The Sunnyside Scoop

Sunnyside Office: (651) 385 - 4570

Kids Junction: (651) 385 - 4587

First Student (General busing questions): (651) 388 - 8244

Transportation (Bus routing): (651) 385 - 4795

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

Phew! It seems that every year, I manage to forget just how busy the first week can be in a K - 1 building. Students are busy learning new routines, making new friends, reconnecting with old friends, and figuring out how to navigate a building that is new to many. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly our students master new tasks. Every day, our lunch room process gets a little smoother, more students know their way to their classrooms, and fewer students need help finding their way around the building. In the coming week, students will become even more self-sufficient, and we will begin pulling back from the "all staff hands on deck" approach to arrival, the lunch room, breakfast, and the like, but please know that we will always have staff on hand to help students with whatever they need. We're off and running here at Sunnyside, and I'm excited for what the year will bring!

Mike Pagel

Principal

September:

15 -- Clubs Choice Fundraiser Kicks Off

18 -- Bus Safety @ SES

19 -- Bus Safety Rain Make-Up (if needed)

22 - 26 -- -- Homecoming Week Dress Up Days (see below)

24 -- Homecoming Pep Fest

30 --Clubs Choice Fundraiser Ends

30 -- Kindergarten Field Trip to Carpenter Nature Center (Kelly, Richardson)

October:

1 -- Kindergarten Field Trip to Carpenter Nature Center (Plonsky, Prigge)

2 -- Kindergarten Field Trip to Carpenter Nature Center (Johnson, Marklevits, McDonnell)

5 - 11 -- Fire Safety Week

13 -- Indigenous Peoples' Day Assembly

15 -- Picture Day!

16 - 17 -- NO SCHOOL (MEA)

27 -- NO SCHOOL

28 -- No SCHOOL (Fall Conferences)

29 -- Club's Choice Fundraiser Pick Up (after school)

31 -- End of 1st Quarter

As we settle in to the school year, please keep the following in mind while dropping off and/or picking up...

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. Every year, we have an issue with folks dropping off back on Maple Street near the bus entrance. This can create an unsafe situation for buses attempting to pull in. Several years ago, a student was hit by a car running across Maple Street.
3. 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. You may not see the looks the parents behind you are giving you when you stop short, but as the one standing out there directing traffic, I do... and they're not happy... ;-)
4. 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.
   
5. 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.
6. If you arrive early, consider turning your car off rather than idling. The environment will thank you!
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!

This was in last month's newsletter, but it bears repeating... Some important times for the 2024 - 2025 school year:

• 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 22 - 26 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 15th. Club's Choice provides a wide variety of items for purchase including cookie dough, pizza, and gift wrap, just to name a few!

Sunnyside students will bring home a packet of materials on 9/15 to help sell to family, friends, and neighbors. There are prizes for top sellers-- which is always so motivating to our students!

All orders need to be submitted to the main office at Sunnyside by or online by Tuesday, September 30th. The delivery day for orders is scheduled for Wednesday, October 29th from 2:15 - 5:15 pm in the Sunnyside gym.

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!

Picture Day at Sunnyside will take place this year on Wednesday, October 15th. This year, we will again be utilizing Kemmetmueller Photography. Kemmetmueller is a locally-owned family business that has operated in the Twin Cities area for over 50 years. They are one of the fastest-growing, independent photography companies in Minnesota and considered one of the largest, non-corporate studios in the Midwest. More information about picture day will be sent home with students closer to the date. If you are interested in volunteering on picture day to help out, please reach out to the Sunnyside office at 651-385-4570 and Brenda can help you with the process.

We all, parents and school staff alike, want students to be in school every day so they are not missing important learning, especially during these really important first years of school. But we get it. Sometimes, it's impossible to avoid scheduling medical, dental, vision, or therapy appointments during school hours. To make sure these appointments are being recorded in our attendance system correctly, there are a few things to know:

• All appointments should be communicated with the school office so that they can be marked correctly in our student information system, Synergy. If a child is absent and we haven't received any information, the absenc will be marked as unexcused and count toward truancy.
• All appointments will initially be marked as "Appointment" in Synergy unless/until we receive a practitioner's note that they were seen.
  
• If/When we receive a note, we can then change the reason to "Medical or Dental" in Synergy.

So... why does this matter? Both "Appointment" and "Medical/Dental" are considered excused absences in the system, so it seems like it shouldn't matter. However, the "Appointment" code does count toward what is called "Excessive Absences." At seven excused absences, we will contact a family by phone, and a more formal letter is sent out at ten excused absences. On the other hand, absences confirmed by a practitioner's note do NOT count toward the 7 and 10 day excessive absent contacts.

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 day a week by Gus, a golden-doodle certified as a therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs (ATD). Then, we added Archie, a red heeler certified as a therapy dog through the same organization, who also visits once a week. Gus is owned by Sunnyside's School Psychologist, Molly Paulson, and Archie is owned by Ashlyn Werner, Sunnyside's speech therapist. 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 and/or Archie due to allergies, fear, cultural view, or for any other reason, please contact Principal Mike Pagel at mjpagel@rwps.org. If you have any questions about either of our therapy dogs, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Once again this fall, we’re excited to kick off Bus Stop and Walk beginning on Wednesday, October 1st and continuing every Wednesday until Wednesday, November 5th (weather permitting). The Bus Stop and Walk (BSW) program gives every student the opportunity to walk to school, even if they ride the bus. Buses drop students a safe and walkable distance from school, allowing them to walk with the goal of improving physical and mental health, increasing academic performance and building community by dropping students within a walkable distance to school.

Sunnyside bus riders will be dropped off on Roosevelt Avenue next to Roosevelt Park on Wednesdays beginning October 1st and walk to Sunnyside from there. Staff will be stationed at intersections along the way to help students cross and to encourage them. Parents who drop off are welcome to do so at Roosevelt Avenue as well on those Fridays. We just asked that you drop off on the side of the road opposite the buses (and opposite the park). Drop offs at the park will take place from 7:25 - 7:40 for both bussers and parent drop offs. After 7:40, drop off will need to take place at Sunnyside. Please see the map below for more detail.

Please click the links below to view Sunnyside's breakfast and lunch menus for the month of September.

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 as there is a different form teachers submit for those. 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. Please pay special attention to the District Handbook and the Sunnyside Expectations & Procedures. Both documents contain important information and are a great reference for many frequently asked questions.