Our school district will go through a process for adjusting school boundaries in the future. As you know, Sunflower students and families will be affected by the future boundary changes. Our central office administrators will be at Sunflower on the evening of December 2nd to present and discuss the process for adjusting school boundaries. All Sunflower families are invited to attend this informational meeting about the process that will be utilized to make decisions about boundary adjustments.
Location: Sunflower Library
Start Time: 6:00 p.m.
Thanks,
Dr. Andy Wright
Principal of Sunflower Elementary School
Picture Retakes are Tomorrow!
October 14, 2025
If you would like a retake, please bring your original picture packet with you.
If you were absent on the original picture day, be ready to smile for your photo tomorrow!
Weekly Agenda
Monday, October 13 - Board of Education Meeting at 6:00 PM
Tuesday, October 14 – Picture Retakes
Students who have not had their picture taken will do so.
Wednesday, October 15 – No School – Parent/Teacher Conferences
If you have forgotten what time your conference is or still need to sign up, please reach out to your student’s teacher or the office.
Thursday, October 16 – No School – Parent/Teacher Conferences
If you have forgotten what time your conference is or still need to sign up, please reach out to your student’s teacher or the office.
Friday, October 17 – No Classes
4th Grade - Reminders
Giggles and Games – 9:15–9:45 a.m.
Doors will open between 9:05–9:10 a.m. Please come spend this special time with your child enjoying games, laughter and snacks together.
Music Concert – 6:30 p.m. at Sunflower Elementary
Doors will open between 6:05–6:15 p.m.
4th graders should report to the gym at 6:15 p.m. to get ready for the performance. We ask that you keep siblings close during the performance, as space will be limited.
Thank you for your support — we look forward to seeing you at both events!
As you know, all public schools in the state of Kansas participate in state testing each year. This is often referred to as KAP testing (Kansas Assessment Program). At the elementary school level, all 3rd and 4th grade students complete an assessment in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math. These assessments are completed each spring (April or May).
Recently, our school district received the results of these assessments from the 2024-25 school year. I am pleased to report that KAP scores for Sunflower from the 2024-25 school year showed significant improvements over the previous school years in both grade levels.
For the 2024-25 ELA KAP test, the number of 3rd grade Sunflower students scoring in the top two ranges (proficient and advanced ranges) increased by 23 percentage points over the previous year. In addition, the number of 4th grade Sunflower students scoring in the top two ranges of the 2024-25 ELA KAP test increased by 14 percentage points.
For the 2024-25 Math KAP test, the number of 3rd grade Sunflower students scoring in the top two ranges (proficient and advanced ranges) increased by 5 percentage points over the previous school year. The number of 4th grade Sunflower students scoring in the top two ranges of the 2024-25 Math KAP test increased by 10 percentage points.
All members of the school community contribute to the success and academic growth of our students. We should all take pride in the impressive and significant academic gains that our school has made. Strong test scores are a product of enthusiastic students, supportive families and dedicated educators partnering together each day. We look forward to continued academic growth of our students and productive partnership with our families at Sunflower.
In the upcoming weeks, we will have access to information that allows us to see how our KAP test results compared with other schools in the State of Kansas. I will be happy to share that information with you at that time.
Sincerely,
Dr. Andy Wright
Principal of Sunflower Elementary School
Weekly Announcements
Monday
• Red Monday – Wear your Chiefs gear!
Tuesday
• Dental Clinic ( See email regarding clinic)
• PTO Meeting – 7:00 PM
Wednesday
• Full Day – No Early Release
Thursday
• 1st Grade Field Trip - KC Pumpkin Patch
• 4th Grade Giggles & Games 9:15 am - 9:45 am
• 4th Grade Musical - 6:30 pm @ Sunflower
Friday
• No Classes
Our students engaged in a really fun learning experience at Sunflower today. The Mobile Dairy made a visit to our campus this morning and provided three separate 30-minute assemblies for us to enjoy. In total, all students (grades Pre-K through 4th grade) were able to attend one of the assemblies today. As you might expect, the level of engagement was very high. Our students attentively listened to the presentation, asked really good questions, and learned a lot.
A special thanks to Kari Hamilton for presenting and educating our students today. She provided a great deal of interesting information about working on a dairy farm, ensuring the health of her cows, the processes of getting milk from farm to store as well as the nutritional value of drinking milk regularly.
I'll also take this opportunity to offer a word of thanks to Hazel-Grace for her very important part of the learning experience today.
Weekly Announcements
Tuesday, Sept. 30
• 2nd Grade Field Trip – Rabbit Hole
Wednesday, Oct. 1
• Early Release
Thursday, Oct. 2
• Custodian Appreciation Day
• Mobile Dairy Visit
Friday, Oct. 3
• Art Day
Dear Sunflower Families,
It's hard to believe that we have already completed 30 days of school. Soon, the first quarter will come to an end. Parent-teacher conferences will be held on October 15 and 16. Our goal is to have 100% of our families participate in a parent-teacher conference.
Please click on the link to secure a time that you can visit with your child's teacher. The conversation with your child's teacher is a valuable experience and that can provide insight for, both, the parent and educator. Ultimately, the parent-teacher conference ensures that we are developing the best path of support for each child.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns that you may have.
Sincerely,
Dr. Andy Wright
Principal of Sunflower Elementary School
Weekly Announcements
Monday, Sept. 22 - SPORTING KC DAY - Wear your Sporting Attire, or Blue and White
• 9:00 AM – Sunflower House (4th Grade)
• 1:00 PM – Happy Bear (Kindergarten)
Wednesday, Sept. 24
• Early Release - To ensure a smooth dismissal, all changes must be reported to the office by 1:30 PM.
Friday, Sept. 26
• PTO Color Run
We have had a very good start to the school year. The first month of school has gone very smoothly as our students and families have become acclimated to the new academic year and the procedures of our building. I want to take this opportunity to pass along a couple of reminders...
1. September 17 will be our second early dismissal day of the school year. We will dismiss students at 1:55.
2. Please be sure to inform the office and your child's homeroom teacher early in the school day if dismissal plans change for your family. It is most helpful if you can communicate afternoon transportation changes to the office and your child's teacher by 2:30 each day (12:45 on early dismissal days).
3. Originally, we had the Color Run scheduled for the evening of Friday, September 19. We have moved this event to the evening of Friday, September 26.
4. A couple weeks ago, we completed a number of safety drills within our school building (fire evacuation drill, lockdown/intruder drill and tornado drill). Please know that these safety drills will take place periodically throughout the school year. The safety and well-being of our students is the top priority at Sunflower.
Thank you,
Dr. Andy Wright
Principal of Sunflower Elementary
(913) 856-3700
Weekly Announcements
Monday, Sept. 15 – 3rd Grade Field Trip to Kauffman Stadium
Tuesday, Sept. 16 – Celebrate National IT Day
Wednesday, Sept. 17 – Early Release – dismissal at 1:55 PM
If your student’s dismissal plans have changed, please let the teacher or office know.
Friday, Sept. 19 – Gum Day
Student Council will be running the school store from 8:00-8:25 am in the cafeteria. You will be able to buy 2
pieces of gum for $1.00 or bring your own gum from home. If you bring gum from home, we would appreciate your donation.
All proceeds will be used to help Sunflower families in need during the upcoming Holiday Season. We hope to see you at the school store on Sept 19 (Friday) for Gum Day!
October conferences are quickly approaching!
On 9/24/245 you will receive a document with links to schedule your K-4 student conference. If you have an EC student, your child’s teacher will contact you prior to this date with your EC conference time so scheduling conflicts can be avoided for older siblings.
Fall conferences are facilitated by your child’s teacher and are designed to be conducted in-person. If your family will need a Zoom option, you will need to contact the respective teacher to make him/her aware. Any questions please contact your child's teacher.
Weekly Announcements
September 8th and 9th - Hearing and Vision Screenings will take place for students.
Sunflower Elementary will be conducting school wide screenings on the following dates: Hearing and vision screens will be done Monday, Sept 9 and Tuesday, Sept 10. Hearing will be checked for PK, K, 1st and 3rd graders. Vision will be checked for PK, K, 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders. Periodic hearing and vision screenings are required by the state of Kansas for school districts. You will only be notified of results if your child’s screening warrants follow up or referral. If you prefer your child opt out of screening, please send a signed written note to school or email me personally prior to this date. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Thank you! Nurse Haney
Wednesday, September 10 – Early Release at 1:55 PM. Please make sure the office knows if your dismissal plans have changed since enrollment.
Starting September 10th, students will be dismissed early at 1:55 PM, Wednesdays to allow for valuable teacher collaboration and planning time. These early release days support high-quality instruction and benefit your child’s learning experience.
For a complete list of early dismissal Wednesdays and other important dates throughout the school year, please refer to the USD 231 District Calendar, available on our website.
Dear Sunflower Families,
The safety and well-being of our students is the top priority at Sunflower Elementary. Throughout the school year, Sunflower (and all schools in USD231) invest time to practice safety drills with our students. Making sure our students and staff are aware of the procedures and expectations associated with each drill is an important safety measure for us to take.
Yesterday, we conducted a very successful fire drill with our students. Tomorrow (September 5), we will conduct a lockdown/intruder drill and a tornado drill sometime between 8:30 and 9:15. As you would expect, our staff takes great care in communicating with students as we prepare them for each safety drill. You can trust that developmentally appropriate conversations will be had in your child's homeroom before we conduct each drill this school year.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you!
Dr. Andy Wright
Principal of Sunflower Elementary School
Click here for your September Newsletter
Upcoming Calendar Dates
News from the Office
Hearing and Vision Screening
Weekly News & Announcements
Monday, September 1st – No School (Labor Day)
Wednesday, September 3rd –
Site Council Meeting at 6:00 PM – Our Site Council is a team of parents, staff, and community members who work with the principal to support school goals and improvement. All are welcome!
PTO Meeting at 7:00 PM – Join us to help plan fun events and support our school community.
Friday, September 5th – Red Friday!
Wear your Chiefs gear or red and gold to celebrate the first game of the season. 🏈❤️💛
Weekly Announcements –
Tuesday, August 26th
📸 Fall Pictures – Dress your best and bring your smile!
🦷 Dental Screening – Screenings will take place during the school day.
Oral health is an important part of children’s overall health, and is a critical component in the child’s ability to learn and succeed in school. In compliance with Kansas State Statute 72‐5201, Gardner Edgerton USD 231 will be providing a free dental screening to all students enrolled in PK- 4th grade. These students will be screened unless the parent/guardian does not want the child to participate. If your child does participate, you will only be notified of results if the screening warrants follow up or referral. If you prefer your child to opt out of screening, please send a signed written note or email prior to August 26th. Feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you!
Janice Haney, School Nurse
haneyj@usd231.com
We are excited to see you at Parent Information Night tomorrow evening (August 20). During Parent Information Night, your child's homeroom teacher will outline many of the academic goals and learning endeavors that we have in store for this school year. You will also learn about some of the events and activities for the school year.
As you know, our school district has launched "Rooms" as the primary communication platform for educators and parents to correspond with one another. If you are needing help setting up or navigating the "Rooms" app... we will have a station located in the library tomorrow evening. Casse Withrow will be present in the library to assist and answer any questions you may have.
Again, we look forward to seeing you at Parent Information Night on August 20.
Thanks,
Dr. Andy Wright
