We hope you have enjoyed your summer. We are excited for a new year. Here are a couple of reminders…… 

• The first day of school is August 15th starting at 8 am. It is a short day. Students will be excused @ 12:20. 
• School is excused on Mon-Thurs at 2:20 p.m. 
• School is excused on Fridays at 12:20 p.m.
• Preschool will start Wednesday, Sept. 4 th.
• Parents are allowed to walk students to their classrooms on the first day of school.
• Kindergarten Round-up… Come meet your kindergarten teacher on Aug. 12 from 1-3:30

Back to School/ Meet Your Teacher Drive-Through

Students will be able to meet their teacher at the back-to-school drive through on Wednesday, August 14 from 6:00-7:00 pm.  Teachers will hand out necessary information and greet their new students in front of our schools that evening. Please follow the traffic signs so we can all go with the flow! If you want to learn about the Title 1 funding GVES receives, that meeting will be held @ 5:30 in the gym. 

Single Entry Point

In an effort to continually improve student safety, South Sanpete School District is moving toward secure single entry points, equipped with state-of-the-art key card systems. This will control access to the building, restrict unauthorized entry, and improve visitor management.

 The front doors will now lock at 8:15 a.m After that time visitors will have to ring in at the front door on a video doorbell. The outside door will remain locked until school personnel is alerted and the doors are unlocked from the inside. Visitors will then be required to check in at the front office. 

We understand that this is a change, and will be a work in progress, but we feel this is a positive transition. As in any transition, we expect there to be a learning curve and a few bumps along the way. Your patience, understanding, and cooperation is greatly appreciated as we make this transition.  

Student registration

Power School will be available on August 1st  for you to log in and complete/edit your student/s online registration. Please complete registration as soon as possible. All registrations need to be completed by August 15, 2024. Registration works better on a computer or iPad.  If you need access to a computer or iPad, please stop by the office between 8 a.m.- 3 p.m. We are happy to help you. If you need assistance in Spanish, we will have an interpreter available from 10-2 on August 13 and 14. 

Lunch and breakfast

The lunch application is online. Please fill it out when completing your student’s registration. It is located on the school forms page above your student’s name. (See below)

 Lunch and breakfast will NOT be free for all students for the 2024-25 school year. 

 Full Price elementary lunch … $2.15

Full price elementary breakfast … $1.30

Reduced price elementary lunch … $.40

Reduced price elementary lunch … $ .30

 Please complete the Free and Reduced lunch application on the district website. Much of our funding for paraeducators and other school programs are tied to these applications. There are also other government funded programs  for parents and families that are tied to these applications. All P-EBT funding payments are based on your free and reduced lunch applications. 

 The lunch program is a PRE-PAID program.  Charging lunches will not be allowed.  Lunch can be paid for online or in the office with cash, check or a card.  The website you will use to pay online is https://secure3.myschoolfees.com.  You will need your students 5 digit ID from their powerschool account to set up an account.

 Kindergarten

Kindergarten Round-up will be Mon. Aug. 12 from 1-3:30. Come in and see your classroom and meet your teacher. Kindergarten will start on Aug. 15.  Gunnison Valley Elementary offers full-day kindergarten for all students. If students are not attending full-day, they will attend the morning session from 7:55 a.m. -11:00 a.m. No mid-day busing will be provided. If your student is not attending full day kindergarten, parents/guardians will be responsible for the mid-day transportation.  Full-day participation is a parent decision. We do not want you to feel pressure either way.   

 Transportation

If you are bringing your student to school, please do not drop them off before 7:20 a.m. The doors will remain locked until 7:20. All students need to come through the front door. Please use the student drop off lane. Do not pull in the bus lane or drop your students off on the curb . 

If you are picking your student up from school, please wait in your car. Teachers will walk students  to your car.  

 Bus routes will start the same as they did last year. Adjustments will be made as needed. You can find the routes at ssanpete.org. Look under resources; then transportation. 

 In order to keep all students safe, students will only be able to ride their assigned bus. They will not be allowed to switch buses to go to an alternate location after school.  

 If you are picking up your student and they normally ride the bus home, please make all after school pick-up arrangements with their teacher the day before. We usually only have one secretary in the office and it is impossible for her to make all the changes that are called-in the last few minutes of the day.

 We have many children with allergies. Please do not send food on the bus with your children. If they have snacks in their backpack, they need to wait until they are off the bus to eat them.  

 Community Council

The duties of the Gunnison Valley Elementary Community Council are to advise and make recommendations to the school, school district administrators and the South Sanpete School Board regarding our school and our programs, district programs, and other issues relating to the environment of the school. The Community Council has six members; four parents, one teacher, and the principal.  Membership on the Community Council is limited to parents of children who will be enrolled in Gunnison Valley Elementary School. Nominations for one parent position can be submitted until September 13, 2024. Nominations to the Community Council may be done in writing or by phone 435-528-7880.  Any parent of a child currently enrolled in Gunnison Valley Elementary School may make nominations.  You may nominate yourself or someone else.  Nominees will be contacted before their names are placed on the ballot.  You can find more information on the website ssanpete.org. Look under schools,  Gunnison Valley Elementary, Community Council, Parent Involvement. 

 Late Arrival

If your student is late, please remind them to check in at the office before they go to class. If it is after 8:15, they will have to ring the front office to be let in. Small children may require help getting in. 

 Checking students out of school

When you need to check your student out of school, please call or come to the office to check him/her out. Please DO NOT go directly to the classroom. The office personnel will call him/her to the office.  

 Lost and Found

Please put your student’s name and phone number on his/her coat, jacket and backpack. Every year we donate  MANY items.  We would love to return items to their owners instead. It also helps us avoid student conflicts when students have matching items. 

Pledge of Allegiance

The state legislature has passed a law requiring all schools to have the students recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of each day in every classroom. 

 Dress Code

The following are highlights from the district’s dress and grooming policy that particularly apply to elementary age students. The entire policy is available on the Internet at www.ssanpete.org, policy JFCA. These dress standards will be enforced at school and all school activities. 

* Hairstyles that are conspicuous, extreme, or odd shall not be allowed when they draw undue attention and distraction or disruption.

* Hair color shall be within the spectrum of natural hair colors. Modest color streaks are allowed.

* All clothes must be clean and appropriate. 

(No tank type shirts, halters, bare midriffs. Shirts must cover students’ mid-section. Shorts and skirts need to be close to the knee.)

* No pajamas or other sleeping attire (unless specified as a dress-up day or activity)

* No obscene, lewd, sexual innuendos, racial, ethnic, indecent, vulgar, violent, or inappropriate saying, writing, diagrams, or pictures are allowed on clothing or personal belongings, e.g. notebooks, backpacks, gym bags, water bottles, lockers, badges, patches, etc. 

* No skate shoes, bedroom slippers, or bare feet are allowed at any time. 

Violence and Bullying Incidences

Violence and bullying will not be allowed in our schools. The complete policies are available at www.ssanpete.org, policies JG, JGA, and JH. The age of our students is considered as we deal with discipline problems, but we would like you to remind your children that guns and knives are not allowed. This includes toy knives and guns. 

Concussions

The long-term consequences of concussions are a concern for parents and schools. The school board has adopted a policy dealing with concussions. The policy is available at www.ssanpete.org, policy JL. Our fourth and fifth graders play dodgeball, which has some risk of concussion associated with it. If you do not want your child to participate in dodgeball please contact the school. 

General District Policies

The following are other policies you may be interested in. Again, they are found at www.ssanpete.org

* Student Conduct and Discipline Policy JG

* Attendance and Truancy Policy JE

* Electronic Devices Policy JGB

* Bullying and Hazing Policy JGA

Family Education Right and Privacy Disclosure

School directory information including student’s name, address, phone number, email, photos, honors and awards, and dates of attendance may be released on a limited basis to the PIC, the Utah Health Department, the local newspaper, GVES newsletter, and other similar groups or for similar purposes, but for the most part this information will remain confidential. If you do not want this information used, please contact the principal, Arleen Jensen, at 528-7880.

Important Dates:

  Sept. 2-3     Labor Day.. No School 

  Sept. 4  Preschool starts

  Sept. 10 School Pictures

  Sept. 13 Community Council Nominations due

  Sept. 30 Parent Teacher Conference 

  Oct. 21-22 Fall Break