Sunshine Acres Montessori School

2141 Maple Lane • Lawrence, Kansas 66046 • 785-842-2223

“Where Fun & Learning Go Together”

Sunshine Acres Preschool has served the Lawrence and surrounding communities with a quality program for young children since 1970. A new 3,000 square foot addition opened in January 1988, doubling the size of the school. The older wing was remodeled that same year as well, along with improvements to the playground. Children play and learn on a 3-acre, well-equipped, and beautifully landscaped playground. In 1999, the school invested over $10,000 in new classroom equipment to qualify as an official National Center for Montessori Education (NCME) Internship School for Teacher Training. The school is known for its excellent teachers and for having consistent high quality preschool programs.

Programs include preschool, private kindergarten, and extended care services. Children may attend Sunshine Acres 2, 3 or 5 days a week, half day or all day. Four classrooms serve about 20 children each. Other areas include a library, a kitchen, and a multi-purpose room that can be used as an extra classroom or for the after-school activities we provide for school-age children. The school employs about 20 staff, including teachers, administrators, and other support staff. It serves children ages 2½ to 6. Children up to age 12 are part of our after-school and summer programs for school-aged children. The school is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. year round, except for holidays and a few pre-announced days. Meals and snacks are prepared in a full-service kitchen and served family-style.

Over 3,000 children in Douglas County have attended Sunshine Acres School. The school operates as a nonprofit, private school and participates in the state school lunch program. It encourages the enrollment of minority students and children from other countries. The school has provided hundreds of partial scholarships to low-income children.

The school’s founder and director, Susan Mozykowski, has her Masters of Education degree from the University of Kansas and thirty-four years of experience in the fields of education and child development. A certified Montessori teacher and reading specialist, she has spoken at regional and national conferences on early childhood education and was a first grade teacher at Deerfield School before starting Sunshine Acres. The seed for Sunshine Acres School was planted in her heart at a young age by her very special teacher, Lenoir Miller. When Susan grew up, she wanted to create something as special as the “Sunshine Corner” school where she had experienced so much love and developed a zest for life and learning.

Parent Participation

Sunshine Acres parents have always been very active supporters of the school. A new playground climber, paid for by parent fundraising efforts, was installed in 1988. In 1990, they sold puppets to raise funds to put a new cedar play set on the playground. Puppet sales in 1997 provided funding to purchase new Montessori equipment for all the classrooms. Parents also contributed our first school computer system. Parents help on field trips and share hobbies, vocations, pets, and other interesting lessons with the children. The school encourages parents and grandparents to visit whenever they can.

Programs for parents are provided each semester during the school year. During the fall semester an evening is planned for parents to visit each classroom to see Montessori lessons demonstrated by the teachers. Another evening is scheduled during the spring semester for the children to bring their parents to school and demonstrate what they are learning. Our families also enjoy a school-wide Pumpkin Party in October and our annual Christmas program in December. Individual classrooms often have parties or other special events that include our parents.