Saint Rita News
May 24, 2017
Friday, May 26 is the Last Day of School!
We have invited graduating seniors from the Wildcat Class of 2013 (seen in the photo above) to join us for mass tomorrow. Four short years ago, they were eighth graders at Saint Rita. We welcome them back before they go off to college next school year.
At 10 a.m., students will perform at a talent show in the parish center (gym). The show should be over by 11:30.
Students will go back to class, say their summer good-byes, and we will dismiss at noon.
Thank you for a wonderful school year!
The Saint Rita Talent Show is this Friday, May 26
Saint Rita Wildcat Summer Reading and Enrichment Challenge!
Elementary and middle school teachers have provided you with your child's summer reading requirements. In addition, we want to challenge our students to continue growing in literacy skills and curiosity about the world around them. We want students to visit the public libraries as well as the Saint Rita library. We want them to go to museums, go on hikes, and create. This packet contains information about local libraries and enrichment activities.
Here is how the Saint Rita Wildcat Summer Reading and Enrichment Challenge works:
- Every time a student checks out a book from the school library, he/she gets a ticket.
- Every time a student passes an AR test, he/she gets a ticket.
- Every hour the student spends on MobyMax (see below) this summer, he/she gets a ticket.
- For every enrichment activity completed (see below) and posted to our Saint Rita Facebook with the hashtag #saintritasummer, the student gets a ticket.
- Drawings will be held at the end of each library day for students who have turned in tickets for the week, and prizes will be awarded each week.At the end of summer, there will be additional drawings for prizes.
Saint Rita has a school-wide license for MobyMax online tutoring!
Summer Enrichment Ideas
General
- Keep a summer journal and write or draw at least once per week (more is better!) about your favorite activity – this is also a perfect place to record some of the other enrichment challenges below.
Field Trip Locations
- Visit the Saint Rita Library – check out a book about a topic that interests you or you don’t know about.
- Participate in the Summer Reading Club at your local library.
- Attend Story Time – see list of all available story times at local public libraries.
- Attend Vacation Bible School at St. Rita or another parish.
- Local Park - go early, pack a lunch, bring a drawing tablet or book, and enjoy outdoors before it’s too hot.
- Fire department – bring a snack for them if you have time.
- Museum or factory – save your ticket stub.
- Listen to an outdoor concert – free options nearby include:
- Central Market Fort Worth – http://www.fort-worth.centralmarket.com/in-store/events/
- Levitt Pavilion in Arlington – http://www.levittpavilionarlington.org
- See a movie – many theatres offer heavily discounted summer kids movies:
- Studio Movie Grill ($1) http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/Movie/Film-Series/Childrens-Summer-Series
- Cinemark ($1) http://www.cinemark.com/media/smc/2017/2017%20SMC%20Flyer_1114.pdf
- Coyote Drive-In (not $1, but fun drive-in experience!) http://www.coyotedrive-in.com/fortworth/
- Play disc golf – find local courses at Gateway Park in Fort Worth, Veteran’s Park in Arlington, Sonora Park in Kennedale, North Park in Haltom City, and more at http://www.discgolfscene.com/courses
- Local hardware store – Home Depot offers free kids workshops on the first Saturday of every month, and Lowe’s sells Build & Grow kits with projects designed for kids
- Visit a nearby state park or local historic landmark – some ideas are:
- http://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/nearby/dfw, https://www.fortworth.com/things-to-do/historic-sites/,
- https://www.facebook.com/walkFW
- Visit a farmers market or tour a local farm – Fort Worth has Cowtown, Clear Fork, and Ridgmar markets, and Keller, Grand Prairie, and Grapevine have great weekly markets; 3 F Ranch in Keller and Rosey Ridge in Grandview are fun farm options.
- Visit a craft stores for inexpensive craft classes or project kits for kids.
- http://www.michaels.com/classes-and-events/classesandevents
- Ask a local pizzeria or your favorite restaurant to see if you can come in for a kitchen tour.
- Watch fireworks – plenty of options here: https://www.guidelive.com/things-to-do/fireworks
Community Service Activities
- Set up a lemonade stand – consider giving the money to Eastside Ministries or charity important to you.
- Volunteer at Eastside Ministries or a local charity/Habitat for Humanity.
- Pack up 5 toys you don’t play with and take to Eastside Ministries, Catholic Charities, Mission Arlington, or another local charity.
- Pick up trash or clean up a nearby park or area – invite friends to join and celebrate your good deed with a picnic and play time.
- Host a Christmas in July party and ask all the guests to bring donations for your local food pantry.
Things to Do Outside
- Play in the water – sprinkler, kiddie pool, water park, water hose, water balloons, etc.
- Take a nature walk – take pictures or collect 3-5 things you see and identify what they are when you get home, perfect for a journal page.
- Fly a kite – extra ticket if you make your own kite first.
- Blow bubbles – extra ticket if you make your own bubble mix first.
- Make an obstacle course outside and have races – do it again and see if you can beat your time.
- Go fishing.
- Go on a bike ride.
- Camp in your backyard.
- Plant a garden using seeds from your vegetables/fruits.
- Star gaze – research constellations during the day and see if you can find one that night.
Things to Do Inside
- Make homemade ice cream, popsicles, smoothies, or ice cream sundaes.
- Cook dinner – plan the courses, go to the grocery store, cook, set the table, and don’t forget dessert!
- Host a cooking party - invite friends over to bring ingredients and cook a meal together for someone who is sick, recovering from illness, just had a baby, recently lost a family member, moving, or just because.
- Do a sewing project - make a picnic or story time blanket, a new shirt, something for the house, a gift for someone else, or another idea you have.
- Put on a puppet show.
- Dress up and have a tea party – invite real friends, imaginary friends, or your stuffed animals.
- Play a board game or card game you haven’t played in the last year.
- Build a Hot Wheels racetrack, a train track, or something elaborate with LEGOs or another building toy.
- Make musical instruments and form a band (Examples: pie pan tambourine, paper towel holder rain stick, string and cereal box guitar).
- Sculpt with play-doh, salt clay, or slime – extra ticket if you make your own first.
- Have a pajama day, enjoy movies and popcorn.
- Color or paint a picture.
- Make a Wind Chime.
- Write a poem about your favorite thing to do during the summer.
- Play school.
- Write a letter or send an email to a friend or family member in a different state or country.
Things to Do Inside or Outside or On the Go!
- Play your favorite sport – soccer, football, tennis, baseball, etc.
- Build a fort.
- Go on an alphabet scavenger hunt – find something that starts with each letter at home, in the car, running errands, on a walk, on vacation, wherever you want!
- Take pictures of 3 different kinds of birds you see and research what kind of birds they are.
- Take pictures of 3 different kinds of trees in your yard or at a park and research what they are.
- Make a bird feeder with pine cones, peanut butter, and bird seed.
- Do a science experiment
- http://www.iflscience.com/chemistry/unfinished-20-fun-science-experiments-you-can-do-home/
- http://www.science-sparks.com/2014/04/22/outdoor-science-experiments/
- Make a Milk Carton Boat – let it float in a pond or pool.
- Gather, paint, and make pet rocks.