THE BUZZ 2024 2025

What time does school start?

Students can be dropped off at 7:00. Please be aware we will not open the doors until 7:00 due to supervision needs.

School officially starts at 7:20. Please be sure your child arrives on time to be inside his/her classroom by 7:20.

Class dismisses at 2:20.

What about arrival and dismissal?

Arrival:

Students coming on buses will be dropped off at the front of our building and will walk to class after picking up a breakfast.

Students who are being dropped off by car will be dropped off on the east side of our building. Please follow the traffic arrows and loop all the way around the playground. It is best if your child departs the driver side of the car for safety. Children will enter the gym and then walk to class. Adults do not get out of the car, please.

Dismissal:

Students will be dismissed to the car line from the east gymnasium door. If you are walking up to pick up your student/s, you may only use the sidewalk and display your family tag from that spot. Please do not walk up to the building.

• Parents must display their student's car tag at dismissal. Please continue to do this ALL YEAR.
• If an older sibling is responsible for a younger student, the older student will meet the younger child at the exit doors.
• Staff members will not allow any students to cross the street at any location other than the designated crosswalk at the intersection.
• Students are not allowed to go home/call home to get permission to go home with another student without prior knowledge and a note or phone call from parents.
• Students are not allowed to call home to request a different method of transportation at the end of the day.

• If your child has a change in pick-up procedures, please send a note to his/her classroom teacher AND call the office. This will reduce end-of-day confusion. The office is very busy at the end of the day and at times last-minute messages are very difficult to forward. Please alert the office no later than 1:30 PM. You must call the office. Tell the teacher is not enough, teachers miss messages AND can be absent.
• Students that do not ride the bus are not allowed to go home on the bus with another student. Students are not allowed to trade back and forth between buses. They must get on and off the bus at their designated pick-up and drop-off spot. Please call the Transportation Office if you have any questions at 523-0514.
• With parent permission, students in grades 3-5 are allowed to ride their bikes to school. Please wear helmets. Bike riders must walk bikes on/off school grounds and have a way to lock their bikes to the racks near the parking lot during the school day. Scooters, skates, or skateboards are not allowed on school property. Due to safety concerns, students in grades K-2 are not allowed to ride their bikes to school.

• Students attending YMCA will be dismissed to the YMCA Director/Staff Member at the end of the day.

How can I get involved?

Join PTA! Contact PTA tought our PTA Facebook Page: Sunshine Elementary PTA

How can I follow you on social media?

1. Sunshine Elementary Bees on Facebook

2. @SunshineBees on Twitter

NOTE:

Update your information in eSchool. We NEED your current numbers and email. I will use eSchool to push out email and texts. This is also the platform the district uses to push out information. To update please call or email Lorna. 417-523-5200 or lgberger@spsmail.org

Thank you,

Tracy Daniels, Ed.D.

Sunshine Principal

421 E. Sunshine St.

Springfield, MO 65807

PH: 417-523-5200

Safety-Success-Service

#ownyourshine

- Attendance- 92% for 2nd Quarter

- Behavior- NO OSS and only 1 or ZERO referrals to the office

Let's do this!

Also take a look below!

As you have heard, Sunshine Elementary is FULL. We are sitting at over 100% of our capacity. To help be more efficient with our space and efficient with the space of other buildings, our boundary lines will be changing. This does mean some of our Bees will be leaving.

REMEMBER: once a BEE, ALWAYS a BEE! We will work to make this transition as fun and easy as possible. Below you can learn about the two principals that will be working with our students moving schools. I want you to know that I am friends with both principals, and I would trust them with my own children.

Change can be hard, but together we will support one another!

It is with great excitement I welcome our new families to Holland! Our teachers and staff have already been preparing to provide your children with an enriching and stimulating academic environment while working to ensure the safety and security of our classrooms.

I am currently in my 4th year as principal at Holland Elementary. Prior to coming to Holland, I worked as a School Community Liaison, a 2nd grade teacher, and a special education teacher. I began my teaching career in the Bronx, New York and even spent a year teaching English in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I am originally from Springfield and returned home to be closer to my family. I am married and have a 5-year-old who is also started his first year of kindergarten, so I understand how important the school and family connection are.

In my free time, I love to go on adventures with my family. I am an avid reader and have been part of the same book club for 14 years! I love to do Pilates, yoga, hot yoga, travel, take walks, listen to music, watch good movies, and catch up with my friends.

I am passionate about public education, and believe it's one of the greatest gifts a society can give to their community. At Holland we work hard and we play hard. I can't wait to get to know you and we are so excited to expand our Holland family!

Dear Sunshine Elementary Families,

My name is Blaine C. Broderick and I am the principal at Mark Twain Elementary, home of the Comets. This current school year marks my third year as principal at Mark Twain, and I greatly look forward to spending my fourth year with you and your students at our building.

I would like to take a moment to share a bit about myself. I hold a dual bachelor's degree in both special education and elementary education, as well as a master's and specialist degree in educational administration, all from Missouri State University. This upcoming summer, I will receive my doctorate degree from the University of Missouri. Next year will mark my 12th year in education, having taught for six years with Nixa Public Schools before serving as an assistant principal at McGregor Elementary prior to joining the Mark Twain Family.

As your families prepare for the transition to Mark Twain Elementary for the 2025-2026 school year, I want to extend a warm welcome to each of you. Very similar to Sunshine, we are committed to providing a nurturing and engaging environment where all students can thrive academically and socially. In fact, I am fortunate to have already worked with several of your children from the previous Explore Summer School sessions.

I look forward to meeting you and your students in the coming months and working together to ensure a smooth transition into our school. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. I will be working with Dr. Daniels in the Spring to organize a time for your families to visit our school, as well as coordinating an invitation to our 4th Quarter Family Involvement Carnival Night.

Building-

September- 93%

October- 92.72%

October by Grade-Level

Kindergarten 92.42%

First Grade 93.38%

Second Grade 92.96%

Third Grade 93.53%

Fourth Grade 91.8%

Fifth Grade 92.30%

Our goal is 95%.

“Springfield Public Schools receives the Title VI Indian Education Formula Grant Program, which is used to offer additional educational services for eligible Native American and Alaskan Native students. We have used the grant to provide tutoring, college prep materials, resources to support cultural awareness, and additional counseling support to students.

If you feel your child or children are eligible for this grant (have tribal membership themselves, or have a parent/grandparent with tribal membership), please complete this Title VI application form and return it to the school office. If you would like a paper copy of the form, they are also available in the school office.”

Families! We need YOU to use our car tags for safety and for speed! Please write the LAST name of the child in orange in LARGE black letters. Dr. D has trouble seeing that far and in the event we have someone else calling names, the bigger the letters- the better! Write first name in the white area.

Nov 4 AND 5- No School for students

Nov 7- DEAR Day

Nov 13- Parent Information Meeting- Boundary/Transportation Changes- 5:30- Sunshine Library

Nov 14- 4th and 5th grade Title I family night and concert, see above

Nov 25-29- No School