Back to School Night
Important Dates 2023-2024
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Principal's Message
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!
I am honored to introduce myself as the new principal of Sunnyside Elementary. I come to Sunnyside with nearly 20 years of experience in education, having served as principal at John Murdy Elementary, Supervisor of Gifted and Talented Education for GGUSD, and teacher. Throughout my career, I have been dedicated to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment, where students can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
In collaboration with our talented and dedicated staff, my primary goal is to ensure that every student at Sunnyside receives a high-quality education that prepares them for future success in college and career. I am committed to promoting a growth mindset among our students, encouraging them to embrace challenges and persevere in their pursuit of knowledge. Additionally, I strongly believe in the power of collaboration and open communication, and am eager to work closely with our teachers, parents, and community members to create a supportive and engaging learning environment.
I am thrilled to be a part of the Sunnyside community and look forward to getting to know each and every one of you. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have. Together, we can create an environment that fosters growth, celebrates diversity, and inspires our students to reach their full potential.
I am excited to embark on this journey with all of you.
Sincerely,
Marcie Griffith, Principal
Sunnyside Elementary
Our School
Welcome to Sunnyside Elementary!
Parent Opportunities: We welcome families and parents to be involved at Sunnyside. We have an active PTA with monthly meetings and activities. Our PTA supports fun school activities where families are welcome to participate and support our students, such as, fundraising events, learning events, social events, and more. Parents are also invited to be well informed and contribute to school decisions on our School Site Council and English Language Advisory Committee which meets every other month. The principal invites parents for opportunities to learn about our school at Pastries with Parents meetings. She shares topics of interest and information about our school. Family Education opportunities are provided to our families as a means for sharing ideas and strategies to support our students through opportunities to learn together.
Sunnyside PTA – Our PTA meets monthly on the second Thursday of every month at 2:45 in our MPR. Our meetings are led by our PTA President Maria McCormack and all of our families, including students are welcome. The time is spent sharing successes and planning for future events. Our focus this year has been fundraising for our new playground.
After School Intervention and Enrichment Opportunities – Several grade levels offer after school support for students who need reinforcement of skills. We also have coding classes that serve upper grade students before school.
Recognition - Sunnyside has been recognized as a California Distinguished School, Blue Ribbon School, and Title I Achieving School.
Sunnyside is a warm and welcoming school that puts students and families first. We take great pride in the accomplishments of our 679 students as we set high academic goals for each student’s success. Teachers utilize the most effective teaching strategies and truly know their students unique learning needs. Engagement is high throughout our classrooms as students participate in academic discourse and work with each other to maximize learning. Teachers facilitate learning with a highly meaningful learning activities, strong presence, and questioning techniques that increase levels of knowledge.
What makes Sunnyside unique is the warm, caring school environment. Our office team is supportive of our families and ensures that families understand how to participate and contribute in their children’s education. Sunnyside teachers participate in collaboration to provide equitable and valued opportunities that promote strong learning outcomes. Our focus on scholarly habits contributes to students being accountable for their learning and bringing their best every day. We acknowledge strong character traits in our students and provide monthly opportunities for students to focus on the traits that will lead to their life long success.
