The Sunnyside Scoop
School Newsletter -- May, 2024
About Us
Kids Junction: (651) 385 - 4587
First Student (General busing questions): (651) 388 - 8244
Transportation (Bus routing): (651) 385 - 4795
Email: mjpagel@rwps.org
Website: https://www.rwps.org
Location: 1669 Southwood Avenue, Red Wing, MN, United States
Principal's Message...
Happy May! It's hard to believe we're closing in on the end of the school year as quickly as we are! This month's newsletter is chock full of end of the year items, so read carefully.
I just want to take a moment in this final Sunnyside Scoop of the school year to thank you all for another amazing year as Principal here at Sunnyside. There is something truly awesome about this place. I'm blessed with a staff who works tirelessly and cares deeply, families who pitch in to help and support their learners, and students who come to school excited to learn and grow. I couldn't ask for more than that, and I thank you all for another wonderful year here at Sunnyside!
Mike Pagel
Principal
Dates to Remember...
May:
1 - Bus Stop & Walk
1 - 1st Grade Birdhouse Building w/ RWHS Students
2 - 1st Grade Carpenter Nature Center Field Trip (Bollmann & Harteneck)
3 - 1st Grade Carpenter Nature Center Field Trip (Plein & Swanson)
6 - 1st Grade Carpenter Nature Center Field Trip (Larsen & Pearson)
7 - Kindergarten Town Tour (Alton, Kelly, McDonnell, & Johnson)
8 - National Spring Bike to School Day / Bus Stop & Walk
14 - Field Day (during PE classes)
16 - Public Works Visit to Sunnyside
16 - Kindergarten Sneak Peek for Incoming Kindergarten Students (5 - 7 pm)
17 -- 1st Grade Tours Burnside
20 - Kindergarten Perkins Farm Field Trip (Johnson & Kelly)
22 - Kindergarten Perkins Farm Field Trip (Alton & McDonnell)
23 - Kindergarten Perkins Farm Field Trip (Marklevits & Prigge)
24 - Kindergarten Perkins Farm Field Trip (Plonsky & Richardson)
24 - School Picnic (During regular lunch blocks)
27 - NO SCHOOL (Memorial Day)
29 - Kindergarten Hok-Si-La Field Trip (Plonsky, Kelly, Richardson, & McDonnell)
30 - Kindergarten Hok-Si-La Field Trip (Johnson, Prigge, Marklevits, & Alton)
30 - Last Day of School (Regular Day for Students)
End-of-Year School Picnic
Families, please join us on Friday, May 24th for our all-school picnic (weather permitting)! Families are welcome to have lunch with their children during their regular classroom lunch time. You may bring a lunch or purchase one from school beforehand for $5.00. If you plan to eat school lunch, please purchase your lunch ticket from the Sunnyside office with exact change or a check payable to ISD #256 by no later than May 17th so the kitchen can plan accordingly. If you plan to pick up fast food for you and/or your child, please plan for potentially long lines in local drive-thrus.
The picnic will take place on the back playground area, and there will be signs posted to help you find your child's classroom spot. In the case of inclement weather, we would unfortunately need to cancel the event, so fingers crossed!
Sunnyside Field Day
Sunnyside's PE teacher, Mr. Johnson, will hold field day at Sunnyside on Tuesday, May 14th, with a rain makeup date of Wednesday, May 15th, if needed. Students will participate in a variety of fun events outside, and there will be a morning and afternoon session. Please be sure your child is dressed to be outside for a good chunk of the morning or afternoon, and be sure to send a water bottle if your child doesn't already have one at school. Please connect with your child's teacher if you'd like to volunteer or if you have questions about the schedule.
End of Year Important Information
As we move closer to the end of the 2023 - 2024 school year, there are several things families need to know:
- Report Cards -- Report cards will be mailed home to families by the end of the week following the end of the school year.
- Supply Lists -- A list of supplies needed for the 2024 - 2025 school year will be enclosed with report cards. Local retailers will also make lists available closer to the middle of summer.
- Medications -- If you expect that your child will have medicine remaining at school, we ask that a parent pick them up at the Nurse’s Office on or before the last day of school. (We cannot send meds home with the student, and ask your cooperation in this matter.) Meds will be discarded if not picked up. This includes prescription and over-the-counter meds, as well as Epi-pens. If you expect your child to return to school on a prescribed medication in the fall, please remember to request a medication permission form signed by your doctor giving the school authorization to administer the medication. Also, an updated medical statement is required at the beginning of every school year regarding students with food allergies. Please have this signed medical statement along with updated emergency medications to your school nurse before school begins next fall.
- Lost & Found -- Please stop by Sunnyside and check out our lost and found table. We have lots of clothing items that will be donated after the last day of school!
Looking Ahead to Next Year
I know, I know... summer's not even here yet, and I'm posting about next school year already?! Each year, there are a few questions we inevitably get calls about during the summer, so I figured I'd answer some of them here:
When will I find out my child's teacher?
Classroom placement letters will be mailed out for all elementary grades by mid-August. We tend to continue receiving numerous registrations throughout the summer, so we are going to try to wait until the bulk of registrations and transfers have happened before finalizing class lists. For those with older students, this is a change from the past few years, so please be aware placement letters will be coming a little later this year than in the past.
When will I hear about busing?
Transportation information is not mailed out by First Student until a week or two before school starts. These go out this late primarily to avoid the need to change routes due to summer enrollments.
When is Open House?
Rather than a traditional Open House, Sunnyside and Burnside hold back-to-school mini-conferences the week before school begins. Families will receive a link with their classroom placement letters that will allow them to sign up for their own mini-conference time. This time will be a chance to meet your child's teacher, drop off supplies, chat about your child's needs, and allow the teacher to complete some brief assessments to get to know your child academically. You will also have the ability to make a lunch account payment, pick up a copy of the Sunnyside school handbook, and ask any other questions you may have.
When does school actually start?
For all 1st - 12th grade students, the 2024 - 2025 school year will begin on Tuesday, September 3. Kindergarten will once again have two transition days to begin the year. Half of our incoming kindergarten students will have their transition day on Tuesday, 9/3 (with no school on 9/4), and the other half will start on 9/4 (with no school on 9/3). This is done to ease student anxiety and allow the teacher to provide more individualized attention on that important first day of school. All kindergarten students will then begin attending together beginning on Thursday, September 5. Each child's transition day will be communicated via the placement letter mailed out in August.
April Winger Pride Winners
- Kennedy Holmberg (kindergarten)
- Elijah Larsen (kindergarten)
- Matthew Melsness (kindergarten)
- Peyton Oakie (kindergarten)
- Logan Jacobson (1st grade)
- Esther Greenslade (1st grade)
- Markayla Bisek (1st grade)
- Emily Abel (1st grade)
Bike to School Day
Walk, Bike, & Roll to School Day is coming up on Wednesday, May 8th. Bike to School Day is an annual international event that encourages children to bike, scooter, or even walk to school. Movement improves students’ performance in school, gives them much needed daily exercise, allows them to have fun with their friends, and helps reduce air pollution and traffic congestion around schools.
If you can’t bike or scooter TO school. try choosing a destination and ride there with members of your household. Right now would be a great time to find a route to a destination you visit frequently (like a park) and practice riding there. Sometimes you have to try different routes to find the most comfortable and safe ride, so pick a new destination each week and be ready to ride when schools out! Be sure to practice basic traffic safety precautions like stopping at stop signs, signaling turns and wearing a helmet. Join us on May 8th for Bike to School Day - ditch the drive and join the ride!
2024 - 2025 Kindergarten Registration
Class Placement Input
Each year, we take steps to thoughtfully place elementary students into classrooms for the following fall. The goal is to create balanced classes with all types of learners. This strategic placing of students creates the best opportunity for a positive learning experience.
Parent input is one of the many important components to effective class placement. The parent input process is not intended to offer the opportunity to request a specific teacher, rather an opportunity to express perspective on unique needs of individual children. Any request to be placed with a specific teacher will be disregarded, and consideration will focus instead on the student need identified.
If you would like to provide information about the type of teacher who might be a good fit for your child, special considerations to be aware of, or other general input, please stop by the Sunnyside office between the hours of 7:00 am - 3:15 pm to complete a Parent Input Form. I have also linked the form HERE if you would like to print and complete it at home before turning it in. We ask that you complete this form rather than emailing or telling your child's teacher or Mr. Pagel, as this way we can ensure all input is collected in one place and less likely to get forgotten or overlooked when it is time to place students. All parent input forms need to be completed by May 24th.
May Breakfast & Lunch Menus
Volunteer at Sunnyside!
Follow Sunnyside On Social Media!
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!
Make Sure You're Informed!!!
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.