Loyola Roar... October 29, 2026 |
October 30: Halloween Parade @ 9am October 30: Trunk or Treat @ 5:30pm November 3-5: Book Fair November 4: Book Fair Family Night, 4:30-7pm November 11: No School November 23-27: Thanksgiving Break |
Dear Loyola Families,
Happy Halloween Week, Loyola Lions! 🦁🎃 We have a fun-filled Friday ahead of us, and I want to share a few important reminders to help everyone enjoy the festivities!
🎃 Halloween Parade – Friday at 9:00 a.m. Our Halloween Parade will begin at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, so there will be NO Friday assembly at 8:30 a.m. All families are welcome to join us and enjoy seeing our Lions show off their Halloween costumes! Our Dancing Paw Chums will also perform before the parade begins.
A few costume reminders to help keep everyone safe and comfortable at school:
- Keep costumes school-friendly: Please avoid gore, weapons, or other frightening accessories.
- Keep it simple: Too many accessories can be distracting and may get lost throughout the school day.
- Masks: Masks may be worn during the parade but should not be worn during class or the regular school day so students can see clearly and move safely around campus.
🍬 Trunk or Treat – Friday at 5:30 p.m. Don't miss our Trunk or Treat fun beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday evening in the Loyola parking lot! Loyola students and their siblings are invited to enjoy an evening of trunk-or-treating and a complimentary light dinner. We look forward to another wonderful opportunity to bring our Loyola community together!
Important Parking Reminder: To allow enough time for event setup, the Loyola parking lot will be closed beginning at 12:30 p.m. Friday. Thank you for your patience and flexibility during student pickup as we prepare for the evening's festivities.
🧡 A Few Halloween Safety Tips As you head out for Halloween fun this weekend, here are a few simple reminders to help keep everyone safe:
- Be bright and be seen! Choose light-colored or reflective clothing when possible, and consider adding reflective tape or glow sticks to costumes. Adults should carry a flashlight when trick-or-treating after dark.
- Look both ways! Use sidewalks and crosswalks, stay with a trusted adult, and make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street.
- Check treats before eating. Parents should inspect candy and treats before children enjoy them, and avoid anything that is unwrapped or appears tampered with.
- Choose safe costumes. Make sure costumes fit well to prevent tripping, shoes are comfortable for walking, and masks or accessories do not block vision.
Finally, don't forget that Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend! Remember to set your clocks back one hour Saturday night, giving us all an extra hour of sleep on Sunday. ⏰
Have a wonderful, safe, and happy Halloween weekend! I hope you enjoy making special memories with family and friends. Thank you for helping make Loyola such a fun and connected community!
Be Kind, Be Strong, Be Well! 💙🦁
Warmly, Kelly Rafferty Principal, Loyola Elementary |
*Nov 3-5: Loyola’s Book Fair The Loyola Book Fair will be on campus in the Multi, November 3-5. Parents can access the Book Fair at morning drop-off and afternoon pickup on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In addition, there will be a Book Fair Family Night on Wed, Nov 4 at 4:30-7:00 PM featuring guest reader Ms. Rafferty, a kids' activity table, and La Familia Taqueria food truck. Buy gift cards for your child or child’s teacher to use at the Book Fair. Event contacts: Cristina ( cristinaktmchugh@gmail.com), Lauren ( akins.lauren@gmail.com), Zaynah ( zaynah.rahman@gmail.com).
*Nov 13: Parent Coffee, Topic K-5 Math in the Library 8:40-10:00 A Look Inside K-5 Mathematics What does math learning look like in our K–5 classrooms? Join us for a parent coffee to explore how students are building understanding, solving problems, and sharing their thinking. You’ll experience some of the math students are doing and learn how models, strategies, and classroom discussions help children become confident, flexible mathematical thinkers.
*November 13, we remember Ruby Bridges and celebrate an inclusive education! Ruby Bridges is the first African American child to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School. At six years old, Ruby's bravery helped pave the way for Civil Rights action in the American South.
Ways to participate: - 1. Meet at McKenzie Park on Nov 13 at 7:55am by the dog park. Get a snack and a flag and join our 1/2-mile march to Loyola. Students and parents are welcome to join the parade. Make signs at home to bring as well!
- 2. If students can’t join the march, they can arrive at school as usual and stop by the lion statue to receive a commemorative bracelet and sticker.
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6th Grade Walk Through Ancient Greece |
Deeper Learning in Action: Math Forums in Ms. Kim’s Classroom
What happens when students become the teachers and mathematicians in the room? In Ms. Kim’s classroom, learning comes alive through Math Forums, where students share their thinking, explain their strategies, and learn from one another.
As part of our commitment to Deeper Learning at Loyola, we want students to do more than find the correct answer. We want them to understand the why behind their thinking, ask meaningful questions, consider different perspectives, and develop the confidence to tackle challenging problems.
During a recent math forum, students revisited mathematical strategies they had explored the previous day. Student presenters explained their approaches, while classmates listened, asked thoughtful questions, and made connections to their own problem-solving. These conversations helped students recognize that there can be multiple ways to approach a problem and that explaining our thinking is just as important as finding an answer.
What makes these forums especially powerful is the way every student has an opportunity to participate and grow. Ms. Kim intentionally creates a supportive environment where students feel comfortable sharing their ideas, learning from mistakes, and building on one another’s thinking.
The learning continues beyond the forum! Students then work with partners to choose workplaces (games) or math quests before moving into individualized practice, allowing them to build skills and progress at their own pace.
This is Deeper Learning in action: students developing mathematical understanding, strengthening their communication and critical-thinking skills, and taking ownership of their learning. In Ms. Kim’s classroom, students aren’t just learning math, they’re learning to think like mathematicians! |
Congratulations to all the students who received a Responsibility Card this week! Responsibility is taking action and understanding the impact of our choices. We will call you up at the assembly NEXT FRIDAY morning, NOV 6, to honor you!
- Kindergarteners: Lulu, Ezra, Sahana, Chase
- 2nd graders: Lily (2), Kira
- 3rd grader: Chase
- 5th graders: Senja, Evan, Eissa
- 6th graders: Connor (2), Sasha
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We are looking forward to seeing everyone at Trunk-or-Treat TOMORROW (Friday, 10/30), 5:30-7 PM. Loyola students and siblings are invited to go “trunk or treating” in the Loyola parking lot and enjoy a complimentary light dinner. The parking lot will be closed Friday in preparation for the event–please do not park in the parking lot unless you are hosting a trunk. We thank you for your cooperation. We are still looking for a few volunteers to help monitor the parking lot entrance and pass out food. Please sign up HERE to help! Contact Malinda Lee ( malinda.shinrhei@gmail.com) or Ketaki Deo ( ketz.deo@gmail.com) with questions.
The Loyola Book Fair will be on campus in the Multi, November 3-5. Parents can access the Book Fair at morning drop-off and afternoon pickup on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. In addition, there will be a Book Fair Family Night on Wed, Nov 4 at 4:30-7:00 PM featuring guest reader Ms. Rafferty, a kids' activity table, and La Familia Taqueria food truck. Buy gift cards for your child or child’s teacher to use at the Book Fair.
As always, we need volunteers at Book Fair to assist with a variety of tasks, including set-up, managing check-out lines, assisting students, family night, and break-down! Please SIGN UP HERE for volunteer slots. We especially need help with Family Night on Wed, Nov 4 to run a kid's crafting activity table setup by Loyola's English Language Advisory Committee and during Monday's setup and Thursday's breakdown. Event contacts: Cristina ( cristinaktmchugh@gmail.com), Lauren ( akins.lauren@gmail.com), Zaynah ( zaynah.rahman@gmail.com).
Enjoy this special infrequent Saturday Halloween!
Liz Hwang PTA President Mom of Benji Leung (4th) and Samara (7th) |
October brought in the fall leaves along with the Character Strong trait of Responsibility: taking action and understanding the impact of our choices. We introduced a new poster exploring "Things within my control" versus "Things outside of my control," challenging students to focus on what they can control—like their words and effort.
We also took another step towards our Best Plank Pose! By moving through a table-top-to-plank flow that ended with mountain climbers, we worked on strengthening our muscles, especially our core.
The students continued to practice their Tall Spines, bringing awareness to their posture as they moved through mountain, plank, modified side plank, Warriors and airplane poses. Our younger students had a blast playing Halloween yoga freeze dance, while the older students challenged themselves with a flow that incorporated modified side planks and balancing into a sun salutation.
Finally, we had fun with a "Halloween Boo Breath" to help elongate the breath and create calming vibrations. We also added the Physiological Sigh—a wonderful, science-backed breathing technique studied by the Huberman Lab—to our Mindful Tool Box.
We are looking forward to November, when we will explore the season of gratitude!
With Warmth, The Bridge Mindfulness & Yoga Team |
If you haven’t had a chance to give yet, it’s not too late. Donate or pledge today to help provide a well-rounded, excellent education for all LASD students. Gifts of any amount make a big impact. |
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! |
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. We will accept submissions from 10/8 to 11/11, and the LASD Student Art Showcase will be on display at Covington Elementary on November 18th 5:00-7:00 pm. This event will celebrate student art and local artists, and offer the opportunity to enjoy an evening together as an LASD community.
Registration opens October 8th. Please use this Google Form to register. Registration closes on November 11th. Let's go, LIONS! I can’t wait to see what you create.
Questions? kdickerson@lasdschools.org |
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