Ruth Asawa SOTA Friday Community Letter | February 6, 2026
(School Email) |
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Important Announcements
- Show Announcements
- PTSA
- Student Organizations & Clubs
- Counseling
- College & Career
- Wellness Services
Dear Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Community,
As we come to the end of another week, I want to take a moment to thank our students, families, and staff for the care, creativity, and dedication that continue to define our school each day.
This week, our campus was alive with learning and artistic expression across all departments. From classrooms to studios, rehearsal spaces to performance venues, it has been a joy to see students pushing themselves creatively while supporting one another as artists and learners.
I am grateful to our staff for their commitment to nurturing both academic excellence and artistic growth, and to our families for your ongoing partnership and trust. Your support plays a vital role in making Ruth Asawa SOTA the vibrant and inspiring community it is.
As you head into the weekend, I hope you are able to rest, recharge, and spend time doing what brings you joy. Thank you for all that you do to support our students and our school.
Wishing you a restful weekend.
Warmly,
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 |
Save the Date! 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 | |
SHOW ANNOUNCEMENTS | |
Get ready for a night of music, dancing, and nonstop fun at Drag Ball! Join us for an unforgettable school dance featuring a live DJ, an incredible drag performance, and free food and drinks. Come dressed to impress and dance the night away with friends! To attend the dance, you must complete this form: Please note: you must present your signed Drag Ball Dance Contract and Guest Permission Form at the door to be admitted to the dance. FRIDAY, February 20, 2026 @ 7:00 PM Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Student $7 | |
PTSA | |
FOLLOW @asawasotaptsa | |
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. Ticket sales may be delayed due to the possible teacher strike, but when things are settled, 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! | |
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 NEW - SPRING CREDIT RECOVERY - Information | **Spring Credit Recovery – Information**
In-person classes will be held at Mission High School on Mondays and Wednesdays. In-person classes will also be held at Burton High School on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Several courses will be offered in partnership with CCSF’s Transitional Studies Department at the CCSF Mission campus. All Monday/Wednesday classes will be listed under Mission High School on student transcripts, while Tuesday/Thursday, Saturday morning, and asynchronous classes will be recorded under Burton High School. The full list of Spring 2026 Credit Recovery courses can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/2026SpringCR. Please share this link with students and families rather than attaching the PDF, as the document will be updated regularly to reflect course availability. In addition, please remind caregivers that the registration link can only be accessed using an SFUSD account. Spring 2026 Credit Recovery Options – https://bit.ly/2026SpringCR Spring 2026 Credit Recovery Request – https://bit.ly/Spring2026Request **CCSF AB288 at Ruth Asawa SOTA** CCSF PSYC 11 - Theories of Personality is offered to current 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students at Ruth Asawa SOTA. The course meets on Wednesdays from 2:20 - 5:10 pm starting Jan 14th and ending May 21st. Students can earn 10 High School credits as well as college credits. Complete this interest form to be considered. For more information please check out this course description, or email: Ms. Jow at JowC@sfusd.edu Seats are not guaranteed, 12th grade students and those who have not taken a CCSF AB288 course will be prioritized. ROSE LAB |
CLINT CALIMLIM Head Counselor 9th & 10th Grade | 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 |
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. | |
Celebrate & Support Teaching Artists! Hope Thrives - Annual Gallery Takeover Exhibition. Opening January 27! Ruth's Table | Art Gallery & Making Space 3160 21st Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 | |
Spring 26 CYC STEAM Academy CYC is excited to offer a 9 week FREE STEAM program for high school students starting February 11th. Youth will participate in entrepreneurial project based learning in partnership with GitHub! Our STEAM Academy will encourage youth to use design thinking, AI machine learning, and coding to discuss positive changes they can make for the future by building a business model. Attached flyer to this email and here is the link to apply. Please help spread the word and share with friends and families who might be interested. Program Details:
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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 | |
BAYCAT Academy: Free Media Production Programs for Youth Ages 11–18 BAYCAT Academy is now recruiting for Spring filmmaking programs! If you’re interested, please review the details below and apply here. Program Details Location: BAYCAT – 2415 3rd St, Suite 230, San Francisco (Dogpatch, near Chase Center) Schedule: Programs meet in person from 4:30–6:30 PM, either Mondays & Wednesdays or Tuesdays & Thursdays. (No sessions during school breaks or holidays.) Spring 2025 Programs Intro to Filmmaking (Ages 11–18)
Open Lab (Paid Internship) (Ages 14–18)
Orientation & Showcase
Participants have created PSAs, narrative films, documentaries, and more—many featured on our YouTube channel! BAYCAT strongly encourages girls, youth of color, and LGBTQ+ youth from San Francisco to apply as soon as possible. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Black History Month Celebration Join us for our second annual Black History Month gathering! This year’s theme, Bridging Generations, celebrates the resilience, wisdom, and joy of Black families—connecting elders, parents, and youth across time. Saturday, February 28, 2026 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM African American Art & Culture Complex Come celebrate our past, present, and future—together. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Youth Employment Program Recreations Peace Parks and Pathways division is accepting applications for the Youth Employment Program.
Please let us know if you are interested and if you applied! Application link: | |
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 |
