Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School

As we finish another week as a Sotomayor community, we want to express our heartfelt appreciation for each of our students. Their energy, kindness, and hard work brighten our campus every day. We are equally grateful to our wonderful families for your unwavering support, partnership, and encouragement—your presence truly makes a difference in every Snowy Owl’s success. 

This past week, our school community gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting of our new sensory room, the Zen Den, a dedicated space created to support student well-being, focus, and self-regulation. Students, staff, and families joined us in recognizing this important addition to our campus and what it represents for our learners. The Zen Den provides a calm, supportive environment where students can reset, regulate emotions, and refocus before returning to class ready to learn. Designed with intention, the space includes calming lighting, sensory tools, and movement supports to help students feel grounded and empowered. It reflects our commitment to inclusion and belief that learning is not one-size-fits-all and that supporting the whole child is essential to academic success. We are grateful to the staff, families, and partners, including our Special Education Parent Advisory Committee, who helped bring this vision to life, and we look forward to the positive impact the Zen Den will have on our students throughout the year.

Don’t forget there is no school on Friday, February 13th and Monday, February 16th in celebration of Presidents’ Day Weekend. School resumes on Tuesday, 2/17 with a regular 2:30 PM dismissal for 1st through 6th graders and 2:15 PM dismissal for TK/Kinder students. Be sure to read about all of the important school information for the upcoming weeks. Thank you for your support!

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 arrival. We appreciate your support in asking your Snowy Owls at home what specific behaviors allow them to be safe, respectful, responsible, and kind at arrival.

PTA Upcoming Events

Dear Snowy Owl Families,

Happy February! We wanted to share a few PTA updates and reminders as we head into an exciting spring season.

Spring Event Preview

• March 9–13: Scholastic Book Fair
• March 12: Bloom & Boogie Spring Fling (Dance)
• April 6–10: Military Child Spirit Week
• April 13–17: Autism Acceptance Week
• April 24: Multicultural Fair + Spring Festival

As always, we appreciate your commitment to our Snowy Owls. Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you soon!

Working together,

Sonia Sotomayor PTA Executive Board

CVESD University

Ever wonder why some children experience more intense meltdowns and exhibit more
defiant behaviors? This insightful CVESD University workshop will explore the underlying reasons behind these challenges. More importantly, you’ll gain practical,
evidence-based best practices to foster positive behaviors, reduce defiance and disruptive actions, and effectively prevent and manage meltdowns when they do occur. Leave equipped with strategies you can implement immediately. The workshop takes place on Tuesday, February 17th, from 4-5 p.m. at the district office. Childcare will be available, and light snacks will be provided. We look forward to welcoming families for an engaging and supportive learning experience!

LEAD

LEAD Spring Academy Registration opens Friday February 6^th at 6 PM! To ensure a smooth registration process, I recommend creating your Jumbula account before you register. You can create your account using this link: LEAD Academy

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

Open Enrollment Starts this Month

Open Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year will open on February 11th, 2026, at 9 AM. online and Continuing Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year will be May 26th – June 16th. 

YMCA 2025-26 Annual Fundraising Campaign

We are happy to share that we are halfway to our goal of $2,500 thanks to your generous support! 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

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.

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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!

2025-26 LCAP Survey

The LCAP provides an opportunity for CVESD to share our story on how, what, and why programs and services are selected to meet our local needs. From January 27 through March 31, 2026, CVESD is conducting our annual survey to gather your input on our Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, which will shape the district’s goals and guide our budgeting priorities for the remaining year of our 3-year plan. We want to hear from our families, students, staff, and community members.

English: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WWLP67W

Spanish: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q5FZGSN

SDCOE Mental Health Webinar Series

This webinar series will provide information on common mental health challenges faced by youth today and will offer information, tips, and tools for parents and guardians. It is offered through a partnership with the San Diego County Office of Education and medical and mental health experts with the Transforming Mental Health Initiative at Rady Children’s Health. Rady Children’s is on the forefront of youth mental health and wellness and is dedicated to improving the mental health of all children. Spanish interpretation will be provided.