Our Principals

I'm Araceli Mendez, your new Principal, with 13 years of experience in education, including teaching, coaching, and mathematics coordination, I'm excited to join Prunedale from Elkhorn Elementary.

In the coming weeks, I'll be transitioning to Prunedale to ensure a smooth changeover. Our goal is to collaborate with students, families, and staff to provide equitable learning opportunities. With a background in both elementary and secondary administration and as a former high school teacher, I'm well-prepared to guide students toward a successful future.

I'm bilingual, with a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics from UC Santa Cruz and a teaching credential from CSUMB. My family and I have been part of the Royal Oaks/Las Lomas community for the past eight years.

I look forward to getting to know you all better. Feel free to contact me via email for any questions or input.

I'm Sofía Sorensen; it is an honor to be joining Prunedale Elementary School as your Assistant Principal. I have previously served as an elementary teacher, instructional coach, coordinator at a county office of education and assistant principal at a TK-8 school. I grew up in a bilingual family, with parents who emigrated from Argentina and hold a BCLAD credential, authorizing service in biliteracy classrooms.  My bachelor’s degree is in anthropology with an emphasis on Latin American and ethnic studies. I also have a masters degree in education and an administrative credential.

My experience includes 13 years working in North Monterey County Unified School District and I am thrilled to be returning to work here. I look forward to partnering with you to ensure the best possible experience for your children as we support them on their path to becoming college, career and life-ready.  I hope that you will share with me your experiences here at Prunedale and your hopes and dreams for your children as I learn more about our school community.