Sunflower Elementary School
616 E. Douglas, Andover, KS 67002 Mrs. Rita Decker, Principal (316) 218-4730 August 12, 2010 Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s): Welcome to Sunflower Elementary! Being in school is an exciting time for children as they embark upon new adventures in the world of learning. So much happens in school. Your child will learn how to read, write stories, add, subtract, and so much more. We at Sunflower Elementary hope to make your child’s time in school a daily learning experience filled with fun and excitement, while instilling a love of learning that will last throughout your child’s life. It is important for parents to set high standards for their children at home and in school. Students whose parents expect them to do well in school have a better chance of learning success. Encourage your youngster to give their best effort in everything they do. Let them know that some things may be harder for them than others, but there is no excuse for not trying. A new fee approved by the district board of education is the Technology Fee. The district has worked hard to determine ways to make budget cuts and not lose the integrity of our district. This fee will pay for instructional software used by students K-‐12. Some of the software the district is looking at currently is United Streaming, Accelerated Reader, NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) Testing software and DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). Without this technology fee we would have to find the equivalent money somewhere else within our budget. We are looking to the future when the financial woes of our state have improved and we don’t have to make these difficult decisions. Sunflower’s academic achievements continue to show high levels of academic success with the ongoing effort provided by all stake holders. “Effort” has been our theme for the past few years and with the dedicated efforts of the talented educators working to meet your child’s educational needs, everyone gained success at Sunflower. We are looking forward to reaching our 2010-‐2011 goals again in all areas. As students arrive at school around 8:25 a.m., please instruct them to report to their classroom on the first day of school, Thursday, August 19th, and to the gym for Jump Start on Friday, August 20th. Kindergarten students will go to their classrooms on the first day of class, Monday, August 23th when they arrive at school. In the past few years we have had extra supervision with our aides. Those positions have been cut by 4 positions district wide impacting Sunflower with the loss of two instructional aides and reduced hours for those remaining. Our building will be locked until 8:00 a.m. and only those “Where Students Blossom”