GES Families,

We hope everyone will join us for our annual PTA Fall Carnival this Sunday, October 20th from 2- 5 PM. Our Carnival Team led by Laura Adams and Mary Moses along with Volunteer Coordinator Gina Cowan have been hard at work for many months working to make this a fun family event for our whole community.  

This year's Carnival will feature some returning favorites like face painting, inflatables, game booths, and the chance to splash some of your favorite staff members at the splash tower.  We also have some new things this year, including a rock climbing wall, a spirit wear table with earrings and hair accessories, a sensory space for SPED students (accompanied by an adult loved one), and an allergy-free zoned table in the cafeteria. 

We still need help making Carnival a success! Please consider signing up for a short volunteer shift. We also need donations for two of our favorite game booths.  We need 2 liter sodas for Ring Toss and store-bought baked goods for our Cake Walk.  These can be left in the secure vestibule all week.  There will also be volunteers at morning drop off Thursday, October 17th and Friday, October 18th collecting your donations. 

If you pre-ordered Star Cards, which are our Carnival currency, they will be sent home in student folders this week.  Star Cards will also be available for purchase at Carnival.  

The deadline to order Meat U Anywhere has been extended to October 16th.  Don't miss out on their amazing brisket, churros, nachos, and more! We will also have Kona Ice for sale with cash or credit cards and concession items such as cotton candy and popcorn to purchase with star cards. 

This is always a favorite event for the year for both students and families! We hope you will join us! 

All my best,

Mrs. Hale

Unity Day, Wednesday 10/16

Wear and share orange to help prevent bullying by sharing a message of kindness, promoting acceptance, and encouraging inclusion. 

Report Cards Post Wednesday

Friday, Oct. 11 was the end of the first nine weeks of school. Report cards will post to Skyward on Wednesday and families should receive an email letting you know they are available to view in your child's account. Thank for taking time to review them with your child. 

Academic Awards

Our campus PBIS Committee, comprised of staff and parents, proposed a new idea to begin recognizing our students for their academic achievements. We do many things as a campus to recognize students for making positive choices and hitting their goals! With the shift to number grades, teachers and parents expressed a need to have something linked directly to academic achievement to help motivate and inspire our students with regards to their everyday work. We are excited to share that this year, our 3rd-5th grade students will have the opportunity to earn vinyl stickers in the following categories: A Honor Roll, A/B Honor Roll, and Academic Achievement. 

After grades post on Wednesday, teachers will recognize the students in their homeroom class who meet these achievements by presenting them with a custom Grapevine Elementary sticker. Grades for Honor Roll include all core subject areas and PE, Art, and Music. We hope you will join us celebrating your child's success or continuing to encourage them for future opportunities. 

Perfect Attendance Awards

Students who had no more than 1 excused absence and 1 tardy for the 1st nine weeks of school will receive a Perfect Attendance Award on Friday. They will receive a certificate for a free kids meal and a token to use in the toy machine in the foyer. Congratulations to all our students and thank you families for keeping school attendance a top priority! 

Save the Date - Book Character Parade - Oct. 31 

Our Book Character Parade is a beloved GES tradition! Save the date for Thursday, October 31st at 8:00am. Parents are invited to come stand and watch from the exterior of the building as students and staff parade around the outside. 

Students are encouraged to dress up as a Book Character of their choice. This will be in combination with our Red Ribbon Week dress-up days that you will see below. 

Save the Date: Red Ribbon Week Oct. 28 - Nov. 1st

Since its beginning in 1985 in response to the death of DEA Agent Enrique Camarena, parents and youth in communities across the country began wearing Red Ribbons as a symbol of their commitment to raise awareness of the destruction caused by drugs in America.

In honor of Camarena's memory and his battle against illegal drugs, friends and neighbors began to wear red badges of satin. In 1988, NFP sponsored the first National Red Ribbon Celebration. Today, the Red Ribbon serves as a catalyst to mobilize communities to educate youth and encourage participation in drug prevention activities. The National Family Partnership (NFP) and its network of individuals and organizations continue to deliver his message of hope to millions of people every year, through the National Red Ribbon Campaign®.

At GES and across the nation, schools participate in fun dress-up theme days to remind us of this positive message! 

Have a Question about the VATRE?

GCISD has multiple resources available to answer questions about the upcoming voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE) that will be on the November 5 ballot:

• Attend a community presentation scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, October 17, at the district’s Professional Development and Education Center (PDEC), 5800 Colleyville Blvd. in Colleyville, TX 76034. 

• Watch the district’s Facebook Live presentation available on GCISD’s YouTube Channel and the district’s Facebook page. The presentation on YouTube is also separated by chapters so you can jump to a specific topic, such as “Why a VATRE” or “Understanding What You Will See on the Ballot.”

• Visit the district’s VATRE webpage at www.GCISD.net/VATRE, which has tax rate information, frequently-asked questions and answers and more.

As a reminder, 

• GCISD will have a lower overall tax rate with VATRE approval - With the passage of the VATRE, the overall tax rate (Maintenance & Operations + Interest & Sinking) will be $0.0014 less than the 2023 rate of $0.9247.

• 100% of funds stay in GCISD - The three-cent increase will be made of “golden pennies.” Tax funds collected through these pennies are not subject to recapture, meaning 100 percent of these funds remain in GCISD.

• The impact to GCISD will be $6 million - The passage of the VATRE would result in approximately $6 million in funding for teachers and staff, instruction and student programs, and daily operating expenses (utilities, maintenance, supplies).

Watch the 2024 GCISD VATRE video.

5th grade GT Testing Window

Beginning Oct. 14 - November 5, fifth grade families may refer their child for Gifted and Talented testing via Skyward. 

Referrals for students in Kinder-4th grade will open on Dec. 2nd. 

VATRE Community Presentation Scheduled for October 17

A community presentation to inform the public about GCISD’s voter-approved tax ratification election (VATRE) has been scheduled for 6 p.m., Thursday, October 17, at the district’s Professional Development and Education Center (PDEC), 5800 Colleyville Blvd. in Colleyville, TX 76034. 

Come learn facts about the VATRE, why the election was called, its impact on the tax rate and more.

We hope to see you at the October 17 community presentation, but if you are not able to attend watch the district’s September 18 Facebook Live presentation or visit www.GCISD.net/VATRE to read more about the VATRE that will be on the November 5, 2024 ballot for GCISD voters to consider.

Don’t forget that the deadline to register to vote is Monday, October 7. Early voting begins Monday, October 21, and continues through November 1.