family for an afternoon or evening out at Knotty Barrel and support Sundance. We hope to see lots of Wildcats there!
Family Drawing Night with Kyle Tiernan, Thurs. Nov. 3rd, 6:30 - 7:15 pm
Sundance alumni & children’s illustrator Kyle Tiernan is BACK! He’s hosting a family drawing night for our Sundance community in the MPR. Check out the flyer below for more details.