| Happy New Year to our Sunnyside families! We are excited to welcome our students back for the final six months of the school year. It will be packed with academic and social-emotional learning and new experiences for our students. Welcome We would like to extend a big welcome to new families who have joined our school community recently. We are so pleased to be growing and have 35 more students than we expected when we did our planning in the spring. We have some new staff members to formally welcome to our team:
- Mrs. Darla Delawsky has been working in the library since October while Mrs. McKay is away. Darla will continue in the library until March and she has also agreed to take on a lunchroom supervision position and to work with small groups of English Language Learners.
- Haseena Sultana (Miss Haseena) joined us as an educational assistant earlier this year. She supports the kindergarten class in the morning, helps at lunch and works with some Division I students in the afternoon.
- Mrs. Krista Abraham is our new literacy and math intervention teacher. Krista will be working with small groups of grade 2, 3 and 4 students on Wednesday afternoons and Friday mornings. The funding for this position is from Alberta Education and is based on the literacy and numeracy assessments teachers have done with their students this school year and last year.
Other Supports: We are pleased to be able to access a variety of academic and social emotional supports for our students. In addition to the support from new staff mentioned above, here is a list of some other supports we have in place for our students: - Small group targeted instruction by classroom teachers for literacy and math
- In-classroom and pullout support from Mrs. Clark for Division I students
- Division II support for literacy, math and new English Language Learners from Miss Chilton
- Volunteers
- Kindergarten Speech Language Pathologist
- CBE Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and Strategists
- CBE School-Based Mental Health Psychologist – small group and individual social skills support
- CanLearn Social Skills group for some Division II students
- Student Learning Team and Collaborative Team Meetings of teachers and administration
Assessment and Reporting: Currently teachers are working on gathering assessment data for each of their students and summarizing their achievement over the past 4 months. On Monday, January 30, parents/guardians of grade 1 to 6 students will be able to see their child's report cards on PowerSchool/MyCBE and IPPs will be sent home for children with Special Education codes. Kindergarten children will receive their report cards in June. Miss Chilton will be conducting an assessment called the Reading Readiness Screening Tool (RRST) in January and March with all kindergarten students. Student-led conferences will be on March 9 and 10 for all students and their families.
We value our partnership with our students' families. If you have any questions about how your child is doing at school, please connect with their teacher. Information about Assessment and Reporting from CBE can be found here: Assessment
We wish our school community a happy and prosperous 2023! Krista Schmitt and Sunnyside Staff
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| Dear Sunnyside Families,
Welcome to the 2022 – 2023 school year! We look forward to seeing familiar and new students on Thursday, September 1 for a full day of school.
Preparing for Back to School Our staff has been busy getting the school ready. A big thank you to our facility operator Mrs. Liu for her hard work over the summer. The school is sparkling! Thank you also to Ms. Summerton for her work in the office so we are ready to start welcoming students to school.
Teachers are getting their classrooms ready and planning exciting activities for their classes. On Tuesday, our teaching staff is meeting with teachers from Rosedale and Rosemont schools to begin our work together on the new curriculum. This collaboration will continue throughout the school year and we are eager to have the opportunity to work with our colleagues from other small schools.
Our Beliefs This year, we will continue to focus on our values: At Sunnyside, We are connected to each other. We are connected to our community. We are connected to the land.
We will implement a school-wide question: How are we connected? Through this, we will develop a common language and strive to create a welcoming, caring, safe and respectful learning environment for all. We will also deepen our connection to the land that Sunnyside School is part of with our new outdoor classroom, our Learning Circle! Learning Circle
Staffing In the spring, our enrollment was less than we had expected, causing us to lose one teacher and classroom. We are happy to share that we have more students registered so we are able to add a part-time teacher to our staff. This teacher will work with the grade 1 to 3 team to reduce class-sizes for the mornings. Beginning Tuesday, September 6, students will be in grade-level classes for literacy and math instruction. More information will be shared with the parents of grade 1 to 3 students soon.
Please see our website for a list of our current staff: Staff
Back to School Information School hours and other back to school information can be found here: Back to School
On Wednesday, teachers will send an email to their students' families, welcoming their children to their classes. On Thursday morning, all teachers will meet their classes at the back of the school between 8:30 and 8:40AM. At 8:40AM, students will follow their teachers into their classes. Teachers will let parents know which door the students will exit the school by after school. Beginning on Friday, September 2, students will be able to enter the school between 8:30 and 8:40AM through the West or South door. Families may choose the door that is more convenient for them. The front door will only be used for students who arrive late, after 8:40AM. See you on Thursday! Krista Schmitt Principal
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| The last day of school is a day of mixed feelings – excitement for the adventures summer will bring and sadness when we say goodbye to the people we have shared the year with. We have a lot to celebrate as we reflect on the 2021 – 2022 school year. Connections: Our staff and students built strong connections this year even when we couldn't gather together, first with homeroom classes and then with the whole school, as health restrictions were relaxed. All students have benefited from being able to work with older or younger students through buddies and learning activities. Collaboration: Working with School Council, we were able to provide residencies and experiences for our students including: Engineering for Kids, DrumFit, swimming lessons and Wymbin movement. We are excited to announce that construction of our Learning Circle outdoor classroom will begin soon. Stop by the school this summer to see the progress! Community: After over 2 years of virtual meetings, we were so pleased to invite our parent community back into the school for our Open House in April, assemblies and volunteering! Staff Farewells: - We are sad to say goodbye to Mrs. Melanie Palmer (kindergarten, music and targeted intervention teacher) and wish her all the best in her new position as Learning Leader at Eric Harvie School.
- We also say goodbye and thank you to Mrs. Saliem Mehari who has been our cleaner for the past 2 years.
On behalf of our staff, I would like to thank you for trusting us with your children every day and allowing us to be part of their journeys.
To students and families who are leaving Sunnyside, we wish you all the best. You will always be connected to Sunnyside School.
To students returning next year, we can't wait to see you on September 1. Information about Back to School can be found here: Back to School
Have an amazing summer! Krista Schmitt
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| Class List Creation for the 2022 – 2023 School Year At this time of year, teachers and administration begin planning for the next school year. Class configurations are based on the number of students enrolled in the school and in each grade. In a small school like Sunnyside, combined classes with 2 grades may be necessary in order to balance class sizes. Teachers will meet many times before the end of June to create balanced classes. Teachers will consult with their students and ask them to identify peers that they think they work well with. When making class lists, the following things will be considered: - Students' learning and social-emotional needs
- A mix of English Language Learners, special needs and gender
- Students' working relationships with their peers
- Students' learning styles
Professional staff will make every effort to make sure that each student will be in a place where their learning and social-emotional needs will be met. Changes in staffing and student numbers can require class lists to change even just before the first day of school. Because of this, we will not be able to share students' placements until the end of August, when teachers will contact families and welcome their children to their classes. We thank our parents for trusting our professional judgement. If a parent has a specific request about student placement for the upcoming school year for educational reasons, the following process must be followed. - Please make the request in writing to the principal via email at kaschmitt@cbe.ab.ca by Friday, May 27, 2022.
- Please describe your child's specific learning needs.
- Requests will be considered but we may not be able to accommodate all requests.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school! Krista
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| Dear Sunnyside Families, It is hard to believe that the school year is now half over. It feels like we welcomed our students to the 2021-2022 school year just yesterday. Although we have not been able to bring our families into the school as we had hoped, we hope that you have been able to catch a glimpse of the amazing learning that is happening at Sunnyside through your child's Google Classroom and Sunnyside Weekly news stories on our website. We look back at the first 5 months of school and are proud of our collective effort to provide school-wide community-building events, such as Terry Fox Run, Orange Shirt Day, Level Up Minecraft challenge, giving initiatives for the Veterans' Foodbank and Project Warmth, walking field trips to the Field of Crosses and other nearby destinations, learning on the land in our naturalization areas, Bell Let's Talk Day and spirit days. As we work on the goals of our School Development Plan, teachers have been providing regular opportunities for students to express their knowledge orally. Teachers use strategies such as Think-Pair-Share and Number Talks to design learning activities that use language to build and share their understanding, using discipline-specific vocabulary for math, social studies and science. School staff have been working together to address students' social-emotional well-being by teaching social-emotional competencies in the classroom and schoolyard contexts. So far this year, we have focused on self-management, self-awareness and social awareness. Teachers are supporting students in being able to express their feelings and choose a strategy to help them: “When I feel ____, I can". Beginning on Tuesday, February 1, you will be able to view your child's first report card online through your MyCBE/PowerSchool account. Teachers have assessed students in all curricular areas based on the outcomes from the Alberta program of studies of their grade from September to January. You will see comments about your child's achievement in literacy, mathematics and oral language, along with next steps that your child will be working on in the next term, with their teacher's support. Please have a conversation with your child about what they are proud of and help them to set a goal for the second half of the school year. We look forward to more community-building initiatives in the upcoming months, including: a focus on empathy for Valentine's Day and Pink Shirt Day, Winter Olympics, working with our School Council to design an outdoor Learning Circle, in-school field trips and residencies and many outdoor learning opportunities. Parents will be invited to be a part of their children's learning at Student-led Conferences in March. Yours in learning,
Krista Schmitt
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Dear Sunnyside Families,
The first month of school has flown by with establishing routines and getting to know each other. Teachers have gained insight into students' current academic abilities by administering diagnostic assessments for literacy and mathematics. This information is helping shape teachers' plans for the year. As a school, we are committed to improving student learning through responsive instruction and using assessment data to guide our decisions about the next best steps for each child. Teachers will formally share information about your children's learning at the end of November at conferences. We know that parents want to be involved in their children's education and hope that you have been exploring Google Classroom with your children to find out what has been happening in their classrooms. If you have questions about your child's learning, please contact their teacher. Teachers have also been building community with their classes and finding ways to express feelings and develop empathy for others. We have had very rich learning about Terry Fox, Truth and Reconciliation and emotions, often using a picture book as a spark. This week, conversations about gratitude have been abundant throughout the school. Students are very aware of what matters the most in their lives. Here are a few things that some grade 1 and 2 students in Room 6 are grateful for: “I am thankful for my family because they make me feel safe and sound." “I am thankful for belongings because I am glad I am living." “I am thankful for art!" “I am thankful for nature because all of the cute, cuddly animals. I am thankful for sisters and dogs because there is someone to play with." On behalf of Sunnyside staff, I would like to wish all of our families a very happy Thanksgiving, full of what is most important to you. We are very thankful for all of you and for your trust in us to take care of your children every day. Krista Schmitt Principal
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Dear Sunnyside families,
The staff and I are very excited to welcome your children to the first day of school on Wednesday, September 1. We have a lot of information to share with you to make back to school run as smoothly as possible.
COVID-19 Protocols On August 18, the CBE shared re-entry information with all families. The information can be found on our school website: https://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/sunnyside/about-us/news-centre/_layouts/15/ci/post.aspx?oaid=2d492ee4-ef66-40f9-bada-c1109fe7a706&oact=20001
Key information for Sunnyside families can be found below, in order to keep our students and staff as healthy as possible. The priorities of CBE for the 2021-2022 school year are: o Learning Continuity o Increased Opportunities for Students · The following health measures will be in place to prevent transmission of COVID-19: o Masks will be worn by all K to 12 students and all CBE staff. Students will be able to remove their masks during the day when they go outside and for mask breaks. More detailed information on mask use will be shared with you next week. o Physical distancing will be used to space students out as much as possible and teachers will try to avoid students having to share items. o Hand-washing with soap and water and hand sanitizing will be frequent. o Classroom cohorts will be used at all times (students will stay with their class when they are inside the school and play with their class when outside for recess or lunch; students will enter and exit through the same doors at all time). Lunch and recess will be split into 2 groups to keep cohorts together. o Students and staff are asked to complete the Alberta Health Daily Checklist: https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/56c020ed-1782-4c6c-bfdd-5af36754471f/resource/58957831-a4ab-45ff-9a8e-3c6af7c1622e/download/covid-19-information-alberta-health-daily-checklist-2021-08.pdf every day before coming to school and stay home when sick.
First Week of School Procedures for Kindergarten · Kindergarten families, please refer to the email that was sent to you in June about staggered entry. The teacher will also send you an email on Monday with your date. · Please meet the teacher at the WEST door (at the back of the school). Wednesday, September 1 8:40 to 11:20AM | Group 1 attends | Thursday, September 2 8:40 to 11:20AM | Group 2 attends | Friday, September 3 8:40 to 11:20AM | All kindergarten students attend |
First Week of School Procedures for Grades 1 to 6 · All grade 1 to 6 students attend for regular days for the first week. Wednesday, September 1 8:40AM to 3:30PM | Regular day | Thursday, September 2 8:40AM to 3:30PM | Regular day | Friday, September 3 8:40AM to 12:00PM | Regular Friday early dismissal |
Student Supplies All school supplies will be purchased by the school and provided to students. Later in the fall a fee will be added to your PowerSchool/MyCBE account for these supplies. Students need to bring to school (please label all items with your child's name): · A backpack · Indoor running shoes that can be left at school · Healthy snacks · Water bottle · Healthy lunch (grades 1 to 6 only) · Extra masks · Outdoor clothing (dress for the weather!) Welcome Messages from the Teachers · Our kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Palmer, will be sending an email to kindergarten families on Monday with staggered entry information for September 1 and 2. She will also be calling her students on Tuesday. · Grade 1 to 6 teachers will be sending an email to their families by the end of the day on Monday with information about the first day of school. Please take note of your child's room number because classroom cohorts enter and exit specific doors (see below). · If you do not receive an email from your child's teacher by noon on Tuesday, please email me at kaschmitt@cbe.ab.ca . Entry and Exit Doors | Classroom Cohorts | Door | | Rooms 5 and 6 | Front door | | Rooms 3 and 4 | South door | | Rooms 7 and 8 | West door (back of the school) |
School Hours for the 2021 – 2022 School Year | Monday to Thursday Grade 1 to 6 | | | 8:25 to 8:40AM | Soft Start | | 8:40AM | Classes begin | | 10:15 to 10:30AM | Recess 1 (rooms 3 and 7) | | 10:35 to 10:50AM | Recess 2 (rooms 4, 5 and 6) | | 11:30AM to 12:15PM | Lunch 1 (rooms 3 and 7) | | 12:20 to 1:05PM | Lunch 2 (rooms 4, 5 and 6) | | 3:30PM | Dismissal |
| Friday Grades 1 to 6 | | | 8:25 to 8:40AM | Soft Start | | 8:40AM | Classes begin | | Flexible times | Recess | | 12:00PM | Dismissal |
| Monday to Friday Kindergarten | | | 8:25 to 8:40AM | Soft Start | | 8:40AM | Classes begin | | 11:20AM | Dismissal |
Soft Start All students are welcome to enter their assigned doors and go into their classrooms for relaxed entry between 8:25 and 8:40AM. Teachers will be in their classrooms to supervise and provide morning activities for students. Arrival After 8:40AM At 8:40AM, the doors will be closed so the supervisors can begin their duties working with students. Teachers will do their attendance shortly after the bell rings so we can ensure all children are accounted for. If your child arrives after 8:40AM, please bring them to the front door and ring the bell. Office staff will be waiting for them to check in. If Your Child Will be Late or Absent Please call the school office at (403) 777-6390, extension 1 and leave a message. Please state your child's name, teacher and the reason for absence. OR Please email both your child's teacher and the office at Sunnyside@cbe.ab.ca to make sure that the message is received.
Visitors in the School Due to COVID-19 protocols, parents are not able to enter the school with their children. Parent or visitor entry to the school is by appointment only at this time. If you would like to have a conversation with your child's teacher, please email them and set up a time for a phone or virtual meeting. This decision will be reviewed by CBE at the end of September. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning and shared experiences at Sunnyside School! Krista Schmitt and Sunnyside Staff
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| Dear Sunnyside Families, It is with mixed emotions that I share with you that I will be leaving Sunnyside School at the end of the 2020-21 school year. I have been named the Principal of Battalion Park School for the 2021-22 school year. It has been a pleasure and privilege being the Principal of Sunnyside School for the last four years, and getting to know the wonderful students, parents and staff. As I reflect on my time here, several things come to mind. The amazing commitment from the parents and local community to support the school and provide enrichment opportunities for the children. The thoughtful way the staff takes up the work and responds to the academic, physical, social and emotional needs of each child to enable all students to reach their full potential. The children, who breathe life into the building, and enrich the lives of each one of us with their joy, kindness and eagerness to learn. Finally, the way the entire community worked together for almost a year to mark and celebrate the 100th anniversary of this beautiful school. That was quite an accomplishment and just one example of the team mindset in this school. You are all truly the heart of this school and I will miss you! The Calgary Board of Education is beginning the process of selecting the next Principal of Sunnyside School. Later today you will be receiving an invitation to provide input into the process. I will continue to share any information on this process as it is announced. With deepest gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of this special school, Trudi Tallerico
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| Black and Red Day: Thanks to everyone who participated in the Grade 4 Black and Red day! We love that school spirit! Announcements: Our daily announcements have resumed. The Grade 5 class did the announcements each morning. This week, the theme of their announcements was having a Growth Mindset. Please see our scrolling news banner for two news stories written by Grade 5 students on these events. Family Literacy Week: Next week is Family Literacy Week. Wednesday, January 27 is Family Literacy Day in Alberta. Find fun family activities at familyliteracyday.ca. Please refer to the scrolling news banner for our specific daily activities at the school. Music: We have been working on listening for tempo, mood, and rhythm in different versions of popular theme songs during music appreciation. Everyone had an opportunity to sketch their impressions of the pieces while listening, and then were invited to share their preferences and to explain why. Some students commented upon how the music made them feel, and how the rapid rhythm made the music more exciting. Others commented upon the instruments they could see or hear and compared the songs to the original soundtrack. The videos will be posted on the Google Music Classroom with accompanying questions this weekend.
Parent and Community Expertise: Do you have a skill or hobby that you would be willing to share with our students? Last year we began compiling a list of parents and community members who have expertise (job or hobby) that would enrich the learning of the children and provide real world examples to make content relevant and come alive. We are looking for all professions and interests (for example: electrician, accountant, cashier, architect, artist, baker, carpenter, vet, doctor, engineer, fitness buff, food service professional, photographer, musician, athlete, etc). If you have a skillset that you are willing to speak to children about please email your child's teacher or the school with your name, profession/area of interest, and contact information, and we will make sure you are added to our list. Next Year Intentions: It's hard to believe, but it is already time for the school to do some advanced planning for next year. On Monday, January 25, all families will receive an email regarding their next year's intentions for school attendance. While we are aware that circumstances may change for some families, having an approximate idea of the number of students who will be attending Sunnyside in the 2021-2022 school year will help us plan for staffing and programming. Families with Grade 6 students, it is also important that we receive your information, as the receiving schools look to us to collect it for them. Thank you in advance for providing us with your next year's intentions as soon as you can. Google Classroom and D2L: We would like to remind parents that the Google Classroom Streams and D2L Activity Feed continue to be updated during in-person learning with a brief review of the day to day work and supporting documents. Please remember to check in regularly to keep up with what is going on in your child's classroom. Cutlery: We are starting to see an increase in students who are coming to school with meals that require cutlery. Please ensure that your child brings the fork or spoon they may need in their lunch kit as we do not have cutlery available at school. After School Play: With the abundance of snow that fell over the holidays, the children have made some amazing play structures outside. During the school day, these play structures are accessed by only one cohort at a time, following COVID-19 prevention protocols. Families who may wish to take their children to these play areas outside of the school day are encouraged to follow the Government of Alberta's Guidance for Playgrounds in order to use the area as safely as possible.
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| We had a great first week back with our in-person students. It was nice to see their smiles and hear the sounds and laughter of children in the building!
Spirit Day: Friday, January 22 the Grade 4 class is hosting our first Spirit Day of the year. The theme they have chosen is Black and Red Day.
Music: This week our music classes focused on learning a new cup percussion routine using the cups provided by the School Council. The routine features Kaboom Percussion and encourages students to develop their rhythm and play together in unison. A link to the video can be found in the Music Google Classroom.
Off-Site Risk Update: A new risk has been added to off-site activities related to the exposure to infectious diseases. Since many of our teachers are planning walking field trips prior to the end of the school year, we have emailed the updated Walking Trip Annual Letter to Parents with this new information. Family Literacy Week: January 24 – 28 is Family Literacy Week. Wednesday, January 27 is Family Literacy Day in Alberta. Teachers will be including at home ideas on their Google Classrooms each day that week and we will be participating in a new literacy activity each day. In preparation for that week, we wanted to share that we will be participating in a Dress as Your Favorite Book Character on Thursday, January 28. We are looking forward to seeing which characters come to school that day!
Calgary Public Library: Even though local branches are temporarily closed, the Calgary Public Library is offering students some creative online supports you may be interested in checking out. - Library at Home
- Brainfuse - connects students Grades 2 -12 to free online tutoring via chat and is available from 2 - 11 pm
- Solaro - offers students Grades 3 – 12 connections to AB Curriculum lessons, reviews, practice tests and study guides
- TumbleBook Library
- TeenBookCloud
Regards, Trudi Tallerico
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