As we wrap up the first week of Quarter 3, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your cooperation and enthusiasm. It was wonderful to have our Snowy Owls back and see their excitement and engagement within the classroom this past week. Quarter 3 is packed with important teaching and learning opportunities as we begin to prepare our students for upcoming California State Assessments in English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) and California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). Please ensure that students are at school on time everyday. Every day counts, and your commitment to ensuring that students are present and on time makes a significant difference!

Keep checking our school blog, our weekly happenings are updated every Sunday. You can also opt into following our blog and receive any new posts delivered directly to your email inbox. Stay tuned for more updates, and thank you for your continued support!

Be sure to stay up to date on school expectations and guidelines, by checking out our 2025-26 Family Handbook.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

The countdown to The Great Kindness Challenge has begun! In just one week, our students will come together to celebrate kindness, demonstrate compassion, express gratitude, and actively showcase their LOVE in various uplifting ways. We’re eagerly anticipating it!

Kids Heart Challenge

Kids Heart Challenge kicked off!  We are excited to learn how to keep our hearts healthy & happy while raising lifesaving donations for the American Heart Association to fight America’s #1 and #4 killers, heart disease and stroke!  Check out our VIRTUAL ENVELOPE to learn more.  Thank you for being a Heart Hero!

1. Sign up TODAY at http://www2.heart.org/goto/SoniaSotomayor or by downloading the free AHA Schools AppforApple or Android
2. Give or Get a Donation! SEND 10 emails/texts to friends & family asking for a donation
3. Start Finn’s Mission in your HQ to learn Hands-Only CPR. 

KHC GOALS & CELEBRATIONS:

Our goal is to raise $6,500 in lifesaving donations!

• Raise $3,250 – SILLY STRING the Principal and Vice Principal
  • The class with the most students signed up gets to Silly String!
• Raise $6,500 – SLIME the Principal and Vice Principal
  • Raise $100+ to get a cup of Slime!

Meet Phil and hear how he SAVED A LIFE after completing Finn’s Mission.  Don’t wait, sign up TODAY! 

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 week, we will continue to focus and reinforce the expected behaviors for recess. We appreciate your support in asking your Snowy Owls at home what specific behaviors allow them to be safe, respectful, responsible, and kind at recess.

Traffic Reminders

Traffic before and after school can be extremely busy. To help facilitate the process, we ask all vehicles to move as far forward as possible in the drop off and pick up areas before stopping. This allows more vehicles into the area, expediting the drop off and pick up process. If you  need to enter campus, please use our parking lot to park your car and visit campus. Do not leave your car unattended in the designated drop-off and pick-up zone at the front of the school. We thank you in advance for your patience and cooperation, as our children learn from the behaviors that we model. 

IMPORTANT: 

• Do not block or park in the private driveways of our neighbors. 
• Please do not park in any of the red, coned areas, or double park behind vehicles. 
• Unless you park in designated parking spots, use the DROP OFF zone to leave your children and pick them up.  
• Please do not park in reserved parking spots from 7:15 AM – 3:45 PM.
• Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, roller-skates/in-line skates or motorized units of any kind are NOT allowed on school grounds at any time. Anyone riding a bike to school MUST wear a helmet. All bikes must be stored in the bike racks in front of the school. Bikes must be locked and students/parents/visitors must walk their bike where pedestrian traffic takes place.

YMCA 2025-26 Annual Fundraising Campaign

Embrace the spirit of generosity this month by joining hands with the Sotomayor YMCA. Together, we can unlock the power of positive change and support an organization that breathes life into our community.

Your generosity can be the spark that lights up the path to a brighter, stronger community. Give joy, hope, and the gift of making a difference with the Sotomayor YMCA!

Sotomayor YMCA 2025-26 Annual Fundraiser Donation Link

LEAD

All our Quarter 3 LEAD Club sessions begin this Tuesday, January 20th and end Wednesday, March 11th!

Clubs running on Tuesday are:

Mini Lego Building Club 2:45-3:45PM
Jr. STEAM Club 2:45-4:00PM
Jr. Arts and Crafts Club 2:45-3:45PM
Homework Club 2:45-3:45PM

Important Note: Art Club will begin Thursday, January 22nd!

If you have received an acceptance email to any of these clubs, please have your students meet Ms. Amanda promptly after school at the lunch tables.

If you have any questions, please email amanda.wallace@cvesd.org

YMCA Programs

We’re excited to share several upcoming opportunities from our partners at the South Bay Family YMCA, designed to support families, provide enriching experiences for children, and give parents some well-deserved flexibility.

---

---

---

---

For more information or to register, please visit ymcasd.org/southbay or ymcasd.org/southbaycamp. These programs are a wonderful resource for families in our school community—we encourage you to take advantage of them!

Human Trafficking Awareness & Prevention Month

Please explore the professional development and workshop opportunities below for parents and caregivers.

---

For Parents & Caregivers of Elementary Students

Raising Digitally Safe Kids

January 20

The online world plays a big role in our children’s lives. This engaging session helps parents and caregivers better understand what elementary-aged students encounter online each day—and how to support safe, healthy digital habits.

Families will learn practical strategies to:

• Help keep children safe online
• Build digital readiness
• Recognize early warning signs of online risks

📅 January 20 – ✅Register Here
🌐 Spanish interpretation available

---

For Parents & Caregivers of Middle and High School Students

Two Evening Sessions for Families

February 10 and February 24

Two informative sessions focused on online safety and crime prevention for teens.

Session 1: Online Safety 101

📅February 10 – ✅ Register Here

Session 2: Internet Crime Prevention

📅February 24 – ✅ Register Here

🌐 Spanish interpretation available for both sessions