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Sunrise Elementary highlights student leadership, mentorship and gains in well‑being
Summary
Sunrise Elementary told the school board May 18 that student leadership, a new mentorship program and MTSS interventions helped raise measures of student belonging (HOPE survey ~68% to 72%), while staff described expanded clubs and community service projects that engaged dozens of students.
Sunrise Elementary presented to the Enumclaw School District board on May 18, describing a year of new leadership, student-led initiatives and targeted supports that school staff say improved student well-being and grade-level outcomes. Principal (speaker 5) and staff highlighted a values-driven theme of "growing together," an emphasis on social‑emotional screening and the school’s structured leadership and mentorship programs.
"We had 48 kids sign up, 4th and 5th graders, to be a part of our club," said Morgan Tran, advisor for the Sunrise Leadership Group (speaker 12). Students in the leadership club ran toy and food drives, organized an art club and other peer-led activities, the presentation said.
Melissa Petrowski, Sunrise resource teacher for special education (speaker 4), described a yearlong push to formalize mentorship and to pair mentors and mentees intentionally, citing research that structured programs produce better outcomes. Staff described a targeted 2nd‑grade "walk to read" intervention and ongoing progress monitoring under the school’s MTSS framework.
The presentation included two student‑wellbeing checkpoints: the HOPE survey and a psychological sense of school membership measure. Staff reported a HOPE survey result of about 68% in the fall and noted about 72% of students reported a high sense of belonging in a winter follow‑up. School leaders said they used those results to identify students needing additional support and to form small groups and interventions.
Students described the mentorship experience in their own words. "I most enjoyed the time with the kids by helping them learn new skills," one mentor student said (speaker 11). Staff said mentorship both helped mentees and provided leadership opportunities for older students.
School programs highlighted included Run for Hope events, a counselor-led small-group approach for students with social or executive-functioning needs, and a number of student-initiated clubs (art club, garden club, crocheting circles and book clubs). Sunrise also showcased schoolwide service projects; staff noted a cereal-box donation drive that produced more than 350 boxes donated to a local food bank.
Superintendent Jill Burns praised the presentation and noted three district schools that received state recognition for growth in different student groups, including Sunrise for growth among low-income students. The board applauded the students and staff before moving on to its regular business.
The board’s next steps on campus matters include continuing work on curriculum adoption and the district’s policy reviews; the Sunrise presentation was informational and did not require board action.
