Sunrise Scoop

As we head into March, there is a lot of excitement and focus across campus! Our students and staff continue working hard each day, and it truly shows. This is an important time of year as we prepare for upcoming state and district testing. Our teachers have been intentional in aligning instruction to standards, reinforcing learning targets, and building student confidence so every Lion feels ready to shine. 🦁✨

Testing season is an opportunity for our students to show the growth they have made all year long. You can help by ensuring your child gets plenty of rest, eats a healthy breakfast, and arrives at school on time each day. We are so proud of their perseverance and effort!

At the same time, we are looking ahead to a well-deserved Spring Break. This stretch before the break is a great time to stay focused, maintain strong attendance, and continue practicing our PAWS expectations — Practicing Respect, Accepting Responsibility, Working Together, and remembering that Safety Matters.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we are building confident learners and a strong school community.

Together We Rise! 🦁❤️

🦁Marching Forward,

Michelle Martelli
Principal, Sunrise Elementary

Week of 3/2-3/9 School Breakfast Week

Monday 3/2

• Dr. Seuss' Birthday and Read Across America Day

Wednesday 3/4

• Desert Sky Instrumental Feeder Festival with our Advanced Band & Advanced Orchestra performing

Thursday 3/5

• 4:30-5:30 Spring Kinder Preview Night

3/9-3/13 Spring Spirit Week

Monday 3/9

• 4:30-6 STEAM Night

Tuesday 3/10

• 7 pm DVUSD Governing Board Meeting

Wednesday 3/11

• 3rd Battle of the Books
• Spring Picture Day

Friday 3/13

• Junior Achievement Day
• National Preschoolers Day
• 3rd Quarter Ends

Saturday 3/14

• National PI Day

Week of 3/16-3/20 Spring Break

Monday 3/23

• 1st Day of 4th Quarter

Tuesday 3/24

• 7 pm DVUSD Governing Board Meeting

Wednesday 3/25

• 5th Graders taking AzSci State Test Part 1
• Barro's Fundraiser

Thursday 3/26

• 5th Graders taking AzSci State Test Parts 2 & 3

Tuesday 3/31

• 3rd-6th Grade taking AASA State Writing Test
• Kona Ice at Recess for grades 1-6

March 6

March 13

March 27

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.

Spring Pictures/Class Pictures will be on March 11th. Orders online must be received by 9am on the day of pictures. There will be no retakes and no orders will be accepted after 9am on March 11th.

We are in need of 2 parent volunteers that are currently volunteer trained to assist on picture day. If you have already been volunteered trained and are interested in volunteering for picture day please let your student's teacher know or contact the front office.

It is very important that students are present and on time on their scheduled testing days. These assessments help us understand student growth and ensure we are providing the best support for learning.

Please note: once a student begins a test, it cannot be paused, resumed, or made up if they are signed out early. For this reason, we ask that appointments and early checkouts be avoided on testing days whenever possible.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Hines at Brittany.Hines@dvusd.org or via ClassDojo.

Thank you for helping your Sunrise Lion be prepared, confident, and ready to do their best!
Together We Rise!

We have LOTS of jackets, hoodies, sweaters, hats, and water bottles in our Lost & Found! Many items have piled up and are waiting to be reunited with their owners.

These responsible volunteers set up these items to be out front by the office for easy access. Please stop by before or after school to check for anything that belongs to your child and take it home.

Anything left behind will be donated over Spring Break.

Let’s clear those racks and bring those cozy winter layers back home where they belong!

If you have not yet completed the FY26 Parent & Community Satisfaction Survey, we would truly appreciate a few minutes of your time. Your feedback plays an important role in shaping decisions, strengthening our programs, and ensuring we continue to grow in ways that best support our students and families.

Every response matters and helps us move forward with intention and purpose. Please share your thoughts here:

🔗 https://url.dvusd.org/d5706faa

Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to grow, improve, and rise together. 💛🦁

We are excited to welcome Kona Ice to Sunrise Elementary on Monday, March 31! The Kona Ice truck will be on campus during lunch recess for students in Grades 1–6.

If your child would like to purchase a Kona Ice treat, please be sure they bring money to school that day. Kona Ice offers a variety of shaved ice options and fun add-ons for students to enjoy.

In addition, we will be celebrating our character trait of Loyalty. One student from each grade level will be selected to receive a free small Kona Ice for demonstrating outstanding loyalty through their actions and choices. We are proud to recognize students who consistently support their classmates, teachers, and our Sunrise community.

We love providing these meaningful celebrations for our Sunrise Lions as they continue to show their PAWS expectations: Practicing Respect, Accepting Responsibility, Working Together, and Safety Matters.

Thank you for your continued support in making Sunrise such a positive and fun place to learn and grow! 🦁❤️💛

See the pricing chart below for options.

• 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.
• Students may arrive no earlier than 7:58 a.m.
• On Full School Days, students cannot be signed out after 2:30 p.m.
• On Early Release Fridays, students cannot be signed out after 1:00 p.m.

Thank you for helping us keep dismissal safe and smooth!

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!

Join us the first week of March for The Quest for School Breakfast. March 2nd-6th is National School Breakfast Week. We will have some special giveaways so be on the lookout for the special marked Breakfast bags. Discover the Power of Nutrition!! March is National Nutrition month: focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits.

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

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!

At Sunrise Elementary, March is all about Growth Mindset — believing that we can get better at things with practice, effort, and perseverance. We are helping our Lions understand that their brain is like a muscle — the more they work it, the stronger it becomes!

Throughout the month, students will participate in lessons, discussions, and activities focused on developing a growth mindset. Each week we will highlight a specific focus area:

Week 1: Understanding Growth Mindset
Learning the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset and how our attitude impacts learning.

Week 2: Setting Goals
Students will practice setting meaningful academic and personal goals and creating action steps to reach them.

Week 3: Dealing with Mistakes or Disappointments
We will emphasize that mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow. Challenges help us improve!

Week 4: Accepting Feedback
Students will learn how to receive feedback positively and use it to strengthen their skills.

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home by asking your child:

• What goal are you working toward right now?

• What mistake helped you learn something new this week?

• How did you show perseverance?

Together, as a Sunrise community, we are building resilient learners who understand that effort leads to growth. Together We Rise! 🦁✨

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!

Thank you to all of our families who took the time to provide feedback on our recent survey. Because of your input and interest, we are excited to share that we plan to bring Before and After School Care back to Sunrise for the 2026–2027 school year through DVUSD Community Education.

Enrollment information will be communicated as soon as registration opens. The program will be offered as long as we have enough families enrolled to fill the required spots, so we encourage interested families to sign up once it becomes available.

If you are interested in Before and After School Care at Sunrise, please be sure to watch for upcoming enrollment details.

More information about the program can be found on the DVUSD Community Education website:
🌐 http://dvusd.org/communityed

Thank you for partnering with us and helping us plan programs that best support our Sunrise families. Together We Rise! 🦁❤️

Student Council still has spirit shirts available for purchase! Get yours in Ms. Shade’s room for $15 — cash only, please.

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.

As we head into spring break, it is a great time to pause, recharge, and reset. The final quarter of the school year is important, and students will be most successful if they return rested and ready to learn. Over break, encourage your child to unplug when possible, get outside, and spend time with family and friends. Keeping a simple routine, getting enough sleep, and limiting late nights can make a big difference in how smoothly the transition back to school goes. A little structure now helps prevent big struggles later. You can also use this time to reflect together. What goals did your child meet this quarter? What is one behavior or habit they want to improve in Quarter 4? Helping students set a small, specific goal builds confidence and ownership.

And just like that we are entering in to Spring Break!! Please have your child enjoy a restful break, refreshed to help them end the year with big success. I would suggest that you please encourage 20 minutes of joyful reading per night. If they like a movie like Spiderman, then you can put on the subtitles and ask them to read along. This is a fun way to incorporate reading in their day.

Spring is in the Air, which means so are Seasonal Allergies. Allergy symptoms can look like cold or flu illnesses at times, symptoms can include runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes and feeling sick. If your child does have seasonal allergies- make sure to talk to your doctor about treatments to keep these symptoms from flaring up. If your child is having a flare-up of allergies, please do keep them home until their symptoms are managed and they are stable enough to return to school. If your child does need medication for allergies at school, such as Benadryl, please contact Nurse Penny. We can work together to keep your child safe and comfortable while at school. For more information- check out Nurse Penny’s website for allergy information- https://sunrise.dvusd.org/our-school/health-services/allergy-forms

This month, students will be learning about respect—using kind words, listening to others, and taking care of our school. Showing respect helps everyone feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. Families can support this by modeling respectful behavior at home and in the community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELWLxyRc64c -Little Spot

• Regular attendance plays a vital role in academic success, social development, and building positive daily routines. We understand that occasional absences are sometimes unavoidable due to illness or family circumstances, however, we kindly ask that you make every effort to ensure your child attends school consistently and arrives on time each day. Thank you for your support in helping your child succeed! In the event that your student is going to be absent, please call our attendance line to report an absence available 24 hours, 602-467-5990.
• If for any reason you need to pick up your child early from school, you MUST have an ID to check out your child. We do have a no check-out policy after 2:30pm on regular release days and after 1:00pm on early release days. Thank you for making school attendance a priority!

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.

We are proud to recognize Ms. Shade as our Sunrise Teacher of the Month!

Ms. Shade demonstrates an incredible commitment to our students each and every day. She consistently checks in on students who are absent, advocates for their needs, and remains deeply focused on student growth. Her willingness to step in wherever support is needed reflects her dedication to the success of all Sunrise students.

Beyond the classroom, Ms. Shade co-sponsors Student Council, helping our student leaders grow and give back to our school community. She takes initiative in strengthening Sunrise through Box Tops, building business partnerships, securing donated playground equipment, and bringing enrichment opportunities like karate to campus. She also hosts student interns, mentoring future educators and modeling high-quality instructional practices.

Additionally, Ms. Shade serves on the District Reading Curriculum Adoption Team, collaborating with educators across the district to carefully review and recommend instructional resources that will positively impact student learning for years to come.

We are incredibly grateful for Ms. Shade’s leadership, initiative, and heart for our students. Sunrise is stronger because of her dedication.

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, kelsey.shade@dvusd.org.

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.

Website: Sunrise.DVUSD.org

Facebook: DVUSDSunriseElementary

Instagram: sunriselions_dvusd

Also, be sure to connect with us on Class Dojo!

We are currently in need of a lunch monitor, recess monitor, and crossing guard.

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!