🌟📢 Message from the Principal 🌟

Hello Sunset Valley Cheetahs,

Yay, Cheetahs—we’ve wrapped up Week 2 of the school year! 🎉 Students are continuing to practice routines and procedures, and it’s been wonderful to see them adjusting to their new school days while building strong connections with their teachers.

Looking ahead:
✨ Labor Day Weekend – Enjoy a restful 3-day break with your loved ones!
📸 Wednesday – Picture Day!
📖 Thursday – Our very first MAP Growth Test kicks off with the ELA assessment.

Let’s enjoy the long weekend, recharge, and come back ready for another week of learning and adventure. Sending Cheetah love to all!

Con cariño,
Proud Principal Elaine 🐆

🚨📄 SVE Consent Forms: Action Needed! Please Complete ASAP! 🐆✏️

If you have not already done so, please click the links below for each of the 3 areas to opt your student in or out. Thanks for your assistance and care.

During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, Senate Bill 12 (SB 12) was passed, which requires school districts to obtain written parental consent before providing certain services or allowing student participation in specific school-sponsored activities.

Beginning September 1, 2025, our district must have your consent in the following areas:

Mental Health-Related Services
The district must notify parents of staff services related to school counseling and give parents the opportunity to opt out before those services are provided to their child. [Mental Health Services Consent Form: English Spanish]
Physical Health-Related Services
Certain school-based health services, such as non-emergency medical screenings or treatments, now require your written permission.
[Physical Health Services Consent Form]
Participation in school-sponsored Student Clubs
If your child wishes to participate in school or district-sponsored clubs or organizations, parental approval is required. (You may have already received and completed this form if it was previously sent by your school.)
[Student Club Participation Consent Form]

🤝 Strong Minds, Kind Hearts: SEL at SVE ✨

🌟 September Character Trait: Respect 🌟

This month at SVE, our SEL focus is Respect—seeing value in people and things, and treating them with care. 💛 Students will learn about respect in class, at assemblies, and across campus.

Cheetahs can earn Cheetah Bucks 🐆 for showing respect, and one student will be celebrated as our Student of the Month! 🎉 Families, join us by talking at home about what respect looks like in your daily routines.

Purposeful People Family Letter

Respect Family Connection Letter

Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

🌞 Morning Arrival

Drop-off is in the front circle drive. Our staff and safety patrol will be there to help your child safely out of the car.
Students enter through the main entrance on the left and head straight to the cafeteria.
Parents walking students in can say goodbye at the designated “hug zone” at the door. A staff member will take it from there.
Monday–Thursday: Assembly begins at 7:25 a.m. and ends at 7:30 a.m. Students arriving after 7:30 go straight to class.
Friday: Assembly runs a little longer, from 7:25–7:40 a.m. Students may enter through the cafeteria doors until 7:40.
Students arriving after 7:40 will be marked tardy.

For safety reasons, parents and caregivers may not enter the main building unless they check in through the office.

🌙 Afternoon Dismissal

Dismissal happens in three different locations:
- Car Riders (PK–1st & siblings): Pick up at the front circle drive (students are dismissed from the 100 pod).
- Car Riders (2nd–5th): Pick up at the back circle drive (students are dismissed from the gym).
- Park & Walk: Pick up at the main entrance. Caregivers show their name plate, and staff will call for your child.
If a child has siblings in PK–1st grade, the family will always follow the PK–1st dismissal plan (even if the PK–1st sibling is absent that day).
Please remind your child to bring everything they need at dismissal. If they forget something, parents may park and accompany their child back to the classroom.

Update: Toys at School Policy

At Sunset Valley, toys are not permitted during the instructional day (bell to bell). This expectation helps us:

Prevent disruptions to learning 🎒📚
Support students in building social skills during unstructured times 🤝
Avoid lost or broken personal belongings 💔🧸
Reduce additional management responsibilities for teachers ⏳

We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing this policy so that our focus remains on learning and growing together.

After School Enrichment for all SVE Cheetahs!

After School Enrichment

We have after-school clubs every day of the week, Monday - Friday. The classes will be held in the only classroom space available after school.

Mondays: Cub Club Cooking

Tuesdays: Film Kids

Wednesdays: Wicked Workshop

Thursdays: ATX Ballers

Fridays: Chess Wizards

For more information on all of these, visit the school site.

Ballet Folklorico Afterschool Program

Ballet Folklorico, our afterschool Mexican dance and culture class, has just 10 spots left per age group. It’s on Wednesdays for grades K-2 and Friday for grades 3-5. Register now

Gifted and Talented Program at SVE

GT Nomination Window Now Open

The GT nomination window is officially open! To learn more about the nomination process and key dates, please visit our SVE GT webpage. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to our GT Coordinator, Saray Maldonado, at saray.maldonado@austinisd.org.

PTA Weekly News

Afterschool programs

Wicked Workshop is an on-campus afterschool making and architecture program. Fall classes are gearing up to start next week September 2—enroll now to save your spot and invite a friend to join you.

We have an engaging set of projects lined up: children will learn about Bee Bricks and Spiral Houses, design spaces for Mysterious Cats and Monster Villains and create Optical Illusions in space, Hinged Houses, Animal Nests, Spiral Houses and Modern Mansions.

Room parents needed

Room parents support the teacher and the classroom throughout the year - make copies, stuff Friday folders, decorate bulletin boards. If you’re able to help out in your child’s classroom or in SpEd, please answer a few questions.

PTA open board positions

The SVE PTA president, Andria, is resigning because her day job is taking up more time than planned. A big thank you for her work in organizing and fundraising for SVE and setting the tone for more this year!

We’re looking not only for a new president, but chairs for Cheetah Fest, Fundraising, Advocacy, and Family Events. Or even just people to co-lead different events. We have a couple of new parents on the board already, and we’re a very collaborative and supportive bunch if you want to dip your toe into the PTA. Check the openings page and get in touch with any questions.

Shoutouts

Mighty Fine Burgers on Brodie donated half of our order to feed our teachers on day 1 of Kagan Training. (The training itself was the big item on Ms. Navarro’s wishlist that PTA was able to fund thanks to the school’s generosity in the Adventure Dash Fun Run last fall.)

HEB on Brodie donated all the sandwiches for the teachers’ Back to School lunch.

School consolidation site

This fall, AISD is working to balance enrollment and resources across the district –this means likely closing some schools and changing school boundaries and transfer policies. Visit austinisd.org/consolidate for all the details.

PTA Board snapshots

Jenna - Treasurer. First year on the Board - Parent to a Kindergartner and 2 year old - second year at SVE. Knowing the district is underfunded and staff underpaid, I want to serve on the PTA board to help fill some gaps and needs for the school at large to thrive.

Julia - Membership. 7 years on the SVE PTA Board, parent of an 8th & 3rd grader. I joined the PTA to learn about and help our teacher(s) & campus. I joined the Board because someone asked me & trusted me, and have found it to be engaging, supportive and family-like.

Extracurricular programs

Run Club, our running community for students, staff and family, will start next week. It meets on Thursdays from September 4th through November 6th. Runners should meet Coach Martinez at 7:00am at the blacktop, wearing running attire. Parents/guardians must complete the Consent to Participate in School-Sponsored Student Clubs form, which you may have already submitted (it only needs to be submitted once, regardless of how many school clubs your student joins).

Does your student enjoy games and having fun with friends? Math Pentathlon students will meet once a week to play games (shh...they’ll actually be practicing math) and compete in a tournament in the spring. We produced six Pentathletes at last year’s tournament. If you’re interested, fill out a short form. We’re also looking for volunteers to help with coaching. If you’re curious, email volunteer@sve-pta.org.

Coming off their second place finish in national competition last year, SVE Cheer is running a fundraiser to help purchase new uniforms and equipment. Consider donating or sharing to help them reach their goal.

Feeding Our Amazing Cheetah Staff

Our Staff Appreciation chair, Monica, has come roaring out the gate with constant feeding of our staff from even before school started, catering events and putting themed snack bars in the staff lounge. Email her to join her Potluck Corps. Some local businesses who’ve helped:

Mighty Fine Burgers on Brodie donated half of our order to feed our teachers on day 1 of Kagan Training. (The training itself was the big item on Ms. Navarro’s wishlist that PTA was able to fund thanks to the community’s generosity in the Adventure Dash Fun Run last fall.)

HEB on Brodie donated all the sandwiches for the teachers’ Back to School lunch.

Room parents needed