Bobcat Strong News 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.

• 10/13 - IEP/504 Parent Support Group- Let's Talk: 10 am (details below)

• 10/14 - Minimum Day

• 10/16 - SMART Goals - Creating and Troubleshooting IEP Goals that Work: 7-8:30 pm (details below)

• 10/21 - MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series: 7-9 pm (details below)

• 10/23 - Witches’ Delight: 3-8 pm

• 10/26 - Picture Make-up Day

• 10/27 - STEM Tech Challenge

BOBCAT STRONG REGISTRATION: Please make sure to fill out your Bobcat Strong Registration Information (https://bit.ly/bobcatreg) so we have your most up-to-date information!

Dear Santa Rita Families,

October is a very busy time of year for Santa Rita. We have been celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, TK through 3rd grades are wrapping up their first round of Starting Arts in Theater, there is a school-wide STEM Challenge coming up (see below for details) and Witches Delight is on October 23rd!

School Wide STEM challenges are one of my favorite activities each Trimester. On the 27th, we will be testing the students STEM designs on the playground at lunch. I am excited to see the many ideas students can come up with to hold a pumpkin on a stand made of recycled materials for at least 10 seconds. This STEM challenge may be taken on by teachers in the classroom but is meant to be created at home by any student who would like to participate.

Let’s talk Witches Delight! We are so lucky here at Santa Rita that for 60 years, our PTA continues this wonderful tradition. When I was a student, many years ago, Witches Delight was not much more than a few carnival games where you could win pieces of candy, small prizes and even live goldfish. Over the past 20 years, this event has been grown into a full sized carnival with rides, slides, fun house and snow cones. Each year, Witches Delight raises funds for our PTA to help pay for technology, arts, STEM and more. This year we need your help!! We are asking for direct donations to help us get it off the ground and running, as with everything else is our world right now, the price of the carnival has gone up. Please think about donating with this link and help keep the 2021 Witches Delight, the amazing Santa Rita tradition that it is.

Finally, the winning Logo is in! Thank you to everyone who came onto campus and voted. The students, teachers, and parents community voted and the winner is……..#4, the pawprint! The spirit wear store is now open and ready for business! Check it out here!!

Bobcat Strong!

Kelly Rafferty

• 10/13 - IEP/504 Parent Support Group- Let's Talk: 10 am (details below)

• 10/14 - Minimum Day

• 10/16 - SMART Goals - Creating and Troubleshooting IEP Goals that Work: 7-8:30 pm (details below)

• 10/21 - MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series: 7-9 pm (details below)

• 10/23 - Witches’ Delight: 3-8 pm

• 10/26 - Picture Make-up Day

• 10/27 - STEM Tech Challenge

• 11/11 - No School - Veterans Day

What is Witches Delight?

For those that are new, Witches' Delight is a school-wide Halloween Carnival and all Santa Ritans are welcome! It has been a Santa Rita tradition going strong for 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).

There are thrill seeking carnival rides and fun games to play for prizes. There is the popular cake walk, take your chance at winning a delicious cake. We also have a cake decorating contest, costume contest, the famous snack shack, and much more! It is one of our student's favorite events that the PTA hosts during the school year. Please come and dance till dusk while supporting Santa Rita!

Witches Delight can’t happen without YOU!

EVENT HELP!

There are so many ways to participate. We just need an hour or two, grab a friend and sign up together. Sign up HERE.

CAKE WALK!

You can also be a part of the popular Cake Walk! Sign up HERE to bring a cake and be a part of the cake decorating competition!

BE A SPONSOR!

Sponsoring Witches Delight is a great way to support Santa Rita and advertise your business at the same time! Families can sponsor too! That business or family will have their banner displayed on a popular ride and also thanked multiple times in the bobcat tracker, which goes out to 400+ plus families weekly. Click HERE for more details!

Start collecting your cardboard boxes and other recyclable materials! We are excited to launch LASD’s District-Wide STEM Challenge! Students will be tasked with designing the tallest free standing pedestal that can safely seat Pumpkin Potter! He may or may not have gained some extra pounds by the event date and will depend on your child’s grade level. Students can design at home or at school, with friends or family. Bring your designs on October 27th. Event time: Grades 1-6: Lunchtime TK/K: 2 pm

Wow, you did it! 68 people — including all 9 principals — called over 1250 families last week to raise money for LASD teachers and staff! With your help, our thermometer has reached $1.42M — over halfway to our goal of $2.8M and donations are still coming in! Thank you for supporting our schools!

There’s still time to help fund LASD teachers if you have yet to give. And don’t forget to double your gift by requesting a corporate match, if your company offers that benefit. We’re grateful to be part of a generous community that values education!

Special Education Connection

Join SELPA-1 CAC for our free online community events!

October 13th, 10am: IEP/504 Parent Support Group - Let's Talk

October 16th, 7-8:30pm: "SMART Goals - Creating and Troubleshooting IEP Goals that Work"

Please contact Alison Biggs at abiggs@gmail.com for Zoom links and more information!

MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series

Join us for an evening with author and clinical psychologist, Dr. Michael J. Bradley

Yes, Your Teen Is Crazy! Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind

Thursday, October 21, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online

Being a teenager has never been easy. But with the crazy world that’s been handed to today's teens, it's tougher than ever. The only job more difficult than being a contemporary teen is being the parent of one.

Join us as we welcome Dr. Michael Bradley, whose respect-based philosophy is at the heart of the presentations he has given to thousands of parents who are seeking ways to communicate with their adolescent children. He takes you inside your teenager’s head and shows you why teens think and behave the way they do, and gives parents real-world advice, strategies, and methods to use.

Audience: Parents of middle school and high school students

Register: Register for this free event

Books: Purchase online from Books, Inc.

More information: English Spanish

Did you know that engineering isn’t just about launching satellites, building bridges or designing computers? Engineering also helps create things like movies, sound effects and art. This year’s challenge: create a device that transfers stored energy to make sound! Registration for The Tech Challenge 2022: Kinetic Commotion opens Wednesday, Oct. 6. Kickoff is Saturday, Oct. 23. Check out our website on Oct. 6 for additional dates. More details, including rules, are coming soon but this is a challenge you don’t want to miss!

Santa Rita is super excited for the return of in-person after school programs! Here are some of the offerings:

Mondays - Science Made Fun, After School Hoops;

Tuesdays - Easy Spanish;

Wednesdays - Run for Fun;

Thursdays - Lunchtime Chess Club;

Fridays - Coach Ken Soccer, After School Tennis;

Plus, LASD Flag Football. Mathletes and Speak Debate will be offered on-line, for Fall.

Check the school website under Enrichment activities for schedule, more info, and registration links. After School Activities • Page - Santa Rita Elementary School (santaritaschool.org)

• FLAG FOOTBALL

Calling all 3rd-6th graders! LASD Flag Football is back on!

Please sign up for our only school sport. Each school in LASD has a 3rd/4th grade team and a 5/6th grade COED team.

We compete against the other schools in the district after school and the season culminates in a district-wide tournament at Foothill College. It is a lot of fun, and even the teachers stay to watch the games!

No experience necessary and it’s a no-cut sport.

Please sign up here: http://www.asa-lasd-flagleague.com/

• FREE ONLINE CODING CLASSES (4TH - 6TH GRADE)

Trained local high school students from the Computer Engineers of the Next Generation are hosting free coding classes on Zoom in Scratch, JavaScript and Python

Dates: Wednesdays, September 1 - October 6, 2021

Time: 4:15 - 5:45 pm PST (NEW TIME)

No. of Weeks: 6

Format: Zoom online classes

Cost: Free

Registration Links:

4th grade - Scratch (Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced)

5th grade - JavaScript (Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced)

6th grade - Python (Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced)

Students will be put into different breakout rooms according to their levels.

Registration deadline: 12:00 noon on Saturday, August 28, 2021 or when class is full.

Computer Engineers of the Next Generation (CENG) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the mission to inspire underrepresented minorities to pursue Computer Science. For more information, please check out our website at cengclass.org. Questions? Please contact cengclass@gmail.com

Free Virtual Reading Tutoring Program (K-3rd Grade):

Teen Tutors is an organization run by Los Altos High School students to connect young readers with high school tutors! Our Read to Me program features tutors who read to students one-on-one to strengthen their reading comprehension & listening skills. As the students grow more comfortable, they can choose to read themselves with tutor assistance as needed. Virtual Read to Me sessions will be available on Saturdays from 10:30 am-11:15 am and 11:15 am-12 pm. Please register your child here: https://tinyurl.com/K3rdReading

For more information about our program, please visit www.teentutorslahs.wixsite.com/lahs or email teentutorslahs@gmail.com with any questions.

Programa gratuito de tutoría virtual de lectura (K-3rd Grado):

Teen Tutors es una organización dirigida por los estudiantes de Los Altos para conectar a los lectores jóvenes con tutores de la escuela secundaria. Nuestro programa Read to Me ofrece tutores que leen a los estudiantes de uno en uno para fortalecer su comprensión de lectura y sus habilidades de escucha. A medida que los estudiantes se sientan más cómodos, pueden optar por leerse a sí mismos con ayuda de un tutor según sea necesario. Las sesiones virtuales de Read to Me estarán disponibles los sábados de 10:30am a 11:15am y de 11:15am a 12pm. Registre a su hijo aquí: https://tinyurl.com/K3rdReading

Para obtener más información sobre nuestro programa, visite www.teentutorslahs.wixsite.com/lahs o envíe un correo electrónico a teentutorslahs@gmail.com con cualquier pregunta.

Thank you!

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