Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is SunFlower the right school for my child?
A. SunFlower provides a nurturing, child-centered style of education. Our arts program is integral to our curriculum and our academic standards are high. At SunFlower, gifted, artistic, and self-directed children can blossom.
Q. What does SunFlower offer that other schools do not?
A. At SunFlower we value childhood and seek to preserve it. We encourage our students dress in clothes that are modest and practical for learning and physical activity. We offer to our students and their families an alternative to today's media-driven culture through our rich and nurturing learning environment.
Q. Where will my child go after SunFlower?
A. Our students populate the magnet programs and private schools in the community. In recent years, our graduates have had many outstanding accomplishments in the community including winning first place overall in the K-12 division of Mainsail Arts Festival in St. Petersburg. SunFlower grads in the Pinellas County public schools regularly receive PRIDE awards for outstanding grades, participation and test scores. SunFlower graduates go on to study science, math, language, humanities, and the arts in colleges and graduate schools throughout the state and country.
Q. Is SunFlower a safe place for my child to learn and grow?
A. At SunFlower, teachers carefully set boundaries, supervise, guide and encourage our students to maintain our physically and emotionally safe environment. SunFlower is a community. We know and support each other. We celebrate each other's triumphs and we care about every child and every family.
Q. What are your facilities like?
A. SunFlower is housed in the educational wing of the Gulfport Presbyterian Church, though we have no affiliations with the church other than sharing a building. We are across the street from a park with playground equipment and a covered picnic area. We also have a paved play area for ball playing and riding tricycles. The children plant gardens in the planters outside the windows and monitor the progress of their plants eagerly.
Q. What are SunFlower's school affiliations?
A. SunFlower has been an independent private school for over three decades. We are not religiously affiliated, although we do share a building with a church. Our school is a registered with the state of Florida as a non-profit, private school. All local schools, both public and private, welcome SunFlower graduates.
Q. Can I afford to send my child to private school?
A. Of course private school is a choice one needs to consider carefully and realistically. We try to keep tuition as reasonable as possible - our building is modest - but we are resourceful and committed to providing a rich environment for joyful learning.
Tuition and Fees for 2010-2011: $6,850
Q. Do you have aftercare?
A. In affiliation with the Gulfport Presbyterian Church, one of our teachers runs an aftercare program that is available to all SunFlower students.
