GES families,
Our Stars had a great week back to school after their two-week break! Our teachers started off the new year on Tuesday with a workday to plan, prepare, and collaborate. That time is always so valuable to our staff. As I visited classrooms throughout the week, I continue to feel so proud of our school. Children are resilient and they constantly inspire me as they adapt and thrive while living and learning during a pandemic. Our teachers continuously fine-tune their lessons, create new pathways for learning, and most importantly love our students while learning to be an educator during these unprecedented times.
Our community continues to support and encourage us while patiently adjusting to protocols and procedures that prevent a physical presence on campus. Thank you so much! Our partnership grows stronger and the outcomes benefit our children. I appreciate you! Our focus will continue to be connecting with all our students and ensuring we provide a safe, healthy space for all to learn and grow.
Wishing you and your family hope in the new year! Stay well and stay warm.
Sincerely,
Natasha Shelley
Students at Grapevine High School formed a club that mentors elementary students who are in need of tutoring. Please complete THIS Google form if you would like to sign up your child to be tutored by a GHS student. After filling out the form, a high school student will contact you to get matched up with a tutor along with setting up a date to meet virtually.
Stay tuned! More information coming soon regarding classroom parties on Friday, February 12th.
Monday, January 18th, is a school holiday. Please note this on your calendars!
The Colleyville Heritage High School Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC) is hosting a snack food/toiletry drive on Monday, January 18th. If you would like to donate, they will be collecting items at the front entrance of CHHS from 8am-3pm on 1/18, and using them to stock the CHHS food pantry. Any overflow items will be donated to other GCISD campuses and GRACE. Any donations of individually packaged snack items (bars, crackers, etc.) or toiletry items (toothpaste, deodorant, etc.) would be greatly appreciated.
GCISD offers the "Play It Safe" program for all students in grades K-5. The GCISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC is a volunteer council comprised of parents and community members that reflect the values of the district and community) has previewed and recommended these programs for all GCISD elementary schools. The curriculum and presentations are aligned with district philosophy. This program is a personal safety program and does not address human sexuality. Play It Safe is a child abuse prevention and awareness program that incorporates individual grade level, age-appropriate scripts and movies to teach children how to reduce the risk of sexual and physical abuse, and sexual assault. It teaches them to recognize potentially abusive behavior, provides the tools to respond to threatening situations, and encourages them to report abuse to a trusted adult.
The Women's Center of Tarrant County, Inc., uses trained employees to present a fact-based personal safety program for students. The presentations are classroom-based so that children are in a familiar environment, and feel comfortable to interact with the trainer. A video is shown, followed by a question and answer time.
GES will be virtually showing Play It Safe to in-person students on FEBRUARY 10TH. Parents have the option to request that their student not participate in the above program(s). The form for non-participation is located HERE.
We are hosting a parent preview on January 12 at 10:00 AM via Zoom. This presentation will be recorded and posted on the GCISD website for parents to watch at their convenience afterward.
Videos and scripts will be available for parents to preview from 1/11/2020 to 1/19/2020. https://vimeo.com/showcase/7889498 Password: GCISD2020
If you are unable to view the videos or the parent preview, but wish to view the material, please contact The Women's Center of Tarrant County, Inc. at 817-927-4040 and ask for the Play It Safe department.
Our first virtual meeting will be at 3:30 PM on Thursday, January 14th. Student representatives in Student Council should now see a new Seesaw Class they're a part of titled, GES Student Council 2021 where they can get updated information, reminders, and links to the Webex meetings.
During our month of gratitude, please take a moment to thank a teacher who has gone above and beyond for your family. You can 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.
If your child took a yearbook photo this year, you should have received an email from Glamourcraft School Photography with directions on how to view and order your child's photo. Retake photo emails were sent out Monday, Dec. 14th. The Glamourcraft database only allows for one parent email, so it is only the first parent listed in Skyward. If you did NOT receive that email, click HERE for directions on how to access your child's photo. You will simply need the school code from the directions and your child's student ID number to access their pictures.
Grapevine Elementary would like to invite you to join the 2021 virtual art club! It is a wonderful after-school (online) program where students learn the joy of artistic self-expression, visual arts development, materials management, and visual language skills.
Art club will be in the form of a seesaw classroom that you will receive an invitation to after registration (see link below). I have included a large choice board loaded with activities and videos that students can complete whenever they would like to do more artwork! I will also be attempting to include an online asynchronous watercolor and printmaking 'workshop'*.
ARTIST RESPONSIBILITIES:
I choose to complete activities of the art club at home and I understand that given the independent nature of the art club, I will be expected to follow club sponsor and parent directions. Material safety and proper usage will be my responsibility.
I choose to be committed to the art club.
I choose to give my very best artistic effort during the art club meetings.
I choose to maintain a classroom conduct grade no lower than S in order to remain in the art club.
*A materials list will be included so that you can order any supplies that you do not have.
Please complete this FORM if your child would like to participate in our virtual art club so they can receive an invitation in Seesaw from Mrs. North.
Remote learners for the 2nd semester should follow the schedule below for their specials classes.
GES is hosting NED’s Mindset Mission, a live streaming all school event, on FRIDAY, JANUARY 22ND at 8:00 AM. This virtual event is for both in-person and remote learners! If your GES Star(s) is learning remotely, mark your calendars to log into his or her homeroom teacher's Webex by 8:00 a.m. A world-class performer takes our students on an interactive educational journey filled with storytelling, illusions, yo-yo tricks and humor. NED’s message and memorable friends inspire students, promote academic achievement, and support our school goals.
Never give up * Encourage others * Do your best®
Our school received this program at no-cost because another school community has paid-it-forward to us. Now it’s our turn—you can help by purchasing a NED-messaged yo-yo and accessories. A yo-yo is both a mindset tool and tangible reminder of NED’s message. While learning to yo, children will make mistakes, try again, and improve. Read more at www.MindsetMission.com/yoyos.
A hard-copy order form is coming home this week. If your Star(s) would like to purchase a yo-yo or accessory, this order form with the total payment (cash or check only) will be submitted to his or her homeroom teacher. Purchased item(s) and a receipt and/or change will be placed in the teacher mailbox within the same or next school day. Students will not retrieve the items directly from the counseling office.
I am here and ready to help! At any time this year, whether learning remotely or in-person, please click the I want to talk with Mrs. Horn form to request a visit. This form is also be included in grade level newsletters and Seesaws, and stays housed in my email signature, on the GES Counseling district website, and as many locations as possible.
This is a live Google Calendar that we will keep updated throughout the year with campus activities. Click the calendar to open it up so you can switch to week or month view and look at future dates. Please check back frequently for new additions.
We are searching for some parent volunteers. S.T.E.A.M. Fair is next week and is being held virtually on the evening of Thursday, January 21st. Individuals that work in a S.T.E.A.M. field will be presenting about their work. We would really like to feature GES parents and family members. If you or someone you know would be willing to speak at the event, please email Vanessa at steam@gespta.org by this Thursday, January 14th so she can finalize event details.
GES is excited to host our third annual S.T.E.A.M. Fair on January 21st. This year’s theme is “CONNECT” and will be held virtually. We will showcase S.T.E.A.M. individuals highlighting their careers and a quick and fun experiment or display related to their careers. Pre-registration for the event and you can register now here.
S.T.E.A.M. Fair Details:
Event Timing: January 21st 6:00 pm
Event Address: This year's event is 100% virtual! Join from the comfort of your own home and connect with other rising S.T.E.A.M. GES families!
Contact: steam@gespta.org
The GCISD Council of PTAs' Advocacy Committee is preparing for the Texas PTA (Virtual) Rally Day on February 22, 2021. Rally Day is an opportunity to meet and discuss public education priorities with our legislatures. Please select your top 5 public education priorities that are specific for GCISD here.
Contact Heidi Doty, legislative@gcisdcouncilofptas.org, for more information.
You can order your winter GES Spirit Wear between now and Friday, January 29th. Don't miss out on these cozy items! Stay warm & comfy this winter season in our GES Hoodie, Long-Sleeved Shirt, and Pajama Pants! We have also brought back some of our best selling t-shirt designs from the fall. Shop these items here.
The Pre-K Tuition Based lottery application will open at 8:30 a.m. on January 5, 2021 and close at 10:00 p.m. on January 15, 2021. Families interested in tuition based pre-k need to complete this application. Students meeting Texas state eligibility criteria will be able to apply and qualify in April 2021. For more information on tuition and pre-k qualifications visit WWW.GCISD.NET/PREK or contact gcisd.pk@gcisd.net
Lotería de Prekíndergarten Basado en Pago de Cuotas Escolares
La solicitud para la lotería del programa de Pre-K basado en pago de cuotas escolares se abrirá el 5 de enero a las 8:30 am y cerrará a las 10:00 pm el 15 de enero. Las familias interesadas en el programa de Pre-K a base de pago deben completar esta solicitud. Los estudiantes que cumplan con los criterios de elegibilidad del estado de Texas podrán solicitar y calificar en abril de 2021. Para obtener más información sobre la matrícula y los requisitos de prekínder, visite WWW.GCISD.NET/PREK o comuníquese con gcisd.pk@gcisd.net.
Next school year, the College Board will be requiring school districts to pay a fee if they use the Pre-AP label for any of their courses. This fee is an annual fee that is per course, per campus. GCISD along with many neighboring districts, have decided not to purchase the use of the Pre-AP label in an effort to remain fiscally responsible.
Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, GCISD will be implementing the title change to “Advanced” for all courses formerly known as Pre-AP. This change will be reflected in the 2021-22 Course Selection Guide set to release in January of 2021. As an example, Pre-AP World History will now be labeled as World History Advanced.
GCISD will use AP's guidelines to ensure the rigor of both middle school and high school courses. Classes now labeled “Advanced” will remain the same weight as the PreAP courses they are replacing. GCISD will continue to work with the College Board through our AP offerings.
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.
All grade level newsletters will also be sent out weekly directly to families from your homeroom teachers. Grade level newsletters can be accessed using the links below.
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:
read the Volunteer Handbook (this replaces the previous face to face volunteer trainings held on campus)
watch the appropriate video included in the handbook
electronically sign the verification Google form for each campus you plan to volunteer
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.
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