Wednesday Word
September 4, 2019
From The Principal
I hope everyone had a great 3-day weekend! As we enter our 3rd full week of school our students and staff are diving into content. Teachers are busy getting our beginning of the year assessments done so we are able to use data to make decisions about how to best meet the academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs of our scholars.
As part of our district's strategic plan Sunflower staff will be intentionally working in teams to ensure we are collaborating more effectively around data in order to have a greater impact on student learning. All staff will be involved in planning units and assessments together and using that data more frequently to address needs in a timely manner to the whole group as well as during our small group time, often referred to as MELO (math extended learning opportunities) and LELO (language arts extended learning opportunities). During this time students are placed in small groups to either remediate or enrich skills based on data we have collected from classroom assessments. Each grade level has a specified time of day when they have extra support from our ISAs (instructional support aides) to help support our scholars who show a need based on the data. Any student in our school could be placed in one of these groups at any time if they demonstrate a need based on data. Our goal is to provide all students the instruction and support they need when they need it.
September is attendance awareness month. The research is clear that regular school attendance has a direct correlation to academic success. Check out the handouts below reviewing the impact of missing school and ideas for how to keep your child's attendance rate high.
Finally, I want to shout out all the parents that showed up for our first PTO meeting last night! We know that parent involvement in a school also has a positive impact on student achievement. We appreciate all you do to support our students and staff at Sunflower!
As always, it is an honor to serve as the principal of Sunflower Elementary,
Melissa Blevins
From The Office
- Monday, Sept 9th – All Kindergarten and 2nd grades
- Tuesday, Sept 10th – All 3rd and 4th grades
- Wednesday, Sept 11th – All 1st and 5th grades
On Thursday, September 12th, we will be conducting a required lockdown drill. As a staff we are committed to ensuring the safety of all students and know the value of practicing for such an event. As a school we have taken precautions and along with district staff, have developed a crisis plan in the event circumstances require us to secure our school. The drill on the 12th of September allows all of us, staff and students, an opportunity to practice our plan. Please be aware that all exterior doors will be locked on Thursday, September 12th starting early morning and will remain locked until the conclusion of our drill. Should you arrive at school during the drill, please know you will not be able to enter the building. Teachers will speak with students prior to the drill to ease any anxiety they may be feeling, but we are also asking that you visit with your child before and after the drill to ease your child's mind or answer questions he or she may have.
Congratulations to Mrs.King winner of Enhanced Dental Care of Lawrence’s Favorite Teacher Award. Fifth Grader, Mila Cruse nominated Mrs. King, her teacher in Kindergarten. Both won gift cards to Amazon and Mrs. King was presented with a special cake made of school supplies.
Spirit Wear
Get your Sunflower spirit wear!
- Please visit the following website to order your Sunflower Elementary School gear!
- Order Deadline is September 20th.
- Questions - contact Kristin Mallory (kmallory@usd497.org) or Marci Leuschen (leuschen@gmail.com)
From The Counselor
FREE Child Safety Seat Inspections:
Friday, 9/6, 9:00-11:00AM
Saturday, 9/7, 9:00-11:30AM @ Dale Willey Automotive
Thursday, 9/12, 9:00-12:00PM
Thursday, 9/26, 5:00-7:30PM
Free inspections are sponsored by Safe Kids of Douglas County Coalition and held at 225 Main Street, Lawrence. Appointments are required.
Join Sunflower Girl Scouts!
Girl Scouts is a great opportunity for girls to develop courage and confidence while participating in activities involving the outdoors, science, technology, business, economic literacy, culture, and arts.
Sunflower has troops for grades 1-5 and we are currently working on the formation of a kindergarten troop. If your daughter is interested in joining, or you would like more information about our local Girl Scout troops and programs, please contact the Sunflower Girl Scout Coordinator, Jessica Hensley (GSJessicaH@gmail.com), for more information.
Upcoming Events
September 5 Career Fair (Kindergarten Mrs.Grimes only) at 3:15
September 9 School Pictures - Kindergarten and Second Grade
September 10 School Pictures - Third and Fourth Grade
September 11 School Pictures - First and Fifth
September 12 Intruder Drill
September 18 Marathon Club Begins
September 24 PTO Fundraiser Kick Off!
September 27 5th Grade Water Festival at 12:15
Sunflower Elementary
Email: melissa.blevins@usd497.org
Website: https://www.usd497.org/sunflower
Location: 2521 Inverness Drive, Lawrence, KS, USA
Phone: 785-832-5870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunflowerElementaryLawrenceKS/