Bobcat Strong Tracker

Having trouble reading this email? Just click anywhere on the content below or visit our website at www.santaritaschool.org and go to the bottom of the website to find this newsletter!

Also, need to translate this? Just click down on the Translate menu to the right and choose your language.

Please say hello and thank you to our wonderful new Universal Meals crew, Rosa Arellano and Deysi Vargas. They have been working hard to get our new meals program up and running. You do so much and always with a smile :) Thank you Rosa and Deysi!!

• 5:30pm TSDC
• 6:00-6:30 4th- 6th grade
• 6:30-6:45 On blacktop for a school-wide welcome form PTA and LAEF
• 6:45-7:15 TK-3rd grade

Monday, Sept 5 - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, Sept 13- Picture Day
Friday, Sept 16 - Grandfriends' Day

Friday, Sept 23- No School- Staff Development Day

Saturday, Oct 22 - Witches’ Delight

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

PLEASE make sure to complete this packet so we have your most up to date information and that teachers and students can start this year BOBCAT STRONG! Also, make sure to click next at the bottom of the form in order to complete and submit.

https://santaritapta.formstack.com/forms/Bobcat_reg

This form is specific to Santa Rita and is not the same as the PowerSchool registration you received from LASD.

It is now more important than ever that we show our support to our Bobcat Community. Because of YOU and any donation you can make, we are able to provide programs and technology that DIRECTLY benefits your student at Santa Rita. Local and State funding alone does not provide the educational opportunities we value as a community and our children deserve.

The PTA at Santa Rita is responsible for funding:

• community events
• art and music programs
• classroom technology
• teacher development
• STEM supplies
• Student's classroom back to school supplies
• AND SO MUCH MORE!

We couldn't provide any of this without YOUR support!

SUPPORT YOUR BOBCAT NOW with a tax-deductible donation of $325 or more per child. Any donation counts, no matter the amount and it's all for our BOBCATS!

Hello Bobcats Families!

It was so wonderful to see everyone tonight at Back to School Night. I hope you enjoyed seeing your student’s classroom and meeting the teacher. Having parents back on campus has really made our school feel like we are all coming together again to create the best possible year for our students.

Minimum Day tomorrow, Friday Sept 2, Dismissal 12:15 TK, 1st-6th and 12:00 for K

Here are a few reminders to help us kick off this year on the right foot:

Picking up Students after school:

• When you can, please walk or bike to pick up your student.

• If you have a student who gets out at 2:40 are you are waiting until 3:00 for another child, you may go to the Kindergarten playground and wait, or wait in the front. Please do not let your child go down the hallways, as classes are still in session.

• If you are picking up by car, please DO NOT park in the ‘drive through’ circle and please do not wait there for 20 minutes as you wait for a child who gets out later. Please leave the circle, park on the street or parking lot and reenter the circle just before dismissal. That way we do not cause stopped traffic all the way down Los Altos Ave. Please be aware that police have been posting themselves around the area to keep traffic moving.

• As you wait in your car, please shut your car off, so the exhaust does not flow to the people who are waiting or walking by.

Stay Bobcat Strong!

Kelly Rafferty, Principal

Attendance:

Regular school attendance is one of the most critical factors in a child's success in school. Please support the efforts of the Santa Rita staff to provide the best possible education by having your child attend school daily. Excused absences are noted for medical or dental appointments, sickness, and religious holidays only. Other absences are considered unexcused.

Reporting an Absence

If your child is going to be absent or late to school please either go to the Santa Rita website (santaritaschool.org) and report an absence or call the Attendance Line at 650-559-1640 before 9:00am. A voice mail system is available 24 hours a day. Parents will be contacted for any child marked absent for the day and whose parents have not called. The office appreciates your efforts to inform us whenever your child will not be at school.

Late Students

Punctual arrival at school is important to your child, the other children in the classroom and your child's teacher. The first few minutes of the day are an important time: directions are given, the daily schedule is discussed and daily lessons begun. Missing this time puts your child at a disadvantage. Late arrivals are unexcused unless your student had a medical or dental appointment. Excessive tardies may result in loss of school privileges or referral to the School Attendance Review Board.

Signing Out Students

If your child needs to be excused from class during the day, please inform the teacher by email or a note and come to the office to pick up your child. A sign out system is used in the office and must be completed before a child will be released. No student will be released to anyone whose name is not on his or her emergency card unless the school is otherwise notified in writing by the parent. This procedure is to insure the protection and safety of your child.

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.

Free lunch will be available for all students also, though students may still bring your own lunch.

There is now only 1 choice and 1 vegetarian choice - please notice that there is a different menu for TK than K-6th.

• All food is required to be consumed on campus

• All volunteers and workers serving food will be required to complete two online training sessions.

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

• Outside food from restaurants and vendors is not allowed on campus for students - (i.e., please don’t send take out food or DoorDash for your children. Bringing a homemade lunch from home is welcomed).

Please be patient with us as we work through all the logistics of our new program.

Thank you!

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.

As you may have read in Superintendent McGonagle’s back to school email, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updated its protocols for the upcoming school year. LASD will continue to strictly adhere to all state and local protocols and will adjust them as necessary based on guidance from our public health experts. We ask all of our families and staff to familiarize themselves with our Community Commitments to Healthy Schools as well as the latest protocols to keep our schools safe, healthy and open. To review the updated COVID protocols, please click here.

Grandfriends’ day is a great tradition at Santa Rita that builds a bridge across generations. On Grandfriends' Day, students invite their grandparents and other grandfriends to school to celebrate how multigenerational communities enrich our lives. Our goal is to make sure school connects with students' lives, and encourage students to bring their full selves—their lives and experiences—into the classrooms.

After three long years, Grandfriends’ day is finally returning to an in-person celebration that will take place on Friday, September 16th!!

Grandfriends' Day gives students the opportunity to share their school experience with someone special in their life. Anyone in a child's life can be a grandfriend. This can be a neighbor, an aunt or an uncle, a babysitter, a grandparent, a dear friend—a grandfriend is someone special to your Santa Rita student.

To participate, please RSVP by filling this Google Form by Monday September 12th.

To view the program of the day, please see the flyer here.

Also, to make this event successful, we need help from volunteers!! If you have a spare hour on 9/15 or 9/16 and would like to help us keep this great tradition going, sign up for a task here. We can’t do it without you!!

If you have any questions, please contact Yang Liu at yang@santaritapta.org

Let’s strongly support our students this school year!

Donate to LAEF and fund teachers for STEM, Wellness, Literacy, and Arts. LAEF 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. Our 2022-23 goal is $2.8 million.

Donate or Pledge to LAEF today!

• Find out more about the teachers that LAEF will be funding this school year.

• Learn why our local public schools need your support by watching our video: "Funding an Excellent Public Education".

Check out the 2022-23 LAEF Brochure in English, Spanish, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese

We're excited to welcome back a fantastic set of After School Enrichment programs this Fall. Check out the Santa Rita Enrichment Activities webpage. It'll be updated as more info is available.

Here are some of the offerings and start dates:

One on One Basketball: Mon 9/19 (TK-6)

Science Made Fun/High Touch High Tech: Mon 9/12 (TK-3)

Easy Spanish: Tue 9/6 (TK-6)

Art Buzz Kids: Wed 9/7 (K-6)

Run for Fun: Wed 8/31 (K-6)

SJ Chess Club: Thur 9/1 Lunchtime (K-6)

Mathletes/Mathletes in Training/Math Fun & Games: Thurs 9/9 (2-6)

Euro School of Tennis: Fri 9/9 (K-3)

Coach Ken Soccer: Fri 9/9 (TK-6)

LASD Flag Football, Fri 8/26 (3-6)

After School Science Fun for TK-3

Mondays September 12 – December 12

3:05-4:05- Supervision for TK-2 included from dismissal until 3:05 pm

Hands-on, FUN SCIENCE at Santa Rita! Calling all Junior scientists! Students will learn about primary and secondary colors, states of matter and about our five senses. We’ll make fossils, edible bugs, explore magnetism and static electricity, and do fun Halloween and Holiday themed science experiments! Mondays on SR campus. For more details, email info@ScienceMadeFunSFBA.net or call 408-982-6710.

Please register at: http://www.sciencemadefunsfba.net/register.cfm

El Camino Hospital and Mountain View Whisman School district will be hosting a free health and wellness fair. Come enjoy:

- Free food

- Kid activities

- Free school supplies and backpacks

- Free health, dental and vision screenings

- And more!

Where: Mariano Castro Elementary School

When: Saturday, September 24 1 - 4 PM

More information

Join us for an evening with Becky Munsterer Sabky - author ofValedictorians at the Gate

You’re Enough: How to Apply to College While Keeping Perspective

When: Tuesday, September 13, 2022 - 6:00 - 8:00pm

Where: Online ⧫ Zoom

Audience: High school parents, students, and counselors

More information and to Register for this free event (Online via Zoom)

Upcoming Events: English Spanish

Join our LASD family! As we return back to school this year, we have several openings for positions in which you may be interested!

• Yard supervisors (1 hour per day, Monday-Friday-we are open to those interested in a few days a week also.

LASD is a wonderful place to work and working on our campuses is a great way to get to know the staff and students. Do you have a family member, college student, etc. at home who would like to get out for a few hours each day? It truly takes a village and we would love to have you part of our LASD team.

Click here to access our Noon Duty Application

For more information, please contact Marlene Revelo mrevelo@lasdschools.org

Become a Los Altos Art Docent!

Want to volunteer in the classroom? Share your love of art with children in our school district with hands-on lessons. Join a vibrant community of like-minded individuals.

Join us for our first weekly training session:

Thursday September 8, 9-11:30am

LASD iLearn Studio (Masks recommended)

201 Covington Road, Los Altos

No experience or artistic talent is required.

To RSVP or for questions, contact (650) 947-1195 or kdickerson@lasdschools.org

http://tinyurl.com/ArtDocents

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