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. 

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080f4daeaa2da31-sunrise2

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.

Thank you for your support!   Gigi Dover – PE Teacher   gdover@cfsd16.org

Tucson Chinese School Celebrates its 65th Anniversary

Science Night 2015

Tucson Girls Chorus

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.

Tucson Foothills Lacrosse

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:

http://www.cfsd16.org/public/_century/pdf/Rubrics/Collaboration.pdf

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. 

http://sunriseffo.com/volunteer

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 18^th 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

CFSD Fall Mixer

Box Tops

Chinese Language and Culture Day (Confucius Institute Day)