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Santa Rita Elementary School

Where We All Learn And Grow

Family Newsletter October 18, 2026

Posted Date: 10/18/26 (12:59 PM)

Santa Rita Elementary

Family Newsletter

October 18, 2026

Happy Sunday Hummingbird Families,

Welcome to a very special and activity-packed week at Santa Rita! This week, our campus is celebrating Unity Week, a dedicated time to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. Unity Week reminds us that when we stand together against bullying and support one another, we create a safer, warmer, and more welcoming community for every scholar. To celebrate, we will have a spirit theme each day this week, along with engaging lunchtime activities organized by our wonderful school counseling team!
Here is everything you need to know for the exciting week ahead:
  • 📚 Scholastic Book Fair is Here: All classes will have an opportunity to visit the book fair during the school day to browse and purchase books. The book fair will also be open for families after school on Tuesday from 2:10 PM – 3:00 PM and Wednesday from 1:10 PM – 2:00 PM, as well as during our evening Trunk or Treat event!
  • 🎃 Annual Trunk or Treat (Thursday, Oct 22): Join us for one of our favorite traditions of the year! The Book Fair will be open in the evening from 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM during the event.
  • Donations: We are accepting final donations of unopened candy and wrapped snacks in the front office through end of day Wednesday.
  • Volunteers: We are still in urgent need of volunteers to host a trunk or set up a game booth! It truly takes our entire community working together to make these magical events happen for our kids—please reach out or sign up if you can lend a hand!
  • 🍫 World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser: For students with signed permission slips, chocolate boxes will begin going home tomorrow! Thank you for supporting this effort to raise funds for our school programs.
  • 🏐 Hummingbird Volleyball Game: Come support our student-athletes at our volleyball game on Thursday at 3:40 PM before heading over to Trunk or Treat!
Thank you for your partnership, energy, and community spirit. Let’s make this Unity Week one to remember!

Warmly,
Ms. K & Mrs. Zavala
 
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Family Engagement

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Trunk or Treat Donations Still Needed!

  • We are still collecting donations of Individually wrapped snack size candies, snacks & treats to distribute to our community during the event up until Wednesday October 21st.
 

Hummingbird Home Connection

Since our scholars are celebrating Unity Week and focusing on kindness, inclusion, and standing up for one another, this week’s conversation starter centers on friendship and community:

Family Talk Prompt: "Unity Week is all about kindness, inclusion, and bringing people together. 
  • What is one way you can make a classmate feel included or supported this week, and why is unity important in our school?"
Encourage your scholar to share using complete sentences and descriptive words 
  • I can make someone feel included by...
  • Unity is important because...

 Asking them to explain the "why" behind their ideas helps build oral language skills, empathy, and strong character!
 

Toys for Tots Holiday Registration is Open!

Spread holiday joy this season! If your family would like to register to receive toys through the Toys for Tots program—or if you would like to refer a Santa Rita student—we are here to help. To sign up, please reach out directly to our Family Liaison, Blanca Valverde, or submit a referral using the link below.
Refer a student- Toys for Tots
 

Volunteers & Chaperones

We love having our parents and guardians involved in our school activities! If you would like to volunteer in classrooms or serve as a chaperone on upcoming field trips, please make sure to register and get cleared through the Raptor system. Because the clearance process takes a few days to complete, we strongly encourage you to sign up early so you are cleared and ready to go for upcoming events!
Raptor Volunteer/Chaperone Link
 

Safety & Wellness

Keeping Our School Community Healthy

We noticed a high number of scholars going home sick this past week. To help keep our classrooms safe, healthy, and ready for learning, please review the attached guidelines on "When is Too Sick for School?" as well as key facts about the flu season. If your child is experiencing a fever, persistent cough, or stomach issues, please keep them home to rest and recover. Thank you for helping us protect the health and well-being of all our Hummingbirds!
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CDC Flu Information & Resources

Knowledge is the best defense against seasonal illness! Check out the CDC’s official resources to learn more about flu symptoms, fever guidelines, and care tips:

 
SRES Nutrition Menu Website
 

Hummingbird Highlights

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2014 Santa Rita St. Salinas CA 93906
(831) 443- 7221

Office Hours
7:30am-3:30pm

Click on the Hummingbird to visit our website

There's magic when we learn and grow together"