9/4/26 Sunrise Newsletter

Welcome back to a brand-new school year! It was a true pleasure to see so many Sunrise families at our open house. There is nothing quite like the energy of a school filled with students, parents, and staff all eager and ready to kick off a great year together.

As we settle into our daily schedule, here are a few gentle reminders for the first couple of weeks:

🚗 Arrival & Dismissal: Expect morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups to take a bit longer than usual at first. School buses may arrive late at neighborhood stops while drivers master their new routes, and our car line will naturally run slower while students practice the routine. Thank you in advance for your patience and extra care!

🥪 Lunchroom Routines: Learning new cafeteria systems takes time and concentration for children. To give our students two weeks to get their routines solid, we will not be hosting lunch visitors until September 28. We appreciate your understanding as we build independence and confidence in our lunchroom.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support. We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead with your children!

As we work together to keep our school community safe, we want to share some important information regarding electric-assisted bicycles (E-Bikes), e-motos, and motorized scooters. Because these vehicles can reach speeds between 20 and 28 mph, both Minnesota state law and Anoka-Hennepin District guidelines strictly regulate their use.

🚫 School Property Restrictions

To ensure the safety of all students during high-traffic times, Anoka-Hennepin Schools prohibits the use of E-Bikes, e-motos, and motorized scooters on school property.

• When: This restriction is in effect during the school day, as well as before and after school.

• Where: "School property" includes all sidewalks, trails, fields, parking lots, and roadways.

⚖️ Minnesota State Law & Age Restrictions

According to Minnesota state law, there is a 15-year-old minimum age restriction to legally operate any E-Bike.

• What this means for our school: Because of this state age restriction, elementary and middle school students are not legally authorized to operate E-Bikes.
• 🚲 What About Standard Bicycles? Please note that the School District does not have restrictions regarding the use of standard, non-motorized bicycles on school property. We love seeing our students stay active! If your child rides a standard bike to school, we highly encourage them to wear a helmet to stay safe on their commute.

Thank you for your partnership in keeping our sidewalks and school grounds safe for every student!

One of our absolute favorite traditions here at Sunrise is the annual Halloween Dance sponsored by PTO. To make this evening happen, it's time to assemble a task force of parent volunteers to help with planning and preparation.

If you are on the fence about joining, don't worry—the heavy lifting is already done! Many details and frameworks are already in place, so the time commitment is light. We will divide and conquer the various areas. As they say, many hands make light work. We simply need an enthusiastic group of hands to help bring it across the finish line.

Without parent support, we won't be able to run this favorite event as the majority of our previous group moved on to middle school. If you are interested in lending a hand and keeping this tradition alive for our students, please complete this form today. Thank you for making Sunrise such a special community!

At Sunrise Elementary, we are incredibly fortunate to have an excellent Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) that supports our school, students, and staff.

Want to get involved and stay connected to the Sunrise community? Joining a PTO meeting is one of the best ways to do it! To accommodate busy family schedules, all meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom, making it easy to join from anywhere.

2026-27 PTO Meeting Dates

Tuesday, September 15

Thursday, November 12

Tuesday, January 12

Thursday, March 11

Tuesday, May 11

Why Attend a PTO Meeting?

• Stay Informed: Get regular updates on school happenings and specific grade-level news.

• Be in the Loop: Be the first to hear about and discuss upcoming special events.

• Build Community: Connect with other parents and staff to help make Sunrise the best it can be.

Annual Fundraiser Update

The PTO hosts just one fundraiser each year to support our school's initiatives. We are excited to announce that we will once again be partnering with MyBootser.com for this year's annual fundraiser. Stay tuned for more details on how your family can participate!

Get in Touch

Have questions, ideas, or want to learn more? You can easily reach out to our wonderful PTO board members at mnsunrisepto@gmail.com.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our Sunrise community!

As the school year gets into full swing, we are excited to invite our families to get involved in our school community. We have numerous volunteer opportunities available at Sunrise throughout the year, including:

• Chaperoning class field trips
• Helping with trimester parties
• Helping out at PTO events and school fundraisers
• Helping with the yearbook
• Assisting in the cafeteria during lunchtime
• Supporting student learning in the classroom
• Donating food or items for teacher conference dinners
• Assisting with clerical tasks such as photocopying and laminating

To ensure the safety and security of all our students, all volunteers are required to complete brief background paperwork prior to starting any volunteer role.

Completing this quick paperwork right now is a great to-do item to check off your list. That way, when an opportunity comes up that fits your schedule and interests, you will already be approved and ready to step right in!

Thank you for your partnership and support in making Sunrise a wonderful place for our students to learn and grow!

September

8 - first day of school for students in grades 1-5

10 - first day of school for kinders with last names A-L

11 - first day of school for kinders with last names M-Z

15 - PTO meeting via Zoom 7:00 p.m.

22 - school picture day

October

15 & 16 - no school (MEA)

22 & 26 - conferences

26 - no school (Professional Development Day/Conferences)

Anoka-Hennepin Schools Policy Handbook

Sunrise Elementary Handbook/Calendar

September Lunch Menu