Together, LASD Education Partners fund the resources and opportunities that turn an ordinary education into an LASD Education! Learn more at LASDEducationPartners.org
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August 14: PTA Back to School Picnic 5-7pm
August 25: Back to School Night
September 4: Minimum Day, Dismissal at 12:15pm
September 7: No School
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Hello Lion Families,
What a wonderful feeling the first week of school has. It is a time filled with hope, excitement and so much energy.
Thank you families for supporting your students and the teachers this week by having your student to school before the 8:30 bell. This is important for a smooth transition into class everyday and to not interrupt your child’s class as classes begin.
Back to School Reminders
- School starts promptly at 8:30 every day for K-6th and 8:45 for TK. While we know things come up occasionally, my expectation is that every student is lined up with their class on the blacktop (1st-6th) or at their classroom when the bell rings.
- Please note that Kindergarten is half day (8:30-12:00) through August 28th and TK is half day (8:45-12:15) through September 4th.
DROP OFF CIRCLE AND PARKING LOT:
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The parking lot will be closed during arrival and dismissal, with the exception of those who need the handicap parking spaces, to ensure the safety of our students and their families.
- Please DO NOT step out of your car or leave your car unattended in the driveway when dropping off students - it creates a backup for all other drivers.
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Afternoon Dismissal: Students grades TK-6 will be dismissed at their respective bell times.
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For grades 1-6: if you are picking up your child, I highly recommend using the car pick-up zone. If you do not wish to use the car pick-up zone, you are permitted to wait for your child in the lower blacktop area/lunch area, or in front of the office. All students must be picked up at their dismissal time and remain with and be supervised by parents at all times. Students are not permitted to use the play structures/courts once dismissed.
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TK and Kinder parents will pick up in the Kinder area.
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All students are expected to practice Safety, Responsibility, Respect and Kindness, our school rules, at all times while on campus, including before and after school.
We are all doing our best to keep the traffic moving so please be patient as we begin a new school year.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone this Friday evening at the Back to School Picnic from 5:00-7:00 on the Blacktop. There will be a DJ and food trucks as well as lots of good company. Hopefully, I will see you Saturday as well for our LASD Social at Almond Elementary from 5:30-7:30, this is a great time to meet more families in our community.
I will see you again at Back To School Night on Tuesday, August 25th. Here is the schedule for the evening:
5:30-6:00: TK-3rd grade, Upper Special Day Class
6:00-6:30: All parents and staff gather on the lower blacktop, Mrs. Rafferty, PTA and LAEF will speak
6:30-7:00: 4th-6th grade, Lower Special Day Class
Thank you again for a wonderful first week of school, tomorrow we will have our first Friday assembly, we would love to have you all join us.
This is going to be a great year!
Be Kind, Be Strong, Be Well,
Kelly Rafferty
Principal
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Welcome back, Loyola families! To kick off the year, the PTA invites you to come and meet up with friends, teachers, and staff, all while enjoying good food and music at the Back-to-School Picnic tomorrow!
WHEN: Friday, August 14th, 5-7 PM
WHERE: Loyola lower grade blacktop and field
WHAT WILL BE THERE: Friends, food trucks and music!
WHO WILL BE THERE: YOU, Loyola students, families, teachers and staff
WHAT TO BRING: Blankets and chairs to sit out on the field, footballs, soccer balls, food/snacks/anything else that will help you enjoy the picnic!
Continue the fun on Saturday, August 15th, 5:30-7PM at the LASD Welcome Back Social at Almond Elementary. Bring the whole family and enjoy food trucks and field games hosted by Golden Eagle Summer Camp!
If you have not already done so, please take a few minutes to submit the 2026 Loyola PTA Back-to-School Form. Join the PTA and find out about volunteer opportunities both in and out of the classroom. One lower grade (TK-3rd) and one upper grade (4th-6th) with the highest percentage of submissions will enjoy a celebration party (date TBD) and any grade that has a submission rate of at least 80% will get extra recess time (date TBD)!
Back to School Night (adults only) is on Tuesday, August 25th, 5:30-7 PM! Come hear from Principal Rafferty about our goals for the year, meet your children’s teachers and learn how to support your students, and connect with the PTA and LAEF to discover how to enrich your children’s learning and build a stronger community. Book your babysitters for an extra hour or two so you can join us at Redwood Grill in the Rancho shopping center immediately following Back-to-School Night for Parents’ Night Out! Appetizers will be provided by the PTA.
Lastly, we want to take a moment to thank our amazing parent volunteers who have been hard at work over the summer to prepare for all of our Back-to-School events:
- Jody Akana, Lizzie Davis and Lauren Macomber, our TK Liaisons, and Lauren Fuller and Jessica Thomander, our Kinder Liaisons, who have done an amazing job connecting with all our incoming TK students, kindergarteners, and their families over the summer!
- Michael Chen and Jessica Thomander, our New Family Ambassadors, who have warmly welcomed all our new families to Loyola and coordinated the New Family Orientation. We also want to thank our 6th grade student speakers, all of our student tour guides, and parent representatives who made the New Family Orientation so special and personal!
- Lizzie Davis for coordinating all the After-School Programs!
- Lauren Macomber and Zaynah Rahman for organizing an exceptional and informative PTA Welcome Breakfast on the first day of school for returning and new families to learn about all of the programs at Loyola!
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Deborah Chang and Stefanie Shanks for planning a lively and entertaining Back-to-School Picnic! Thank you for creating a space for us to meet teachers, reconnect with our favorite families, and build new friendships!
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- And the PTA Executive Board (Bethany Steichen, Tracy Wu, Marilyn Tan, Meredith Bordoni, Lauren Macomber, Zaynah Rahman, Mary Erginsoy, Aubrey Rotschi, Deborah Chang, Stefanie Shanks, Lauren Fuller, Luisa Stokely and Prajakta Ranade) for all their help and hard work in getting ready for the new school year!
Liz Hwang
PTA President
Mom of Benji Leung (4th)
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Friday, August 14, 2025
5:00 – 7:00 PM
Lower Grade Playground, Field, and Blacktop
Join us as we kick off the school year with food, music, and fun for the whole family!
Reconnect with old friends, meet new families, and celebrate our amazing Loyola community.
- DJ + Music
- Food Trucks: Judy's Tacos Locos, Road Doggs and Sugar Mama Desserts (a portion of proceeds go back to the school!)
- Or bring your own picnic blanket and dinner!
All Loyola families are welcome—see you there!
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Let’s get our students off to a strong start and set them up for success this school year. Your financial support is key!
Providing an exceptional educational experience for our students requires support beyond public funding. LAEF has been helping close this gap for over 44 years by funding teachers, staff, and essential programs across the district.
Starting this year, LAEF is taking on additional responsibility by fundraising for instructional programs and materials previously supported by PTAs. As a result, LAEF’s fundraising goal and per-student ask are increasing to help ensure consistent, reliable support for these programs at every school. We are grateful for your contributions in helping us meet this increased goal.
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YOU are a vital part of this partnership. Your donations to LAEF help every LASD student receive an excellent, well-rounded education by funding specialized teachers and staff as well as instructional materials and programs across all nine schools. Learn more about the funded programs here.
Here’s how to partner with us:
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Step 1: Donate to LAEF
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Step 2: Join and donate to the PTA for each school your children attend
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10-11:30am Monday 8/17
Los Altos School District iLearn Studio
201 Covington Road, Los Altos CA 94024
Living Classroom is seeking volunteers to teach our fun nature-based lessons and help care for our school gardens. Volunteering is fun and no experience is necessary as we teach you everything you need to know! Please join us from 10-11:30am on Monday 8/17 at the LASD iLearn Studio to learn more about volunteering. Questions? Please email Living Classroom at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103. Check us out at LivingClassroomLASD.org!
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Share your love of art and make a lasting impact!
Have you ever wanted to inspire the next generation of creators? You don't need to be an artist to be an amazing art docent for our district's elementary students—just bring your enthusiasm and a passion for working with kids!
Join us for our upcoming Info Coffee to learn more on Thursday, August 20th from 10:00-11:30am in the iLearn Studio at the Los Altos School District. Come grab a cup of coffee, chat with current volunteers, and hear more about our workshops, field trips, and incredible community.
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