Happenings

Welcome to Sylvan Park! Kindergarten Popsicle Party 5/18

Sylvan Park! Kindergarten Popsicle Party

Incoming Kindergarteners are invited for popsicles, playtime, and new friends on May 18!

We’re excited to welcome our newest Sylvan Park Panthers! Join us for a Kindergarten Popsicle Party on Sunday, May 18th, from 3:00–4:00 PM on the Outdoor Field at Sylvan Park Elementary (4801 Utah Ave, Nashville, TN 37209).

Incoming kindergarten students and their families are invited to enjoy popsicles, meet classmates, and connect with other Sylvan Park families. It’s a fun and informal way to kick off your child’s Sylvan Park journey!

Event Details:

Location: Sylvan Park Elementary Outdoor Field. (4801 Utah Ave, Nashville, TN 37209)
Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025
Time: 3:00–4:00 PM
Hosted by: Sylvan Park PTO

We can’t wait to meet our future Panthers — see you there!

5/8: Field Day Kick off Party at Jeni’s Ice Cream

Mark your calendars! Join us for a delicious way to give back at our Jeni’s Ice Cream Social on May 8, 2025, from 4:00–7:00 PM at Jeni’s

Enjoy your favorite scoops while supporting Sylvan Park Elementary — 25% of all purchases during the event will be donated back to our school!

Jeni’s
Stocking 51
4900 Centennial Blvd, Nashville.

Bring the whole family, invite your neighbors, and let’s make this a fun community gathering to remember. Every cone counts — and every dollar supports programs and events led by your Sylvan Park PTO.

We’ll see you there, spoon in hand!

Spring Fling Photo Booth

Spring Fling Photo Booth 2025

Thanks to everyone who attended the 2025 Sylvan Park Elementary Spring Fling this past week!

Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on the social and auction. And thank you to everyone who attended and bid on our specialty items. We raised a lot of money for our school… even more than last year!

Check Out all of the PhotoBooth Pics

Book Discussion: The Anxious Generation — April 30, 6–7 PM

Book Discussion: The Anxious Generation

This book discussion will take place on Wednesday, April 30, from 6 PM to 7 PM in the school auditorium

Join us for a thoughtful evening of discussion as we explore the timely insights of The Anxious Generation on Wednesday, April 30, from 6:00–7:00 PM in the Sylvan Park Elementary Auditorium.

Our expert panel — Dr. Stacy Jagger, Valaria Davis, and Elle Benson — will lead a conversation on the challenges today’s youth face and how we can support their emotional well-being. Whether you’ve read the book or not, all are welcome to participate in this important dialogue for our school community.

Details:

Date: Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Time: 6:00–7:00 PM
Location: Sylvan Park Elementary Auditorium

RSVP Here

Register to Attend
Register for Childcare

Meet Our Panelists

Dr. Stacy Jagger
Family therapist, author, and founder of Music City Family Therapy. Creator of The Mountain Method™, dedicated to healing disconnection in children and families. Learn more

Valaria Davis
Licensed Master Social Worker with MNPS, specializing in school social work, behavioral therapy, and advocacy for children and families. Learn more

Elle Benson
Keynote speaker, TEDx presenter, and nonprofit leadership consultant. Author of Cultivate Your Happiness and Cultivating Calmness in Children. Learn more

Mayor Freddie O’Connell delighted Sylvan Park Elementary School kindergartners as Ms. Williams’ “Mystery Reader”

Mayor Freddie O’Connell delighted Sylvan Park Elementary School kindergartners as Ms. Williams’ “Mystery Reader” on Friday, March 7. He read Lulu & Rocky in Nashville, taking the children of Ms. Williams, Ms. Maynard, Ms. Brodak, and Ms. Knight on a literary adventure through the city’s sights and sounds—from the iconic Country Music Hall of Fame to the sweet treats at The Goo Goo Shop.

You’re Invited to the Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary Science Fair March 6th

Sylvan Park Paideia Project Fair

📅 When: Thursday, March 6, 2025
📍 Where: Sylvan Park Gym
(Enter and sign in through the back parking lot gym doors)

What is a Paideia Project?

A Paideia Project is a unit of study that combines teacher instruction and student learning around a specific topic. It includes a seminar and a student project that captures the ideas and values explored during the seminar.

This year, we kicked off our seminar with a school-wide discussion on the book Ada Twist, Scientist—a story about a young girl with a head full of questions! The themes of perseverance, curiosity, and imagination guided students as they created science projects exploring topics they learned about.

Join Us at the Fair!

Families are invited to visit during their child’s grade-level tour time:

  • 2nd Grade: 8:05 – 8:45 AM
    (Entering from the rear of the building will not impact morning arrival, allowing for an early start time.)
  • 1st Grade: 9:00 – 9:40 AM
  • 4th Grade: 9:50 – 10:30 AM
  • 5th Grade: 10:40 – 11:15 AM
  • 3rd Grade: 11:30 AM – 12:10 PM
  • Kindergarten: 1:00 – 1:40 PM

We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating our students’ hard work! 🎉

Sylvan Park 2024/25 Yearbook Available for Purchase.

Yearbook

Capture Your Memories in this year’s Sylvan Park Paideia Elementary School Yearbook

Customize Your 2 Free Pages

Add photos from your computer, Facebook, Instagram, Google Drive & more.

Answer fun Memory Questions to help remember the year.

The 2 Custom Pages are FREE and are printed ONLY in your book. Want more pages? Each additional 2 pages is just $1.99.

To Purchase & Customize Your Yearbook

  1. Go to: www.treering.com/validate
  2. Enter your school’s passcode: 1015257004414640

Regular price: $17.39

*Does not include sales tax, if applicable

Create Custom Pages by: Mar 31 .** If you order past the date, you can still get a yearbook, it will just be sent to your house instead of our bulk order coming to the school.

2024 INVEST Campaign and Fun(d) Run

Sylvan Park Invest 24

Sylvan Park’s 2024-25 INVEST Campaign kicked off this past week!

UPDATE: We are halfway to the end of our INVEST Campaign and have raised over $35K, 30% towards our goal of $120K! We are coming up on our final push to secure funds for our much needed Interventionist and we still very much need your help! 

With 16 days left in the campaign we are announcing POPSICLES FOR PARTICIPATION. This event is our effort to secure 150 INVEST donors by the end of this week! POPSICLES FOR PARTICIPATION is an all inclusive, school wide celebration. If we reach 150 donors, your child will receive a popsicle during their scheduled recess hour on Monday, September 23rd. Already donated? Share with a friend or family member! Thank you!

Our annual INVEST Campaign is dreaming BIG for the 2024-2025 school year as we strive to reach our goal of $120K!

Learn More About INVEST

The Fun(d) Run

INVEST is the actual fundraising campaign. The Fun(d) Run was created a few years ago as a way to get the kids excited and celebrate by doing a run around the track at the end of the campaign. They’ll get a “Fun Run” T-Shirt , another popsicle and pride for lots of laps around the track. And a great playlist curated by our very own Coach Scott for a dance party to boot!

Volunteer for the Fun Run

Thanks to everyone who came out to support Parnassus, SP Elementary, and the joy of Reading!

Parnassus Books

Thank you to everyone who joined us in supporting Sylvan Park Elementary while indulging in the joy of reading. Your contributions help make a difference for our school, and we are truly grateful for your generosity.

From 3-6pm on April 20, 2024, the Sylvan Park PTO received 10% of all sales made at Parnassus Books. Whether you were searching for books for your kiddos, yourself, or some amazing signed editions for gifts, it was the perfect time to visit. We hope you took advantage of this opportunity, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated. Your support means the world to us!

Parnassus Books, located in Green Hills, is an independent bookstore beloved by our community. Founded in 2011 by novelist Ann Patchett and her business partner, Karen Hayes, Parnassus offers an extensive and exciting selection of books, including fiction, non-fiction, children’s literature, local interests, and the arts. We hope you found some wonderful reads to enjoy.

Congratulations to the SP Chess Team: 4th Place in the State!

The Sylvan Park Chess Team placed 4th in the Tennessee State Scholastic Elementary Team Finals

The Sylvan Park Chess Team placed 4th of 14 in their team tournament which qualified them to participate in the state tournament in Cookeville on March 23rd, 2024.

The Sylvan Park Chess Team placed 4th in the Tennessee State Scholastic Elementary Team Finals in Cookeville this weekend.  They placed higher than any other elementary school in middle Tennessee.

Congratulations Avighna, Louis, Alex, Will, & Grant!

The Sylvan Park Chess Team
The Sylvan Park Chess Team: Avigna, Alex, Noah, Will, & Grant!

Sylvan Park Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week

Teacher Appreciation Week

Our Teachers are just ‘PLANE’ Awesome!

Thank you to everyone who helped make Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week come together… And mostly… thanks to the Teachers & Staff who do what they do each and every week.

Hattie B’s donated lunch and the teachers visited “Baggage Claim” on the last day of their travel week. 

Thank you to Hattie B’s for lunch on Friday and to HERO for coffee and Donuts on Monday.

Theresa Yarber and Sarah Grace
Teacher Appreciation Team

Sylvan Park 3rd Annual International Night, March 26, 2024

March 26th, Sylvan Park is hosting an International Night

Join us as we celebrate what makes us who we are!

On March 26th, Sylvan Park is hosting an International Night to celebrate the diversity in our school. International Night is an opportunity for our students, families, faculty, and staff to experience the countries, cultures, and traditions found in our community. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

International Night at Sylvan Park
The event will be held in the back parking lot of the school from 5:30-7:00 p.m.

When?
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024, 05:30 PM

Where?
4801 Utah Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA

Volunteers Needed! Are you interested in setting up a display featuring your heritage?

Dear Parents and Students,

We are looking for volunteers to host a table or trunk space! Everyone has a culture and a story to tell. Please share yours with us! Your space could feature a country, your genealogy, or your family traditions. (Please register by Wednesday, March 20th.)

Click Here to Host a Trunk or Table
Volunteer to Help

Sylvan Park Book Week: We Love Reading!

Book Week

February 26- March 1st: A whole week to celebrate books and reading!!!!

Each day students are encouraged to dress up to show their love of reading and books.

Monday Feb 26 – “Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover Day” – Everyone wears their clothes inside out!

Tuesday Feb 27 – “Crazy Sock Day” – We love books from our heads to our TOES!!! Wear crazy socks to show your book love. 

Wednesday Feb 28 – “Read ME Day” – Wear shirts, socks, buttons, stickers, anything with school-appropriate writing that can be read by everyone during the day.

Thursday Feb 29 – “Snuggle Up with a Book Day” for DEAR Time (Drop Everything And Read) – Wear pajamas to snuggle up with a book for “DEAR Day”. Classes will ,Drop Everything And Read for 20 minutes during the day.

Friday March 1- “Book Parade Day” – Come to school with your favorite book. Everyone is encouraged to dress as a favorite book character. We will parade out back around the track starting at 8:10.

Book Parade

On Friday March 1st everyone will bring their favorite book to show in the Book Parade. Students are encouraged to dress as the book character in the book they are carrying! It is not necessary to buy Book Character outfits, be creative and use items in your home like scarves, hats, or paper in new ways.

The Book Parade will be outside around the track behind the school. Families are invited to come to the parade and share in our joy of reading!

If you are coming to see the parade, please sign-in at the tables at the back of the school. 5th & 4th grades will lead our Book Parade starting at 8:10am, each grade level will join in, circling around the track. We anticipate the Book Parade ending around 8:30am.

Other Book Celebration Activities

At school we will have book riddles, a favorite book display, and more to celebrate the week.

Questions? Email Sylvan Park Librarian Kelly.Bulbulkaya@mnps.org

Read-across-america_family-info_24Download

February 8th, 6pm: Diversity Night Speaker Series

Diversity Night 2024

February 8th, 6pm: 3rd Annual Diversity Night Speaker Series brings a panel discussion about LGBTQ+ Identities: How to support young people through their journeys.

This support starts with educating and supporting the parents/caregivers and educators about these identities so children feel comfortable to talk about their own process as well as their peers’ process.

Date: 02/08/2024 (Thu.)
Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm CST
Location: Childcare in the gym/Event in the library

This is a sign-up for Sylvan Park Diversity Night childcare/pizza. Childcare will be available for elementary-aged children at least 5 years old in the gymnasium.  

Sylvan Park Diversity Night Childcare/Pizza Sign-up

What is Diversity Night?

Diversity Night is an opportunity for the EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) chairs on the PTO Board to invite parents/caregivers and educators at Sylvan Park Elementary to educational discussions around diversity and inclusion. This occurs one night per year and childcare (and pizza) is provided. We believe it is important for parents/caregivers to come to a space where they can learn with an open heart and be part of discussions with minimal distractions. 

Previous topics in the series include: 

  • The Value of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging in School-aged Children Learning Environments
  • Understanding Neurodiversity in Learning