S O N I A S O T O M A Y O R

E L E M E N T A R Y

El NOTICIERO S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7

Sept 19

Parents Only Cur-

riculum Night 5:30-

6:00 (1st-2nd

Grade)

6:00-6:30 (3rd-5th

Grade)

Literacy Strategies

for Parents

6:00-6:30 or

6:30-7:00

Math Strategies for

Parents

6:30-7:00 or

7:00-7:30

Sept 26

School Pictures

Oct 9

PTO Meeting—6:30

in the Library

Oct 17

Parent/Teacher

Conferences 3:30-

7:30

Oct 20 & Oct 23

No School

Oct 23

Parent/Teacher

Conferences 12:00-

7;00

Greetings Sonia Sotomayor Families!

The school year is off to an incredible start! This year we have the privilege of educating 644 students grades pre-K through 5th grade. We have 70 full and part-time staff (including 12 interns) from 15 different countries that are dedicated to the care of your child(ren) throughout the week. I am very proud of the amount of talent we have within the walls of our school!

This year we have a couple of specific goals for our school that align with the Sioux Falls School District’s goals. We will focus on increasing our daily attendance. It is vital for kids to be in school, on time, every day. We will also focus on increasing our student’s reading proficiency in both Spanish and English. An expectation of the program is that a child will either be read to or will read to someone else in English for a minimum of 20 minutes every night. It is so important for children to be read to, listened to, and talked to.

All students 1st through 5th grade are participating in an assessment called the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP). The assessment will be administered in the fall, January, and in the spring. Kindergarten students will participate in the MAP in January and again in the spring. The test will provide us with information on each child’s instructional level, as well as their growth throughout the academic year. Stu-dents will also learn to set their own learning goals by understanding their personal strengths and areas that may need improvement.

Volunteers are needed for our SI Reads Program (in English), in our lunch-room, Spanish speaking substitute teachers, mentors and Junior Achievement in-structors. If you are interested in any of these please let the office staff know!

This newsletter is packed with much information about upcoming events, re-minders from school, and more. Please take time to look it over and let me or other staff know if you have any questions.

Excited for a new school year!

Your Principal,

Tracy

Spanish speaking substitutes are needed!

If you are interested in applying, please click here to complete an ap-

plication.

Every Student. Every Day. Attendance Matters. By Dr. Brian Maher, Superintendent

Welcome back to another great year in the Sioux Falls School District! We are eager to welcome the 24,000 smiling faces of our students and to watch our playgrounds and parking lots coming alive with the cheerful voices of students. A new school year is a new opportunity to improve academically, socially, and emotionally. That support is available every day at school. However,

research shows as many as 7.5 million students across the country miss nearly a month of school every year. These absences can lead to poor academic performance and create challenges that carry over into adult life. That is why the Sioux Falls School District is declaring September as Attendance Awareness Month.

For some, the absenteeism trend starts surprisingly early - as early as kindergarten - and continues through high school. National research shows one in 10 kindergarten and first-grade students are chronically absent, meaning they miss 10 percent of the school year or about 18 days of instruction because of excused and unexcused absences. In the Sioux Falls School District, any number of absences over ten (10) is considered excessive.

Chronic absence is not just about truancy or willfully skipping school. Instead, children stay home because of chronic illness, unreliable transportation, housing issues, bullying or simply because their parents do not understand how quickly absences add up—and affect school performance.

Chronic absenteeism especially affects students living in poverty. Consistent academic instruction is the key to helping them break the cycle. Children who are chronically absent in kindergarten and first grade are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, and students who do not read well by that critical juncture are more likely to struggle in school. They are also more likely to be chronically absent in later years, since they never developed good attendance habits.

While we work hard to prevent it, absenteeism can’t solely be viewed as an administrative matter. We use a pyramid of interventions to support children facing attendance challenges. However, schools cannot do this work alone. We are calling on the entire community to help. Partnerships with health care providers, mental health agencies, transportation groups and others are already in the works. In order to make a difference, we need employers, faith-based groups, parents, and neighbors to encourage school attendance. Parents can build a habit of good attendance by sticking to reasonable bedtimes and other routines and avoiding vacations while school is in session. Teachers will reinforce these messages regularly. Community members can step forward to mentor children who have attendance issues and encourage them to see the lifetime benefits of being in school every day. We invite you to join us as we continue to prioritize school attendance. Every Student. Every Day. Attendance really does Matter!

Welcome Jaclyn Lange!

Sonia Sotomayor Families,

I am so excited to introduce myself to you as the new

administrator intern at Sonia Sotomayor Elemen-

tary. I will be sharing my time this year between

both Sonia Sotomayor Elementary School and Eu-

gene Field A+ Elementary School, and I am looking

forward to getting to know the students, families,

and staff in both schools!

I grew up in Yankton, SD and graduated from the University of South Dakota with undergraduate degrees in music and Spanish education and a graduate

degree in educational administration. For the past three years, I have taught

vocal music at Anne Sullivan Elementary School, and prior to moving to Sioux

Falls, I taught middle and high school Spanish for the Beresford School Dis-

trict.

Did you know that you can donate your Coca-Cola codes to

Sonia Sotomayor Elementary?

It’s fast. It’s easy.

It’s greatly appreciated!

Please click here to visit their website for more information.

Thank you!

Attendance Information

• Every day counts!

• Please call the office by 8:00 am if a student is going to be tardy

or absent

• If the absence requires a visit to the doctor, please bring a note

from the medical office

• Office staff will call parents/guardians of students who have

not been reported as absent

• Please let the office know by 8:20 am if you need to order a hot

lunch

School Calendar

Our school events can be found online on the Sonia Sotomayor Website Calendar. Please click here to access the site. If you have an event that you would like us to review to add to the calendar, please email jen-nifer.mckellep@k12.sd.us.

Calendars can be viewed online, printed, or access via the Sioux Falls School District App. Please let us know if you have any questions.

For the 5th grade vocal concert, the students will be performing Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears, by

Verna Aardema (retold and set to music by Brian Hiller and Don Dupont) on Tuesday, November 14th at 7:00 p.m. The students will narrate the story in both English and Spanish, and will enhance the meaning

of the story by singing, dancing, dramatizing, and playing instruments.

All 5th grade students will be participating in some special part—e.g. narration, dancing, or playing instru-

ments. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Make sure to mark your calendars for this excit-

ing event!

Mrs. Sander

melanie.sander@k12.sd.us

Attention 5th grade parents!

Mark Your Calendars

5th Grade Vocal Music Concert

Tuesday, November 14th at 7:00 p.m.

in the Sonia Sotomayor Gymnasium

Snacks in the Classroom

In kindergarten and first grade classrooms, parents can sign-up to bring snacks for the entire class. If pre-packaged snacks are brought for the entire classroom they must be store-bought and in the origi-nal packaging due to many food allergies and other food related medical reasons. Fresh fruit and vegetables are always a great choice!! Please carefully review labels for this information. Sugary snacks are not encouraged.

In grades 2-5, some classrooms allow students to bring an individual snack. Classroom allergy guidelines must be followed when sending a snack to school with your student. Food items brought to classrooms with nut allergies must be processed in a peanut/nut free facility. Please carefully review labels for this information. Healthy snack items such as fruit, cheese sticks, yogurt, etc. are encouraged. Sugary snacks should be limited.

If students want to bring something for a special occasion they may bring NON-FOOD items to share with their class such as pencils, erasers, stickers, etc. Students are NOT allowed to bring edible treat items to share with the class due to numerous student food allergies and other medical conditions.

Edible birthday treats are not allowed at school.

Greetings from the SoSo Library!

We are working SO hard to continue building our col-

lection and need your (the PARENTS) help!

Last year, we had 75 books that were lost, eaten by pets, spilled on, food stained, growing mold,

and destroyed by siblings, that we had to take out of circulation in our school library.

During Library, each class has discussed ideas of how

they can help keep our Library books safe. This in-cludes keeping them away from pets, younger siblings,

kitchen counters, water bottles, snack times, and wet snow gear. We also discussed carrying them carefully

(hugging them to avoid being dropped) and storing

them safely in our backpacks.

Thanks so much for your support of the Library by helping your children learn responsibility with their Li-

brary books! I so very much look forward to a great year filled with wonderful stories and connections

through the incredible world of books.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Egstad

“Change to make a change” in Texas

Many families were hit hard in Texas from Hurricane Harvey. Sonia So-

tomayor wants to share our ‘change’ to help victims boost their confi-

dence. Many loved ones were hurt. The students can bring in change

to help. Collections will be from September 13th – 15th. EVERY PENNY

COUNTS!!!

Written by: Elysse W, Lucas H, Aubreigh M

Volunteering

There are several ways to volunteer at our school!

• Room parent/liaison

• Lunchroom supervision

• Reader in English

• Reader in Spanish

• Office support

All volunteers must complete a Sioux Falls School District Volun-

teer Form and turn it in to the office. Please contact the office

if you have any questions regarding volunteering.

Our School Day: 7:55—2:45

• 7:30—Breakfast begins

• 7:40—Playground supervision begins

• 7:55—All students must enter through the front doors and will

receive a tardy slip after 8:00am.

• Before 2:00– Call or email the office to notify staff of changes

in after school plans. Please do not only email the teacher, as

they often do not have time to check their email during the

Birthday Book Program

This year we are implementing the Birthday Book Program! Due to nu-

merous allergies and other medical conditions, we do not allow edible

birthday treats to be brought to school. However, your child ‘treat’ the

school library with the gift of a new hardcover book.

Here’s how it works:

-You and your child pick-out a new hardcover book to donate.

-Your child brings the book to his/her classroom

-You child may read the book to the class or bring a guest reader

-The book is shared with the class, then taken to the library

-A sticker is inserted in the book stating who the book is from

-The book is prepared for check-out from the library

-The book is checked-out and enjoyed by children throughout the

school !!

SI Reads NEEDS YOU!

SI Reads (Spanish Immersion Reads) is a volunteer program for adults who have inter-est in reading one-on-one in English with students at Sonia Sotomayor. If you are in-terested in reading with our students, please plan to attend one of the following train-ing sessions:

September 20 from 12:00-1:00 in the conference room

September 20 from 5:30-6:30 in the library

Reminder!

School Picture Day is

Tuesday, September

26th

Curriculum Night (Parents Only)

Tuesday, September 19th

Teachers discuss classroom procedures, rules, homework policies, expectations, etc. 5:30-6:00 grades 1-2 in your child’s classroom 6:00-6:30 grades 3-5 in your child’s classroom

Literacy Strategies for Parents Learn strategies to support your child's growth in reading. Option 1: 6:00-6:30 Option 2: 6:30-7:00

Math Strategies for Parents Learn more about Investigations math and how you can support your child’s growth in math. Option 1: 6:30-7:00 Option 2: 7:00- 7:30

LUNCH To Recess To Lunch To Class

K 10:30 10:50 11:15

5 10:40 11:00 11:25

2 11:00 11:20 11:45

3 11:10 11:30 11:55

1 11:30 11:50 12:15

4 11:40 12:00 12:25

5th Grade Leadership Team

The 5th Grade Leadership Team will meet

the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month at

7:35 am in the Library. Students need to

wait in the entryway by the front doors until

the advisors come to get them.

DONATE Gracias Giving

CONNECT Facebook

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PASI NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2017

PARENT ADVOCATES FOR SPANISH IMMERSION To advocate and support the Spanish Immersion program in the Sioux Falls Public Schools with

the primary focus on interns who enhance the language and cultural experience in the classrooms and community.

ADVOCATE Immersion Research

21EARN SCRIP

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UPCOMING EVENTS

PASI MEETING

5K FUN RUN

Monday, SEPT 11th, 7:00 pm Sotomayor Library All School

Families Included. PASI Serves K-12 community

September 23rd. 10:00a.m.-1:30pm

Pasley Park -PTO Carnival to follow.

GREAT GATHERINGS

Friday, Nov. 17th Hilton Garden Inn 6:30p.m.

Amazon Smile

GREAT GATHERINGS Friday, November 17th, PASI is launching a new fundraising event entitled Great Gatherings. The fundraising event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn where parents, teachers and interns will come together to support the Spanish immersion program. The evening will be filled with music, food, drink and community. Funds will be raised through ticket sales for the event, a silent auction, games, and the purchase that evening of the opportunity to be a guest at many small gatherings throughout the 2017/2018 school year.

WHAT IS A GREAT GATHERING This is the opportunity for you to host a unique gathering sometime during the school year for adults, students or teachers with students. You determine the type of gathering you will host and the number of guests, the date and the suggested fee per guest. All costs of the gathering are paid for by the host. At the Great Gathering event, parents and teachers will buy the opportunity to attend your event or to have their children attend your event that year.

GATHERING IDEAS For Students: sledding/hot chocolate, movie night, pool party, crafting, holiday ornaments, skate party, hiking. For Adults: wine party, dinner out/in home, craft party, local brewery tour/pedal pub. For Teachers with Students: cultural cooking after school, math games, painting.

What About FIESTA? For many years, the FIESTA has served as an excellent fundraising event for our organization. This year, we still plan on hosting a FIESTA style event for our students to sing, dance and perform. However, PASI has a new fundraiser and we don’t plan to use the FIESTA in the same way this year.

PASI NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2017

WELCOME INTERNS 2017-2018 This year, PASI is pleased to have 13 interns from 5 different Spanish speaking countries working with our students and teachers. We are excited for the interns to share their gifts, experiences, cultures and of course language with our students. Thank you to Ali Schellpfeffer, Megan Konz and Carly Reiter who worked with the school administration and the Amity institute, the organization we use to find teachers from abroad. Thank you as well to all the host and partner families who have so graciously welcomed the interns into their homes for the 2017-2018 school year!

PASI 5k Run/Walk & Kids Fun Run 5k Run/Walk will begin promptly at 10AM in Pasley Park with the route along the bike path, Kids Fun Run to follow at 10:45 AM. Plan to arrive 20 minutes early before the race starts. Prizes will be awarded to top male and female finishers of the 5K Run/Walk courtesy of 605 Running Company.

Even if you don’t plan to run or walk, come early to cheer on teachers, interns, classmates, and family!

PTO Family Fun Starting at 11AM, jump on the inflatables and play some games with your friends and family. The inflatable & games area are free and will be open from 11:00AM to 1:30PM.

Picnic Pack a picnic lunch to stay and enjoy the afternoon. Don’t forget blankets and chairs!

SPANISH IMMERSION DIRECTORY APP PASI subscribes to a service called Instant Church Directory that allows us to provide a directory to the members of the Spanish immersion program. While there is no need for a religious affiliation to use the directory, the service allows our families a way to share a photo of themselves, as well as their contact information. Through an app for either android or iOS, you decide how much of your information you want to share. Our directory is only open to Spanish immersion families, so your information is secure and cannot be accessed from someone outside our network. Teacher contact information is also available on the Directory App. On the first page of the directory, you'll see "Staff Members" at the top. click that link for most of the teacher names, grades they teach, country of origin, and their email address. If you have questions, please email us at pasi_sf@Hotmail.com