The Sunnyside Scoop

Sunnyside Office: (651) 385 - 4570

Kids Junction: (651) 385 - 4587

MTN (General busing questions): jkoop@metrotn.com and tallison@metrotn.com

Changes in transportation needs: districtstudentsupport@rwps.org or call 651-385-4520

Email: jwheyer@rwps.org
Website: http://redwing.k12.mn.us/sunnyside/
Location: 1669 Southwood Avenue, Red Wing, MN, United States
Phone: (651) 385-4570

Dear Sunnyside Families,

What an incredible first two weeks of school! Our classrooms are already buzzing with energy, and our students are doing a fantastic job mastering their daily routines. Every day, they continue to amaze our staff with their kindness, enthusiasm, and overall awesomeness.

Thank you so much for your ongoing support, partnership, and grace as we kick off this new chapter together. Because of our strong community, we are off to an extraordinarily bright start. Here’s to a wonderful school year ahead!

Jonathan Heyer

Principal

September:

14 -- Money Dolly Fundraiser Kicks Off

22 - 25 -- -- Homecoming Week Dress Up Days (see below)

23 -- Homecoming Pep Fest

28 --Money Dolly Fundraiser Ends

30 -- Orange Shirt Day (In remembrance of those who attended Indian boarding schools)

1. Please be patient and drive conservatively! Young students can sometimes be impulsive, even while walking with a parent.
   
2. Please drop off only in the main parking lot.
3. To keep our school safe and our morning routines running smoothly, all parents dropping off students are asked to drop students off at the doors or vestibule rather than entering the building. If you are here to volunteer, please head straight to the main office to check in and receive a visitor badge. Thank you for your cooperation!
4. Pull forward as far as you can! Parents stopping and dropping/loading early in the lane is the single biggest hold up to the flow of the lane.
5. Please only load/unload your child on the curb (passenger) side of your vehicle. If your child needs to get out on the driver's side, please park in the lot and walk your child across to the sidewalk.
   
6. Stay in your vehicle unless briefly buckling your child in. Please do not leave your vehicle and walk away from it. If you need to do that, park in the lot.
7. Finally, drop off times are from 7:25 am - 7:45 am. Children should not arrive before 7:25, as there is no adult supervision provided. If you need to drop off before the 7:25 - 7:45 window, you may want to consider enrolling your child in Kids Junction.
   

Thank you for your patience and vigilance in the parking lot!

• 7:25 - 7:45 -- Student drop-off (NO supervision before 7:25!)
• 7:43 -- First arrival bell
• 7:45 -- Final arrival bell; Students arriving after this time will have to check in to the office and will be marked tardy
• 2:15 -- Dismissal bell; Bus riders, walkers, and parent pick-ups released

September 21 - 25 is Homecoming Week for Red Wing Public Schools! Here at Sunnyside, we will celebrate with a pep fest on Wednesday, and enjoy some dress up days as well. These are, of course, optional, but for those who would like to participate, please check out the schedule in below!

Each year at Sunnyside, we hold two major fundraisers. The first fundraiser of the year begins on Monday, September 14th. We have worked with Dan Mertz at Clubs' Choice for several years now, and this year he is launching a new fundraising platform called MoneyDolly that we are going to try out. The new platform eliminates the headache of trying to keep track of paper forms, collect checks from people, and come pick up items from school.

More information will be coming this week, but check out the flier attached below for more information about how MoneyDolly works. Our fundraising period will run from 9/14 - 9/29, and we hope many will participate!

The money raised from this fundraiser goes into our Innovative Learning Fund, which is an account used in our school to provide financial support for innovative learning opportunities-- whether it be flexible seating, outside-the-box instruction, field trips, or so much more!

If you are coming to Sunnyside to visit, volunteer, or pick up your child, don't forget to bring your state issued ID. All visitors to Sunnyside need to check in at the front office, and we scan your ID to produce your visitor badge. After your first visit, you do have the option of adding your information to your phone's wallet so you can scan that on future visits to expedite the process instead. In addition, our office staff may ask for identification, at least until we get to know you, to ensure we are sending a child home with an adult who is noted in our system as having rights to do so. Please don't be offended if we ask for ID, or if we need to call home to confirm that a person not listed in our system is allowed to pick up. We just want to make sure we are putting students' safety first!

For the last few school years, Sunnyside has been lucky enough to be joined one or two days a week by Gus, a golden-doodle certified as a therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). Gus is owned by Sunnyside's School Psychologist, Molly Paulson. Molly Paulson has put together a Q & A document for families. While it is specific to Gus, the document also contains some general information about the certification process. That document can be found HERE. Per newly adopted District Policy 536, if you would prefer your child not have exposure to Gus due to allergies, fear, cultural view, or for any other reason, please contact Principal Jonathan Heyer at jwheyer@rwps.org. If you have any questions about our therapy dog, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Sunnyside needs volunteers for various school-level events throughout the year. CLICK HERE to complete our volunteer interest form if you are interested in volunteering at Sunnyside this year. Families and community members are welcome! If you are interested in helping out specifically in your child's classroom, please contact your child's teacher directly first and then complete the form after connecting. Please note that all volunteers will need to complete a district-paid background check before working with students.

Sunnyside has it’s own Facebook and Instagram pages! You can link directly to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sunnysideredwing/, and our Instagram handle is @sunnysideredwing. Check out some of the fun things going on at Sunnyside!

Be sure to click the links below for important information about Sunnyside Elementary and Red Wing Public Schools.