It's that time of year again! Your input is important to us as we plan for the upcoming school year. We ask that you please answer a few questions regarding your child's current school. If you have students at multiple schools, please complete a separate survey for each school. Thank you for your feedback.

An interview with Amanda Rueles (MCB, Biochemistry Minor 2021), Fall 2019 Danny Brower Scholarship winner.  Amanda Ruelas - Fall 2019 Danny Brower Scholarship Winner By: Michele Vaughan   Publish Date: Dec 11, 2019   "I find it really interesting to learn about how cells work and how they make life." How did you feel when you found out you won the Danny Brower scholarship? I was so excited and so happy that I was able to get an MCB scholarship; it's an honor! Paying for college is really hard and it's going to be such a big help and stress reliever. I also have a Wildcat Excellence Award and I have worked in a lab since my freshmen year to help pay for college.  Tell me about working in Dr. Anderson's lab. I went to Sunnyside High School in Tucson and was enrolled in the BIOTECH Project both my junior and senior years. I was also in the KEYS Research Internship Program and through the BIOTECH Project and KEYS, I met Dr. Nadja Anderson. I kept crossing paths with her through these programs! The summer before my freshmen year, I worked the KEYS program and after that program Dr. Anderson asked me to work in her lab, so I started working in her lab my freshmen year and I worked in her lab for two years. What did you do in Dr. Anderson's lab? I prepped the lab experiments that went out to the high schools for the BIOTECH Project. I had to make sure all the reagents were right and everything they needed to do the experiment was included. I also helped with some MCB outreach events. I liked seeing how excited the younger kids were about science. I loved hearing them say "I love science!"  Then you were accepted into The Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) - tell me about that. When I first applied to UBRP, I didn't get accepted, and then I got the Margaret Bilson Research Fellowship Award and was able to be a part of UBRP. UBRP assigned me to Dr. Curtis Thorne's lab and I worked there all summer. Dr. Thorne's lab is a cancer research lab and he does colorectal cancer research. My project focuses on using molecular cloning to analyze cellular division. A common hallmark of cancer is excessive cell division. Proteins that are involved in cell communication and signaling, one class being called a kinases, can often tell cells to divide when they really should not or vice versa. I am using the process of molecular cloning and CRISPR/CAS9 to insert parts of genes that encode for kinases whose inferred normal function is to suppress cellular division. With the help of CRISPR/CAS9 (a protein complex that can remove, add or alter sections of DNA), I am going to knockdown kinases in normal human colonic epithelial cells to analyze if not having this kinase expressed induces, suppresses, or has no effect on cellular division.  Why did you choose The University of Arizona? I had a lot of connections and had credits from when I was in the BIOTECH Project. I went to Meet MCB and saw there was a lot of research going on at the University of Arizona and I knew the university would give me a lot of opportunities in science. Why did you choose MCB as your major? Since I was in the BIOTECH Project at Sunnyside High School and had dual enrollment with MCB at the university, I wanted to continue with MCB. I really like studying cells and I wanted to see where MCB would take me. After I took more MCB courses, it solidified my decision. It's really cool to learn about cells. Cells look out for me and I don’t even have to ask them to; it just happens and I find it really interesting to learn about how cells work and how they make life! What has been your best experience at UA? So far my best experience has been working with Dr. Anderson in the BIOTECH Project because I got a lot of exposure to outreach to the community about science. I learned how important it is to communicate science and engage with a younger generation so they can enjoy science and not be scared of it. What MCB classes have you like most and why? Cancer Biology with Dr. Justina McEvoy has been the best class I've ever taken! I find myself doing more research outside of class because it's so interesting. What skill have you learned that you think will be most useful when you graduate? I learned a lot about how to look at different points of view and I think that is really useful. I think looking at different sides of things to get the whole picture instead of cherry picking information that fit my point of view is important and I think this skill will be useful in the future by helping me make decisions. In the SORT (STEM Outreach and Recruitment Team) class taught by Dr. Lisa Rezende, we read a book about pseudo-science. Every week we would have a conversation in class about different points of view and where we get information to form our point of view. I learned that the average person won’t read a scientific journal publication and I learned how and where people get information to make decisions. What are your plans post-graduation? I'm not entirely certain yet! I may enter the workforce to gain experience in another kind of research so I have some exposure outside of cancer research to see what kind of research I would be interested in as a career. I hope one day to get a PhD and I want to get experience outside of cancer research so I can decide what to focus on for my PhD. What are your hobbies and interests outside school? I'm really into fashion. I go to thrift stores and buy clothes and redesign and upcycle the clothes. My favorite one I upcycled was a really long dress that looked like a grandma dress and I made it into a cute summer skirt and top. I love the balance of this creative work with my love of science!   Article on UofA website:  https://bit.ly/2PSCtku

The Sunnyside Unified School District invites families to visit our schools the week of February 10-14th to enroll for the 2020-21 school year.  Have you ever wondered what your students are going to be when they grow up? Sunnyside is home to nationally board-certified and award-winning teachers, world-class CTE programs, fine arts and athletics programs that will help make their "When I grow up" dreams become a reality. Visit our elementary schools during Kindergarten Round-Up, February 10 through February 14 for a school tour and on site registration. Locations:   Craycroft Elementary School (5455 W. Littletown Rd) 520-545-2600 Tuesday, February 11th | 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 12th | 4:30-6:30 p.m.   Drexel Elementary School (801 E. Drexel Rd.) 520-545-2700 Tuesday, February 13th | 5:30-7:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Elvira Elementary School (250 W. Elvira Rd.) 520-545-2800 Wednesday, February 12th | 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.  Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Esperanza Elementary School (2353 E. Bantam Rd.)520-545-2900 February 10th - 14th | 8:30 - 10:30 a.m. February 13th | 4:oo - 7:00 p.m.   ​Liberty Elementary School (5495 S. Liberty Ave) 520-545-3100 Thursday, February 13th | 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. February 10th - 14th | 8:00 - 11:00 a.m.    Los Amigos Tech Academy (2200 E. Drexel Rd.) 520-545-3200 Thursday, February 13th | 4:00 -  6:30 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Los Niños Elementary School (5445 S. Alvernon Way) 520-545-3300 Thursday, February 13th | 3:00-5:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Mission Manor Elementary School (600 W. Santa Rosa St.) 520-545-3500 Tuesday, February 11th | 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Ocotillo Early Learning Center (5702 S. Campbell Ave.) 520-545-3600 Wednesday, February 12th | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Rivera Elementary School (5102 S. Cherry Ave.) 520-545-3900 Thursday, February 13th | 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Santa Clara Elementary School (6910 S. Santa Clara Ave) 520-545-3700 Thursday, February 13th | 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   Summit View Elementary School (1900 E. Summit St.) 520-545-3800 Thursday, February 13th | 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. Flexible daytime options throughout the week, call for more details   To register at any of the Sunnyside Schools you will need the following for each student: - Certified Birth Certificate - Immunization Records - Parent/Guardian ID Card - Proof of Residence - 1 item -(i.e. Driver's License/ID with Current Address, Rental Lease Agreement or Deed, Current Utility Bill) Parent or Legal Guardian's Signature is necessary on enrollment forms.

Kevin Peraza is the 2019 Vital BMX Rider of the Year!    By: kylecarlson - VITALBMX.COM Kevin Peraza, 2014 Sunnyside High School graduate, is only twenty-five years old, but he's already a veteran to the BMX game. Everything aligned for Kevin in 2019 and we're proud to name him as the Vital BMX Rider of the Year award! From his worldwide shoe launch tour with Vans, to his emphasis on mentoring the next generation with the Mongoose Am Jams, to impressive performances at FISE and the Vans BMX Pro Cup events, Kevin checks all of the boxes on what it really means to be great in this world - and he does it all with a smile on his face. Kevin took ever seventy flights this year and spread his BMX message all across the globe. He's never been more dialed on his bike and his signature style has never been more prominent. Stay tuned for a one-on-one video interview with Kevin dropping very soon. Congratulations, Kevin. Thank you for making BMX a better place!  

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    

TEENAGE PARENT PROGRAM SUNNYSIDE INFANT CENTER Sunnyside High School 1725 E. Bilby Road Tucson, Arizona 85706 520-545-5355 Philosophy The Sunnyside Infant Center is set up for the convenience of parenting students enrolled in the Sunnyside Unified School District. We believe that an important function of the center is to provide seNices, support, and quality care for the infants of teen parents while they attend school. We strive to establish an atmosphere in which infants are safe to explore their environment, and provide daily experiences in all areas of development, including gross motor, fine motor, sensory, social, emotional and intellectual development. We use the Arizona Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines as a guide for lesson planning. Hours of Operation The Sunnyside Infant Center is open from 6:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday. We are open each day that school is in session. As a parent, you have access to the center any time it is open. The center does not provide transportation. Administration The Sunnyside Infant Center is regulated by the Arizona Department of Health Services and is a child care center within the Teenage Parent Program in the Sunnyside Unified School District #12, located on the campus of Sunnyside High School. The center is covered by liability insurance as required by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Inspection reports are located on site and available upon request. Enrollment Information Eligibility - Infants 2 weeks to one year of age are eligible for enrollment. If the infant is walking when he/she turns 1 year old, their last day of enrollment in the center will be the Friday of that week. If the infant is not yet walking when they turn 1 year old, they will remain enrolled until they are "steady on their feet." This means they can take several steps without falling down or holding onto anything, and/or can stand unassisted from a sitting position. However, if the one-year-old presents a safety issue for the younger infants, your child's enrollment will need to be evaluated. Infants of mothers and fathers in the TAPP program are eligible for enrollment as well as district staff, faculty, and the local community, space providing. DES is accepted. The Sunnyside Infant Center does not take drop-ins. The special needs of any infant will be evaluated on a case by case basis.  Fees - $39.00 per full day (6 hours or more) and $28.00 per part day (less than 6 hours). There is a non-refundable $30.00 fee at the time of registration.