September 13, 2026

Dear Sunset Families,

What an exciting and joyful week it has been at Sunset! 

This was our first week with all of our kindergarten students and preschool students together, and it was wonderful to see our youngest Tigers learning, growing, and becoming part of our school community. Their excitement, curiosity, and energy brought so much joy to our building!

Thank you for the incredibly kind and warm welcome you have continued to extend to our staff and to one another. We are also grateful for the thoughtful feedback families have shared and for your willingness to partner with us as we problem-solve, refine our systems, and work together to create the best possible experience for every student. Your patience, encouragement, and solution-focused partnership make a meaningful difference.

The connection between home and school is incredibly powerful. When families and staff communicate openly, support one another, and work toward shared goals, our students feel that partnership. They know they are surrounded by adults who believe in them and are committed to helping them succeed. We are deeply thankful for the support, encouragement, and care our Tigers are receiving both at home and at school.

It was also wonderful to meet and connect with so many of you at the PTA meeting this past week! I enjoyed hearing your ideas, learning more about our families, and seeing the enthusiasm you have for supporting Sunset. We are incredibly fortunate to have such an involved and caring community.

The year is already off to a ROAR-SOME start, and I am so excited about all we will accomplish together. Thank you for trusting us with your children and for helping make Sunset a place where every Tiger feels known, supported, and ready to grow!

I look forward to seeing many of you on Wednesday at Back-to-School Night!

Thank you for continuing to show what it means to be part of the Sunset Tiger community. Together, we are creating a school where every child feels welcomed, valued, supported, and inspired to grow. We are so grateful to partner with you and excited for all that lies ahead!

With appreciation,

Mrs. Vaughan

Thank you for your continued partnership and support as we work to make arrival and dismissal as safe, smooth, and efficient as possible for every Sunset Tiger. 

Thank you for continuing to help ensure our accessible parking spaces remain available only for vehicles displaying the required permit or license plate. Keeping these spaces open allows students and families who need additional room to enter and exit their vehicles safely and arrive at school on time. We appreciate your care, respect, and commitment to the safety of every Sunset Tiger!

As a reminder, during morning arrival, please do not enter the bus zone for student drop-off until all buses have departed, unless directed by a staff member. Keeping this area clear allows our buses to enter and exit safely.

We also sincerely appreciate the feedback families have shared about dismissal. We understand that one process may not work perfectly for every family, and we hear your concerns. We will continue observing our systems, listening to feedback, and making thoughtful adjustments while keeping the safe dismissal of all students as our highest priority. 

To better support our youngest students and their families, we are adding Zone C as an additional parent walk-up dismissal location. This area will primarily serve kindergarten students. Zone C will be located on the far side of the school, opposite Zone B. Please reference the image below for the exact location.

Families using Zone C should remain in the designated grassy area. Please do not call your child across the street. Before a student is released, the parent or guardian and the supervising adult must make a clear verbal or nonverbal connection, such as eye contact, a wave, or a thumbs-up. Once the teacher has confirmed the adult and determined that it is safe, the student will be directed through the coned-off crosswalk.

Thank you for helping us protect every student by following these expectations. Your patience, flexibility, and partnership make a meaningful difference as we work together to create a safe and positive dismissal experience for our entire Tiger community.

Hello, Sunset Families!

It has been another wonderful week of learning, connection, and growth at Sunset. I continue to feel incredibly grateful for the opportunity to partner with you and support our amazing Tigers each day!

Recess is an important part of the school day—and it is about much more than getting the wiggles out! At Sunset, every part of a Tiger’s day is an opportunity to learn, grow, build relationships, and practice being safe, respectful, responsible, and kind.

On the playground, students practice:

Our recess supervisors keep students safe while also serving as coaches. When minor conflicts arise, adults help students listen, communicate respectfully, and find fair solutions. These moments build confidence, independence, and problem-solving skills.

When your child shares a challenging recess experience, you can help by asking:

If a concern remains unresolved, happens repeatedly, or affects your child’s safety or well-being, please contact your child’s teacher or the school. Sharing concerns promptly helps us respond proactively and provide support.

Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every Tiger feels safe, connected, and ready to learn. 

This year, we are teaching schoolwide regulation strategies through our Zones Tools to Try cards. Displayed throughout the school and in classrooms, these cards help students identify their emotions and practice healthy strategies for managing them. Feeling dysregulated is normal—we all experience big feelings! Our goal is to normalize emotions while helping students develop practical, beneficial ways to respond. We encourage families to practice each week’s strategy at home, strengthening the powerful partnership between home and school.

This week our strategy is called: Tense & Relax. What is Tense & Relax?

Find a comfortable position. Squeeze each of your body parts, one at a time, for two seconds in the following order:

Thank you for your continued partnership, encouragement, and support. Together, we are helping every Tiger feel safe, valued, and confident as they learn and grow. 

In partnership,

Jessie Sinclair

This year, Sunset is focused on strong school attendance. Every day matters—especially during the primary years, when students build the foundational skills, relationships, and routines that support future success. Our goal is for at least 90% of students to attend school 90% of the time—meaning they miss no more than two days per month, or fewer than 20 days during the school year.

Attendance Works identifies chronic absence as missing 10% or more of the school year and reports that frequent absences in the early grades can affect school readiness and the ability to read proficiently by third grade. 

We monitor attendance so we can partner with families early, help remove barriers, and ensure every Tiger has access to daily learning. If your family needs attendance support, please reach out—we are here to help!

A huge shout-out to our Sunset families for starting strong: 97% of our students are currently meeting our 90% attendance goal! 

Way to go, Tigers—that is ROAR-SOME!

We are excited to welcome our Sunset families to Back-to-School Night on Wednesday, September 16!

Offering two sessions allows families with multiple students to visit each child’s classroom. During each session, teachers will share a brief presentation about classroom routines, expectations, and the year ahead. 

Please arrive early so we can begin together on time.

This evening is designed specifically for parents and caregivers. If possible, we kindly ask that children remain at home so we can provide families with the space and environment needed to listen, connect, and ask questions.