Loyola Roar: September 3, 2026

September 4: Minimum Day, Dismissal at 12:15pm

September 7: No School

September 18: PTA General Meeting @ 8:45am

October 2: Walk and Roll to School

October 8: Minimum Day, Dismissal at 12:15pm

October 9: No School

October 14: Student Picture Day

October 17: Walkathon

Dear Loyola Families,

We have had another wonderful week at Loyola! Thank you for continuing to bring such positive energy, enthusiasm, and Lion pride to our school community. As we head into the long weekend, we have a few important reminders and celebrations to share.

Please remember that Friday is a minimum day for all students.

Please make sure you have made arrangements for your child to be picked up promptly at dismissal.

There will be no school on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day. We hope everyone enjoys the long weekend with family and friends!

Thank you so much to all of our amazing students, LAEF and PTA volunteers, and our very special Lion mascot who made Rally Day last Friday such a fun and exciting celebration of Loyola!

Rally Day was a wonderful reminder of what makes our school and district so special. We are incredibly fortunate to be part of a community that believes in educating and supporting the whole child, academically, socially, emotionally, and beyond.

Your support of LAEF helps make that possible. By donating to LAEF, you help ensure that our students have access to the enrichment, programs, experiences, and opportunities that contribute to a well-rounded education. Thank you for investing in our students and helping make the educational experience at Loyola and across Los Altos School District so extraordinary!

We have loved seeing the creativity coming from our Loyola students for this year's Walk N' Roar Walkathon T-shirt Design Contest!

Tomorrow is the last day to turn in submissions. If your student has a design ready to go, please make sure it is turned into the front office by Friday, September 4 at 12:15 p.m.

All contest submissions are due to the front office by Friday, September 4 at 12:15 p.m. We can't wait to see the creativity and imagination of our Loyola Lions!

Have a wonderful long weekend, and thank you for being such an important part of our Loyola community

Be Kind, Be Strong, Be Well,

 

Kelly Rafferty

Principal, Loyola Elementary

In Ms. Mastropietro’s first grade classroom, students were invited to explore the question: What does it mean to be a good citizen? The lesson began with a song but students weren’t told why they were listening. They simply listened, creating an opportunity to wonder and make connections. Next, students were shown four mystery pictures from a baggie filled with many more images. Working in groups, they investigated the pictures and added their thinking to a “Notice/Wonder” chart, using sentence starters to help organize and share their ideas. Even students who sometimes find it challenging to jump into discussions were able to use the sentence starters to contribute their thinking. When the class came back together, students shared their observations and were asked what the pictures had in common. Together, they developed a definition for citizenship and then discovered that the pictures could be sorted into two categories: actions that help our community and actions that hurt our community. Students returned to their charts to sort and glue their pictures, but the learning didn't stop there. Several students noticed that some pictures were difficult to categorize, leading to deeper discussion and multiple perspectives, exactly the kind of productive thinking we hope to encourage. Finally, students took the learning one step further by reflecting on an important question: How will you be a good citizen? This lesson beautifully demonstrates Deeper Learning in action—students were curious, collaborating, communicating their ideas, wrestling with ambiguity, listening to different perspectives, and ultimately connecting their learning to their own choices and actions.

9:30am-12:30pm Mondays 8/31-10/19*

Los Altos School District iLearn Studio

201 Covington Road, Los Altos CA 94024