About Our School

Sunrise Middle School is focused on the 21st-Century learner. Our commitment to student success is evidenced in a variety of ways. Please allow us to share some of these ways with you.

Within our Digital Learning Center (DLC) for the Gifted, we offer a variety of technology resources to further enhance the learning experience. The DLC provides students with a cross-curricular exploration which will take students through the 7th and 8th grade English, science and social studies standards. We are proud that we have achieved maximum enrollment within the DLS program with a comprehensive waiting list the past three school years.

Our signature program is Dual Language Immersion (DLI). The DLMI (Mandarin) program features a two-period block of elective classes including Mandarin Language Arts and Chinese Culture.

The Sunrise commitment to challenge students is evident in the variety of our honors programs.  We offer Honors English, science and social studies as well as advanced high school math courses for high school credit.

Our fine arts department has a storied past, and the future looks even brighter.  Our students have consistently excelled at the high school level having been prepared through their performance experiences at Sunrise.  We currently offer art, dance, dance performance, drama, theatre performance, concert band, guitar, strings and various levels of choral groups.

Through our career and technical education department, students at Sunrise have opportunities to explore a variety of electives providing them a complete educational experience.  Sunrise is truly a STEM hub as we have comprehensive Robotics and Science Clubs.  These clubs participate at the state level in various competitions.

Finally, Sunrise has taken its place among the best middle schools in our district and across the valley.  The most recent evidence of this is our performance on AzM2 testing where we scored near the top of middle schools in the PVSchools as well as having the highest percentage of students achieving mastery, among middle schools, on all four of the English and math assessments within the 2021 AzM2 testing cycle.  This is but one of many reasons that it is great to be a Sunrise Aztec!

The average class size for middle school is 31 students. Instruction is individualized for students through math leveling, honors and gifted clustering, special education self-contained and resource programs and differentiated instruction in all classes.

The district’s only Digital Learning Center for the Gifted (DLC) is located at Sunrise. The DLC program objective is to develop and implement an information, technology-infused middle school program for gifted students.

• Features ubiquitous information technology and media literacy

• Implements instructional practices which promote authentic learning

• Integrates core academics & standards through thematic relationships

• Uses inquiry and project-based learning for exploring themes

• Features extensive collaboration for student-produced outcomes

• Incorporates content platforms for integrated thematic courses

Electives available to students include applied technology, GenYES, culinary arts, chorus, band, strings, guitar, drama, visual art, Spanish, Mandarin and P.E. Technology is woven throughout our school and includes individual Chromebooks for every student!

Students have the opportunity to participate in the Festival Sports Program. Sports offered are: boys/girls basketball, girls volleyball, girls softball, boys flag football, girls/boys track and field and boys wrestling.

100% of our teachers are Appropriately Certified!

Sunrise Parent Referral

Student Social, Emotional, and Learning Needs Form:

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