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Our School

Mission

Empowering young minds to work together with students, parents, and community members to foster a love of learning in a collaborative, inclusive, and nurturing environment.

Motto

Enlightening young minds and sparking curiosity.

Sandy Slope Elementary School opened in the fall of 2025. It is the first new school built in the AASD in 30 years and the first new elementary school in nearly 35 years.

Building Highlights

  • Two-Story Design: Classrooms are organized into grade-level “pods,” each with its own playground entrance, locker space, and small flex rooms for individual or small-group learning.

  • Collaborative Neighborhoods: Each grade level has a central flexible extended learning area, surrounded by classrooms, breakout spaces, restrooms, and teacher support spaces.

  • Focus on Natural Light & Efficiency: Abundant windows provide daylight throughout the building, supported by a highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling system.

  • Secure & Inclusive Design: Prioritizes student safety and features inclusive playgrounds accessible from each collaboration neighborhood.

  • Durable, Modern Exterior: Brick, burnished masonry, and metal panels create a welcoming and long-lasting façade.

  • Central Gathering Spaces: Includes a gymnasium with full-size basketball court and a centrally located commons/cafeteria.

  • Specialized Learning Spaces: Library/Media Center, general music room, band/strings room, art and STEM classrooms, a sensory gym, and special education classrooms integrated throughout the school.

History of the Sandy Slope Name

Photo from Sandy Slope Groundbreaking shows signage and a view of the silo and farm buildings.

Twenty-four years ago, the AASD acquired a 42-acre parcel of land from Rich and Alice Van Handel near Appleton North High School. This forward-thinking move by our district was in anticipation of the growth we now witness in the northeastern part of our district. They envisioned the need for an elementary school on this land to accommodate the expanding community.

This area once had a small, rural school called Sandy Slope, and the Van Handel’s farm was also known as Sandy Slope Farm. To honor the farm's history, the Van Handel farm’s silo will be preserved as a part of the new school campus.

What is the Sandy Slope mascot?

Logo

The Lightning Bug, also known as a firefly, has been chosen as the mascot for Sandy Slope Elementary to represent the school’s bright future and deep ties to its local heritage and community. Their gentle light has long inspired wonder and joy, particularly in the areas surrounding our school’s location. The mascot serves as a glowing homage to the land’s past while shining brightly toward the future.

The Lightning Bug symbolizes more than natural beauty—it embodies the school’s mission to help students shine brightly. Their glow reminds us of the importance of curiosity and discovery—values central to the learning experience at Sandy Slope Elementary. The Lightning Bug mascot embodies the glow of learning, the light of community, and the spark of curiosity that will define Sandy Slope Elementary.