Sunnyside High School, opened in 1955, is home to two thousand students located on the south side of Tucson, Arizona. Sunnyside offers a wide variety of extracurricular programs, advanced placement courses, and specialized career and technical training programs. It is a part of the Sunnyside Unified School District.
Sunnyside High School opened in 1955 with 9th and 10th grade classes.
The original mascot logo for Sunnyside used a variation of Arizona State University's Sparky mascot. The school was forced to change after the university learned of this use when Sunnyside played a championship game at ASU's Sun Devil Stadium.
Sunnyside High School is located on the south side of Tucson, Arizona.
There is a widespread of curriculum that is offered at Sunnyside High School.
Sunnyside High School offers these courses either for class credits, or elective credit:
Agro-science (FFA)
Automotive Collision Repair Technology
Automotive Technology
Business/Business Information Technology
Drafting Technology
Drama
English Language Development
FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) - Business Management and Administrative Services
Family and Consumer Science
Fine Arts
Graphic Communications
Health
Industrial Technology
Information/Computer Technology
Language Arts
Library
Life Management
Marketing
Mathematics
Medical Careers/Nursing Services
Music
Photography: (Summer school photography)
Physical Education
Poetry
Precision Metals Technology
Publications
Radio and Television Technology
Science
Social Studies
World Languages
Family and Consumer Science: Culinary Arts and Café Diablo, Up With Children, Fashion Design, Teachers of Tomorrow (Future Educators of America)
Guitar
Sports Medicine Club
Welding Technology
Skills USA
Below are courses available to students, for both high-school:
Writing 100 and 101
Computers Maintenance
Web Design and Development
Academics and enhanced courses
Advanced Placement Courses
Honors Academy
Honors Courses
Medical Careers Academy
Tech Prep/Work-Based Learning
CISCO Academy-A+, Net+ Certifications
Fine Arts: Concert Band, Drama, Dancing, Drum Line, Folklorico, Jazz Ensemble, Marching Band, Mariachi, Orchestra, Painting, Photography, and Pottery
Publications: newspaper, media video communications, and yearbook
Clubs: Anytown, Blue Wires, DECA, Drama, HOSA, MESA, National Honor Society, Student Government, VICA, Sunnyside Web Company, FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America)
Hands Across the Border
PRISM Club
Sports: Division 5A: boys volleyball, baseball, basketball, bowling, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, wrestling, Gymnastics
Mexican American Social Culture Club (MASCC)
Sunnyside Blue Devil Dance Team
Sunnyside M.E.Ch.A
Wildcat Society
Sunnyside Cheer Team
Sunnyside High School is a member of the Arizona Interscholastic Association and is classed in its 5A conference. A wrestling powerhouse in Arizona, Sunnyside has won 30 state championships (14 in a row, 1998-2011). It lost a dual-meet December 12, 2015, where Green Valley (NV) snapped a 314 win streak stretching from 1999 to then, and only has lost ten since 1969. The teams are known as the Sunnyside Blue Devils. Athletic teams are fielded in boys volleyball, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field, volleyball, wrestling, and swimming.
The varsity football team was featured on the Great American Rivalries Series in 2009 against Salpointe Catholic High School.
Basketball: 1993 (4A)
Football: 2001 (4A), 2003 (4A)
Wrestling: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013
Cheerleading: 2000
Softball: 2007
Boys Cross-Country: 1966, 1975, 2008
Girls Volleyball: 1990
There are various musical performing groups at Sunnyside.
Performing groups as well as their director(s):
Sunnyside Jazz Ensemble, Rusty Ogren.
The Pride of Sunnyside Marching Band, Rusty Ogren.
Sunnyside Wind Ensemble, Rusty Ogren.
Sunnyside Choir, Rusty Ogren.
Los Diablitos Azules Mariachi, Senor Cuco Del Sid.
Sunnyside Orchestra, Wesley Hunter.
The Pride of Sunnyside Marching Band
History
2006: Scott Matlick, Drum Major for The Pride of Arizona (2002–2004), is hired as Director of Bands at Sunnyside High School. Reinvents the band, dawning the name The Pride of Sunnyside Marching Band. The band's show is Gladiator picked by previous Director Alli Coyle.
2007: Scott Matlick introduces the show "Adentro: The Music of Ricardo Arjona", based on Latin singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona's album Adentro. The tradition of the marching on to the field in the opening set known as the "S" is brought back to commemorate the school's 50th anniversary. After two years as Director of Bands at Sunnyside, Scott Matlick returns to the University of Arizona to be part of the Graduate Teaching Assistant program for the UA Bands and The Pride of Arizona.
2008: During the summer the band was temporarily under the direction of Joseph Molinar. The band plays "The Return of Aerosmith" the show Director Alli Coyle created in 2005 for the band. In early August the band gets Director of Bands Matthew Hoolsema from Michigan. Under the new direction of Matthew Hoolsema, the school's choir program is brought back.
2009: Matthew Hoolsema introduces the show Music of the Big Band Era. The program includes tunes "La Suerte De Los Tontos", " House of the Rising Sun", "Blue Groove", and "Big Noise from Winnetka". The band reached the state marching competition.
2010: Although not as successful as the previous year, the Pride of Sunnyside continued to a new season with the music of Journey.
Recent directors
2004-2006: Alli Coyle
2006-2008: Scott Matlick
2008–2011: Matthew Hoolsema
2011: Armando Salas
2012-present: Rusty Ogren
Recent field shows
Under Alli Coyle:
2004: Mask of Zorro
2005: The Music of Aerosmith
Under Scott Matlick:
2006: Gladiator
2007: Adentro: The Music of Ricardo Arjona
Under Matthew Hoolsema:
2008: The Return of Aerosmith
2009: The Music of the Big Band Era
2010: The Music of Journey
Under Armando Salas:
2011: Latin Sketches
Under Rusty Ogren:
2012: Symphonic Passions
2013: 80s and Gentleman
2015: Cirque De Solei
2016: When the Stars Come Out
Matthew Lopez, professional UFC fighter; RFA most wins and finishes in history; Sunnyside's first 4x state wrestling champion
David Adams, former professional football player; former standout football player at the University of Arizona
Dr. Ben Chavis, businessman, educator, national spokesperson on education, and writer. He paid the college tuition for many of his former students to attend some of the top universities in the United States.
Raul Grijalva, Representative for Arizona’s 3rd congressional district
Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman of the Tohono O'odham Nation since 2007.
Mike Scurlock, former professional football player
Michael Smith , NFL running back for Tampa Bay Buccaneers
James Terry (fighter), professional MMA fighter
Matthew Valerani-Knoblich (Shooting Guard/Basketball Standout) Matthew Valerani-Knoblich , First 5A South state player of the year, 5A High School Record for highest free throw percentage for career (100%)
Two faculty members have been recognized as Arizona Teacher of the Year, Marguerite Johnson Caldwell in 1983 and Rich Mayorga in 2003.
