Back To School
August 27, 2020
Translation
- This newsletter can now be translated to any language using the button in the upper right hand corner of the newsletter.
- Todos nuestros boletines ahora se pueden traducir a cualquier idioma usando el botón en la esquina superior derecha del boletín.
- Xiànzài, nín kěyǐ shǐyòng xīnwén tōngxùn yòushàng jiǎo de ànniǔ jiāng suǒyǒu xīnwén tōngxùn fānyì chéng rènhé yǔyán.
- yumkin alan tarjamat jmye rasayilina al'iikhbariat 'iilaa 'ayi lughat biastikhdam alziri almawjud fi alrukn al'ayman alealawii min alrisalat al'iikhbariat.
Welcome back to school! I know you are anxiously awaiting class placement information and I am happy to announce it will be in your inbox this Friday afternoon! Families will receive an email with their child's classroom teacher's name. At the bottom of the email will be a list of Sign Up Genius links for all classroom teachers and staff. Please click the link of your child's classroom teacher to sign up for a listening and learning conference during September 1-3. These will be held virtually for grades 1-5 and we will host our incoming kindergarten families on site in the courtyard between Sunflower and Southwest Middle School. Please wear a mask.
In addition, placement requests will be extremely difficult to honor due to the factors that had to be taken into consideration in developing them. First, we had to determine which learning plan students enrolled in. Hybrid and Term Remote means students will be placed on a Sunflower class list and be taught by a Sunflower teacher. Year remote does not guarantee a Sunflower teacher and students will be placed in grade level classes with students from around the district. Next was the alphabet cut. We had to align siblings from high school and middle school and insure they were on the same day in the event we come back to a hybrid model. Lastly, we have to follow CDC guidelines and keep our numbers for each class below a certain number. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
I wanted to make sure families understand the types of learning plans. Please see the explanations below.
1. Hybrid-Students are remote for the first 6 weeks and will come back into the building in a hybrid model when deemed safe to do so. Will be placed on a Sunflower class list with a Sunflower teacher.
2. Term Remote-Students are remote for the first trimester. At the end of the first trimester these families will need to decide whether they will stay remote for the remainder of the year (and will be transferred to a distance learning classroom-not a Sunflower classroom) or they will come back to the building in a hybrid model and remain with their Sunflower teacher and classmates.
3. Year Remote-Students will be assigned a distance learning teacher and are not guaranteed a Sunflower teacher. Students will be placed in grade level classrooms with students from all over the district. If you chose this option your class placement email will come from the district office and not Sunflower.
Currently, Sunflower has 335 hybrid students, 63 term remote students and 50 students who have chosen year remote.
Finally, I have attached our Sunflower remote learning master schedule below. Teachers will be giving you more specific schedules that detail their live lessons (at least 5 per day and 3 per day on early release Wednesday). You will learn more next week during our listening and learning conferences. Families will be able to access schedules and assignments at our Sunflower School Landing Page linked here. I have also attached Lawrence Public Schools Remote Learning Handbook for Families.
As always it is an honor to serve as the principal of Sunflower Elementary.
Melissa Blevins
iPad and Supply Pick Up-Mark Your Calendars!
- We will be handing out iPads, chargers and other supplies you will need for our first 6 weeks of remote learning on September 2nd and 3rd.
- Please check the schedule below for your pick up time. You will drive through the circle drive during you designated pick up time.
- Kindergarten students will pick up their iPads and supplies when they come for their scheduled in-person conferences on September 1-3.
- If you are a new family to Lawrence Public Schools with students in grades 1-5, please set up an appointment with our IT department to pick up your iPad at 785-330-4357.
- If you are a returning family and did not pick up an iPad in the spring you will be given one during our supply pick up, if you have an iPad from last year you will keep that device for this year.
- If you are transferring schools within Lawrence Public Schools and did not pick up an iPad in the spring, please call your school from last year to secure your device.
- If you are year remote you will still pick up your iPad from Sunflower
- Please contact Miss Zee in the front office if you need an alternative time to pick up supplies.
- We also have extra school supplies. Please contact Julie Heatwole if you are interested. jheatwole@usd497.org.
- All supplies from last year that will be disposed of the Friday to make room for all of our new supplies. If you have not picked up last year's supplies and you would like to, please contact Miss Zee in the front office and make arrangements for pick up.
- If you purchased a yearbook online they will be inside your supply bag. Yearbooks will also be on sale during our supply pick up times, $15 cash or check.
Food Pantry
New Family Orientation-AM Session
Welcome new families! Join me for a live Q and A session about Sunflower. Please RSVP for the morning session below. We will meet virtually and I have placed the meeting link below. If you have specific questions please submit them prior to the meeting using the Google Survey link below.
Monday, Aug 31, 2020, 10:00 AM
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New Family Orientation-PM Session
Welcome new families! Join me for a live Q and A session about Sunflower. Please RSVP for the evening session below. We will meet virtually and I have placed the meeting link below. If you have specific questions please submit them prior to the meeting using the Google Survey link below.
Monday, Aug 31, 2020, 06:00 PM
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RSVPs are enabled for this event.
From Lawrence Public Schools Special Education Department
To our families of students with IEPs. We think it's important for you to know our general and special education teachers are working hard together. Together, we are looking at our general education schedules and coming up with ideas on how to layer in specific IEP needs and services for our learners in special education. Teams are getting creative and coming up with exciting ways to reach students remotely. Expect to hear from them soon during virtual parent teacher conferences. Knowing parents are an integral part of student learning during the first six weeks of remote learning (and always), our special education teachers look forward to discussing plans for supporting your student.
Mark Your Calendars
August 31-New Family Orientation (9am and 6pm)
September 1-3-Listening and Learning Conferences and iPad/Supply Pick-Up
September 7-Labor Day
September 8-First Day of School!
End of This Week's Newsletter-Below are items from last week's newsletter In case you missed it.
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)-Kindergarten Parents
The state of Kansas is focusing on Kindergarten Readiness, and because the first five years of life are so important, we want to partner with you to ensure the best start for your child.
You've been invited to complete two Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ-3 and ASQ- SE). These are snapshot tools to help you record development and provide us with a more complete picture of your child.
You will be asked to answer questions about some things your child can and cannot do. The questionnaire includes questions about your child's communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal social skills.
You can access the questionnaires at the links below.
Yard Sign Spirit Sale!
From PTO
We’ve got Spirit, Yes we do!
We’ve got spirit, How ‘bout you?!
Sunflower PTO has created a yard sign for purchase as a way to show our Sunflower Spirit! We are beginning a new school year unlike any before. These signs are a great way to get your scholar excited and show that no matter what, we are “Sunflower Strong”.
You may purchase a sign at the link below. The signs are $15.00 and will be distributed at school supply pickup.
Gearing Up For the School Year!
If your family is in need of school supplies this year, please contact the office. The Lawrence Schools Foundation and the United Way have teamed up again this year and will donate school supplies for our scholars who need assistance obtaining supplies. The supplies will be delivered directly to Sunflower in September.
Ci3T-BEST Online Expectations
AVID Elementary
Need Powerschool Help? Here You Go!
Land Acknowledgement
Did you know that our elementary school sits on the land of the Sioux, Kansa, Osage, and Kickapoo people? This means that these groups were the first inhabitants of this land.
-What else would you like to learn about these indigenous groups?
-What else would you like to learn about our school's location?
Sunflower Elementary
Website: https://www.usd497.org/sunflower
Location: 2521 Inverness Drive, Lawrence, KS, USA
Phone: 785-832-5670
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunflowerElementaryLawrenceKS