GARDENING & GREEN TEAM

Sunnyside is passionate about greening and gardening!

Our mission is to provide students with hands-on science experience through planting, watering, harvesting, and observing the cycle of life.  Parent volunteers, grant awards, and community relationships with San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance, Sloat Garden Centers, Lowe's and Home Depot brought our garden to life.  

SFUSD Green Schools Program:  

In 2009 Sunnyside Elementary was chosen as a pilot site for this cutting-edge partnership with the SFUSD Department of Sustainability and the City and County of San Francisco Office of the Environment.  The initiative focuses on teaching students and faculty ecoliteracy through actively participating in reducing energy and water use; decreasing the waste stream through composting and recycling; promoting alternative transportation and traffic reduction; using non-toxic products on-site; and maintaining an organic school garden. 

We’re one of a select number of recipients of a Safe Routes to Schools grant, and we’re actively promoting alternate methods of transportation to the school, including walking and biking.    

Garden Workday 2012-2013:

Last spring, Sunnyside parents and alumni volunteers from Stanford University came together to clear out a portion of the grass on the Flood Street side of our school.  At our August and September workdays, Sunnyside parents and students transformed this patch of ground into a lovely pollinator garden.  At our October workday, we put a path in to this new garden.  We also mulched the planter boxes so that classes can begin planting.  Please join us at one of our future garden workdays so that we can keep our garden growing! 

Our goals for the 2012-13 school year are:

1. To increase in ground planting space by converting more of the Flood Street yard to usable gardening space.
   
2. Recruit more volunteers to help during classroom activities and promote Green School sustainability initiatives.
3. Source and write grants that support the science instruction, the garden program, and ecoliteracy initiatives.

2012-2013 Garden Work Days

• Sunday, August 12, 10:00am - 12:00pm
  
• Saturday, September 15, 10:00am - 12:00pm
  
• Sunday, October 21st 10:00am - 12pm 
  
• Saturday, December 8th  10:00am - 12pm 
  
• Saturday, February 9th 10:00am - 12pm
  
• Sunday, March 17th 10:00am - 12pm
  
• Saturday, April 20th 10am - 12pm

If you would like to participate in the Sunnyside Green Team or be involved with Garden Program program, join now!  Contact the Garden Committee Chair, Rachel Fudge at garden@sunnysidek5.org.

Ms. Melinda "Moon" Stockmann's Garden Program Classes

2012 Garden Workday Photos