Email: dupreet@usd231.com
Website: https://www.usd231.com/o/sunflower
Location: 775 North Center Street, Gardner, KS, USA
Phone: 913-856-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sunflower-Elementary-2134875270174250/
Twitter: @SEEagles231
April 9th: Site Council Meeting 6:00pm
April 10th: Early Release Day- Dismiss at 1:55pm
April 11th: Kindergarten Field Trip
April 12th: 2nd Grade Field Trip
April 16th: Sunflower Showcase
PTO Board Elections 7:00pm
April 17th: Early Release Day- Dismiss at 1:55pm
April 18th: 1st Grade Goodies, Games, & GRANDS Event
1st Grade Musical at 7:00pm
April 19th: PTO Spirit Stick Sales 8:00-8:20am
April 23rd: 4th Grade Field Trip
April 24th: Early Release Day- Dismiss at 1:55pm
April 25th: 1st Grade Field Trip
April 26th: 3rd Grade Field Trip
PTO Family Movie Night 6:30pm
April 30th: Preschool Field Trip
May 1st: Early Release Day- Dismiss at 1:55pm
May 10th: Field Day
A unique experience will occur on April 8th as a total solar eclipse will cross North America. It is noteworthy that the Kansas City metro will experience a partial solar eclipse. At its peak the sun will be about 90% covered by the moon with the maximum eclipse at 1:54 p.m. Staff members throughout the Gardner Edgerton School District are preparing for the April 8th solar eclipse with an emphasis on both learning and safety. Principals and teachers will determine the level of eclipse participation for their students based on grade level. Solar eclipse viewing glasses will be provided for every student and staff member at Sunflower Elementary School.
On August 21, 2017, the Kansas City metro experienced a near total eclipse with our schools taking part in eclipse-related activities and viewing across the district. While the 2024 eclipse will not be as complete for us in the Kansas City metro, both of these eclipses can be described as the chance of a lifetime due to the rarity of such events. This is especially relevant knowing that the next opportunity to view a total solar eclipse from the contiguous United States will occur on August 23, 2044.
More information related to the eclipse can be accessed by visiting the NASA website:
https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/
We appreciate our Sunflower Families supporting our school's fundraising efforts! Sunflower students raised $2,666.25 with the Major Saver Fundraiser! We will use these funds to purchase art supplies for our quarterly art assemblies, help with field trips, school wide assemblies, field day supplies, eagle point milestone activities, treasure chest prizes and so much more!
If you are planning on your child attending a different school or district next fall, please contact the office at 913-856-3700 or use this link to fill out a survey. This will greatly assist us in making classroom & staffing decisions for the 2023-24 school year.
(Current 4th Grade parents do not need to complete the survey.)
The staff and I are beginning to plan for next school year and will be developing classes based on our best estimate of the enrollment projections for next year. We are planning to finalize the list by August so that class assignments can be sent home prior to Meet the Teacher Night. About this time of year, we begin to hear from parents requesting a specific teacher for next year. They want the “best teacher” for their child, and believe they know who that is based on what they have seen or heard.
As the principal, I visit classrooms and observe teaching and student learning. I know the instructional skills of every teacher and I could not, in all honesty, tell you who the very best teacher on the faculty is, because no one teacher is the best at everything.
When we assign classes, we try to make them heterogeneous. The other factors we consider are: the student’s achievement level, learning style, social-emotional needs, and citizenship. We group children for instructional purposes and placing them in classes based on other factors would defeat that purpose. The key ingredient in this process is trust. Please trust us to make the best decisions for your student’s educational placement.
Dr. Jason Jones, Principal
All accounts for K-7 and 9-11 students must be paid in full by the last day of school. Fees for Peer Model, 8th graders and seniors are due by May 1. Now is the time to make plans to pay these fees before the deadline. Please contact Janet at 913-856-3700 if you have any questions about fees still owed or if you need to set up a payment plan.
Application deadline for benefits with Nutrition Services is the last day of the 23-24 school year. To apply for benefits online, please use the Nutrition Services link http://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. If you have already completed the survey but have questions regarding your benefits, please email Nutrition Services at nutrition@usd231.com.
Share Your Travels
Have you recently taken an amazing trip or have lived somewhere other than the Midwest? We would like to highlight the location on our new segments during announcements...World Wide Wednesday! Reach out to Mrs. Rains (rainsj@usd231.com) or Mr. Prall (prallg@usd231.com) with photos and we will do the rest.
Watch this video for our latest example. Share Your Travels Video
IF YOUR STUDENT...
...HAS AN EXCUSED ABSENCE due to illness, appointment, funeral or family emergency, please email the attendance line SEattendance@usd231.com 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.
...WILL BE LATE TO SCHOOL, please let our office know ahead of time (if possible). When your student arrives at school, they will need to stop by the office first, and the secretaries will give them a hall pass.
...WILL BE ABSENT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING OUT OF TOWN, this is considered an UNEXCUSED absence, unless preapproved by Dr. Jones. Please do not just tell the teacher! Please request approval in writing by emailing Dr. Jones at jonesja@usd231.com.
...NEEDS TO LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY, you can call to let us know you are on your way, but students will not be called out of class UNTIL a parent is present to sign them out. Please plan ahead for appointments, as we would like to minimize missed class time. You will need to come into the office to sign your student out. You won't be able to park outside and call us to send your student out to you.
...HAS DIFFERENT DISMISSAL INSTRUCTIONS, please call the office as soon as possible. If change of dismissal instructions are received after 3:00 pm, we can do our best to relay the message to your student.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...
If you notify your student's teacher of an absence, please also let the office know. Everybody's lives are crazy and busy...everybody's human...everybody can forget to forward an email on to the appropriate person. So, if you send an email to your student's teacher about an absence, please "cc" Terra (dupreet@usd231.com) and Janet (mcconvillej@usd231.com). That way, at least one of us gets the email and gets it taken care of right away. Thank you!!
The Sunflower Site Council will be meeting at 6 pm in the library on the following dates:
September 5, 2023, December 5, 2023, February 6, 2024, April 9, 2024
All meetings are open to the public.
A special meeting has been scheduled for March 5th to conduct a building needs assessment as part of the districts budgeting process for next school year.
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.
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.
Sign up online to be a role model at Sunflower! We promise you'll have the best day ever!
If you would like to order an official Watch D.O.G.S or Eagle M.O.M.S t-shirt, please fill out this form. Send cash or check to the Sunflower office. All shirts are $20.
