Sunnyside Elementary Home

Kind, safe, responsible problem-solvers

Teacher assisting two children with a science activity at a classroom table.

About Us

Sunnyside Elementary School is located in La Plata County, Colorado. We offer a developmentally appropriate curriculum based on Colorado Academic Standards to approximately 109 students in preschool through fifth grade. Sunnyside is a small, rural school that has all the services offered in larger schools, while still providing a family environment.
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Where we’re located
Durango School District map
school building

Mission

Here at Sunnyside, we believe that the improved academic achievement of each student is a shared responsibility among all the adults in the child's life and the child.  By working together, we provide our students with a strong foundation for success.

School & District News

Two smiling students in front of a blackboard with math equations

Mental Health Series: September 2025 classes + newsletter on Suicide Prevention

Need help in supporting your child's well-being? We are offering FREE live webinars on Monday-Thursday evenings throughout the school year, and you can always watch previously recorded classes on your own time by visiting the Cook Center's full content library. Live webinar topics in September include: building your child's confidence, compassionate parenting, ADHD, protecting your child on social media, school avoidance, how to motivate your child, and more.
Flyer advertising our Open House event with books and blankets

Open House/Books & Blankets

This year we will be combining our annual Open House with SWLPLD's Books & Blankets event! Please see the attached flyer for more details.
Graphic showing 9-R to DSD name change and happy graduate getting diploma

Why we’re saying goodbye to ‘9-R’ – and honoring where we came from

What does “9-R” mean, anyway? If you’ve ever asked that question, you’re not alone. The term has been a part of our district’s name since the 1950s, but few people today know what it stands for. The “9” was our assigned number among districts across Colorado, and the “R” stands for “Reorganized.”
A group of friends laughs together

Cook Center Mental Health Series: May 2025 classes + watch recordings on your own schedule

Need help in supporting your child's well-being? We are offering FREE live webinars on Monday-Thursday evenings throughout the school year, and you can always watch previously recorded classes on your own time by visiting the Cook Center's full content library. Live webinar topics in May include: how to motivate your child, mindfulness for improved mental health, suicide prevention, protecting your child on social media, emotional regulation, video game addiction, stopping bullying cycles, and more.
Five children in purple shirts joyfully holding a trophy and medals, celebrating a win.

Riverview Elementary School fifth graders win district's first regional Battle of the Books

At the Impact Career Innovation Center on March 4, the chatter of excited elementary students filled the halls as 30 teams from across Southwest Colorado prepared to put their reading skills to the test. But this was no ordinary quiz — it was the first-ever Battle of the Books hosted by Durango School District, and for the third through fifth graders participating, it was both a celebration of literature and a test of teamwork, grit, and recall.
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Sunnyside Principal Mary Ebens

Principal's Message

Welcome to Sunnyside Elementary School! We are inspiring and equipping our students to make a mighty impact on their world, both now and in their future, by explicitly teaching them how to become “Bulldog Scholars.” Our scholars are engaged in active learning by opening their minds, taking educational risks, persevering through struggles, and reflecting on their learning and themselves. 

Events

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Engineer Mountain

Quality of Life

Durango is a beautiful place to live and work. It is located at 6,512 feet elevation in Southwest Colorado near the Four Corners region. Families who live here enjoy a historic steam train, ski resort, rivers, vibrant downtown, bike trails, sky-high “fourteener” mountains, and four distinct seasons with an average of 266 sunny days per year. We welcome new families and new staff members, and we offer excellent benefits and competitive salaries. 
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Accessibility Statement

It is the goal of Durango School District that the information on this website be accessible to individuals with visual, hearing, or cognitive disabilities. Good faith efforts are being made to ensure that our website complies with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
 
Most pages on our site are available in HTML format, which can be read by screen readers. Some documents are in Adobe PDF format, requiring Adobe Acrobat Reader, which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website. Additionally, some documents are in Google Docs and Google Forms. Most modern browsers and screen readers can access Google-based documents. More information about Google web products accessibility can be found on the Google Accessibility website.
 
To ensure accessibility for everyone in our community, including those with disabilities, Durango School District is taking the following steps:
 
* We are actively identifying and addressing accessibility barriers across our websites and digital platforms.
* We request accessibility documentation (such as VPATs – Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates) from vendors whose digital tools or content are used on our websites.
* We work with vendors and service providers to ensure they are taking steps toward full compliance with WCAG and Section 504 requirements.
* We are committed to ongoing staff training and continuous website improvement.
* We regularly review our digital content to align with the Colorado Digital Accessibility Act (C.R.S. 24-34-104) and the latest applicable standards.
 
If you are unable to access any page or document on our site, please contact us at [email protected]. Include the webpage or document URL, your name, email address, and phone number. We will provide the information in an alternative format and work to resolve the issue. Alternatively, you may call the district's main information line at (970) 247-5411 and ask to speak with someone in the Communications Department. Include the location of the webpage/document, your name, email address, and phone number so we can provide the information in another format, and address the issue.

Learn more about the district's accessibility compliance plan and progress reports.