GES families,

Growing our students’ social-emotional skills is an important goal in GCISD. We strive to create global citizens who are skilled problem solvers, effective communicators, self-regulated learners and collaborative workers through our Portrait of a Graduate. In order to identify areas of strength, needs, and support, students will be completing an online survey to align with Goal 2 of LEAD 2.0: designing learning environments that support social and emotional well-being.

The data we get back will help inform our educational practices and will help us continue to identify opportunities for growth and development in the classroom and across the District.

Beginning on Monday, October 5 through Friday, October 16, students will have the opportunity to complete the online survey during a designated class time. For students who are engaging in remote learning, an activity will be loaded into SeeSaw/Canvas with instructions for you to be able to participate in this opportunity.

The survey for students in third through twelfth-grade will ask a series of questions on the following topics: grades, classes, performance in school, behavior and learning. Students in pre-kindergarten through second grade will be assessed on teacher perception of grit, self-management, social awareness, self-efficacy and learning strategies. The information collected will be used by the teacher and campus leaders to provide necessary support for students engaged in both in-person and remote learning.

If you have any questions regarding this survey, please contact our counselor, Angela Horn, angela.horn@gcisd.net.

All my best,

Nancy Hale

Masks

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.

Friday Spirit Days

Friday, October 9th is School Spirit Day! Sport your new GES Spirit wear or a favorite GES shirt from the past. Don't have a GES shirt? Wear our school colors - red and blue! We encourage all our families to Tweet pictures in your spirit wear with #GESshineon!

No School - Monday, Oct. 12

October 12th is a student/teacher holiday for Columbus Day. Enjoy the 3-day weekend!

Early Dismissal - Thursday, Oct. 15

On Thursday, Oct. 15th, students will be dismissed at 11:45am. Please be sure you have made arrangements to pick-up your child early from school. Thank you!

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

October Themed Dress-Up Days (besides Spirit Days)

Our district counseling department sponsors several dress-up days during the month of October. We invite you to participate with us whether you are in-person or remote.

Wednesday, October 21st - Unity Day (WEAR ORANGE)

Monday, October 26th (Red Ribbon Week) - WEAR PAJAMAS

Tuesday, October 27th (Red Ribbon Week) - DRESS LIKE A FRIEND OR TWO

Wednesday, October 28th (Red Ribbon Week) - WEAR YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM SHIRT OR JERSEY

Thursday, October 29th (Red Ribbon Week) - WEAR YOUR CLOTHES BACKWARD

Friday, October 30th (Red Ribbon Week)- WEAR YOUR BOOK CHARACTER COSTUME

CharacterStrong

As GCISD looks to continue to support the social and emotional well-being and character development of our students, the District is excited to partner with CharacterStrong.

CharacterStrong focuses on five social and emotional well-being competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making) and eight character development traits (Patience, Kindness, Honesty, Respect, Selflessness, Forgiveness, Commitment, Humility). You can learn more about this program at its website, www.characterstrong.com.

Lessons from this program will be embedded in some of our students’ core classes, as well as through the counselors’ school-wide guidance programs.

Specific to the elementary grades is CharacterStrong’s PurposeFull People program. The program focuses on ten character traits: Courage, Respect, Perseverance, Gratitude, Honesty, Kindness, Empathy, Responsibility, Cooperation, Creativity. Circle-up topics and monthly counselor guidance lessons focus on each of the 10 traits woven into conversations by starting intentionally, engaging relationally, responding with empathy, consistently practicing values, and exiting intentionally.

The GCISD Elementary Counseling website contains a monthly newsletter to student families with conversation starters, questions to ask, applications, reading suggestions, and trait pursuits. These newsletters are also found in campus newsletters. The PurposeFull People portion of the Character Strong website can provide additional information. October’s character focus is respect.

Student Self-care

While plenty of adults are focusing on ways to take care of themselves, consider some of these ideas for us to help our kids be taken care of socially and emotionally, as well:

Go on a bike ride.

Read a book.

Take a bubble bath.

Listen to relaxing music.

Cook a meal.

Draw or paint.

Do a puzzle.

Have a dance party.

Drink a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Play a board or card game.

Talk about the good parts of their day with someone.

Snuggle with a stuffed animal.

Listen to their favorite song.

Meditate.

Hang out in-person or virtually with friends.

Go for a walk.

Make up their bed with fresh sheets (toss them in the dryer for five minutes to make them warm!).

Eat a healthy meal.

Do yoga.

Mindlessly build with Legos or Play-Doh.

Lie outside and look for shapes in the clouds.

Share their feelings with someone.

Have a screens-free day.

Declutter old toys and clothes.

Make a gratitude list.

Sit in nature — at the beach, in a park, or wherever feels the most calming.

Take 10 deep breaths with their eyes closed.

Blow bubbles.

Stretch.

Write notes to people they love.

Brush their hair.

Visit a playground.

Drink a cup of water.

Play with a pet or take them for a walk.

Run around outside.

Lie outside and look at the stars.

Give someone a hug.

Call a friend.

Pick ripe produce from the garden or visit a farm.

Write in a journal or on a blog.

Splash in rain puddles.

Watch a favorite show.

Do something that always makes them laugh.

Exercise.

Craft something.

FREE School Meals Through December

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

Beginning on September 22, 2020 Grapevine-Colleyville ISD will begin 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, with the option to purchase a-la-carte items. Additionally, the District will offer meal bundles at no cost available for curbside pick-up that will contain meals for the entire week, including the weekend.

Curbside meals may be picked up on Wednesdays at Grapevine Elementary, Cross Timbers Middle or Grapevine Middle from 4-6 p.m. The meal bundles will include seven breakfast, seven lunches and a choice of chocolate or white ½ pint milk (14 milks will be provided). Heating instructions will be included so that families can prepare the meals at their convenience.

GCISD’s high schools do not participate in the federally funded program and therefore meals will be charged as normal in those cafeterias; however, high school students are able to pick up a meal bundle from one of the curbside locations.

For more information on how the federal program operates please visit www.squaremeals.org or www.fns.usda.gov.

Parents are encouraged to continue filling out the free and reduced application online at www.schoollunchapp.com. The benefits from being approved for free or reduced-price meals, may include discounts for transportation, standardized tests, college application fees and technology fees to name a few. If you have any questions, please email child.nutrition@gcisd.net or call 817-251-5617.

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