Sunset Elementary School

I'll ditto what everyone has posted - my oldest is a 2nd grader and i have another boy who'll start kindergarten in three years and i love, love this school. principal lee was the deciding factor in choosing this school as my first choice and i am super duper glad we got our first choice. from the strong pta to having our own parking lot (yes, a big plus in san francisco), and everything in between, we are very lucky and blessed to be part of sunset elementary. go sunset stars!
—Submitted by a parent

Sunset is a terrific school -- one of it's biggest strengths is it's sense of community. Add that to great academics and a lovely campus and you really can't lose!
—Submitted by a parent

Our son has recently started Kindergarten, and we are thrilled. Sunset has been nicely renovated, has ocean views, a green schoolyard project underway, and will likely feed students into AP Giannini Middle...which is next to the school. A new public library and playground are being built adjacent to the school. Very safe, increasingly diverse, excellent test scores, great extracurriculars, fantastic principal, engaged teachers, and an active PTA. So many great schools in the Sunset District...if you are planning on moving out of the city for schools...stay in SF and check out the Sunset.
—Submitted by a parent

I cannot not say enough good things about our school, Sunset Elementary. Our family is thriving here. We have a remarkable and committed Principal combined with an innovative and energized PTA in a lovely site. I especially appreciate the way the PTA makes efforts to make sure that all members of the community are invited and included in activities.
—Submitted by a parent

My son attended this wonderful school for six years. He is autistic and was placed in the school inclusion program. I am so grateful for all the support from the dedicated teachers, paras, school principal, and the whole Sunset community. You made my son's life so much easier. I would not trade Sunset to any other school.
—Submitted by a parent

You will not find a more inclusive, fun, vibrant, creative, diverse and dedicated school community in SF. We have PTA sponsored movie nights, garden work days, a Spring time Carnival, enrichment classes right after school, and caring teachers who deliver day in and day out. Ms. Lee, the principal, wears many hats, but has the magic touch in building a learning community where parents are active partners. The campus has undergone an ADA retrofit and is in the midst of a Greening Schoolyard Project. The PTA has stepped up Big Time in the last 4 years. My kids love this place!
—Submitted by a parent

I didn't expect how fantastic this school was. Sunset Elementary is definitely a school with mission and passion. The principal, Ms Sophie Lee, is awesome. She understands the students and the parents and strives the school to become a second home for the students. Teachers are welcoming and teach with a heart. The program is rigorus yet creative therefore the students have fun while learning. Impressive PTA and parent involvement. When you go to the office, you always see parent volunteers there helping cheerfully. I can't expect a better school than Sunset Elementary School. Thank you!
—Submitted by a parent

Sunset Elementary is indeed a hidden gem in SFUSD. We transferred our 1st grader and 3rd grader to Sunset at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year and couldn't be happier. The community at the school is truly welcoming and it's apparent that everyone works hard to provide additional resources such as dance, rhythms, outdoor science and other enrichment courses for all of our students. Principal Sophie Lee is a great communicator and knows how to effectively bring parents, teachers and community resources to the school, and the kids love her! If you are looking for a warm caring community with lots of great enrichment programs for a well-rounded education, put Sunset Elementary on your top 7 list.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is a third grader at Sunset Elementary and we have had a wonderful experience with the school. The teachers are great and the principal is amazing. Sunset offers very strong core classes, but also provides a large variety of enrichment including: dance, theater, music, art, environmental education, and physical education. The PTA has become extremely active over the years and the PTA has funded a play structure, PE enrichment, a garden coordinator and a technology coordinator. Sunset Elementary provides a wonderful community and an enriching learning environment for our son.
—Submitted by a parent

Sunset is an absolute gem. Hidden in the Sunset District near the ocean, the school is growing at an incredible rate. There's a thriving garden, an active PTA, a parking lot, and a new play structure coming soon (funds raised by the PTA, principal, and parents) and a variety of after school classes and an after school YMCA program. My daughter started kindergarten this year and is thriving. She can read, write, add, subtract, and has developed advanced social skills. The curriculum is comprehensive, and does not seem to focus on one subject over another. My daughter was exposed to a variety of activities as part of the kindergarten curriculum: dance, music, PE, weekly library visits, reading buddies, and much more. In addition, she took Mandarin Chinese after school and participated in the after school Science classes. Needless to say, we're extremely pleased.
—Submitted by a parent

Sunset Elementary School is a jewel of a school, for many reasons. The principal is outstanding, respected by teachers, the parents, and the students alike. She greets students by name in the hallway and always has time to meet with parents and the PTA. The PTA is an absolute powerhouse, with a strong drive to raise funds for this small, up-and-coming school. The student body is extremely diverse, without a single group dominating the population, and teaching staff encourages the students to learn from each other's cultures. The school has a wide variety of high quality after school programs, both for students who require care unitl 5pm and also for parents who want an extra academic class for an hour or so. I believe we are a strong community in part because this is a relatively new and small school, all working to maximize the students learning experience.
—Submitted by Jennifer Murphy, a parent

We are extremely happy with our experience at Sunset. Our kindergartner is thriving at Sunset. The teacher is fantastic, and the principal Sophie Lee is obviously committed to the success of each student; and she knows each student by name. I would highly recommend prospective families to check out Sunset, and find out what all the excitement is about.
—Submitted by a parent

This is definitely a school on the move and thus any reviews posted here may become obsolete within a year--that's how fast the community is rallying behind Sunset Elementary. Get this: the YMCA operates an after-school program on-site until 6pm, staffed by trained and committed young adults. Other after-school enrichment programs include piano class, Spanish, Cantonese. . .and whatever else I can't remember at the moment. The school looks more like a suburban school than an urban one--there is a PARKING LOT and lots of WIDE OPEN playspace and sports fields. The air is clean--Sunset is blocks from the Pacific. The PTA, which only a while back was struggling, has become energetic and better organized. The parents come from many different backgrounds and careers, including IT, business, professional, UCSF faculty, and others--which means a wide talent pool for the PTA.
—Submitted by Keith McBurnett, a parent

Sunset is a wonderful place to learn. The principal, Sophie Lee, is fantastic and a real advocate for the kids and the school. She knows the names of all the kids, who run up to her to give hugs. Our kindergartner is thriving in his class with an experienced, relaxed, and supportive teacher. The kids have art and time with the class animals mixed in with their other studies. We were much more impressed with this community of parents and teachers than with the selection of private schools we visited here in San Francisco. The PTA is vibrant and active, and parents are invited to contribute in the classroom or in other ways. Sunset is another San Francisco hidden gem of a public school. I highly recommend you check it out.
—Submitted by a parent

This is a top-notch elementary school. The teachers and staff are professional, friendly, confident and relaxed. They (and therefore the children) love to be at Sunset. They have strong core academics with ample arts such as dance, rhythm, visual art, chorus and theatre. They also have a unique and outstanding Outdoor Science program inwhich students learn throughout their self-developed dozen garden spaces. The Principal is highly effective and accessible and sets a great tone for the entire school community. Being named a California Distinguished School is just icing on their cake!
—Submitted by a parent

The teachers are outstanding and are involved in the school as a community, not purely for academics. There is an outdoor science program, centered around the school's gardens which are planted and maintained by students, their families and teachers. Parent (and grandparent or other family member) involvement is encouraged and supported. There is a brand new laptop computer lab in the library. The pricipal, Sophie Lee, knows every child's name and holds an assembly every morning for the whole school. That and other school-wide activities foster a strong community feeling. We love this school!
—Submitted by a parent

This is a real gem of a school. Both the principal and teachers are very involved and caring, and I feel that this is one of the best elementary schools around. There is a good level of parental involvement as well, which adds to the great sense of community at this school. The teachers do a wonderful job of discerning the students' academic/personal strengths and needs, and do their best to work with each individual's abilities, including dispensing helpful advice to their parents. Though it is a small school, they have a good amount of music and arts activities (they have music, drama, art and dance instructors throughout the year), as well as sports activities (basketball, kickball, and soccer tournaments). I feel extremely lucky that my daughter has been able to start her educational experience in such a wonderful environment.
—Submitted by a parent

Sunset Elementary is a relatively small school with a real community feeling to it. The principal seems to knows the name of every child and parent at the school, and has done a fantastic job of making improvements in her short time there (4 years). These include improvements to both the physical campus and the overall learning environment and academic performance. And all the teachers we have had experience with so far are highly qualified and motivated, and like the principal, dedicated to helping the students learn. Our child has had a very positive experience attending Sunset, bouth academically and socially. We are very happy to have him attend this school, and look forward to his doing so through fifth grade.
—Submitted by Bruce Allen, a parent