The successful pursuit of academic excellence for all Sunshine students involves a whole-child philosophy that respects intellectual, social and emotional learning (SEL) and growth. SUNSHINE provides many options not available in other public schools. We provide our students the academic opportunities and the social-emotional skills they need to be successful in school and in life. With a focus on the college and career readiness skills, students are taught how to learn – an essential skill in today’s world.

Academic Philosophy/What Makes Us Different

High Expectations for All

At SUNSHINE , we establish clearly defined and measurable goals for academic and personal achievement and growth. Recognizing that every student is unique, we personalize learning based on each student’s strengths, opportunities for improvement, interests and aspirations.

Students learn and achieve at high levels by engaging in rigorous and relevant learning experiences. What is Rigor at SUNSHINE ?

• Cognitive Rigor: Academic resources, materials and assessments are aligned to the intent and “level of thinking” of the Tennessee Academic Standards. Learning experiences provide students the “right level of challenge” to make learning challenging, yet attainable.
• Goal Attainment/Personal Bests. Building on their strengths, SUNSHINE students are continually engaged in setting, monitoring and achieving goals that push and support them in being their best selves in the classroom and in life.
• Critical Thinking at Deep Levels. At SUNSHINE , students engage in whole group, small group (team-based learning) and individual learning experiences that call for students to not just recall what they know and can do, but to summarize, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, create and more.
• Use of Academic and Domain Language. We teach and require our students to use the academic and domain language of the Tennessee Academic Standards when speaking and writing.
• Making Connections. We recognize that learning has truly occurred when students can apply what they know and can do to new situations. At SUNSHINE , we support students in making connections across disciplines so that learning can truly “stick.”
• Academic Stamina. We provide students opportunities to build their physical and mental ability to maintain their effort and focus on academic tasks. This is accomplished through a combination of goal setting and lengthening tasks over time as students build, practice and apply their skills.

Focus on the Whole Child

Our aim is to educate the learner as a whole, valuing the individual strengths, experiences, interests, voice and talents each student adds to the school community. To meet this goal, the dedicated staff at SUNSHINE works to understand and develop students’ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, behaviors and attitudes. We use research-based programs to establish a safe, positive and inclusive environment in which students learn healthy behaviors and skills that support student and peer ownership of learning and engaged citizenship.

Caring, Competent Educators in Every Learning Community At SUNSHINE , students thrive in grade-level learning communities. To allow for flexibility in how we group students based on their needs, they physical environment of the community is not the traditional classroom structure.

All adults in each learning community share responsibility for all students in the community. In this way, each community has a family feel, and the ratio of students to adults is very small, fewer than 25:1.

Adults in each learning community include master teachers, teachers and small group specialists supporting reading, writing and math small groups as well as executive functioning (K through Grade 3) or behavior supports and interventions.

Through the learning community model, we are able to support students with a smaller student to adult ratio and provide more opportunities more often for students to connect with adults and feel supported for academic and social and emotional learning.

Safe, Positive and Hopeful Learning Environments

At SUNSHINE , students learn and grow in safe, positive and hopeful learning environments. By helping students build on their strengths and setting personal best goals, we foster a positive atmosphere where students get on “winning streaks” and see what can do and at times, what they can’t do yet. Students learn that failure is part of learning by being taught to fail forward. However, even before setting goals, students learn what hopemeans and that we can lend hope to each other.

Hopeful people believe:

• The future will be better than the present.
• They have the power to make it so.

One-to-One Technology & Personalized Learning

At SUNSHINE , we believe it is essential to personalize learning in order to provide students with the tools and the opportunities that will both enhance educational experiences and ensure their readiness for the next phase of their lives.

One-to-One Technology

The effective use of technology in classrooms is an integral part of learning and teaching. SUNSHINE students experience rich and relevant learning environments as teachers seamlessly integrate technology into their daily lessons.

Through SUNSHINE’s one-to-one technology program, students in kindergarten through Grade 4 receive school-owned devices to use as tools to personalize their learning experience and support their success.

Personalized Mobile Learning Plans (PMLPs)

Personalized Mobile Learning Plans, PMLPs, help students achieve personalized short- and long-term academic, personal and future goals. PMLPs are mobile because they provide a roadmap for students to access and expand curriculum any time, any place. Students develop their PMLPs with their teachers and parents to ensure that all stakeholders are invested in their success.

PMLPs: • State specific academic and personal goals to meet the academic, social, behavioral and emotional needs of each student
• Clarify how each goal will be measured using success criteria – what the goal looks and sounds like when achieved
• Include well-defined actions plans with action steps, resources and time frames
• State the evidence, aligned to the goal and success criteria, that students will use to “show what they know and can do”

Sunshine prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, ancestry, disability or need for special education services.

Sunshine welcomes and serves students regardless of English language proficiency, disability, or need for special education services.