April 2012
Volume 58, Issue 8
Sunset News April 2012 SUN 1
MON 2
TUE 3
WED 4
Meeting & Musical
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9
10
THU
Class
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Pictures
11
One Day Without Shoes
12
FRI 6
SAT No
7
14
21
Sunset staff is on the cutting edge in beliefs, actions, instruction, innovation, and educating the whole child.
Spring Break—No School
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16 Bell rings at 8:10 am
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23
17
Family, Food & Fun Night
18
24
25
TV show
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PTA meeting
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20
Donuts with Dads
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27
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Newsletter deadline
30
Title 1 Survey Due
Tues. April 3 — 3:30 pm Sunset Garden Meeting Tues. April 3 — 630 pm K—1 Bugz Musical Weds. April 4—class pictures Thurs. April 5– One Day Without Shoes event
Nite at McDonald’s Weds. April 18—11:30 am PTA meeting Fri. April 20— 730 am Donuts with Dads Tues. April 24 — 5 am Lifetime Channel show
Fri. April 6—No School April 9—13 —Spring Break
Mon. April 30— Title 1
Tues. April 17 — 4:30 – 7:30 pm Family Fun & Food
A team is defined as: A group of people working interdependently to achieve a common goal in which all members are mutually accountable. I believe we have great teams at Sunset; I encourage us to continue developing our teams including parents and students. Innovation is: disruptive, experimental, focused, local, associated with error.
Thurs. April 26— Last Newsletter deadline
Mon. April 16 –Back to School at 8:10 am please!
A few things I learned: When professional learning goes away so does improvement. This inspires our staff to continue learning, as we want to improve our craft to enrich students.
School
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I just returned from great professional learning in sunny Seattle. The best of the best educational researchers and trend watchers were there. What an inspiration!
Stress is bad for the brain! Brains must have an activity & then recover from it to have healthy brain stress responses. Repeated hits of stress or trauma on children cause impulsivity, terrible short term memory, and an inability to predict what will happen if…(the future). A child responds with impulsive, popcorn actions or sits back, unengaged. Either way, the child is not learning. There is true ADHD, but a stressed child has many of the same behaviors. I am glad to be back home with my Sunset family and my own family; but the trip was worth it. Thanks to the great staff and students for working hard on PAWs and classwork while I was away. I hope you each have plans to have fun, relax, de-stress, and even do some learning with your own families during our upcoming break – April 6 through April 15. Mrs. Farmer, Principal
Attention all gardeners and self proclaimed green thumbs, Mr. Krubeck here, 4th grade teacher at Sunset Elementary, and I am very pleased to announce the creation of the Sunset Elementary school garden. The goal is to raise organic produce that will be served to our students in the cafeteria. Your help is needed in the planning, securing materials, and implementation of this amazing, engaging, and healthy school project. There will be a school garden meeting Tuesday, April 3, at 3:30pm in the art/ science room. If you would be willing to help, lend your expertise, or are just curious, please plan to join us for this meeting. See you there.
Cody High School Student Council is raising money for Make-A-Wish week for Landon. He is a six year old from Basin with a congenital heart defect. They are putting the money towards a Buddy Bike for Landon. They are selling blue bracelets for $1 each that say “CHS 2012 Landon’s Wish”. See Mrs. Meyer to get yours and support this worthy cause.
Sunset 4th & 5th grades invite all Sunset students, staff & guests to go without shoes for one day on Thursday, April 5th. This is to raise awareness of the impact a simple pair of shoes can bring to a child’s life. Permission slips with more information went home last week. They are also asking each person in the school to donate just 25¢ to help buy shoes for needy children in Cody. Look at this website with your family for more information: onedaywithoutshoes.com
The Sunset All School Title 1 Survey will be going home in the Monday folder on April 23rd with the youngest or only child. Please fill it out and send it back to school by April 30th. Each family will have a chance for one of the three Kindles we’ll be giving away. Thank you!
Classroom pictures with Bill Blake on April 4th. Ordering details will be sent home at a later date.
From the Handbook—please review with your children BICYCLES: If a student rides a bicycle to school, they must park it in the racks provided. Students are to push their bikes once they reach the school’s sidewalks. No bike riding is allowed after the student gets to school. It is the responsibility of the student to provide bicycle chains and locks. (Your PTA recommends you also wear a bicycle helmet!) SCOOTERS: If a student rides a scooter to school, they should fold it up as soon as they reach the school’s sidewalks. There is to be no scooter riding on the school premises. Scooters are to be stored in your classroom or locked at the bicycle rack. SKATEBOARDS AND ROLLER BLADES: Skateboards and roller blades are not to be used at school. STUDENTS WALKING TO SCHOOL: Students walking to school should use the sidewalks and obey all traffic rules and crossing guard. Please respect the private property of others at all times. TRAFFIC SAFETY: Be sure that your child is able to cross the street properly and safely, paying attention to the traffic lights and marked crosswalks.
Sunset School Parent-Teacher Association Sunset Elementary School PTA
@SunsetPTA
Our next Parent-Teacher Association meeting will be held on Weds. April 18th at 1130 am in the K-1 Boardroom. Bring a lunch! All parents and staff are invited and encouraged to attend. Elections for PTA Executive will be held in May, please consider President, Vice-President, Secretary or Treasurer.
Kindergarten Registration: If your child turns 5 by September 15, 2012, register for Kindergarten on Wednesday, April 4, from 8:00 AM. – 4:00 PM at the Stock Activities Center at Cody High School on Beck Avenue. Please bring your child’s immunization records and birth certificate. Make an appointment for the Kindergarten Screening and enroll in the Kindergarten Readiness Camp.
Olson, Davis & Foley The first grade reading challenge is off to a great start! Students have been challenged to read 40,000 minutes by May 4th and they have already reached over 13,000! When students meet their 40,000 minute mark we will have a fun reading celebration.
Kindergarten Screening: All incoming Kindergarten students will need to be screened. Screening is by appointment only and appointments are made at registration. Screening will be on Wednesday, May 9, from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Stock Activities Center at Cody High School on Beck Avenue. This standardized readiness screening will take approximately 45 minutes. The results from this screening will help determine readiness levels specific to Kindergarten and will help answer questions if there are concerns that a child may need another year to grow.
First graders have been enjoying guest writing teacher rotations as the first grade teachers rotate into different classrooms to teach writing. First graders are participating in various writing activities including how to books, letters to Mrs. Briggs, silly sentences and much more. Be sure to ask your first grader about this new writing adventure.
Kindergarten Readiness Camp: KRC will be June 11 – June 21, Monday – Thursday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Sunset Elementary School. The Kindergarten Readiness Camp is going to be an excellent opportunity for children to transition from preschool or home to Kindergarten in the fall. This program is being provided free to any child registering for Kindergarten for the 2012-2013 school year.
Cole, Barnhart & Ellsbury March was a busy month filled with many exciting learning opportunities for our Sunset Second Graders! In Math, we continued to work on Time, Money, Graphing, and Calculator Skills each week. We work on a different skill each day. The kids are enjoying the variety!
Other news in first grade-:
Mrs. Hill Happy Spring! Well, I can't believe that Spring Break is just around the corner! Time flies when you are having fun, which is exactly what is going on in Mrs. Hill's classroom. :) Along with all of this fun, we will be studying time to the nearest minute, length to the nearest half inch and money combinations! We are also starting an exciting poetry unit which is sure to bring out the amazing creative minds in our classroom! Looking forward to a fantastic April!
In writing, we have been working on Poetry and nonfiction writing pieces. We are linking our nonfiction writing to Yellowstone.
Where did the month go??? Fourth grades finished their PAWS testing this week, and worked very hard. We’re learning all about the world of high finance with our money unit in Math, and our TOWN dollars. Poetry is going well, and the students are creating many unique and wonderful poems for their portfolios.
In Social Studies, we are learning about Maps and the Compass Rose. We have also been learning a little bit of Spanish!
4th and 5th grades are sponsoring the One Day without Shoes event. See the details in this newsletter.
In reading, we are learning about different literary genres and learning to write summaries.
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Sunset News
Mrs. Baumstarck The "Six Pillars of Character" Second Step class focus is on "Fairness". The definition of fairness is "that a person of character is fair and just, is impartial, listens, and is open to differing viewpoints". "If we focus on six core values, we have developed a way for everyone to become a better person. If each of us works at becoming a better person and tries to treat everyone we work with, play with, and meet decently, then together we all will make a better world." Quotes by Alliance Publishing and Marketing, Inc.
Discuss these tips with your
Miss Pinney This month we will be finishing our study on the lives of Classical and American composers and their influence on music. We will continue to grow musically through a variety of music activities in GAMEPLAN, Mallet Madness, and the World Drumming Curriculum. The st Kindergarten and 1 grade classes are ready to present the musical “Bugz.” It will be performed on, rd Tuesday, April 3 at the High School Wynona Thompson Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. See you there.
children on how to be a Fair Person Treat people the way you want to be treated. Take turns. Tell the truth. Play by the rules. Think about how your actions will affect others. Listen to people with an open mind. Don't blame others for your mistakes. Don't take advantage of other people. Don't play favorites. May Newsletter Deadline Thurs. April 26th Please send your submissions to sunsetpta@nazdorovya.com Page 5
Mr. Beaudrie Below is a list of some of the activities the kids can look forward to in finishing the year. Tumbling Kicking Skills Striking Skills (baseball/ softball) Fitness Testing Obstacle Course 4th/5th Grade Track Meets 4th Grade - Monday, May 14th 5th Grade - Tuesday, May 15th 4th Grade Makeup Wednesday, May 16th 5th Grade Make-up Thursday, May 17th Field Day
Sunset News
Join our Sunset Family for our traditional event. Friday, April 20th at 730 am. Students attend with a significant Male influence in their lives to feast on breakfast treats, beverages and quality time. Entertainment is also provided. Mom’s are welcome to volunteer to help!
Cody Youth Activities 2012 Annual Baseball Dinner & Dance; Fri. April 20; 250-1175 Cody Youth Baseball Season opens May 1st; 587-2563; www.eteamz.com/codybaseball1 You can register for Summer Camps now! Camp Invention—June 11– 15 Scholarships available, see Mrs. Baumstark. www.invent.org Kindergarten Readiness—June 1121; see office for details Yellowstone Fire Soccer Camp— June 25-29; www.challengersports.com
Many of you know that Cody's very own Sunset Elementary School was filmed for a segment on Lifetime TV's morning show, The Balancing Act. We are very excited about this opportunity to be on national television and enjoyed the adventure of filming with the Lifetime team. The special segment is called The Parent Teacher Corner, of Lifetime Television’s popular show, The Balancing Act, on Tuesday April 24th at 5:00 am! Be sure to watch or record The Balancing Act on April 24th and encourage your family and friends to do the same! Thanks for your support.
Cody Bronc Youth Football Camp— July 23-27; 587-6110
Point B 4-H Community Club meeting: Monday, April 16th at 3:30pm at the EOC Room, lower level of the Court House. Everyone is welcome. For more information, contact Pepper Werner, 587-2732 or finallywy@yahoo.com
Northern Edge Hockey Camp— Aug. 13—17; 587-1681 www.northern-edge.com Park County Youth Hockey Assn— Learn to Play; Aug. 20-Sept. 28 — 250-4633 Please let us know of other Summer Camps for kids around Cody!
Top of the Hill Gang