Deep Roots
Sunnyside Elementary is a small K-5 community school of 272 students located in rural Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Sunnyside is a Title I school where 61% of the students receive free/reduced meals, 16% receive special education services and 3% participate in the gifted program. The average overall attendance is 95%. Students at Sunnyside enjoy helping others in the school as well as the community. National Honor Society students organize and conduct food drives, coat drives and sock drives each year. Items collected are donated to the local food bank and clothes closet. Honor Society students also assist monthly with food distribution at the local food bank as well as organizing clothing at the clothes closet. Sunnyside continues the rich heritage of educational excellence dating back to 1916 when McKenney High School was built on this site.
Great Heights
The philosophy of Sunnyside is captured in the school motto that students and staff recite each morning – I Can, I Know I Can, I Will. At Sunnyside, we believe that success begins with believing in yourself and each other. Sunnyside Elementary School is a 2018 recipient of the Virginia Board of Education’s Distinguished Achievement Award. Sunnyside received this remarkable for meeting all state and federal benchmarks and also made progress toward the goals of the Governor and Board of Education. The school quality profile can be found at http://schoolquality.virginia.gov/schools/sunnyside-elementary.
The Dinwiddie Difference
Sunnyside has strong community involvement. Local businesses, churches, and community members volunteer their time and resources to aid in student success. Sunnyside is proud of its dedicated staff – 95% have greater than 10 years of teaching experience and 58% have advanced degrees. With very little turnover, the staff at Sunnyside is able to make strong connections with families and students. Sunnyside students continue to make steady academic progress in spite of the many obstacles they face.