4th Grade Newsletter 4/16-4/30

 

⭐4/16/2026 - 4/30/2026 

4th Grade Newsletter

What We're Learning:

Math: TEKS 

Students will review what they have learned this past year to prepare for the Math STAAR.


Our Math STAAR Review will be 4/16-4/24.

Link to Optional Math Homework PDF

RLA: TEKS 

Students will start working on end of the year school projects and activities.


Science: TEKS 4.13 A & B

Students learn about organisms. First, in Experience 1, they investigate plant structure and function. Then, in Experience 2, they investigate physical traits of organisms. Students explore how different structures help organisms to survive in their environments.

  • Structures and functions of plants enable them to survive in their environments.

  • Some physical traits are inherited whereas others are acquired.

  • An adaptation is an inherited trait that helps an organism survive in its environment.


Social Studies:  TEKS 4.5A, 4.5B, 4.10A, 4.11A, 4.18A, 4.18B
4.5(A) explain the impact of various events on life in Texas such as the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and World War II and notable individuals such as Audie Murphy, Cleto Rodríguez, and Bessie Coleman, and other local individuals 
4.5(B) explain the development and impact of the oil and gas industry on industrialization and urbanization in Texas, including Spindletop and important people such as Pattillo Higgin  
4.10(A) describe how the free enterprise system works, including supply and demand 
4.11(A)^ identify how people in different regions of Texas earn their living, past and present
4.18(A) identify famous inventors and scientists such as … Michael DeBakey, and Millie Hughes‐Fulford and their contributions 
4.18(B) describe how scientific discoveries and innovations such as in aerospace, agriculture, energy, and technology have benefited individuals, businesses, and society in Texas 
 



Up Coming EVENTS for LHISD and SRE:

Pre-Order TODAY!


🎉 Learning LUAU & Multicultural Night 🎉

📅 Date: Tuesday, May 12th
⏰ Time: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
📍 Location: Santa Rita Elementary


🌎 ALL SRE FAMILIES & STUDENTS ARE INVITED! 🌎

Get ready for an evening of fun, learning, and celebration as we combine TWO amazing events into one unforgettable night!

🌟 What to Expect:

🌊 Travel through engaging, hands-on activities featuring:

  • 🔬 Science
  • 📚 Reading
  • ➕ Math
  • 🎨 Art
  • 💡 STEAM Experiences
  • ✨ And so much more!

🌍 Multicultural Celebration Highlights:

  • 🎭 Cultural performances
  • 🍽️ Delicious food
  • 🏫 Interactive booths showcasing the many cultures that make up our SRE family

🌍 Be a Part of Our Multicultural Celebration! 🌺

We are excited to announce that Santa Rita’s Multicultural Celebration will be combined with our Learning Luau event this year! While these events are coming together, we are still deeply committed to highlighting and celebrating the many cultures that make up our wonderful school community.


We are looking for families or groups who would like to partner with us by hosting a booth or participating in the event through:
🎭 Student performances
🍽️ Cultural foods
🎨 Crafts & activities
🎲 Games and more!

The Learning Luau & Multicultural Night will take place on:
📅 Tuesday, May 12, 2026
⏰ 6:00–7:00 PM
🛠️ Booth setup begins at 5:30 PM


If you are interested in hosting a booth or showcasing your culture, we would love to have you join us!


👉 Please complete the Google Form by Friday, April 10, 2026 to sign up and participate.

Let’s come together to celebrate the diversity, traditions, and cultures that make Santa Rita Elementary so special! 💙 Multicultural Interest Sign Up Google Form




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 librariesthe book selection processand 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.

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


TRAIT OF THE MONTH

APRIL: Honesty

HONESTY:

  1. Telling the truth

    *Honesty builds trusting relationships

    *People rely on us because we are truthful


    Being honest isn’t always easy, but it is a habit worth developing because it affects relationships and builds character. How can you help your child?

    1. Reward the truth praise- build self-confidence when children make this positive choice

    2. Speak the truth- help your child understand the power of their words

    3. Give consequences- when truth isn’t spoken (it will happen!), give appropriate consequences to help your child learn responsibility for their actions

    4. Correct mistakes- learning through mistakes made helps children remember how to make better choices in the future…don’t be afraid to let your child fail!

    5. Model telling the truth- follow through with promises made so children see how relationships are built on truth telling and trust


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.