The Eagle Soars
Sunflower Elementary - August 16, 2019
Happy New (School) Year!
Mark your calendars!
Monday, August 19 Primary Family Information Night
- Kindergarten 6:00 pm
- 1st Grade 6:30 pm
- 2nd Grade 7:00 pm
Tuesday, August 20 Intermediate Family Information Night
- 3rd Grade 6:30 pm
- 4th Grade 7:00 pm
Saturday, August 24 Family Color Run 5:30-7:00 pm - more information below
View our online calendar (select individual events for more details):
Notes from the office
Online Absence Reporting
If your student has an excused absence due to illness, appointment, funeral or family emergency, please use the online absence reporting link on Skyward as soon as possible. If we haven't heard from parents by 9:00 am, we will call to check on your child. You can also call in student absences to the absentee line at 913-856-3749.
Out of Town Absences
If your family is planning to go out of town and your student will miss any days of school, this is technically an unexcused absence (per district handbook). Please email Dr. Jones at jonesja@usd231.com ahead of time. This will allow us to take a look at previous attendance history and determine whether or not the absence will be excused.
Change of Dismissal Instructions
Please let your child's teacher know how your child will be leaving school ahead of time. If you need to make a change during the day, contact the office with a phone call, preferably no later than 3:00 pm. A child will not be allowed to go home in a different manner unless we hear from you. Thank you for your understanding as we work to ensure all of our students arrive home safely.
Birthday Treats
Parents/Guardians should coordinate with classroom teachers in advance. Please drop off treats and all necessary supplies (e.g. napkins, serving utensil, etc.) in the office. Teachers will retrieve and distribute treats at a suitable time to limit instructional disruptions. As an alternative, families are encouraged to celebrate in non-food oriented ways including the purchase of small tokens such as pencils and stickers, or, donate a book or a game.
color run
Mrs. Engemann, Sunflower PE Teacher, is so excited to announce our first ever Family Color Run/Walk! This event will be held Saturday, August 24th from 5:00 to 7:30 pm. Details are in the downloadable flyer below. Bring your families and have some fun!
Mrs. Engemann is looking for several helpers to serve hot dogs, spray water on the participants before the race, throw colored powder at the participants, be a photographer at the finish line, or pass out a frozen treat to the finishers. Please use this Sign Up Genius (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090B49A8A822AAF49-family) to sign up to help at our first ever Family Color Run/Walk!
Drop Off and Pickup...Intimidating?
Please take a moment to watch our fun "how-to" video on how to navigate the drop off and pick up lines!
In order to keep the car line moving, if your student is not able to buckle their seatbelt on their own, please pull forward and park before assisting them...or you are more than welcome to use the Park and Walk Parking Lot to pick them up at the front door. This is also to keep everyone...parents, students, and staff members...safe!
Watch D.O.G.S. and Eagle M.O.M.S. kickoff
Attention All Moms & Dads!
What: Information Meeting
When: August 29, 2019 at 6:00 pm
Where: Sunflower Elementary
We will be having an information meeting for adults only about our Watch D.O.G.S. and Eagle M.O.M.S. programs for the 2019-20 school year. Childcare will not be provided.
Watch D.O.G.S. is an innovative program being used by schools across America that helps students to be positively impacted by the committed involvement of fathers and father-figures in their student’s life.
Eagle M.O.M.S. is a program that we have implemented here at Sunflower. We want our moms to also be an active part of our school. The specific goal of this initiative is to enhance our students’ educational success.
Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 29th from 6:00-7:00 pm. Official Watch D.O.G.S. and Eagle M.O.M.S. t-shirts will be available to order.
Girls on the Run is Back at Sunflower!!!
Online registration is currently open at www.gotrkc.org. Our season begins September 9. Our GOTR team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays after school.
If you are interested in helping coach our GOTR team, please email Mrs. Engemann at engemannc@usd231.com or contact the Sunflower office. To be an official coach, there is a free training scheduled for August 20th (there is a later training scheduled in KCMO).
Dalaena Karlin, mom of 3rd grader Emily Karlin and assistant GOTR coach, says "Any family member of a girl in Girls on the Run can also register to run the 5K with their student. The 5K is a celebratory fun run they can walk, skip, dance, or run. It's not a race!"
For more information, please download the flyer below.
SCHOOL SAFETY
You will need to present your ID each and every time you enter Sunflower. And even though you may are our next door neighbor, we will still ask you to hold your ID up to the camera. (I like to tell parents that I would still have to ask my very own husband to show me his driver's license!)
If you need to drop off something for your student, for example, their lunch, there will be a table available for parents to drop it off each time as well. Just make sure to notify the front office who the item(s) are for.
YOUNG REMBRANDTS ART CLASSES
Young Rembrandts is back with new and fun drawing lessons! If your kids are new to art or seasoned pros they will love these classes that teach drawing and coloring techniques as well as art history. Classes begin August 19th and are open to kids 1st - 4th grade. Sessions will be held on Mondays from 3:35 to 4:35 pm.
For more information and how to register, please open the flyer below!
What's for Lunch (and Breakfast)?
Click here for our lunch schedule and lunch menus. There's also an app that you can download for your phone called "Nutrislice" where you can pull up the breakfast and lunch menus.
Click here for our District Nutrition Services webpage where you can catch up on the latest special events, order classroom catering, apply for free & reduced lunches, and see the lunch prices for the 18-19 school year.
To pay for lunches, you can either pay online via Skyward (the same way you paid for the $70 Instruction Material fee when you enrolled) or bring cash or check into the school office.
Sunflower PTO
We invite everyone to join the Sunflower PTO Facebook page. By searching "Gardner Sunflower PTO" under Pages, you will be able to join the group and receive updated PTO information.
site council
The Sunflower Site Council will be meeting at 6 pm in the library on the following dates: 9/17/19, 11/12/19, 2/11/20, 4/14/20.
All meetings are open to the public.
Kansas schools are required to establish site councils composed of the principal, teachers and other school personnel, parents, business representatives, and other community groups.
Site councils have a responsibility to provide advice and counsel in the following areas: evaluating district and school performance goals and objectives, determining methods to meet those goals and objectives, and other areas as requested by the board of education.
Remember, the work of the site council is advisory only; it makes recommendations, not decisions.
GEYCP Events Coming Up
Gardner Edgerton Youth & Community Programs has some fun events and activities to start the school year!
- Middle School Kickball Tournament
- Jr. Blazerettes Dance Team (Grades 5-8)
- Theater Production of Once Upon A Mattress (Grades 5-8)
- Building Blazers Volleyball Skills Academy (Grades 2-6)
- Youth Experience Volleyball (Ages 4-6)
Registration can be found at www.usd231.com/o/ycp.
Little Blazer Cheer Clinic
Each year the Gardner Edgerton High School Cheerleaders host a cheer camp for individuals in grades K-6. We are proud to say that GEHS cheerleaders have been hosting this camp and "Building Blazers" for over twenty years!
This program is divided into two parts: a clinic and a game.
On Wednesday, September 18th, we will host the clinic at GEHS from 5:30 pm-8:00 pm. Check In will be from 5:00 pm-5:30 pm in the Auxiliary Gym at GEHS. The cheerleaders will teach our Little Blazers chants, cheers and safe stunting.
On Friday, September 20th, the Little Blazers will attend the home football game versus Lawrence High School. They will be cheering on the track with the high school cheerleaders during the first quarter of the game. If the game on Friday, September 20th should be rained out, the make-up game will take place on Friday, October 4th.
The cost is $40 which includes a cheer t-shirt, bow and poms to be used/worn at the game. One adult will be admitted for free the night of the game.
Early registration deadline to enroll is Friday, September 6th. GEYCP is helping with enrollments and will only be taking online registrations.
Registration and information can be found here: http://bit.ly/2ORNN30.