Bobcat Strong Tracker

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At Santa Rita Elementary School, we foster curious, motivated learners who reach their highest potential in a supportive community that appreciates diversity.

Jan 26- Feb 2- Kids Heart Health Challenge

Feb 6 - Hearing Screenings for K, 2nd, & 5th

Feb 9- Junior Olympics Kick Off!

Feb 19-23- No School- Winter Break

March 1 - LAST DAY to register for STEM Expo

March 6- STEM EXPO

March 11- Aladdin Auditions- Register Here

March 11-15- International Week

March 15 - International Celebration Evening Event

• LASD 2023-2024 Calendar
• Reporting Attendance: To report a student's absence, please fill out this form or call
• Please fill out your Bobcat Strong Registration!
• Food Menus

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First graders learned a latte about nonfiction reading and writing! They celebrated the end of their nonfiction units by inviting their families to “Starbooks” in the multi

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Hello Wonderful Bobcat Community!

The Los Altos Educational Foundation's (LAEF) Annual Survey is now open. Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts in this 7-question survey about LAEF-funded programs. Your input is very important and will help inform future funding priorities. The anonymous survey results will be shared with school principals and Los Altos School District (LASD) leadership to improve program effectiveness for all students. Please complete the survey by Monday, February 12.

Thank you for your participation!

Please see below for all of Santa Rita’s exciting upcoming events.

Be Kind, Be Strong, Be Well

Kelly Rafferty

Principal

Registration for our second LASD Spring basketball season is now open!

Don't miss your chance to be a part of the action and join our growing community of talented players.

If you're passionate about basketball and eager to showcase your skills on the court, this is the perfect opportunity for your child.

Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, our league offers a fun and competitive environment for everyone. Sharpen your skills, make new friends, and experience the thrill of playing basketball in a supportive and engaging atmosphere. Our co-ed league is for grades 3-6, with practices and games held on Mondays and Wednesdays after school. The season ends with a championship tournament on the weekend of May 18 and 19. It will most likely fall on Sunday, May 19th. It is essential all players make the tournament, so please mark your calendars and save the date now.

Spaces are limited, and we expect them to fill up quickly. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to be a part of something special.

Registration guarantees your spot, so sign up now at https://afterschoolathletics.us/

We also need parent volunteers as coaches and team parents for each team. Please don't miss out on an unforgettable opportunity and an incredible season of spring basketball!

Thank you and Happy Friday!
Joe, Jerry, and Chris

Santa Rtia School STEM Expo invites students in grades TK-6 to participate! While engaging in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) projects, students will have an opportunity to design hands-on projects while exploring just how fun STEM can be! This event lends itself to a myriad of learning experiences: within the class or at home, working individually or collaboratively with peers or with adults, and amongst a wide range of STEM categories including: Rube Goldberg, Invention, Engineering (Reverse), Engineering (Robotics), Scientific Inquiry, and Wearable Designs. Ultimately, students will get a chance to showcase their STEM work in a fun and unique venue, with learning opportunities for the entire family. Santa Rita will be hosting the STEM Expo evening showcase on Wednesday, March 6th, from 5:30pm - 7:00pm.

Intent to Register:

The STEM Expo “Intent to Participate” is just around the corner. This must be done by Friday, March 1st. If your child is interested in submitting a project for the Expo, make sure they sit down with you and fill out the form found HERE. Participation is not mandatory but it sure is a fun event!

Younger Students:

Are you the parent of a student in primary (TK - 2nd Grade)? Are you unsure how your eager scientist/engineer can participate? Younger students are encouraged to do a project with a parent or older child. This is a great way to spend time together and learn. Categories that are more approachable for younger students are scientific inquiry and reverse engineering.

Tri-fold Posters:

All projects will need to have a trifold poster board that illustrates the written components of the project. See the handout links on the Santa Rita STEM Expo Site for more information. Tri-fold boards can be picked up in the office.

Fun For the Whole Community:

The STEM Expo is not just a day event! It is open to all. Bring friends, grandparents, aunts, uncles and come celebrate Santa Rita’s scientists and engineers!

How Can You Help?

The STEM Expo is such a fantastic event but it takes many hands to make it happen. Please visit the Santa Rita STEM Expo Site and see the many ways you can help.

We have 2 great community parties coming up in February. There is VERY limited space so register ASAP!

• Feb 10- Fondant Cupcake Decorating Party, with Lesson, for Valentine's Day (2 spot remaining)
  
• Feb 11- Valentine's Day Cookie Decorating Party (3 spots remaining)

Hearing screening will be done at Santa Rita School for all Kindergarten, 2nd and, 5th grades on Tuesday, February 6, 2024. If your child has a known hearing loss please notify the Health Services Staff (lasdnurses@lasdschools.org) before the day of the screening. The district nurses will mail a referral form and contact parents of students who do not pass hearing screening.

"The Almond, Covington, Gardner Bullis and Santa Rita 6th grade Orchestras will be performing at the Strictly Strings Concert- Feb 13, 2024, 7pm @ Los Altos High School Eagle Theater. Public is welcome, doors open at 6:30pm"

Santa Rita's International Week (week of March 11th) is coming! It is one of our most beloved traditions at Santa Rita! It celebrates our diversity, makes students proud of their heritage, and brings our community together! We will have a family potluck, country presentations, flag parades, and dances and end with a school-wide evening festival on Friday, March 15nd.

To make this event a success, we need dance teachers and country presenters.

• We are hoping to expand our small group cultural dance this year. If you are interested in teaching a dance to a small group of students during lunchtime in March, please let us know.

• We are bringing back parent presentations this year. We need 16 presentations so we would love to have parent or parent/student teams to present. You can present with your child(ren), or support your child(ren) to present by themselves; or you can also present by yourself. Presentations will be given during school time on Thursday, March 14 (K/TK) and Friday, March 15 (1st-6th).

  
  

If you are interested in helping or want to know more, contact Yang Liu at daisy_ly99@hotmail.com or Alice Lee at joy268@hotmail.com.

Your opinion matters! Please take our 7-question LAEF Survey and tell us about your student's experience with programs funded by the Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF) this school year.

Your input is very important and will help inform future funding priorities. The anonymous survey results will be shared with your principal and LASD leadership to improve program effectiveness for all students. Please complete the survey by Monday, February 12.

If you have yet to give to LAEF this school year, donate today. We still need to raise $400K to fully fund teachers and essential programs this year. Gifts of any amount are appreciated. Thank you to those you’ve already given this school year!

• SELPA-CAC General Meeting ONLINE February 5

• Monthly updates from Special Ed directors and staff, planning for programs and parent education with parents and volunteers.

• Register for Zoom

• Monday February 5, 4-6pm

• Let's Talk: Parent Support Group for Special Education ONLINE February 6

• Ask questions and share ideas and support with other parents of students with IEPs, 504s, learning differences, mental health challenges, etc.

• Preregister for Zoom

• Tuesday, February 6, 10-11:30am

Resources

• Inclusion Collaborative is a Santa Clara organization that runs an Inclusion Support Warm Line providing FREE individualized supports for parents, teachers, and community members working with children who have disabilities and other needs, in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and other languages as needed. This might include Positive Behavior Supports, Social Stories, Communication Strategies, Community Activities, and more. Call (408) 453-6651 or email inclusionwarmline@sccoe.org.

Please contact your SELPA-1 CAC liaison, Alison Biggs, at abiggs@gmail.com with any questions.

Now in its 37th year, The Tech Challenge invites teams of students in Grades 4-12 to use the engineering design process to solve a real-world problem. Participants spend months collaborating and becoming deeply engaged in the challenge while documenting their progress and designs. The program culminates in an inspiring two-day showcase in April where teams put their solutions to the test in front of judges. SPACE – the possibilities are limitless! Can your team deliver fragile, but highly important supplies to this moon’s surface? Click here for more details or reach out to Grace Choi, gchoi@lasdschools.org.

Our Free Universal Meals Program will start on the first day of school. A 'Grab and Go' breakfast will be served before school and lunch from Revolution foods. Here are the current monthly MENUS.

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

Join us to support our students this school year!

DONATE or PLEDGE to LAEF today.