Third ASPIRE News

January 18, 2026

CUP STACKING COMPETITION

I wanted to let you know about an exciting new opportunity coming up for our third, fourth, and fifth grade students.

For the first time, our school district will be hosting a cup stacking competition. This event is designed to be a fun and positive experience, not an intense or high-pressure competition. The focus is on participation, trying something new, and enjoying a unique activity with other students from across the district.

Sport stacking helps develop hand-eye coordination, focus, and confidence, and it’s a great way for students to challenge themselves in a new and engaging way. Whether your child has tried stacking before or would be brand new to it, this event is meant to be welcoming and encouraging for all participants.

Please see the attached flyer for more details about the event. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Thank you for supporting new and fun opportunities for our students!

Coach Maupin

BATTLE OF THE POEMS

We are off to a great start with our Battle of the Poems tournament! The students are doing an amazing job of interpreting and performing their poems. They are very entertaining. We will continue the competition on Tuesday.

Interim Testing

Beginning Thursday, January 22nd, interim testing will begin (practice STAAR). Please be sure that your child has had a good night's sleep, has a snack, and has a charged device when they come to school, along with their charger (just in case). Additionally, there are no visitors and students should not at any time during the day for doctor visits. The dates of testing are below:

Thursday 1/22 - Math Interim Assessment
Tuesday 1/27 - ELAR Interim Assessment

Valentine's Class Parties

Friday 2/13 at 1:30pm

Valentine's Exchange: If you would like to send in Valentine's for your child's class, please be sure that there are enough for all the student's in their homeroom class. (23) We are not sending home a class list this year. The Valentine's do not need to be addressed, you can just put from your child's name. In class we will be decorating paper bags to hold their Valentine's. If you want to make a fancy box or bag, feel free to do that at home and bring it in the morning of the party.

Baby Picture needed for Valentines Party

We have a fun activity planned for our Valentines Party where students will get to see baby pictures of their classmates and will try to guess who it is. In order to do this, we need your help by sending in a cute digital baby picture of your child. The picture needs to be school appropriate, so no pictures in diapers :) Pictures between the ages of 6 months-2 years work great. Please email a picture to your child's homeroom teacher by Friday, February 6th. Thank you!

stephanie.lucero@gcisd.net

lisa.mitten@gcisd.net

Prehistoric Park Coloring Contest Details:

Participants will print and color a Megalosaurus coloring page and submit a photo of their completed artwork. One winning design will be selected and transformed into a real animatronic dinosaur, painted to match the artwork and displayed at Prehistoric Park at Meadowmere Park from March 14–29. The winner will also receive free one-day admission to visit the park and see their dinosaur in person.

All entries must be submitted by February 2, 2026. Every participant will also be entered into a drawing to win a ticket to Prehistoric Park.

Additional information about Prehistoric Park and the coloring contest can be found at GoGrapevine.com/PrehistoricPark.

Chromebooks & Ipads

Please remind your child to take proper care of their Chromebook or Ipad: always carry it with two hands, keep it away from food, drinks, and younger siblings, and store it safely when not in use. Each night, ensure there is a designated place to charge the Chromebook and double-check that it makes it into your child’s backpack each morning. While we will reinforce that caring for the device is the student’s responsibility, your support is essential.

Additionally, please send in wired earbuds or headphones that plug into your child’s Chromebook. If possible, label them with your child’s name.

Reminder about Smart Watches

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! 🎉 We’ve noticed that some of our students received smartwatches for Christmas and are excited to wear them to school. Please remember that these devices are only allowed to be used for telling time. If students use them for anything else, they will need to be confiscated. To help avoid any issues, we kindly ask that your child leave smartwatches and cellphones at home. Thank you for helping us keep our classroom focused and fun! This is in accordance with House Bill 1481.

Upcoming Curriculum

Reading/Language Arts

I can identify types of poetry and its elements.
I can identify root words and their meanings.
I can revise and edit written passages.
I can write a response to a literary passage and use evidence from the text to support my answer.

Math

I can summarize a data set with multiple categories using a frequency table, dot plot, pictograph, or bar graph with scaled intervals.
I can solve one and two step problems using categorical data represented with a frequency table, dot plot, pictograph, or bar graph with scaled intervals.

Science

I can explain how temperature and precipitation affect animal growth and behavior through migration and hibernation and plant responses through dormancy.xplain how temperatur

Social Studies

I can use cardinal and intermediate directions to locate places on maps and globes in relation to the local community.

EVENTS

Thursday, January 22nd

Math STAAR Interim

Tuesday, January 27th

Reading STAAR Interim

Friday, January 30th

Pep Rally/Club Day

Friday, February 6th

Spring Picture Day

Friday, February 13th

Valentine's Day Party

Monday, February 16th

No School for Students - Teacher PD Day

Friday, February 27th

Pep Rally/Gatorville Clubs Day

MATH CORNER

Data Analysis

Unit Summary: January 7-January 23

This unit bundles student expectation that addresses summarizing data sets with multiple categories using a frequency table, dot plot, pictograph, or bar graph with scaled intervals. Students collect, organize, represent, and summarize a categorical data set with multiple categories using a frequency table, dot plot, pictograph, and bar graph with scaled intervals.

BIG IDEAS:

Graphs are a part of our everyday lives.
Data is collected and organized in order to answer questions and interpret data about real world situations.

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