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.

Donate to both LAEF and the PTA to fund the resources and opportunities that turn an ordinary education into an LASD Education! Learn more and donate at LASDEducationPartners.org

Monday, September 15th: Grandfriends’ Day (RSVP Link)

Friday, September 19th: English Language Advisory Committee Meeting 8:45am Location: Staff Room

Friday, September 26th: PTA Meeting 8:45 Location: Staff Room

Wednesday, October 8th: International Walk & Bike to School Day

Thursday, October 9th: Minimum Day - Students Out at 12:15pm

Friday, October 10th: Teacher In-Service - No School

Monday, October 13th: Picture Retake Day

Saturday, October 18th: Witches’ Delight & Silent Auction Event 1:00pm-6:00pm

Friday, October 31st: Halloween Parade 8:45am (Students Showcase Their Costumes)

LASD 2025-2026 Calendar

Reporting Attendance: Santa Rita Student Attendance

Santa Rita Website: https://www.santaritaschool.org/

Parent Resource: SmartSocial

https://www.smartsocial.com/post/screen-time-tips-better-sleep

Studies show the quality and consistency of an adolescent’s sleep is just as important to their overall health as the amount (Source:American Academy of Pediatrics). In this guide, we will dive into the ways screens are affecting teens' sleep and ways to combat late-night screen time.

Coats, Jackets & Sweatshirts

Please remember to put your child’s names on their jacket and sweater tags, so we can make sure to return them, as they get taken off later in the day. These items often find themselves left behind on the field or a lunch table, as the students peel off their layers. If you can put the room number on the tag that would be even better in getting them returned -this goes for water bottles, too. Please check out our Lost & Found near room 15.

Reminders

• Cell phones - we know how important it is for your children to be able to reach you and for you to be able to get messages to your children. Please call the office if you need to get in touch with your child. We also ask that they come to the office to contact you. This way we are aware of any issues or needs your child may have and can help support them. Cell phones and smartwatches will remain in backpacks until after school.

• Parents on Campus please make sure you come into the office and sign in and get a visitors badge during the school day if you are volunteering. Also, please come into the office to sign your child out, if you are picking them up early. Not only does this help us keep children safe, it is also important in an emergency, such as an earthquake, so we know who is on and off campus.

• If your student is biking to school, please make sure that the bike is safely locked during the school day.

Birthday Celebrations

Please do not send food for your child’s birthday. We know cupcakes and other things can be fun, but food is not safe for all children. Due to many allergies, food related illnesses, and family food restrictions we ask that you please send goody bags, pencils, erasers, stickers,or other fun items if you would like to share something on your child’s birthday. We want to ensure we have a safe and respectful community for all of our students to enjoy these celebrations. Thank you for your support and understanding.

Let’s go, Bobcats!

Denise Khalid

Principal

LAEF is funded by 1000’s of individuals, making donations large and small. Each school year, parents and community members come together to help fund our neighborhood schools and keep them among the top 1% of all schools in California.

Donate or Pledge to LAEF today to help fund teachers and essential programs at your school this school year, and request a corporate match if it’s available to you. Your gift helps ensure that your student, and every LASD student, receives the strong programs and well-rounded education that our schools are known for.

Donate to both LAEF and the PTA to fund the resources and opportunities that turn an ordinary education into an LASD Education! Learn more and donate at LAEFEducationPartners.org.

Join us for an evening with Jeff Selingo, author of Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You

Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 7PM, Los Altos High School - Eagle Theater

Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedrock of the American dream. But that well-worn path has lately taken a wrong turn, denying admission even to super-achievers and putting intolerable stress on family finances. Bestselling author Jeff Selingo shifts the spotlight from how colleges pick students to how students can better pick colleges in his new book coming out this September: Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right For You.

Join us to hear Jeff share his insights on why elite college degrees turn out to matter less than you think, why many parents and students are choosing value over prestige, and how to make sure the degree really pays off. Jeff will discuss what good teaching really looks like in college, and how to find places that prioritize it. Don't miss the opportunity to hear from Jeff how to build a list of colleges that will lower the application process stress and inspire students’ futures.

About Our Speaker:

Jeff Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than 25 years and is a New York Times bestselling author of four books. His latest book, Dream School: Finding The College That’s Right For You (September 2025), draws on more than two years of research and a survey of 3,000 parents to give families permission to think more broadly about what signals a “good” college and then the tools to discover their dream school. He is also the author of Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, named one of the New York TImes’s 100 Notable Books of the year in 2020.

Audience: TK-12 Parents, Caretakers, Teachers, Counselors, and High School Students

Registration: Register for this free event

Book: A free copy of Dream School (to be released September 9, 2025) is available to a limited number of attendees the night of the event.

For more information, visit mvlaspeakerseries.org. Events are free thanks to our generous sponsors: MVLA High School Foundation, Los Altos Educational Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation, and the Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.

Únete a nosotros para una velada con Jeff Selingo, autor de Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You

Miércoles, 17 de septiembre de 2025, 19:00 horas, Escuela Secundaria Los Altos - Teatro Eagle

Asistir a la universidad ha sido durante mucho tiempo un rito de iniciación para millones de adolescentes y la base del sueño americano. Pero ese camino desgastado últimamente ha tomado un giro equivocado, negando la admisión incluso a estudiantes con muchos éxitos y generando una presión intolerable en las finanzas familiares. El autor best-seller Jeff Selingo cambia el foco de atención de cómo las universidades seleccionan a los estudiantes a cómo los estudiantes pueden elegir mejor las universidades en su nuevo libro que se publicará en septiembre: Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You

Únete a nosotros para escuchar a Jeff compartir sus ideas sobre por qué los títulos universitarios de élite resultan menos importantes de lo que crees, por qué muchos padres y estudiantes eligen el valor por sobre el prestigio y cómo asegurarse de que el título realmente valga la pena. Jeff discutirá cómo es realmente la buena docencia en la universidad y cómo encontrar lugares que la prioricen. No pierdas la oportunidad de escuchar de Jeff cómo crear una lista de universidades que reducirán el estrés del proceso de solicitud e inspirarán el futuro de los estudiantes.

Acerca de nuestro orador:

Jeff Selingo ha escrito sobre colegios y universidades durante más de 25 años y es autor de cuatro libros best-seller del New York Times. Su último libro, Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You (septiembre de 2025), se basa en más de dos años de investigación y una encuesta a 3000 padres para brindar a las familias la oportunidad de reflexionar de forma más amplia sobre qué es lo que distingue a una "buena" universidad y, las herramientas para descubrir la universidad de sus sueños. También es autor de Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, nombrado uno de los 100 libros notables del año por el New York Times en 2020.

Audiencia: Padres, tutores, maestros, consejeros y estudiantes de secundaria de TK a 12.º grado

Registro: Regístrate para este evento gratuito

Libro: Una copia gratuita de Dream School (será lanzado el 9 de septiembre de 2025) está disponible para un número limitado de asistentes la noche del evento.

Para más información, visite mvlaspeakerseries.org. Los eventos son gratuitos gracias a nuestros generosos patrocinadores: Fundación de la escuela secundaria MVLA, Fundación Educativa de Los Altos, Fundación Educativa de Mountain View y el Consejo de la PTA de Los Altos-Mountain View.

Let’s come together and support a high-quality, well-rounded education at Santa Rita this school year.

Check out LASD Superintendent Sandra McGonagle’s “Welcome Back to School” video with insights about this school year and how to support our students.

Donate or Pledge to LAEF and help fund teachers and staff for physical education (PE), library, music (4th-6th), the Art Docents program, the Living Classroom program, computer science support, junior high electives, and mental health counseling this year. Gifts of any amount are appreciated.

Get to Know Your Santa Rita LAEF Board Representatives

Mike Beman:

Hello, Bobcat families! My name is Mike Beman, and my wife and I have a 3rd grader at Santa Rita (Sydney) and a 7th grader at Egan (Rivers). This is my second year on the LAEF board, and I look forward to working with absolutely everyone to support and grow LASD’s educational opportunities for ALL students. Please feel free to reach out anytime about anything - I would love to hear from you and your Santa Rita learners.

Betsy Williams:

Hi Santa Rita! My husband and I have two boys at Santa Rita - one in 4th grade, and one in 1st grade. We love how our community comes together for our students, and I’ve really enjoyed being on the LAEF Board to see how our funds go directly to support programs and teachers that our kids love, like Art, Library, PE, Music, and more, that enrich our wonderful LASD education. I’m grateful for our #bobcatstrong community and look forward to connecting!

Reach out to your Santa Rita LAEF Board Representatives by sending an email to SantaRitaReps@LAEFonline.org

Email: dkhalid@lasdschools.org
Website: https://www.santaritaschool.org
Location: 700 Los Altos Avenue, Los Altos, CA, USA
Phone: (650)559-1600
Follow Mrs. Khalid on TikTok @principalkhalid