Sunset Academy

Last winter, we had to say goodbye to two ash trees on the playground at Sunset Academy. The trees had been part of our campus for decades, but like many ash trees across Colorado, they were eventually lost to the emerald ash borer. It is said that, over time, nearly all ash trees in Longmont may face the same fate, including a couple that still remain on our campus today.

Many parents have asked about adding more shade to the playground now that those trees are gone. While we continue to work on additional shade solutions, we also wanted to bring trees back to our campus.

Over the past several months, we spent a great deal of time thinking about what kind of trees would be best for our children and playground environment. Eventually, we settled on linden trees. We already have several beautiful lindens on campus, and we love their shape, color, and the generous shade they provide. We also appreciate that their roots tend to stay below ground and do not create tripping hazards for children running and playing on the playground.

As always, the health and safety of our children were at the center of every decision.

In the end, we decided to do a little more than simply replace the two trees we lost. In addition to those replacements, we planted three more trees along the ridge areas of the playground. The results can already be seen in the pictures below, and we look forward to watching these trees grow together with the children at Sunset Academy.

Sunset Academy has been serving the Longmont community for more than 30 years. The ash trees planted when the school was first built are slowly leaving us. May these new trees, together with Sunset Academy, continue serving the community for the next 30 years.

🎉Happy New Year from all of us at Sunset Academy! 🎉

Our classrooms rang in 2026 with big smiles and party festivities! Watching our little learners celebrate together was the perfect way to start the new year.

As we welcome 2026, we want to thank our amazing families for being such an important part of our Sunset Academy community.

We’re excited for another year filled with learning, laughter, growth, and special memories.

Cheers to a bright, joyful, and successful New Year! 🎆

Congratulations to the Panda Bears for winning 2nd place on their Itsy Bitsy Toddlers door!