Sonoran Sky Elementary School

12990 North 75th Street

School District

Paradise Valley Unified District
Grade

K-6
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:15
Type

public

School Map for Paradise Valley Unified District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on October 04, 2023

This school is such a disappointment. It used to be known as one of the best in the area, however, with our 2 children we will be leaving next year. They teach so slow and under grade level, it’s really sad to see how far behind the academics of this school are compared to what is being taught in other districts nearby. We came here based off a reputation that is sadly no longer viable. The accommodations for the gifted children are marginally better, however what is being taught in gifted rooms appears to be what should actually be being taught in regular rooms based on what other districts are teaching. The children going to this school are at a disadvantage to Scottsdale schools without any doubt .
Submitted by parent on July 08, 2023

Our family has been at Sonoran Sky for 3 years. We love everything about it! The teachers are engaging. They go above and beyond to help each individual student. There are before and after school enrichment classes that provide amazing opportunities for the students. The administration is kind, open and honest. The PTO is always striving to make our school better and provide fun ways to involve families in the school. Sonoran Sky is like a private school for free! We HIGHLY recommend Sonoran Sky!!
Submitted by parent on May 20, 2023

After 6 years we are done. We will not be here for 6th grade, and know that a large percentage of 5th graders are either leaving or considering leaving.Gifted program - apparently this is a good program, and if your child is gifted, you will likely get a good teacher and have a good experience. Unfortunately, you are either gifted, or you are not. And for those of us who are not blessed with children who are in the top 3%, you get the scraps.Course work - assignments are often ambiguous, and either very easy, or inappropriately difficult. I helped my 5th grader with many of her assignments this year, and we were often laughing about the questions, and wondering if her answer to the ambiguous question would be accepted or not. We often needed to resort to outside research, because the question asked was not covered in the material provided.Math - outsourced to Khan Academy and IXL. A large portion of the course grade is based on completion of these resources to a certain percentage. These are accessible from home, and you can help guide your child through, but this was not communicated to the parents at all.Social Studies / History - these are taught through pamphlets and a play. Students are given weekly readers that they are to read and then answer questions about. Roughly half of the year was devoted to performing a play. To top this off an unnecessarily difficult fill in the blank test was given on the play script after the performances were done. The pamphlets are obviously purchased online.Reading - this is pretty much outsourced to AR, an online system where students read books at their own pace, and then answer questions about them. Additionally there was a book read in class, also AR.Writing - from what I can tell, every week or so my daughter did a poem in class. Cute, but not really necessary or relevant. She still does not know how to write an essay.Science - much the same as other subjects. Focused on random topics of the day. Many of these were environmental. Seems like you needed to be in gifted to learn about chemistry or biology.Communication - we learned how our daughter was doing through grade book updates. There were several missed opportunities where we could have helped our daughter do better, but we did not learn until after grades had already been posted. Class size was large, and our daughter did not feel comfortable asking questions. Not a good learning environment, and overall lazy approach.
Submitted by parent on April 29, 2023

My children have attended Sonoran Sky for several years. I have one child that has gone through here, and two more that still attend. I can’t say enough good things about this school! My children all have different needs, different personalities, and have flourished. They really do foster the “individualized education” approach. No two children are alike, and the kids on the top tiers or bottom tiers tend to be looked over. Not here. The teachers have experience in recognizing students’ needs and are amazing at communicating that. The IEP/504, reading and math specialists are all supportive and only want what is best for your child. The leadership is also very supportive and they have an open door policy so if you have a need or question, she’ll make time for you. The PTO is super friendly and hard working. They go above and beyond to make sure you feel welcome. They have several events, support the teachers and parents, and make sure that Sonoran Sky has what it needs, without making you feel bad if you can’t donate or volunteer.
Submitted by parent on April 16, 2023

I go here and i am depressed and the teachers work as hard as they get paid
Submitted by parent on April 07, 2023

My children have been attending Sonoran Sky since 2018, across multiple grades and we absolutely love it. As kids tend to be, my children each have unique personalities, learning types, and educational needs. Sonoran Sky has been able to lovingly and successfully meet each of them where they are. From receiving extra reading and math support, to speech services, to the honors program, to SEL support, we have encountered a whole-child approach at SSES. Across every grade level, there is excitement in learning things like, gardening, STEM, art, music, physical education, computers, as well as the standards. I find that there is plenty of academic support not only for the students, but for the parents who are having to remember those math concepts we may not have used since we were in school. The safety of school in this day and age is a top concern and I find that SSES does an excellent job in containment as well as in policy & procedures regarding safety at school. From single point of entry, visitor sign-in/out, to locked gates, to monitored recesses, fire drills and lockdown practices, safety at school is a top priority. We have a full-time nurse on campus which is a huge pro because many schools do not. This current school year, we are finally starting to come back from the Covid era and I have been so impressed with how SSES has handled the transition. There was a shakeup with the administration when the beloved principal of many years moved to a position at the district office. An interim principal, who was new to the school, was assigned the job and there was definitely a learning curve to overcome. Our assistant principal was given the well-deserved position of school principal and she has really had an amazingly positive impact on the school as a whole. Now that the dust has settled I am so excited to see all the programs and community events that make our school extra special coming back. I am an active member of the PTO and I love how all members of the school community are invited to participate to any degree they are interested or have the time for. By being a parent of the school, you are automatically considered a member of the PTO and your voice is important. Perfection in general does not exist, but Sonoran Sky is the perfect fit for my family and I cannot recommend this school enough.
Submitted by parent on October 23, 2022

This is an amazing school! For three years, I have been so impressed with the education my two kids have received. The teachers have adapted better than most schools and class sizes are consistently less than surrounding public schools. (Yes if you’re willing to pay private prices you can get less than 20 kids in a class.) I highly recommend this school for anyone wanting a top notch education. My children LOVE it here!
Submitted by parent on May 17, 2022

Sonoran Sky is an excellent school focused on the development of the whole child. Students are academically challenged by tenured staff which speaks to the culture of support teachers experience in effort to retain as many teachers for as long as the school has done. My children have experienced small class sizes (18-20 per class) in grades K-2 and ample opportunities for parent involvement. Teachers and support staff all know my children by name and they implement differentiated instruction to meet children where they are and promote constant curiosity.
Submitted by parent on April 01, 2022

Sonoran Sky is undergoing post-COVID changes and adjustments. We will have a new principal next year after a year of an interim principal. There was a lot of change with the interim principal and it is not clear what else will change with the new incoming principal. The school's enrollment and parental involvement has dropped dramatically since COVID. There is a lot of uncertainty and a lack of clear direction from the administration regarding the school's vision for the future. Communication is not one of the interim principal's biggest strengths which has added to some of the difficulties this year. The PTA is terrific, though. They are very involved and have tried to start programs that include families. We've had some fun events return this year and some new programs started. Homework is usually appropriate and not too time consuming, but it depends on the teacher and the grade. Teachers are all highly qualified; however, there is a perception that the gifted teachers are "better." This sometimes leads to a lot of jockeying to get into certain teachers' classes. Leadership is unknown - need to see what next year holds. Character is modeled by the teachers and the students have high expectations for conduct. Sometimes too much emphasis is placed on "being kind" which forces students to put up with a lot of borderline abusive behavior so that they are not labeled "unkind" by sticking up for themselves (which is perceived as mean or bullying) or walking away (which is called out as impermissibly passive aggressive by some.) Bullying does not seem to really be a problem except that everything is called bullying these days. Don't want to sit next to a jerk at lunch? You're being a bully. Don't want to play with a kid that is mean to you at recess? You're a bully. Learning differences are addressed well in the cluster program for gifted students and self-contained classes.
Submitted by parent on March 10, 2022

This used to be a good school, but this year it has really gone downhill. There is no leadership, bullying issues are not taken seriously, and teachers seem burnt out. It's also a very clicky school and, if you are not in the click, you are left out. If you have a child with learning disabilities, this school will just keep trucking along and leave them behind. It's a shame to see this school go downhill because in the past this was considered a top school, but if you have a child with special needs, you really should look elsewhere.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2022

Teachers are first rate. They are passionate about seeing their students succeed and dedicated to providing an enriching curriculum for each child. Most are proactive about sharing moments of pride they see within your child – their good behaviors and achievements. The school also has a regular program where they recognize students for their character and behavior. Teachers also understand the importance of getting the parents involved - from participating in class activities, to getting involved early should an issue arise. The front office is respectful and approachable. Every parent is automatically a member of the PTO. There are no dues or required donations. I really appreciate how inviting the PTO is to everyone - regardless of whether they are a regular volunteer or donor or brand new to school. Anyone who volunteers is given a personalized badge and welcomed on campus. There are regular opportunities to volunteer on field trips, making copies, helping with kindergarten drop off and working in the garden. These are great opportunities to get to know other parents and to see how your child is doing in school. The PTO also makes sure parents have accurate information via periodic emails and a really fun and engaging social media presence. PTO also does fundraising to provide and support a wide variety of programs that the state and district do not. Each grade has an Artist in Residence (an actually working artist, not a PVSchools employee) who works with the classes on an annual art project. Some years this results in a theatrical or dance performance, sometimes a book of poetry, sometimes a ceramic treasure :) LOL. PTO also hosts a number of events at no cost, including school wide play dates, Trunk or Treat, Science Fair, Art Walk, New Kinder meet-ups . . . There are only a couple of fundraising events during the year and the kids never have to sell candy bars, wrapping paper, or frozen bread - which is so nice. Overall, I feel really lucky to be at a school with parents who also appreciate the value of public education and are willing to help take some of the burden off of teachers and supplement the District's budget with additional programs and supplies. The school is in the process of hiring a new principal after the previous one was promoted to an administrative position at district. I'm looking forward to several more years at Sonoran Sky and do recommend the school to anyone who wants to be involved in their child's elementary school.
Submitted by parent on February 11, 2022

I attended this school as a child, taught at this school as an adult, and now as a mother, my son attends this school. This school has my whole heart. The teachers are truly amazing and go above and beyond for their students. I am very involved in the PTO and I am blown away at their love for the teachers and staff. These parents spend so much of their own personal volunteered time helping to make this school shine. I couldn’t be happier with the school I chose to send my kids to!
Submitted by parent on February 07, 2022

It’s a solid school with good programs. Leadership is a little sporadic and unclear.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2020

Blessed to have all 3 of my children benefit from this dynamic school
Submitted by parent on March 05, 2020

It's an excellent school.Considering academics as well as other activities the school has no comparison.Teachers are so good and teaches with so many different techniques and interest.I am very happy with my kids progress.
Submitted by parent on May 06, 2019

We are rounding out our 7th year (K-6th grade) at this school. It has been an excellent experience for our kids and family. Can't say enough great things about the teachers, staff and administration!
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2019

The self contained gifted program is fantastic. The teachers are experienced and the program allows kids to move forward at their own pace. My child is far less stressed than when at a school where the material was much easier.
Submitted by parent on February 06, 2019

A+ - it had been incredible watching all our kids grow from strength to strength
Submitted by parent on December 21, 2018

My kids were not happy at this school, and as a parent I could see why. This school has a group of teachers who dominate everything, and it trickles down. The environment just felt toxic overall.
Submitted by parent on November 30, 2018

Teachers maintain an open line of communication and is on the parents side in terms of long-term goals. Thank you for making this a safe and fun place for our 3 children.