“”World of Wonder”

Sunset Elementary School Dr. Toni Carr, Principal Mrs. Laura Espinosa, Asst. Principal

SUNSET ELEMENTARY MISSION STATEMENT

Sunset Elementary Is dedicated to meeting the needs of all learners in a safe environment. We strive to give each child the opportunity to inquire and succeed, as open-minded and globally aware life-long learners. We believe that educating the whole child as 21st century learners is the key to the development of caring, innovative, responsible, and reflective citizens who take action in their community and the world.

The Anne Arundel County Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or familial status in matters affecting employment or in providing access to programs.

September 2017

VISION Sunset Elementary seeks to provide a nurturing learning environment in which all members of the school community share the responsibility of promoting a positive school climate. In order to ensure success for all students, Maryland Learning Outcomes and National Standards will be addressed using a variety of instructional approaches and activities. Developmentally appropriate skills will be introduced with methods that support our students’ multiple intelligence and varied learning styles. With mutual respect and the willingness to grow, we will meet the needs of our students.

Administrators’ Message Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year at Sunset Elementary! Our staff is ready for an exciting year of learning. As an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme School, our students practice learner attributes and strive to be: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective. As an IB/PYP School, we strive to develop students who are life-long learners with an appreciation and respect for a culturally diverse world. To achieve our mission, we implement and monitor a School Improvement Plan. According to the plan our relentless focus includes:

• Ensuring that students are reading at and above grade level. Providing opportunities for students to solve and apply real-life math problems.

Throughout this school year we are continuing the Enhancing Elementary Excellence Program, also known as World Culture and Language. The program allows students to work in teams to collaboratively ask questions, creatively solve problems, and enthusiastically learn through hands on exploration. As an additional fifth class in the cultural arts rotation, our students will work on real-world problems with teachers and other professionals from the community. Our World Culture and Language classes will begin on Monday, September 25th.

To promote effective communication and an effort to go paperless, our monthly newsletter will be posted on the Sunset website http://www.aac ps .org You are encouraged to spend time browsing through the links on our website to learn more about school topics such as, calendar of events, clubs/after school activities, PTA activities, and countywide events.

New staff members have joined our school community during the summer. We would like to welcome our new Sunset staff members. Melissa Venter – Kindergarten Bridget Cabbiness—1st Grade Samantha Thon—3rd Grade Sylvia Hart—Language Technician It takes everyone in our learning community to ensure student growth and consistent success. We welcome and encourage your questions and involvement to support the success of our school program. Finally, to support your child’s academic growth, please read with them daily. Additionally, providing a quiet place for them to work together each day will promote lasting study habits.

Dr. Toni Carr Mrs. Laura Espinosa Principal Assistant Principal

We love our volunteers! Want to volunteer at our school. You must attend one of our upcoming Parent Volunteer Meetings, parents and grandparents are welcome! Thursday, September 14, 2017 9:00—10:30 a.m.

Or Friday, September 15, 2017 1:30—3:00 p.m. All volunteers must have a back-ground check. All background checks must be done online. Information about background checks are in your student’s first day folder!

September 2017 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

4

Labor Day—School Closed

PTA Ledo’s Night

5

School Opens for

Grades 1-5

Conferences for Pre-K

and Kindergarten

6

Conferences for Pre-K and

Kindergarten

7

Kindergarten Stagger Day

Conferences for Pre-K

8

Pre-K & Kindergarten

Stagger Day

11

Pre-K & Kindergarten

Stagger Day

12

Stagger Day Pre-K

All Kindergarten Attends

McDonald’s Night

5:00-7:00 p.m.

13

All Pre-K Attends

Back to School Night 6:30 pm

14

Parent Volunteer Mtg

9-10:30 am

15

Parent Lunch

Parent Volunteer Mtg.

1:30-3:00 p.m.

18

Lifetouch Picture Day

19 20 21

Human Relations Mtg.

Rosh Hashanah-School open

22

25 26 27 Parent Lunch

28

29 PTA Pastries with Parents Coffee with the Principal

Download or view the full current newsletter at www.aacps.org for important dates and information.

Access Sunset’s website at:

Logon to www.aacps.org

Go to the left of the screen under

School Links and click the drop down

arrow next to Elementary Schools and

find Sunset Elementary, click on

Sunset. this will bring up an

informational page on Sunset. Go to

the right of the screen and click on

School Website, View or print out

Sunset’s Monthly Newsletter.

October upcoming dates Oct. 2 PTA Ledo’s Night Oct. 5 PTA Harlem Wizards game Oct. 9 Interims go home Oct. 13 Honor Society Mtg. 8:00 a.m. Parent Lunch Oct. 18 2Hr. Early Dismissal, no PM Pre-K Oct. 19 School Closed—Conferences Oct. 20 School Closed-Prof. Development Oct. 23 PTA Pumpkin Decorating contest Oct. 25 Parent Lunch Oct. 26 Human Relations Mtg. Oct. 27 Last Day for Pumpkin Contest Oct. 31 Halloween Parade Nov. 1 PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m. Nov. 6 Ledo’s Night Nov. 9 End of 1st Marking Period 2 hr early dismissal No PM Pre-K Nov. 10 End of 1st Marking Period 2 hr early dismissal No PM Pre-K Nov. 13 Beginning of 2nd Marking Period

School Hours • Students will enter the gym at

8:40 a.m. • Instruction begins promptly at

9:00 a.m. • Students not in class by 9:00

a.m. will be marked late. • Dismissal will be at 3:25 p.m. PLEASE NOTE: NO ADULT SUPERVISION IS AVAILABLE OUTSIDE TO STUDENTS BEFORE 8:40 A.M.

Look for the PTA’s welcome pack in your students first day folder!!

#HelpHouston Let's show how much our AACPS family cares about the Houston ISD family. Students can donate money at their schools. Adults can do so as well, or they can donate through our 21st Century

Education Foundation by going to www.aacps.org/helphouston. We will be collecting funds for Houston until September 30th!!

Sunset Elementary School is equipped with a video camera system. The camera covers selected interior and exterior public portions of the building and grounds. It is NOT monitored constantly, but it is monitored during emergency situations. During certain events, when the safety or security of students may be in question, authorized personnel from local, state, or federal police or fire emergency units may be given access to view images projected on the camera system. If you have any questions about the system, you should call the Supervisor of School Security at 410-222-5083.

MEAL PAY PLUS MyPaymentsPlus provides an easy-to-use, efficient way to make payments quickly and securely anytime using a simple Internet connection. You can say goodbye to the hassles of sending in multiple checks to multiple locations for multiple students. It can all be done with one payment on MyPaymentsPlus. MyPaymentsPlus also allows the ability to receive free low balance emails and in most cases view the purchases made in the cafeteria online.

Parent/Payor Benefits

• Access the system 24/7 via the Internet and by phone (where available)

• Pre-payments means faster serving lines with more time to eat

• Make payments via credit cards, debit cards, or e-checks

• Receive low balance email reminders

• Auto-pay means never having to think of money on ac-count again

• Pay with check, VISA, or MasterCard.

• Receive confirmation of payments via email

• Make split payments for multiple students in one or more district schools

• View or monitor purchases made in the cafeteria or at vending machines

• Get the peace of mind that comes from knowing you will no longer have lost or stolen lunch money Use

• MyPaymentsPlus with confidence. MyPaymentsPlus is PCI and VeriSign certified

www.Mypaymentsplus.com. This program will offer students faster service while eliminating cash handling during breakfast or lunch at your school.

2017-2018 School Year New School Meal Prices

Breakfast, All Schools $1.50 Lunch, Elementary $2.75 Lunch, Secondary $3.00 Milk 1/2 pint, ALa Carte $ .55 Reduced-Price Breakfast $ .30 Reduced-Price Lunch $ .40 Breakfast, Adult $1.90 Lunch, Adult $3.65 If you have any questions, please contact Jodi Risse, Supervisor of Food and Nutrition Services at 410-222-5900 or jrisse@aacps.org .

No Breakfast/Lunch Money

Food Service will provide the following for students who do not have breakfast or lunch money…. Breakfast-Jelly Sandwich, (1) fruit serving and a cup of water. Lunch-Jelly or Cheese Sandwich, (1) fruit or vegetable serving and a cup of water.

Lunch and Recess Schedule

Grade Recess Lunch

K 11:40─12:10

1 12:50─1:10 11:00─11:30

2 11:00─11:20 11:20─11:50

3 12:50–1:10 12:20─12:50

4 11:40–12:00 12:00─12:30

5 12:20–12:40 12:40 ─1:10

Field Trip Information

Please be advised that ALL field trips are subject to cancellation AT ANYTIME by the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Schools or the Superintendent’s designee when, in their discretion, cancellation is in the best interests of students and staff. In such cases, parents and students have the risk of loss for financial or other commitments they have made. The Board of Education, its employees, and agents will not be responsible for any losses arising out of cancellations.

Follow us on Twitter

Sunset Elementary@SunsetAACPS

IB Attributes for September is Principled. To act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. To take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them. If you observe your student showing the principled attribute this month, let us know so we can celebrate the achievement at our school.

Way to IB!!!

I saw ______________

Being principled today.

Way to IB!!

From, _______________

Principled

Open-minded

Knowledgeable

Balanced

Reflective

Caring

Thinkers

Inquirers

Communicators

Risk-Taker

Way to IB!!! How was the actions of being

principled shown?

Principled

Open-minded

Knowledgeable

Balanced

Reflective

Caring Thinkers

Inquirers

Communicators

Risk-Taker

Parents please be aware that the Parking Lot Drop Off Lane is for a quick d ro p o ff to keep the flow of traffic moving. Students should be ready to go when parents pull up to the drop off section, they should have book bags, lunches, coats, etc.. ready to go. Three vehicles will be unloaded and loaded at the same time. Please see the map and fol-low the flow of traffic. FO R TH E SAFE TY O F STUDE NT S DO NO T U SE TH E UPPER LO T FO R DRO P

Please park your car if you need to retrieve book bags from the trunk of your car, hand out lunch money, zip coats, etc.. This will ensure that the traffic moves safely and students arrive on time. We also ask that you do not park on the side of the building, this is for Cafeteria and Maintenance personnel. If you are parking and walking your student to the door, please walk to the grass and follow to the door. For the safety of your student, please DO NOT walk through the parking lot. Parking lot procedures were developed through collaboration with the Anne Arundel County Police Dept. and the Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Dept. of Safety & Transportation. Also, we are continuing to recruit volunteers to assist staff on the parking lot duty arrival and dismissal. Safety is our first priority at Sunset.

SUNSET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABSENTEE FORM

My son/daughter,______________________________________

Legal first and last name

was absent from school on______________________ for the Month/day/year

following reason (s): (Check reason(s) below)

( ) Illness of child ( ) Doctor or dentist appointment ( ) Death in immediate family ( ) Court summons ( ) Other (Explain): _____________________________ _____________________________________________

Signature:_____________________________________

Legal Parent or Guardian

Teacher:_______________________________________

SUNSET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABSENTEE FORM

My son/daughter,______________________________________

Legal first and last name

was absent from school on______________________ for the Month/day/year

following reason (s): (Check reason(s) below)

( ) Illness of child ( ) Doctor or dentist appointment ( ) Death in immediate family ( ) Court summons ( ) Other (Explain): _____________________________ _____________________________________________

Signature:_____________________________________

Legal Parent or Guardian

Teacher:_______________________________________

SUNSET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

ABSENTEE FORM

My son/daughter,______________________________________ Legal first and last name

was absent from school on______________________ for the

Month/day/year following reason (s): (Check reason(s) below)

( ) Illness of child ( ) Doctor or dentist appointment ( ) Death in immediate family ( ) Court summons ( ) Other (Explain): _____________________________ _____________________________________________

Signature:_____________________________________

Legal Parent or Guardian

Teacher:_______________________________________

SUNSET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABSENTEE FORM

My son/daughter,______________________________________

Legal first and last name

was absent from school on______________________ for the Month/day/year

following reason (s): (Check reason(s) below)

( ) Illness of child ( ) Doctor or dentist appointment ( ) Death in immediate family ( ) Court summons ( ) Other (Explain): _____________________________ _____________________________________________

Signature:_____________________________________

Legal Parent or Guardian

Teacher:_______________________________________

ATTN: Sunset Cafeteria

Time to update your student’s LUNCH ACCOUNT?

Student’s first and last name:____________________________________

Teacher’s Name:__________________________________________________

Fill out this form and attach a check made payable to Sunset Elementary School, or place cash and this completed form

in an envelope. Please contact the school office if you have any questions about your child’s school lunch account. We

appreciate your effort to ensure that your child has money available on their account.