| Date | Who | Comments |
| 10/15/2012 | parent | this school is awesome my child went there and she graduated last year and now she is carver middle school very well prepared getting strait A's thanks to this school and my other daughter is in 3rd grade and she is having a blast and also getting good grades in school. |
| 10/13/2012 | parent | Disappointed by the lack of organisation at the school. My son is in gifted and Spanish Immersion. As a non-native speaking family, the Spanish teacher has been completely unhelpful. Homework comes back in spanish... and we as the parents have to set up a support group just so we can understand what is being asked. spanish teacher refuses to communicate by e-mail. My son has 3 different teachers and recieves HW from all three in different ways, at different times. extremely confusing. Since his gifted teacher went on Maternity about 4 weeks ago, we still do not know who the replacement teacher is. Also there is no guarantee the replacement teacher has had any gifted experence at all. Completely disorganised. The reason why this school scores so high is because of the extremely high expectations placed upon the parents. I am so far disappointed in the administration. There is a definate SINK or SWIM attitude at this school. I am glad my son is not in the regular (non magnet or non gifted) program... because those kids are just not the priority of the school and will get left behind. |
| 10/12/2012 | other | I love the fact that my child is able to attend this school because of the magnet program, however, there is a lot of school politics and there is no control on behalf of the principal or staff. There is a lot of nepotism and the kids either sink or swim. I understand the school standards for Sunset are high, and I understand the kids are to be able to handle the workload; however, I believe that as teachers, they should prioritize and provide more help and assistance to the students who need it. Not the other way around. |
| 7/24/2012 | parent | This is a good school but it is not great. The way the school handles the Spanish magnet program could use some work. My daughter is a non-native Spanish Speaker. In first grade, she was put in a class with non-native Spanish speakers (they were lumped together) and given the worst teacher possible. The class had 25 students with no aide and the teacher had no control over the class, making it very difficult for the students to learn. On top of it all, she had a heavy accent, the kids could not understand her English and thus it made it difficult for them to learn Spanish from her. Meanwhile, the native speakers had classes with a teacher and an aide and smaller class sizes. How unfair is that? If you are the administrators at this school, knowing that the native and non-native speakers would be mixed together in second grade, wouldn't you do it the other way around so that the non-natives can catch up and assimilate better in later years? The fact that it wasn't done that way spoke volumes about the principal and her assistants. Additionally, the fact that my daughter is even able to handle the program (and is thriving) is because I got outside help for her. |
| 5/25/2012 | parent | My kids are very happy at this elementary school. One of Miami's best public school. Its hard to get into because of the lottery controlled choice system in Coral Gables but we got lucky. |
| 9/30/2010 | parent | My son graduated last year and is extremely proud of his school. Sunset teachers are very involved with their students and the end result is an excellent education. The language program is the best in the county and produces a true world citizen. |
| 1/26/2010 | parent | The school has exceeded my expectations, the dual education program, along with the gifted curriculum and moreover, the quality of the Teachers, makes it worth every minute my son spends in the school. I often joke with my friends how they have to spend enormous amount of tuition for less than what we get from a Magnet Public School such as Sunset Elementary. |
| 1/19/2010 | parent | Beware if you have your child in the IE (home school) program! Unless your child is in the Magnet program (foreign languages), your child will ignored. Administration is very unhelpful to IE students and parents. |
| 11/4/2009 | parent | The curricilum and the Teachers are wonderful. Great organisation. Me and my son are very happy. |
| 11/4/2009 | parent | An excellent academic environment |
| 11/4/2009 | parent | Its bilingual program is great! parents help a lot around the school.A lot of resourses for students ans after school activities! |
| 10/8/2009 | parent | I love the language program and the parent involvement! |
| 10/8/2009 | parent | This school has a language program that produces trully bilingual/biliterate children. I love the amazing, dedicated teachers that work at this school. |
| 10/8/2009 | parent | The language program is 1st class!!! |
| 10/6/2009 | parent | My kids started mid-year and the teachers have supported them throuh the process so they haven't missed a beat in thier education. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | I love the boundless opportunities this school affords my child in seeing the global community up close and personal. In our ever evolving world the need to meaningfully communicate cannot be experienced on the insular level of living within your home country, but must be expressed across multicultural and international lines. Sunset Elementary knows the value of this type of special connect at its earilest stage. I feel fortunate that my child will have a chance to develop a greater love of learning and a deeper understanding of the value of his voice in the future because of Sunset. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | All of Sunses teachers are dedicated above and beyond what is required of them. Their international program has to be the best in the country. We feel so fortunate that our son attends this school. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Sunset Elementary School is the best because of the high academic standards, the good teachers and the international programs. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | It is so culturally diverse and offers so many learning opportunities for students. It truly prepares them to interact with the world. |
| 10/5/2009 | teacher | I love that Sunset Elementary is so diverse! So many different people from a myriad of different places coming together to make children's learning fun and engaging! |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Sunset Elementary is an excellent school with wonderful educators that are committed to make our children's experience one of a kind. The language program is amazing and the Pangea program is the highlight of my child's day. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Excellent academic curriculum and outstanding international program. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | The Spanish Magnet Program at Sunset Elementary is excellent and the teachers 'really' care about student's performance. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | The teachers are extremely dedicated, and the administration is active in communicating information to parents. The best recommendation, though, is that my daughter loves going to school every day. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Students get a world class education! It's a great place for students, teachers & parents. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | I love Sunset Elementary school because they provide a great education with a nurturing system. Its ana amzing school filled with caring staff and I hope that we win!!! |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Terrific Curriculum, amazing program, incredible staff and committed teachers ... if your are looking for an excellent world class education for your kids, Sunset Elementary is a no brainer ... |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | I have had the best experiences with all of my sons teachers! |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Sunset is a school filled with amazing opportunities for its students. It's a 'World Class' education for its 'World Class' students. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Because the high standard education level focus on the leaders for tomorrow with international background. |
| 10/5/2009 | parent | Sunset Elementary offers our Children a well rounded education with teachers who really care and make a difference. |
| 10/4/2009 | teacher | Sunset Elementary is a wonderful school with curriculum and activities that fosters global awareness and diversity. It has a Language Magnet Program for Spanish, French, and German. |
| 10/4/2009 | parent | I love the magnet programs, specially the German magnet program. The school is global oriented and very efficient. Having had my kids at Sunset allows me to say that Sunset is a magnificent school, and that all parents should strive to have their kids in such a magnet program as offered at Sunset. |
| 9/16/2009 | parent | Beautiful, more than 100yrs old, Gorgeous neighborhood, super-achieving students and dedicated teachers. |
| 5/21/2009 | parent | It has been a challenging year with budget issues but the parents have made such an incredible job pushing to save the language program and have succeeded. My two sons been exposed to an incredible intellectual growth and the diversity of the student body. |
| 3/23/2009 | parent | The school is facing some challenging times, as funding has been cut -- and might continue to be cut. There are many committed parents -- mostly supporters of the Magnet program. Sadly, IE (home school) parents face difficulty in having their concerns addressed by the administration. There is a definite 2 tier system in place here -- all efforts and interest are focused on the Magnet programs. Sunset could be a tremendous school if the the administration recognized and addressed the inequities. |
| 3/11/2009 | parent | This school is top in the nation! It has received the prestigious Goldman Sachs Award for Excellence in International Education in 2007, the only school in the nation among all public and private elementary and middle schools. An impressive honor. A gem that is open to all Miami Dade students through a lottery system, and that must be preserved and used as a model, especially in these times of budget cuts discussions. An example to follow! |
| 9/26/2008 | parent | Execellent school, with lots of one on one time, the teachers don't aloow children to slack, they will contact you immediatly if they have a concern. I love the communication that they have with the parents. |
| 10/29/2007 | parent | Excellent school, excellent teachers. I have 3 kids there, one of them just graduated to another school. Very demanding homework requirements, especially for the language programs. But, I recommend the program highly! |
| 5/28/2007 | parent | My son was in Pre-K in 2006-07. Sunset is a great school and he was very happy. |
| 5/28/2007 | parent | Outstanding academics quality; plenty of extracurricular activities (multicultural day, ambassador program, piano and strings ensembles, sports); the best offer for an International Studies program (probably in the US); great sense of community among children, parents and teachers. We've researched all private and public schools in the area (moving our son from a private school to Sunset), and we are really happy with having chosen Sunset. |
| 5/23/2007 | parent | This sadly will be our last year at Sunset, as we are moving to Mexico. I will truly miss Sunset Elementary. This had been a private school education for a public school price. Sunset is an exceptional school.The education for both of my children has been fantastic. They have had the opportunity to interact with children and families from all over the world. They hear different languages spoken in the hallways. In addition to an excellent curriculum the dedicated staff is amazing. Teachers will call you at home if your child is not meeting expectations. The teachers/staff know each student and family and truly care about them. We have truly been blessed to have had the opportunity to have our children attend Sunset. I will say if your child will be attending Sunset be prepared for lots of homework and late evenings, as it is a rigorous program. |
| 11/28/2006 | parent | Sunset is an superb school, its magnet programs are excellent, and the quality and dedication of its faculty, very impressive. Students are exposed to many real world experiences, and are offered a range of different opportunities where they can participate and excel in a multicultural and multilingual environment. |
| 10/11/2006 | parent | Sadly, I have to report that this year the Administration at Sunset made an autonomous and unilaterally decision to make drastic changes to the organization of the school : mixing all students within each grade (International Studies program and home school)and having teachers teaching single subjects (as traditionally has been expected only at middle school level). Now all grade levels students have to move from room to room to get to their respective classes often up to five times per day. Beside the fact that this is clearly non productive academically, it appears also evident, after two months of trial, that the daily disruptions and lack of time for instruction and socialization is increasing the stress for both students and teachers. Many parents are making new arrangements for their children for January, and some 10 teachers have asked for a transfer. |
| 5/10/2006 | parent | A wonderful sense of community amongst the children who attend. My son loved attending this school until his final year. He excelled while there both academically and socially. |
| 5/4/2006 | parent | This is an incredible school offering international education, Spanish instruction and amazing afterschool activities. I am thrilled with the teachers, administrators and students. |
| 1/11/2006 | parent | Sad to say this but, unless your child is in the Magnet program, they are completely ignored. My son has attended for 4 years (in 3rd grade now) and at one time I am sure the school was a wonderful success. A typical day has 30 minutes of Spanish where, for the past 4 years, they have taught nothing. Occasionally, they will cover everyday words but grammar? Verbs? Nouns? Never. In third grade they teach division before multiplication (?) and don't focus on reading comprehension, just reading. Everything is focused on FCAT instead of subjects. How did we (parents) ever get so far? Better schooling I bet. |
| 1/11/2006 | parent | I am satisfied with the quality of the education my children receive at Sunset. I had to bring the issue up to the school board though that they did not have recess. I am glad to see that restored this year. I do have an issue, though, with the way children are selected into the Magnet Program. Neither of my children made it in, and we were in a preferred area. I see other parents that have a more 'outgoing' or 'conflicting' attitude at PTA meetings or with school authorities somehow get their kids bumped up on the waiting lists and somehow managed to get in, even when they were further down on the list than my children. They still receive a good 'IE' education, lots of homework which I personally oversee, but I think its worth it. I am overall satisfied with the school. |
| 9/30/2005 | parent | It's a great school with an excellent academic level. |
| 9/13/2005 | parent | The quality of the academic programs is excellent. What really makes the school is the teachers. They are superb! |
| 9/4/2005 | parent | My daughter is in the International Magnet School Program for children of French Nationals. It is a magnificent school. She gets the opportunity to meet other children like her who are bilingual and fluent in more than one language. There is also a German, Spanish, and Portugese Program. She is very happy there. |
| 8/23/2005 | parent | Great school, great language program |
| 7/4/2005 | parent | At this school it completely depends on who the teacher is. The amount of homework is often overwhelming. However the level of commitment and pride of the faculty is generally very high. |
| 6/29/2005 | parent | The language program is fantastic. |
| 6/5/2005 | parent | Under the current administration, namely the principal, Sunset has lost it's sense of community. No longer are parents made to feel welcome. There are no bake sales. The holiday shows were done away with this year. The drop off/pick up procedures are unsafe. In addition, anyone can walk into this school at any time without questions. It is a sad turn of events in only two years. The principal's hard-core attitude seems to say 'don't talk to me; I have an agenda'. Gone are the days when kids of all grades rushed into the arms of our previous principal. As a result, more than a few students & teachers have left. This is written by one of them. |
| 5/20/2005 | parent | Sunset is the best elementary school in Miami dade county. curricuam is excelent. academics has high priority. great school. |
| 11/28/2004 | parent | this ia a great magnet elementary school. |
| 8/6/2004 | other | I'm very excited with the changes taking place at Sunset next school year. The 'Home School' program will no longer be referred to by that name. It will be referred to as the International Education Program and the entire curriculum has been revamped to provide the students with a World Class education. Our students in the International Education Program will not be referred to as the Home School Kids or the Regular Ed Kids. Their new name will better reflect who they are. Sunset has amazing programs. The Int. Ed. Program will shine as the International Studies Magnet progam does. Both programs will share the new International Integrated Curriculum. Great things are happening here. :) Keep it up! |
| 7/23/2004 | parent | This school has an outstanding foreign language program to which parents all over Dade county are trying to register their children for. This school's focus is on academics, and the schedule demands more from the children, which I think is good, because in other public schools children only learn to be lazy. Unfortunately they don't offer school bus service to Miami Beach. |
| 4/24/2004 | parent | If you're heading for one of the magnet programs at Sunset Elementary, then what you've heard about the school is probably true, because that's where Sunset's funding and quality teachers go, we discovered. If your child is entering the home school, however, beware that it is severely neglected in every respect. While our magnet school friends excelled and loved learning, our fellow home schoolers learned to 'just get by.' My child, after 4 ears in preschool (not Sunset), started out happy, well-adjusted, above-average performance, loved learning, loved attending school. Within 6 months in Sunset's home school, both interest and performance began to decline, and now, at end of first grade, he has regular tummy aches in morning, headaches during class, anxiety attacks at night, D's on report card -- and all my efforts to effect change, including the Principal, go ignored. Wish I'd known in advance. |
| 4/23/2004 | parent | I was led to believe that Sunset Elementary was a 'great' school, so I thought I was getting 'the best.' My son (in pre-K from age 1) was eagerly anticipating an exciting and fun new experience. He's now at the end of 1st Grade and, boy, have we BOTH been sorely disappointed! From 38 five-year-olds in a tiny room; to a blan/boring environment lacking creativity; to tyranical teachers using fear/ridicule tactics, and administration with no interest in students' self-esteem; run-down campus; completely unavailable PTA; no communication, no teamwork among parents/teachers/staff; etc. My son quickly changed his opinion, and a long-thought-gifted child is now failing 1st grade due to his destroyed self-image. And my son's not alone. Apparently the description 'great' was meant for the magnet programs, not for the home school. |
| 4/20/2004 | parent | My son has been going to Sunset Elementary for Pre-K this past year. The teachers and assistants have provided a great learning and loving environment to my child. The parent participation is also excellent. I could not have had a better experience with the public school system. |
| 10/20/2003 | parent | My heart aches as I write this. Sunset has been a wonderful school for my kids until this year. We have a new principal who has put in place a procedure for drop off and pick up of our children which the majority of the parents and teachers are strongly opposed to. These procedures serve to alienate parents from their kids' classrooms and more importantly, jeopardizes the safety of our kids, the very thing which she claims it is designed to protect. I am thoroughly disappointed with this system and in the process of transferring my kids to other schools. It is simply unacceptable. |