Wednesday Word
September 20, 2019
From The Principal
We have enjoyed celebrating American Education Week! We have been shouting out staff all week and sharing notes of appreciation. We will have a popcorn bar for staff today during our professional development and on Friday we are providing a caramel apple bar for all staff.
I want to also shout out the First Southern Baptist Church here in Lawrence for the generous monetary donation as well as an incredible donation of coats, gloves and handmade scarves! We appreciate you! (see the picture below)
Finally, during this time of year when we are focused on gratitude I just want to express how grateful I am to work with amazing staff members, families and students every single day! Thank you to you all for making Sunflower a great place to work and learn!
As always it is an honor to serve as the principal of Sunflower Elementary.
Melissa Blevins
From The Office
Save all your Checkers and Hy-Vee receipts from the holiday and send them with your students!
- Participating Checkers store is located at - 2300 Louisiana Street
- Participating Hy-vee stores -Clinton Parkway
Friends of Education
Congratulations to Kristi Knox, Sunflower's Friend of Education winner! Rain, sleet, snow or shine, Kristi is in the circle drive helping our car riders and the flow of traffic in the mornings. She helps our tardy kids enter the building and ensures they get tardy slips. She also gets here early for every party blocking off the circle so people don’t park there to ensure that the circle drive is clear for dismissal. Kristi has been an active parent volunteer since 2013. She has 4 children with 3 that attended Sunflower, Symon, Carter, Sam and Lydia. She is currently the Secretary of PTO, leads Marathon Club and supervises twice a week, room parent, served on 5th grade recognition committee. Kristi will be honored today, November 20th at a district reception at 110 McDonald Dr (Education Support Center) @5:30pm
From The Counselor
FREE COAT & SOCKS
Friday, November 22nd at Sunflower Elementary School
If you would like your student to receive a free winter coat and/or socks, just let Julie Heatwole, school counselor, know via email, jheatwol@usd497.org or phone, 785-330-4860 by November 21st! The students will have an opportunity to choose a coat in their size (AND...socks)!
-If you would like to donate new hats, gloves, and/or mittens, please drop them off in the counselor's office anytime by tomorrow, November 21st. These donations will be added to the coat and sock drive for students to receive!
Positive Action Lessons (Social Curriculum) for the Months of November & December:
Classroom teachers and the counselor will be teaching the Unit about Managing Yourself Using Social/Emotional Positive Actions. This unit emphasizes the choices individuals make about resources over which they are stewards. Positive Action refers to these resources as the eight gifts: time, talent, energy, thoughts, feelings, actions, possessions, and money. Everyone possesses some share of these eight “gifts” and much of our pleasure and success in life depends on the positive management choices one makes in their use. Emotions are especially crucial to anyone’s happiness. They add zest and interest to life, but they can also be destructive. A person must learn to control emotions, not be controlled by them. The nine specific feelings discussed are: anger, worry, jealousy, pride, fear, loneliness, thankfulness, discouragement, and love.
Students are learning the following ideas:
Time: when something happens – a period of seconds, minutes, hours, etc.
Energy: the force to do something.
Possessions: things that you are responsible for.
Money: coins & bills.
Talent: an ability that can be developed with grit, practice, perseverance, etc.
Thoughts: ideas that result from thinking.
Actions: what you do or cause to happen.
Feelings: emotions such as anger, fear, love, & worry.
From PTO
Lend A Hand Project
Please consider helping to give a Sunflower Family a great Holiday Season this year! This is also an excellent opportunity to teach giving to your student(s). We have partnered with the Ballard Center to be matched with families belonging to Sunflower Elementary to assist this year. A display (will soon be) OR (is) in the foyer that will contain mittens with a gift listed on it from the families wish list. Should you wish to participate, take a mitten and then go shopping!! Once the gift has been purchased, please bring the UNWRAPPED gift, attach the mitten SECURELY to the gift, and then return the gift to Mrs. Heatwole. All gifts must be returned by Wednesday, December 11. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Sarah Meinershagen at 785-218-8103 (call or text) or smeinershagen@gmail.com (email). Thank you for helping bring the spirit of the Holiday Season to Sunflower Elementary!
Upcoming Events
November Calendar
- 20- Friend of Education Reception 5:30 pm - District Office
- 22- New coats & socks distribution
- 26- 2nd Grade to Kansas History Museum 9 - 2
- 26- Kindergarten Fall Feast 2:45-3:30 pm
- 27-29 Fall Break
December Calendar
- 3- New dismissal procedures begin
- 3- Food Pantry- 3:15- 4:45 pm
- 3- PTO Meeting -7:00 pm
- 5- ESL Women's Group- 4:15 pm
- 10- 5th Grade Choir to Crown Center- 10:45 am performance
- 12- 4th Grade Choir Caroling- 9:00 - 11:30 am
- 17- Food Pantry- 3:15- 4:45 pm
- 17- 1st Grade Music Program- 6:00 pm/ Ice Cream Social to follow
- 17-Choir Winter Program- 7:15 pm/ Ice Cream Social to follow
- 20- Winter Parties- 11:15 am
- 20- Noon Dismissal NO AFTERNOON BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB
- 23- Jan 7 Winter Break