Sandia Vista Elementary
Principal Monthly Newsletter - May 2025
Note from Mr. DeSoto and Mrs. Northness
Dear Families,
As we approach the end of the school year, we want to take a moment to express our appreciation for your ongoing support.
Important Announcements
School Supply Kits: To ease your shopping experience, consider ordering your school supplies through our designated supplier. The kits will be delivered directly to the school, labeled with your child's name and grade level, and distributed to their teachers.
Promotion Ceremonies:
- Kindergarten Promotion: May 23 at 5:30 PM
- 5th Grade Promotion: May 23 at 7:00 PM
Celebrations from the Week
We are so very proud of the growth our students have made academically this school year. Positive relationships have formed, classroom engagement has increased, and we are hopeful that parent participation opportunities will continue to elevate in the coming year.
A special highlight from last month was the PTO Fun Run, which was a tremendous success! This event not only supported students by deferring field trip costs but also provided essential support for our teachers in their classrooms. Thank you for your participation!
Additional Information
Please mark your calendars for special events coming up in the next few weeks. We encourage students to dress appropriately for outdoor activities as we have many planned.
Dress Code Reminder:
- Clothing should not be revealing.
- Shorts should measure past the fingertips.
- Please refrain from wearing tank tops or shirts with spaghetti straps.
- Closed-toed tennis shoes are required, especially on designated field days.
Kindergarten Screening: Scheduled for July 29 from 9-11 AM and 12-3 PM. More information will be sent out as the date approaches.
We are grateful for everything you do to contribute to our school's success.
SVE Administration Team
Instruction - Ms. Gonzales
You may have heard from your students about the actor’s toolbox, the concentration circle, the cooperation challenge, and the importance of focus. We have some stellar teachers who are using the remainder of the school year to get comfortable with the routines and language of Acting Right.
A special shout out to these classrooms that I’ve been able to work with or watch Acting Right in action:
Kindergarten - Lucero, Nava, Woosley
1st Grade - Calderon, Eylicio, Syers
4th Grade - Buyer, Glauvitz, Rambaldi
5th Grade - Tafoya, Chavez, Maes, Perez
Community Partners
Related Arts
Visual Arts
Greetings from the Art Room!
We are wrapping things up and have one more special event for some 2nd - 4th grade students. 40 students will have their artwork on display at the Sandoval Regional Medical Center throughout the summer! Invitations to see the artwork on display will be sent out to families in the next couple of weeks. It has been a fun year and we are looking forward to more art for your students moving forward for the 2025/26 school year as we start our arts integration program at Sandia Vista Elementary! As always if you have any questions or comments that you would like to share please feel free to contact me at heather.armstrong@rrps.net
Have a wonderful end to the school year and thank you for supporting the Arts programs at SVE!
Music
Happy Musical May everyone! We are wrapping up the school year with a strong finish for
music. We will be having our final choir concert on Thursday May 8th at 6:30 in the SVE Cafeteria/Gymnasium. We would love to see you there to support our choir members' hard work this season! At the end of the month, our kinder and 5th grade promotions will also be featuring musical performances on their programs. We are excited to continue our community’s tradition for our Kindergarteners, and are hoping to start the beginnings of another for 5th Grade!
Our community is very fortunate to be able to offer strong Band and Orchestra programs for our 5th Graders, and Choir for both 4th and 5th Grade! Please be on the lookout for any information about these programs for next year.
Have a great rest of your school year and a happy Summer!
Counseling
We are ready for some fun as we focus on Creativity this month! One way to think about Creativity is “using your imagination to create something new or solve a problem.” Opportunities to be Creative are all around us! Creativity is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Well. Across grade levels, students will be developing skills like emotion regulation, positive self-talk, and stress-management.
Pre-K through Second grade students will focus on being able to understand and manage our emotions. Third through fifth grade will focus on sharing how we feel with others as a way to advocate for ourselves, and positive self-talk, which is the ability to notice unhelpful thoughts and turn them into more helpful thoughts. Finally all grades will work on managing stress in healthy ways which is critical to our well-being.
STEAM
I can hardly believe how quickly this year has flown by! It has truly been a joy to work
with your children and witness their growth and creativity.
This month, our upper-grade students are focused on building their cardboard arcade
games. Through this hands-on activity, they are practicing teamwork, planning, and
applying the engineering design process. I am so impressed by their innovative ideas
and collaboration, and I can't wait to see the final creations!
In addition to engineering, students have been exploring fractals—patterns that repeat at
different scales—and discovering how these appear in both art and nature. They are
creating their own fractals by applying triangles in different iterations.
Students will also learn about and create their own constellations, as well as explore the
concepts of sinking and floating through an engaging hands-on experiment that fosters
scientific thinking.
Once again, thank you for your continued support. It has been a wonderful year working
with your children. I wish you all a relaxing, joyful, and adventure-filled summer!
Physical Education
It's hard to believe the school year is almost over! As we head into our last month of school, students are staying active and having fun in P.E.! This month, we're wrapping up the year with exciting outdoor games, teamwork challenges, and field day activities that celebrate all the skills we've built throughout the year. Field Day is just around the corner, and we're excited to make it a fun and memorable event for all the students!
Students should bring the following items:
Comfortable Clothing:
Students should wear comfortable clothing that can get wet, a change of clothes, and a towel.
Comfortable Shoes:
Choose sturdy, closed-toe shoes that can handle active play and potentially wet or uneven terrain.
Reusable Water Bottle:
Staying hydrated is crucial, especially during physical activities. Bring a reusable bottle that can be refilled throughout the day.
Sunscreen
Protect skin from the sun's harmful rays. Bring a tube or bottle of sunscreen and apply it liberally, especially on exposed areas like the face, neck, and shoulders.
Hat:
A hat provides extra shade and can help prevent sunburn.
Small Backpack or Bag:
A small backpack or bag helps carry water, sunscreen, a towel, a change of clothes, and other personal items.
Field Day days and times are as follows:
May 27th
Kinder- 9:25-11:10
1st Grade- 12:00-1:45
2nd Grade-1:50- 3:35
May 28th
3rd Grade 9:30-11:15
4th Grade 12:00-1:45 (Sack Lunch 11:30-12:00) outside of the field,
5th Grade 1:50-3:35
Thank you for supporting your child’s physical growth and love for staying active. Let’s make these last few weeks the most fun yet!
Library / Media
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Ed Tech
Chromebook Insurance
When registering for the 2025-2026 school year, watch for a link to sign up for chromebook insurance. This coverage is very reasonable and covers repair and replacement costs in the event that your child’s device gets damaged.
Chromebooks:
Chromebooks do NOT go home with students at the elementary level (students begin taking these home when they go to 6th grade. 5th grade students’ chromebooks will be sent home with them at the end of this school year IF they have registered to attend an RRPS middle school in the fall. Please e-mail tiffany.hale@rrps.net if you do NOT want your child’s chromebook to be sent home. Your child will then need to see the Ed Tech at their middle school in the fall to have a chromebook issued to them).
Summer Resources:
Check out SVE’s Summer Resource site!
