Sunrise Drive Elementary is home to Sammy the Snake! This is the electronic newsletter for all of the Sunrise Drive community to read.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Friday, December 4, 2015
A Message from the Principal + Director of Community Schools
Dear Sunrise Drive Families,
The Catalina Foothills School District is a wonderful school
community! It is impressive to see a community with such a commitment to
educational excellence and support of the schools here in the Foothills. CFSD would not be the district it is
today without the community that surrounds and supports it! The success of our
schools' extracurricular programs is tied to the generous contributions of
community members who divert some of their state tax funds to the CFSD programs
of their choice!
How does it Work?
Any Arizona taxpayer has the opportunity to give to Catalina
Foothills School District instead of paying it in taxes. The donation must be
earmarked for support of one of our many qualifying fee-based, extracurricular
activities. We'll send the donor a receipt for their records. Then, when the
taxpayer fills out their 2015 Arizona state taxes, they can subtract the amount
of the donation, up to $400 (joint filers) and $200 (individuals), from what is
owed in state taxes. This is not
just a tax deduction…it is a tax credit that reduces the amount of taxes
owed to the state, dollar-for-dollar.
For more information about how this credit will work for your individual
tax situation, contact your tax advisor.
How are these Dollars
Spent?
Tax Credit dollars are spent to support fee-based,
extra-curricular offerings. However, regular communication between the school
principal and CFSD Community Schools Director leads to a beneficial partnership
that also helps support the needs at Sunrise, as dollars are spent to serve a
joint purpose.
What is the Tax
Credit Goal at Sunrise?
We are aiming for $30,000…that is only 150 individuals at
$200 each!
Where Can I Donate?
You can donate online (http://www.cfsd16.org/public/_community/donate.aspx)
with your credit card or fill out the 2015 Tax Credit Form, which can be mailed
to Murphey Administration Center, 2101 E River Rd., Tucson, AZ, 85718 or
dropped off in person at any CFSD school, by December 31, 2015. Please make
checks payable to Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) and note the
program to which you'd like to contribute on the check.
What have we
purchased at Sunrise with tax credit dollars?
Here are some of the joint projects that Community Schools
and Sunrise administration have completed/purchased within the past 5 years, as
well as projects underway or yet to come:
·
Current Project: Raising money for shade
structures on the Sunrise campus, utilized by Sunrise Students and Community
Schools activities
·
Upgrade the Kindergarten playground
·
Resurfacing of the outdoor basketball and tennis
courts, utilized by Sunrise students in Physical Education and by Community
Schools classes after school
·
Imagine Learning software purchase used by SD
teachers, students, and Community Schools
·
$30,000 toward the SD playground renovation
project, which assisted with updating basketball goals, courts, playground
equipment, shade structures, and more, all utilized by SD students, staff, and
Community Schools
·
Lego Robotics team registrations and equipment
used by SD students, staff, and Community Schools
·
30 sets of headphones used by SD students,
teachers, and Community Schools
·
Supporting Community Schools enrichment classes
for SD students resulting in lower class fees
Your
consideration of making an Arizona Tax Credit is appreciated. If you elect to make a donation, please
consider marking Sunrise Drive as the recipient of the donation.
Sincerely,
Andrea
Davidson Travis
Kolter
Principal Director
CFSD Community Schools
Friday, November 13, 2015
A Message from the Principal
Dear Sunrise Drive
Families,
As we have shared, student report cards
are distributed electronically using ParentVUE. Today, parents will be able to
view their child’s report card by logging into their ParentVUE account and clicking on the Report Card section along the left hand side of the homepage. It is important to note, the report cards will only be accessible via the ParentVUE web page. Parents will not be able to access a report card from a smartphone app.
In efforts to communicate students’ academic progress today,
it was discovered that the attendance was not feeding to the generation of
trimester one report cards. Currently, the report is being loaded to ParentVUE
but with inaccurate attendance. When the issue with attendance has been fixed,
a new report card will be issued to ParentVUE and the school will notify
parents. We believe it is important to provide parents information about their child’s progress in a timely
manner and did not want to delay this communication.
In the meantime, if you want to review a student’s
attendance, you may login to ParentVUE and click the Attendance link on the
left hand side.
The
following tips may help you access your child’s report card:
o
Click the Report Card section along the
left side of your child’s homepage.
o
View the tutorials on Sunrise Drive's Youtube channel to better
understand your ParentVUE account.
o
Contact the front
office if you have forgotten your username or password.
o
Visit the front office
where you will be given an activation key to set-up your ParentVUE account if
you have not done so using the activation key distributed in August.
o
Contact your child’s
teacher to clarify any portion of your child’s report card.
Some documents in paper form
will be sent home today with students.
Not all students will have documents sent home. The following is a list
of documents that students will bring home in hardcopy format:
o
Progress reports for
Read Strong students in grades K-3
o
Progress reports for
K-5 students receiving student support services
o
Mandarin Proficiency
reports for K-3 Chinese Immersion students
o
AZMERIT reports for
students in grades 4 and 5 from Spring 2015 testing
o
Attendance notices for
K-5 students with 10 or more absences/tardies
o
Meal account notices
for negative balance
Please
join me in welcoming an additional Read Strong teacher, Ms. Wallace, to our
campus. Ms. Wallace is an
experienced Catalina Foothills School District teacher and completed her
reading endorsement under the supervision of Ms. Del Rincon at Sunrise
Drive. Through funding secured
through a grant for this year, we have been assigned the additional certified
position. Our students will
benefit from the expertise that Ms. Wallace offers to our school.
The Steppers Program is in full
swing. Please join us during lunch
recess on Fridays to walk/run with us.
Each week we add miles to our cumulative total as a school. Six laps equals one mile! Students eagerly share the number of
laps completed. A warm thank you
is extended to Ms. Dover who oversees the program and the team of volunteers
who devote their time each week to count our laps and cheer us on!
Sunrise students in first through fifth
grades will participate in the Scripps
Spelling Bee. The Spelling Bee Club meets at lunch on Tuesdays until
November 17. Students who would like to qualify for the Sunrise Drive Spelling
Bee will take a written test on Tuesday, November 17 during lunch-recess. Our
school wide spelling bee will take place on December 4 at 3:10. The competition
follows the rules of the Scripps Spelling Bee with first through fifth graders
competing with one another.
Please join us tonight at 6:00 in the
MPR for the Sunrise Talent Show.
The FFO Talent Show Committee will produce a wonderful show featuring
our super stars! On Wednesday, December 2, your family in invited to
participate UP, UP and AWAY produced by MAD Science. This FFO sponsored event kicks off our Science Fair and
Inquiry Day events. We will learn and enjoy the exciting presentation in the
MPR from 6:30-7:30. I look forward to seeing you on campus over the next few
weeks.
Sincerely,
Andrea Davidson
Principal
How the CFSD Foundation Helps Sunrise Drive
Do you know about the CFSD Foundation?
The mission of the Foundation is to raise funds
to attract, develop and retain excellent teachers throughout the district.
Specifically, the Foundation helps fund our
district’s teacher induction program. Has your child's teacher been working in CFSD
for three or fewer years? If so, she/he is part of the district's 3-year
induction program. The desired result of the induction program is to
provide district students a more competent, skilled teacher working with their
children.
The 3-year induction program has a price tag of approximately
$250,000 so it is the combination of a CFSD Foundation gift and some district
funding that keeps that program alive. Times are especially
challenging this year because the Arizona Legislature cut ALL of our funding
for this program. The only way to
find this program is through direct donations. Our goal is to raise $500,000 this year.
At Sunrise
Drive, there are 18 teachers who participate in and benefit from this program.
Visit the CFSD Foundation website at http://cfsdfoundation.org/ to read
testimonial form teachers about the value of this training – and how it
supports our teachers and students.
Public education is extremely fragile in our
state. Increasingly, it is
becoming obvious that a great public education is not free.
Our teachers need our help.
In addition to supporting our FFO here at
Sunrise, please make an annual donation to the CFSD
Foundation.
Friday, October 30, 2015
A Message from the Principal
Dear Sunrise Drive
Families,
This school year report
cards will be distributed electronically through the ParentVUE system. If you
have not activated your ParentVUE account yet, please visit the front office
where you will be given an activation key and instructions on how to set this
up. If you have already activated your account but have forgotten your username
or password, please contact the front office and they will assist you with this.
On November 13, 2015,
you will have access to your student’s report card by logging into your
ParentVUE account and clicking the Report Card section of your child's account.
You can click the link to download a PDF version of your child's report card
and print it for your records if you choose. There are tutorials on Sunrise Drive's Youtube channel for
your convenience to help you better understand your ParentVUE account. If you
have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Also on Friday
November 13th, our fourth and fifth grade students will bring home
AzMERIT results from the Spring 2015 testing sessions. Students will have scores for both Math
and English Language Arts (ELA).
One of four performance levels will be noted on the students report for
Math and English Language Arts, which include Highly Proficient, Proficient,
Partially Proficient and Minimally Proficient. The English Language Arts score
is composed of three performance areas: Reading for Information, Reading for
Literature and Writing Language.
The Mathematics score is a combination of three performance areas:
Operations, Algebraic Thinking, and Numbers in Base Ten, and Measurement, Data
and Geometry. You may access
information about AzMERIT on the Arizona Department of Education website at http://www.azed.gov/assessment/azmerit/. If you would like to discuss your
student’s results, please contact your child’s teacher or me. We want to support your family as this
new assessment and the results are distributed to you and the public.
Are your mornings
rushed as you get ready for school? Breakfast is served on campus Monday
through Friday beginning at 7:40.
The breakfast served is part of the National School Lunch Program. Students may access breakfast in front
of the MPR each morning. Sunrise
Drive staff members supervise the eating area. Students may also choose to place some of the breakfast
items in their backpack to eat as a snack. The cost of breakfast is $1.70 (30
cents for reduced meal or free for free meal based on qualifying criteria). Pam
Yantorno from Sodexo will be on campus on Thursday morning from 7:40 to share
information about the breakfast program at Sunrise Drive. If you have questions about breakfast
or lunch, please contact me or Ms. Yantorno at pyantorno@cfsd16.org. I highly encourage you to consider your child taking
advantage of a prepared breakfast (or snack) to ease your morning rush.
We look forward to a
fun evening tonight at Spiders and Cider.
I would like to thank all of the students, parents and volunteers who
have collaborated to make this a wonderful evening for our students.
Sincerely,
Andrea Davidson
Principal
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
A Message From the Principal
October 14, 2015
Dear Sunrise Families,
We are thankful for your
participation in conferences over the last week. We value the partnerships we have with each family as we
support our students in their learning.
It is important to continue to communicate with one another. As the
grading period ends on October 30th, teachers will prepare report cards for
electronic distribution. Parents will need a ParentVUE account activated in order to receive a report card this school year. If you need access to your ParentVUE account, please stop by the front office and ask for assistance. Report
cards are another way for us to share information with you. Please know that
our teachers are committed to being your partners as we support your student’s
learning.
On Friday,
October 30th the FFO will host the annual Spiders and Cider
event from 5:00-8:00 pm. Donations of candy may be sent to the office for the
FFO Spiders and Cider Committee to collect and organize for the evening for
fun.
For Spiders and
Cider to be successful, we ask that each family commit to volunteering for a
30-minute time slot. Please visit
the link to commit to volunteer at the fun activities such as the Cake Walk,
Games, Craft Table, or Maze:
Students may
choose to wear a costume to Spiders and Cider. When selecting a costume for
your child to wear to the Spiders and Cider festivities, please be sure that it
is appropriate for an elementary school. Safety is the highest priority. Children
are not permitted to wear masks, bring dangerous items or bring items that
represent weapons. Please refrain
from body paint or images on costumes that depict violence or injury. We
appreciate your support in creating a safe and fun event for all of our five
through ten year olds!
I wish each of
you a wonderful Fall Break.
Students have shared their plans for the long weekend. Many are excited to harvest pumpkins
with family and friends, while others are eager to visit the zoo or Sabino
Canyon. I look forward to seeing
the students next week as they share their events of their weekend!
Sincerely,
Andrea Davidson
Principal
Friday, October 2, 2015
A Message from the Principal
October 2, 2015
Dear Sunrise Drive Families,
Last weekend was filled with fun! It was a pleasure to see
so many of you at the Family Picnic and Play event last Friday evening. Students spent time with their family
and friends as they ate dinner together, played on the playground and the
enjoyed the book fair. On
Saturday, over 100 Sunrise Drive students participated in the University of
Arizona Confucius Institute Language Day.
An audience of proud parents enjoyed the performance of our Kindergarten
through grade 3 students.
On Thursday, October 1, Student Council met for the first
time. Any student in grades 1-5
who would like to devote their lunch-recess to be a leader by serving the
community may participate. Student
Council meets each Thursday during the grade level lunch-recess time. Yesterday, we prepared signs to invite
you to join us for Family Fix-Up and Garden Clean Up tomorrow, Saturday, October 3 for our campus wide clean up.
Please join us with your wheelbarrow and broom between 7:00-12:00 noon. We will
be repainting the blue line and adding yellow footprints at the request of the
Kindergarteners in Ms. Prickett’s class. Students will be planting this year,
and we need your help to have the gardens ready for October planting. By the
end of the morning, we would like all plant debris removed from the garden and
all the compost that was delivered on Thursday moved to the class plots.
During the month
of October, students will be planting cool weather crops. We thank the Sunrise Drive FFO for
supporting our gardening with the purchase of seeds and seedlings. A special thank you to Emily Franklin
for organizing our school-wide gardening activities. If you have some time to devote to working in the garden
with the students, please contact your child’s teacher.
We look forward to
seeing you on campus!
Sincerely,
Andrea
Davidson
Principal
Friday, September 18, 2015
A Message from the Principal
September 18, 2015
Dear Sunrise Drive Families,
I am honored to share with you that Bill Dodds will be
recognized as a Catalina Foothills School District Super Volunteer to the CFSD
Governing Board on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 PM. Mr. Dodds has served as a
playground volunteer since his granddaughter began attending Sunrise Drive as a
first grader. Mr. Dodds partners with staff members to cultivate a school
environment that fosters a sense of belonging for each student. Mrs. Kupper
shared, “I am grateful that he is on campus and so supportive about what we do
here at Sunrise for students.” Mr. Dodds enthusiastically arrives each morning
at 7:35 with a smile and basketball in hand welcoming the students to a new
school day. A fifth grader shared,
“He helped me shoot better and play better. He is really nice!” Each day Mr.
Dodds exhibits the Spirit of Sunrise with his kind and respectful interactions
with all students.
We anxiously await
cooler temperatures to align with the calendar, which indicates we are entering
the fall season. In Tucson, this
signals the time to plant the “cool-weather” crops we enjoy, such as carrots,
lettuce, peas, and broccoli. Every grade level will be utilizing our outdoor
garden classroom during the upcoming months. The FFO generously supports our
garden activities by purchasing seeds, seedlings and equipment.
We need your help
to clean up our campus and prepare our garden plots on Saturday, October 3.
Please join us with your wheelbarrow and broom between 7:00-12:00 noon. We need
your help to have the gardens ready for October planting. Please click on the
link below to commit to joining us for the Garden Clean Up and Family Fix
Up.
Sunrise Drive first through fifth grade
students may participate in the Scripps
Spelling Bee.
1.
Spelling Club will begin to meet weekly on Tuesdays beginning September
22 during recess. Any student may participate and does not
need to attend weekly.
2.
The school wide written test to qualify for the School Bee will be held
during recess on November 17.
3.
The Sunrise Drive Spelling Bee will be on Friday, December 4 at 3:10 in
the library. Students report to
the library at 3:00.
4.
CFSD District Spelling Bee will be on Thursday, January 21 at 4:00 in
the Sunrise Drive Library.
The students and
staff thank the FFO for sponsoring the school fee for our students’
participation.
It
is a pleasure serving the Sunrise Drive Elementary School Community. I look forward to seeing you at one of
our upcoming events!
Sincerely,
Andrea
Davidson
Principal
Jump Rope for Heart Comes to Sunrise Drive
Ready, Set, JUMP!
Last year was our
first year participating in Jump Rope for Heart (JRFH) for the American Heart
Association and our school raised $19,070.45!
We were the #1 fundraising school for Southern Arizona, the #2 school for the
state of Arizona and the #13 school in the entire Western States Division! In
return for our participation and donations, the Sunrise PE program received $1100
in equipment from JRFH . . . it was a win-win for our school!
Keep a look out
for your child to bring home his/her JRFH packet during our kick-off the week
of October 1 – 7 (during PE classes). The actual jumping event will be held
during PE classes the week of November 2 – 6. During this time, we will be
learning all about the heart, how to keep it healthy, and we will be practicing
some exciting jump roping skills! This is also the time when your child can
reach out to family and friends and ask them to make a donation for them as
they Jump Rope for Heart. Asking for donations is optional but all students will
be able to participate in the jumping event.
New this year: we will only be accepting ONLINE donations!
It is easy and
secure to set up an online account for your child and you can reach out to a
lot more friends and family by sending out emails. Directions for setting up an
online account will be in your child’s packet or you can get a head start by
going to: www.heart.org/jump and find
our school. If for some reason you cannot donate online, you can send your
checks/money to:
American Heart Association
Attention: Theresa Hoge
2601 N. Campbell Ave. Suite #206
Tucson, Az. 85719
We will not be handling any checks or cash
at school. Thank you for
your cooperation. All donations are due
by November 24.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
not MY kid - Inspiring Positive Life Choices Event
This Thursday Orange Grove Middle School FFO is sponsoring a parent only-event on Internet Safety. This presentation provides powerful insights for parents on ways to protect your child on the internet. If you plan on attending, please RSVP to the OGMS office at 209-8201. The presentation begins in the Orange Grove Middle School MPR at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Sunday, September 6, 2015
A Message from the Principal
Dear Sunrise Drive Families,
Welcome to September!
Over the first 22 days of school, we have learned a great deal about
your child. Teachers have
administered a collection of assessments to determine your child’s performance
level in math, reading, and writing. Teachers are tailoring instructional
opportunities to support the students’ growth in each class.
Across our school students are working on the Deep Learning
Proficiency of Collaboration. There
are four performance areas to develop: Leadership and Initiative, Cooperation
and Flexibility, Responsibility and Productivity, Responsiveness, and
Self-regulation and Reflection. In PE students worked in teams to complete the
“Mission Impossible.” Students developed plans to move over toxic lava, trek over
mountains, and land on the island safely.
Students used their motor planning skills to move themselves and help
their teammates reach the City safely.
The students used self-regulation as they worked together, and reflected
on their team’s success and their individual contributions.
In primary grades, students are developing the collaborative
skills needed to work with others.
Students are learning about their role when working with classmates and
what words to use when we might disagree.
For example, when discussing a story, a first grader might say, “I made
a different connection…” or “When the boy grabs his teddy bear, I thought
about…” Fifth graders are offering
opinions, listening to others’ perspectives and then comparing their own
opinions and ideas with their peers.
These are examples of students demonstrating Cooperation and
Flexibility. You may click on this
link to view the Collaboration Rubric:
ParentVUE is our new online resource where you may access
your child’s grades, attendance and other data. During Curriculum Night, individual ParentVUE activation
keys were distributed to each parent.
If you did not attend, please stop by the office to pick up your
activation key to access your account. Once you log on to your account, you
will be able to access your student’s grades and attendance.
Our learning community supports our students with great
effort. We have four wonderful
events for our students:
- Book Fair: September 21-September 25 during the
school day
- Family Picnic and Play & Book Fair: Friday,
September 25 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM
- School & Garden Fix-Up: Saturday, October 3
from 7:00 AM -12:00 noon
- Spiders and Cider: Friday, October 30 from
6:00-8:00
Please click on the link to volunteer at one of the events
and join us in the fun.
Your dedication to our students will have a positive impact
as we come together to celebrate our school and nurture our children.
The Catalina Foothills School District Foundation believes,
“Quality Teachers Lead to a Quality Education.” The CFSD Foundation is committed to supporting teacher
development and retention in our schools.
On Friday, September 18th the CFSD Foundation will host a
Fall Mixer at Hacienda del Sol. I look forward to seeing you there! During the
event, I hope you will consider bidding on the reserved parking space located
in the staff parking lot. This
space can be yours to use whenever you visit our campus.
We thank you for your support as we work with your
child. It is an honor to be
partners with you as we support their growth.
Sincerely,
Andrea Davidson
Principal
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)