Sunnyside Environmental School

About

Sunnyside offers a K-8 educational option that includes a neighborhood attendance area.

Mission statement

The Sunnyside Environmental School is a community of students, educators, parents, neighbors, and alumni, working together to create a safe, nurturing, and educationally excellent learning environment for young people.

We are a small, multi-cultural urban public K-8 school drawing students from all of Portland’s diverse neighborhoods. We are actively teaching and learning a holistic, integrated curriculum.

Exploring themes of our many overlapping environments, students develop academic knowledge and skills while demonstrating personal and social responsibility for all living systems.

Enrollment: 560
Focus Option: Thematic environmental curriculum
Kindergarten: Two full-day kindergarten classes
Childcare: Camp Fire

The K-8 curriculum brings the beauty and magic of the natural world into the lives of children through an integrated, developmentally appropriate, art infused education. Creativity, love of learning, personal responsibility and family, are the cornerstones of an education that celebrates the many overlapping environments of Portland.

The city’s wild and urban areas become sites for inquiry, exploration and understanding as children acquire personal and academic skills that lead to a satisfying life as thoughtful, active members of the larger community. In pursuit of this goal, student are involved in service learning efforts throughout their years at the school

Special programs and features

• “Reading Buddies,” service-learning experiences with the elderly and homeless; “Adopt A Park” program, and curriculum based camping trips.
• School gardens and compost bins teach horticulture and sustainability.
• Rotating curriculum themes : River, Mountain, Forest.
• Visual arts demonstrate and teach curriculum concepts.
• Required Spanish language and culture courses enable students to earn high school level language credits.
• After school activities: Theatre, musical, a marimba band, a garage band and choir.
• Required algebra courses provide high school credit for many students and geometry is available for advance students.
• Physical education is integrated into curriculum through sports, hiking, kayaking, camping service learning.