Sunrise Scoop

Dear Sunrise Elementary Families,

I am thrilled to welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year at Sunrise Elementary! My name is Michelle Martelli, and I am honored to be your new principal. As a longtime member of this community, I’m excited to lead our amazing school and work alongside you to make this year a memorable one for our students.

I am committed to fostering a strong school culture based on trust, respect, and collaboration. I look forward to meeting each of you and learning about how we can work together to make Sunrise Elementary a place where every student can thrive. Together, we can accomplish incredible things, and I can’t wait to see all that we achieve this year!

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or ideas for how we can continue to make Sunrise a wonderful place for our children. Here's to a great year ahead!

Warm regards,

Michelle Martelli
Principal, Sunrise Elementary

• Tuesday 7/29 4:30-6 pm Sunrise Meet the Teacher Night

We can't wait to see you! You will be able to meet your child's new teacher, pick up a dismissal map, and get a free backpack (while supplies last).

• Thursday 7/31 1st Day of School

We can't wait to welcome our lions back at 8 am! It’s going to be an exciting start to the year as we come together for a year of growth, learning, and success. To help us maintain a smooth and organized start to the school year, we kindly ask that parents refrain from entering the campus during morning drop-off. Your cooperation ensures that we can get all students settled in quickly and safely. Thank you for your understanding and support as we kick off another fantastic school year!

As we gear up for another exciting school year at Sunrise Elementary, we wanted to share our recommended supply lists for each grade level. These items are optional and are meant to supplement the supplies provided by the school. Arizona law ensures that public schools provide the essential supplies needed for academic success, so rest assured that your child will have what they need to succeed!

However, if you would like to contribute additional supplies, these items are greatly appreciated! Please note, donations help support our classrooms and make a positive impact on our students’ learning experiences.

If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher. They are happy to help!

We’re excited to share our Amazon Wishlists for two important initiatives that will directly benefit our students and classrooms. Your support can go a long way in creating a positive and enriching environment at Sunrise Elementary. 💖

🦁 PAWS Shop Wishlist 🦁

We’ve created this wishlist to stock our PAWS Shop, where students can “shop” using the points they earn for demonstrating PAWS (Practicing Respect, Accepting Responsibility, Working Together, and Safety Matters). Your donations will help motivate and reward our students for making great choices!

👉 PAWS Shop Wishlist- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1V7WK3HUFU3UY?ref_=wl_share

🧠 Sensory Bins for Classrooms 🧠

Sensory bins are essential tools that support students’ learning and emotional regulation. They offer hands-on, tactile activities that help students focus, reduce stress, and engage with their learning in a meaningful way. We’ve created a wishlist to help build these sensory bins in each classroom to ensure all students have the tools they need to succeed.

👉 Sensory Bins Wishlist- https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/SA028C45QCFL?ref_=wl_share

Together, we can create a more supportive and enriching learning environment for our Sunrise Lions! Thank you for your generosity and for making a lasting impact on our students. 🦁💫

Arrival: Gates will open at 7:58. Students are able to get breakfast from the carts and then report directly to their assigned classroom to eat.

Dismissal: We have a staggered release over the span of 10 minutes to ensure a safe dismissal for all.

For K-6 Parents

Walkers will be dismissed at 2:55.

● Students will walk with a teacher to either the Northeast or Southwest walker gate.

● Siblings will meet at the gate. They will not wait outside classrooms. If there is a Kinder sibling, one sibling will pick the kinder student up at the gate by the cafeteria and main office and then walk to the correct gate.

● Parents will meet their children at the specified gate.

Car Riders will be dismissed at 3:00.

● Students will walk to the map area with a teacher and be seated on the map.

● Parents will drive along the blue line and pull forward to wait for dismissal.

● Parents will have a blue card with student names displayed on the dash. Blue cards will be available at Meet the Teacher and in the Front Office.

● A designated teacher or admin will call for the family to come to the blue line and get in the car.

For Kinder Only Parents

If a kindergartener is the only student being picked up, the following will apply:

• Kindergarteners will be brought to the area between the cafeteria and main office at 2:50.
• Walkers will be dismissed directly to a parent.

Car riders will be brought to the front loop/bus lane.

● Parents will drive along the front loop/bus lane and pull forward to the tree.

● Parents will have a pink card with the kindergarten student’s name displayed on the dash. Pink cards will be available directly from the kindergarten teacher and are ONLY for students who will be picked up alone (no siblings).

● Parents arriving in the front loop/bus lane without a blue card will be asked to leave the area and join the regular dismissal line.

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!

Sunrise is part of the Breakfast in the Classrooms grant from National Education Association (NEA). When students arrive at school, they will grab a free breakfast as they walk to class. Grab-and-go breakfast stations will be available inside both the front gate and the northeast gate at 31st Avenue and Grovers. Students will take their breakfast to class, where they can eat in a relaxed and supportive classroom environment. Breakfast will be served daily from 8:00 to 8:15 a.m. This initiative is designed to ensure all students have a nutritious start to their day. We’re looking forward to seeing how this new routine supports our students and helps them get ready for a day of learning!

We’re excited to share that Sunrise Elementary participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which means all students receive free lunch every day! This program helps ensure every child is well-nourished and ready to learn.

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.

4th-6th graders only --- Your child will receive a school chromebook to use. If you would like to purchase device insurance, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE DEVICE PROTECTION PLAN WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF RECEIVING YOUR DEVICE!

• English | Spanish

• Parent Instructions for TouchBase Payment Portal

• Running reports on device protection plan purchases

Families will not be charged for repairs required due to manufacturer defects or normal wear and tear of the device.

The fee for Device Protection Plan is $25 per child/per school year.

Parents can purchase the protection plan online at https://url.dvusd.org/PaymentPortal.

**Note- the cost to replace a fully-damaged chromebook is $250 and will be charged to your child's account if damaged without the protection plan.

We are currently in need of 1 paraprofessional and 3 crossing guards.

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.

We’re excited to share a valuable resource that could benefit your family this summer. In partnership with hunger-fighting organizations, we’ve launched SummerEBT.org—a website that helps families easily check if they qualify for Summer EBT (also known as Sun Bucks).

Families with eligible children can receive $120 in grocery benefits per child this summer. The site offers a quick eligibility screener and connects you directly to the application for your state. Last summer, nearly $2.5 million in benefits were distributed to families through this program.

We encourage you to visit SummerEBT.org and check if you qualify. Applications are open now in most states and will close at the end of August. Click image for more information.

Facebook: DVUSDSunriseElementary

Instagram: sunriselions_dvusd

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!