The new Sandy Slope Elementary School in Appleton is ready to welcome students this fall, August 26, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) — The first day jitters are over and Sandy Slope Elementary students in Appleton have adjusted well to their new school; according to Principal Joe Bernhardt.
The Appleton Area School District has been anticipating the day the school would open since funding for the new building was approved in a November 2022 referendum.
Leaders say there were only a few small hiccups in the first week of school. Those included minor confusion with parent pick up and drop off, as well as hallway congestion when different grades go to their specialty classes like art or gym.
“Maybe you have one grade going to art while the other grade is going to phy. ed, and then we saw a criss-cross, and thought we might have to re-route, which is what we did,” said Bernhardt. “So maybe one group changed and went to the right instead of the left or down a different hallway.”
Sandy Slope was built as a result of overcrowding in the district’s other elementary schools. Most Sandy Slope students came from Huntley, Ferber, or another school and are getting used to being at a different school than some of their friends. That’s something staff are keeping a look out for.
“We try to see if there’s any kids that don’t look like they’re joining in, or maybe they’re struggling,” said Bernhardt. “We just go up to them and get them to join a group, or maybe they walk around with us and be a ‘helper’. Then usually say ‘Oh, I see so-and-so’ and they go play with them.”
Now that students and teachers are settled into their new routines, the next goal for the school is to focus on planning for the future and special events.
“For example, field day and the picnic day at the end of the year. We’re trying to finalize when those days are so we can send that out to parents,” said Bernhardt. “So when are we going to have those, and how are we going to coordinate those so we don’t have so many activities going on in one day that kids would have to miss something?”
In the closer future, Sandy Slope will have their official ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, September 17 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The community is invited to come and enjoy light refreshments, remarks from school leaders, and guided tours of the building until 7 p.m.
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