News From the Ridge

Office Main Line: (913) 239-7400

Attendance: (913) 239-7405

Nurse: (913) 239-7413

Sunset Ridge Elementary Website

SRE Year at a Glance (Dates Subject to Change)

District Calendar

Nut-Safer Guidelines

SRE Family Handbook

Free and Reduced Meal Program

Durham Bus Transportation

Before and After School Care (YMCA)

SRE Yearbook Photos 24-25

SRE PTO Spirit Wear Order Form

Monday, December 2 (Yellow Day)

• Robot Camp 3:45-4:45

Tuesday, December 3 (Green Day)

• 8:00 Strings
• Strings Concert - 7:00p

Wednesday, December 4 (Red Day)

• 8:00 Choir

Thursday, December 5 (Orange Day)

• 8:00 Strings

Friday, December 6 (NO SCHOOL)

• Teacher Professional Collaboration Day

If you are anything like me, you may struggle with getting your child to tell you about their day. Or it happens right at bedtime when you are trying to get them to go to bed.

https://www.mightier.com/resources/25-questions-to-ask-your-child-that-go-beyond-how-was-your-day/

Since we are heading into the holiday season, I thought I would share the staff favorite things list just in case you need some ideas for our amazing staff. Please note, you will need to log in to membership toolkit. https://drive.google.com/file/d/14O4OIZHshPEdcd8Ota_Ta0_bvq3e7JDm/view?usp=sharing

For some elementary students, the thought of staying home from school can be tempting, especially when faced with challenges like tests, social situations or new routines. While staying home may seem like an easy solution, avoiding school can create more stress as students miss out on key lessons, activities and social interactions.

If your child is hesitant about going to school or is frequently asking to stay home, it’s important to address the issue early. Open communication between families and the school can help identify the reasons behind school avoidance and develop strategies to support your child. Whether it’s a fear of a certain subject or anxiety, working together can help your child feel more comfortable and confident about attending school.

You may have noticed an increase in communication about attendance. I wanted to make sure you are aware of our Board Policies surrounding attendance.

ATTENDANCE 3200

The Blue Valley School District believes that all students shall regularly attend classes in which they are enrolled. However, the school District also realizes that some absences from school can not be avoided by students. The purpose of this policy is to provide educators and parents with information regarding excused and unexcused absences, and to provide a procedure for beginning discussions when a student's academic progress suffers as a result of excessive absences.

A. Grounds for Excused Absences. Subject to subsection "H", students who are enrolled in the District shall regularly attend school and their classes, unless they have any of these reasons for an excused absence:

1. Personal illness;
   
2. Illness or death in the family (mother, father, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, death of a friend);
   
3. Necessary appointments that cannot be made outside the school day and are verified;
   
4. Emergencies requiring a student's service or presence at home and which are verified;
   
5. Obligatory religious observances of the student's own faith;
   
6. Family vacations arranged in advance with the school administration;
   
7. Participation in a school approved student activity, a Kansas State High School Activities Association sanctioned activity, a District approved function, or an equivalent outside activity approved in advance by a school administrator, e.g., athletic competitions which are not school sponsored, community or professional theatre or music, and the like, which provide substantially the same benefits to students as those activities which are sponsored or approved by the school;
   
8. College visits made by high school juniors during the second semester, or by high school seniors at any time during the school year; or
   
9. Personal matters.

B. Verification of Reasons for Excused Absences. School administrators or their designees are authorized to request from students or parents evidence needed to verify the validity of the reasons given for an absence. School employees receiving such information are expected to protect its confidentiality. Parents who object to providing necessary evidence to an attendance clerk shall be permitted to provide that evidence to a counselor or administrator.

C. Unexcused Absences. Any absence for a day or any significant part of a school day for reasons other than those listed above shall be considered an unexcused absence. Any absence for a day or any significant part of a school day, even for the reasons listed above, shall be considered an unexcused absence unless the student s parent has knowledge of the absence and school officials are notified of the reason for the absence. A significant part of a school day is defined as one class period or its equivalent.

E. Limitation on Excused Absences.

1. No more than seven excused absences per class period per school year may ordinarily be granted for the reasons specified in subsections "A4", "A6", "A8" or "A9" of this policy. (For example, a student may be excused for his absence from Communication Arts a total of seven times in a school year, from Calculus seven times, etc.) Students requesting additional excused absences above this limitation may submit a request for approval to their school administrator. A student who is dissatisfied with the administrator's decision may appeal to the Superintendent.
   
2. Notwithstanding subsection "E1" of this policy, at any point when school educators feel that any number of excused absences (for any reason) is adversely affecting a student s academic and learning progress or when the well-being of the student is compromised due to excessive excused absences, school educators may convene a discussion with the parents and the student. This discussion will explore the causes of the excused absences and determine what interventions may be necessary to improve the student's well-being, and/or academic and learning progression.

G. Reporting Requirements. At least annually, the Board shall designate one or more persons to report students who are not attending school as required by law (truants). A student is truant if the student is inexcusably absent from school (a) on three consecutive school days, (b) on five school days in any semester, or (c) on seven school days in any school year. A school day shall mean a full school day or a significant part of a school day as defined in subsection "C" of this policy. A truant student who is less than 18 years of age shall be reported to the District Attorney, after a letter has been sent to the student's parent(s) or guardian notifying them that the student's failure to attend without a valid excuse shall result in the student being reported truant.

At this time of year, we often get requests for students to have an extended absence. An extended absence is 10 consecutive days or more. Keep in mind, communication from the parents to the school is key.

The Blue Valley District’s policy states:

• If students are out of school for more than 10 days consecutively, on the 11th day, we will withdraw them from the school. This is a requirement of the State of Kansas to ensure that our records reflect accurately.
• Upon their return to school, we will reinstate their status, however, please note that their current teacher may not be their assigned teacher upon their return to school. The school will make efforts to ensure their current teacher is their re-assigned teacher, however, that is not guaranteed.
• While they are away, the District does not require teachers to provide assignments, homework, or services. The absence, therefore, may have an impact on grades and performance and social and emotional growth.
• Fees will be refunded, and upon student reinstatement, the fees will be due again.

To promote awareness & appreciation of our BV families, we wanted to share some

December Celebrations & Observances:

• International Day of People with Disabilities - December 3 - a day to celebrate the achievements and contributions of people with disabilities, promote an understanding of disability issues, and mobilize support for the rights, dignity, and wellbeing of people with disabilities.

• Bodhi Day - December 8 - commemorates the day that the historical Buddha experienced enlightenment. Some Buddhist families will practice meditation, study the Dharma, chant Buddist texts (sutras), and share a traditional meal of tea and cake.

• Christmas - December 25 - a Christian holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. Some Christian families will celebrate by attending church services and exchanging gifts.

• Hanukkah - evening of December 25 - evening of January 2 - an eight-day Jewish festival of lights. Some Jewish families will celebrate by lighting a Menorah and eating foods cooked in oil.

• Kwanzaa - December 26 - January 1 - a seven-day African-American holiday celebrating culture, family, and community. For some, celebrations may include song, dance, storytelling, and a large traditional meal.

The Securly Parent Information has a new home. It can now be found on the Technology Page. If you had created a bookmark in your files, please change it.

New URL: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/Page/34492

The PTO needs your pictures! If you took photos at the Fun Run, Hulaween, Halloween and parties, please upload them to the shared PTO yearbook photo drive linked below!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1O5mJSGitXwCfu8D0xdgP4pKVEX4lYU0u?usp=sharing

Sunset Ridge Elementary PTO - Sunset Ridge PTO (membershiptoolkit.com)

Check out the new and improved SRE PTO website! You can find all kinds of information here – teacher’s favorites, links to the sign-up genius’ for class parties, check request form, board information, up coming events and so much more! A big shout out to Mrs. Tori Reed who has worked to make this more user friendly and have all information in one easy place. Thank you Tori!!

ALL communication from the PTO will go out through membership toolkit. If you have not registered and put your email information in, you will NOT receive communication and updates about activities, classroom parties, etc. There is also an app that comes with registration in Membership toolkit (picture of app below). This is a great way to get ahold of other parents to set up play dates, send birthday invites, etc.! THERE IS NO COST TO SIGN UP!!

Make sure you choose your child’s teacher so that you get classroom specific information.

Sunset Ridge Elementary PTO - Sunset Ridge PTO (membershiptoolkit.com)

Don’t forget to log in to ParentVue and go to Optional Fees to CONFIRM you have purchased your yearbook for the 2024-2025 school year. If you do not complete this in ParentVue, your child will NOT get a yearbook at the end of the year.

PYRBK - PTO Yearbook/FieldTrip/Planner SRE for $60

This is the fee to cover ONLY your child’s 2024-2025 yearbook ($15), their 2024-2025 planner ($4) and their 3 field trips and transportation costs ($41).

Monday, December 9 (Yellow Day)

• Robot Camp 3:45-4:45

Tuesday, December 10 (Green Day)

• 8:00 Strings

Wednesday, December 11 (Red Day)

• 8:00 Choir
• Skate City Night

Thursday, December 12 (Orange Day)

• 8:00 Strings

Friday, December 13 (Yellow Day)

• 7:45 Math & Logic

We are thankful for the ongoing partnership and support we experience in our school community. Working together we ensure the best possible student experience allowing them to realize personal success. There are times, however, when issues arise which require our continued collaboration to resolve. Families may utilize the matrix linked on the district website to best address questions and concerns that may arise throughout the course of a school year. Finally, all staff and visitors should conduct their business free from intimidation, harassment, or bullying. The district’s Board of Education states expectations regarding civility within Policy 6341. Again, thank you for your partnership in helping to maintain a safe school community environment for all.

Enroll in this course: https://bvusd.instructure.com/enroll/73CN87

The Family Resources Canvas Course is now available for Blue Valley families. This course is designed to help families navigate Canvas, whether beginning or looking for a reminder. Additionally, the course includes Canvas guides for Observers (the role assigned to parents).

Did you know that Sunset Ridge has a state-of-the-art broadcast booth and presents a LIVE news show to students every morning? The KSRE broadcast crew would love to feature YOUR student on the morning broadcast.

If your student has a sports accomplishment, stars in a performing arts event, or does something else amazing that they would like to share with the school; please email a short blurb and picture to Mrs. Reed at vjreed@bluevalleyk12.org so it can be broadcast to the school!

If you want to stay informed on Blue Valley and community events and activities, click the link to our Peach Jar page below.

Sunset Ridge Peach Jar Events

Let me know how I can best support you.

Email: mcriley@bluevalleyk12.org
Website: https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/SRE
Location: 14901 England Street, Overland Park, KS, USA
Phone: 913-239-7400
Twitter: @principalRiley