Literary Journal update

The Art Committee at Sunnyside is reviving the literary journal with the aim at providing each child the opportunity to publish a written word or work of art in a collective magazine that will be created by the school and made available to each child and for sale to all families and friends. The journal will be released at the Spring Fest on May 22. In order to make that release date, the teachers, administration, parents, and, especially the students, must all rally around a shared vision and a set of achievable milestones.

All grades, K-5, will participate and we would like to recruit 4th and 5th grade volunteers to assist in the layout and production of the journal. In this first volume of “The Ray” we would like to utilize the title of the magazine and focus on the themes of growth. If you look up “ray” in the dictionary, you will find 16 definitions from a ray of sunshine (or other scientific applications) to a ray of hope. The theme of “growth”; therefore, can be interpreted in many scientific or personal ways. A ray of sunshine, as an example, fosters growth in plants, food, and nurtures the world. A student may want to focus on growth in a more personal nature. For example, how has he/she “grown” this year at Sunnyside?

The idea is to have fun with the theme and ultimately be proud of the final results!

Please contact Wendi Norris at wendi @ freynorris.com with any questions or comments.

International Potluck February 18

5:30pm - 7:30pm
School Cafeteria

Join Sunnyside families, students and staff for our International Potluck featuring delicious food and lots of fun. Wear an international outfit and bring something from another country to share.

Please bring an international salad or main dish to serve at least 8 adults, depending on your last name.

Last name starts:
A - L bring a salad or vegetable
M - Z bring a main dish - please label vegetarian dishes

Remember: label all your dishes with your child’s name and room.
Return the form to your teacher.

January News

Sunnyside Elementary
PTA Times
Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Principal: Nancy Schlenke
PTA President: Kari Gray

PTA everychild.onevoice.®
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PTA Meeting January 25th, 2009 , 5:30pm
Come and meet other parents at the monthly PTA meeting and learn about what is going on at Sunnyside. FREE refreshments and childcare provided.

During the January business meeting the PTA Bylaw Amendments and Standing Rules will be presented to the membership for approval. Both Bylaws and Standing Rules require two-thirds (2/3rd) vote of the membership in attendance for passage.

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Winter Read-a-thon Results
Thanks students and parents for making the Read-A-Thon a success; 140 students read 50579 minutes, or 843 hours. .

Winning classrooms will receive a grade level appropriate reference book, either a dictionary, atlas, or thesaurus.
- Kindergarten- Ms. Converse’s class read 7178 minutes.
- 1st Grade - Ms. Quillin’s class read 4216 minutes.
- 2nd Grade - Ms. Bell’s class read 5294 minutes.
- 3rd Grade - Ms. Lee’s class read 5803 minutes.
- School Winners - Ms. Rensman 4th/5th Grade Class read 9494 minutes and will have a pizza party.

Individual winners received a $10 Scholastic Books gift certificate.
- Kindergarten– Gabriel Amrull from Ms. Converse’s class.
- 1st Grade – Quinn Armentrout & Olivia Chaplin from Ms. Quillin’s class.
- 2nd Grade –John Luiz Agranum from Ms. Bell’s class.
- 3rd Grade – Eve Ngyuen from Ms. Lee’s class.

School Winner –
Una Chan from Ms. Hilmoe’s class received a $25 Scholastic Books gift certificate

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“Tap the Sky” Grant Awarded to Sunnyside

Sunnyside Elementary, in conjunction with the SFUSD Department of Sustainability and Green Schoolyard Alliance, has been awarded a grant to implement a rainwater reclamation program. The addition of a rainwater cistern to the school garden will give students a more complete picture of ecology, life sciences, and sustainability concepts. Sunnyside students will use the rainwater harvesting, composting and vermiculture programs to make a self sustainable, organic school garden.

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Help Wanted! 2010 Sunnyside Events
Sunnyside needs your help. Contact Kari Gray at kehgray@yahoo.com if you can help with any of these projects or events

JANUARY 16 10:00am– Bring your chainsaws, hedge clippers, shovels, work gloves, loppers and other gardening tools. We need to remove shrubs and hedges to prepare the beds for planting. Contact Cathy Meyer at (415) 794-2203 or mulkeymeyer@ att.net if you are available

January 21st - Math and Science Night
5:00 to 7:30pmFood Sales and Donations
Drop off baked goods in the office or help sell food in the cafeteria at 5:00pm . Prepare a potluck dish for the teachers to eat before the event starts. If you would like to help your student’s classroom with their project, contact their teacher directly. Contact Katy Nelson at pkweir@comcast.net or (415) 216-8773 if you can help.

Saturday, February 6 & 20
10:00am - Amend soil, install beds, reseed grass, plant flowering shrubs and drought tolerant plants. Contact Cathy Meyer at (415) 794-2203 or mulkeymeyer@ att.net if you are available.

International Potluck Set-up and clean up
Thursday, Feb 11 5:00pm- Greet and manage volunteers, accept food donations and set up cafeteria and hallways for event. Help clear tables and get the cafeteria ready for the next school day. Contact Kari Gray at kehgray@yahoo.com to volunteer.

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SpringFest 2010 - Planning Meeting
Wednesday, February 3rd at 5:30pm
School Library

It’s time to start planning for SpringFest! SpringFest will be Saturday, May 22.Come to our first meeting to find out more about our biggest event of the year. Share your ideas about raffle prizes, carnival games, food sales, and the student art show.

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2010 Sunnyside Events - At a Glance

Math and Science Night
Thursday, January 21st 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Please join us for fun games and activities!
Parents, caregivers and students visit each classroom to do hands-on math or science projects together. Students get their Math & Science Passports “stamped” to receive a small participation prize.

Pizza and baked goods will be available for sale from 5:00pm to 6:00pm in the cafeteria for an early dinner. If you can help set up or sell pizza, meet in the cafeteria at 5:00pm . If you can donate baked goods, please leave them in the office before 5pm. Contact Katy Nelson at pkweir@comcast.net or (415) 216-8773 if you can help.

International Potluck Dinner
Thursday, February 11th 5:30 – 7:30pm
Hope to see all our Sunnyside friends for a cherished tradition, the International Potluck Dinner held in the cafeteria/auditorium. Bring a favorite potluck dish to share with your Sunnyside friends. If you can help set up, clean up or serve food, look for the sign up forms going home soon! Katy Nelson at pkweir@comcast.net or (415) 216-8773 if you can help.

2009 Season of Giving Wish List

During the holiday season, you may have planned to give a gift to your classroom teacher. Please consider a gift that your teacher really wants - a gift to Sunnyside Elementary School. Teachers have made up their wish lists with ideas for rainy day games, puzzles and other classroom needs. We’ve hung them on our “Season of Giving” bulletin board in the hallway. THERE ARE STILL MANY ITEMS OUR TEACHERS NEED FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS. Please consider giving gifts to other classrooms, too.

Please remove a sun(s) from the tree if you plan to give that gift. You can bring it to the teacher, class, or school the last week of school (December 14-18) before the break. Please check back in case we add more wish list items!

Thanks!

All teachers
$ towards school laminator ($1000 total needed)
Steam cleaner vacuum cleaner
Give to Sunnyside PTA

Ms. Yee, Room 101
1. Vacuum cleaner
Dirt Devil Featherlike Bagless Vacuum
Item #: M085845
Cost: $47.99
Location: Target

2. Printer Ink
HP PSC All-in-one
Black: HP 92
Tricolor: Hp 93

3. Printer Ink
HP Photosmart C4680
Black: HP 60
Tricolor: Hp 60

4. Batteries (for wireless mouse and keyboard in the classroom)
Double AA
Any brand

Ms. Converse, Room 102
$ towards MacBook purchase - Give to parent Dana Pluck,
Staples gift certificate,
Kinko’s gift certificate,
Lakeshore Learning gift certificate,
Borders gift certificate

Ms. Plack, Room 103
Printer (such as HP LaserJet P1005 Printer, $130),
Black sharpie markers,
4 sets of Scotch® Laminating Pouches 8.5″x 11″ 50 pc (~$15 each),
Universal remote control,
Lakeshore Alphabet Sounds teaching tubs LC856 • $149.00,
Lakeshore Listening Storage Center LC4254 • $39.95,
4 sets of Lakeshore Heavy Duty Book Bins BX710X • $29.95

Ms. Quillin, Room 104
5 Jump ropes,
2 Nerf Footballs,
3 Hula Hoops,
KidKnows Outdoor Thermometer: http://www.kidknows.net/,
Astrobrights multicolored cardstock paper (1 ream),
Avery inkjet mailing labels #8160 (or similar),
Long-arm stapler,
Colored inkpads for stamps (red, blue, green, black),
Games: Sorry, Scrabble Jr., Mancala, Chutes and Ladders,
Lakeshore Items: http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/home/home.jsp,
Blends & Digraphs Word Work Center, #DD692;
Roll & Read Phonics Games Complete Set, #EE590X;
Phonics Fun Wheels, #LM412;
Rubber Stamps – Uppercase, #ED1470;
Rubber Stamps – Lowercase, #ED1471;
Digraphs Puzzles, #GG207;
Vowel Combinations Puzzles, #GG197;
Picture Perfect: Compound Words Game, #EE282;
Gone Fishin’: Contractions Game, #EE28

Ms. Chen, Room 107
Cassroom digital camera,
mini fridge (can be used),
class laminating sheets,
class glue sticks

Ms. Rensman, Room 109
Games: Uno, Sorry, Monopoly, Battleship, Connect Four, Boggle, 4-way count down, Mancala, Puzzles,
Dry erase markers,
Copy paper,
Small glue gun & glue sticks,
personal laminator sheets (standard letter size),
Office Max gift card,
Target gift card
Dream wish item: document camera (ELMO),

Ms. Grande, Room 110
Nonfiction books- all levels sports, animals, science, body anatomy, geography,etc;
Beginning chapter books- Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Flat Stanley;
long vowel games,
floor puzzles,
shelving,
drying rack,
jump ropes long and small,
Target gift card,
cd of children’s music,
field trip scholarship,
classroom picture,
dictionary/thesaurus,
play cash register,
old computers that you may not use anymore,
Michael’s gift card,
globe

Ms. Tucker, Room 207
3 Connect Four games,
3Checkers game,
10 packs of markers,
10 packs of color pencils,
2 packs of card stock paper (white),
2 packs of color copy paper,
40 two pocket folders,
20 notebooks,
paper towels,
Mini fridge,
Microwave oven,
$ to develop photos,
screen for overhead projector,
White board

Ms. Hilmoe, Room 205
LED projector,
Elmo Document Camera/reader,
Up DVD,
Bridge to Terabithia DVD,
skinny dry erase pens,
paper,
pencils,
500 piece puzzles

Ms. Bell, Room 208
Connect Four,
Checkers,
Chess,
Uno,
Legos or construction toys,
playground soft balls,
lined and unlined chart paper,
white and colored copy paper,
gift certificates to scholastic or bookstore,
Age appropriate DVD’s science, literature, movies

Season of Giving

During the holiday season, you may be planning to give a gift to your classroom teacher. Please consider a gift that your teacher really wants - a gift to Sunnyside Elementary School. Teachers have made up their wish lists with ideas for rainy day games, puzzles and other classroom needs. We’ve hung them on our “Season of Giving” bulletin board in the hallway and posted the list here.

Please remove a sun(s) from the tree if you plan to give that gift. You can bring it to the teacher, class, or school the last week of school (December 14-18) before the break.

Best wishes for the holiday season and the new year!
Thank you!
Sunnyside PTA

Green Team update

The Sunnyside Green Team is working on a number of projects promoting sustainability that are both practical and inexpensive to implement.
Safe Routes To Schools
Mapping Classroom Envelopes and Utilities
Composting & Vermiculture (worm bins)
Green Wednesday Envelopes
Join the Green Team today! Contact Julie Tonroy at contact3tees@yahoo.com.

Garden Update

In support of the Green Team and the school garden, a compost bin has been constructed. Students will compost snack scraps directly into the stage one compost box. The SF Department of Environment will deliver classroom compost boxes next week. The garden team will provide classrooms with a list of appropriate composting materials.

Worm bins have been purchased! Next week, teachers who signed up for the program will receive a worm bin complete with instructions itemizing which food scraps grow a healthy worm population. Worms grown by the students will be eventually be added to the container gardens and our 2nd and 3rd stage compost. The worm castings will be used to make compost tea.

The garden is growing! Feel free to look around the school yard and ask your student about their plants.

November Activities
• Outline the SpringFest garden fundraiser – Seeds will be sown in the classrooms in late January.
• Contact Sloat Garden Supply and other garden supply companies for seed donations.
• Review age/grade appropriate garden activities recommended by the SF Green Schoolyard Alliance.

Contact me if you are available to help. Cathy Meyer, (415) 794-2203 or mulkeymeyer@att.net.

School Beautification project has begun

Work has started near the Kindergarten entrance. Eight shrubs and some stumps were removed to make the area compliant with SFUSD landscaping regulations.

This month a landscaping schematic will be prepared, including: Benches, ornamental drought tolerant plants, and a Sunnyside Elementary sign above the entrance. Potted plants will also be strategically placed on top of the brick walls lining the stairway, making the stairs safer – no more kids jumping off the wall!

Lori Chaplin procured a bike rack from the school district. The bike rack will be installed as part of this project. Another Community Challenge Grant build day will be scheduled soon – look for the flyer in your Wednesday envelopes. Cathy - (415) 794-2203 or mulkeymeyer@att.net

Fundraising Committee formed

The Sunnyside PTA has established a new Fundraising Committee. This group will review potential fundraising activities to determine if they are appropriate and a good “fit’ for Sunnyside and represent the PTA goals. After assessing fundraising opportunities, the committee will make recommendations to the PTA Board and present plans to during the general business meeting. If you are interested in being a part of this Committee, please contact Katherine Nielsen at 415-265-9482 or k.maida.nielsen@gmail.com.

Barefoot Book Fair to raise money for library

The Sunnyside Library will host a Barefoot Book Fair November 16-20. This will be our second annual Barefoot Fair! Barefoot Books is a very unique children’s publisher whose books encourage kids to “explore, create and connect” to the world around them with a wonderful mix of beautiful artwork and whimsical, thought-provoking text. Check out their website at: www.barefootbooks.com.
This Fair is a benefit for the Sunnyside Library, and volunteers are needed during preview times and sales times throughout the week and at the Family Night, which will be on Wednesday, November 17th, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. Monday and Tuesday will be preview days where classes rotate through the Fair to get a first look at the books and merchandise (the Fair includes related puppets, puzzles and other educational toys.) Then the Fair will be open before and after school and during recess and lunch so that children can browse and purchase. Families are welcome any time during the Fair, but Family Night will provide a time for working parents and guardians to visit. There will also be a way to purchase online with all profits going to the Sunnyside Library.

Please support our beautiful library and volunteer to help at the fair! If you’d like to help out, email me at akalulu58@sbcglobal .net. Thank you for supporting
the Sunnyside Library! ~ Laura