Ruth Asawa SOTA Friday Community Letter |Feb 27, 2026
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dear Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Community, Happy Friday! We are thrilled to share that our Whole School Musical, Disaster!, opens on March 5th! This incredible production represents the very best of our collaborative spirit. Students from across all departments—dance, music, visual arts, creative writing, media arts, and theater—have come together under the leadership of our talented performing arts staff to bring this joyful, high-energy show to life. If you have not yet purchased tickets, we encourage you to come out and support our students. Opening night is always electric, and there is nothing like seeing our young artists shine on stage. Thank you to the families and staff who have supported rehearsals, build days, and long afternoons of preparation. I also want to address a school-wide concern: 1st block tardies. Tardies have significantly increased, particularly during first block. This week, we observed a large number of students remaining in the courtyard after the bell—sitting at tables and benches rather than heading to class. This is a reminder that school begins promptly at 8:40 a.m. Students should be in their classrooms and ready to learn at that time, not just arriving on campus. Starting the day on time sets the tone for learning, reduces disruptions, and ensures students do not miss critical instruction. Families, we ask for your partnership in reinforcing the importance of arriving on time each morning. Students, please help us reset this expectation beginning next week—head directly to class. Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to seeing many of you at the theater on March 5th! With appreciation, Principal Kim | ||||||||||
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS | ||||||||||
Working List of Local Food Pantries This list for families who rely on school meals for their children has been created by parent volunteers, so it may not be complete. Please add additional resources in your respective neighborhoods, if necessary. | ||||||||||
Every Friday 8:30-9 AM: Principal Chat with Parent Advisory Committees/Art Departments meet in room #309. | ||||||||||
Spotify Series | Dragons! Do you ever need a little pick-me-up in the morning? Love setting a mood while you get ready for the day? Well, tune in to our staff GRWM (get ready with me) series! Each Monday, you can find a new playlist curated by a different staff member with the theme of getting ready to conquer the day! Check out the official Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Spotify account here: https://open.spotify.com/user/31mapwqnrtgde77ars3ywzwbzray | |||||||||
SENIOR CLASS INFORMATION Graduation will take place on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. More information coming your way in the months ahead - the countdown is on! 🎓 Senior Reminders (Use your SFUSD email to access the form)
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ADVISORY COUNCILS & COMMITTEES Important Resources and Contact Information ← click here | ||||||||||
Info coming soon. | ||||||||||
SHOW ANNOUNCEMENTS | ||||||||||
Disaster! is a new musical straight from Broadway, featuring some of the most unforgettable songs of the '70s. "Knock on Wood," "Hooked on a Feeling," "Sky High," "I Am Woman" and "Hot Stuff" are just a few of the scintillating hits in this hilarious musical comedy with a book by three-time Emmy Award nominee and SiriusXM Broadway host, Seth Rudetsky, and Jack Plotnick. Please be advised that this production contains some adult language, mature situations, and comedic violence. The runtime is approximately 125 minutes, with an intermission. Thursday, March 5, 2025 @ 7:00 PM Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Adults $25 / Students $15 | ||||||||||
KOHO CARNAVAL — EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC! Join the World Dance and World Music students from Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and community artists, Batuki, Capoeira Ijexa and Tara Cartegena, for a vibrant celebration of culture and rhythm.
EVERY BEAT helps fundraise for our cultural exchange trip to Bahia, Brazil! Your support ensures every student can join this life-changing journey. See you on the dance floor! TICKET LINK NOTE! No one turned away for lack of funds. Please email us at contact@sotawd2b.com to inquire about discounted tickets or other questions. LOCATION KOHO Creative Hub 1675 Post Street 2nd Floor San Francisco, CA 94115 | ||||||||||
Completed forms are due in the MAIN OFFICE by FRIDAY, APRIL 17th. SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2026 @ 6 PM - 10 PM Ticket $80 | ||||||||||
Save-the-Date SOTAPALOOZA May 14, 2026, at 7 PM | ||||||||||
PTSA | ||||||||||
FOLLOW @asawasotaptsa | ||||||||||
Welcome back, everyone!! Monday was a time to celebrate and power up with PTSA breakfast! Our amazing volunteer team brought bagels, eggs, bacon, coffee, and more to all our staff members. We want our community to know we support them and celebrate everyone who helps our students. Every teacher, counselor, secretary, admin, security, and custodian is valued and appreciated! | ||||||||||
Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Live Auction 2026 - Friday, April 24th 6 PM - 9 PM We are excited to announce a new name and some wonderful donations very soon. Thank you to everyone who has been able to donate! We can never have to many, so please consider donating if you haven't yet. Please email auction@ruthasawasotaptsa.org or click on the link to pledge your donation. We will be announcing Early Bird tickets. Stay tuned! We hope to have a wide variety of count me in events; they are so much fun and can help connect and meet new people in our community. Click HERE! | ||||||||||
New Merchandise! Available in the DKMT Concessions stand. | ||||||||||
🌟 Join the PTSA Community Forum! 🌟
Send an email to main+subscribe@RuthAsawaSOTA.groups.io OR Click here → PTSA Forum to get plugged into all the fun updates on events, performances, and everything happening in our school community.
Want to get involved and connect with other amazing, supportive parents? CLICK HERE to connect with our Volunteer Coordinators to learn more! Our Groups.Io is a community news forum for sharing information, news from school, teacher wish lists, volunteer opportunities, and more. Please join us for all your Ruth Asawa School of the Arts news! | ||||||||||
McAteer Campus Community Farm Our next community day at the McAteer Campus Community Farm is coming up this Saturday (February 28) from 11 am to 2 pm. We hope to see you there! If you can join us, please fill out this short form. You can learn more about the farm on our website (mcateercommunityfarm.org) or follow us on Instagram: @mcateerfarm. In case you haven't visited the farm yet: You can find us behind the bleachers on the Glen Canyon side. After Saturday, the remaining community days of this school year will be March 21, April 25, and May 30. Amy Morris | ||||||||||
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS & CLUBS | ||||||||||
FOLLOW @SOTASTUDENTGOV | Event Inclusivity: Student Government wants to ensure that all student government-sponsored events remain inclusive for our entire student body. Any students with financial need may schedule a private conference with Ms. Jhina Alvarado at least a week before any event! 🙂 | |||||||||
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ALL STUDENTS | ROSE LAB | |||||||||
CLINT CALIMLIM Head Counselor 9th & 10th Grade | **NEW** Current 9th Grade: SFUSD Summer 2026 Accelerated Math Application (Geometry) Application deadline: March 20 at 5:00 p.m.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Student Drop-in Office Hours: OFFICE 324A
Parent/Guardians: Appointments
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CARISSA JOW Counselor 11th & 12th Grade | Student & Family Office Hours: OFFICE 324B Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday Please schedule a time: Click Here Parents/Guardians: Please email jowc@sfusd.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **SAT Information** SFUSD Juniors! The remaining 300 Saturday SAT seats at Lowell for each of the Spring 2026 SAT dates (March 14, May 2, and June 6) will be available on the official College Board SAT registration website (https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration). First come, first served for registration, so don't delay if you would like a San Francisco testing location for the SAT. | |||||||||
SERGIO DUARTE Counselor In-Training All Grades | **NEW** Does your student struggle with: * planning? * staying on task? * time management? * staying motivated? * organization? If some, or maybe even all, then there is a space for them to learn more about themselves and build these skills! FuncLab will take place after school every Thursday. This is a group therapy program through ROSELab; it's designed to build their skills and connect them with people that have the same areas that we all might struggle with. There will be snacks, activities, and most importantly: a space for them to feel seen. Have them stop by the counseling office or fill out the link if they are interested in joining! There are also flyers around campus that they can scan and fill out the form to. | |||||||||
College & Career For All Grades Teacher + College Counselor Cheryl Kapchan College Advisor Jeff Smith | College & Career Center: room 326 The College & Career Resources Website College Center Calendar College Visits Student Drop-in Office Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu, Fri: lunch, (sometimes) art block, and after school | |||||||||
WELLNESS ANNOUNCEMENTS | ||||||||||
Robert Francoeur | Wellness Coordinator
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Miranda Rutledge, BSN, RN rutledgem@sfusd.edu | School District Nurse
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Christian Lizaso | Community Health Outreach Worker
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Sabrina Kohmann | RAMS Counselor-Associate Marriage and Family Therapist.
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Hannah Rosen | SIT Intern Counselor
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Ayelet Shrek | RAMS Intern
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Donated Supplies Requested: Donations of herbal tea please (decaffeinated), Apples and Cinnamon Oatmeal. Any spare mugs for tea are appreciated. Winter Break Resources Announcement: Community Resources:
DCYF Summer Resource Fair-Saturday, 2/21, 11-2pm https://www.sf.gov/san-francisco-summer-resource-fair NAMI SF Announcement: Public programming calendar. All NAMI events are free and open to all. BIPOC Mental Health Support Group: BIPOC Support Groups More Resources: UCSF Study with a stipend. Please see link below for more details: We are looking for 14-18 years-old adolescents who will get a chance to undergo either a free 12-week mindfulness training, in which they will learn self regulation skills (breathing, yoga-based movements, meditation) or a free 12-week psychological education training that can help them better regulate emotions (with a random assignment to one of the groups). The groups will meet once-per-week for 1.5 hours online via Zoom. This study also involves mental health questionnaires and a daily sleep diary, with the option of wearing a sleep actigraph watch. Participants will also undergo about an hour long MRI scan before and after the training. MRI scans will take place at a state-of-the-art UCSF facility at Mission Bay. Participants will receive up to $535 in gift cards for completion of the study. Please discuss with your parents and contact us for more information: Website https://radiology.ucsf.edu/research/labs/BrainChange Screening Eligibility Survey: https://ucsf.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9NR5oBgaR4ExsWx California Launches Free Behavioral Health Apps for Children, Young Adults, and Families Podcasts Click Links:
Please contact Robert Francoeur if you have any suggestions, questions, or need support. We have opened up our on-line referrals for counseling. Please fill out this on-line form Wellness Counseling referral form Thank you for your donations of herbal tea. We always need herbal tea! Please donate spare mugs for herbal tea. Thanks for your help getting our Wellness Center looking good and welcoming for our students! | ||||||||||
ATTENDANCE | ||||||||||
Printable Excuse Note | Download our printable excuse note by clicking below. Submit within 3-days of the absence. As a reminder, Excused absences means your child is allowed to make up work (homework, quizzes, tests). Unexcused absence means teachers are not required to allow the student to make work up. | |||||||||
Permit to Leave (3 options) |
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Submit Full-Day Absences through ParentVUE | Parents Can Submit Full-Day Absences through ParentVUE: You can enter a FULL day absence via the ParentVUE portal on their mobile app or desktop site. To learn more, select your preferred language: | |||||||||
ParentVUE Access | Access all your student’s school information in one place, including attendance, grades, teacher emails, class assignments, and school communications. If you need an activation code, email the school and include both your name and your student’s name. ParentVUE is available in six languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. For assistance, please email | |||||||||
ANNOUNCEMENTS | ||||||||||
Update Student Name and/or Gender Marker in SFUSD Systems → SFUSD affirms all students’ right to be addressed by the name and pronoun that reflects who they say they are at school. Students who, because of their gender identity or cultural experience, use a name and/or gender marker different from those given at birth, AND want to have this information included in an SFUSD system, can review this document on how to update a student's name and/or gender marker in SFUSD systems. | ||||||||||
Hope Thrives - Annual Gallery Takeover Exhibition. Opening January 27! Ruth's Table | Art Gallery & Making Space 3160 21st Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 | ||||||||||
2026 Arbor Day Fair Francisco Middle School Yard - 361 Francisco Street, San Francisco Saturday, March 14, 2026 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Celebrate Arbor Day with San Francisco Public Works at this fun, family-friendly fair! Bring your friends and family for a few hours of hands-on activities and interactive learning focused on urban environmental education. Event Highlights Include:
Good to Know: This is a rain-or-shine event. Register: 2026 Arbor Day Fair · SF Public Works | ||||||||||
UCSF 25th Annual Update in Developmental Disabilities Conference Registration is now open for the 25th Annual University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Update in Developmental Disabilities for Health Professionals Conference, taking place March 5–6, 2026. We have an outstanding lineup of speakers and sessions this year, and we hope to see a strong showing from members of the Collaborative — we’re growing stronger every year! Conference Details: Dates: March 5–6, 2026 Website & Registration: https://developmentaldisabilities.ucsf.edu/ Hosted by: University of California, San Francisco Who Should Attend:
Please register early. Together, we can continue to advance understanding, care, and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Young Leaders in Climate Action - hosting two free one-week workshops for rising 7th–9th graders at the San Francisco Main Library’s Teen Center (The Mix). Participants will:
I’ve attached a flyer about the program and a short interest form for families to check out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2026 Youth LEAD Program Summer Courses! 14-Day Access to Adventure Course (All Gender) Sea kayaking on Angel Island and whitewater rafting at ETC River Camp. This 14-day adventure offers teenagers of all abilities and backgrounds an inclusive environment to experience the natural beauty of Northern California's wilderness while learning about the natural world, outdoor leadership, and environmental stewardship! Students will explore San Francisco Bay and Angel Island via kayak, and learn to navigate whitewater rafting on the South Fork of the American River. Here is the link to learn more https://etctrips.org/adventures/youth-lead-program/ June 13 – 26, 2026 Application Deadline: 4/19/26 Application link - https://www.tfaforms.com/5206634 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ETC's YLP is hiring Here is the link - https://etctrips.org/join-our-team/ Employment & Internships Environmental Traveling Companions is always seeking dedicated and talented people to join our community. We are an equal opportunity employer. Diversity is a core value of ETC, and applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences, ability and perspectives are highly encouraged to apply for all positions. | ||||||||||
Food Resources | Nutrition and food access are more important than ever. Student Nutrition Services and our partner organizations are here to help. See below for additional food resources in San Francisco.
You can find all of this information and more at sfusd.edu/foodresources. Home | Shop Simple with MyPlate myplate.gov | |||||||||