October 2013
Sunset Newsletter What’s Happening This Month at Sunset . . . Thursday, October 10th – 2nd Grade Field Trip to Dino Trackway in Shell, WY Thursday, October 10th – Sunset Reading Rocks Title One Night @ 6:00-7:30 pm Wednesday, October 16th – McTeacher Night at McDonald’s @ 4:00-7:00 pm Monday, October 21st – PTO Meeting in the Media Room @ 3:30 pm Monday, October 21st – Friday, October 28th – National Character Counts Week Thursday, October 24th – Sunset CAN Movie Party Friday, November 1st – Sunset at the Movies at Big Horn Cinemas @ 2:00-4:00 pm Monday, November 4th – Sunset Parent/Teacher Conferences for K-3 from 3:30-7:00 pm Tuesday, November 5th – Sunset Parent/Teacher Conferences for K-3 from 3:30-7:00 pm Week of Monday, November 4th– Fall Scholastic Book Fair
PTO Meeting Calendar 2013/2014 School Year The PTO meetings will be held the third Monday of every month. The meetings will be held in the media room at 3:30 pm. We are holding the meetings after school so our teachers can attend. Please mark your calendars so you can come see what’s happening with the PTO and meet and mingle with the Sunset teachers and staff! Monday, October 21st @ 3:30 Monday, December 16th @ 3:30
Monday, November 18th @ 3:30
A Message from Our Sunset Principal – Brenda Farmer Sunset Parents: Accountability and State testing results (AYP) are realities we live with in education. We, at Sunset, believe in being accountable to our students delivering relevant, rigorous, and focused instruction. Our school did not make AYP (from the data on PAWS testing last spring); therefore we are making plans for improvement. Sunset students scored very well on our MAPS assessment and on District Assessments, but PAWS is the standard. Sunset staff is dedicated to educating the whole child. We are proud of our students and the responsible community of learners they are. We have few discipline issues and work through challenges with that sense of community in mind. Educating our children is a partnership between home and school. Here is a list of a few simple things you can do to support your child’s education: 1. Talk, talk, talk with your child. Explain vocabulary and ask questions that encourage more than one word answers. 2. Make reading a part of your family’s daily routine. Spend at least 20 minutes reading and talking about what you read. 3. Keep books, magazines, and newspapers in the house, and in the car. 4. Work with your child on math facts. Check with teachers to know what facts are expected to be automated at your child’s grade level. 5. Limit powerful media (TV viewing, gaming, computers) to no more than one hour a day. Better still, institute no powerful media viewing/playing Sunday night at 6p.m. through Thursday night. 6. Encourage your child to be involved in extracurricular and volunteer activities. 7. Support the school’s efforts to develop kids of character with an “I CAN” attitude, along with being consciously disciplined. 8. Find a regular place for your child to do homework. A space free from distractions and equipped with study tools. 9. Know what kind of homework is expected from teachers and make sure your child completes it. Thanks for the opportunity to partner with you for the success of your child. Mrs. Farmer
Classroom News! 2nd Grade Cole, Barnhart & Ellsbury October will be filled with many exciting learning experiences for our Sunset Second graders. In Math, we are working on Place Value. Our students are learning how to read, write, compare, and represent numbers to 1,000. We are also working on even and odd numbers, and greater than and less than. Students continue to improve their addition fact fluency to 20 as well. In Science, we are learning about Dinosaurs. We visited the Wyoming Dinosaur Center on September 19 th. Thank you to all of our parent volunteers who helped make this trip so wonderful! We will be heading to the Red Gulch Dinosaur Track Site on October 10th. (Weather Permitting) In writing, students are working hard on writing, publishing, and sharing their small moment stories at Author’s Chair. Our Reading centers are going well! We have re-vamped our reading program and are excited to teach new concepts and lessons aligned with the Common Core State Standards. We are learning about character traits in reading this month.
Want to see what is happening in your child’s classroom? Please visit the Sunset Teacher Sites by typing in the following link: http://www.park6.org/classroompages.cfm?location=736&school=736
Sunset School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) President — Rebecca Merritt Vice President — Becca Manchester Secretary — Chrystal Rippeto Treasurer — Marcie Barton Sunset PTA E-mail Address: sunsetptacodywy@gmail.com Please feel free to e-mail us with any questions, comments, suggestions and ideas!
Fall Fundraiser Our Sunset students did a Great job raising money for the school through our Believe Kids Fundraiser. Thank you for all of the students, teachers and staff that participated and a Big Thanks to the parents for helping their kids sell!! Our Top Sellers were as follows: 1st Place Top Seller – Rhoen Fay-Lawson 2nd Place Top Seller – Hudson Oelschlager Top Selling Class – Mrs. Kleersnyder’s Kindergarten Class
******** Pick Up Day for the Fundraiser is Thursday, October 17th ******** We will have your student’s products for delivery in the Sunset cafeteria right after school. Please make sure to deliver the products as soon as possible. If you cannot deliver them the same day, please make sure to keep them in a freezer so the food does not spoil. Thanks! Sunset PTO would like to thank all of the individuals and families that helped with our PTO events held in September. We appreciate those who help plan, set up, serve and bring food for these activities. We look forward to working with you in our upcoming events. To our volunteers – we can never say “thanks” enough. We will be contacting you to help with future events! Your Sunset PTO
As the weather turns colder we are all reminded that flu season is just around the corner. It is important to take steps to prevent influenza in your student and your family! Here are some things you can do to try to keep Influenza from invading your household:
GET VACCINATED!!! The short-lived discomfort of the influenza vaccine is much better than actually contracting the virus. Contact Park County Public Health, your physician's office, or any pharmacy to find out more information about vaccination. Keep your students home when they are ill. If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or higher they should not come to school. Your child needs to be fever-free without the aid of medication for 24 hours prior to returning to school. If your child is vomiting or having diarrhea they should be kept at home. Wash your hands! Simple as it sounds, hand washing with soap and water is still the best defense against illnesses such as Influenza. Cover your Cough - help us teach your student to always cover their coughs or sneezes the proper way. I teach them to sneeze or cough into their upper arm (without using their hands) or into a Kleenex. I always remind them to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing! Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and get plenty of sleep! Keeping a healthy immune system is important to keep illness away during the long winter months.
Windy Smith, RN - Sunset School Nurse
October School Events Mark your calendar for the Title One Family Reading Night
When: Where: Why:
When: Thursday, October 10, 2013 Time: 6:00-7:30 pm Where & Who: Sunset School/Families
Enjoy an exciting night of reading, music, stone soup, crackers, and cookies.
Wednesday, October 16th 4:00-7:00 pm McDonald’s Raise money for our school library
We will have fun and games, raffles and prizes. Our Sunset teachers will be there to read to the Students! Come in for a chance to win a free book!!
Sunset at the Movies Friday, November 1st At Big Horn Cinemas 2:00-4:00 pm Cost is $10 per Student or $15 per Family (for those of you with 2 or more Sunset Students attending) Cost includes admission to the movie, a small popcorn and a small drink.
We will be sending a permission slip with more information home later this month!!
Agenda 6:00-6:15
Sign in and 4th grade drumming
6:15-6:45
Supper
6:45-7:30
Read A-Loud stories, games, & free books
Parent/Teacher Conferences K-3 Grades
Monday, November 4th Tuesday, November 5th 3:30-7:00 pm Come meet with your child’s teacher and see the progress they have made in class.
October Community Events Paul Stock Aquatic and Recreation Center
Riley Ice Arena Pricing
• OCT 9: Wyoming Health Fairs Blood Draw • OCT 11: HCA Stay Safe - World Egg Day (School Age Youth) Gym, Concessions & Pools; 2:15 to 4:30 P • OCT 14: School’s Out, Stay Safe - National Spider-Man Day! (School Age Youth, FREE for members or daily fee) Gym, MP Room, Concessions & Pools; 10 A to 2:30 P, • OCT 15 to 24: FREE Swim Lessons (Sunset 2nd Graders) Pools; Monday thru Thursday, 3:30 to 4:10 P • OCT 18: HCA Stay Safe - No Beard Day (School Age Youth) Gym, Concessions & Pools; 2:15 to 4:30 P • OCT 18: Water Float Day Pools; 2 to 5 P • OCT 20: Cody Youth Basketball 5th & 6th Grade Boys & Girls Registration Deadline • OCT 21: REGISTRATION OPENS FOR FALL & WINTER PROGRAMS Front Desk; 5:30 A • OCT 25: Water Float Day Pools; 2 to 5 P • OCT 25: HCA Stay Safe - World Pasta Day (School Age Youth) Gym, Concessions & Pools; 2:15 to 4:30 P • OCT 25: Halloween Carnival ($3 Pre Pay; $5 at the Door; Adults & Kids under 2 are FREE) Gyms; 6 to 7:30 P
• OCT 26: FREE DAY! • OCT 26: Pumpkin Decorating (All Ages, FREE!) West Park Hospital Long Term Care Center; 10 A to Noon • OCT 28: CMS Swim Team Practice Begins Pools; 3:30 to 5:30 P • OCT 23 to NOV 1: Food Drive (Bring in nonperishable or toiletry items for FREE guest pass or daily entrance fee) • NOV 1: HCA Stay Safe - Lacrosse Fun (School Age Youth) Gym, Concessions & Pools; 2:15 to 4:30 P • NOV 2: CMS Swim Meet vs. Worland
Pools; 10 A
Public Skate Prices: $6 for 12 and over; $4 under 12. Group Rates - 11 to 20 skaters = $5 per person 12 and over; $3 under 12 21 or more skaters = $5 per person 12 and over; $2 under 12 Skate Rentals: $3 per session Stick & Puck: $7 Adult Drop-in Hockey: $10 Broomball: $7 Open Figure Skating: $7 Call for Birthday Party pricing http://www.rileyarena.com/schedule.html
Park County Youth Hockey Association (PCYHA) Park County Youth Hockey Association is a volunteer, nonprofit entity dedicated to providing a safe, fun environment for youth hockey, developing the skills of individuals and teams, and providing a cost efficient affordable sport for Park County youth. We are affiliated with USA Hockey Association. We have hockey programs for boys and girls ages 319. HOCKEY begins October 14th. Registration still open. 1st grade FREE. Contact Chad Forsman for more information at 307.250.6046 http://www.parkcountyhockey.org/
Park County Library
For a complete calendar please go to this website: http://parkcountylibrary.org/wp-
In the Children’s Library:
content/uploads/2009/03/December-20121.pdf Mondays: Toddler Time 10:00-10:20 am, for ages 12-36 months with parent or caregiver. Short stories, music, movement, and finger plays develop a comfort in the library. Tuesdays and Wednesdays – Story Time, 10:00-10:45 am for ages 3-6. Stories are based on a theme each week, accompanied by games, songs, and crafts promote early literacy. Sleepy Time Stories the first Monday evening
For more information, call the Children’s
of each month from 6:30-7:30 pm. This is an
Library at 527-1884 or email librarian
evening story time for the whole family featuring
Holly Baker, hbaker@parkcountylibrary.org
great new books.
or visit www.parkcountylibrary.org/kids/.
Kids may come in pajamas,
bring a stuffed animal or pillow if they’d like.
Follow
codykidsread
This October program will be EXTRA-special
Facebook.
on
and
with our favorite guest reader, Mr., Dave and birthday cake by Wildflour Desserts, celebrating the FIFTH birthday of our beautiful library! Please join the fun – we love our library. Read to a Dog every Tuesday afternoon from 3:45-4:45 pm.
This is wonderful oral reading
practice
opportunity,
Certified
therapy
plus
dogs
are
just
plain
fun.
non-judgmental
listeners, and this program is proven to help fluency. Call, email or stop by to sign up for a 15 minute session. Lego Club for grades K-5 will be Friday afternoons, October 11 and 18 from 2:153:15.
We supply the Legos; you supply the
imagination. Sign up for one or both programs in person, by email, or by phone, as space is limited.
Yellowstone Quake Home Games Friday, Nov 23 - Thursday, Nov 29 Start Time: 7:30 pm
Catch all the action at the Victor J. Riley Arena (1400 Heart Mountain St.). For a complete season schedule, visit their website. http://yellowstonequake.pointstreaksit es.com/view/yellowstonequake