It was a spectacular week of celebrating literacy and inclusion with all our Snowy Owls with Read Across America and Spread the Word! We are looking forward to another exciting week ahead as we prepare for two special events—our Spring Fling: Bloom and Boogie Dance, hosted by our PTA, and our 2nd Annual Snowy Owl Talent Show! We can’t wait to see our students and families come together to celebrate, have fun, and showcase the incredible talents within our school community.
A huge thank you to the Servicemen, district staff, and parent volunteers who participated as guest readers last week and helped us commemorate literacy and Read Across America.
Last week, in collaboration with our Special Education Parent Advisory Committee (SEPAC), our school community celebrated Spread the Word Spirit Week, promoting inclusion, kindness, and respectful language. Students participated in several activities throughout the week. On Monday, students signed the Spread the Word Pledge at pledge stations in the library and STEAM studio with the support of parent volunteers. On Tuesday, Dr. Sesma hosted a special invite-only flag football game during morning recess, with classmates cheering on the players. Whether they were running routes or rallying from the sidelines, every single student showed up and showed out. The week concluded on Friday with recess activities led by parent volunteers, including parachute play for TK/K students and a frisbee partner toss for grades 1st–6th. Thank you to our SEPAC team and parent volunteers for helping make the week a meaningful celebration of inclusion and school spirit!
Parent-Teacher Conferences Begin This Week
Our Spring Parent Teacher conferences begin on Thursday, March 12th and end on Thursday, March 29th. All students will have minimum days during parent teacher conferences with dismissal at 12:50 PM for TK/Kindergarten and 1:05 PM for 1st-6th.
As we begin Parent Teacher Conferences, we want to remind our families that we will continue to follow our Safe Campus protocols. As part of our Safe Campus protocols, all families will be required to sign in and sign out using their Raptor Passport when coming onto campus for conferences.
- All adults should plan to scan their Raptor Passport QR code in the front office upon arrival and departure from your child’s conference.
- Please plan ahead, as this process may require a few extra minutes. Having the app downloaded and QR code ready to scan will ensure a smooth and quick transition into your conference.
This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child’s progress thus far in the year. Every family is expected to participate in a conference so please reach out to your classroom teacher if you have yet to schedule a conference time. Thank you for your cooperation and partnership in keeping our school community safe.
Student Recognitions and Celebrations
On Saturday, March 7th, our sixth-grade student Eitan Lichtenshtein was proudly recognized by the Chula Vista Police Department alongside his family and our Safety Patrol Advisors, Ms. Pinkham and Ms. Jaramillo, for his outstanding dedication to our Safety Patrol Program. Eitan earned the distinction of being the highest-ranking Senior Safety Patrol Officer at Sonia Sotomayor, a testament to his leadership, responsibility, and commitment to keeping our school community safe.
We are incredibly proud of Eitan for representing our school with such integrity and for serving as a positive role model for his peers!
On Thursday, March 5th, we proudly celebrated the achievements of our English Learners who met all criteria to be Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) during a special breakfast with their families. This intimate celebration recognized the hard work, perseverance, and growth our students demonstrated on their journey to English proficiency. During the ceremony, each student was honored with a certificate and recognized for this important milestone in their academic journey. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and grateful to the families and teachers who supported them every step of the way.
2026 Purple Star Recognition
We are proud to share that our school has been recognized as a 2026 Purple Star School, an honor awarded by the California Department of Education through the Purple Star School Designation Program. This recognition is given to schools that demonstrate a strong commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families.
Receiving the Purple Star designation reflects our school’s dedication to creating a welcoming, supportive environment for students whose families serve in the military. From providing resources and transition support to fostering a sense of belonging and community, our staff works intentionally to ensure that military-connected students feel valued and supported both academically and socially. We are honored to receive this recognition and extend our gratitude to the students, families, and staff who help make our school a place where every student can thrive. 💜
PTA Updates
We wanted to share a few PTA updates and reminders as we march toward Spring Break. Thank you for your continued support of the wonderful events that help strengthen our school community.
Upcoming Events
- March 9th-13th: Scholastic Spring Book Fair (Room 308)
- The book fair will be open daily after school. On Thursday and Friday, it will remain open throughout the duration of parent-teacher conferences.
- March 12th: Spring Fling: Bloom and Boogie (Dance)
- Join us for an evening of music, fun, and community!
Important Reminders
- We are still looking for parent volunteers to support next week’s events. If you are able to help, please sign up here: https://www.soniasotomayorpta.com/current-volunteer-opportunities
Spring Event Preview
- April 6th–10th: Military Child Spirit Week
- April 13th–17th: Autism Acceptance Week
- April 24th: Multicultural Fair + Spring Festival
Thanks to the success of our Winter Book Fair, all classroom teachers—including VAPA—have $50 in Scholastic Dollars to spend. Teachers may shop directly at the book fair or place an order through the online catalog. A physical catalog is available in the main workroom, and online shopping invitations will be sent after the book fair.
As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership. We truly appreciate all that you do for our students and our school community.
Working together,
Sonia Sotomayor PTA
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 lunch tables. We appreciate your support in asking your Snowy Owls at home what specific behaviors allow them to be safe, respectful, responsible, and kind at the lunch tables.
Importance of Attendance
Attendance is one of the major factors when predicting future success in school! If children don’t show up for school regularly, they miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. Data from a California study found that children who were chronically absent, missing 2 or more days a month, were far less likely to read proficiently at the end of third grade.
We want to ensure the success of all of our Snowy Owls and want to see them at school everyday! When students attend class regularly and on time, opportunities for successful learning increase; consequently, the importance of regular on-time attendance cannot be overemphasized. Please make sure that your child is at school on time everyday from March to June and help us decrease our chronic absenteeism percentage!
Online Parenting Workshop Series
Families with children ages 3–7 are invited to participate in a free, interactive online workshop series focused on building strong relationships and supporting positive behavior at home. Sessions are held from noon to 1:30 p.m., with English sessions beginning February 23 on Mondays and Spanish sessions beginning February 25 on Wednesdays.
Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School 