SUNNYSIDE SCOOP NOVEMBER, 2018 Principal Points November 2018 Making Time for Family Just last week my family had an abnormal evening for our household since the start of the school year. Both of my daughters, my wife, and I were at home after dinner at the same time with no evening activities or homework that needed to be attended to or completed. Between school work, soccer, dance, softball, volunteering, church activities, and friend time most of our kids school nights are often filled with places to be and people to see. Keeping it all straight can often feel overwhelming at times. Add in a smart-phone for my teenager and an iPod for my youngest, and the battle for a child’s attention can be immense On this particular evening both of my girls were so excited to have nothing on the agenda they asked to spend quality time visiting with their mom and dad...just kidding, they wanted to watch a movie. My wife and I could have easily agreed to this, after all, we both had busy days at work, and some time to “veg out” would have been nice. Instead, we made the conscious decision to say no electronics, it was a family game night. For the next two hours we played checkers, legos, and both of my girls took turns trying wrestling with me to show me how strong they were. It was an amazing night...all done without electronics. I recently read a statistic that stated almost 9 in 10 parents think modern technology impacts negatively on the hours they are with their children. This article shared that, on average, families spend just three weeks of real quality time together each year - and just 36 minutes on the average weekday. But children spend most of their time - around two hours and 22 minutes a day - playing computer games or are on a mobile device watching YouTube. As parents there are a lot of demands on our time, and it can be easy to allow our kids to play an extra few minutes on the phone, the Playstation, or just watch an extra show on T.V., but I’d encourage you to find time to pull the plug on the electronics, and make time for family. For children the interpersonal times where they connect with us as parents and adults teaches and reinforces life skills. They learn how to focus, have in-depth conversations, and build stronger relationships with family members. It also creates a strong family foundation for kids when times are hard and they need someone to talk to. If it’s part of the norm already, they are more likely to come to you in the future. Wishing you and your family a fabulous fall! Dr. Nathan Flansburg Principal
Important Dates in: November 1
Last Day of 1st Quarter Picture Re-Take Day 5th Grade Field Trip to Base Camp—Fort Snelling
November 2
No School!
November 6
November Birthday Lunches with Principal Election Day!
November 10
Rock the Schoolhouse Event
November 14
Vision/Hearing Screening Day (see below)
November 16
Gibbs Farm to Visit Grade 1 PTA Turkey Bingo Event
November 1919-23 No School!
From the Sunnyside Health Office Hearing & Vision Screening is Wednesday, November 14th from 8:45am to 2:30pm. All students will be screened by volunteers & nursing students who have been trained & are supervised by the school nurse. Students who do not pass vision or hearing screening will be rescreened by Sunnyside’s Health Care Specialist or Licensed School Nurse. Breakfast & lunch will be provided by the PTA. To enable us to facilitate this screening program, we need volunteers! If you would be willing to help you can sign up at: https://bit.ly/2qfzGFv, or by calling 651-621-7604. Thank you for your help & generosity of your time!
November Specialist Update! 1st Grade: Music - Students will be using familiar one and two syllable words to learn quarter note and paired eighth note rhythms. They will continue to learn and sing fall themed songs. Art - Yearbook Cover Design contest, What Kind of Art is it? Abstract Portraits Phy Ed -Jumprope, parachutes, and starting winter sports Science -Weather, clouds, seasons
2nd Grade: Music - Students will be introduced to and practice the rhythmic concept of quarter rest as well as singing and identifying sol-mi melody patterns in familiar songs. Art -Yearbook Cover Design contest, Falling Leaves with Texture, Keith Haring Bending Bodies Phy Ed -Jumprope, parachutes, and starting winter sports Science - Classification, simple machines
3rd Grade: Music -Students will be listening and responding to Native American stories and songs. Art -Yearbook Cover Design contest, Torn Paper Self-Portraits Phy Ed -Throwing test and activities and winter type sports Science - Native American Structures Technology - We’ll be working in groups to create eBooks out of Google Slides to retell a Native American legend.
4th Grade: Music - Students will begin recorder and learning the notes of the treble clef staff. Art -Yearbook Cover Design contest, Value Leaf Painting Phy Ed -Throwing activities and winter type sports Science - Electricity, heat transfer
5th Grade: Music - Students will review and practice mastering the notes of the treble clef staff. Art -Yearbook Cover Design contest, Day of the Dead Sugar Skull Calaveras Phy Ed -Throwing activities and winter type sports Science - Chemistry, chemical reactions, acids, pH scale, Periodic Table of Elements
Kids Heart Challenge has officially kicked off* Hello! We have officially kicked off our Kids Heart Challenge event. Kids Heart Challenge focuses on hearthealthy habits while giving students the opportunity to help others in our community. Please be sure to ask your child about our service learning project and what they can do to make a difference. Your student should have an envelope and augmented reality sticker to show you. Participation is simple. All you have to do is help your student Register Online and then take the heart challenge by choosing one of three things: Drink water over sugary drinks; Exercise for 60 minutes a day; Do one act of kindness a day. Last year, 37,000 Minnesota students took a pledge to be heart healthy via the challenge. This year, the American Heart Association is shooting for 50,000+ students to take the heart healthy challenge. Please help the American Heart Association achieve its goal to have 50,000 or more students to REGSITER online. When REGISTERED, students will automatically be asked to take the challenge and will have access to many free, fun, healthy virtual games featuring our Whimsical Heart Heroes! For your efforts, every REGISTERED student will get a free Glow in the Dark Wristband. You can help us reach our online registration goal by clicking the link below OR by downloading the Kids Heart Challenge App. With the app, your child will be able to scan their sticker, tattoo, virtual bracelet and heart heroes that they earn throughout the event. Your student is going to love watching their Heart Heroes “come to life”. I hope you will enjoy the virtual experience as much as we have! Thank you in advance for helping us encourage our students to be heart healthy. To Register online, go to: http://www2.heart.org/goto/sunnyside1 Prefer to use our fun App*Download the app to watch your heart heroes come to life and fundraise on the go. Search Kids Heart Challenge in the android or apple store. Bonus Incentives: Register and Take the Pledge: Get a Free glow in the dark wristband Raise $150 online: Get limited edition Finn plush. Top Participating Class – will receive a choice day in PE
Donations Due: November 13, 2018 Thank you in advance for your support! Chet Springborn Physical Education Specialist
Introducing..Dinosaurs Before Dark Sunnyside students and staff have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming performance of the play Dinosaurs Before Dark. Performances will take place on December 7th at 6:30pm and December 8th at 1:00pm and 6:30pm. There will be no cost to attend, however we will be asking for a free will offering. We are also Title One at Sunnyside Elementary School looking for do- Sunnyside Elementary is a Title One School. Title One funds are used to support additional literacy nations of large pieces of cardboard by needs. Sunnyside Elementary wants to ensure Saturday, November 10th, when we will that all children are making growth and are meetbe having a construction day at school. ing their academic goals. Teachers work together
PBIS at
as a team and make decisions on how best to meet the literacy needs of each and every stuSunnyside Elementary dent. One way we help to ensure that children are making the needed growth, is by providing an Sunnyside Elementary additional small group in reading for those stuproudly practices schooldents who would benefit. In this small group, stuwide Positive Behavior dents meet with a reading intervention teacher Interventions and Supfor literacy instruction at his/her instructional ports (PBIS). This reading level, in addition to meeting with their means that our Sunnyclassroom teacher.
side Community follows three positive behavior expectations: Be Respectful. Be Responsible. Be Safe. The first several weeks of school, all students spent some time learning what these expectations look like throughout their school day (i.e. on the bus, in the hallway, on the playground, in the cafeteria, in the classroom, etc). Students may earn “Sunsational Job!� slips from staff all across the building that recognize their respectful, responsible, or safe behavior. Then some students are acknowledged for their Sunsational behavior on weekly announcements, their picture on the Sunnyside Wall of Fame and a selection of incentives. This year we are focusing on recess and collaborating with Playworks in teaching and leading all students in how to play and enjoy their time outside. We have an amazing opportunity to have some additional structure and games that are led by Coach Rob from Playworks. We look forward to seeing this impact spread throughout the school day to help all students have a positive time playing outside, being ready to learn and enjoy some games outside at home or in the community as well. We are looking forward to another Sunsational school year at Sunnyside!