Essential Areas 🎨🎶📚🏃

Estimadas familias de nuestra escuela

Current Events for the month of April in Essential Areas.

• Art: All Cheetahs will begin or finish creating a weaving and clay artwork this month. Here’s the link to find our weekly schedule of what we are learning (WWAL) in the art studio:

https://kimmoncus.wixsite.com/mysite

• We will stay organized in the art studio by collecting all of our artwork into our very own art portfolios both in the art studio and online at Artsonia. We do this to keep our art for multiple student art shows.

Here’s the link to our SVE online art gallery at Artsonia:

https://www.artsonia.com/class/access.asp?url=%2Fclass%2Fdefault%2Easp%3F

School ID: SunsetValley

Access Code: TRCR-NJDJ

• Come on out and bring the whole family to Sunset Valley ArtFest this April the 26th and enjoy art, music on a live stage, food and make and take activities as well. Also stop by your Sunset Valley Elementary art booth to see some amazing art created this school year by our little Cheetahs and tell your art teacher Hi.

• This year Mrs. Moncus is working towards a goal to be a Creative Leader and is participating in the CLI Leadership Pathways through Austin ISD and will be including CLI into every lesson throughout the school year. This month's CLI lessons will be: Curate a Collection (1st), Stage Picture (3rd) & Songwriting (5th).

• Here’s the SVE art studio Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PCVAMVKAQB8Q?ref_=wl_share

I am always so amazed by our wonderful SVE community and what we accomplish working together. I just wanted to give a heartfelt Thank You to you all because our first ever Donors Choose for the art studio was fully funded. I am so grateful to be a part of this caring community. Thank You!

🎶 Exciting Musical Moments at SVE! 🎶

Kindergarten – Exploring Voices and Instruments

Kindergarten students have been discovering the difference between high and low voices through fun and familiar stories such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and The Three Little Pigs. They’ve also been introduced to Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals and will be doing a more in-depth study of this delightful and imaginative musical suite.

Recorder Festival – Saturday, April 5

The Recorder Festival will take place on Saturday, April 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center. If your child is interested in participating, please email Ms. Leatherberry for more information. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase their recorder skills and make music with others from across the district!

First and Second Grade Musical – Seussical, The Musical

Our first and second graders are hard at work preparing for their upcoming performance of Seussical, The Musical on Thursday, April 17 at 8:30 a.m. in the Sunset Valley Elementary Cafeteria! Students are learning songs, practicing choreography, and memorizing lines as they discover the magic of musicals—and the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Several students auditioned for speaking roles, and parts will be announced soon. We hope you’ll join us to cheer on our talented performers!

Third Through Fifth Grade – Music Memory in Full Swing

Students in grades 3–5 have been working diligently on the final pieces in this year’s Music Memory program, which helps students develop active listening skills and a deeper appreciation for great works of classical music. Altogether, students study and memorize 16 pieces of music and learn about each composer and style.

Our Music Memory Celebration will take place on Saturday, April 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center, where students will experience a live orchestra performing all 16 selections! They’ll also participate in a fun team-based competition to test their musical knowledge.

If your child is interested in joining the Music Memory Team and is able to commit to practicing at home, please email Mrs. Leatherberry to learn more.

We are so proud of all our students for their hard work, creativity, and musical growth!

• PE: We are excited to kick off our volleyball unit in physical education ! Over the next few weeks , students will learn and develop key skills such as passing , setting , serving ,and teamwork . Volleyball is a fantastic sport that promotes communication, coordination and sportsmanship , all while keeping students active and engaged.

• Library: Visit our updated SVE Library Website.

Search our card catalog.

Pay for lost library books online here.

SVE Library Book of the Month Club: request donate

Please reach out to your essential area teacher with any questions:

Art: Kim Moncus kim.moncus@austinisd.org

Music: Amanda Leatherberry amanda.leatherberry@austinisd.org

PE: Jesus Martinez jesus.martinez2@austinisd.org

PE: Isaiah Goodman isaiah.goodman@austinisd.org

Library: Marla Meza marla.meza@asutinisd.org

The Essential Area Team

Estimadas familias de nuestra escuela

Current Events for the month of March in Essential Areas.

• Art: All Cheetahs will begin or finish creating a weaving, clay and a color theory artwork this month. Here’s the link to find our weekly schedule of what we are learning (WWAL) in the art studio:

https://kimmoncus.wixsite.com/mysite

• We will stay organized in the art studio by collecting all of our artwork into our very own art portfolios both in the art studio and online at Artsonia. We do this to keep our art for multiple student art shows.

Here’s the link to our SVE online art gallery at Artsonia:

https://www.artsonia.com/class/access.asp?url=%2Fclass%2Fdefault%2Easp%3F

School ID: SunsetValley

Access Code: TRCR-NJDJ

• One art show will be a school wide art show by Artomè. This art show is on March 6th from 5-6:30 pm in the cafeteria on campus. If you can’t make the in person show then check out the show online here: https://artomestore.com/collections/sunsetvalleyelementary787451337

• Another art show is the Youth Art Month (YAM) student art show at the Performing Arts Center (PAC) where we have 10 of our very own cheetah artists representing our school at the event on March 29th 1-3 pm. If you can’t make the closing reception on March 29th then you are welcome to come anytime during business hours M-F during the month of March.

• This year Mrs. Moncus is working towards a goal to be a Creative Leader and is participating in the CLI Leadership Pathways through Austin ISD and will be including CLI into every lesson throughout the school year. This month's CLI lessons will be: Curate a Collection (K-5), Stage Picture (3rd) & Songwriting (5th).

• Here’s the SVE art studio Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PCVAMVKAQB8Q?ref_=wl_share

I am always so amazed by our wonderful SVE community and what we accomplish working together. I just wanted to give a heartfelt Thank You to you all because our first ever Donors Choose for the art studio was fully funded. I am so grateful to be a part of this caring community. If you would like to vote for me to be America’s Favorite Teacher then go here:

americasfavteacher.org/2025/kim-moncus

Voting ends on March 6th. Fingers crossed!

Thank You!

🎶 Music Notes 🎶

A Shining Celebration of Black History Month and Music in Our Schools Month!

A huge shout-out to our talented third and fourth graders for their wonderful performance of Let It Shine in celebration of Black History Month! The students worked incredibly hard on their songs and delivered a truly lovely and inspiring performance. It was heartwarming to see so many parents and guests in attendance, contributing to a fantastic cultural experience that enriched our school community.

As we move into March, we’re excited to celebrate Music in Our Schools Month! What better way to honor this than by continuing to share and explore the joy of music together?

Our fourth and fifth graders will be going on an exciting field trip to the Long Center on March 4 to experience Midsummer in Marfa: A West Texas Fairy Tale, a bilingual and multi-genre performance. Please remind your students to display their best audience manners and behavior for this special event and to wear their SVE Cheetah pride shirts. If you haven't yet turned in your child's permission slip, homeroom teachers can still accept them on Monday, March 3.

Our third through fifth graders will continue their study of the Music Memory pieces as we prepare for the Music Memory Celebration on Saturday, April 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Austin ISD Performing Arts Center.

Additionally, there's an exciting opportunity for students interested in participating in the Recorder/Ukulele Festival on Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. If your child would like to join, please reach out to me for more information.

Meanwhile, our kindergarten through second-grade students will be engaged in music centers. First and second graders are already hard at work practicing for their spring concert, where they will perform Seussical.

• PE: just finished our gymnastics unit . We are excited to kick off our volleyball unit in physical education ! Over the next few weeks , students will learn and develop key skills such as passing , setting , serving ,and teamwork . Volleyball is a fantastic sport that promotes communication, coordination and sportsmanship , all while keeping students active and engaged.

• Library: Visit our updated SVE Library Website.

Search our card catalog.

Pay for lost library books online here.

SVE Library Book of the Month Club: request donate

Please reach out to your essential area teacher with any questions:

Art: Kim Moncus kim.moncus@austinisd.org

Music: Amanda Leatherberry amanda.leatherberry@austinisd.org

PE: Jesus Martinez jesus.martinez2@austinisd.org

PE: Isaiah Goodman isaiah.goodman@austinisd.org

Library: Marla Meza marla.meza@asutinisd.org

The Essential Area Team

Estimadas familias de nuestra escuela

Current Events for the month of February in Essential Areas.

• Art: All Cheetahs will create artwork in honor of Black History Month. We will stay organized in the art studio by collecting all of our artwork into our very own art portfolios to keep for multiple student art shows coming up soon. This year Mrs. Moncus is participating in the CLI Leadership Pathways through Austin ISD and will be including CLI into every lesson throughout the school year. This month's CLI lessons will be: Art Talk & Stage Picture. Here’s the link to find our weekly schedule of what we are learning (WWAL) in the art studio:

https://kimmoncus.wixsite.com/mysite

Here’s the SVE art studio Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PCVAMVKAQB8Q?ref_=wl_share

Here’s the link to our SVE online art gallery at Artsonia:

https://www.artsonia.com/class/access.asp?url=%2Fclass%2Fdefault%2Easp%3F

School ID: SunsetValley

Access Code: TRCR-NJDJ

Please check out our art newsletter for January complete with an art slide show of Cheetah art in honor of the Lunar New Year here:

www.artsonia.com/arnews/4snj2wwr

I am always so amazed by our wonderful SVE community and what we accomplish working together. I just wanted to give a heartfelt Thank You to you all because our first ever Donors Choose for the art studio was fully funded. I am so grateful to be a part of this caring community. Thank You!

🎶 Music Notes 🎶

🎵 Kindergarten has been exploring the concept of steady beat through singing games, chants, movement activities, and playing basic percussion instruments. These activities help build rhythmic coordination and a strong musical foundation!

🎭 First and Second Grade have been learning songs from Seussical the Musical and recently had the wonderful opportunity to watch a live production. This experience brought the music and characters to life, deepening their appreciation for musical theater.

💖 Kindergarten through Second Grade will also be learning some fun holiday songs for Valentine's Day, spreading joy through music as they celebrate this special time of year.

🎼 Third through Fifth Grade are halfway through their study of the sixteen Music Memory pieces. They have been actively listening, analyzing, and recognizing famous compositions. Students will take Assessment #2 over the first eight pieces soon to reinforce their understanding.

🎤 Third and Fourth Grade are beginning rehearsals for their Black History Month performance, where they will learn and perform songs that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of African American music.

🎻 Fourth and Fifth Grade students will soon welcome a guest from the Women’s Symphony League of Austin! A docent will present a pre-concert session to help students prepare for the Young People's Concert program, "Midsummer in Marfa: A West Texas Fairy Tale." This event will take place on March 4 at the Long Center. Students will explore the music in class before attending.

📌 Important Reminder: A field trip permission form must be signed and returned to your child's homeroom teacher by February 28 for participation in the Young People's Concert program.

⭐ Looking Ahead: I am excited to see our students and families at STEAM Night on February 4! I will have a music exploration booth where students can play Orff instruments using the modes. This hands-on experience will allow students to explore how different musical modes create unique moods and tone colors. Be sure to stop by and make some music!

• PE: Just finished fall FitnessGram testing for 3rd-5th grade. This will be our last week of the Cooperation unit. Our next 4 weeks will be working on Throwing and Catching with all grade levels. We are waiting for Marathon Kids to get up and running to start tracking students' activity through running laps and daily physical activity during PE class. Reminder Run Club takes place on Tuesday mornings at 7 am on the blacktop.

• Library: Visit our updated SVE Library Website.

Search our card catalog.

Pay for lost library books online here.

SVE Library Book of the Month Club: request donate

Please reach out to your essential area teacher with any questions:

Art: Kim Moncus kim.moncus@austinisd.org

Music: Amanda Leatherberry amanda.leatherberry@austinisd.org

PE: Jesus Martinez jesus.martinez2@austinisd.org

PE: Isaiah Goodman isaiah.goodman@austinisd.org

Library: Marla Meza marla.meza@asutinisd.org

The Essential Area Team

Estimadas familias de nuestra escuela

Current Events for the month of January in Essential Areas.

• Art: All Cheetahs will create artwork in honor of the Lunar New Year on January 29th. It will be the year of the snake. Some grade levels are also finishing our weaving unit and clay unit. We will get organized in the art studio by collecting all of our artwork into our very own art portfolios to keep for multiple student art shows coming up in the next months. This year Mrs. Moncus is participating in the CLI Leadership Pathways through Austin ISD and will be including CLI into every lesson throughout the school year. This month's CLI lessons will be: Idea & Movement. Mrs. Moncus has created our first ever Donors Choose for the art studio. Here is the link if you would like to contribute towards our first ever Donors Choose Project: https://www.donorschoose.org/sunset-valley-art-studio

Here’s the link to find our weekly schedule of what we are learning (WWAL) in the art studio:

https://kimmoncus.wixsite.com/mysite

Here’s the SVE art studio Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PCVAMVKAQB8Q?ref_=wl_share

Here’s the link to our SVE online art gallery at Artsonia:

https://www.artsonia.com/class/access.asp?url=%2Fclass%2Fdefault%2Easp%3F

School ID: SunsetValley

Access Code: TRCR-NJDJ

🎶 Music Notes 🎶

We are thrilled to share that the Kindergarten Winter Program was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who joined us for this wonderful event. For those who were unable to attend, a video of the performance will be available soon for you to enjoy and celebrate your child's hard work. The PTA president created an album in Google photos of the performance. She has shared with the parents on WhatsApp and would like other parents to include photos of the performance. The link is the following: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7PycLaxEXVQSu2tRA

Here’s what’s happening in music class this month:

Kindergarten
Our youngest musicians will continue to build on their steady beat skills through instrument playing, tracking and pointing to musical icons, and moving to the beat. They will also explore the concept of high and low speaking and singing voices in music using simple chants and songs.

First and Second Grade
Students are focusing on singing songs and playing instruments as they enhance their musical abilities and teamwork in class. The students will begin to start learning pieces for their Spring performance.

Third Grade
Our third graders loved the Nutcracker docent presentation and the field trip to see Act II of The Nutcracker! They are continuing to enjoy Nutcracker-themed learning centers while also diving into new Music Memory pieces.

Fourth and Fifth Grade
These students are advancing their musical knowledge by learning new Music Memory pieces and refining their recorder skills. If your child has taken their recorder home, please ensure they bring it back to school for class.

• PE: Our next 4 weeks will be working on Throwing and Catching with all grade levels. We are waiting for Marathon Kids to get up and running to start tracking students' activity through running laps and daily physical activity during PE class. Reminder Run Club takes place on Tuesday mornings at 7 am on the blacktop.

• Library: Visit our updated SVE Library Website.

Search our card catalog.

Pay for lost library books online here.

SVE Library Book of the Month Club: request donate

The library will be closed after the Winter Break from January 7 - 17 due to inventory. There will be no extended hours on Monday, January 13th.

Please encourage your child in 4th and 5th grade to read our selection of Texas Bluebonnet Books. Voting will take place mid January for students that read 5 or more books.

Please reach out to your essential area teacher with any questions:

Art: Kim Moncus kim.moncus@austinisd.org

Music: Amanda Leatherberry amanda.leatherberry@austinisd.org

PE: Jesus Martinez jesus.martinez2@austinisd.org

PE: Isaiah Goodman isaiah.goodman@austinisd.org

Library: Marla Meza marla.meza@asutinisd.org

The Essential Area Team

Estimadas familias de nuestra escuela

Current Events for the month of December in Essential Areas.

• Art: All Cheetahs will create and glaze their clay creations this month. Kindergarten will be bringing home their ceramic bells before the winter break. We are beginning our clay unit with all K-5th. Look for a calendar created by your favorite little artist to come home just in time for the New Year! All projects we have been working on will be due for a grade before we leave on winter break. This year Mrs. Moncus is participating in the CLI Leadership Pathways through Austin ISD and will be including CLI into every lesson throughout the school year. This month's CLI lessons will be: Idea & Movement. Mrs. Moncus has created our first ever Donors Choose for the art studio. Here is the link if you would like to contribute towards our first ever Donors Choose Project: https://www.donorschoose.org/sunset-valley-art-studio

Here’s the link to find our weekly schedule of what we are learning (WWAL) in the art studio:

https://kimmoncus.wixsite.com/mysite

Here’s the SVE art studio Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PCVAMVKAQB8Q?ref_=wl_share

Here’s the link to our SVE online art gallery at Artsonia:

https://www.artsonia.com/class/access.asp?url=%2Fclass%2Fdefault%2Easp%3F

School ID: SunsetValley

Access Code: TRCR-NJDJ

🎶 Music Notes 🎶

Tis the Season! We had an awesome Veterans Day performance! It was great to have all the participation from the students!

We have a reward system where students can earn a music party day if they make it all the way to the end of the keyboard. We would greatly appreciate it if parents would donate snacks for those music class party days. In addition, we would like to recognize individual students by giving coupons to students who are displaying excellence in their behavior/musicianship that they can then use towards a raffle drawing to win a reward/prize. For example, the bulk 250 Pc. mulitcolored smile face novelty toy assortment and the 19’’ X 11” Bulk 500 Everyday Toy Treasure Chest Assortment from Oriental Trading Company is on our wish list. As coupons are being won, we would greatly appreciate any donations to make rewards/prizes in music class fun and enjoyable!

Updates:

• The third graders will attend the Nutcracker (Act II) performance on Wednesday, December 11. Thank you to the PTA for generously donating the money to keep this tradition going!

• The Nutcracker docent will give a presentation on Thursday, December 5 for all third graders in the cafeteria.

• The kindergarten winter music program, “Holidays Around the World,” will be Wednesday, December 13 at 2 p.m. in the cafeteria. Parents are welcome to attend!

Content we are getting into this month:

• Third through fifth graders have been studying the Music Memory pieces and will be having their first test over the first four selections.

• Third graders will be learning all about the Nutcracker through music centers.

• Fourth and fifth graders will be picking up last year where we left off on recorders. Holiday songs for the recorder will add some fun and cheer!

• First and second graders will learn some seasonal songs and play instruments.

• Kindergarteners will continue to rehearse for their winter program.

• PE: Just finished fall FitnessGram testing for 3rd-5th grade. This will be our last week of the Cooperation unit. Our next 4 weeks will be working on Throwing and Catching with all grade levels. We are waiting for Marathon Kids to get up and running to start tracking students' activity through running laps and daily physical activity during PE class. Reminder Run Club takes place on Tuesday mornings at 7 am on the blacktop.

• Library: Visit our updated SVE Library Website.

Search our card catalog.

Pay for lost library books online here.

SVE Library Book of the Month Club: request donate

December 2nd - 9th, students will participate in the optional Spelling Bee written exam during their scheduled visit to the library.

Please reach out to your essential area teacher with any questions:

Art: Kim Moncus kim.moncus@austinisd.org

Music: Amanda Leatherberry amanda.leatherberry@austinisd.org

PE: Jesus Martinez jesus.martinez2@austinisd.org

PE: Isaiah Goodman isaiah.goodman@austinisd.org

Library: Marla Meza marla.meza@asutinisd.org

The Essential Area Team

Estimadas familias de nuestra escuela

Current Events for the month of November in Essential Areas.

• Art: All Cheetahs will have the opportunity to participate in our annual Square 1 Art Fundraiser project. The students will create one of a kind original art for this wonderful event going live online through the 13th! We are beginning our cozy Autumn Art lessons where each grade level will be studying the color wheel and creating Fall themed art using the knowledge learned from the color wheel. This year Mrs. Moncus is participating in the CLI Leadership Pathways through Austin ISD and will be including CLI into every lesson throughout the school year. This month's CLI lessons will be: Statues and Idea & Movement. Mrs. Moncus has created our first ever Donors Choose for the art studio. Here is the link if you would like to contribute towards our first ever Donors Choose Project: https://www.donorschoose.org/sunset-valley-art-studio

Here’s the link to find our weekly schedule of what we are learning (WWAL) in the art studio:

https://kimmoncus.wixsite.com/mysite

Here’s the SVE art studio Amazon wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3PCVAMVKAQB8Q?ref_=wl_share

Here’s the link to our SVE online art gallery at Artsonia:

https://www.artsonia.com/class/access.asp?url=%2Fclass%2Fdefault%2Easp%3F

School ID: SunsetValley

Access Code: TRCR-NJDJ

• Music: As we enter November, a month dedicated to gratitude, let’s highlight the role of music in our celebrations. While we cherish family gatherings and festive parades, songs of thanks can enrich our traditions. I encourage students to create their own personalized gratitude songs to celebrate what they’re thankful for. Also, join us for the Veterans Day patriotic program on Monday, November 11, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in the Sunset Valley Elementary Cafeteria. We’ll honor our veterans, so feel free to invite service members you know. This year, third through fifth graders will begin studying the music memory curriculum in class.

• PE: Just finished fall FitnessGram testing for 3rd-5th grade. This will be our last week of the Cooperation unit. Our next 4 weeks will be working on Throwing and Catching with all grade levels. We are waiting for Marathon Kids to get up and running to start tracking students' activity through running laps and daily physical activity during PE class. Reminder Run Club takes place on Tuesday mornings at 7 am on the blacktop.

• Library: Visit our updated SVE Library Website.

Search our card catalog.

Pay for lost library books online here.

SVE Library Book of the Month Club: request donate

Thank you to PTA for hosting Native American Presentation, Theater of the Plains.

We had 2 fifth graders, 4 fourth graders, 2 third graders, 5 second graders, and 9 first graders participate in our Fiesta Reading Challenge. Congratulations!

Please reach out to your essential area teacher with any questions:

Art: Kim Moncus kim.moncus@austinisd.org

Music: Amanda Leatherberry amanda.leatherberry@austinisd.org

PE: Jesus Martinez jesus.martinez2@austinisd.org

PE: Isaiah Goodman isaiah.goodman@austinisd.org

Library: Marla Meza marla.meza@asutinisd.org

The Essential Area Team