July 2, 2020 Dear Sunnyside Families – Earlier this week, Governor Ducey announced the delay of in-person learning to August 17. However, this date reflects an aspirational hope that it will be safe for us to return in-person. The reality is, given the increase in COVID-19 cases across the state, we may have to move the in-person start date again. I believe this creates great uncertainty for our parents and staff. The effect of this uncertainty is the delay of essential educational services that students and families depend on. Although we are facing some challenging times, we are unwavering in our commitment to serve our students, families and staff. It is not in the best interest of our learning community to delay the essential educational services that students and families depend on. For Sunnyside, this means the first day of school will remain August 5th through remote learning. While starting school completely online is not ideal, I am confident that we are prepared for a remote learning environment given our track record of using technology as an essential instructional tool for the past 10 years. We are committed to offering your child a quality uninterrupted learning experience. Our teachers and curriculum staff have been working all summer to ensure that we can remotely deliver the same rigorous curriculum that would have been offered in person. This online experience will be different from what you experienced during the initial school closures. Our expectation is that teachers deliver content five days a week and require scheduled times for students to be online receiving instruction. For a more detailed description on this remote learning experience, please visit susd12.org/responsible-reopening. As you may know, we traditionally issue Chromebooks to 4th–12th grade students at the beginning of the school year and students are able to take these devices home. In order to accommodate the transition to K-12 remote learning, we will also provide a device to all K–3rd grade students. Your school will provide you with information about picking up devices prior to the first day of school. Furthermore, we are excited to share with you that we have implemented a new enrollment system that will allow families to complete the registration process entirely online. In the coming days, please look out for a letter that will have a code that is specific to your students’ registration. The safety and well-being of our students and staff is at the forefront of our decision-making. As we responsibly move forward with planning for an in-person 5 days a week return on August 17th or at some other date in the 2020-21 school year, we will provide you with updates on how we will implement the health guidelines outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pima County Health Department. Lastly, as a parent of two school-aged children myself, I hear your concerns and share the stress of this ever-changing situation with you. Your child’s principal will be providing more communication throughout the next few weeks prior to school starting remotely on August 5th​. I thank you for your patience, trust and commitment to the Sunnyside learning community. I am confident that together we will emerge from this stronger and better. Sincerely, Steve Holmes Superintendent 2 de julio, 2020 Estimadas familias de Sunnyside – A principios de esta semana, el gobernador Ducey anunció el retraso del aprendizaje en persona hasta el 17 de agosto. Sin embargo, esta fecha refleja una esperanza anhelada de que estaremos seguros para regresar a clases en persona. La realidad es, dada el aumento en los casos de COVID-19 en todo el estado, es posible que tengamos que mover la fecha de inicio en persona nuevamente. Yo pienso que esto crea una gran incertidumbre para nuestros padres y el personal. El efecto de esta incertidumbre es la demora de los servicios educativos esenciales de los que dependen los estudiantes y sus familias. Aunque nos enfrentamos a tiempos difíciles, estamos firmes en nuestro compromiso de servir a nuestros estudiantes, familias y personal. Esperar una fecha final de nuestro estado no es lo mejor para nuestra comunidad de aprendizaje ya que esto demora los servicios educativos esenciales de los que dependen los estudiantes y sus familias. Para Sunnyside, esto significa que el primer día de clases permanecerá el 5 de agosto a través del aprendizaje remoto. Si bien comenzar la escuela completamente en línea no es lo ideal, estoy seguro de que estamos preparados para un entorno de aprendizaje remoto dada nuestra trayectoria en el uso de la tecnología como una herramienta de instrucción esencial durante los últimos 10 años. Estamos comprometidos a ofrecerle a sus hijos una experiencia de aprendizaje sin interrupciones y de calidad. Nuestros maestros y el personal del plan de estudios han estado trabajando todo el verano para garantizar que podamos entregar de manera remota el mismo plan de estudios riguroso que se hubiera ofrecido en persona. Esta experiencia en línea será diferente de la que experimentaron durante el cierre inicial de la escuela. Nuestra expectativa es que los maestros entreguen contenido cinco días a la semana y requieran tiempos programados para que los estudiantes estén en línea recibiendo instrucción. Para una descripción más detallada sobre esta experiencia de aprendizaje remoto, visite susd12.org/responsible-reopening. Como ya sabrán, tradicionalmente emitimos Chromebooks a los estudiantes en 4o a 12o grados al comienzo del año escolar y los estudiantes pudieron llevarse estos dispositivos a casa. Con el fin de acomodar la transición al aprendizaje remoto K-12, también emitiremos dispositivos a nuestros estudiantes de K-3er grado. Su escuela les proporcionará información sobre los pasos para recoger el dispositivo de sus alumnos antes del primer día de clases. Además, nos complace compartir con ustedes que hemos implementado un nuevo software de inscripción que permitirá a las familias completar el proceso de matriculación en línea. En los próximos días, busquen una carta que tenga un código específico para la matriculación de su (s) estudiante (s). La seguridad y el bienestar de nuestros estudiantes y personal están a la vanguardia de nuestra toma de decisiones. A medida que avanzamos responsablemente con la planificación de un regreso en persona de 5 días a la semana el 17 de agosto o en otra fecha en el año escolar 2020-21, se les proporcionarán detalles sobre cómo planeamos implementar las pautas de salud descritas por el Centro para el Control de Enfermedades (CDC) y el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Pima. Por último, como padre de dos niños en edad escolar, entiendo sus inquietudes y comparto el estrés de esta situación siempre cambiante con ustedes. El director de la escuela de sus hijos proporcionará más comunicación durante las próximas semanas antes de que las clases comiencen de forma remota el 5 de agosto. Les agradezco su paciencia, confianza y compromiso con la comunidad de aprendizaje de Sunnyside. Estoy seguro de que juntos saldremos de esto más fuertes y más capaces. Atentamente, Steve Holmes Superintendente View or Download the PDFs sent to parents:  July 2, 2020 - Spanish | English Jun 19, 2020 - Spanish | English May 21, 2020 - Spanish | English

Our Free or Reduced Meal Application is now Online! We just made it easier for you to fill out your student's meal application. The process is easy and only takes a few minutes.  Proceed to Meal Application NEED A PAPER APPLICATION? - See "How to submit a Paper Application below. How to Submit a Paper Application? Download the Application Print and submit pages 1 & 2 to either your child's school or mail in the application to: Department of Food & Nutrition - Application’s Office 2238 East Ginter Rd - Tucson, AZ 85706 PLEASE NOTE: We need only ONE application for all children in your household that attend school in SUSD. Things you'll need If you participate in SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR you will need to know your case number (not your card or account number) If you do not participate in any of the above assistance programs, you will need to report your total household income. In that case... If anyone in your household has a job, you may need to reference the earnings statement or pay stubs to report your gross income, which is different that the amount you actually receive in your paycheck. If anyone receives Social Security or retirement benefits, you may need to gather the benefit statements to report the amount and frequency of the payments. You may also need to reference other financial documents for additional sources of income. Your US citizenship or immigration status does not affect your eligibility for free or reduced price benefits. Frequently asked questions My child’s application was approved last year. Do I need to fill out a new one? Yes. Eligibility for free or reduced price meals only lasts for one school year. However, eligibility for the previous year carries over for the first few days of the new school year, or until the new eligibility determination is made. Please complete a new application for each school year. Do I need to fill out an application for each child? No. Use one free and reduced meal application for all students that attend school in Sunnyside USD in your household. If I don’t qualify now, may I apply later? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free or reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit. My household participates in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and/or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Are my children eligible for free meals? All children in households are eligible for free meals when at least one household member is receiving benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). If you participate in other assistance programs, contact Sunnyside USD to see if you qualify for school meal benefits. You may qualify for free meals! What if my household does not qualify for free or reduced price meal benefits based on income, but I have a foster child? Foster children who are formally placed by State Welfare Agency or Court in a caretaker household are eligible for benefits regardless of household income. I adopted a foster child. Are they still eligible for free meals? Congratulations on the adoption! And the answer is maybe. If your child was approved for free meals before the adoption went through, then your child is still eligible to receive free meals for the rest of the school year. But next year the child will no longer be eligible for free meals based on foster status, though they may still qualify based on household income, so we encourage you to submit an application. I get WIC. Can my children get free meals? Participation in the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC program, does not automatically qualify your children for free or reduced price school meals. You will need to qualify based on your household income by completing this application. My family needs more help. Are there other programs we might apply for? To find out how to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or other assistance benefits, contact Sunnyside USD. May I apply if someone in my household is not a U.S. citizen? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals. Will my child or I be subject to public charge if I apply for or receive school meal benefits? No, the non-cash benefits received through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Programs are not subject to public charge consideration. In other words, you will not be deported, denied entry to the country, or denied permanent status because you apply for receive school meal benefits. Will the information I give be checked? Yes, each application is reviewed by the district to determine eligibility. We may also ask you to send proof of your household’s income. What information will I need to fill out the application? If you have this information handy, it will make the application process fast and easy. If you participate in SNAP, TANF, FDPIR you will need to know your case number (not your card or account number). If you do not participate in any of the above assistance program, you will need to report your total household income. In that case… If anyone in your household has a job, you may need to reference the earnings statements or pay stubs to report your gross income, which is different than the amount in your paycheck. If anyone receives Social Security or retirement benefits, you may need to gather the benefit statements to report the amount and frequency of the payments. You may also need to reference other financial documents for additional sources of income. Still not sure if you have everything you need? Don’t worry. Each page of the application contains detailed instructions and explanations about the information you must include, and you can gather additional information then. Who should I include in my household? A household is defined as a group of people, related or unrelated, that usually live together and share income and expenses. Don’t forget to include people if you support them financially, regardless of whether they earn or receive income including: Foster children Children that are away at college or boarding school Grandparents Extended family members that are living with you Foreign exchange students that are living with you People that are not currently living with you, but are only away on a temporary basis (like kids that are away at college) Family members of the armed services who are away from home because they are activated or deployed People living away from home for an extended period of time (such as parents who live and work away from home) Other people who stay at your house and you provide with shelter, utilities, clothing, or food. You should NOT include: Renters Boarders Children who do not live with you (such as children that live permanently with other relatives or friends) Children for whom you do not have custody and therefore do not live with you (if you have joint custody, see the help question: WHAT IF I SHARE CUSTODY OF MY CHILD? What if I share custody of my child? If time is split between houses, both parents may apply for benefits. If the eligibility statuses are different, the highest level of benefits will apply. For example, if you qualify for free meals but your child’s other parent does not, no matter which house your child is staying at, he or she can still receive free meals. However, if either parent chooses not to have your child receive free meal benefits while residing with them then that parent may simply pay for the meals. What if I disagree with the school’s decision about my application? You should talk to school officials. You may ask for a hearing by calling or writing. Please review the information provided in the Letter to Household on the next page of the application for more details. What is a child income? Child income is money received from outside your household that is paid directly to your children. Many households do not have any child income. I’m not sure on which income frequency to select. What are the differences between the income frequencies? Weekly – You usually receive 1 paycheck each week. With this frequency you usually receive 52 paychecks per year. Every two weeks – You usually receive a paycheck every other week. Generally, you receive it on the same day each pay period, such as every other Friday. You usually receive 2 paychecks per month, though some months may differ. It usually equates to 26 paychecks per year. Twice per month – You usually receive 2 paychecks per month on certain scheduled days of the month, such as the 15th and 30th Depending on that day in the month it could fall on any day of the week. With this frequency, you usually receive 24 paychecks 24 a year. Monthly – You usually receive 1 paycheck during the month. With this frequency you typically receive 12 paychecks per year. If you receive an hourly income, you can convert it to a weekly frequency: Multiply your hourly rate by the number of hours you typically work in a week to get your Weekly income. (Example: $10 per hour X 40 hours per week = $400 per week) Annual income conversion – Multiply: Weekly income amount by 52 Every two weeks amount by 26 Twice per month amount by 24 Monthly income amount by 12

We will continue to offer grab-and-go breakfast and lunch this Summer through July 24. Meals will continue to be available for pick-up Monday - Friday from 7:30am – 10am. Summer Mobile Meals – Bus Distribution Sites (Updated for July 1st - July 24th) Below is a list of sites where our school buses will be set up through the month of June to distribute grab-and-go breakfast and lunch. All school buses will continue to be equipped with mobile hotspots. For detailed information for each location, click on the bus icons on the interactive map below. Mission Manor Elementary Bus Bay Summit View Elementary Bus Bay Los Ninos Elementary Bus Bay Rivera Elementary Bus Bay 801 E. Drexel Rd. (at Drexel Elementary) S. Masterson Ave & E. Behan St. (SE Corner) Student parking lot in front of Sunnyside High School (Bilby & Campbell) S. Fontana Ave & E Delta Rd. (NW Corner) Fairy Duster & Silverweed (Rancho Valencia Rest Area) Gallego Intermediate Bus Bay Old Vail Rd & Country Club (park on Vail Rd) Desert Shadows Park (on Greenway Dr.) Sierra 2-8 School Bus Bay Ponderosa & San Xavier Rd @ Ramada Summer Meals – School Distribution Sites (July 1st - July 24th) You may also pick up grab-and-go breakfast and lunch at one of the following school locations: Craycroft Elementary School - 5455 E Littletown Rd Elvira Elementary School - 250 W Elvira Rd Los Amigos Tech Academy - 2200 E Drexel Rd Apollo Middle School - 265 W Nebraska St Meals must be taken to go and if you show up to pick up breakfast, you may take the lunch with you as well.

SUSD Remote Learning Parent Survey We want to thank you for supporting your student(s) in this remote learning environment. As we plan for the upcoming school year, we must consider a contingency plan should the school closures continue this fall. Please know that regardless of the circumstances, we are committed to continue to offer students and families the necessary resources. Your feedback is valuable, so we invite you to participate in this brief survey to help us in our planning process. Queremos agradecerles por apoyar a sus estudiantes, por medio de esta encuesta sobre el aprendizaje remoto. Mientras planeamos para el próximo año escolar, debemos considerar un plan de contingencia en caso de que el cierre de la escuela continúe este otoño. Tenga en cuenta que, independientemente de las circunstancias, estamos comprometidos a seguir ofreciendo a los estudiantes y sus familias los recursos necesarios. Sus comentarios son valiosos. Les invitamos a participar en esta breve encuesta para ayudarnos en nuestro proceso de planificación. Click on the link below to take the survey. Haga clic en el enlace a continuación para completar la encuesta.  https://bit.ly/2WyK3p0

This is how the Sunnyside community rises in challenging times. THANK YOU to our essential employees for coming in each and every day to serve our students and community!

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK - TEACHER EXCELLENCE AWARD   This morning Ms. Kasie Betten, English teacher at Desert View High School was surprised with the Teacher Excellence Award from Tucson Values Teachers! Ms. Betten was one of five teachers to receive this award this week. Ms. Betten was nominated by several of her students who submitted a video nomination highlighting ways she is going above and beyond with virtual instruction.  Watch the student nomination. Winning teachers received flowers, $250 cash courtesy of Helios Education Foundation, a $50 gift card to Office Depot thanks to the South Tucson Cyber Lions, plus another $100 gift card for additional school supplies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE   Sunnyside Alumni Association Awards $50,750 in Scholarships for Sunnyside Seniors   Tucson, AZ. April 29, 2020 — Forty-eight high school seniors were invited to a Google Hangout meeting for what they thought would be a discussion about graduation plans. Superintendent Steve Holmes and high school principals as well as District counselors conspired the surprise meeting to actually deliver the news that they were the recipients of a “Dollars for Scholars” scholarship. One of this year’s scholarship winners is Adilene Escalante Duran, a senior at Sunnyside High School. “My goal ever since I have been a little girl was to attend the University of Arizona, and now that the time is here I am looking for every opportunity possible to begin my journey. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only helping me but my family as well.” The Sunnyside Alumni Association awarded $50,750 in scholarships to support Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) students in their college plans. The scholarships ranged from $500 - $5,000 and were made possible through contributions from district employees, professional associations, community organizations, businesses, and individual donors. The goal of the Sunnyside Alumni Association is to promote graduation, lifelong learning and pride in SUSD.    About SUSD At Sunnyside, we are revolutionizing the public school experience by developing students who are college, career and community ready. Established in 1921 the Sunnyside Unified School District is the second-largest district in Southern Arizona serving more than 16,300 students and families. Located in a culturally-diverse community and surrounded by two First Nations and a neighboring international border—our learning community is flanked by an aerospace and innovation corridor, such that our district is positioned to lead our students into the 21st century through excellence in pedagogy, world-class career and technical education, and a legacy of athletic excellence and passion for the fine arts. For more information, visit us at susd.12.org • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter.   ### Below is the class of 2020 students who will receive scholarships: Dafne Flores - Sunnyside High School Angel Arvayo - Desert View High School Gloria Hernandez - Desert View High School Nataly Demara - Desert View High School Adilene Escalante Duran - Sunnyside High School Samantha Hernandez - Sunnyside High School Rachel Taylor - Desert View High School Jenny Nguyen - Desert View High School Anakaren Lugo Valencia - Sunnyside High School Robert Canady - Desert View High School Jessica Vasquez Espinosa - Sunnyside High School Valeria Mendoza - Sunnyside High School Ysenia Dorame - Desert View High School Aram Collins - Desert View High School Liliana Delgado - Desert View High School Lorenzo Gomez Leon - Sunnyside High School Brianna Rodriguez - Desert View High School Daniela Navarro - Sunnyside High School Jasmine Solano - Sunnyside High School Isabella Espinoza - Desert View High School Natalia Padilla - Sunnyside High School Irais Rios - Desert View High School Mason Prieto - Desert View High School Yaxiri Ortiz - Sunnyside High School Gabriel Carbajal - Sunnyside High School Veronica Lopez - Desert View High School Analecia Ortiz - Desert View High School Izabella Brown - Desert View High School Yasmin Renteria - STAR Academic Center Victoria Balderrama - Sunnyside High School Mario Chavez - Sunnyside High School Cecilia Silva - Desert View High School Alexia Beltran - Sunnyside High School Samantha Rea - Desert View High School Jasmine Solano - Sunnyside High School Victoria Herran - Desert View High School Janiza Ballesteros - Desert View High School Atziry Palomares - Desert View High School Michelle Murguia - Sunnyside High School Jordan Rocha - Sunnyside High School Liliana Suarez - Sunnyside High School Mariana Barnett Fernandez - Desert View High School Jaylen Pallanes - Desert View High School Rebeca Altamirano - Desert View High School Beatriz Izaguirre - Sunnyside High School Liliana Suarez - Sunnyside High School Paola Estrada - Sunnyside High School Carlos Frias - Sunnyside High School Vanessa Silva - Sunnyside High School  

We are excited to have your student(s) back for the upcoming school year! Please let us know if you plan to return for the new school year in August 2020 by filling out this commitment form. Be sure to fill one form out for each student that will be returning. Please note that this is NOT an official enrollment or registration form. You will be able to complete your enrollment when schools reopen.   ¡Estamos emocionados de tener a su (s) estudiante (s) de regreso para el próximo año escolar! Infórmenos si planea regresar para el nuevo año escolar en agosto de 2020 completando este formulario de compromiso. Asegúrese de completar un formulario para cada estudiante que regresará. Tenga en cuenta que este NO es un formulario oficial de inscripción o registro. Podrá completar su inscripción cuando las escuelas vuelvan a abrir.    

CONGRATULATIONS TO DESERT VIEW HIGH SCHOOL AIR FORCE JROTC THEY RECEIVED THE DISTINGUISHED UNIT AWARD! There are nearly 890 units world-wide and they were 1 of 79 that earned this distinction. The cadets met each of the 6 formal goals they set for themselves this academic year, as part of that goal they completed over ,2457 hours of community service. Way to go Jaguars!    

Do you know someone you would like to nominate for the Sunnyside District Alumni Association Hall of Fame? DEADLINE is August 14, 2020 by 4:00 p.m.! If you know someone that has made significant contributions to the Sunnyside School District and/or community, has a distinguished achievement in their chosen profession, has exhibited leadership and introduced innovations that have contributed to the academic success and the quality of life for our community? Please nominate them!  Nominees must have an established association with Sunnyside School District but do not have to be a graduate of Sunnyside School District, may be a current or past employee or a member of the greater community. Nomination Form | Nomination Rubric The mission of the Sunnyside District Alumni Association, a chapter of the national Dollars for Scholars scholarship award organization, is to promote graduation, lifelong learning and pride in  the Sunnyside District. The Association raises funds for scholarships, and inducts honorees into the Alumni Association Hall of Fame. The Sunnyside District Alumni Association has established the Hall of Fame to honor individuals or groups who have made notable contributions to the Sunnyside educational system, the community and/or their chosen profession.   The Sunnyside District Alumni Association | Dollars for Scholars Chapter Since 2004, the Alumni Association has awarded $515,500 in scholarships to 435 graduates of Desert View High School, Sunnyside High School and Star Academic High School.   Students, apply now for a Dollars for Scholars scholarship! Scholarship Sponsor Agreement  The Sunnyside Alumni Association was named the 2011 National New Chapter of the Year by Dollars for Scholars/Scholarship America. The Hall of Fame honors individuals or groups who have made notable contributions to the Sunnyside educational system, the community, and their chosen profession. Any person or group interested in nominating a candidate for the Hall of Fame may contact the Association at 940-1951. Membership Form   All Sunnyside District graduates and friends of the District are invited to become members of the Association. **** If you experience problems viewing the nomination form, right-click your mouse button and select "Download linked File As..." to save the file to your computer.

Our Vision: Every child... College, Career and Community Ready. Our Mission: Our mission is to develop students with a strong sense of identity, purpose and agency, so that they leave our system as effective learners who act with purpose to achieve the conditions they desire in their own and others’ lives. Since the release of the 1983 report “A Nation at Risk” our public school systems have been challenged with the task of improving public perception regarding how we prepare students for the future. This issue of a quality of education was compounded with the accountability requirements under the No Child Left Behind of 2001, which focused primarily on one assessment.  This narrow focus on one metric as the definitive measure of school quality misrepresents the complexity of educating students and diminishes the great work of educators across this nation who make a difference in the lives of students every day, in every classroom. And though aggregate performance is a key variable for measuring success, it simply fails to tell a bigger picture of what our students have and will be able to do in the future.  For this reason we felt it critical to recast our PROFILE OF A GRADUATE within a broader narrative of student success. This new framework provides an unparalleled level of clarity that aligns our mission, vision, and the work.  This new iteration of our graduate profile picks up where our Strategic Plan left off in 2015 and drives the work forward through five competencies, key to each student’s journey towards graduation: 1). Knowledge for Learning, 2). Knowledge for Impact, 3). Creative Confidence, 4). Critical Consciousness, and 5). Self and Systems Awareness.  In addition to college and career readiness, Community Ready was added to this iteration of the work thanks to feedback we received from community members, as well as industry and higher education professionals who expressed certain intangibles that Sunnyside students brought to their organizations. Attributing to our students traits like, “community-minded”, “a sense of social justice”, “respectfulness” we felt strongly that Community Ready also provided us with a framework to bridge the gap between knowledge and agency. This framework allows our District to capture the summative experiences that mark each child’s learning journey so that personalizing the classroom is less about technology, and more about each student’s ecology.  Thank you for being a part of our journey.      COMPETENCY #1: KNOWLEDGE FOR LEARNING Our students are knowledge creators. We look to them to not only master the content, but also to transfer knowledge across disciplines: From science to the humanities, from mathematics to the social sciences—Sunnyside students are deep thinkers and well-rounded learners with a strong sense of academic identity.  We trust our students as knowledge co-creators who share their expertise with peers and teachers as part of an intentional process of collaboration. Sunnyside students understand that learning is a social and shared responsibility. By listening respectfully, students value learning from one another as they begin to develop transferable skills like responding positively and constructively, which are important skills to employers as they are assembling their teams.   COMPETENCY #2: KNOWLEDGE FOR IMPACT When Hurricane Harvey crippled the Texas coast in 2018, Sunnyside students in our JTED Construction program rolled up their sleeves, gave up their spring break, and traveled across the country to rebuild homes. When faced with the opportunity to speak at the state capitol demanding an increase in teacher pay, one Sunnyside student took to the microphone, took a deep breath and pumped up a crowd of tens of thousands.    Our students are engaged participants in their future, not merely bystanders. Equipped with deep knowledge of history and a sense of what is fair, our students are adept at using social media and student organizations to drive change. Sunnyside students are aware of community issues and possess real-world knowledge gained from internships and other experiences that put global issues into a local context.   COMPETENCY #3: CREATIVE CONFIDENCE All students are creative, and it’s our responsibility to nurture that creativity. Borrowing from the work of Tom and David Kelley (IDEO, Stanford d.School) we define creative confidence as the natural human ability to come up with great ideas and the courage to act on those ideas.  Sunnyside students take part in human-centric experiences that use empathy, systems thinking, and design thinking to unlock their creativity. Through building prototypes, using causal loops, challenging assumptions, and acknowledging that all ideas are worthy, our students learn how to take risks. More importantly, creative confidence relies on human collaboration, which is embodied in the performing arts. Sunnyside's tradition of excellence in the fine arts provides a first point of entry for students into a world of creativity that gives them opportunities to gain confidence and succeed.    COMPETENCY #4: CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS Workplaces, schools and colleges, and other social environments are defined by internal cultures and norms that are not always visible from the outside. Some environments are built to nurture and empower, while other systems have internal cultures that hinder upward mobility. This is why we give students the tools to identify systems that perpetuate inequality so they’re prepared to take action.  In collaboration with League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson and the YWCA Southern Arizona we host workshops that help high school students learn about running for office while deconstructing issues such as racism, discrimination, and LGBTQ rights. Fostering critical consciousness through debate empowers our students to keep up with important issues and to demand a seat at the table.    COMPETENCY #5: SELF AND SOCIAL AWARENESS Students who are self-aware have strong intrapersonal skills such as self-regulation, which develops in the early years and aids in problem solving and supports volitional behavior. Social awareness (or social intelligence) is part of an important skill set that, later in life, is what sets a transformational leader apart from an everyday boss. This profile of a graduate takes into account our students’ social and emotional development and values traits such as assertiveness, conflict resolution, positive self-talk (to name a few)—as important indicators—of self- and social awareness, which is key to our students’ ability to thrive after high school.   NEXT STEPS 1. Create a graphic representation of the Graduate Profile 2. Introduce the Graduate Profile at the 2018 Administrative Summit 3. Develop indicators for each of the Graduate Profile competency areas 4. Establish a continuum or rubrics by grade band for each indicator that will be used to support internal accountability metrics with the desired outcome of establishing our own school label system    

Following Sunnyside Unified School District on social media keeps you informed on what's going on in your school, your neighborhood and your community.   FOLLOW SUSD— facebook.com/SunnysideUSD twitter.com/sunnysideusd instagram.com/sunnysideusd