Big reminders for SPE Families this week!

SPE's PTO is currently hosting a fun opportunity for families to participate in a community service project from home in support of Harvesters! Check out the details for this friendly competition we're calling "Can Creations" in the PTO section of this newsletter! We are taking donations through Jan. 28.

Our teachers are offering Virtual SPLASH classes this semester. Check out the offerings and get registered by Jan. 25!

A Personal Note...

I am working from home starting this week, while Mrs. Jamie Peemoeller serves as our substitute principal during my maternity leave. For the next week or two, I will be available via email and mobile phone, so don't hesitate to reach out. Mrs. Peemoeller is available by calling our front office at 913-239-7500 or email at jjpeemoeller@bluevalleyk12.org.

I cannot thank you all (and your children) enough for all the words, notes, cards, gifts, thoughts, and expressions of support and warmth as my family and I prepare for baby's arrival. We know how lucky we are to welcome little Alice into this amazing SPE community!

The Sunrise Point Staff is extremely excited to offer the Semester 2 session of SPLASH! Sunrise Point Learning After School Hours, aka SPLASH, are after-school enrichment programs offered to the students here at Sunrise Point. These sessions, taught by our very own Patriot teachers, offer a variety of experiences to the Sunrise Point students.

Our next session will be starting in February and will be delivered through Zoom. If you are interested in having your child attend a virtual SPLASH class please log on to the SPE PTO Toolkit to view the catalog and sign-up! All registrations are due by 1/25. Happy SPLASHing!!!

Link to the SPE PTO Toolkit: https://sunrisepointpto.membershiptoolkit.com/login

It's that time of the year already! We are collecting contact information for all students who will be kindergarten-eligible for next school year. If this applies to you, please complete the form below to ensure you are on our contact list. Also, please feel free to share with any of your friends, family, or neighbors for whom this applies. It's always exciting to start recruiting a new class of young Patriots!

• Incoming Kindergarten Contact Form

In an effort to better partner with our parents for our students' social-emotional development, we want to share with you what our focus has been at school this year! This is a great opportunity to use the same vocabulary and tools, helping students to better internalize these essential life management and coping skills.

Check out the message from our leader of this charge, SPE's Counselor Mr. Jackson!

https://youtu.be/nBIIeSRMAZY

The Kindest Kansas Citian contest is a tradition at SPE and is available for all students in the KC metro. Students nominate a person to be selected as the Kindest Kansas Citian. Some teacher may require students to complete the essay or picture in class, however, it is up to families to enter the contest if they wish.

Contest Rules:

- Nominee must be 18 years or older

- Nominee must live in the KC metro

- Nominee can't be a relative

- Student must have a personal relationship with their nominee

K-2 entry requirements:

- Draw a picture of their nominee

- Upload picture to: www.kindestkansascitian.org by Friday January 29th.

3-5 entry requirements:

- No more than one page essay about their nominee

- Students can use this template for their essay: 3-5 Essay Template

- Upload essay to: www.kindestkansascitian.org by Friday January 29th.

Upload Directions:

- Go to www.kindestkansascitian.org

- Login: sunrisepoint

- Password: spe

- Fill out the form and upload the picture or essay

Contact Mr. Jackson if you have any question at smjackson@bluevalleyk12.org

Spelling Bee Winners:

1. Neha Nair (5th - George)
2. Anirvin Krishna (5th - George)
3. Ameya Krishna (4th - Palmer)

Thank you to all our Spelling Bee participants this year! Mrs. Duggan and Mrs. Brown coordinated the Spelling Bee this year. Interested 3rd-5th grade students took the first round test online, and the top 3 spellers from each classroom also took the second round tests online from home. The second round for SPE ended in a 3-way tie (of the students listed above), so we had to quickly host a Zoom run-off with the Spelling Bee finalists this past Wednesday - exciting playoffs for spelling lovers! The "run-off" resulted in the placings shown above. Neha will advance to the Johnson County Spelling Bee with Anirvin serving as her alternate in case she is unable to attend.

Congrats to the whole 4th grade! They were the grade level to collect the most items of cold weather gear for Ava's Angels last month! Ava Jones is bringing the kids all goody bags as a reward for their generousity. Thank you, families, for supporting us as we build community by helping those in need.

We could use some supplies for the safety of our In-Person learners and staff!

If you are able to find these supplies, we are in need of:

- Clorox (or Lysol) wipes

- Child and adult sized surgical face masks

Thank you for your continual generosity - it truly makes the load lighter!

Monday, Jan. 18

• NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• SPLASH Class Registration Window Open
  
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Tuesday, Jan. 19

• VirtualEd 1st-5th (Tues. Specials)

• In-Person - Specials Day 3

• SPLASH Class Registration Window Open

• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Wednesday, Jan. 20

• VirtualEd 1st-5th (Wed. Specials)
• In-Person - Specials Day 4
• Mental Fitness: Practical Applications of Distress Management (BVEF-Sponsored Event for Parents)
  
• SPLASH Class Registration Window Open
  
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Thursday, Jan. 21

• VirtualEd 1st-5th (Thurs. Specials)
• In-Person - Specials Day 1
• SPLASH Class Registration Window Open
  
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Friday, Jan. 22

• VirtualEd 1st-5th (Fri. Specials)
• In-Person - Specials Day 2
• SPLASH Class Registration Window Open
  
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Join us for some family building fun to raise donations for Harvesters. The goal is to design and build a structure of your choice out of canned goods and non-perishable food items with your family. Snap a picture of your structure (without any family members) and we will have an anonymous vote the week of February 1st. The winner will be announced on February 8th. The winning family will win a pizza party!

After you take your picture and send it to cancreationsspe@gmail.com please come donate your cans and non-perishable food items to the Harvesters bins in front of SPE. Submissions for the can creation contest will be taken from January 14th to January 30th. The donation bins will be outside of SPE from January 14-January 28th.

You are more than welcome to make donations without creating a structure, but we would love to see your creativity!

HARVESTERS’ MOST NEEDED ITEMS

• Nonperishable Food Household/Personal Care Products
• Canned vegetables (low sodium)
• Canned fruit in 100% juice
• Canned chicken, tuna, salmon (packed in water)
• Peanut, almond or sun butter
• Canned soup (chicken, tomato or vegetable)
• Cereal – hot and cold (whole grain, low sugar preferred)
• Dried fruit (no added sugar preferred)
• Brown rice
• Whole grain pasta
• Soap
• Deodorant
• Shampoo
• Toilet Paper

*Please no glass, perishable food items, or homemade food items*

We need help from all our families this year to obtain pictures. We will have VirtualEd students included, so we will definitely have to rely on photos from home to ensure we have some great shots of all!

There are 3 ways you could share your photos:

• For the yearbook only…

• Download the Balfour app - Code: 128074

• Email to our Yearbook Chair Kati Bernard @ katilee@hotmail.com

• For any purpose, upload to this Google Folder

Please specify your child’s teacher’s name on the photo!

Please take a moment to review a new district policy that applies to all VirtualEd students in this new semester....

Beginning second semester, students should be expected when distance learning to turn their cameras ON when they are participating in live Zooms with their teachers. When students are uncooperative over three class periods, teachers should plan to contact parents to share the expectation. This expectation assists with engagement, monitoring of students as learners, benefits student to teacher connections, and creates ease and increased accuracy when it comes to taking attendance. If after talking with the parent the teacher needs to make an accommodation to this expectation for a student, that decision is between the teacher and parents. Teachers should plan to be clear with students of this expectation.

***** UPDATED *****

Second Semester Pick-up Dates:

February 3

February 24

March 24

• This is a month from last pick up date because of Spring Break.

April 14

May 5

May 26

• This is the week before the last week of school, but it could allow for pick up for yearbooks or summer school materials.

On pick-up dates, your teachers may be available to hand out supplies at these times below. (Check with your teacher directly to know for certain.) Otherwise, families are welcome to pick-up contactless at the times shown in the following paragraph ....

• 10:00-11:00 AM - Mr. Bartel's 3rd grade class

• 11:00 AM-12:00 PM - Ms. George's 5th grade class

• 1:00-2:00 PM - Mrs. Palmer's 4th grade class + Mrs. Kurimsky's 2nd grade class

• You are welcome to a complete a contactless pick-up of your supplies during any of the following time windows, though your teacher will not be available during these times:

• 7:30-8:00 AM

• 9:00 AM-2:45 PM

• 4:00-4:30 PM

--------------------

Pathways - The following Fridays from 1:30-2:45 PM are the second semester dates for Pathways sessions:

• Feb. 12
• Mar. 12
• Apr. 30
• May 21

We would love to have our VirtualEd students better represented on the daily announcements! In order to do so, we are asking all interested VirtualEd families to video themselves reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and upload the video here so we can include it in the announcements.

The most recently published district calendar can be found HERE.

• Spring Break is now the full week of March 15-19 (instead of just Mar. 18 and 19 as was on the earlier versions of this year's calendar).
• The 3rd quarter ends Friday, March 26.
• The last day of school for the year is Thursday, June. 3.

At the end of each quarter, courses in Canvas will conclude and will no longer be visible on the Canvas app and website. Courses for this year’s second quarter will conclude on January 14th. Report cards will be generated and families will be able to view second quarter grades on ParentVUE at the end of the day on January 25, 2021.

How do I view my child’s report card?

• Log in on ParentVue

• Select your elementary student’s name

• In the left navigation bar, choose REPORT CARD

If you have questions about Standards Based Grading as you view your child’s report card, please review the information found on the Elementary Report Card resource page.

Each new quarter, classroom teachers will publish their next quarter Canvas course. As courses are published, students and families will again be able to see current courses on the Canvas app and Canvas website. For Canvas parent resources, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org/canvas.

We will be administering Winter MAP tests year to measure the current instructional levels of our students. This year’s Winter testing window is January 25th to February 12th, as we want students to test with their 2nd semester teachers. Families of VirtualEd 2nd graders (for the second semester) will receive more communication as the testing window nears.

Data obtained through this particular instance of MAP testing will measure student progress on specific standards and will provide us with information and insight that allow us to better support your student.

Instead of having a day off of school for inclement weather conditions this school year, school will continue in a virtual format on inclement weather days for all students. This model is intended to reduce the chances of having to extend the calendar for the 2020-2021 school year.

In-Person --> Teachers are preparing for a snow day schedule of learning with at least two live check-ins via Zoom and asynchronous work that can be done from home.

VirtualEd --> The schedule for VirtualEd classes will match those of in-person classes on these days when in-person learning is canceled, and, thus, the day will NOT match classes' regular daily schedules. All specials classes will be asynchronous.

Monday, Jan. 25

• VirtualEd 2nd-5th (Mon. Specials)

• In-Person - Specials Day 3

• LAST DAY! SPLASH Class Registration

• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Tuesday, Jan. 26

• VirtualEd 2nd-5th (Tues. Specials)

• In-Person - Specials Day 4

• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Wednesday, Jan. 27

• VirtualEd 2nd-5th (Wed. Specials)
• In-Person - Specials Day 1
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Thursday, Jan. 28

• VirtualEd 2nd-5th (Thurs. Specials)
• In-Person - Specials Day 2
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

Friday, Jan. 29

• VirtualEd 2nd-5th (Fri. Specials)
• In-Person - Specials Day 3
• Can Creations Community Service Project for Harvesters Window Open

This layer of attention to student masking is being made to help reduce the likelihood that students create unnecessary high-risk exposures for one another. Keep in mind that, if your child is not able to wear his or her mask with fidelity for any reason, then he or she is more likely to have to quarantine due to exposure and to create high-risk exposure for others, leading to increased quarantines for classmates and staff as well.

Ensuring that masks are worn with fidelity helps us keep both the spread and the quarantines away from school as low as possible, especially considering the climbing local case numbers.

Our continued focus is to improve student mask-wearing in terms of...

• Fit (if the mask does not stay above the nose or needs frequent readjustments across the school day, it doesn't fit properly)
• Cleanliness (is wet or soiled)
• Ability to withstand physical activity, such as running during recess (often gaiters don't meet this criteria)

You may see your child come home with a different mask from the one they went to school in. If so, it is most likely that we have issued one at school because one of the 3 above factors were true. If you are wondering whether your child is struggling with the fit, cleanliness or recess withstandability of his or her mask, please contact your teacher to ask.

Some families are choosing to send in extra masks with their child, in case one becomes soiled, wet, or stretched out/loosened during the day. That has worked very well!

With cold and flu season arriving and local COVID cases climbing, it is extra important for families to call Nurse Ayres at 913-239-7500 or email her at sayres@bluevalleyk12.org BEFORE sending your child to school if they are experiencing ANY of the symptoms shown in the image below. If you are unable to reach the nurse before deciding whether to send your child to school, please email her to let her know of your child's symptoms so that she can check in with your child when he or she arrives at school.

A single symptom does NOT necessarily mean your child will need to miss school; however, double-checking may save others from being exposed and/or having to quarantine. This can make a BIG difference for ALL, including keeping teachers and students in school!

In an effort to keep our school community informed when we have a positive case, families can expect to be contacted directly if, through the contact tracing process conducted by the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (JCDHE) and the district's health professionals' team, either of the following two conditions are met:

1. Your child was identified as a low-risk exposure of a student or staff member who tested positive for COVID-19. (This will only require that you monitor your child for potential symptoms.) OR
2. Your child was identified as a high-risk exposure/close contact of a student or staff member who tested positive for COVID-19. (In this case, your child will most likely be required to quarantine according to JCDHE guidelines.)

If your child’s proximity to or nature of the interaction with the positive individual did not indicate a low or high-risk exposure, then you will not be contacted when their is a positive case in the school.

If your child has to quarantine, you can expect the following...

• (If the exposure happened at school) to NOT know the exact details as to why or who else was involved.

• This can be really frustrating, but the privacy is essential. It will require a high level of trust that the contact tracing process would have only resulted in a quarantine for your child if he/she were determined to be a close contact of the positive individual.

• For some school work and materials (including students’ school-issued device) to be made available

• Each grade-level team of teachers has made plans for how they will provide learning activities to your child in these circumstances.

• Please note that there are some limitations to what can be provided. We want to be transparent about that, so please be aware that we are unable to:

• Recreate all in-class learning experiences

• Live stream class sessions

• Contactless Material Pick-up:

• We will have a blue storage bin outside the front circle drive– labeled “Contactless Pick Up” where staff will place items (bagged and labeled: student name/teacher name/grade) for family pick up. Pick up times are below (only on days when school days are in session). We will not leave the bin outside while the school is closed.

• 7:30 - 8:00 AM

• 9:00 AM – 2:45 PM