Tiger Time News
October 14th-October 18th, 2024
OCT SADDLE UP FOR SUCCESS THIS SCHOOL YEAR!!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mr. Schilleci
Dear O.C. Taylor Families,
I hope you all are enjoying the extra day this weekend! Thank you to everyone that participated in International Walk to School Day and who wore Blue and Pink to support taking a stand against bullying and for honoring Breast Cancer Awareness!
Thank you all for your continued support! We are excited for what the rest of October holds for our tigers!
We hope you have a great rest of your weekend!
Best,
Principal Schilleci
Principal Schilleci's Weekly News
NO SCHOOL ON 10/14, STUDENT AND STAFF HOLIDAY- We hope that you and your family enjoy the extra day off and we are excited to have our tigers back on Tuesday!
REPORT CARDS- Report Cards Will Be Available This Week! Report cards for this nine-week period will be accessible on Wednesday on each Tiger's Skyward account. If you need assistance navigating Skyward, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are very proud of our Tiger's and what they have been able to accomplish so far this year!
CHARGED DEVICES- Please ensure your student brings their device to school fully charged each day. We've had several instances where students arrive with devices that are not charged and without their chargers. A fully charged device helps your Tiger stay ready and engaged for learning throughout the day. Thank you for your support!
Have a Question about the VATRE? - GCISD has multiple resources available to answer questions about the upcoming voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE) that will be on the November 5 ballot:
Attend a community presentation scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, October 17, at the district’s Professional Development and Education Center (PDEC), 5800 Colleyville Blvd. in Colleyville, TX 76034.
Watch the district’s Facebook Live presentation available on GCISD’s YouTube Channel and the district’s Facebook page. The presentation on YouTube is also separated by chapters so you can jump to a specific topic, such as “Why a VATRE” or “Understanding What You Will See on the Ballot.”
Visit the district’s VATRE webpage at www.GCISD.net/VATRE, which has tax rate information, frequently-asked questions and answers and more.
As a reminder,
GCISD will have a lower overall tax rate with VATRE approval - With the passage of the VATRE, the overall tax rate (Maintenance & Operations + Interest & Sinking) will be $0.0014 less than the 2023 rate of $0.9247.
100% of funds stay in GCISD - The three-cent increase will be made of “golden pennies.” Tax funds collected through these pennies are not subject to recapture, meaning 100 percent of these funds remain in GCISD.
The impact to GCISD will be $6 million - The passage of the VATRE would result in approximately $6 million in funding for teachers and staff, instruction and student programs, and daily operating expenses (utilities, maintenance, supplies).
Watch the 2024 GCISD VATRE video.
National School Lunch Week October 15-18 - Each year, GCISD celebrates National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in October at our elementary and middle school campuses. During NSLW, we pull out all the stops with student favorites, Texas local items, and even some special Texas State Fair-themed treats!
This year’s menu is off-the-charts with goodies like the wacky burger, Texas-made lone star luau fruit slush, footlong corn dog, cinnamon sugar churros, and back by popular demand our legendary pizza on a stick!
The students and staff have a blast with these special menu items, and Nutrition Services is thrilled to continue this fun tradition. Make sure to join us for lunch from October 15-18 and be part of the excitement!
Watch this video where the district's Chef Jason previews the items.
FALL PICTURE DAY: Picture day is Tuesday, October 15th. These pictures will be in the yearbook.
REPEATED INFORMATION:
RED RIBBON WEEK- This year Red Ribbon Week will be on the week of October 28th- November 1st. Red Ribbon Week was established in 1985 to affirm commitment to live drug-free and not further the endeavors of the drug cartels. We celebrate those who live without drugs as well as those who choose to leave drugs behind and live drug-free. Please see our schedule below for each day as you prepare for Red Ribbon Week!
Mon., 10/28 = There's Nobody I Would Rather Be Than Me! (Wear clothes that reflect you)
Tues., 10/29 = You and I are a team! (Wear jerseys or team colors)
Weds., 10/30 = There's always a bright side! (Wear bright colors)
Thurs., 10/31 = Oh, a real page turner! (Dress Up As Favorite Book Character)
Fri., 11/1 = You've Got a Friend in Me! ( Wear OCT Spirit Gear)
OCT BOOK CHARACTER PARADE, 10/31- One of our favorite events at OCT is approaching. We will be holding our Annual OCT Book Character Parade on October 31st. We will be holding the parade outside (weather permitting) exactly like last year. There will be no need to check in for a badge. Should there be unexpected bad weather once we get closer to the date, we will communicate the plan for everyone to still be able to see the parade indoors. Please see the attached map for the parade route.
PINK ON WEDNESDAYS: During the month of October, we will be wearing PINK on Wednesdays in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. Students are invited to wear PINK as well.
NATIONAL DAY OF UNITY, 10/16- Every year on the third or fourth Wednesday in October, a very special event comes around — the Day of Unity, or Unity Day, as it is commonly called, which is celebrated on October 16th this year. This is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. The key message of this month, and this day, is to unite for kindness, courage, and inclusion, to prevent students from being bullied. Please join us and wear ORANGE to unite in support against bullying and for kindness courage and inclusion.
OCT 1ST ANNUAL TRUNK OR TREAT, 10/29- Our amazing OCT Dad's Club and PTA are planning our first ever OCT Trunk or Treat (AKA Tiger Treat). You can find all the details about it on the flyer located in the Dad's Club section at the bottom of the newsletter. Reserve a parking spot and we can't wait to see you there!!
OCT BOURBON AND BOWTIES GALA TICKETS FOR SALE- I invite you to join us Saturday, November 9th from 6 to 11pm at Bear Creek Golf Club in Euless (near the south entrance to DFW airport). It's a great opportunity to meet and mingle with other OCT families while raising money for our school! Those who attended last year know you're in for a fantastic evening. You can donate or purchase tickets by scanning the flyers located on this page or purchase your tickets here!!!
Our goal is to raise $50,000 to be primarily used for playground and outdoor improvements. Things like new basketball rims and a freshly painted court. Repair and replace the outdoor water fountains, enhance the gaga ball pit, and more. While these are the larger cost items, these funds will also continue to support existing programs and initiatives for current students and staff that are solely funded by the OCT PTA.
GRADE LEVEL NEWSLETTERS
Please read your child's grade level newsletter by clicking on the grade to the right.
Upcoming Important Dates
10/14 - Student/Teacher Holiday
10/15 - 8:00 - 12:00 Fall Picture Day (picture for yearbook)
10/16 - Unity Day (Wear Orange)
10/16 - 3:00 - 3:45 Yearbook Club
10/18 - 3:00 - 4:00 Run Club
10/21 - 10/25 Book Fair
10/23 - 3:00 - 3:45 Yearbook Club
10/28 - 11/1 Red Ribbon Week
10/28 - 3:00 - 3:45 Student Council
10/29 - 6:00 - 8:00 PTA Dad's Club Trunk or Treat
10/30 - Screening Day
10/30 - 3:00 - 3:45 Yearbook
10/31 - Book Character Parade
11/1 - 3:00 - 4:00 Run Club
11/4 - 11/5 - Professional Development/No School
11/11 - Veterans Day Program
11/12 - Makeup Picture Day
11/15 - 3:00 - 4:00 Run Club
Mrs. Priesand
Assistant Principal Priesand Updates
Happy Sunday! I hope you all had a great weekend and you're enjoying this beautiful weather.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Before You Speak...THINK!
Our staff spends a lot of time talking with students about the power of words, whether they are expressed verbally or in writing. It is important for students to use these five questions as reminders and reflection. Hopefully this can be a helpful tool for you, too, as you reinforce the importance of THINKING before we use our words.
(Refer to T.H.I.N.K picture on left)
Laws Governing School Attendance:
Compulsory Attendance (AKA Truancy)
Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten
Students enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled at a campus.
Ages 6–18
State law requires that a student who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached their 19th birthday, shall attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended-year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt. Students/families who do not meet compulsory attendance will be referred to the GCISD Attendance Review Board and/or referred to Tarrant County Court for truancy. If a student fails to attend school without excuse on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period but does not fail to attend school for the time described below, the district shall initiate truancy prevention measures on the student.
Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (AKA 90% Rule)
To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten–grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. With the exception of absences due to serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment, all absences, whether excused or unexcused, must be considered in determining whether a student has attended the required percentage of days. Students who are in danger of losing credit or promotion will be contacted by the campuses with plans for opportunities to regain lost instructional time.
Documentation after an Absence
Up to eight days per year (four per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. All absences whether excused or unexcused count toward the 90% rule.
A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent, and can be documented by the parent in Skyward. A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law. The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
Counselor Holley's Herald
Hi Tiger Families,
As we move into September we will be discussing and learning about EMPATHY. This is a huge lifelong skill that we hope to grow in all of our Tigers. Please try to encourage conversations on empathy, and model what it looks like at home. Thank you for ALL you do to support your kiddos!
Character trait: Empathy
Emotion: overview for the year
Breathing technique: 5 finger 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
X: @OCTHolley
Nurse Katy
REPEATED INFORMATION:
SCREENING DAY AT OCT: The GCISD Screen Team will be at OCT on Wednesday October 30th. Vision, Hearing, and AN screenings will be conducted on all students in ECSE, PK, Kinder, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade. Any 2nd and 4th grade students who are new to GCISD will also be screened. If your student wears glasses or contacts, PLEASE BE SURE THEY HAVE THEM ON THIS DAY!
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.
1st grade Castles using 3D Shapes. Each group had a design challenge and then presented using language of the Discipline.
3rd Grade Field Trip to flight museum. So fun!
Mrs. Water's GT News
Important Dates:
5th Grade referral window: Oct. 14th - Nov. 4th
5th Grade testing begins: Nov. 11 - Dec. 13th
K-4 Parent Meeting: Week of November 11th - 15th
K-4 referral window: Dec. 2nd - 20th
K- 4th GT testing: January 8th - 31st
What are we learning in GT LEAD?
1st Grade - Stories and Their Contributions - Bring recycled shapes for castles (Example: cereal boxes, Tiolet paper rolls, anything that is a shape) Design Challenge
2nd Grade - Sytems - How one thing can affect the other. Design Challenge
3rd Grade - Flight Field trip to the Flight Museum on October 11th. All money has to be turned in by Friday, October 20th.
4th Grade - Monuments of Me - Who are we and what makes us, us? Using symbols to describe traits. We studied famous monuments and what symbols represent on the monuments.
5th Grade - Power of Yet - What is something I haven't accomplished YET? How do our mindsets affect this? Mind mapping our Yet.
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
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
Spotlight on Dyslexia
Mrs. Quinn's Corner 📚
This week, Kinder tigers will get a story called "Little Boo" by Stephen Wunderli which encourages patience and believing in your own potential. 1st and 2nd grade friends will get a mini science & vocab lesson on why trees lose their leaves to better understand their story - "The Very Last Leaf" by Stef Wade.
The Fall Literati Book Fair will be Oct 21-25 at the school, however, you can already shop the online fair! Online exclusives like Baby-Sitter's Club, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dog Man are available. 40% of the total sales from both online and at school fair will benefit our library!
If you have any bags you would like to donate (reusable or single use) I could definitely use them for distributing to kids who make purchases at the fair. Any size will do! Thank you so much to those families that have already donated bags - I really appreciate you!
Mark your calendars for Book Fair Family Night October 22nd from 3:30-6:30pm! Help your child find a great story to explore and browse the shelves yourself for gifts (books make GREAT gifts), fun and more!
Please help your tiger remember to bring back their library book this week so they can check out a new book. When an entire class returns all their books I bring out ALL the robots!👾🎮
You can find out more about the library policies (including how many books each grade can checkout) on the school webpage.
As always, if you have any questions, concerns, would like to volunteer or donate books and supplies please feel free to contact me! I do accept gently used books so if you are cleaning out your child's room and find there are stories that could live in the OCT Library, send them my way 🤩 The most requested picture book titles are video game characters, mermaids, Disney Princesses, superheroes and popular tv characters (like Paw Patrol, Bluey, Peppa Pig, etc), but I'll be happy to accept whatever you'd like to give!
Johanna Quinn
email: johanna.quinn@gcisd.net
phone: (817) 305-4885
X: @OCTQuinn
Instagram: @octquinn
Mrs. Vencill
Vencill's Voice
O.C. Taylor Specials’ Curriculum Update - October 2024
Music - October Update
3rd and 4th Grade: 3rd and 4th grade students will perform in the Veterans Day Celebration Monday, November 11 at 8:30 a.m. (4th grade) and 9:30 a.m. (3rd grade). You can find more information in this Veterans Day Parent Information link.
All Students: If you know someone who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, you are invited to add their photo to our Veterans Day Slideshow. You can either email your picture to Mrs. Vencill (bethany.vencill@gcisd.net) or send your photo to school with your student. Please label the picture with your student’s name, the veteran’s name and the branch of the military they served in. These pictures will be returned to you after Veterans Day. *If you had a photo in last year’s Veterans Day slideshow, I will add it to this year’s slideshow.
4th Grade: It is time for our 4th graders to order a recorder! Please click this link and complete the order by Sunday, October 20. EVERY 4th grade student must have a recorder and a Recorder Karate book.When you click the link, select MUSIC, then OCT Recorders (on the left hand side). Your child can order a recorder and a book for $7.00 (make sure you choose the color of your recorder) or a book by itself (if you already have a recorder) for $4.00. Please let me know if you have any questions.
All OCT Families: Please add your child's grade level performance date to your calendar. All students are expected to attend their grade level music performance.
Have a ROCKIN’ week, Tigers!
Mrs. Vencill
bethany.vencill@gcisd.net
Coach Mester
Mester's PE Press
Mrs. Morgan
Morgan's Art Message
Art Curriculum Update - October 2024
Art - October Update
For the month of October, students will be learning and understanding different types of lines, shapes, and color theory.
Kindergarten: Students will be learning and reviewing lines and patterns to create a line monster using oil pastels and paint.
1st Grade: Students will be learning about warm and cool colors by creating a warm and cool color cactus.
2nd Grade: Students will be reviewing symmetry to create an insect of their choice. Students will learn a technique to help them make both sides the same.
3rd Grade: Students will be learning about foil embossing to create a foil leaf. Students will then use a dull pencil to add patterns and details.
4th Grade: Students will be learning value scale, tints and shades. Students will create a value scale silhouette by mixing their own paint.
5th Grade: Students will learn about one-point perspective and the vanishing point. Students will design their dream bedroom by drawing the room, furniture and extra details in 3-dimensions.
Artist of the Month:
Students will be learning about a different artist each month, observing and discussing their artwork and learning some cool facts.
Artist of the Month for October: Alma Woodsey Thomas
Grapevine Garden Club Kids Art Contest
"Dance of the Monarch"
Students in Kindergarten through Fifth grade are invited to participate in the Grapevine Garden Club Kids Art Contest.
The entry forms are available in Peach Jar as well as the rules and regulations.
All students must have an entry form signed and attached to their work by a parent or legal guardian. Students also must have the THEME written on the front of the entry.
All entries are due to Mrs. Morgan by Friday October 11th, 2024.
Winners will be announced during the Annual Butterfly Flutterby event on Saturday October 19th.
For more information and entry forms, please click here.
Keep on Creating!
Mrs. Morgan
cristie.morgan@gcisd.net
OCT Cafeteria
Nutrition News
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.
O.C. Taylor PTA
PTA News
WELCOME TO O.C. TAYLOR PTA!
Our goal is to connect with our school community by hosting fun events such as Tiger Fest, Grandparents' Day, Neon Night and so much more. We provide classroom needs and support our teachers in any way we can. We partner 100% with our wonderful school to make it the very best! We continue to raise funds for much-needed upgrades to our outdoor play area.
We hope you'll join us in our efforts to make O.C. Taylor the best it can be!
PTA WEBSITE & PURCHASES
For 2024-2025 our Back to School PTA forms will continue to be all digital! Visit https://octaylorpta.membershiptoolkit.com/ for all your PTA needs & purchases!
TEACHER FAVORITES
SAVE THE DATE!
Mon 10/14 Student/Teacher Holiday
Tue 10/15 Fall Picture Day
Fri 10/18 Running Club
Mon 10/21 - 10/25 Book Fair
Thu 10/24 Evereve Mom's Night Out
Mon 10/28 - 11/1 Red Ribbon Week
Tue 10/29 Dad's Club Tiger Treat
Thu 10/31 Book Character Parade
BIRTHDAYS AT O.C. TAYLOR
We love to celebrate birthdays BIG at O.C. Taylor! We provide two options to purchase through our PTA to help celebrate:
Name In Lights - Your child's name on our marquee for the day - $25
Tiger Gram with Taylor the Tiger - Have Taylor the Tiger deliver a goody bag and balloons to your child's classroom - $40
Save $5 and purchase BOTH for $60.
Please purchase these AT LEAST two weeks in advance. We cannot promise our availability if not purchased in advance. Purchase on our website https://octaylorpta.membershiptoolkit.com/
If you have any questions or need assistance of any kind, please don't hesitate to reach out!
Looking forward to a GRRREAT year!
Jessica Schmulen
President / O.C. Taylor PTA
octaylorptapresident@gmail.com
O.C. Taylor Dad's Club
Dad's Club News
Make sure to sign up for Dads' Club
Next Dad's Club meeting is Tuesday, October 22nd at 7pm at the Londoner.
Dad's Club Shirts ARE IN!! Please contact Will or Megan Carter for pickup.
