Happy New Year to the Sunnyside Neighborhood! Thank you for all of your support and for showing up for Sunnyside Environmental School (SES) in 2025. We hope you have enjoyed all of the wonderful things happening at our school. There are so many fun events and activities to look forward to in the new year. We hope to see you there!
2nd–5th Grade Original Musical
Every year Mo Philips teaches an after-school program in musical production. The students get together with Mo in December and brainstorm a plan for an original musical each year. Together, they decide on the setting, characters, and plot. Mo wraps it up into an amazing creation that will dazzle us all. In January, students in grades 2–5 will begin preparing and practicing for the show. Middle school students help with stage managing, set building, costume making, and tech. Stay tuned for more information including show dates and times. The performances will take place around the middle of March.
Dine Out at Laughing Planet
After the holiday mayhem, you may want a break from cooking but still opt for a healthy meal. You can do both at once and also raise money for SES by eating out at Laughing Planet on Belmont on January 28th. 10% of sales will be donated to SES. This quirky Mexican-inspired restaurant prides itself on using local ingredients and global flavors. So grab a burrito, smoothie, or a healthy bowl of your choice and enjoy.
Riparian Festival
Mark your calendar! The yearly beloved Riparian festival will be on January 22nd from 5:30–7:30 p.m. This is a Sunnyside tradition where students in grades 3–8 demonstrate everything they have learned throughout the year thus far through mixed media. For grades 3–5 you will see storylines, writing and artwork. For grades 6–8 you will find projects based on each class’s thematic year (forest, river, mountain or ocean). Their classrooms turn into a demonstration hall with installations, dioramas, art projects, essays, handmade original games, presentations, demonstrations, and much more. There will be a lasagne dinner ($5 donation requested) and sweet treats. The evening will end with an all-school singalong in the auditorium. This one is not to be missed!
Gala Auction
Preparations and planning for the yearly Gala Auction are beginning. Do you have a local business? Are you an artist? Do you want to donate an auction item for the Gala? If you do, please contact Jessica at [email protected]. Each year this event raises much-needed funds for the school. It is always a fun-filled event for
the community. I wonder what this year’s theme will be. I’ll let you all know once the cat is out of the bag.
Outdoor learning space updates
Stop by the playground and check out the developments on the outdoor learning space as it continues to evolve and come to life. In January the roof will be installed, the floor will be filled with gravel and the wood will be stained. SES middle school students are currently working on garden designs that will be built and installed in the spring. They are also working on bee and flower art because the theme is—you guessed it—BEES!
Have questions about SES? Email [email protected] and maybe I’ll answer them in a future column!