Bobcat Strong Tracker

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March 13 - Auditions for School Musical: Shrek Jr., 3-6pm in Multi

March 17 -

• Social Media Safety presentation/discussion facilitated by Claire Griffin, our District Psychologist and Captain Krauss, LAPD, 9am in Multi

March 22-24- International Week

March 24 - International Festival, 4:30-7:30, blacktop

April 7 - Color Run at lunch

April 10-14 Spring Break

April 21 - STEM Challenge at lunch

April 22- Junior Olympics 4-6th Grade- More details to come!

Women’s History Month in March

The foremost goal of Women’s History Month is to provide education on how women helped shape our nation and to empower our students by introducing them to historical role models. Here is a list of ideas you can draw from to celebrate at home, including games, literature, virtual field trips and crafting ideas: 30 Women’s History Month Activities for Students of All Ages

Fun Fact: An alumni Bobcat, Abby Keenan, was recognized for International Women’s Day with other amazing women of the NBA as a photographer for the Lakers. She is coming back to Santa Rita soon to help a class with their photography project! Once a Bobcat, Always a Bobcat!

Social Media and Personal Safety at the next PTA General Meeting

Next Friday, March 17th at 9:00am in the STAFF LOUNGE

Many parents have requested more education around social media and a user's personal safety. Navigating the world of social media, for both kids and parents, can be confusing. This presentation, by Ms. Claire Griffin and Los Altos Police Officer Katie Krauss, will help parents understand the world of social media and the potential dangers that exist.

Check out all of the great things happening here this month…

• Auditions for the School Musical Shrek Jr., March 13 - 3-6pm in Multi

• Social Media Safety presentation/discussion facilitated by Claire Griffin, one of our District Psychologists and Captain Krauss, LAPD, March 17th 9am in Multi
  

• International Presentations in class, March 22-23

• International Gala, March 24 4:30-7:00 on the Blacktop - Food, Dances and Fun!

• Preparation is under way for Junior Olympics which takes place on Saturday, April 22nd.

• The new LASD Co-Ed Basketball League for 3rd-6th graders begins later this month.

Wishing you a wonderful yet rainy week!

Kelly Rafferty

Principal, Santa Rita Elementary

Beauty is in the eye of the ogre in Shrek The Musical Jr., based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film and fantastic Broadway musical. With abundant opportunities for imaginative sets and costumes, and a host of over-the-top roles for an expandable cast, there's a part for everyone in this dazzling adventure story.

Registration is NOW OPEN for 3rd - 6th graders up to the first 45 students who register. Every child who registers will get a part! The registration/participation fee is $190 and is due at the time of registration. You can turn checks into the Santa Rita office.

Click Here to Register

Performances will be Friday, June 2nd (7pm) & Saturday, June 3rd (1pm) at Almond Elementary.

Auditions will be held on Monday, March 13th, 3 - 6pm in the Multi.

Callbacks will be held on Wednesday, March 15th, 3 - 6pm in the Multi.

*Not all students are asked to callbacks as the director may have already determined their casting based on the previous audition.

Casting should be posted the weekend following auditions with the specific rehearsal schedule.

Rehearsals begin the week of March 20th.

Rehearsals will generally be held Mondays and Wednesdays from 3-5pm in the Santa Rita Multi.

*Not all children will be called to all rehearsals. The specific days/weeks your child will be called will depend on their casting. A schedule will be released at time of casting so you will be able to see which days your child will need to be at rehearsal.

Tech Week Rehearsals will be held the week of the performance (May 29th - June 1st) at Almond Elementary. Please note: These rehearsals are MANDATORY. Your cast member will not be able to perform if they cannot make these rehearsals. Other Mandatory rehearsals are on Saturday, April 1st, Saturday, April 29th, and Saturday May 27th from 12 - 4pm.

International Week March 22 - 24 (Important potluck information update)

Get ready for an exciting week of celebration and cultural diversity at our school! International Week is just around the corner, and we have planned an array of engaging activities to showcase the richness of our diverse community.

Families are invited to join our International Festival on Friday, March 24 from 4:30 - 7:00 pm on the Blacktop. We are excited to announce that we are bringing back our beloved potluck this year. Bring your favorite dish to share with the community! Please prepare food enough to feed 8-10 people. Starting next Monday Mar 13, you can pick up a tin tray and info card from the office. Potluck dishes should be dropped off at blacktop between 4:30 and 5:00 on Friday (3/24) of the event.

Please RSVP by providing the name of your dish here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1F17T5-fahzq5TgJaTfc28mFj4v78g9x3Bpqrz_u6Ass/edit?usp=sharing

Also, it would be really nice if you could provide a link to your recipe, whether is from the internet or it’s your grandma's recipe typed up in a Google doc. We are hoping to publish a digital Santa Rita family recipe book after the event.

Mark your calendars for the International Festival, and come together with our school community to celebrate the rich tapestry of our diverse world. See you there!

In the event of a major earthquake we can assume that electricity and wifi may go down. Therefore, we will use our SMS system to communicate with the community. Essentially a text messaging system that goes directly to your cell phone, SMS requires parents to opt into it to receive texts from the school. We also use the SMS system to send occasional reminders (like on minimum-day dismissals).

You can participate in this free service (standard message and data rates may apply) just by sending a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587. You can also opt out of these messages at any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”.

Help us raise the remaining $275K needed this school year to fully fund teachers and staff for art, music, PE, library, STEM, computer science, junior high electives, and mental health counseling services this school year. Donate to LAEF today. Your gift of any amount will help!

Join LAEF as a Board Member and CFO

We are currently looking for a new LAEF Board representative to serve as our CFO for the 2023-24 school year. In as little as 5 hours a month, you can impact the education of all students in our school district. The LAEF Board is made up of dedicated parents from every LASD school who lead the strategic, fundraising, and organizational goals of LAEF. Learn more about this volunteer position and contact admin@laefonline.org today!

Save the Date
Mark your calendar for Sunday, May 7th at 4 pm and plan to join us at the LASD Community Festival. There’ll be food and fun for your family and friends. Stay tuned for the full scoop!

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents.

Thursday, March 30, 2023 | 7pm | LAHS Eagle Theater ⧫ 201 Almond Avenue

Audience: Grade 5 - 12 parents, caretakers, teachers, and counselors

Register: Register for this free event

Book: The Emotional Lives of Teenagers

Join us as Dr. Lisa Damour, psychologist and New York Times best-selling author of Untangled and Under Pressure, provides insights from her newly released book into teenagers’ emotional highs and lows, and inspires us to listen and connect through more open and honest conversations.

In teenagers, powerful emotions come with the territory. And with so many of today’s teens contending with academic pressure, social media stress, worries about the future, and concerns about their own mental health, it’s easy for them—and their parents—to feel anxious and overwhelmed. But it doesn’t have to be that way. With clear, research-informed explanations alongside illuminating, real-life examples, Dr. Damour gives parents the concrete, practical information they need to steady their teens through the bumpy yet transformational journey into adulthood.

As we wrap up National Children's Dental Month, the Local Oral Health Program (LOHP) invites you to join and share the Happy Teeth Fair event details with your communities. In collaboration with partners, the LOHP is hosting the upcoming dental health event, “Happy Teeth Fair” which will include:

• Health education booths
• Children’s activities
• Free dental screenings for young children
• Award certificates to children who complete their Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) requirement for entering school
• And much, much more!

Stop by to visit with County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, one of our County’s leading advocates for children’s oral health. We hope to see you at the Happy Teeth Fair at Valley Health Center, Tully Clinic (500 Tully Road, San Jose) on March 16th from 12:30-4:00 P.M.

Visit the newly launched LOHP website for more dental health information: https://publichealth.sccgov.org/health-information/oral-health

Living Classroom is seeking volunteers to teach our fun nature-based lessons and help care for our school gardens. No experience necessary as we teach you everything you need to know. Please join us from 9-Noon on Mondays 3/6, 3/13, and 3/27 at the LASD iLearn Studio to training on our spring lessons that take place April through June. Can’t make Mondays? Ask us about our apprentice-style training. Questions? Contact Living Classroom Program Coordinator Caroline Chan at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. Check us out at LivingClassroomLASD.org!

Living Classroom Spring Docent Training

9-Noon Mondays 3/6, 3/13 & 3/27

Los Altos School District iLearn Studio

201 Covington Road, Los Altos CA 94024

We have been asked to duplicate our successful Fall CO-ED Flag Football format with a Co-Ed Spring Basketball program for years, and we finally did it! Our basketball program starts on March 13. Each school will have two Co-Ed teams, one for 3rd/4th grade and one for 5th/6th grades, just like our Flag Football program.

The Basketball league will focus on the game's Fun & Fundamentals while allowing student-athletes to play with their friends and compete for their school against other LASD school teams.

Games and practices will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays, after school until 5:00. Practices begin March 13th, and our season will end with a Championship tournament on Saturday, May 20th.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

Also, we are seeking volunteer parent coaches for each team!

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

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