It was a spectacular second full week for our Snowy Owls. Our students are adjusting well to their new classrooms and exemplifying our Snowy Owl expectations and core values. We applaud your efforts and supports at home with the new routines at the beginning of the year. As we continue to build on this great start, please know that we are here to support you and your child every step of the way.
On Monday, August 11th, Circulate San Diego will be coming to Sonia Sotomayor and explain to our Kindergarten-2nd grade Snowy Owls how to stay safe on the way to and from school through Safety Town Assemblies. On Wednesday, August 13th, we will host Walk/Bike to School Day and want to encourage all families to walk/bike to school and visit the information booths at our school entrances for giveaway items.
Snowy Owl Expectation Focus
Our goal at Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School is to create and maintain a positive and safe learning environment for all and hold students accountable for being positive forces within our school community. The Snowy Owl Expectations are taught, modeled, and practiced throughout all grade levels and locations around campus. For the next two weeks, we will focus and reinforce the expected behaviors for arrival. We appreciate your support in asking your Snowy Owls at home what specific behaviors allow them to be safe, respectful, responsible, and kind during arrival.
SSC Election Results
Thank you to all of our parents who took the time to vote and build our School Site Council. Congratulations to our DAC representative and two SSC parent representatives for the 2025-26 school year:
DAC Representative
- Estela Allshouse
Two Year Term SSC Representatives
- Estela Allshouse
- Carolina Salazar
Volunteers on Campus
Thank you to everyone who attended our volunteer orientation last week! We are thrilled to welcome our volunteers back on campus starting Monday, August 11th. Your support is invaluable to our school community, and we look forward to seeing you soon. Please remember to complete all necessary paperwork before visiting campus to volunteer. This ensures a smooth and safe experience for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to our students!
Home Access Center/CAASPP Scores
CVESD notified families on August 4th to inform them about their child’s individual CAASPP scores. The Chula Vista Elementary School District utilizes the Home Access Center (HAC) to share Student Score Reports for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) and English Learner Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) with parents and guardians.
The HAC allows parents and guardians to securely review, download, and save student results quickly and conveniently. Last week an email was sent out by our superintendent sharing important information on accessing your child’s 2024-25 state testing reports in HAC. The letter is available for review, as well links on how to login to the Home Access Center. If you continue to have trouble logging in, please contact our front office. Please note that hard copies are not provided by the school and all scores are located in the Home Access Center database.
Attendance Matters
Students need to be at school every day and on time. Please make sure your child is here by 7:55 AM and lined up on the soccer field. Let’s continue to improve our attendance! If your child must be out sick, please contact the office at sotomayor.school@cvesd.org to excuse the absence. Remember to bring a doctor’s note when going to the doctor or dentist.
Did you know that if your child has upcoming scheduled absences, you can request an independent study contract if you notify the office one week in advance? If an independent study contract is completed, your child will receive credit for their attendance. For more information contact our Attendance Health Secretary, Ivonne Jimenez.
Second Step
Thanks to the support of our PTA, Sonia Sotomayor is excited to soon begin Second Step lessons with all of our Snowy Owl students. Second Step Elementary is a research-based program designed to improve students’ human skills, including growth mindset, goal-setting, emotion management, kindness and empathy, and problem-solving.
Studies show that these skills can support students’ school performance, increase positive social behaviors, and reduce conduct problems such as bullying. Programs
that teach these skills can also help create positive classroom and school climates.
Second Step Elementary is taught in the classroom, to all students, and helps students develop a common set of skills and strategies that can be practiced, used, and reinforced throughout the school community, including at home.
PTA Membership Drive
Make Sotomayor sweeter by clicking the link below helping us reach our mission of reaching 250 members in order for our school to acquire a school-wide paleta party!
https://jointotem.com/ca/chula-vista/sonia-sotomayor-pta
Family Movie Night Save the Date!
We are excited to invite you to Sotomayor Elementary School’s Family Movie Night taking place on Friday, September 12th, sponsored by our wonderful PTA. This event is the perfect opportunity for families to relax, have fun, and enjoy a movie in our MPR. Doors will open at 4:00 PM. Check out all the details below.
Reflections Program
The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boosts student confidence and success in the arts and in life. In Reflections, students submit artworks in the available arts category areas and program divisions: Primary (Pre-K – Grade 2), Intermediate (Grades 3-5), Middle School (Grades 6-8), High School (Grades 9-12), Accessible Arts (All grades welcome). This year’s theme is I Belong! Please share with your families and, if possible, introduce the program to your students in class. This is completely student-led (grown-ups can support, but the idea and execution should be the student’s). More information can be found here.
Parent Book Club
This fall, we’re reading Raising Good Humans by Hunter Clarke-Fields. Session 1 will focus on Chapters 1-3. Books will be provided while supplies last. Click the link below to get more information:
https://www.soniasotomayorpta.com/bookclub
Fall LEAD Academy Program
Registration for the Fall LEAD Academy Program opens Friday, August 15, 2025, at 6 p.m. LEAD Academy is a free program funded through the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program and is open to CVESD students in transitional kindergarten through sixth grade. LEAD Academy offers various academic and fun enrichment activities, field trips, and complimentary meals (breakfast, lunch, and snacks). Registration priority will be given to students identified as “unduplicated” (foster youth, unsheltered, students living in motels/hotels, temporarily doubled up, students in temporary shelters, English language learners, and socioeconomically disadvantaged students). After the highest priority students are registered, additional students will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please email cvesd.leadprogram@cvesd.org.
Program Dates: Monday, September 22nd – Friday, October 3rd, 2025
Hours of Operation: 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Registration Link: https://bit.ly/3YOAliJ
For more information, please see the flyer below.
CVESD Job Fair
Join the Chula Vista Elementary School District for an in-house Job Fair on Friday, August 22nd, from 8 AM – 12 PM at the district office, located at 84 East J Street in Chula Vista. The district is hiring for both contracted and substitute positions to support students in special education. Open positions include Instructional Assistants in Special Education (IA SpEd), Student Attendants (SA), and Student Attendant Site Substitutes. The first 50 attendees will receive a guaranteed interview with the Human Resources Department and may receive a same-day job offer. Please bring a printed resume, along with transcripts or a copy of an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, and a valid photo ID. Qualified applicants may be asked to take the required IA SpEd/SA exam on the same day as their interview. The exam takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours to complete. Additional time may be needed for waiting in line and completing the interview process.
SDCOE Mindfulness Parent Online Classes
The Student Wellness and School Culture Department at the San Diego County Office of Education, in collaboration with certified mindfulness meditation instructors, is pleased to offer a free online class series this fall for parents and caregivers of school-aged children.
Learning to Relax Through Mindfulness is a four-part series designed to help participants explore stress management, relaxation techniques, and ways to cultivate emotional awareness for a happier, healthier life. Each session will provide practical tools and tips that parents and guardians can use themselves and share with their families.
🗓 Class Schedule – Thursdays in September, 6:00–7:00 PM
September 4, 2025 – What the Body Can Teach Us
Register here: https://sdcoe.k12oms.org/918-269393
September 11, 2025 – Mindfulness of Emotion
Register here: https://sdcoe.k12oms.org/918-269395
- September 18, 2025 – Attending to Thoughts
Register here: https://sdcoe.k12oms.org/918-269394
- September 25, 2025 – Awareness: Your Brain’s Superpower
Register here: https://sdcoe.k12oms.org/918-269396
📎 Please see flyer below for more details.
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School 