The Sun Drop

Things We Can Control

• Your being

• Your beliefs

• Your attitude

• Your thoughts

• Your perspective

• Your habits

• How honest you are

• How you treat yourself

• How you talk to yourself

• How kind you are to others

• How you spend your energy

• How you interpret situations

• How you express your thoughts

• Whether or not you ask for help

• Whom you spend your energy on

• How much time you spend worrying

• How often you think about your past

• How often you think about your future

• How often you prioritize yourself

• How many risks you take

• How you interpret "failure"

• How you interpret "success"

I came across something this week that stuck with me. It was a simple poster (above) titled "Things You Can Control." Nothing earth-shattering, but sometimes the simplest reminders are the ones we need the most.

Life is busy. Between work, school, family responsibilities and everything else that comes our way, it's easy to get caught up in things that are completely outside of our control. And if we're being truthful, sometimes we spend far too much time and energy worrying about those things.

But there's actually quite a bit we CAN control.

Our attitude. Our perspective. How we treat others. How we talk to ourselves. Where we spend our energy. Whether we ask for help. And perhaps most importantly, how we respond when things don't go the way we planned.

As parents and educators, I think there's another important piece to this message. Our kids are watching. They're learning how to handle disappointment, frustration, disagreements and challenges by watching how the adults in their lives respond to those same situations.

We can't always make things easier for our children, nor should we. Challenges are part of growing up. But we can help them understand that while they may not always get to choose what happens to them, they do have choices in how they respond.

One of the things on the poster that really stood out to me was "How you interpret situations." Two people can experience the exact same situation and walk away with completely different perspectives. What a great reminder that sometimes changing the way we look at something can change the entire experience.

So, here's a little challenge for all of us this week. Take a look at the list and pick one thing to focus on. Better yet, share it with your kids and ask them what they think. You might be surprised by the conversation that follows.

We can't control everything that happens in life, but we can control a whole lot of what we bring to it.

Have a wonderful week, Sunset Nation!

Thomas Fletcher

Principal

Sunset Elementary School

10/26/26~ Bike Repair Clinic (3:00-5:30)

10/30/26~ Halloween Parade

11/6/26~ Picture Retakes

11/11/26~ Veteran's Day (No School)

11/13/26~ PTO Game Night

11/23/26 - 11/27/26~ Thanksgiving Break

12/2/26 - 12/9/26~ Frostie Shop

12/5/26~ Winter Holiday Pancake Breakfast

12/21/26 - 12/31/26~ Winter Break

Brand new"ish" news...

•Halloween Parade~ With the upcoming parade I wanted to remind folks of our district guidelines so that you can plan accordingly.

• Masks may be worn during the parade only
• Masks must be school friendly
• No weapons or replica weapons
• No blood or gore
• Outfits must meet dress code guidelines

•Picture Retake Day~ Picture Retake Day is coming up! Only students who were absent on the original picture day or would like their pictures retaken need to participate. We will have volunteers picking up students from their classrooms between 8:35 and 10:30 a.m. and escorting them to the MPR.

•Parent's Night Out~ Hey Parents and Guardians! Livermore High School's Class of 2030 is excited to host a Parent's Night Out! Give yourself the evening off while your children enjoy a fun-filled, “babysitting-style” event hosted by our Freshman class council, who will be joined by a certificated teacher and advisor. (See flier below)

Event Details
Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: LHS Student Union
Ages: 5–12 years old
Cost: $20 cash per child or $22 if paying online (includes pizza, snacks, movies, games, and crafts!)

How to Register
If you are interested, please complete the interest form below:
Google Form Link

We can’t wait to see you there and make this a night to remember!

Best regards,
Class of 2030 Class Council

•Birthday Marquee~ Celebrate your student's birthday with their name in lights on our marquee.

Beginning now, requests must be submitted by the 15th of the PREVIOUS month to ensure birthdays will be on the marquee. For November birthdays please submit a request no later than October 21st.

Order Marquee Here

•Science Odyssey Logo Contest is now open and accepting entries. Please click on the flyer for more information (English, Spanish). Flyers are also in the attachment folder. To register for the Logo Contest please have participants fill out this form 2027 Science Odyssey Logo Contest. The contest will close on Wednesday, October 28th at 4:00pm.

•Sunset Bell Schedule and Calendar are both attached below.

•Join Your Sunset PTO! ... What is the Sunset PTO?

The Sunset School PTO is a partnership between parents, guardians, and staff to promote cooperation and goodwill within our school community and to improve and enrich the Sunset Elementary experience for every student. The Sunset PTO funds and hosts many critical programs, events, and materials including: Science and Library Grants, Classroom Grants, Sunset Garden, PE Equipment, Assemblies, Halloween Carnival, Family Fun Nights and more!

Staying Connected / Important links

Sunset PTO Website: https://sunsetpto.membershiptoolkit.com/

Sunset Spirit Store: www.sunsetptostore.com

Sunset PTO Newsletter: Stay up-to-date on the latest Sunset news with the FREE weekly PTO newsletter. Sign-up instructions: Log on to www.sunsetpto.org, Navigate to My Account, Select Newsletter/Calendar Subscriptions from dropdown, Enter Preferences

Sunset PTO Facebook: @SunsetElementaryPTO, @WeAreSunset!

Sunset PTO Instagram: @sunsetsurfers_pto

•Looking for our menus~ Visit https://lvjusdchildnutrition.nutrislice.com/

Click the link for menus available in English and Spanish

Here is a flyer detailing how to print menus on Nutrislice

Click on the link to view the latest newsletter from the Tri-Valley SELPA.

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Sunset PTO Website

Gate Entry and Exit for Sunset Elementary

Gates Open at 8:15 am

School Starts at 8:30 am

While you are allowed and welcome on campus, we ask that you be cognizant of teachers time and student behavior while we work to instill a culture of kindness and integrity. While we value you and want you to know you are a vital part of our community and are welcome here, we are still asking that you help your child take steps to becoming independent as they find their own way to class as they enter campus.

It is exciting to see Kindergartners walk to class, hang up their backpacks, grab what they need and head into class...all on their own. Trust me, it will happen in time.

In accordance with security guidance, IT has updated student passwords to 9-digits. That means students with 8-digit student IDs will need to add a leading zero and students with 7-digit student IDs will need to add two leading zeros to be able to log in. Students with 9-digit student IDs or who had previously changed their password to a personal password were not affected.

If students need help, they can get help from their teachers when school starts.

Aug 7th

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Aug 21st

Aug 28th

Sept 4th

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Oct 2nd

Oct 9th

Oct 16th

Email: tfletcher@lvjusd.org
Website: https://www.livermoreschools.org/sunset
Location: 1671 Frankfurt Way, Livermore, CA, USA
Phone: 925.606.5230