Sunrise Scoop

It’s hard to believe we’ve already wrapped up the first month of school—time really does fly when you’re learning and having fun! Our Sunrise Lions have jumped right into routines, made new friends, and started showing what it means to live by PAWS: Practicing Respect, Accepting Responsibility, Working Together, and remembering Safety Matters.

From exciting classroom projects to fun recess games, Meet the Teacher Night, the NED assembly, and lots of smiling faces in the halls, the energy on campus has been contagious. A huge thank you to our families for your partnership and encouragement—we couldn’t do this without you! Coming soon on Monday, September 8th we will be hosting a Grandparents breakfast. Be sure to keep checking social media & Class Dojo for more information!

We hope you and your family enjoyed the 3 day weekend in celebration of Labor Day! Beyond being a welcome chance to relax, Labor Day is a time to honor the hard work and dedication of all workers who contribute to our communities each and every day. It’s also a great reminder for our students that perseverance, teamwork, and responsibility are qualities worth celebrating—not just in school, but in life.

The year is off to a ROAR-ing start, and we can’t wait to see all the learning, laughter, and growth that the next months will bring. Together We Rise, Sunrise Lions! 🦁🌅

Warm regards,

Michelle Martelli
Principal, Sunrise Elementary

• Monday 9/1: No School in observance of Labor Day

• Sunday 9/7: Grandparents Day
• Monday 9/8: Physical Therapists Recognition Day and Grandparents Breakfast at 7:30
• Tuesday 9/9: 7-9 pm DVUSD Governing Board Meeting
• Thursday 9/11: Patriots Day & Fall Picture Day

• Wednesday 9/17: Constitution Day

• Sunday 9/21: International Day of Peace
• Monday 9/22: Kona Ice for sale at Recess for students in 2nd-6th grade
• Tuesday 9/23: 7-9 pm DVUSD Governing Board Meeting
• Thursday 9/25: 40th Day of School and National Food Service Workers Day

• Week of September 29th through October 3rd: No School for Fall Break

September 12

September 19

September 26

Early release days in the Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) are designed to provide teachers with dedicated time for professional development, collaborative planning, and administrative tasks, while also allowing students to be dismissed 60 minutes earlier than a full day of instruction. This dedicated time helps teachers enhance their skills and ensure high-quality education for students.

• A valid photo ID is always required for anyone checking out a student, no matter the reason.The person must also be listed on the student’s approved contact list in order for us to release the student.
• On Early Release Fridays, students cannot be signed out after 1:00 p.m.

Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe and smooth!

Did you know that we have Early Childhood classrooms on campus? These are connected to the Early Childhood building. Many of our baby and toddler families drop off at the same time that our students arrive. To ensure student safety, please pull through the main loop (within the parking lot) and pull all the way forward. Coach Bummer will be crossing students between the loop and the gym. This will help to keep all of our students safe! Thank you for supporting all Lions!

PAWS stands for Practicing Respect, Accepting Responsibility, Working Together, and Safety Matters.

At Sunrise Elementary, we believe that by reinforcing these core values, we create a positive and supportive school environment where every student can thrive. Through our PAWS program, students earn Dojo points for demonstrating these behaviors, helping them to build strong character and succeed both academically and socially. Students can then spend their Dojo points in our classrooms and at the PAWS shop. (If you would like to donate to our PAWS shop, check out our Amazon wishlist.) We’re proud to celebrate our students’ achievements and encourage them to keep showing their PAWSitive behavior every day!

https://sunrise.dvusd.org/our-school/cafeteria

Friday, September 5th is National Cheese Pizza day. We will have a menu change this week. Chicken sandwich will be served on Wednesday and Pizza will be served on Friday.

Join us Monday, September 8th for a Special Grandparents Breakfast at 7:45am in the cafeteria.

September 25th is National Food Service Workers Day! Take a quick moment to Thank and celebrate our cafeteria staff for their hard work and dedication each day.

September 25th is National Pancake day. Grab some pancakes from the breakfast cart!

Sunrise is pleased to announce that through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program, we will be providing breakfast and lunch to all students at no charge.

All students enrolled at Sunrise may receive one breakfast meal and one lunch meal at no charge every school day. Additional meals and a la carte items will continue to be available at regular pricing.

You are receiving this benefits form because your student attends a Community Eligibility Program (CEP) school but does not qualify for meal assistance at home through programs like SNAP, TANF, FDPIR or, as a Migrant.

Completing and submitting this form is necessary for your school to secure funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) which may be used for after school activities, tutoring, technology, staff development, and parent classes.

Thank you for helping us continue to provide valuable support to our students and schools!

Snacks can be purchased. Parents can add money to a student’s account in three different ways:

1. Cash: Students may buy meals with cash or add cash to their account in the cafeteria.

2. Check: Students may bring a check with their student ID number and current phone number on it to the cafeteria to be added to their account.
3. Online: Payments can be made at EZSchoolPay.com using Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card for a fee of $3.00 per transaction. Parents can also use EZSchoolPay to view student spending and set up low balance reminders at no cost.

Parents now have the option of ordering a Birthday Party Bucket from the cafeteria! All items are Smart Snack compliant. To order, please submit the order form to the kitchen manager at Katrina.Sandy-Colon@dvusd.org along with any questions and to check availability.

Make it fun and easy to celebrate your student's birthday! The Birthday Party Bucket provides healthier snacks for students and simplifies the process of birthday celebrations in the classroom. The bucket will be delivered to your student's class at a designated time and location, making it super convenient for teachers and parents.

As we settle into a new school year, it’s important for all of us—parents, caregivers, and community members—to keep student safety our top priority. One of the simplest yet most important ways we can do this is by practicing safe driving in and around our school zones.

Key Safety Reminders:

• Slow Down: The speed limit in school zones is lower for a reason. Children are often crossing the street, riding bikes, or walking with friends. Driving at a safe speed gives you more time to react.

• Stay Alert: Avoid distractions like texting, phone calls, or adjusting the radio. Students can be unpredictable, and your full attention helps keep everyone safe.

• Obey Crossing Guards: Our crossing guards are here to protect students. Please stop when directed and allow children to cross safely.

• Follow Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures: Use designated drop-off and pick-up areas. This keeps traffic flowing smoothly and reduces the risk of accidents.

• Watch for Buses: Always stop for school buses when their stop arm is extended and red lights are flashing. Children may be crossing the street from either direction.

By following these simple reminders, we can make sure that every student arrives at school and home safely each day. Let’s all do our part to keep our community’s children safe and to model good driving habits for the next generation.

Together, we can create a safe and welcoming environment for all of our Sunrise Lions! 🦁✨

This month at Sunrise, our Mane Expectation is Self-Control. Self-control means being able to wait for something you want, even if it’s hard, and stopping yourself from doing something you shouldn’t—like saying unkind words or hitting when you’re upset. It’s all about learning to pause, think, and make positive choices.

Each week, students in all grade levels will explore a different part of self-control through books, lessons, videos, and class discussions. We encourage you to talk about these topics at home too!

Weekly Focuses:

• Week 1 – Expressing Your Feelings:
  Students will learn healthy ways to talk about big emotions instead of keeping them bottled up. (Examples: Big Feelings, Inside Out clip, Zones of Regulation)

• Week 2 – Using Calming Tools:
  We’ll practice strategies like breathing, movement, and positive self-talk to calm down when emotions run high. (Examples: Even Superheroes Have Bad Days, “Calm Body, Calm Mind” song, calming coloring activities)

• Week 3 – Practicing Self-Control:
  Students will explore what it looks like to pause before reacting, make better choices, and take responsibility for their actions. (Examples: I’m In Charge of Me, Mr. Brown’s “Self-Control” video, Self-Control Sloth)

• Week 4 – Learning Patience:
  We’ll focus on waiting calmly, taking turns, and remembering that good things are worth the wait. (Examples: Patient Panda, “Why Patience Is Important” video)

By building these skills step by step, our students are learning how to manage emotions, handle challenges, and strengthen relationships—important tools that will help them both in school and beyond.

We’re excited to announce School Spirit Fridays at Sunrise! Every Friday, wear your Sunrise spirit wear or school colors to show your love and pride for our amazing school. Whether it's your Sunrise swag or red and gold, let’s fill the halls with school spirit and show off our Sunrise pride!

To promote a safe and distraction-free learning environment for all students (and in alignment with Arizona House Bill 2484 (2024)), the use of personal electronic devices (PEDs), including cell phones, is strictly regulated for students during the school day. This policy applies to all DVUSD students and is enforced during instructional hours across all areas of the school campus, including classrooms, hallways, restrooms, lunch areas, recess, assemblies, and any school-sponsored activities taking place on campus during the regular school day.

Students are required to keep their personal electronic devices (such as phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and similar items) turned off and stored away throughout the school day unless they have received explicit permission from a DVUSD staff member for instructional or health-related and nurse approved purposes. Use of electronic devices is not allowed in classrooms, hallways, restrooms, lunch areas, or other common spaces during school hours. In addition, messaging, phone calls, and social media use are strictly prohibited during instructional time.

Bluetooth headphones and earbuds are not permitted on campus. Only wired headphones may be used, and only when connected to school-issued Chromebooks for approved instructional activities. This ensures appropriate use and limits classroom distractions.

Students are strongly discouraged from bringing personal electronic devices (including cell phones, earbuds, smartwatches, and gaming systems) to school or school-sponsored events. The Deer Valley Unified School District is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged personal items.

Misuse of electronic devices may result in disciplinary consequences and may also result in confiscation of the device. Devices that are repeatedly confiscated will be held in the front office until they are retrieved by a parent or guardian.

This week we held our very first PAWS Store to celebrate students who have shown PAWSitive behavior! Students redeemed their ClassDojo points for fun prizes, while some chose to save their points for bigger rewards in the future. The store will be open every other week, giving students regular opportunities to celebrate their hard work and positive choices. A big thank-you to everyone who has donated or purchased items from our Amazon wish list. Your generosity helps keep the PAWS Store exciting and meaningful for our students, and we are always grateful for your support!

Hearing and Vision Screenings are currently going on at Sunrise. You can check on Nurse Penny’s Website on policies for screenings here-

https://sunrise.dvusd.org/our-school/health-services/hearing-and-vision-screening -Referrals for failed screenings will go out in September. If you have any questions or concerns- please reach out to nurse Penny by phone #602-467-5910 or email Penny.Reamer@dvusd.org

The Care Center on Crossroads campus is where families in need can come for help with shelf-stable food, clothing, and hygiene items. Shoes are also available through the Care Center. The Care Center is open from 11am-1pm on Sundays & 6-8pm on Tuesdays. No appointments or referrals are needed- people can simply show up for help during the Center's hours of operation. If someone needs help, but isn't able to come to the Center when it's open, they will set an appointment outside of those hours.

For more information, contact Nurse Penny.

We’re so excited to welcome back Ms. Sharp to 🦁 Sunrise Elementary! She’s here to support our students’ academic and emotional growth through counseling, small groups, and classroom lessons on important life skills like resilience, empathy, and friendship. 💛❤️

Ms. Sharp is also a great resource for families—connecting you with community services, sharing strategies for home, and helping navigate parenting challenges. This year, she’s excited to share Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) classes available online!

Here is the slideshow from August Class focusing on attendance: Attendance Matters

Upcoming Classes:

• September 18- Anxiety and Depression--What is it and how do we help our children?
• October 23- Rudeness, Disrespect and Logical Consequences- what it is, why it happens and how do we help our children and keep our sanity
• November 20- Grief- (grief awareness month)- how to learn to move on

Growth Mindset: Helping kids believe they can grow through effort.

What to know: A growth mindset means kids see challenges as chances to learn. They know mistakes help their brains grow!

At Home Tips: Use the word "yet" , "I can't do this yet", praise effort, not just grades, and share how you learn from mistakes.

Books To Read: The Dot and The Most Magnificent Thing.

We are thrilled to welcome Officer Ramos back to Sunrise Elementary as part of the School Safety Officer Grant. A dedicated member of the Phoenix Police Department, Officer Ramos has served in law enforcement for the past two years and is excited to once again be part of the Sunrise community she knows and loves.

Her primary role at Sunrise is to build positive relationships with students, staff, and families while working to maintain a safe and secure campus. Officer Ramos believes that trust, respect, and open communication are essential to a strong school community. She is committed to collaborating with our staff to promote safety awareness, prevent issues before they arise, and ensure our school remains a welcoming place for everyone.👮‍♂️

We’re excited to welcome Officer Andrew McClure as one of our School Safety Officers (SSO) this year!

Officer McClure has proudly served as a Phoenix Police Officer for nearly 7 years and has been an SSO with the Deer Valley Unified School District for the past 2 school years.

He’s known for his friendly approach to school safety—chatting with students in the hallways, joining in at recess and lunch, and making safety conversations fun and approachable.

This year, Officer McClure will be joining the Sunrise Lions every Friday to build relationships, connect with our community, and help keep our campus safe.

Welcome to the Pride, Officer McClure! 🦁✨

Officer Campos is a Phoenix Police Reserve Officer and has proudly served as a School Safety Officer (SSO) in the Deer Valley Unified School District for the past two years at various schools across the district.

Again this year, thanks to funding from the School Safety Grant, he will be joining the Sunrise Lions! Officer Campos enjoys building positive relationships with students and staff, creating trust, and helping keep our campus safe.

Let’s give him a warm Sunrise welcome! 🌅❤️💛

We are excited to introduce Sgt. Mike Wesley, who is joining us on campus through the School Safety Grant. Sgt. Wesley has proudly served with the Phoenix Police Department for 34 years, working in Patrol, Narcotics, SWAT, and the Air Unit. After retiring in 2023 following 32 years of service, he continues as a Reserve Sergeant assigned to the Police Academy as a firearms instructor. Sgt. Wesley is also a lifelong learner—he is currently a graduate student at Arizona State University pursuing a Master’s degree in Emergency Management. We are thrilled to have him as part of our Sunrise community, helping to keep our Lions safe while building positive connections with students and families.

Did you know that good attendance sets the foundation for lifelong learning habits? When students are in school consistently, they don't just keep up with lessons-they build confidence, strong routines, and social connections. We do realize that things happen. In the event that your student cannot be at school please call our 24 hour attendance line 602-467-5990, to let us us know your student will be absent. Every day counts! Let's work together to ensure our students are present, prepared, and ready to succeed.

• Parents and guardians can create a Powerschool account to help see absent days and grades for each student in DVUSD.
• Download and/or print out the district calendar for the school year, or add the district and school calendars to your mobile device. This helps to plan for appointments and travel on days school is not in session.
• Start a routine at home on school nights: pack your child's backpack and/or lunch for the next day. Have your child select his/her clothes before bedtime. Have a consistant bed time that allows your child to get 8-10 hours of sleep.
• Know when your child's school begins its day, and when the school releases a child. Also know when the district is releasing 90 minutes early for a PLC Friday.
• If your child rides a DVUSD bus to school, know your child's bus number, route number, and when he/she should be picked up at their bus stop. Download the Edulog app for schedules and alerts, and walk your child to his/her bus stop before the first day of school so they know where to be on time.
• Parents/guardians and students should agree to a daily homework routine to assure assignments are completed in full and on time every day. This is especially important for middle school and high school athletes, whose participation depends on good grades in class while balancing busy game and practice schedules.
• Check in on fellow DVUSD students in your neighborhood. Are these students missing school because they don't have a ride to school, or are showing up late for a school bus pick-up in the morning?

Our school is collecting Box Tops—and the best part is, it’s all digital now! We’ve already raised some money this year, and every little bit helps.

Sign up easily using this QR code or click the link: https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=X37Z0KB0&school_id=72514

Reach out the Kelsey Shade if you have any questions or need assistance.

Please check to make sure you are enrolled. It is easy.

1. Log on to your Fry's account.
2. Click on My Account.
3. Click on Community Rewards.

There is nothing else to do! Once your Fry's VIP reward card is linked, just shop as normal and Fry's will track a percentage of your purchases and we will get a donation!

We would love for you to join us as a volunteer at Sunrise Elementary—whether it's for a school event, field trip, or helping around the campus! There is a simple process through Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) to get started.

Please visit DVUSD Volunteering Information for full details. A few important points to note:

• In-Person Volunteer Training: All volunteers must complete an in-person training, which we will offer four times throughout the year. However, you are welcome to attend training at any DVUSD school. You only need to attend this training once!

• Returning Volunteers: Thank you for your continued support! To register as a returning volunteer, please reach out to either Holly Kuhn (holly.kuhn@dvusd.org) or Hedy Rastedt (hedy.rastedt@dvusd.org).

• Volunteer Eligibility: Volunteers must be family members of a current student unless you hold a valid fingerprint clearance card.

• Important Reminder: Please ensure you complete the training at least 30 days before you plan to volunteer to allow time for processing.

We can’t wait to have you on board as we work together to support our Sunrise Lions!

Volunteer training can be attended at ANY DVUSD campus.

Tuesday, November 4th Is Election Day! This Is A Mail-In Ballot Election. Look For Your Ballot In Early October. Mail Your Ballot By October 28th. You Can Also Drop It Off At The District Office.

Learn more about how the restoration of the M&O override will help continue to pay a portion (approximately 8.5%) of all salaries, maintain maximum class sizes (would otherwise increase +3 students per classroom), continue full-day kindergarten and other specialized programs for students, continue to support extracurricular activities for students, continue to provide counselors and support services staff such as school nurses, and continue to provide a portion (10%) of school and department budgets.

Website: Sunrise.DVUSD.org

Facebook: DVUSDSunriseElementary

Instagram: sunriselions_dvusd

We are currently in need of 3 crossing guards and 1 special education teacher.

If you are interested in any of our open positions, please apply at https://jobs.dvusd.org/ and email Hedy at Hedy.Rastedt@DVUSD.org.

At Sunrise Elementary, we are excited to announce our theme for the 2025-2026 school year: "Together We Rise!" This year, we are focusing on the power of unity—working hand in hand with our students, families, and community to elevate every learner. By fostering collaboration, celebrating each other’s successes, and supporting one another through challenges, we will rise to new heights of achievement and growth. We invite you to join us on this journey as we build a stronger, more connected school community. Together, we can make this a year to remember!