Embedded Files
GES families,
We have made it to November! This fall has been a whirlwind for all of us with all the uncertainty that comes with a global pandemic. However, there is still so much for us to be thankful for! We are practicing an attitude of gratitude at GES this month. We will be talking and sharing with students about gratitude during their monthly guidance lesson and modeling as staff how we show appreciation.
I want to thank all our families for your unwavering support through the start of this year! We know it has been challenging at times and we appreciate your grace and patience as we have learned to perfect our teaching skills remotely and in person with all the new guidelines in place. We also thank you for understanding all the new health guidelines and being understanding when your child has to stay home or quarantine. We know this can be very inconvenient, but we appreciate you working with us to keep all of our students and staff safe. One of our GCISD core values is "Community" and we are thankful for the support of our whole community, which makes GES such a special place!
All my best,
Nancy Hale
Campus News and Announcements
Campus News and Announcements
GRACE Food Pantry Food Drive
GRACE Food Pantry Food Drive
Thanks to your generous support, GRACE was able to provide 481 Thanksgiving meals and 347 Christmas meals to families in need last year. The estimated value of each food basket is $80.00.
The following items are in need to support our community families throughout the upcoming holiday seasons:
Canned Sweet Potatoes Cooking Oil
Canned Fruit Instant Stuffing
Instant Potatoes Instant/Canned Gravy (please no glass jars)
Cranberry Sauce Pancake Mix
Canned Chicken Broth Syrup
Canned Mushroom Soup (10.5 oz) Canned Pumpkin
Sugar (2 or 5 lb) French Fried Onions ( 6 oz)
Flour (2 or 4 lb) Corn (canned)
Green Beans (canned 2) Jello (1 box)
Items can be dropped off in the FRONT FOYER until Wednesday, November 18th. If you have any of these items to donate after November 18th, please drop them off at 837 E. Walnut Street, Grapevine, Texas 76051 on Mondays through Fridays between 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
College Colors Day on Friday
College Colors Day on Friday
This Friday's spirit day theme is College Colors! Represent your favorite team with a jersey, shirt, or team colors!
GES Teachers are Magical
GES Teachers are Magical
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.
Halloween Candy Donations
Halloween Candy Donations
If you are looking to donate your leftover Halloween candy, we are glad to take it off your hands! We refill the candy jars for teachers throughout the year in the office area. This is not something we purchase with school funds. Please send to the front office with your child or drop in the secure vestibule. Thank you!
Holiday Art contest
Holiday Art contest
A note from Mrs. North:
Every year in GCISD the school board hosts a Holiday Art Card Contest. Dr. Ryan will pick a winner for the GCISD Holiday Card and I really want one of our students to win this year!
We will spend one art class day working on a card and then I will send them home with an entry form attached. Please encourage your students to bring it back to school signed and finished by Thursday, November 19th.
Yearbook Photos - Nov. 11
Yearbook Photos - Nov. 11
Save the date! Yearbook pictures for in person learners will be Wednesday, Nov 11th. The make-up day for yearbook pictures and all remote learners will be Tuesday, December 8th. Be on the look-out for order forms coming home with your child later this week.
GCISD Fall 2020 Draft GuideLunch Drop-off
Lunch Drop-off
As a reminder from the GCISD Fall 2020 Guide (p.18) - Parents will not be able to drop off lunch for their students or eat with their student. During this time, please either send lunch or your students will need to get a meal from the cafeteria.
In an emergency, you may bring your child's lunchbox from home, but we are not accepting lunches from outside restaurants such as McDonald's, Chick-fil-a, Sonic, etc.
Label Jackets and Outerwear
Label Jackets and Outerwear
With the cold and rainy weather we had in October, please remember to label your child's jacket and outerwear they might be bringing. Our lost and found piles up quickly this time of year. If items are labeled, we can ensure they get back to you.
Click around on this virtual counseling bulletin board for resources and/or requests!
October Star Students of the Month - RESPECT
October Star Students of the Month - RESPECT
Congratulations to the Star Students of the Month for RESPECT in October! Find out why they were each purposefully nominated on this month's FLIPGRID! Nothing beats hearing it straight from the source! Star Students of the Month will also be recognized during Wednesday's KGES!
Grit
Grit
After identifying GRIT to be a topic of social and emotional well-being that our GES Stars could improve upon the most as a campus, we are charging ahead with activities in the classroom and in Seesaw targeted on GRIT. You are invited to promote the same at home with a game of Paper Football!
The goal of this activity is for children to understand the difference between a Fixed Mindset and a Growth Mindset, and how practice can lead to the improvement of a skill.
ACTION:
Introduce the Game (5 minutes)
Say: Today, we are going to play a game you may be familiar with. You may not be very good at it at first, and that's OK. With some practice, I know that you can see improvement.
Say: The game will be played in pairs. You and your partner will need to work together to make a football out of paper together. Each pair only needs to create one football.
Play this video: How to Fold a Paper Football (One recommended adaptation for playing this game with older children is to only show the video after partners have started to create their footballs. Withholding this guidance and instruction may lead to more frustration and confusion, but it will encourage them to collaborate to problem-solve.)
Have your family follow along with the video and make their own paper football.
Say: Now that each pair has their own paper football, you and your partner will need to choose your playing field. Choose one of your tables to be your football field, and sit on opposite sides of the table (facing each other).
Say: Now that you are ready, here are the very simple rules of Paper Football. Whoever is youngest between you and your partner will go first. Partner One will get four turns to try and push the paper football across the desk so that it hangs over the edge of the table without falling off. If Partner One is successful, they get a point. If, after four tries, they are unable to push the football to the edge or if it falls off, it is now Partner Two's turn.
Say: Continue this back-and-forth process until I tell you to stop. Remember, the goal of this game is to get the most points, but to also see improvement in your paper football skills.
Say: Go ahead and thank your partner for playing with you and head back to your desk.
Have a class discussion using any of the following questions:
How many of you saw improvement in your paper football skills?
How many of you failed multiple times before getting your first touchdown?
How many of you knocked your football off the desk multiple times?
How many of you did not see improvement? Why do you think that is?
How much do you think you would improve if you were to practice this every single day?
Say: Someone with a Growth Mindset would look at this game and say ‘If I keep practicing, I will improve. In fact, every time I knock this paper football off the desk, I will think about what my action was that led to it being pushed off so I can improve.'
Someone with a Fixed Mindset would look at this activity and say ‘I’m either really good at this or really bad at it, and I can’t change my ability even if I practice.'
This game works because it provides children with an engaging shared experience to use as a springboard for both a discussion and easy comparison to other aspects of their lives.
Throughout the month of November, GES students and staff will be focused on the character quality of GRATITUDE. Join us, from home, by participating in the discussions and activities mentioned in the following newsletters!
k2_gratitude_family_letter.pdf35_gratitude_family_letter.pdf
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.
Campus Activities and Events
Campus Activities and Events
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.
PTA Announcements
PTA Announcements
Note from the President
Note from the President
I would like to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for your participation and support of the Chasing the Magic FUNd Run! We have never done anything like this before so I had no idea what to expect and was blown away by the results! I'm so proud of all of our Stars for working so hard to raise over $30,000. Thanks to their hard work, we will be able to donate 25% of the net proceeds directly back to the GES Activities Fund, $500 directly back to the GES PE Fund, and then the remainder will go towards our various programs, operating expenses, and, of course, the Playground Fund! Our Executive Board meets each month; we are making decisions and changes to our offerings and budget as needed due to the current COVID restrictions. We hope to be able to tell you exactly how much will go directly to the Playground Fund and other budgets in the coming weeks.
~Junell DuBois, GES PTA President
Save the Date - Family Fun Scavenger Hunt
Save the Date - Family Fun Scavenger Hunt
Please save the date! On the weekend of November 13 - 15th, GES PTA Programs is planning a family fun scavenger hunt. This will be a socially distanced, self-paced event that can be completed by your family anytime that weekend. We hope you'll participate in the fun!
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers Needed
It's not too late to volunteer! We are still hoping to fill 2 vital roles on our board: The Auction Chair and Grants Coordinator. The Auction Chair would be responsible for hosting a silent auction in the spring, likely all online this year. The Grants Coordinator can be managed 100% online and is responsible for applying for Grants to help us with funds for things like our new playground or the garden reconstruction. If you're interested in either role, please email president@gespta.org.
October Volunteer Hours Due
October Volunteer Hours Due
Please log your October volunteer hours at www.gespta.org by November 5th.
Dads' Club
Dads' Club
Dads' Club is about to kick into full swing! It's not too late to sign up. Email dadsclub@gespta.org to join the coolest group of dads around! First project will be constructing the float for the Grapevine Carole of Lights Parade.
Homeroom Parents Needed
Homeroom Parents Needed
Homeroom parents are needed! We are in the beginning stages of discussing what capacity we will be able to assist with the holiday celebrations at GES. While we await final decisions from the district, please help us ensure each teacher has a homeroom parent. At a minimum, we will rely on you to help with a signup for class needs! We still have several teachers who do not have a homeroom parent. For more questions about the role, please email president@gespta.org. Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f44aea62ea3ff2-geshome
Chasing the Magic FUNd Earned Prizes Pick-up
Chasing the Magic FUNd Earned Prizes Pick-up
If you are a remote learning family and you have not yet received your earned prizes from the Chasing the Magic FUNd Run, please email waysandmeans@gespta.org to arrange a time for pick-up. Thank you!
GCISD News
GCISD News
COVID-19 Email Communication Update
COVID-19 Email Communication Update
As we move into November, GCISD will be making a slight adjustment to the process in which families are notified of a test-confirmed positive COVID-19 case on their campus. Beginning this week, families will receive one email notification identifying all positive cases for that day on their student’s campus, as opposed to multiple emails if there are multiple cases. Families will only receive this email if there was a positive case on your student’s campus that day.
NOTE: This does not change procedures for close contact communication. If your child is determined to be a close contact of a test-confirmed positive case, you will be directly notified by your campus.
COVID-19 Reminders
COVID-19 Reminders
Thank you for your support and understanding as we work to keep all of our students safe and healthy in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can be assured that our GCISD nurses are working closely with the Tarrant County Public Health Department to monitor the COVID-19 cases in our community and minimize exposures within the district. We request your help in these efforts by asking that you inform your campus nurse anytime someone in your household is having symptoms of illness that are not normal for them. Your campus nurse can share recommendations about COVID-19 testing and safety practices to prevent the spread of illness. And she will work with you on making a plan for students to return to campus after illness.
COVID-19 causes symptoms that are similar to many common illnesses, and 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, your campus nurse is ready to discuss with you about the specifics of your family situation and make the proper recommendations.
Free Meals Extension
Free Meals Extension
The USDA has extended its nationwide waiver, allowing GCISD to now offer free meals through June 2021 at all elementary and middle school campuses and meal bundles at curbside locations. Complete information can be found here.
Technology Assistance
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.
Grade Level Newsletters
Grade Level Newsletters
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.
Volunteer Requirements
Volunteer Requirements
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.
Lunch Reminders
Lunch Reminders
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
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
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