  A successful classroom begins with strong routines and procedures, and our teachers and students have been busy establishing these while building meaningful connections. Now that most of our beginning-of-year testing is behind us, we’ve fully jumped into the curriculum—exploring both new and familiar content!
A highlight of the season is the South Lakes High School (SLHS) Homecoming parade. Watching all our pyramid schools, families, and community members come together to cheer on our high school students is such a powerful moment. Sunrise Valley had a large showing, proudly supporting our SLHS students. Thank you to Devin Hartnett for organizing our school's participation. It was wonderful to see the sea of blue and yellow spirit, and in true Seahawk fashion, they brought home a win!
Monday, September 23, marked our first Early Release Day, giving teachers valuable time for literacy training and collaborative planning. Our teachers work long hours, extending beyond the typical workday. These planning hours are impactful, allowing for team collaboration and professional development that directly impacts our students. We appreciate the time and the partnership with all of you that makes it possible.
Our student Patrols are off to a strong start as well. They had their first meeting led by the captains, and Mr. Palmer has been checking in to ensure everything is running smoothly. We love seeing our Patrols in action around the building —they truly take pride in their leadership roles!
We’re fortunate to have such an amazing staff here at Sunrise Valley. One great way to show your appreciation is by recognizing a staff member using this link! This link is also included in each of our bulletins under SVES Quick Links, Recognize a SVES Staff Member. Your kind words will be shared in our staff newsletter, and it’s a meaningful way to show your gratitude.
As we wrap up September and welcome October, a big thank you goes to the PTA and Vanessa Varma for refreshing our Teachers' Lounge. The fall decor and festive treats were a hit and enjoyed by all! September has been all about connection and routines—we can’t wait to see what October brings!
Ashley Younger & Jody Delaney
Each week, students receive music, PE, and art instruction as part of their specials program. Get to know the amazing teachers leading these programs, their current units of study, and how you can reinforce these skills at home!
 The SVES PE teachers, Ms. Allen and Mr. Palmer, are inviting students to be a part of our “Sunrise Adventures” board! This initiative captures the core values of physical education: discovering a variety of enjoyable ways to stay healthy and active. In PE at the elementary level, we learn through movement, developing essential skills to participate in a variety of activities. Through practice and engaging games, our students are not just playing - they're building a foundation for a lifetime of fitness and fun!
We’re excited for our upcoming bike safety unit and for an awesome school year! Please remind your child to come prepared on days that they have PE - wearing sneakers so they can participate safely.
Whether it’s playing outside, riding bikes, or engaging in activities like jumping rope or tossing a ball, getting kids moving for at least 20-30 minutes a day reinforces their learning and keeps them active. Additionally, working with your child on specific skills they’re developing in PE - such as techniques with various types of equipment, and fitness related skills like balance, coordination, reaction time, power, speed, and agility - can make practice enjoyable and boost their confidence.
 Dr K’s 5th & 6th grade General Music students have begun work on Music Around the World projects, in which we are taking a year-long, virtual trip across the globe, studying music and cultures of countries and places of interest to our students and their families. Students will be sharing in their classes and some will serve as Teaching Assistants for lower grade levels. Parents/guardians/staff with an interest in guest speaking about one of our countries should contact Dr. K. See where we are headed on this map (must be logged into student Google account) -https://tinyurl.com/matw2425
 Students in Mrs. Smith’s music classroom started the year with songs and games to help us get to know each other. We also began instrument exploration with unpitched and pitched percussion instruments. Classes are learning songs and games from Chile, Mexico and Spain as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Ask your student to teach you the Cho-co-la-te hand clapping game from Chile! Our 5/6 Chorus students, and all classes K-6 are busy learning our songs for the Veteran’s Day celebration in November.
 6th graders are creating self-portraits in art using their fingerprints and ink pads to add shading, tones and different values. This challenging art project requires the students to focus, problem-solve, and use their time effectively. These skills are important for developing the goal-directed and resilient mindset that Sunrise Valley Elementary values in our students.
 Witness the energy and excitement at SVES! Our students are actively engaged in learning, working together, and conquering new challenges. Our teachers inspire curiosity and foster a love of learning.
 Sunrise Valley is excited to launch Sunrise Valley Television (SVTV for short)! SVTV is our morning news program where students, staff, and community are informed of the goings on at SVES. We currently have an eight-student crew of 4-6th grade students who put on the show each day with the support of Mr. Stewart as producer. Students involved in SVTV learn about video production, public speaking, and the importance of working on a team. This fosters leadership, creativity, and critical thinking as students take on roles like scriptwriting, directing, and presenting. This program not only enhances communication skills but also builds a sense of community by keeping students informed and engaged with school events and initiatives. Each quarter, students can apply and will be selected by SVTV producers and SVES admin.
 Our 4th graders have been learning about patterns within the base-10 number system. This means what we know about 2 and 3-digit numbers can help us think about larger numbers. Ms. Mathieu and Ms. Falkey, our 4th grade and Math Resource teachers, collaborated on a lesson that challenged students to analyze data from a table to compare and order 5-digit numbers. Students explored two strategies for comparing and ordering numbers: putting the numbers on a number line and writing them into a place value chart.
 Ms. DiPietro leads our first graders with the new Benchmark Advance curriculum, aligned with Science of Reading. Our teachers have been deeply engaged in this new literacy program, and a key factor to success is maintaining lesson momentum with quick, smooth transitions between components. Ms. DiPietro modeled this beautifully, incorporating Turn & Talk opportunities, essential vocabulary, sentence frames, explicit feedback, and clear expectations, resulting in high student engagement and a successful learning experience!
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