1. Raptor Kiosk Outage on 1st Day of School: I wanted to thank you for a awesome first day of school. I especially appreciate your patience and flexibility as our normal Raptor security check-in system was experiencing an outage that impacted schools across the state. While we did make this change today due to the first day of school visits, I want to emphasize that this will not be a normal practice and that all visitors will continue to check in through Raptor on future visits.

2. iReady BOY Diagnostic: It is that time of the year! This week, our tigers (K-5) will begin taking the iReady BOY Diagnostic Assessment in reading and math. This adaptive online test adjusts its questions to each student's needs, helping us identify their specific strengths and areas for growth. The results provide valuable insights that allow us to personalize instruction and support every student's learning journey this year. Please see this message for more details on iReady.

3. HOUSE BILL 1481: was passed by state lawmakers during the 89th Legislative session prohibiting students across Texas from using personal communication devices during the school day. GCISD updated its policy in the summer of 2025 to be in compliance with the new law. GCISD has made available answers to frequently asked questions.

4. CURRICULUM NIGHTS:  Please make arrangements to attend our grade level Curriculum Nights on the following designated days:  8/19 = Pre-K/Kinder/1st grade @ 6:30-7:30,  8/21 = 2nd and 3rd grades @ 5:15-6:15, 4th and 5th grades @ 6:30-7:30. This is a very important time for you to get an overview of our curriculum, classroom management plans, learning philosophies, and student/parent expectations. If you are unable to get a babysitter, you may bring your child if you let your teacher know in advance. Please remember that all events on campus before 6:00 pm will require you to sign in and collect a badge in our front foyer.

5. TEA RATINGS: Beginning August 15, 2025, you will be able to view the State Accountability A-F rating for our school along with all Texas public schools and districts by visiting TXschools.gov. 

As shared by the Texas Education Agency, the purpose of the Texas A–F accountability system reflects three system objectives: grade-level rigor for students, fairness for districts and campuses, and transparency for parents and the public to ensure our state continues to work towards becoming a national leader in preparing students for success after graduation. 

For additional information about the State Accountability System and accessing ratings, please refer to the attached flyer and FAQ pages. 

• TX schools one-pager 

• TX schools one-pager - Spanish

• TX schools parent FAQ

• TX schools parent FAQ - Spanish

You can also visit the 2025 Accountability Rating System page on the TEA website.

6. SENATE BILL 12 UPDATE: In accordance with Texas Senate Bill 12, there are new requirements for parent consent regarding student club participation, health services, and school-based counseling for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. This law also requires teachers to share instructional plans and prohibits employees from assisting with social transitioning. Please review the full details of this law and complete the necessary permission forms in your student's Skyward account ( this is very important, we will be very limited on the services we can provide to your tiger without these forms).

Repeated Information:

7. PTA: Please join and get involved with our PTA! Our OCT Parent-Teacher Association provides many extras for our school and for your child. It takes all of us getting involved to have the amazing school that we do! You can donate your time, talents, and/or treasures to OCT. THANK YOU, parents, for all you do! Be sure to read the PTA section of the Tiger Times News for OCT PTA Updates (at the bottom of this newsletter). 100% of O.C. Taylor faculty and staff have historically joined! Let's make it 100% of our parents this year as well! Please be sure to fill out all the Back to School forms online, too! Reminder that the forms will go live once homeroom teachers are announced. Thank you for your support!

8. LUNCH VISITORS: Lunch guests will sign-in through our secure vestibule with a valid ID and collect a badge, stop by the front office to check-in and we will call your Tiger to meet you for lunch in the vestibule. Families will have the option to sit outside in the picnic table areas in the front for lunch or in our vestibule on the couch and seating available. Parents are welcome to bring in outside food when having their lunch with their child. We ask that you please be courteous to the rest of the community and only bring lunch for your student. We appreciate your cooperation.

9. VOLUNTEERING: We LOVE our volunteers at OCT! This year we are encouraging all families who plan to come to campus and interact with students to go ahead and complete the background check. Volunteers must complete this EACH YEAR beginning in August! It can take 1-2 weeks for your background check to clear. If you plan to be a guest reader, volunteer at a class party, chaperone a field trip, volunteer with PTA, open car doors with our Dad's Club, etc. you will need a completed Background Check! The following link takes you to the online Volunteer Handbook and background  check: https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/volunteer-background-check 

In order to volunteer at OCT, or around GCISD, all volunteers must:

1. read the Volunteer Handbook (this replaces the previous face to face volunteer trainings held on campus)

2. watch the appropriate video included in the handbook

3. electronically sign the verification Google form for each campus you plan to volunteer

4. complete the volunteer background check. A link is included in the handbook.

 When you are ready to volunteer at OCT, feel free to call the front office at 817- 305-4870 to verify that both of the required steps have been recorded as  completed. We appreciate your support as you complete these steps and  volunteer to work with our OCT students.

🐯Dear Tiger Families🐯

We’ve had such a wonderful first week of school! It’s been so exciting to have our Tigers back on campus, filling our halls and classrooms with energy, learning, and laughter.

As we move forward, please remember to read our newsletters each week for important updates, events, and information. Staying connected helps ensure a smooth and successful year for everyone.

We’re looking forward to all that’s ahead. Have a fantastic week!

Proud to be part of our Tiger family,

Mrs. Priesand

1.  25-26 Informational Video This video is very helpful. It is a quick summary of procedures.

2. MORNING DROP OFF:  Parking lots are for Staff and Dads' Club Volunteers only. Lots will be closed during arrival and dismissal each day. Drivers need to remain in your vehicles and pull up in the loops. The Tiger Loop is designated for students in grades 1-5 who can independently get in and out of their vehicle. The Bus Loop is designated for students in PreK/ECSE, Kinder plus siblings, and students who need physical assistance. Please follow the Dads' Club Volunteers directions by pulling all the way up in the loop to drop of your child. They are trying to help avoid vehicles blocking the traffic flow in the morning, so that our tigers can arrive to class by 7:35 a.m.

3. Our tigers did an amazing job on Friday with our Safety day drills! We will continue to have drills throughout the year. More information about Safety and Security in GCISD can be found at GCISD Safety and Security.

4. CONVEY TO YOUR CHILD THE DAILY PICK UP PLAN: Now is a good time to establish the morning routine of telling your child how he/she will be going home at the end of the school day: bus rider, daycare rider, car rider, or independent walker/bike rider. Please do not instruct your child to call you after school. Our teachers and front office staff are responsible for many children and are required to be at an after-school duty. They are unable to assist your child with phone calls.

5. DISMISSAL SYSTEM: CLICK HERE to read about our 2025-26 arrival and dismissal procedures. CLICK HERE to see a map of arrival and dismissal. At Meet the Teacher, families will be given a car tag to hang from their rearview mirror and students will have a complimentary backpack tag. As a vehicle enters the parking lot, our staff will enter the car tag number in the order that parents arrive. Students will be kept safely inside waiting for their name, tag #, and which loop (bus loop or Tiger loop) to appear on a screen. This process creates accountability for the right child going home with the right parent each day and helps clarify which area for the child to go to be picked up. CLICK HERE to watch a video from the Safe School ID School Dismissal. Students who walk or bike home will have a staff member walk them off the school property: one teacher to dismiss kids on the north side of the campus and one teacher to dismiss on the south side/playground side of the campus. The first few weeks will take some time. We appreciate your patience as we teach over 100 new students where to go. Safely dismissing 500+ students is a process that we all have to practice. We guarantee the efficiency will improve over the coming weeks.

6. CHECKING OUT A STUDENT EARLY: If you decide to come to school to check out your child before the 3:05 p.m. GCISD elementary dismissal time, please allow us plenty of time to locate your child. It takes a while to locate students in a building as they are not always in their classroom. Please send an email to your child's teacher requesting an early dismissal in the morning. This will help eliminate the time spent waiting for us to locate your student. Also, we kindly ask if you need to pick up a child before our 3:05 p.m. dismissal, please do so before 2:30 p.m.

7. CHANGE IN DISMISSAL OR PICK UP: If you find your child must go home a different way than planned, please notify the teacher AND front office with an email by at least 2:00 p.m. Teachers do not always have access to email or are busy teaching or helping others so it is important to EMAIL THE FRONT OFFICE as well. We want to provide ample time to be able to meet your needs.

8. 2025-2026 Back-to-School Attendance Updates :  Important attendance information: Attendance matters! Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s learning and educational experiences. Parents and students are encouraged to avoid unnecessary absences. Two important state laws govern attendance. In efforts to promote student attendance and learning, please note the following reminders and updates to GCISD attendance requirements. 

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. 

Official Attendance-Taking Time 

Official attendance is taken every day at 10:00 a.m. 

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. The campus may accept a phone call from the parent, but reserves the right to require a written note. 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.

9. VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECK: Our school runs on our amazing volunteers. In order to volunteer at the school, one must complete the District's Volunteer Background Check Application for the 2025-26 school year. Also, please read and sign the Volunteer Handbook included in the link as well. As a reminder, all volunteers are required to reapply each year. 25-26 Volunteer Background Check