Cheetah Spotlight

Dear Sunset Valley Families,

What an incredible journey this semester has been! We’ve navigated transitions, embraced new initiatives, and celebrated countless moments of growth and achievement. I am filled with gratitude for the dedication, resilience, and support each of you has shown. Together, we have made this semester truly special.

On a personal note, I want to thank you for welcoming me into the Sunset Valley community. This semester has been an enriching experience, and I’ve had the privilege of getting to know so many amazing families and individuals who show up with such passion and care each day. Your support, collaboration, and commitment to our shared goals have made a lasting impact, and we are so proud of what we’ve accomplished together in such a short time.

Looking ahead, we are excited for the continued success of Sunset Valley and all the opportunities the new year will bring. As we approach the holiday season, let’s take this time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the festivities with our loved ones. We can’t wait to return in the new year, ready to continue our journey toward even greater success.

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season filled with love and happiness.

Warmly,
Elaine

Give your children the opportunity to join us in some festive holiday fun! We’re excited to share our "12 Days Before Winter Break" calendar, inviting your students to participate in the activities.

As a reminder, to ensure a smooth and safe start to the school day, parents are not permitted to walk students directly to their classrooms. If you are running late, please remember to check your child in at the front office. A staff member will then escort your child to their classroom so they can join their class without disruption.

We also ask that parents refrain from checking in as volunteers if you are simply dropping off your child. This helps us maintain a focused and organized start to the day, minimizing any interruptions to classroom routines and instruction.

We understand that mornings can sometimes be hectic, and we appreciate your cooperation in following these procedures.

Thank you for your understanding and for working with us to make drop-off as efficient and seamless as possible for everyone.

As we approach the new year, we want to take a moment to thank you for your continued cooperation and support in helping to ensure a safe and efficient dismissal process. However, we’ve noticed a few traffic-related issues that have impacted both safety and the flow of traffic during pickup times, and we want to address these moving forward.

Starting in January, we will be implementing a new procedure to help ease congestion during dismissal. If you arrive before 3:10 PM and are waiting in the pickup line, you will be allowed to pull into the circle drive once the school buses have entered. This change is aimed at reducing the long line of cars on Jones Road, which we hope will ease the flow of traffic and make the pickup process smoother for everyone.

We ask for your patience and understanding as we wait for the buses and after-school program vans to arrive before entering the circle drive. This will allow these vehicles to leave first and prevent any unnecessary delays.

We also want to remind everyone to abide by traffic laws to ensure safety and avoid delays.

Specifically, please avoid:

• Stopping/parking in the roadway
• Stopping/parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant
• Stopping/parking at intersections or blocking private driveways
• Parking too close to crosswalks, stop signs, or traffic signal

These violations create hazards and disrupt traffic. Your cooperation in following these rules is greatly appreciated as we work to improve the dismissal process for everyone.

Winter Break Reading Challenges

Choose your Challenge for a sweet treat!

12 Days of Reading Challenge

OR

Reading Makes you Loco for Cocoa

(1st page is in English and 2nd page is in Spanish.)

Salute is Austin ISD’s annual celebration to recognize some of the district’s incredible team members for their continued dedication to student excellence and achievement in our schools.

The Salute Awards recognizes campus-based staff members in TEN categories. District employees, students, families, and the community are invited to submit a nomination for staff members they believe represent the very best of Austin ISD in the following categories:

• Campus Clerical/Office Support Staff of the Year

• Teaching Assistant of the Year

• Custodial/Facilities Maintenance Staff of the Year

• Transportation Staff of the Year

• Food Service/Warehouse Staff of the Year

• Campus Safety and Security Staff of the Year

• Librarian of the Year

• Counselor of the Year

• Assistant Principal of the Year (Includes Academy Directors & Academic Deans)

• Principal of the Year

Your nominees will have the option to continue in the award process, and the winners will be celebrated at our Salute Awards ceremony on May 7th, where we will also honor Teachers of Promise and Teachers of the Year.

Submit your nominations today!

Nominations will close January 15 at 5pm.

As we enter the holiday season, we are excited to announce our annual Holiday Giving Tree initiative. The tree is now up in the foyer, and the tags for gifts and coats have begun to be hung. Each tag represents a specific need from our Sunset Valley families, and we invite you to participate in bringing some holiday cheer to those who could use a little extra support.

We will continue to refill the tree until all requests are picked up. The due date for all gifts and coats is December 16th, so please plan accordingly. If you choose to sponsor a tag, we kindly ask that you read the attached instructions carefully. This ensures that all donations are properly tracked and distributed.

To help with organization, please remember to leave your contact information when you take a tag. We’ve had a few instances where tags were taken without contact details, which makes it challenging to track the gifts and ensure everything is received.

If you have any questions or would like further information, please reach out to our counselor, Ms. Griego, at [Ms. Griego’s email or phone number]. She is happy to assist with any inquiries or clarifications.

Thank you for your generosity and for helping make this holiday season special for our Sunset Valley families!

ENROLLMENT for the 25-26 school year started Wednesday November 6th!

• ALL STUDENTS (current PK4 - 4th) must CONFIRM their seat for the 25-26 school year via Enroll Austin.

  
  

• Why do you need to re-enroll?

  • To ensure the appropriate number of teachers are designated to our campus

  • To accurately allocate the necessary resources and funds per student/class

    
    

• How to re-enroll?

  • There are 2 ways to get to Enroll Austin:

    
    

    1. Login to your AISD parent portal account https://portal.austinisd.org and click on the Enroll Austin icon

    
    

    2. Complete the registration application via AISD Student Enrollment.

    Please use the email associated with your Parent Portal.

    
    

• Please contact Melissa Arredondo (melissa.arredondo@austinisd.org) if you have any questions or need assistance!

Dear Families,

We are excited to announce that the Spelling Bee will take place right after the Thanksgiving break. The classroom spelling bees for all 1st through 5th graders will be held during each class's scheduled library time from December 2nd to December 9th.

Important details:

• Participation is optional, and the spelling bee will be conducted as a written test.
• Any student who places 1st or 2nd in their classroom's spelling bee will be invited to participate in the schoolwide spelling bee, which will take place later in January.

We encourage all interested students to take part in this exciting event!

Best regards,
Marla Meza

Students will soon begin receiving their HSR (Human Sexuality and Responsibility) lessons. Teachers have started sending home parent permission letters, allowing families to opt their child in or out of all or individual lessons. For more information and additional resources, please visit our district website.

• K-HS Lesson Materials

• Accommodations for Special Education Students

• Family Resources

• BOY Notification Letter

• Permission Letters

• Other Non-AISD resources

• AISD policies

• 12/09-12/11 MAP. Growth School Wide Test Administration
  
• Monday 12/09- Math
• Tuesday 12/10- ELA
• Wednesday 12/11- SLA
• MAP Growth Make-Ups will continue through 12/20
• 12/02-12/06 Special Education Appreciation Week / Inclusive Schools Week
• 12/16-12/20- HSR Lessons
• 12/19-12/20- Classroom Holiday Parties

• Maria Martinez (TA)- 12/02
• Yolanda Perez (Cafeteria Manager)- 12/13
• Ana Arrien (SpEd Teacher)- 12/15
• Melissa Arredondo (Registrar)-12/19
• Alba Delgado (Teacher)- 12/23
• Kim Moncus (ART Teacher)- 12/29
• Wenzie Garcia (Bookkeeper/Admin. Assistant)- 12/30

We are conducting campus tours for anyone potentially interested in enrolling their children at Sunset Valley Elementary. Included is the link for mor information and to RSVP for the tours. If you know of anyone considering our campus for their children or relatives, please inform them of our future campus tour dates so that they may attend to hear what our amazing campus has to offer.

Our incredible teachers put in tremendous effort and are deeply committed to providing your students with the highest quality education. Taking the time to make them feel seen and valued is incredibly uplifting and makes our work all the more rewarding. Please join me in continuously recognizing the strengths of our amazing educators.

RAVE AWARD - RAVE Program was created to honor those who take the extra steps to provide equitable and exceptional experiences. If you had an exceptional experience interacting with a Sunset Valley employee, please nominate that staff member by completing the form linked here.

Email: elaine.navarro@austinisd.org
Website: https://sunsetvalley.austinschools.org/
Location: 3000 Jones Rd, Austin, TX 78745
Phone: (512) 414-2392

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunsetValleyElementary

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