GES families,

We have been working hard to prepare for our 3rd First day of school at GES! We are eager to welcome many students back to our building and many for the very first time! Our teachers have worked tirelessly setting up their classrooms for new students and preparing for new learning opportunities.

We knew this year would not be easy, but what I could have never predicted is the incredible way our staff, students, and families have continued to adapt at each change with such a positive outlook. I am thankful for the support and understanding of our families, the grit and determination of our teachers, and the resiliency of our students. We will continue to create magic for our stars whether they are in person or remote!

I have included important information in this edition of the Monday Message for those families returning in person for the first time. There are updates to our arrival and dismissal for the 2020-2021 school year and reminders about pre-screening your child for illness each morning. I've also included links to our GES Return to In Person plan below and the GCISD COVID Reopening Guidelines. Please take time to read through this information carefully if you haven't already this school year. Thank you!

All my best,

Nancy Hale

As we have many new students returning to campus today, I wanted to remind all parents of the need to pre-screen your student for signs and symptoms associated with COVID-19 before bringing your student to school. The signs and symptoms to screen for are:

• Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit

• Loss of taste or smell

• Cough

• Difficulty breathing

• Shortness of breath

• Fatigue

• Headache

• Chills

• Sore throat

• Congestion or runny nose

• Shaking or exaggerated shivering

• Significant muscle pain or ache

• Diarrhea

• Nausea or vomiting

COVID-19 causes symptoms that are similar to many common illnesses. If your child demonstrates any of the above signs or symptoms, they must stay home, and you need to report to Nurse Lindsey the signs or symptoms your child is exhibiting. In the event that your child has a fever, they must be kept home from school until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Please do not give fever reducing medication and send your child to school. Additionally, please do not send your child to school if they have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or are test-confirmed with COVID-19.

People are infectious before they even have symptoms. So, in the case that someone in your household is displaying symptoms of illness, we ask that all of your children, as potential Close Contacts, stay home until a diagnosis is confirmed. Remember, a Close Contact is a person who is within six feet of you for 15 minutes or more, as would be common within your home. If someone in your house is ill, then everyone has likely been exposed to the virus. Again, Nurse Lindsey is ready to discuss with you about the specifics of your family situation and make the proper recommendations.

Masks

Schools are required to comply with Governor Abbott’s executive order regarding the wearing of masks. TEA’s definition of masks include non-medical grade disposable face masks and cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth).

Students in pre-kindergarten through second grade must wear a face covering in common areas and are strongly encouraged to wear it throughout the day. Students may take mask breaks as needed.

Students in third through twelfth grades will wear face coverings while at school unless there is an approved medical exemption as a result of 504 or an ARD. Students may take mask breaks.

It would be helpful to keep an extra mask in your child's backpack for days when they forget one at home or it gets dirty/wet. While we do have extra masks in the office, many students don't prefer the disposable ones. We don't have extra gaiters or cloth masks for students. Thanks for helping us keep all students safe.

COVID Reopening Guidelines

For the latest information from GCISD, please view the GCISD COVID Reopening Guidelines HERE.

1st Nine Weeks Report Cards

Report Cards for the 1st nine weeks are accessible to parents in Skyward Family Access. Teachers will be posting a Seesaw activity for both students and families to reflect on the individual progress of your star student from the 1st nine weeks. We hope you will take this opportunity to view your child's report card and talk with them about their strengths and areas for continued growth.

Unity Day, THIS Wednesday, 10/21

Make it ORANGE and make it end! What are your true colors when it comes to showing that you believe that all youth should be safe from bullying? Come together in one giant ORANGE message of hope and support, WEAR AND SHARE ORANGE to color our nation, and even the world, visibly showing that our society believes that no child should ever experience bullying.

Friday Spirit Days

Friday, October 23rd is Fun Friday and our theme is Crazy Hair Day! We invite all students both in -person and remote to join us in wearing crazy hair.

We encourage all our families to Tweet pictures with #GESshineon!

GES Teachers are Magical

If you feel a staff member has gone above and beyond to make a difference for you or your child, please take a moment to recognize them on our GES Teachers are Magical form. We will link it each week in this Monday Message and then share out the great things our "cast members" are doing during our monthly faculty meetings and weekly staff newsletters.

Book Ideas for your Kids

Sometimes, as parents, you WISH you had a glimpse into our classrooms or library to see what other kids are reading. Here you go! Below are some Amazon lists of popular series. Just put them in your cart and order for your kids! Enjoy!

Books for K and 1st Grade Boys

Books for K and 1st Grade Girls

Books for 2nd and 3rd Grade Boys

Books for 2nd and 3rd Grade Girls

Books for 4th and 5th Grade Boys

Books for 4th and 5th Grade Girls

Trinity River Authority of Texas’ 6th Annual Art Contest

It’s that time of year again! The Trinity River Authority of Texas’ 6th Annual Art Contest is in full swing.

They are calling all 1st through 8th graders to get creative and send in their artwork.

This year’s theme is “There When You Need It”. They will be accepting entries until Friday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m.

They have made a few adjustments to accommodate the effects that Covid-19 has had on so many communities. This year we will be:

• Requiring an entry form attached for each piece of artwork (click here),

• Offering a drop box for no-contact delivery in the lobby of our office (5300 S. Collins Street, Arlington, Texas 76018),

• Allowing entry submissions by email.

Attached HERE, you will find the official call for entries which includes details regarding theme, prizes and contest rules, the required entry form and resources to assist the students with the production of their artwork.

If you have any questions, please email dinhmt@trinityra.org or call (817) 467-5734.

Parent roles for remote learning

As we prepare to begin the second-nine weeks of the 2020-2021 school year, I wanted to send out some recommended best practices for remote learning:

• One of the most important things to keep in mind, is that while we may be operating remotely, the structures and practices that we would expect in a traditional setting will also be beneficial for everyone during this time.

• Connectivity is critical to engaging in live lessons. Please ensure that you have the necessary internet bandwidth for your student to complete lessons and assessments.

• As with in-person instruction, students must meet the 90% attendance requirement to receive credit for the year and each course. Additionally students must adhere to the same deadlines that exist for in-person learners when submitting assignments. It is critical for the success of your student that you monitor their participation and work completion daily.

• Please be mindful of the setting in which your student participates in live lessons. The background and any associated noises may be distracting for both the students and teacher in the classroom. If possible, we recommend having a designated workstation for your student where they can participate in Webex lessons.

• As you would expect in a traditional classroom setting, the teacher will establish Webex etiquette that should be followed at all times. Even through remote instruction, students are also expected to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct regarding attendance, dress code, behavior and grades.

• While it may be tempting to sit next to your student, or observe the live lessons, we would encourage you to give your student the developmentally appropriate space to engage and grow as a learner.

• Although it can be hard to watch a child struggle, that is often when the learning happens. We certainly encourage you to pose questions to your student, and help them talk through their thought process as they approach a problem if that is what they need; however, it is important that students be given the time necessary to come to the answer on their own - even if it’s incorrect.

• If you have questions regarding your student or remote instruction, please contact your child’s teacher directly. Remote learning teachers have designated office hours that are only with the school day.

We are all constantly adjusting to new ways of doing things, and we must continue to be flexible and give grace as we adapt to our current learning environments. We appreciate your partnership in these unprecedented times and we look forward to having a great second nine-weeks!

FREE School Meals Through December

In-Person Learners

The USDA has issued a nationwide waiver, allowing Grapevine-Colleyville ISD to offer meals FREE at no charge through December 2020 at all elementary, middle school campuses, and Collegiate Academy.

On September 22, 2020, GCISD began providing free meals to students as part of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program. Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), this program will allow any student in elementary or middle school to receive a free breakfast and lunch meal in the school cafeteria.

Remote learners have the opportunity to pick up meals curbside every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at three locations: Cross Timbers Middle, Grapevine Middle, and Grapevine Elementary. All meals are free of charge until December 2020. For more information please visit www.gcisd.net or email child.nutrition@gcisd.net.

Technology Assistance

GCISD Technology Resources is committed to serving students and staff, especially during the District's remote learning instruction. Please keep in mind these very helpful resources:

ClassLink - GCISD's single sign-on portal for students and staff. ClassLink allows users to sign in once and have access to all of their accounts at the click of a button.

Help Desk - Students and staff can submit help requests to GCISD's Help Desk at any time. If you need your student's password reset, or are having trouble accessing ClassLink, please call 817-251-5629 during our extended help desk hours. For all other issues with student devices, please fill out a help ticket at help.gcisdstudents.net.

Outdoor WiFi Access - As a reminder, wireless network access is available outside of many GCISD campuses for use by students, parents and staff. Click here for locations, maps and instructions on how to connect.

Volunteers are significantly limited at this time, but there may be opportunities later in the year. Go ahead and apply now so you're ready when the time comes.

In order to volunteer at GES, 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.

The following link takes you to the online Volunteer Handbook and background check: https://www.gcisd.net/cms/one.aspx?pageId=195550

When you are ready to volunteer at GES, feel free to call the front office at 817-251-5735 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 GES students.

Parents and loved ones are not able to come up for lunch at this time. We are currently limiting visitors in our building.

Lunch Times

• PreK: 10:15 - 10:45

• Kindergarten: 10:45 - 11:15

• 1st Grade: 11:15 - 11:45

• 2nd Grade: 11:45 - 12:15

• 3rd Grade: 12:15- 12:45

• 4th Grade: 12:45 - 1:15

• 5th Grade: 1:15 - 1:45