Bobcat Strong Tracker

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Saturday, Oct 22 - Witches’ Delight 3-8 pm

Tuesday, Oct 25- Picture Retake Day

Wednesday, Oct 26- District led Vision Screenings at Santa Rita

Friday, Oct 28 - STEM Challenge at Lunch

Thursday, Nov 3 - Kindergarten & New Family Info Night

Friday, Nov 11- No School-Veterans Day

PLEASE fill out your Bobcat Strong Registration: https://santaritapta.formstack.com/forms/Bobcat_reg

Hello Bobcat Families!

To prevent spread of illness, we ask that families keep their sick children home and carefully review and adhere to the LASD Community Commitment to Healthy Schools and Flu/Influenza guidelines.

Community Commitments to Healthy Schools

https://www.lasdschools.org/District/6315-Flu-Influenza.html

WITCHES DELIGHT IS THIS SATURDAY!!! The most wonderful event of the year for our whole community! Since I was a little girl at Santa Rita this event has brought people from all over our community together. It has grown from little games and a cake walk to rides, professional carnival games, food trucks and always the cake walk! I hope that everyone finds some time to at least stop by.

It does take our whole community to make it happen though. Please see below on all the ways you can help us make this another amazing year of Witches' delight!

I also have another challenge for you!

Would your kid(s) enjoy an extra recess?

I am excited to announce the Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF) Participation Challenge. Thank you to the Santa Rita families who have donated or pledged to LAEF this school year. We strive for 100% participation and are sweetening the deal with an opportunity for students to earn an extra recess. Between today and October 29, we’re looking for at least 15 additional families to help fund teachers at Santa Rita by DONATING or PLEDGING to LAEF. Gifts of any amount add up and make a difference.

If we make the Challenge goal of 15 or more families, students will enjoy an extra recess on a date to be determined in November.

LAEF helps the district deliver a high-quality, well-rounded learning experience. It helps fill the gap in school funding from federal, state, and local sources and is the only way for parents to fund LASD teaching staff in our district. At Santa Rita, the funds raised by LAEF help pay for trained specialists for STEM, computer science, physical education (PE), art, music, library, and mental health counseling.

Stay Bobcat Strong!

Kelly Rafferty, Principal

The Witches' Delight carnival is just days away and we NEED YOUR HELP! See below for lots of ways to get involved. With your support we can make this the BEST Witches' Delight yet!

Witches' Delight

3-8 PM at Santa Rita

• BUY TICKETS: Skip the lines and take advantage of pre-sale discount prices! Prices go up Thursday, Oct 20 at 10 am. Tickets will be sold after school on Wednesday, Oct 19 - Friday, Oct 21. Cash, credit card and apple pay accepted. Tickets can be used for rides, games and the snack shack.
  
• VOLUNTEER: This incredible community-wide event is 100% volunteer staffed. Grab a friend and sign-up to help!
• CAKE WALK- One of the most loved parts of Witches' Delight. Sign-up to bring a cake for the famous cake walk! We still need 108 cakes!

What is Witches' Delight?

- Thrill seeking carnival rides

- Fun games to play for prizes

- The famous cake walk- take your chance at winning a delicious cake!

- Cake contest

- Costume contest

- Food trucks (cash and credit cards accepted, no tickets)

- The popular Snack Shack & much more!

Witches' Delight has been a Santa Rita tradition going strong for over 60 years. It is one of our largest events and top fundraisers for Santa Rita PTA. The funds raised from Witches' Delight go directly to help enrich your child's education. The funds are used to purchase much needed supplies for our school (technology, P.E. equipment, classroom supplies, and much more).

It is one of our students' favorite events that the PTA hosts during the school year. Please come and play til dusk while supporting Santa Rita!

The event can’t happen without all the helpful volunteers, donated cakes and bringing friends and family to support Santa Rita. We are grateful to each and every one of you!!

The District Nurses will be doing vision screening, both near and far, at Santa Rita School for all Kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades on October 26. If your child has glasses or contacts, please make sure that they wear them to school on the day of the screening. A referral form will be mailed home to parents of students who do not pass the vision screening.

Every year, we invite prospective Los Altos School District families to join us for New Family Information Night. If your friends or neighbors are interested in learning more about our schools, please pass along this information about our upcoming events!

Will your child be entering Transitional Kindergarten (TK), Kindergarten or joining LASD as a new 1st through 6th grade student in the upcoming 2023-24 school year? If so, please join us for one of our Information Nights this fall or winter. Your child will qualify for Transitional Kindergarten in the 2023-24 school year if their 5th birthday is between September 2, 2023 and April 2, 2024.

Not sure which is your neighborhood school? Click here.

In-Person Kindergarten & New Family Info Night

When: Thursday, November 3, 2022, 7pm

Where: Each of Our 7 Elementary Schools

What: Principals, teachers, parents and students will present information and answer your questions about the excellent academic programs and classroom instruction in your neighborhood elementary school.

Virtual Kindergarten & New Family Info Night

When: Tuesday, December 6, 2022, 7pm

Where: Via Zoom, Register Here

What: Our Superintendent, Sandra McGonagle, will present information and answer your questions about our excellent academic programs and classroom instruction in our neighborhood elementary schools.

40 years ago, LAEF was founded so our neighborhood schools would have the funding they need to provide our students with an excellent education. Let’s keep it going — Donate Today!

Watch the LAEF fundraising thermometer rise as parents donate this school year.

Supporting Positive Mental Health through the Middle School Years

What: A panel of experts in mental health, including CHC and CHAC, will discuss proactive strategies to help children reduce stress and anxiety, how to identify warning signs around mental health, and how parents can partner with schools and community resources to support their children’s health in all ways.

When: Wednesday, October 26, 7:00-8:30pm

Where: Blach Intermediate School, Multipurpose Room, 1120 Covington Road, Los Altos

Email Jennifer Walker at jwalker@lasdschools.org with any questions or to submit a question for the panelists in advance of the event.

Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: In Our Families, Our Friendships, and Our Community

Please join us for a discussion with LGBTQ+ author Kristin Russo on supporting and mentoring LGBTQ+ young people in families, communities, and at school.

When: Thursday, November 10, 2022 - 7:00 - 9:00pm

Where: LAHS Eagle Theater ⧫ 201 Almond Avenue

Audience: Grade TK - 12 parents, caretakers, teachers, and counselors

Register: Register for this free event

More information

The Tech Challenge was created to introduce students to engineering — especially its invaluable role in solving real-world problems. This summer we designed a new challenge that explores how we can use engineering to provide protection against high winds. We hope that youth can learn empowering lessons during this year’s program about how the engineering skills they develop can improve the outcomes of future extreme weather events.

The scenario: Storm patterns are changing and bringing strong winds that create increased danger. Can you use your engineering skills to defend against high wind conditions?

The Challenge: Build a structure to protect vulnerable objects from extreme winds.

Teams that register by Nov. 30, 2022 will be mailed a free anemometer to use during home testing.

Events: Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 29. Make sure you sign up for our info clinic, adviser training and team workshop. Registration for these events is available on our website.

Additional dates for events that will help you get the most out of your experience are also on the website. If you have any questions, please contact LASD’s Instructional Support Teacher - Grace Choi, gchoi@lasdschools.org.

Consider volunteering for Noontime Play Supervision. The more eyes the better on the playground. Please email Kelly Rafferty at krafferty@lasdschools.org.

Thank you!!

Our new Universal Meals program will be available for a Grab and Go breakfast between 8:10-8:25, from our new Servery Window (By the lunch tables near the Multi) and eat at the tables. If they do not finish, they can save it until recess time.

• Monthly Menus will be published on the Santa Rita school website and in our weekly newsletters.

If you have a special diet please email santaritasecretary@lasdschools.org and ask for a form to fill out.

Please review the menu with your student. NUTRITION SERVICES FAQ - If you have questions, please add them to this document.

Email: krafferty@lasdschools.org
Website: https://www.santaritaschool.org
Location: 700 Los Altos Avenue, Los Altos, CA, USA
Phone: (650)559-1600
Facebook: santaritaPTA
Twitter: @BobcatsSR