Sunnyside Elementary School

I drive past Sunnyside school everyday and shake my head at the lack of diversity. My husband and I are both Sunnyside kids born and raised in the neighborhood, and it’s just heartbreaking. I don’t blame folks for wanting to live in the area, but it is a shame. It’s a shame to see color pushed out. There was nothing like growing up Sunnyside back in the 70s and 80s. We were Black, white, Asian, and all things fantastic. As I drive past everyday I see the same cookie cutter families walking with big smiles on their faces. Great! Smile! But they’re only smiling within their core families. The extended «Howdy Ho» to anyone else is lost on them. Sunnyside just isn’t what it used to be .Poor kids, they’re the ones who lose. They’re the ones who will not know how to embrace culture.

The other reviews are old so I thought someone should step in and give an update. Sunnyside has become an exemplary school in SF. PTA involvement coupled with a couple of back to back great principles have transformed the school to win a California Distinguished Award. The school is going through a major remodeling plus building addition. New classrooms, new library, more yard space for sports and what have you, just all around great. It’s a true neighborhood school with a great community feel to it. Not too big, not too small.

Great neighborhood school — big old yellow building, soon to be renovated. Nice, tight knit community of parents and teachers. Lots of families walk to school which encourages the community vibe!

Three blocks from my house? Yep.
Big, bright classrooms? Yep.
Robust and engaging Visual Arts, Dance and music for all kids? Yep
PE and movement for everyone? Yessir.
Fun community events? Yep
Low-​pressure fundraising? Yep
Friendly, low-​key families? You betcha
Sunnyside fit the bill for us when we moved to the neighborhood after raising our first child in the Sunset. I was surprised to find everything I liked about our popular, high-​demand Sunset school was also in place at Sunnyside. So why weren’t there more people at the school?
I figure that the people who were there were just shy about what a good school it is. Not anymore. We are loud and we are proud. Sunnyside is for us.
The only drawbacks are the same ones we would find at any school: lack of resources (ie money) for all the programs we need and want. Too many new SFUSD programs implemented without proper funding for implementation. New accountability matrices without funding for remediation. You get the picture. Nothing an individual school can address without systemic changes in funding. But Sunnyside can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear and we are creatively meeting the needs of our students every day. The kids are healthy, happy and engaged.
On to middle school.

Sunnyside is a terrific school, full of dedicated and caring teachers. My child has developed a love for learning and looks forward to school every day.

Great school on the rise. Old neighborhood small town feel. So many motivated parents in the 3 kinder classes that project after project is completed, grant after grant written and forward progress at break-​neck speed. I would give 5 starts but for the negative feel that comes from the administrative level. Teaching staff is relatively new and really wonderful.

8 more days of elementary school for my son. 3 stars for being 2 blocks from my house and having a few excellent teachers. 2 stars for everything else.