Friday Dress-up Days

Each Friday at GES, we invite students to participate in specific dress-up themes. The first 3 Fridays of each month will follow the same pattern and our 4th Friday will be a "Fun Friday" with rotating themes. Stay tuned to this Monday Message, our school activities calendar, and social media for reminders each week.

• FIRST Friday - College Colors

• SECOND Friday - GES Spirit Wear (a campus shirt)

• THIRD Friday - Making Magic Together (Disney theme shirt)

• FOURTH Friday - Fun Friday (it will change each month-silly socks, crazy hair, etc.)

Dot Day - Sept. 15

GES will be celebrating International Dot Day by wearing polka dots on Tuesday, September 15th! We love author Peter H. Reynolds and his unique ability to bring communities together through story. The Dot is a picture book that encourages kids to celebrate courage, creativity, and collaboration. Students around the world will celebrate Dot Day on September 15th-ish.

Here are a few ways to celebrate with your family:

• Make some dots! You can make dots out of coffee filters, paper plates, or plain old paper. The more unique, the better!

• Place your dots in your windows, on your garage doors, or on your front doors. Then take your family on a walk around the neighborhood to see how many dots you can find!

• Listen to Emily Arrow's The Dot Song: https://youtu.be/r_I43cxDQ-o

• Wear polka dots on Tuesday, 9/15

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.

Marquee Birthday Messages

Want a new way to say "Happy Birthday" to your child on their special day? You can sign up to have your child's "Happy Birthday" message placed on the GES digital marquee from 6:30am - 8:30pm on their big day! Complete this digital form AND then send payment to GES by September 25th! You can send cash or check to the front office with your child, drop it by the front office, or mail to Grapevine Elementary c/o Gina Sharp at 1801 Hall Johnson Drive. Messages will begin as early September 14, but payment must be received in advance.

COVID Reopening Guidelines

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

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Masks

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Masks (UPDATED August 28, 2020) The following draft guidance was provided by the Texas Education Agency on July 7, 2020. Also incorporated are protocols specific to GCISD:

• (UPDATED August 28, 2020) Schools are required to comply with Governor Abbott’s executive order regarding the wearing of masks. The order requires Texans living in counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth while in a business or other building open to the public, as well as outdoor public spaces, whenever social distancing is not possible.

• In addition to the executive order, school systems may require the use of masks for adults or students for whom it is developmentally appropriate.

• TEA’s definition of masks include non-medical grade disposable face masks, cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth).

• Staff and students will appropriately wear face coverings at all times. District staff and students will practice these protocols during the first days of in-person instruction.

• (UPDATED August 28, 2020) 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.

• (UPDATED August 28, 2020) Elementary students will have a portable plexiglass desktop barrier, which may be carried to other locations in the building, should a student need to leave the classroom for additional support or instruction. This item will need to be cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis.

• (NEW July 28, 2020) Students in middle and high school will be provided with a ‘gaiter’ instead of a face mask to wear during the school day. This item covers the neck and may be pulled up to cover the mouth and nose. Each student will be provided one gaiter, or may choose to bring their own personal protective equipment, provided it meets the definition from TEA.

• It may be impractical for students to wear masks or face shields while participating in some non-UIL athletic or other extracurricular activities. When it is impractical for students to wear masks or face shields during those activities, schools must require students, teachers, staff, and visitors to wear masks or face shields when entering and exiting facilities and practice areas Last updated August 28, 2020 GCISD Fall 2020 DRAFT Guide | 14 and when not actively engaging in those activities. Schools may, for example, allow students who are actively exercising to remove masks or face shields, as long as they maintain at least six feet of distance from other students, teachers, and staff who are not wearing masks or face shields. However, schools must require students, teachers, and staff to wear masks or face shields as they arrange themselves in positions that will allow them to maintain safe distancing.

• Campus and other reception areas will be equipped with plexiglass safety barriers.

• The Texas Education Agency recently announced that PPE would be purchased and provided to each district for use as needed. Students and staff will be able to wear their own mask if they so choose. Masks will be provided in the event that a student or staff member does not have their own mask. More information regarding a district provided mask will be shared at a later date.

Skyward Instructions

Don't remember which instructional method you chose? For steps on how to login to Skyward Family Access to review your choice of in-person or remote learning for September 8, please follow these instructions.

Changing Instructional Model

As a reminder, parents 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 @ angela.horn@gcisd.net.

For families that are wishing to change from remote to in-person learning, that may only be done at the end of a grading period. The process for changing to in-person learning requires parents to complete a google form that will be shared by your child’s campus prior to the end of the nine-week grading period. Below is a schedule of when the form will become available, when the form must be received by the campus, and when the change will go into effect:

• To change after the first nine weeks, parents must complete the form between September 20 and October 5. Your student would begin receiving in-person instruction on October 19.

• To change after the second nine weeks, parents must complete the form between November 15 and December 7. Your student would begin receiving in-person instruction on January 6.

• To change after the third nine weeks, parents must complete the form between February 14 and March 1. Your student would begin receiving in-person instruction on March 22.

If you have any questions regarding the timing of when parents may change the instructional model selected, or the associated process, please contact the campus counselor.

2020 Census

Students and families in GCISD still have an opportunity to participate in the 2020 Census. An accurate representation of our student and family population is important for future federal funding implications. If you have not already done so, please complete the 2020 Census for your family.

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