At Santa Rita Elementary School, we foster curious, motivated learners who reach their highest potential in a supportive community that appreciates diversity.
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Wednesday, November 18 - Last Day to sign up for Illuminate LASD
Wednesday, November 18 - Art Showcase at Covington 5pm-7pm
November 17 - November 20 - Santa Rita Book Fair
November 18 - Family Night at the Book Fair 5:30-7:30pm
November 23 - November 27 - Thanksgiving Break - No School
Wednesday, December 9 - Winter Concert, 4-6th Grade
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It’s a pretty soggy end to the week and it looks to be this way for the next few days. As we start getting into winter, please make sure your kiddo has appropriate shoes and layers to stay warm. When conditions are safe, we always try to get the kids outside to play.
Veteran’s Day
- One of my very dear friends is a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corp and served our country for 23 years. He is now a special ed teacher here in LASD. Like so many other men and women, he is drawn to service and we often don’t understand the sacrifices made by those in the armed services. I hope you will find some time to talk with your children about the courage and dedication it takes to stand up for the safety of others.
Reclassification
- We are so proud of all our multi-language learners and the progress they all continue to make. We have quite a few students who are being reclassified as English Proficient and we are going to celebrate them at the Flag Assembly next week. We hope you will join us!
Art Show
- The LASD Art Showcase is next Wednesday from 5:00-7:00 in the Covington Multi. We hope you are able to join us and celebrate all the amazing LASD artists.
Book Fair
- The Book Fair is almost here!!!! The fair will open on Tuesday evening and we have many guest readers to kick things off. Doors will open at 5:30. Please see below for more information about hours for the rest of the week.
Have a great weekend!
Kevin
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What happens when students lead their own learning and dive deeply into a question that matters to them, and share their voices in powerful ways? Illuminate LASD invites students to become experts, innovators, and change-makers. Whether it’s researching a topic they’re passionate about, solving a problem that inspires them, or creating something to make an impact, students will share the artifacts that highlight the learning process. From TK to 8th grade, Illuminate LASD invites students to share what they now know and can do by sharing the process and products of their learning on Friday, February 26th from 4:00PM - 7:00PM.
Register today to participate and submit an Intent Form by November 18th by visiting https://tinyurl.com/illuminateLASD. We invite you to share in this experience that connects student curiosity, creativity, and agency! |
Thank You for an Amazing 14th Annual Science Olympiad! We hope your 3rd-6th grade students came home on Tuesday buzzing with excitement from a morning of hands-on discovery! Check out some photos from the event here.
Events like this are only possible because of our incredible community. A massive thank you to the 36 volunteers who brought Science Olympiad to life this year, and a special shout-out to our dedicated event leads who spent their spare time inventorying and prepping materials at home: Betsy Williams, Christin Renner-Harbick, David French, Derek Bridgford, Emiko Strathman, Marlo Kohn, Vineeta Nallabati, Yang Liu, and Monique Yao. Thank you also to LASD Board Trustee (and Santa Rita PTA President alum) Bryan Johnson and his wife Jocelyn Goldfein for creating and leading Code Breakers.
Your PTA donations and community parties directly fund this favorite annual tradition. Want to join the fun next year? Save the date for Wednesday, November 10, 2027 (8:30 AM – 12:30 PM)!
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The Santa Rita PTA is responsible for four major expense categories that are expected to cost $400 per student this year. PTA funding for Classroom and Staff Support, Student Support, Community Building, and PTA Admin give our teachers, staff, and students the materials and support they need to thrive. You can see how this $400 per student is broken down in the chart below: |
With the increased ask from LAEF this year ( https://www.lasdeducationpartners.org/), the PTA reduced the suggested Direct Donation ask per student to $200; fundraiser events will help raise the additional funds needed to support our programs. The chart below shows our fundraising targets from Direct Donations, Corporate Matching, and Fundraiser Events (e.g.Community Parties, Auction). We are making progress towards our Direct Donations and Corporate Matching goals, and we are excited to be launching Community Parties for the 26-27 school year! |
What are Community Parties? Community Parties are a fun way to raise money for our school while building community. Hosts get together to host a party or fun experience and the PTA sells tickets to fellow Santa Rita families and community members. Ticket proceeds go directly to supporting our school! If you have an idea for a Community Party, please reach out, or submit your information here: https://forms.gle/q7saKQfsjSxKSgsr5.
Auction Party: For the first time in several years, we will also have an adults-only auction party. We hope that you can join the Bobcat Boogie Night on March 20! This event will include live and silent auctions for special items such as Principal for the Day, Sweet Shop Server for the Day, Spring Musical Tickets, and gift cards from local businesses. You can see the available Community Parties (including the Bobcat Boogie Night Gala and Auction Party) and buy tickets here: https://paybee.io/@santaritaelm@34
Here’s how you can help:
- Join the PTA: https://paybee.io/@santaritaelm@33
- Donate to the PTA (any amount helps!): https://paybee.io/@santaritaelm@32
- Submit for corporate matching if your company offers it
- Attend a Community Party: https://paybee.io/@santaritaelm@34
- Host a Community Party: https://forms.gle/q7saKQfsjSxKSgsr5
Thank you so much for your partnership in our community!
-Marlo
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Get ready to see the multi transformed into a gallery! Join us on November 18 at Covington Elementary from 5:00-7:00 pm for the annual LASD Art Showcase. Let’s celebrate our students’ creativity together.
From colorful paintings and bold prints to textured collages and clay creations, there’s something from every grade, TK through 8th. It’s a great chance to wander and admire your student’s artwork alongside others.
And this year, there’s a little mystery in the mix! LAEF is bringing a fun scavenger hunt to the showcase, with a chance to win exciting prizes.
From the Art Docents program in our elementary schools to art electives in junior high, our students learn about art appreciation as well as art elements, techniques, and so much more. And your donations to LAEF help fund it all. Thank you for supporting art education for all LASD students. See you at the showcase!
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We hope to see you there! |
This is the perfect time to check off those holiday shopping lists for kids, friends, and teachers, while supporting Santa Rita and a local business!
Dates: Nov 17 Tuesday - Nov 20 Friday, during lunch and after school
Place: Santa Rita Multipurpose Room
Come enjoy a hot chocolate and a treat at the evening event on Tuesday 11/17 with teacher read-alouds while you shop!
We will also be hosting a special event with Kat Ariyn, author/ illustrator of Cat Loaf Adventures Vol. 1 (newly released in August!) She will be doing a drawing demonstration with the kids.
Hours:
- Evening event Tuesday 11/17: 5:30-7:30
- Lunch Wednesday-Friday: 12-1
- After school on Wednesday and Friday: 2:30-3:30, Thursday 1:30-2:30
Instead of sending your child to the fair with cash or a credit card, you can buy a gift card for your child to use at the fair. You decide how much money to put on the card and we'll keep it at the register for them to use when they checkout. You can also buy a gift card for your child's teacher so they can use it to buy fantastic new books for their classroom! https://form.jotform.com/262938903864168
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We are excited to announce our annual LASD Student Art Showcase. This is an opportunity for any student from TK-8th grade to express themselves artistically with our community.
Students are encouraged to submit a piece of artwork in the medium and theme of their choice following the guidelines in the advertisement above. Submissions will be accepted between 10/8 and 11/11, and the LASD Student Art Showcase will be on display at Covington Elementary on November 18th from 5:00-7:00 pm.
This event will be a celebration of student art and local artists, as well as an opportunity to enjoy an evening together as an LASD community.
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Looking for a fun way to bring our Santa Rita community together while raising money for our school? Community Parties are a great way to do both!
We’re looking for families, friends, and groups to host or co-host a party or fun experience that we can offer as a fundraiser for Santa Rita. You provide the fun, and the PTA will sell tickets to your party to fellow Santa Rita families and community members. The ticket proceeds go directly to supporting our school!
Your party can be anything you’d like — a themed celebration, a casual get-together, a kids’ activity, an adults-only night out, or a family-friendly event. It can be simple and easy to organize or as creative and involved as you’d like. You can host on your own or team up with friends to share the planning and fun.
Some ideas might include:
- 🍕 Pizza or taco night
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- 🎨 Kids’ craft or art party
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- 🎬 Family movie night
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- 🏀 Sports or backyard games
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- 🍷 Adults-only dinner or cocktail party
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- 🎃 Holiday or seasonal celebration
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- 🎲 Game or trivia night
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- 🧁 Baking or cooking party
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- 💃 Dance or themed party
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- 🌟 Or something completely unique!
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The goal is simple: create something people will be excited to attend, while helping raise funds for Santa Rita. The money raised through Community Parties helps the PTA continue funding programs, resources, and enrichment opportunities for our students and teachers.
You don’t need to have a big or elaborate idea — every party makes a difference! Gather some friends, come up with something fun, and help turn a great time into support for our school.
We’d love to have you participate! Submit your party idea through the Community Party form or reach out to the Community Party Committee with any questions. Have fun. Bring people together. Raise money for Santa Rita!
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Beginning this school year, LASD is introducing a new Volunteer Authorization Process that provides one consistent system for all school volunteers. The new process builds on procedures already in place for certain volunteer roles and aligns with updated California law and district policy.
To make the process as simple as possible, volunteers are grouped into three levels based on the type of volunteer work they perform. Most classroom volunteers who are always under the supervision of an LASD staff member will complete a straightforward application and tuberculosis (TB) risk assessment or testing.
Volunteers who may work independently with students or transport students will complete additional requirements appropriate to those roles.
- An overview of the three volunteer levels
- Information about whether you are considered a visitor or a volunteer
- Step-by-step instructions for each volunteer level
- Links to all required forms and resources
To provide families with plenty of time to complete the new requirements, volunteers will have until December 30, 2026, to complete the authorization process.
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The Art Docent training program gives new volunteers everything they need to feel confident bringing art into the classroom. Trainees explore all the art mediums we teach while learning classroom management skills, how to lead engaging discussions, and how to give effective demonstrations.
New Docent Training takes place on Thursday mornings from 8:45–11:30 a.m. starting September 3rd and includes technique, art content, and general program topics. Once training begins, new docents gradually gain classroom experience—assisting in September, co-leading in November and December, and moving into assisting, co-leading, and leading lessons from January through May.
Join us! It’s a wonderful way to learn something new, share your creativity, and make a lasting impact on our students!
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Please access the Peachjar flyer for Santa Rita Community here.
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