The August 25 Governing Board meeting offered a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the many exciting things happening across Sunnyside Unified School District. From student achievements and staff accomplishments to innovative programs, community partnerships, and opportunities that are helping our students grow and thrive, the Superintendent’s Report highlighted the incredible work taking place throughout our schools. Together, these stories reflect the dedication of our students, staff, families, and community partners, and the many ways SUSD continues to create opportunities for every learner to be College, Career, and Community Ready.

SUNNYSIDE WRESTLING ROOM GROUNDBREAKING   

Earlier this month, Sunnyside High School broke ground for their new wrestling room that will be ready to continue the legacy of Sunnyside Wrestling in the spring. We would like to thank Core Construction and SPS+ Architects for working with our Sunnyside team to create a memorable event where we were able to hear about the exciting things in store for this new project. 

I’d also like to thank our voters once again for passing our override and bond to bring opportunities like this to our students. 

DESERT VIEW LEARNING AMBASSADORS NEWS FEATURE   

KGUN 9 News shared a story about Desert View High School’s Learning Ambassadors. The Learning Ambassadors work alongside teachers to share what they think works — and what doesn't — in the classroom. It is a student-led group that started four years ago with just four students. The idea came after educators realized student voice was missing from conversations about education. The group has grown over the years and it’s nice to see their story being shared throughout our community and Southern Arizona. 

SAM THOMAS HOOP GROUP   

Six Sierra K-8 student-athletes and one Los Amigos Technology Academy student had the opportunity to attend the 5th Annual Sam Thomas Hoop Group earlier this month!

Students worked on their basketball skills, learned more about the game, and were inspired by former UArizona Wildcat and WNBA player Sam Thomas. She had different stations set up to give students a hands-on approach to perfecting their basketball skills. 

Thank you, Sam, for creating such a fun and welcoming experience for our students and for continuing to share your love of basketball with the Tucson community!

ANDRES CANO VISITS MISSION MANOR 

Supervisor Andrés Cano stopped by Mission Manor Elementary School for the Love of Lectura initiative, celebrating literacy with our first-grade students and local author Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford.

Through the initiative, 500 books are being distributed to first graders throughout District 5. Thank you to Supervisor Cano and everyone involved for helping inspire the next generation of readers!

HSL PROPERTIES TEACHER APPRECIATION NOMINATION   

We have two amazing teachers who are in the running for HSL Properties’ Teacher Appreciation! Vanessa Martinez, a second grade teacher at Mission Manor, and Jacqueline Villa, a first grade teacher at Rivera, are honored to have received the nomination and need the community's support to make it to the final round! 

Voting is open until August 31st. Visit KVOA News 4 Tucson’s website and access the voting platform under their contest page. You can vote multiple times a day to support Ms. Martinez and Ms. Villa! 

SOMOS SUNNYSIDE   

Today, we kicked off season four of the Somos Sunnyside Podcast! For episode #74, we sat down with the Gallegos Brothers to hear about their time as students in Sunnyside, what they currently do in their professions, and how they honor the legacy of their brother Gabe through giving back to the community with their partnership with the Sunnyside Foundation. We also get to hear how they formed Los Gallegos band and how the musical talents of their family keep them connected and performing strong throughout Southern Arizona! You can visit our website to stream the episode or visit your favorite podcast platform. As always, don’t forget to like and subscribe!