GRACE Christmas Cottage Toy Drive - Stars with GRACE

Our GES Stars are partnering with the GRACE Christmas Cottage again this holiday season! Until Friday, December 4th, consider donating a new and unwrapped item from the following list to our front foyer donation station:

Disney Anything

Baby Alive Anything

Easy Bake Ovens

Science Kits/Science Toys

All Board Games

Infant Toys/Fisher Price

Lego Sets All Type

Fur Real Pets

Marvel/Action Figure Toys

Hot Wheel Track Sets

Little Live Pets

Arts & Craft Kits/Educational Toys

Anything Unicorn/Mermaid

LOL Anything

Baby Doll accessories

Linkimals/Cubby the Curious Bear

Current Action Figures

Barbie Accessories Cars, Tents, Pools Etc.

Infant/Toddler clothes

Shopkins/Polly Pockets

Blume Dolls/PJ Masks

My Generation Dolls & Accessories

Nerf Toys (For Boys & Girls)

Remote-Controlled Cars

Discovery/STEM Toys

Sesame St. Toys/Paw Patrol

Hatchimals/Peppa Pig

Harry Potter Anything

Toy Story 4/Frozen 2

Toddler Toys Ages 1-3

Twin Bedding/Full

Lucky Fortune Bracelets

Cologne (Girls/Boys)

Wrapping paper

Scotch tape

Bows

Wire Ribbon

Batteries

Remote Control Cars, Helicopter, Boats

Mountain Bikes/Helmets

Fragrance Kits (Axe, etc.) boys & girls

Bath & Body Works Lotions, Etc.

Bedroom Accessories/Decorative

Fuzzy/crazy socks

Cowboy, Stars, Mavericks, Rangers

Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, headphones

Drones

Electronic Tablets

Fleece Bottoms Boy/Girl/Adult Sizes

Beanbag and gaming chairs

Sweatshirts with Logos

Make-Up Sets/Nail Polish sets

Electric Razors/Electric Shavers

Large Art sets

Teen Bedding Sets

Teen Board Games

Luggage

Hair Styling tools (curling irons, etc.)

Toaster Ovens/Blenders

Small Microwave Oven

Cookware Sets/Rice Cookers

Coffee Makers/Electric Skillets

Dish Sets Serving 8/Pots and Pans

Electric Griddles/Electric Fryers

George Foreman Grills/Instapots

Griddles/Roasters

Towel Sets

Small Vacuums

GIFT CARDS: Wal-Mart, Target, Fast Food

*Monetary donations are welcome to the GRACE Christmas Holiday Fund. GRACE's Wal-Mart Wish List is also available to donate and have delivered directly.

For questions regarding the GRACE Christmas Cottage drive, please email angela.horn@gcisd.net or 817-251-5740.

Yearbook Picture Retakes - Tuesday, Dec. 8

In-Person Retakes

If your child was present in-person on Nov. 11 for Picture Day, you should have received an email from Glamourcraft School Photography on Monday, Nov. 16th with directions on how to view and order your child's photo. If you did NOT receive that email, click HERE for directions on how to access your child's photo.

If you would like a retake after viewing their photo, please complete this FORM by Friday, Dec. 4th. This will ensure we know to pull your child for a retake picture on Dec. 8th.

IF your child is an in-person learner but was not present in the building on Nov. 11th and they need to have their picture taken on Dec. 8, please complete this FORM. This will ensure they are pulled from class for their picture.

Remote Learner Pictures

If your child is a remote learner, please click on this Sign-up Genius to select a time to bring your child to campus for their yearbook photo on Tuesday, Dec. 8th between 8:00-10:00 am. Time slots are very specific, please arrive on time. Parents should pull into our Hall Johnson circle drive and pull up in the car line. Students will enter the building through the picnic table area. A staff member will be at the door to greet students. A camera will be set up in the hallway just inside the building. Students should enter the building wearing a mask, but will take it off for their photo. They will exit the same door and return back to their car. Parents will not be allowed inside the building.

Optional Picture Day at Glamour Craft

For Remote learners that cannot come to campus on Dec. 8th, Glamour Craft is offering two dates for photos to be taken at their studio:

Glamourcraft Studio, 7375 S. Hulen St., Ft. Worth, TX 76131 - NO appointment necessary

12/5/2020 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

1/5/2021 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

For questions regarding pictures, please call the front office at 817-251-5735 or email regina.sharp@gcisd.net.

Snack Donations

For some of our families, providing a nutritious snack each day to assist their GES star’s performance throughout the day does not happen consistently because of food insecurities. If you are able, please donate individually packaged Goldfish or pretzels in order to help us provide that snack for students who arrive at school without it because of the insecurities. If you would like to order on Amazon, and send donations directly to campus, you can find a link HERE. This would not pertain to students that simply forgot a snack that day. If your Star forgets his/her snack often, sending multiple days worth of snacks might help. For questions, please feel free to contact Angela Horn at angela.horn@gcisd.net or 817-251-5740. Thank you for your continued generosity and thoughtfulness.

A Note from Specials for REMOTE Learners Only

Please complete your online assignments as posted each week. We are getting great work from most students, however we are regrettably unable to give full credit to students who are not completing their online assignments. If you are online temporarily for quarantine you must check into your specials classes and complete your work as if you were in person. The only way we know that you have completed your assignments is if you have turned in the photos and recordings that are requested in each assignment. We can not accept blank responses or notes such as "COOL!" or "Awesome".

December Dress-up Days

Instead of our traditional Friday Dress-up days during the month of December, we are inviting the students to participate in some of the staff dress-up theme days! Here is a list of the dress-up days if your child would like to participate with us:

Friday, Dec. 4 - Gaston’s Favorite Flannel Friday (wear flannel)

Friday, Dec. 11 - Ursula’s Ugly Sweater Day (wear a tacky Christmas sweater)

Monday, Dec. 14 - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Day (wear antlers or something with rudolph)

Tuesday, Dec. 15 - Santa Hat Day (wear a Santa hat or something with Santa on it)

Wednesday, Dec. 16 - Once Upon a Snowman (snuggle up with a scarf, hat, or mittens)

Thursday, Dec. 17 - Moana’s Mele Kalikimaka Celebration (wear Hawaiian Theme)

Friday, Dec. 18 - Sleeping Beauty’s Pajama Party (wear pajamas)

Reading Pictures Needed

Thanks to a couple of wonderful PTA families, the GES Learning Commons has 2 new Holiday Trees! Help us decorate them by snapping a picture of your child reading their favorite book. You can upload it to facebook, or email it to Erin.Wahpekeche@gcisd.net.

We will print them and use the pictures as ornaments! Thanks for your help... Happy reading!

A Note from Mrs. North

Thank you so much if you participated in the Holiday Art Card contest! I was SO excited to see all the entries and I will be letting you know as soon as I hear the results.

We will be starting weaving after Christmas break. If you are online, please let me know if you need to come pick up a yarn bundle for your weaving assignment. The yarn will be in a bin inside the secure vestibule. I will also be accepting paper weaving projects from online students if you are unable to find yarn at home or unable to come to school to pick it up. My email address is Amanda.North@gcisd.net if you have any questions about this.

Virtual Art Club for all students! I will be posting a large Choice Board in a new class in Seesaw called Virtual Art Club. Be on the lookout for the announcements and QR code to join. This is optional so please join if you are interested in doing some more artwork over the Holidays and into the New Year!

Thank you all for your hard work and commitment to practicing art!!

-Mrs. North

Kindergarten & 5th Grade Parent Referrals For Gifted & Talented Services

The referral window for students in Kindergarten and 5th Grade who are interested in Gifted and Talented identification is open November 30, 2020, through December 11, 2020. Referrals are only for Kindergarten and 5th Grade students at this time. This referral window also applies to any current 5th Grade GT LEAD student who is interested in applying for the ASPIRE ACADEMY.

If you are interested in referring your child for testing, an informative presentation is available on the Advanced Academics page of the district website, at this site: http://bit.ly/2rtZzFv

If you have further questions, please contact the GT specialist at our campus: Tressa Maddux

Parents interested in referring their child for testing need to complete this form by December 11th, 2020 at this site: https://bit.ly/2NT0M0y

GT specialists will administer any necessary testing from January 7, 2021, through January 22, 2021. Parents will be notified regarding results as soon as the assessment process is completed.

Thank you for your cooperation and support of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and its educational programs.

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.

Star Students of the Month - Gratitude

Throughout the month of November, teachers nominated students that demonstrated or showed the most growth in showing GRATITUDE! HERE is the Star Student of the Month Flipgrid sharing each homeroom's nominee and why each student was nominated!

December Character Quality

HONESTY will be the focused character trait in December! Campus guidance lessons, Circle Up topics, and more will highlight HONESTY! You can partner with us from home by browsing the included family newsletter and host suggested discussions, activities, etc.!

GRIT

To support the ongoing efforts at school to improve our Stars' threshold of grit, perseverance, growth mindset, and more, consider the following activity at home!

GOAL: This activity helps students to see the connections between their thinking and their actions, and imagine that a different perspective and a different action are possible.

ACTION: Most of us are familiar with “yes, but” thinking. Although we say yes, there’s a big BUT in there … which is really just another way of saying no.

Children can grow their capacity for Yes / And thinking. It just takes some practice. So, let’s practice with Yes / And Improv.

• Explain that Yes / And thinking is a standard technique used in improvisational comedy. You accept what the person before you has said, and add to it … without judgement, without negativity.

• Ask one family member to begin the improv by making a statement.

• The next member, instead of disagreeing, negating or belittling that statement, says “yes, and …” and then proceeds to add another element to the unfolding scenario.

• The next member hears the previous contribution, says “yes, and,” and follows up with their own contribution.

• Each family member plays a part. Their contribution is to accept the way the scenario is unfolding, and add to it.

When everyone has had a turn, debrief this activity. Questions might include:

• How did it feel to simply accept the way the scenario was unfolding, without challenging it, without disagreeing?

• What was your ‘inner voice’ saying? Were you ever tempted to say “yes, but?”

• Did your group come up with more perspectives or possibilities than you might have if you were having a debate, and felt you needed to defend a particular perspective?

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.

K-4 Student iPads (Elementary Only)

As we look to the holiday break, we need to remind everyone that lack of iPad storage space can often cause issues with app performance and iOS updates. The articles below will walk students through backing up photos to Google Photos, removing applications via Self Service, and basic troubleshooting of iPads:

Meraki Self Service Portal

Backing Up iPad Photos Using Google Photos App

iPad Troubleshooting

Please remind students to take time to clear out space and make any updates to avoid issues with needed applications.

Instructional Mode Changes - Nov. 15 - Dec. 4

Families have chosen in-person or remote learning for the 2020-2021 school year, and they do have the option to change their student's instructional model.

Switching from In-Person to Remote Learning

• Families are able to switch from in-person to remote learning at any point during the school year. In order to make this change, please contact our campus counselor, Mrs. Horn.

Switching from Remote to In-Person Learning

• Families that are wishing to change from remote to in-person learning may only do so at the end of a grading period. For families that wish to change at the end of the current grading period, beginning on November 15, you may login to Skyward Family Access and complete the changing instructional models form. The campus must receive the completed form before the end of day on December 4.

• Instructions on where to find the form and how to complete it can be found here. A schedule of when this change can be made can be made for other grading periods can found here.

In-person instruction for the third nine weeks begins on January 6, 2021.

If you have any questions regarding the timing of when parents may change the instructional model selected, or the associated process, please contact Mrs. Horn, angela.horn@gcisd.net.

GCISD is Hiring!

GCISD is taking applications for substitute teachers! We love having our parents sub in our classrooms! Join our team - apply today at http://gcisd.net/substitute! #WeAreGCISD

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