Dear
Sunrise Families,
We
return from our winter vacation full of energy! Many stories about traveling to
see relatives or visiting other places have been shared at lunch. The bit of snow that fell on our desert
floor created wonderful memories for many of our students. Over the first ten days of school I
have learned that many Sunrise families enjoyed a fun afternoon on Mt. Lemmon
playing in the snow!
In the next few weeks, current residents will receive enrollment packets. It is critical to complete the
enrollment process for each of your children who will attend Sunrise Drive next
year. The completed and returned
registration forms will determine staffing decisions for Sunrise Drive
Elementary School. The registration
forms are due at Sunrise Drive on February
13th. Please help
us prepare for the 2015-2016 school year by submitting your child’s
registration on time. The number
of students enrolled determines the number of teachers assigned to teach at
Sunrise Drive. Please contact our office at 209-7901 to help you with the
registration process if needed.
Students
are busy learning throughout their day and ask many questions. Last Thursday, a
second grade student asked, “What do the teachers do when we have early
release?” I explained that each Thursday is devoted to teachers learning more
about their students or learning to be better teachers. I shared that the teachers were
currently studying a book to improve how we teach math. The student was interested in the book
and asked to see it. Upon review,
the student said, “The teachers have school!”
Many
of our early release afternoons are devoted to Data Team Meetings. Teachers work in collaborative groups
to determine goals, develop instructional plans and assessments, and analyze
student performance. The goal of
the collaborative work is to improve achievement. For example, our first grade
students are developing critical thinking and problem solving skills as they
solve word problems with precision. The first grade teachers structure lessons
so that students have opportunities to share their thinking with others. Fourth
graders are learning to construct arguments with evidence as they solve
problems. This is challenging work
as fourth graders work to verbalize and write their arguments. Second grade students in Music, Art and
PE students are developing self-regulation skills as they reflect on the effort
used in class. Our reflective
conversations in Data Team Meetings help us refine our teaching practice and
our student academic performance.
Over
the next few months, we have many important dates to remember:
·
Photos for Choir, Band, First Lego League & Student Council:
January 20
·
Resident Registration Due at
Sunrise Drive: February 13
·
Spring Chinese Festival: Friday, February 20 from 6:00-7:30
·
Rodeo Break: February 26 & 27
We look forward to seeing
you on campus or at one of our upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Andrea Davidson
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