4th Grade Newsletter 1/15-1/29

 

⭐1/15/2026 - 1/29/2026 ⭐

4th Grade Newsletter

What We're Learning:

Math: TEKS 4.5D, 4.8 A-C

The student applies mathematical process standards to select appropriate customary and metric units, strategies, and tools to solve problems involving measurement. The student will understand the context of the problem first to then determine what decisions need to be made regarding the type of measurement. The student will identify the properties of area and perimeter of rectangles, including solving for dimensions for sides with an unknown length.

Link to Optional Math Homework PDF

RLA: TEKS 4.7D, 4.7A, 4.9C, 4.6I, 4.10D, 4.11A, 4.12A, 4.11Dxi, 4.8C, 4.8A, 4.10A

4.7D- retell, paraphrase, or summarize texts in ways that maintain meaning and logical order. 

4.7A-describe personal connections to a variety of sources, including self-selected texts.

4.9C-explain structure in drama such as character tags, acts, scenes, and stage directions.

4.6I- monitor comprehension and make adjustments such as re-reading, using background knowledge, asking questions, and annotating when understanding breaks down.

4.10D- describe how the author’s use of imagery, literal and figurative language such as simile and metaphor, and sound devices such as alliteration and assonance achieves specific purposes.

4.10F-discuss how the author’s use of language contributes to voice. 

4.11A- plan a first draft by selecting fiction as the topic, purpose, and audience using a range of strategies such as brainstorming, freewriting, or mapping. 

4.12A- compose literary texts such as personal narratives and poetry using genre characteristics and craft.

4.11Dxi-Correct spelling of words with grade appropriate patterns and rules and high frequency words.4.6E- make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society.

4.8C- analyze plot elements, including the rising action, climax, falling resolution, and resolution.

4.8A- infer basic themes supported by text evidence. 

4.10A- explain the author’s purpose and message within a text.

Science: TEKS 4.9A, 4.9B

Students learn about Earth’s patterns. First, they investigate the seasons, explore how the tilt of Earth’s axis affects the seasons, and identify seasonal patterns such as changes in temperature and the amount of daylight. Then students observe and analyze the phases of the moon to recognize patterns.

• The seasons show up differently in different parts of the world, but there are still seasonal distinctions. Places closest to the equator will experience a less drastic shift in seasons.

• Moon phases are how the moon appears to change shape based on how much of its lit surface we can observe from Earth.

 

Social Studies:  TEKS 4.2E, 4.3A

4.2(E) identify the accomplishments and explain the economic motivations and impact of significant empresarios, including Stephen F. Austin and Martín de León, on the settlement of Texas

4.3(A) analyze the causes, major events, and effects of the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of the Alamo, the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Runaway Scrape, and the Battle of San Jacinto  

 

*LINK TO QUICK CHECKS, TESTS, AND PROJECT SCHEDULE*

Click here for the Admin Santa Rita Newsletter

Up Coming EVENTS for LHISD and SRE:

Jan. 5-29 MOY Testing Window PK-5th

Jan. 5 3rd 9 Weeks Begins!

Jan. 6SRE PTO Meeting 7:30-8:30 @Ranch Hub (Across the Street)

Jan. 8 Santa Rita News Newsletter (Admin Letter) Sent to Families

Jan. 9 Student Holiday & Staff Work Day

Jan. 15 Grade Level Newsletters Sent to Familes @4:00pm

Jan. 15 5th Grade SRE Campus Science Fair!

Jan. 16 Student Holiday & Staff Work Day

Jan. 19 MLK Day Student Holiday & Staff Holiday

Jan. 22 Santa Rita News Newsletter (Admin Letter) Sent to Families

Jan. 23 Student Holiday & Staff Work Day

Jan. 27 Holocaust Rememberance Day- Celebrated Kindness & Acceptance

Jan. 27 3rd-5th RLA Interim Assessment

Jan. 28 3rd-5th Math Interim Assessment

Jan. 29 Grade Level Newsletters Sent to Familes @4:00pm

Jan. 30 Student Holiday & Staff Holiday

GT Referal Window is open from January 7-30th.  Please CLICK HERE to fill out a referral form.  

Valentine & Dancing Through the Decades RSVP Form and Process:

We invite you all to attend your child's classroom Valentine Party and Dancing through the Decades on Thursday, February 12th. Please remember all treats must be store bought items. If you plan to check your child out early, they then need to leave campus. Once students have been checked out, they may not attend other parties on campus. If you will be checking out multiple children from different grade levels, please wait until the last party to check them out.

To expedite our process of checking family and friends in for school events and class parties, Santa Rita will continue to use our Google RSVP “Fast Pass” system. Before any large school event or class party, an RSVP “Fast Pass” will be sent out for you to fill out via email and parent newsletter. Filling out the form allows us to have your visitor badge pre-printed in advance of the day, so we can have them ready for you. This allows you to enter quickly with just the showing of your ID.

If your ID has already been scanned into our system this school year, your badge will be pre-printed but you will still be required to show your ID for entry. If your ID has never been scanned into our system this school year, you may want to drop by before the party or event, to scan it and expedite your entry. You must have your ID on the event day regardless if your badge is pre-printed or not. LHISD policy is "NO ID, No Entry". However, the RSVP process will speed along your entry as well as the check out process for any students leaving early.

Classroom teachers will be sending more information home with details of class parties and needs.

RSVP FORM

THIS FORM NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BY: Monday, February 9, 2026.

Event Procedures:

As we look forward to our upcoming classroom Valentine Parties & Dancing Through the Decades on Thursday, February 12th, we are excited to welcome families to celebrate with their children. To ensure the safety of our students and a smooth, joyful experience for everyone, please review the following campus procedures carefully. We appreciate your cooperation and support.

Visitor Entry & Check-In:

• All visitors must present a valid photo ID to enter campus.
• No ID = no entry (this is a district safety requirement).
• All parents and guests will enter through the cafeteria only.
• Visitor check-in will take place in the cafeteria.
• Guests will be seated in the cafeteria and released by staff to proceed to classrooms at the designated time.

During & After the Party:

• After the classroom party concludes, all guests must exit campus through the main campus doors only.
• If you plan to sign your child out early, this will take place in the classroom or gym with your child’s teacher.
  • Teachers will verify that you are listed on the student’s emergency contact list.
  • You will be provided an exit ticket.
  • Once signed out, you and your child must leave campus immediately and may not return that day.
• Families with multiple children: Please do not sign any students out early until after the final event of the day has concluded.

Additional Reminders:

• If possible, please have your child leave personal belongings at home on party days.
• If you plan to contribute an item for the party, please remember that all food items must be store-bought only.

We truly appreciate your partnership in helping us maintain a safe, organized, and festive environment for all students and staff. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we celebrate together!

zoom_out_mapShow in original size

Arrival and Dismissal Safety

Safety is our first priority. Cell phones in school zones and in car lines are not only against the law, it puts our kids and staff at risk. Your cooperation is needed and appreciated.

Please do not park at or near crosswalks as it blocks our ability to see oncoming traffic and creates a hazard for crossing guards and students crossing the street.

The first few days of school are exciting for everyone. We often have 2-3 times the number of cars dropping off and picking up than the rest of the year. Thanks for your patience as we worked through these first couple of days getting back into our routines.

Morning Arrival:

• Please form one lane and do not go around other vehicles or cones or run over our cones.
• Do NOT drop off students in the bus parking lot to avoid our car rider line. That parking lot is reserved for our staff and students with special circumstances.
• Do NOT drop off students by the black Panther walker near Braun and Vista Porta Loop.
• Please follow staff and sign directives.
• It is imperative that you pull all the way forward in the morning before letting your child out of the car. This allows us to try and fill up our parking lot as much as possible and alleviate traffic from Santa Rita Boulevard as soon as possible.
• Please be kind to our staff members and use appropriate language in the presence of children.
• If you are a walker, please cross the street at the designated crosswalk locations ONLY.

Afternoon Dismissal:

• Please form 2 lines in the afternoon. Please remember the inside lane will go straight into the neighborhood off of Vista Porta Loop. The outside lane will turn left down Braun.
• Please remain in your vehicle at all times.
• Please follow all staff directives and signs.
• Please do not come up to the building to receive your child. All students will meet parents at their designated crosswalk and their vehicle.
• Please be kind to our staff members and use appropriate language in the presence of children.

SRE Digital Citizenship

Families,

Students at SRE have been learning about digital citizenship in library classes. Students are learning how to balance time online, how to be kind to others while on devices, and how to keep their private information safe. Please continue to discuss online safety with your children.

LHISD Library Website

Library Services Website

We are excited to share the LHISD Library Services website. We invite you to view the page to find information regarding all 11 of our state-of-the-art libraries, the book selection process, and frequently asked questions. You will also find a list of proposed book purchases for elementary, middle and high school. These books will be posted for 10 school days. If you would like to provide feedback or input on any of the books listed, we invite you to complete the Feedback Form that can be found on the Library Services website. After the books have been posted for 10 days, a committee, including campus and district staff, will review the comments to determine approval for purchasing.

Thank you!

After School Care at SRE!

Need Afterschool care? The Y Afterschool is here to give your kids supervised fun as soon as the school bell rings, till 6:30pm!

In Y Afterschool your child will have the opportunity to participate in programs such as enrichments, crafts, STEM activities, and so much more! A snack is provided for students daily.

Registration is available online.

Ricardo Rios
Site Director | Licensed Child Care
Phone: 512-246-YMCA
rrios@ymcactx.org
ymcactx.org | The Y.™ For a better us. Follow us:

Watch D.O.G.S.

WATCH D.O.G.S. Santa Rita Elementary School

@Dads: 3 Steps to Sign Up

1. Background Check: Submit your Liberty Hill ISD Volunteer Application

https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/MzQ0OmVuLVVT

2. PTO: Complete your Santa Rita Elementary PTO Google Form

https://www.sres-pto.org/membershipform

3. SignUpGenius: Request your Volunteer Day

http://sres-pto.org/volunteer

PTO will send a confirmation email invite

(Check your spam folder)

GT Website

Please check out the link below to view the SRE GT website and learn more information!

https://sites.google.com/libertyhill.txed.net/kids parent support/home

We Need You!

We will have lots of opportunities to get involved this year.

Be a volunteer! Get started by completing the volunteer application online. It must be updated every school year.

Join our PTO! Membership is free. Nowhere else can you get so much for so little! We have the best parent partners ever!! Check out their website for volunteer opportunities, Spirit Nights and more!

Calling all Dads! WatchDOGS is a unique organization that partners the school with male role models. It's an incredible opportunity to volunteer at Santa Rita while getting a sneak peak into your child's school day. It's an experience you won't want to miss, and you will make an big impact on your own child and so many others!

Student Reading Mentors Needed! Enjoy working with children, love reading and want to make a big impact on a child's life? Education Connection is just for you!! Consider investing just 30 minutes a week, and bless the life of a child.

More opportunities to come soon!

Lost and Found

We ask that you label all lunch boxes, water bottles, and jackets. This will help us to get lost items back to your child.

Specials Rotations:

Attendance

• Communication is key! We are here to support you.

• Our campus attendance goal is 97%

• 90% attendance or better!

• Arrival after 7:40 requires you to check your child in the front office

• Please send a doctor’s note when your child is at an appointment

• Vacations or traveling to other countries are not considered excused absences

• For family loss, excused absences are for the travels days needed the day before, day of services, and day after. All other absences outside of these 3 days is not excused absences.

• Truancy Measures initiated: when absent 3 days or parts of days in a 4-week period

If you need to report an absence, please CLICK HERE

Bell Schedule & School Calendar

Doors Open: 7:00

Students eating breakfast will go to the cafeteria.

If not they will go to their grade-level hallway.

1st Bell: 7:20

Students can go to class

Breakfast is still open

Tardy Bell: 7:30

Class begins

Exterior doors close

Breakfast ends

Please arrive on time

Dismissal Bell: 3:15

Helpful Tips

• Please do not let tardies become a habit. Our car rider line is running smoothly, and we are eager to start the day off right.
• The school encourages families to label their students' items such as water bottles, jackets, lunch boxes, etc. Let's work together to keep our lost & found empty.
• Around 3:15, our car rider line will close. After that, students can be picked up at the front office.
• If you need to pick up your student, please do not assign them as a walker. We have a car rider line for those picking up.
• Continue to follow traffic patterns, staff guidance, and crossing guards.

LHISD Academic Calendar

Parents & guardians, please remember that if your child is not in the building by 7:30am, then your child is considered tardy and must be walked into the building by an adult. We are having students crossing crosswalks unattended and we have students being dropped off on the sidewalk and they don't know their teachers’ names. All SRE staff report to classrooms at 7:30 am. After this time, your child is your responsibility due to no available staff supervision.

Families, please check your child's backpack and school items each morning to make sure they have everything that they need. There have been many forgotten items brought to campus after instruction has begun. Here are some tips to support with this:

• Have backpacks packed every night
• Use sticky notes as reminders
• Have students complete an inventory checklist- backpack, snack, water bottle, lunch, etc.
• Have your child develop a routine of organizing items to ensure that nothing gets left behind

January: Self-Control

Self-Control:

Being in charge of your emotions and behavior

Steps for practicing self-control:

1. Stop…calm down with deep breaths. Consider everyone’s feelings, including your own!

2. Think…What is the problem? What are your options? What would the consequences be from your actions?

3. Choose…make your choice, and talk to someone for support, if needed.

At SRE, students are expected to show responsibility for their work and actions. Be Safe! Be Respectful! Be Responsible!

Important Information:

TRANSPORTATION:

If you need to make a transportation change for your student, you MUST 

e-mail: srestransportationchanges@libertyhill.txed.net, by 1 pm in order to make that change.  Teachers will not be able to accept written notes, emails, or phone calls for transportation changes.