GES Families,

We have a new district system that is tracking student attendance and generating letters to families. While we have always had notices that generate through Skyward and notify families, several families have recently received warning letters regarding absences so we wanted to give a quick reminder of the 2 state laws governing student attendance: 

The Attendance For Class Credit (Texas Education Code Section §25.092) rule states that a student in any grade level from kindergarten through grade 12 may not be given credit or a final grade for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. If your student reaches 17 absences, we are required to hold a meeting to determine possible retention. 

• *Please note that even if these absences are excused from illness or doctor’s appointments, they still count as absences toward the Attendance for Credit law. 

• Attendance for Credit (AFC) This law addresses both excused and unexcused absences as well as tardiness occurring after 7:40 a.m. and early dismissals. Section 25.092 of the Texas Education Code conditions credit for a class on a student's attendance for at least 90 percent of the days a class is offered. Attendance for Credit continues throughout the school year, includes excused as well as unexcused absences, and a total of 17 absences for the year would be less than 90% attendance. 

• Failure to Attend (FTA) This law addresses unexcused absences and tardiness occurring after 7:40 a.m. and early dismissals. The Texas Education Code mandates that a child who is required to attend school do so each school day for the entire school year, per Section 25.085, Compulsory School Attendance from the Texas Education Agency.  When a child fails to attend for 10 or more days or parts of days (includes being tardy after 7:40 a.m. and early dismissals) within a six-month period in the same school year, or on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period then the parent is deemed as "contributing to non-attendance" (Sec. 25.093) and an offense under this section may be prosecuted in a justice court. The state mandates that it is the parent's duty to monitor the student's school attendance and require the student to attend school. The school is required to keep attendance and report daily to the state. We want to ensure that you are aware of this law because, should your child reach 10 unexcused absences, truancy prevention measures would automatically generate.

Documentation Note Threshold: Up to 8 days per year (4 per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond true medical and statutorily exemptions.

Within three (3) days of returning to school, a student absent for more than four (4) consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the absence. Otherwise, the absence may be considered unexcused and in violation of compulsory attendance laws.

Should you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Menard, our assistant principal, who oversees attendance. 

All my best,

Mrs. Hale

Progress Reports

The end of another 6 weeks closed on Friday, Feb. 21st. Progress Reports for the 3rd nine weeks will be available in Skyward on Wednesday, Feb. 26th. Thank you for taking the time to check your child's grades and progress so that you can continue supporting them from home. 

No Tardy Tuesday – Monthly Incentive

Our PBIS Committee is excited to launch No Tardy Tuesday to encourage timely arrivals and reward our students for being punctual! Each month, the grade level with the fewest tardies (based on percentage of total students in the grade level) will win extra recess time, and will be announced on KGES. There will be two grade-level winners – one from PreK-2nd grade band and one from 3rd-5th grades. This friendly competition aims to reduce tardiness and get everyone to school on time and ready to learn. Let’s work together to see which grade level can be the most on time each month!

Our first grade level winners for the month of January will be announced Feb. 25th! 

Snack Donations

We are completely out of snacks in the front office for students who may have food insecurities. Individual teachers may have snacks in their classrooms for students that have forgotten on occasion, but 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, Cheez-its, or pretzels in order to help us provide that snack for students that arrive at school without it because of the insecurities. 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.

March Lunch Sign-up

Our March lunch sign-up is now available beginning March 3rd. As a reminder, we kindly ask that each family reserve only 1 spot per month so that all families have the opportunity to come and eat with their child. We have 6 spots per grade level per day for families. Now that the weather is getting cooler, families may choose to enjoy sitting on the patio at our picnic tables with their child for lunch. 

Please remember to sign-up HERE and bring your valid ID to sign-in to the kiosks when you arrive. If you want to sit outside on the patio, please get a badge from the front office that will let you back into the building after lunch. 

Feb. 11-13 will be Lunch with a Loved One days to shop the book fair. There will be a separate sign-up for these days coming soon! 

Literary Lunch - Feb. 26

📚 Exciting News from Nutrition Services! 🍽️

Join us for a special Literary Lunch at all Elementary schools on February 26th where good food and great stories come together! 

This month we’ll be celebrating Literary Lunch with the book Every Night is Pizza Night.

🍕 To match the theme, we’re serving pizza – everyone’s favorite! But that’s not all—one lucky student from each grade who chooses a plate lunch will be randomly selected to win their very own copy of “Every Night is Pizza Night”!

And guess what? We’re also giving a complimentary copy of the book to each elementary school library, so everyone can enjoy!

It’s more than just a school lunch—it’s a tasty way to connect the cafeteria to the classroom! See you at the table!

Mathematics Telescoping Testing

Please see the Mathematics Telescoping flyer for information regarding telescoping testing for the Spring and Summer of 2025. Additional information is also available on the mathematics telescoping website. 

Substitute Nurses

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is always in need of substitute nurses to help at our campuses as needed. If you have a valid RN license and are interested in assisting, please apply for our Substitute Nurse position at https://grapevinecolleyville.schoolspring.com/.

Thank you for your support!

Principal Book Club - Feb. 26

Our next principal book club is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 3:00-3:45 in the Learning Commons. The target age group is Prek and Kinder, but any families are welcome to join. Please sign-up HERE if you plan to join us so we have enough materials prepared. We will do a read aloud, discuss and model reading strategies to support your children at home, and share some reading engagement activities you could try at home! 

Spring Pictures - March 4-6

Angela Wengrenovich Photography will be on campus March 4-6, 2025 to provide Modern School Photos for our Spring Photos. More information can be found in this letter. Students will have their photos taken based on grade level as follows.

Tuesday, March 4- Kindergarten and 1st Grade

Wednesday, March 5 - 2nd and 3rd Grade

Thursday, March 6 - PreK, 4th and 5th Grade

Angela will be photographing GES Siblings together if you register your sibling group by Tuesday, Feb. 25. You can register siblings, request an individual gallery password, or allow for a model release here - https://forms.gle/p8D212EeL7JiscEz7

Any questions you may have will be answered by Angela directly at awengrenphoto@gmail.com. 

Puberty Education for 4th Grade Girls and 5th Graders

Parents of current 4th grade girls and all 5th grade students should have received Skyward notification regarding the upcoming Puberty Education opportunities. Families must Opt IN or Opt OUT of this opportunity via Skyward. 

• GES 4th and 5th grade girls will hear this presentation on Wednesday, March 12, 2025. 

• GES 5th grade boys will hear this presentation on Thursday, March 13, 2025. 

If you have concerns or need more information, please contact Nurse Lindsey. 

Open House - Save the Date

This year our instructional calendar includes the Friday before Spring Break as a Bad Weather make-up day, so Open House will be Tuesday, March 11 from 6-7pm. This will be a come and go event as it has been in the past for students to share the amazing work they have been doing in class and progress towards their goals. We hope you will plan to join us! 

Increase in Illness

We are seeing an increase in student and staff illness. It is the time of year when we frequently hear of students with head colds and fevers. Please help us stop the spread of illness by reminding your children of good hygiene habits such as washing their hands frequently with soap and water, sneezing or coughing into their elbow, etc. We also ask that you keep your children at home when they have fever, severe cough, difficulty breathing, or vomiting. Students should be fever free for 24 hours WITHOUT medication in order to return to school. 

Recognize Excellence with Stars of GCISD!

Do you know a GCISD employee who goes above and beyond? Nominate them for the next Star of GCISD award! Each month, we celebrate outstanding team members for their passion and dedication to GCISD. Nominate today at www.GCISD.net/StarsOfGCISD and help us honor the people who make GCISD shine!