The Sewell Sabercats

Kindness is acting with understanding, generosity, and care. Our students have been learning about kindness this month and displaying acts of kindness around our school. I'm proud of all our students at Sewell, for displaying kindness by using words like "please" and "thank you" and helping their peers and adults. We have an amazing group of student's here at Sewell. Below are students nominated by their teacher, for Student of the Month for Kindness.

Ms. Barraza's class: Armando is always ready to give a "bear hug" and encourages others to spread "Huggies" around.

Ms. Hanson's class: Zaylee is smart and always polite and kind with her peers and teacher.

Mrs. Alvarado-Wells' class: Keidrick is warm and kind and shares this kindness with all the people he interacts with. His smile is contagious.

Ms. Dolan's class: Emilia is a good example of kindness at work, at play, and when she is transitioning from place to place. She is a good example of being respectful when walking in the line. She is kind when learning, listening attentively and ready to answer any questions. She is a hard worker, always doing her best, and is willing to help others when needed. On the playground, she will include others.

Ms. Ioannou's class: Camden helps out all classmates, whether they sit at his table or nearby. He leads group discussions on the carpet and makes sure group members know what to do and if they forget, he reminds them in a friendly and gentle way. Camden is also a good friend. When he sees someone upset, he tries to help them fix the problem by talking to them or getting the teachers attention. We are so grateful for all Camden does to make our classroom a family!

Ms. Mendoza's class: Alannah is kind to everyone, all the time. She is a wonderful role model for the other students.

Ms. Petrino's class: Sky is always a kind student. She is friendly to others and includes people when she plays. She is always willing to help out her teacher and her fellow classmates. Sky models kindness for those around her every day.

Ms. Bonsall's class: Ira is new to Sewell this year, and from the first day he arrived at school with a smile on his face and eager to learn. In the classroom he is considerate of his classmates. He works well in a group listening to each person’s suggestions and waiting his turn to add his. Ira never interrupts and many times has had positive things to say about his classmates suggestions. On the playground Ira has made a point of getting to know his classmates by playing with several of them at different times.

Ms. Ryan's class: Miliana is thoughtful, she is always polite, and she always has a positive attitude.

September 18-20 will be half days for parent/teacher conferences. Students will dismiss at 11:35 am. Our cafeteria will be open on all half days for breakfast and lunch. Students will have the opportunity to eat lunch at school before going home.

Please make sure you contact your child's teacher to set up a time to meet with them, and to learn more about how your child is doing in school.

Cross Country Season is almost here! If you would like to participate in cross country or any other sport this school year, you will need to have a sports physical dated March 1, 2024 or after.

Students are not allowed to participate in practices or meets/games until a sports physical is on file in the nurse's office as Sewell. Please see the attachment below regarding free sports physicals for children under the age of 18.

More information coming soon.

Mrs. Darling is super excited to see everyone back in OMA classes this year. OMA stands for Opening Minds Through the Arts. This program is designed to integrate curriculum students are learning in class with music, dance, theatre and art. We have a new hello song to practice feeling a steady beat and lots of fun games, stories and art activities to get to know each other and familiarize or get reacquainted with our wonderful OMA classroom. Our 3rd graders have started their recorder curriculum this year. We are very fortunate that all 3rd graders get their own recorder and music folder to keep. Our OMA Gold Programs: Opera, dance, orchestra and band are all underway in their specific classes this year. We are very fortunate to have these special classes for our students. There are two OMA concerts that happen throughout the year: Wednesday, December 4th at 5pm and Wednesday, April 30th at 5pm. These take place outside and we always have a wonderful turnout of families so please plan on attending those. Our after-school choir program is for 3rd-5th graders Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:35-3:05 starting the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Darling at jodi.darling@tusd1.org if you have any questions about Sewell’s OMA program.

We are looking for parent volunteers to support in our classroom by supporting students and the teacher. You can help in our garden, the library, during lunch recess, or support a classroom field trip. Your help is needed and greatly appreciated it takes all of us working together to "Inspire and Empower our Students for Success." Please sign up to volunteer with us today!!

The purpose of Sewell's School Council shall be:

• To develop and foster programs designed to inspire and empower students for success.
• To determine the use of undesignated tax credits at Sewell, as provided by law.
• To promote a safe, positive, and productive learning and working environment.
• To abide by Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) Board Policy, as well as Arizona State and Federal guidelines in making decisions.

Please join us at our site council meetings and learn to learn more about how we are bringing our Sewell community together to support our children.

Our School Council Members:

• Mrs. Maria Alvarado-Wells, certified staff
• Ms. Charlena Dolan, certified staff
• Ms. Olivia Esquivias, classified staff
• Ms. Megan Swanson, parent
• Ms. Mariana Vazquez-Maloney, parent
• Mr. Henry Barraza, community member
• Ms. Eileen Gow, Principal

Meetings will take place in the library, at 3:00 pm on the following days:

• 9/11/24
• 11/6/24
• 2/5/24
• 4/9/24

I'm excited to announce our new partnership with the University of Arizona College of Education. The U of A students will come to our campus every Wednesday to take an education course, on our campus. These 25 future teachers will be assisting in select classrooms and around our school. This is a great opportunity for our students and our future teachers! If you see a Wildcat on our campus, please welcome them to our family.

Educational research and evidence clear shows that regular attendance is a consistent predictor of academic success; regular every-day attendance and student success are strongly interconnected. When not in school each day students miss 6 hours or more of opportunities to learn and understand, and this relationship between regular attendance and student success is especially critical in the early grades, where excessive absences cause children to fall behind in school (attendanceworks.org). Studies and evidence demonstrate that,

· Missing just 2 days a month over the course of a school year, can make it harder to learn to read.

· Being late to school often leads to poor attendance.

· Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves.

Every day is important and when children acquire the habit of good attendance in the early years of elementary school, they will have acquired a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college.

Some things that will help to begin building good attendance habits include:

· Setting a regular bedtime and morning routine.

· Laying out clothes and packing backpacks the night before.

· Have backup plans ready for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, a neighbor, or another parent.

· If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to teachers, school counselors, and other parents for advice on how to make your child feel comfortable and excited about learning.

· If your child must stay home due to illness or quarantine, ask the teacher for resources and ideas to continue learning at home.

· Keep your child healthy and make sure your child receives their required immunizations.

Finally, please remember that Sewell’s teachers, staff, and leadership are all available and willing to support you and your child and help them arrive on-time and attend school every day.

If your child will be absent on any given day for any reason, please call our attendance line, 520-584-7200. You can also report absences and tardies through ParentVue, see pdf document below.

If your child is tardy to school, they will need to be checked-in, by a parent, in the front office before going to class.

Excellent attendance is a high priority at Sewell. Missing school can be detrimental to your child's progress. When a child is absent from school, they will need to make-up missing assignments. Please contact your child's teacher via email for make-up work.

Sept 2: No School, Labor Day

Sept 3: Picture Day

Sept 11: School Council Meeting, 3:00 pm in the library

Sept 18-20: Parent/Teacher Conference (1/2 days)

Oct 4: Grading Day, No School

Oct 7-11: Fall Break, No School

Your child will enjoy meaningful friendships and increase their social interaction. They will have peer role models for academic, social and behavior skills. This prepares them for adult life in an inclusive, diverse society. We know students achieve more in place of learning where every student's needs are supported by an inclusive community. Their teacher is early childhood certified, and we keep small class sizes for high-quality experiences for your child.

• Ages: 3 and 4
• must be three by August 31
• Free
• 2½ hours daily
• Morning OR afternoon session
• Classes held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday

Our Before- and After School Programs offer a safe and fun place for children before school, after school, on breaks, and during the summer. Our programs engage students in various activities that include arts and crafts, indoor/outdoor games, cooking, homework help, explore through field trips, and more! Our Before- and After-School programs are licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services and accept DES.

Services Cost
Before School $44.10 weekly (7:00 am - 8:00 am)
After School $81.90 weekly (after school - 6:00 pm)
Before/After School $94.50 weekly

Spots are granted in order of application, so apply soon.

8:00 am - Earliest arrival

8:00 am - 8:25 am - Breakfast served

8:25 am - 2:35 pm - Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri

8:25 am - 1:35 pm - Wed (early dismissal)

Office Hours: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm

Office Phone Number: 520-584-7200

Sewell Website

Sewell Facebook