The Battle of the Books Club consists of 4th and 5th-grade students who are responsible for reading a pre-selected number of novels. In the spring of each year, the team competes against other elementary schools. Battle of the Books is a very rigorous program. Students are expected to thoroughly know each novel as they are asked very specific questions. The team is coached by BJ Johnson and R. Morales.

The Beta Club is an organization for 5th grade students at Sunnyside. The purpose of this club is "to promote and recognize the ideals of academic achievement, character, leadership and service among elementary students.

Civic Oration offers 5^th grade students an opportunity to develop skills in clear thinking and public speaking. By preparing and giving a three- to five-minute speech for this contest, participants learn skills that will help with school projects, transitioning to middle and high school, mastering job interviews and even effective communication in careers.

DAR stands for Daughters of the American Revolution. This essay contest was designed to encourage elementary students to think critically and creatively about our history. DAR is open to 5^th grade students at Sunnyside. Each year, a topic is selected and instructions are sent to schools by participating DAR chapters. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.

Our Green Team is led by our 5th grade science teacher. She selects a group of responsible students to work together to make our school energy efficient. They are also advocates in recyclying to reduce and reuse waste.

The orchestra program at Sunnyside begins with stringed instruments in the Fifth grade.  Students choose from violin, viola, cello, and bass instruments. Small group lessons are given during the school day. These lessons reinforce the fundamentals of music and demonstrates the teamwork involved in music making.

Committed Army soldiers from Fort Bragg spend quality time with our students on a weekly basis. In keeping with the military's high standard of rising early, these soldiers arrive around 7:00 a.m. They spend quality time reading to kindergarden, first and second grade students. It is a very enjoyable experience for our whole school population.

Spelling is fundamental and an intricate part of every aspect of life. All students at Sunnyside are given daily opportunities to develop their skills in spelling. The Spelling Bee competition sponsored by Scripps is an annual event at our school. The process begins with 4^th and 5^th grade students participating in their classroom spelling bee. The top three winners from each class earns the opportunity to participate in the school wide bee. The winner of the school’s bee continues on and represents Sunnyside in the district bee.