Hope you all are having a nice, long weekend! For the month of November we will be discussing and learning about gratitude. We will define gratitude as, choosing to appreciate the people and things in our lives. 

Conversation starters: Can you share or show me what gratitude means? When someone shows you gratitude,  how does it make you feel? Why?

Gratitude is a skill that many of us continue to practice long into adulthood. The more we discuss and model this concept for our kids, the more natural it will become. 

Character trait: Gratitude

Emotion: Happiness

Breathing technique: Box Breathing

____________________________________________________________________________

OCT Tiger Families- What do you do?

Thank you for taking the time to invest in our Tigers. In GCISD, one of our goals is to prepare students for lifelong learning. We will be hosting a career day in the spring, but this is another way you can help encourage and inspire our students. Each week on the Tiger Time News we will be highlighting one career, trade, or profession. Being that we only have a limited number of weeks in the year, the remaining videos will be used to supplement during the large career day in the spring. 

Who: Tiger parents/guardians 

What: Create a 2-3 minute video: introduction, job title, brief description of job, and another fun fact (training required, your favorite part about the job, live footage of the job/jobsite, etc.). Upload the video at the end of tis Google form. All videos will be reviewed by OCT Administration.

When: Videos will be shown in the order they are received. Any additional videos will be used campuswide on career day.

Where: Tiger Time News- our morning announcements

Why: We want to promote college and career readiness for even our youngest Tigers!  

What do you do? (click here to fill out the Google Form) 

____________________________________________________________________________Please don't hesitate to reach out if there is anything I can do to support your student or family! 

Mackenzie Holley

mackenzie.holley@gcisd.net

X: @OCTHolley

• THANK YOU TIGER FAMILIES:  To those of you who sent in baby wipes...thank you for your generous donations.  The clinic is now stocked and I feel the LOVE! :)

•  POP TABS DONATIONS: We are STILL collecting pop tops! This is an easy way we can help support the families at Ronald McDonald House.  Bring in all kinds of pop tops and tabs!  There is be a labeled bucket in clinic for donations. :)

• LION'S CLUB RECYCLE FOR SIGHT PROGRAM:   This is another way we can be servant leaders.  Donate any old eyeglasses/lenses/cases!   There are collection boxes in the front vestibule and in the front office.  Most of the recycled glasses are sorted and distributed to people in need in developing countries where they will have the greatest impact.  

Repeated information:

• FAILED VISION AND HEARING SCREENINGS: I will be sorting through screening results and re-screening any students who failed their vision and/or hearing.  If they fail twice, I will send home referral letters.  My goal is to be finished by Christmas break, so parents are able to make necessary appointments. 

• WHEN TO STAY HOME: Students must stay home from school if any of the following are present:

●      fever of 100 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours

●      vomiting and/or diarrhea in the past 24 hours

●      itchy, red eyes with discharge

●      unknown rash

●      jaundice

●      ringworm of the scalp (until treatment has begun)

GCISD has a 24-hour policy related to stomach illness or fever.  Students may not return to school until free of fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of any medication.  If your student is sent home from school with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea, you must still abide by the 24-hour policy, and keep your child home for a minimum of 24 hours after symptoms have subsided without the aid of medication.

Important Dates:

• 5th Grade testing begins: Nov. 11 - Dec. 13th

• K-4 referral window: Dec. 2nd - 20th

• K- 4th GT testing: January 8th - 31st

Kinder-4th Grade Referrals: 

This year the window for Kinder-4th grade GT and ASPIRE testing referrals will be December 2-20. The forms to sign them up will not be open until December 2nd so if you go on before 

and try to sign them up the form will not work.

Sample Progress Report: 1-2 & 3-5 

What are we learning in GT LEAD 2nd nine weeks?

1st Grade -   Authentic Research

2nd Grade - Simple Machines

3rd Grade -  3D Discoveries

4th Grade -  Detective School 

5th Grade -  Independent Research

SAGE: Please consider joining this wonderful organization of GCISD parents and teachers, supporting gifted scholars K-12.  They work with local and state programs to ensure the needs of this population are fully met.  Strong membership also supports my job, which I love very much! SAGE will share articles and learning strategies to assist you in your classroom. I would appreciate your membership. Feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

Supporting & Advocating for Gifted Education

From our Sage Representative:

Join us in learning from a GT advocacy expert who will be explaining changes to the State Plan for GT services. https://gcsage.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/167095821

Emily Villamar-Robbins is a member of the Texas Education Commission's Advisory Council on the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, was TAGT's Advocate for the Gifted of the Year in 2018, which was the same year SAGE won Parent Group of the year!

She is a founding board member of Richardson ISD's Special and Gifted Education PTA, as well as a founding member of Gifted Education Family Network. Emily will be discussing recent updates to the Texas State Plan for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students.

SIGN UP NOW: Nov 19 @ 11:30am

• Select quantity 1 under Register, then click save and check out.  

• Must be current SAGE member to join this event. 

• If you have not already joined SAGE, please click here to join and then return to this form to register for the event.  Once you have registered, the link to join this virtual event will be sent to the email you used to create your membership toolkit account. 

Resources:

Byrdseed Articles

• A video of me talking about why gifted kids are different than just “smart kids”

• Related: how being repeatedly called “smart” can become a burden.

• Does your child seem anxious? This is common.

• Why your gifted kid shouldn’t be tutoring other students in class.

• Gifted kids can be squirmy, fidgety, have high energy… and that’s ok!

• Be thoughtful about how you praise kids.

Books

• Living With Intensity

• Turn Your Worrier Into A Warrior

• Why Smart Kids Worry

• When Gifted Kids Don’t Have All The Answers

GCISD NUTRITION SERVICES:  Click here to see the school menus.

FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH APPLICATIONS: Starting on July 10, 2024, free and reduced-price meal applications were made available to fill out for the 2024-2025 school year. Families are encouraged to complete the Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals available online at www.schoollunchapp.com. A paper copy may be downloaded from the website or requested at any campus or Nutrition Services office.

 The application will determine a child’s eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and may assist in the determination of eligibility for other state or federal benefits. Only one application needs to be completed per household. Schools will notify the household of the child’s eligibility. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) administers school nutrition programs in Texas and offers an eligibility calculator at www.SquareMeals.org/ProgramEligibility.  

Decisions regarding payment for school meals are made at the national-government level, not by the school nutrition team or TDA. The dedicated staff in Nutrition Services is looking forward to serving healthy, balanced meals to students in the new school year.  If you have any questions, please call 817-251-5617 or email child.nutrition@gcisd.net. 

Texas legislation has approved a 2024-25 biennium budget, which includes $3.3 million per year to cover the cost of school breakfasts for students eligible for reduced price meals. Students that are approved for reduced-priced meals may eat breakfast at no cost this school year. Lunch price is $0.40.

PROCEDURE FOR FAMILIES WITH UNPAID MEAL CHARGES:  Parents/Guardians shall monitor their student’s school meal account to ensure that they always have a positive balance. In the event that a student does not have a positive balance, the student may charge up to 6 meals to their account. Only reimbursable meals may be charged. A la carte items may not be charged. Communication about a negative meal balance will be sent to parents/guardians via email. Students who have exceeded the 6 charged meal limit, will be offered an alternative meal that will be charged to the student’s account.