News From the Nest

CMAS Assessment Information

To Sunrise 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Parents,

Each year Cherry Creek Schools administers the Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) to all third, fourth, and fifth grade students. Your child is scheduled to take the CMAS assessment this spring in the areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science (for 5th Grade students only). Students will complete testing, starting April 7th through April 24th.

During the testing window, we are asking the following:

Please do not schedule appointments or vacations.
Plan ahead to ensure your child is present and on time for school.
Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before.

Please refer to the CMAS Testing Schedule 2026.docx for more specific testing times. If your student misses or arrives late for a scheduled test they will take a make-up test. Make-up tests are not scheduled, rather they are given when the opportunity arises during the testing window of April 7th - 24th. Please note, there will be no student check-outs for students while taking a scheduled CMAS exam or an unscheduled make-up exam.

Parent Exemptions

While state testing provides valuable information about your student’s academic achievement and growth, Colorado statute does allow parents to exempt their students from testing without consequences to the student, school, or district. To exempt your student from state testing, please login to the my.cherrycreekschools.org parent portal and click on the “State Assessment Exemption” tile.

Please feel free to contact me or the front office at 720-886-2907 if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Lisa Most

Assistant Principal

CMAS Testing Schedule - 2026

Third Grade - CMAS Tests: ELA & Math

Dates of Testing

Tuesday April 7 - Wednesday April 15th from 9:30 - 11:30 am

Fourth Grade - CMAS Tests: ELA & Math

Dates of Testing

Tuesday April 7 - Wednesday April 15th from 9:30 - 12:00 pm

Fifth Grade - CMAS Tests: ELA, Math & Science

Dates of Testing

Tuesday April 7 - Wednesday April 17th from 8:00 - 10:30 am

Sunrise PTCO 2026 - 2027 Board Position

During the March PTCO Meeting, nominations for the PTCO Board were announced. We are looking for individuals who will serve in our open positions! We will vote on the 2026 - 2027 Sunrise PTCO Board in our April 9th meeting. If you have any questions or are interested in any of the positions, please attend out April PTCO meeting in person or reach out to Kristy Coe or Mandy Sheets.

The following people

President - Meghan Alles

Vice President - Open

Treasurer: Zach Richard

Secretary: Linnea Bergman

Volunteer Coordinator: Open

Event Coordinator: Open

Sunrise Upcoming Events

April 1: Wendy's Restaurant Night - 4:00 - 7:00 pm

April 10: CMAS Begins - See schedule above!

April 22: Kindergarten Orientation (5:30 pm at Sunrise)

April 30: Sunrise Fun Run - volunteers will be needed!

May 6: Skate City Night

May 15: Sunrise Field Day - volunteers will be needed!

May 21: 5th grade clap out - 2:30 - 2:45

May 21: 5th Grade Continuation - 6:30 - 7:30 pm

May 22: Last Day of School - Half day ends at 11:00 am

Sunrise Reminders

Non-Edible Birthday Treat Policy

We will continue the tradition of allowing non-edible birthday treats to celebrate students’ birthdays. This practice is directly aligned with our wellness initiatives. It also promotes a safe classroom environment in light of the ever-increasing number of students with life-threatening food allergies and sensitivities. A life-threatening allergic reaction can be unpredictable. While food manufacturers are required to list ingredients on labels, the risk of trace amounts of allergens in foods is always present. We want to ensure all of our students’ safety, and eliminating the dangers associated with food being distributed to others in the classroom is one way of making that happen. We value the unique, complex layers that each learner brings to the learning space. It is our job to keep their physical, social, and emotional safety at the forefront of our thinking. Thank you so much for understanding our need to continue with our non-edible birthday treats practice. If you would like suggestions for age-appropriate, non-edible birthday treats for your child to share with his or her classmates, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you for your support!

No dogs on campus during school hours

Please make sure that all dogs are not brought onto campus during school hours. This includes drop off and pick up. Of course we LOVE dogs and we know everyone wants to pet a cute pup, but there are just too many things that could go wrong with that many people around. We want to make sure your pup is safe and our kids and families are safe. Even the smallest dog can get loose and react to fast movement ending in something that is not good for anyone. Thank you for understanding!

Electronic Devices

Personal electronic communication devices include but are not limited to: cell phones, AirPods, Smart Watches, i-pads, MP3 players, computers, or any other personal technology device that may be stand-alone or may use wireless communication between users across some form of telecommunications network.

These devices are not to be used during school hours. Any electronic devices used during school hours without express permission from school administration are subject to confiscation and will be held in the main office to be picked up at the end of the day. Students are required to keep any of these devices turned off and safely stowed in their personal backpacks during the school day. Sunrise is not responsible for any lost or stolen electronic devices. If you wish to have your child turn in their electronic devices to their teacher to be locked up, this is an option.

If students use cellphones or smart watches during the school day.

1st Time: Staff take the phone and return it to student at the end of the day
2nd Time: Phone is turned into the office. Student can pick up phone from office at the end of the day.
3rd Time: Parent/Guardian will need to pick up the phone from the office and the student must drop the phone off at the office at the beginning of the day.

School Choice applications for Kindergarten can be submitted through the following website: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/admissions/school-choice/school-choice-application

For more information about Pre-K, please visit the following website: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/admissions/student-enrollment/pre-kindergarten-kindergarten-roundup

Online pre-enrollment is required! Please visit our website for more information. https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/admissions/student-enrollment/student-enrollment-information

District Admissions Main Office: 5416 S. Riviera Way, Aurora,

Las solicitudes de Elección de Escuela para los estudiantes de Kindergarden que no son Residentes del Distrito de Cherry Creek se pueden enviar a través de la siguiente página: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/admissions/school-choice/school-choice-application

Para más información de Pre-Kindergarden, favor de visitar la siguiente página: https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/admissions/student-enrollment/pre-kindergarten-kindergarten-roundup

¡Se requiere preinscripción en línea! Visite nuestra página para obtener más información.

https://www.cherrycreekschools.org/admissions/student-enrollment/student-enrollment-information

Sunrise Kindergarten Orientation Meeting - April 22, 2026 at 5:30 pm

Information for the 2026 - 2027 School Year

Classroom Teachers Requests

At Sunrise Elementary School, we believe our families know their children best. While we do not allow families to request specific teachers for their children, you are welcome to email Mandy Sheets with characteristics of a teacher your child may work best with at school. Please email Mandy Sheets at asheets@cherrycreekschools.org by April 30th with information about your child and how your child learns best! Thank you.