Open House Season: Sunset Ridge Elementary School

I could hear the laughter as soon as I got out of my car in the overcrowded school parking lot. Though it was an unseasonably cold evening, I paused outside the building to admire the student artwork and take in the surroundings of what could only an Open House.

Richard Faust, board member, gave me a personal tour of Sunset Ridge School’s 10th Annual Open House last week.  , a K-5 school with 612 students, is every inch a place of community, with cross-grade projects, a centralized library, and open spaces for engaged learning.

With a packed house of family, friends, and students, I was delighted to meet school principal, Ellie Cundiff, and briefly, Superintendent Wendy Tukloff. In looking at the colorful artwork and illustrated stories along the walls, Cundiff explained that the school focuses on literacy, and the open house celebrates the students’ hard work.

“Families get a chance to meet in the classrooms, see the writing workshop papers, student art, and they get to see other classrooms, maybe the ones for next year,” she said.

While walking through the halls, I was impressed to see not only immediate members of student families, but there were also plenty of grandparents and adult friends being pulled into classrooms by excited children.

Daina Lujan, 1st grade teacher, was surrounded by smiling students when I entered her classroom. The ceiling was hung with paper projects, the walls were lined with writing prompts, and colorful pictures were hung in every spare space.

Lujan appreciates her students’ creativity and love of learning.

“They have so much passion. They’re so engaged. They love it all," she said.

In 2nd grade, teacher John Collins’ room was peppered with hundreds of student photographs from his past 14 years of teaching.  Art and written work hung from the ceiling, and every desk had a special written assignment on top. Buzzing with people, it easy to understand why Sunset Ridge, for him, celebrates community. 

“Sunset Ridge is connected to the community," he said. "I got involved in teaching to serve the community, and all that you see here [indicating the art and written work posted around the room] is the fruit of my labor.”

Though I wasn’t able to talk with every teacher, I was able to visit almost every classroom. I even came across my own personal favorite of classroom utilities: the SMART board. The hallways were as colorful as the classrooms, lined with everything from state maps to hand-print flowers.

In the gym, the school book fair was in full swing. Similar to the school hallways, the gym walls were papered with student artwork. Racks of books were surrounded by eager students and parents who purchased books from previously filled out wish lists.  The money from the book sale helps to fund the school library, the centerpiece of the school.

Eileen Manning-Villar, current Pacifica School Board President, was also in attendance, chatting with parents and admiring student work.  Pleased with the turnout of people, she said, “There is a lot of connection between the schools, and a cohesiveness between the community and schools. Parents are very interested and active in volunteering. Pacifica is a tight community."

Check out the pictures for more.