Wednesday Word

Dear Sunflower Families,

We want to shout out all the parents who helped with our friendship parties. A great time was had by all!

Just a reminder that our International Night is back and we are in need of families who are willing to host a booth showcasing your cultural heritage. We all have culture, whether that heritage can be traced to International, Native or even local roots. We all have something to share. Please contact vbuselt@usd497.org or msoukup@usd497.org to secure your booth. Please help us make this a great learning event for our scholars!

Mr. Diacon has been here and will be here for the next couple of weeks to help me during a busy spring season of staff evaluations, preparing for kindergarten orientation, state assessments and more. I appreciate the extra support and the scholars are enjoying it too!

Our Read-A-Thon kicked off on Monday! Don't forget to log those reading minutes!

As always it is an honor to serve as the Principal of Sunflower Elementary.

Melissa Blevins

We are excited to bring Sunflower's International Night back after Covid. It will be held on March 2nd from 6:00-7:00. Please click on the invitation below to learn more and to sign up for your own table. Scholars will be bringing home the dolls below to decorate for our celebration. If you would like more information you can contact Molly Soukup (msoukup@usd497.org) or Valisha Buselt (vbuselt@usd497.org).

Know a Sunflower staff member that deserves a shout out?! Fill out the google form below! We use these shout outs as nominations for our staff member of the month recognition.

We have two openings at this time. One for a full-time Paraprofessional and one for our Lead Lunchroom Monitor. This position works Monday-Friday from 10:45-1:15. You can apply online by clicking the linked job titles or contact Melissa Blevins at melissa.blevins@usd497.org.

Use the sign up below to volunteer in our lunch room!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C45A8AE2DA5FCC70-lunchroom

If you have great photos of our students at school events/clubs, we would love to have them for the yearbook! The more photos we get, the better the yearbook will be!

The yearbook staff will review all photos and determine the final yearbook content. We cannot guarantee that all submissions will be used in the book. Pictures will be accepted until March 1st. Please label them so we know what grade level each photo is.

Please email your pictures to Nancy at nlett@usd497.org.

Read-a-Thon

Our Read-a-thon starts Monday February 13, 2023. Next week we will send home instructions on how to activate your reader's personal page. This is where you will be able to view and record their progress.

We encourage you to activate your reader’s account today by clicking on https://www.read-a-thon.com/readers/r/eqDMkZ/1 and following the simple instructions.

All funds raised from Read-a-Thon will be used for the Educational Support Fund & Teacher Classroom Start-up Fund.

2/7 PTO Meeting Minutes

Meeting minutes can be found here

Teacher conference meals
Conferences are coming!
Wednesday, March 8th we will be providing easy grab and go items. Thursday, March 9th we will have a taco bar set up as well as sides and desserts.
Please have items for Wednesday in the teachers lounge by 1:30 pm and on Thursday by 10 am.

Sign up to bring items here

MARK YOUR CALENDARS for the 2023 Sunflower Elementary Community Fun Run/Walk and Tot Trot! This year's event will take place at 9am on Saturday, April 29, at Sunflower Elementary. Whether you're a walker, runner, skipper, or even jumper, all are welcome to participate!

Sign up here: 2023 Sunflower Elementary Community Fun Run/Walk Sign UP

INTERESTING IN DONATION TO THE EVENT?! Our event wouldn't be possible without our amazing business and personal sponsorships! Here's how you can donate:

• Email Becky Armstrong at becky.r.armstrong@gmail.com for more information for how to donate via PayPal or check
• Donate via our website link above by selecting the "Donate" tab at the top of the page (FYI: 4% fee added onto donation via website)
• Or....pick up a form in front of the Sunflower office.

We can't wait to see you on race day!

Garden Club will meet Feb 1st at 7:45am

Garden Week is March 4th - 10th!

Girl Scout Troop 1571 is coming Saturday, March 4th, from 9am - 2pm. Their goal that day is to move the existing 6 raised beds into our new configuration. We are opening up this day for parents and families to come and help. We will have to empty dirt from the beds, move them in place and refill with dirt.

If there are any gardeners/farmers with a rototiller, we could till up the space for the 2 new ground beds that day too.

Are your students interested in garden club? Fill out the link below:

https://forms.gle/JdoaVztTG1VGHtWv9

Feb. 20 - President's Day - No School

Mar. 2 - International Night @6pm

Mar. 3 - No School

Mar. 6 - K-2 to Lied Center

Mar. 7 - 5th to School of Econ

Mar. 8 - Conferences

Mar. 9 - No School - Conferences

Mar. 10 - No School

Mar. 13 - 17 - Spring Break - No School

March 31-PTO Sponsored Glow Party