GES Families,

Our school will be embarking on a special project for the fourth year: a whole school book club called One School One Book. Families are asked to read it aloud with their children at home from January 10 through February 6. We are personally asking you to make time in your schedule in the coming month so your family can participate in this special activity. We will ask for the campus books to be returned to GES following the program for use in future learning experiences. 

Reading aloud at home is valuable because it better prepares your child to be an effective reader. It is also a fun, worthwhile family activity. With the One School One Book program, we aim to build a community of readers at our school. Everyone - students, parents, teachers, principals - will be participating, and we can all reap the many benefits.

We had a school-wide assembly this morning to kick off our One School One Book program and announced the book to students. Your child received a packet of information to bring home. The reading calendar, which will show which days we will read each chapter, will come home in the packet so you can make sure your child is on track. Generally you will be asked to read about 20-30 minutes per night aloud to your child. The chapters are very short, so it’s multiple chapters a night.

After reading, your child will be invited to answer daily trivia questions to encourage and reward great listening skills. Students will complete a trivia slip each evening to submit in the foyer the next morning for the opportunity to win prizes. You will soon find that your child will take pride in knowing and anticipating the details of the story. In class, there may be various activities that discuss or explore the book. You will want to make sure your family keeps up so your child can be included. Throughout the month, everyone will be talking about the book.

Each evening, we will send a text to families with the reading for the night and the trivia question. We also have a Google Site created with links to listen to the assigned chapters if you prefer that is provided in the packet. While we hope you will find time to read aloud with your child, we know that sometimes family hardships can make it difficult to sit down together. 

One School One Book is a unique program because GES students at all grade levels will all be listening to the same book. This makes sense and will stretch our students’ learning because reading professionals recommend reading material out loud that is beyond a child’s own reading level. We also believe that you can and should continue reading chapter books with your older children, even when they are able to read by themselves. We have selected a title that can be followed, understood and enjoyed by younger students, but that will still interest our older children. 

We hope that families will embrace this opportunity to have fun and explore reading together. With your help, we can build a strong community of readers at Grapevine Elementary!  

All my best,

Mrs. Hale

No School - Monday, Jan. 20

Friendly reminder that there is no school on Monday, Jan. 20th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. 

STAAR Interim Testing Dates

Our 3rd-5th grade students will participate in Interim Testing on the following dates: 

• January 22- Grades 3-5 Reading

• January 23rd- Grades 3-5 Math

• January 28th- Grade 5 Science

This may impact the daily schedule of students as we provide a larger block on instructional time in the mornings for students to take their online assessments. We ask that you ensure students have a good night of rest and healthy breakfast so they can perform at their best for these assessments. 

These tests are designed by the State of Texas in preparation for the STAAR tests later in the spring. Teachers receive valuable data that help them adjust instruction and ensure students have mastered the necessary TEKs. It also provides data for both students and families that may predict how students will perform on those upcoming assessments. 

iReady MOY Reports

Last Wednesday you should have received a copy of your child's MOY iReady reports, which detail their results and growth from the beginning of the year (BOY) to the middle of the year.

I put together a video reviewing a sample student score report to share more information on iReady growth and hopefully answer questions you may have while reviewing your child's progress. If you have additional questions regarding your child's iReady results, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.

Save the Date

Officer Weber spent many years as a detective with Grapevine Police Department before becoming a School Resource Officer. He is passionate about Internet Safety for children and has offered to host a round table discussion for families to share information and offer a time for questions. Mark your calendars for Jan. 22 at 6pm if you would like to join us in the GES Learning Commons. 

This discussion time is for adults only. 

He will be partnering with Mrs. Wahpekeche to continue our education for students on internet safety as part of our digital literacy instruction. 

Join the Spring 2025 Class of Leadership GCISD

The second cohort of Leadership GCISD begins January 21 and spots are filling quickly. This is a semester-long program that gives parents, staff and community members an inside look at our school district. As a member of this program, you’ll have the opportunity to experience engaging presentations, connect with district leaders and gain valuable insights! Check out the spring schedule and apply for Leadership GCISD or other district committee opportunities.

Pre-Kindergarten Lottery Opens January 13

The tuition-based pre-K lottery for the 2024-2025 school year opens January 13, 2025. Give your child the chance to shine with GCISD's exceptional curriculum and dedicated faculty!

Change in Specials Schedule for K-2

Our Kindergarten through 2nd grade students will begin following a new specials schedule starting this semester that is similar to our 3rd-5th graders. Previously they have done 24 minutes of PE and 24 minutes of art or music each day. Art and Music rotate weekly by class. In an effort to best meet the needs of our students and limit the number of transitions for students, we are trying something different for the next semester where students will stay in one class for 48 minutes. They will have PE twice a week, music or art twice a week (rotating every other week still) and then Fridays will be a split day on 5-day weeks. 

Report Cards Post Wednesday

Report Cards for the 2nd nine weeks will post on Wednesday, Jan. 8th in Skyward. Families can login and check this child's progress and digitally sign-off that they viewed their child's report card. Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your child's learning from home.