Sunny Hills Elementary

Sunny Hills, which opened a new building in 2016, is a state-of-the-art facility including two gymnasiums, a multipurpose room, stage, music room, library, technology lab, kiln room, two outdoor covered play areas and a large sand field. Throughout the building, you will find the latest technology used by students and staff. We are grateful for the support of our community which has provided us with this amazing place for learning!

Sunny Hills serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5^th grade. In addition to a full range of academic subjects, all students participate weekly in library, music and physical education classes. Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, Sunny Hills participated in the implementation of the Issaquah School District’s Digital Learning Experience project. Through the support of our local capital/technology levy, Sunny Hills is equipped with the hardware and software necessary to provide equitable and safe digital resources for students. All classrooms are outfitted with a teaching station which includes a computer, large display (projector/TV), and document camera. Technology for students is allocated to classrooms based on the age level of students in the class with one laptop for every three students in kindergarten, one laptop for every two students in first and second-grade, and one laptop for every student in third through fifth-grade classrooms. We believe in the importance of valuing screen-free learning time, while also ensuring that all our students develop the technology skills and understanding essential for our world today. Over this past year of learning together, with a steadfast focus on engaging and purposeful academic and social-emotional instruction and support for all students alongside our work with technology, we celebrated the tremendous growth and success of our students.

Beyond the classroom, at Sunny Hills we are proud of our performance arts and music programs. Sunny Hills has a tradition of partnering with our PTA and the City of Issaquah to support diverse and rich music experiences for our students. In previous years, we have collaborated with different guest artists who have supported our students with new learning around a variety of topics including drumming and dance. Additionally, our annual Chorus Club has included 4^th and 5^th grade students, and all 5^th grade students participate in our annual 5^th Grade Musical. During the 2022-23 school year, our Chorus Club performed for their peers and families in concerts and by singing the National Anthem for our own Seattle Storm at the new Climate Pledge Arena. Students selected the show “Pinocchio” for this year’s 5^th Grade Musical and shared fantastic performances with their peers and families as a culminating activity of their elementary school experience. Last, with the support of our Sunny Hills Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Sunny Hills was able to expand our specialized art program with focused lessons on different visual art topics for each classroom. Sunny Hills looks forward to continuing to support our students’ learning and exposure to visual arts in years to come!

Our diverse community is yet another point of pride at Sunny Hills. We celebrate the cultures represented by our students and staff throughout the year and we look forward to hosting our annual Cultures Connecting event for all families each year in partnership with the Sunny Hills PTA. We also recognize the differences between our school system from those around the globe and we work hard to support families from diverse backgrounds and experiences through their experience at Sunny Hills and in the Issaquah School District. We are aware of the way that our educational institutions have historically marginalized some students and families and we are committed to identifying and addressing inequities within our own school community at Sunny Hills. Sunny Hills is committed to fostering a sense of community and belonging for students and families of all identities.

During the 2022-23 school year, Sunny Hills students participated in staff-led groups such as Robotics, Girls Club, Student Council, Chorus Club, the 5^th Grade Musical, Volleyball Club, Jump Rope Club, Art Club, Before School Math Club, Green Team and Jogging Club. The Sunny Hills Jogging Club included more than 200 students this year who tracked their miles ran over several weeks to stretch from Seattle to the Eastern Coast of the United States and the club culminated in our 2^nd annual Sunny Hills Family Fun Run featuring a 5K route around the Sunny Hills campus and neighboring community.

Sunny Hills also partners with different community organizations to offer an even more robust selection of before and after-school enrichment opportunities for our students including classes in computer programming, robotics and technology; chess and gaming clubs; and language classes. Students are able to take classes, some at a cost and others for free, to support their learning and their interests.

As you enter Sunny Hills, we hope you will feel our Culture of Kindness throughout all of your interactions. We teach, model and share kindness with all our students, and we follow the platinum rule – treat others the way they want to be treated. We have worked hard with students and families to integrate The Mustang Way: Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Engaged in all that we do.

During the 2022-23 school year, Sunny Hills partnered with the Playworks organization to bring Playworks to our school as a framework and support to further our culture of kindness, community and play at recess. Classes participated in monthly classroom game times with Playworks staff and Playworks supported our team with ongoing professional development, training and support at recess. More than 50 Fourth and Fifth-grade students were trained as Playworks Junior Coaches, taking on a leadership role with their peers at recess throughout the year. Thank you to our Sunny Hills PTA for supporting this partnership!

Our partnership with our PTA and with the Issaquah Schools Foundation remains strong. Teaming together, we have brought a variety of valuable programs to Sunny Hills.

PTA has brought us:

• Support for our green efforts and our Culture of Kindness.
• Partnership and support to help us create a safe campus.
• Contributions of additional funds for each classroom to help support student learning.
• Close-knit teacher partnerships and volunteer support.
• Visual art lessons, instruction and activities for all classes.
• Kelso’s Choices problem-solving curriculum and resources.
• Support for our musical program and activities including our new Steel Band.
• Partnership to facilitate the STEM Family Night offering different STEM experiences to our students along with the opportunity to conduct student-led experiments and demonstrations with more than 100 students participating.
• Support in building our culture of play via the Playworks program at Sunny Hills.
• Celebrations for our students and community engagement activities!

ISF has allowed us to:

• Complete our own Steel Band for the Sunny Hills music program, supporting the purchase of steel drums for our students.
• Meet student needs with the Tools4School program supporting with backpacks and school supplies.
• Build teacher capacity-funding provided by ISF supports teachers pursuing their National Boards and has provided staff with professional development for our new writing curriculum by bringing in national presenter, Matt Glover.
• Our school is represented on the ISF board with several board members, with even more parents serving as ISF committee members.
• Before School Academic Assistance (BSAP) Program in Math for nearly 40 students.
• Purchase Cricket equipment for Sunny Hills Physical Education classes.