GES Families,

Thank you for the INCREDIBLE support for our Groovy Fun Run! We raised an astounding $41,720.00, far exceeding our $35,000 goal. We could not have done it without all of our families and students helping to spread the word. Thank you for your generosity and dedication in helping us maintain a high standard of excellence at GES.

Funds raised will support staff professional development opportunities, the GES campus activity fund, staff appreciation efforts, literacy fund, and many community programs and student advocacy efforts which include but are not limited to our BooHoo Yahoo Breakfast, Back to School Bash, Carnival, Family Movie Night, Classroom Parties, Dads Club, Family Art Night, Steam Fair, and Field Day! 

Because we met our campus fundraising goal, the PTA has arranged for a special assembly on Friday morning, March 28 for all GES students to enjoy. We are excited to see a Secret Agent Magic Show from James Wand! 

Friday is also Croc Day! Feel free to wear Crocs or your new bracelet and sport your Sparkle Croc charm! 

Below you will find a complete list of the top classes in each grade level that have earned a pizza and popsicle party from PTA. This will be coordinated with homeroom teachers and dates will be advertised directly from classroom teachers to families.  

Our top 10 student earners are also invited to a special Donut Party with Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Menard! We had 4 way tie for 10th place, so we will be celebrating the top 13! These top students earned a total of $8,790! WOW! 

Congratulations to Adalyn Guice, the winner of our raffle for the Family Fun basket! She won several gift cards for Kid Zania, Crumbl, and Cinemark in addition to some amazing GES swag. 

All other student incentives were passed out on March 13 based on donations collected through midnight on Thursday, March 13th. If you have questions about an incentive that you believe your child earned, please contact funrun@gespta.org. 

I want to give a HUGE thank you to our PTA Board and Fun Run coordinator, Elyse Habenicht, for leading our fundraising efforts this year! We are so thankful for the hours of time she poured into making this a successful event for our campus. We also appreciate the many hours that so many members of our Executive Board spent helping and supporting behind the scenes. It takes a village, and we have a great one here at GES! 

All my best,

Mrs. Hale

Book Battle Week 4

Our week 3 winner of the Book Battle was Somewhere in the Bayou by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey!! The vote count was 416 to 57... quite the landslide!  We also have a book moving on to the final four... The Scariest Kitten in the World! It beat out Simon and the Better Bone by 218 to 184. We announced this to our students this morning on KGES.

Here is a link to the Week 4 if you would like to listen to the books at home with your child or younger children.  

Texas Rangers Opening Day - Thursday, March 27

Students and staff are encouraged to wear Texas Rangers gear or red, white, and blue on Thursday, March 27 for Rangers Baseball Opening Day! 

College Colors Day - Friday, March 28

We continue to celebrate College Colors Day on the 4th Friday of each month. As we enter the Sweet 16 in March Madness, we invite students to sport their favorite team gear or colors. 

3rd Nine Weeks Attendance Awards

This week we will celebrate our students who had amazing attendance during the 3rd nine weeks of school. Attendance awards are given to students who had no more than 1 tardy and no more than 1 absence from Jan. 8-March 13. 

Students will come home with a certificate and a little toy from our toy vending machine. 

April Lunch Sign-up

Our April lunch sign-up is now available beginning April 1st. 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 warmer, families may choose to enjoy sitting on the patio at our picnic tables with their child for lunch. Please pick up a visitor badge in the front office if you wish to sit on the patio so you can get back into the building. 

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. 

STAAR testing dates - April 9, 22, and 29 are NOT available for lunches as these are closed campus dates with no visitors allowed. 

STAAR Test Dates & CLOSED Campus

The following dates when STAAR tests will be administered are CLOSED campus dates. This means we cannot have any visitors or volunteers inside the building between arrival and dismissal. All staff present on those days must have specific training. 

• Wednesday April 9th - 3rd-5th Reading

• Tuesday, April 22nd- 5th Science

• Tuesday, April 29th - 3rd-5th Math

Walk a Mile T-Shirt Store is Open through March 26

Order your t-shirts today for Walk a Mile with GCISD! The online store, with adult and youth sizes available, is open now-Wednesday, March 26. T-shirts may be picked up at the administration building on Monday, April 14, or at the event, 6-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, at Mustang Panther Stadium. 

Walk a Mile is a free, come-and-go event that is a chance to engage with fellow families, friends, GCISD staff and community leaders, while walking the track. We hope to see you there!

Get Ready to Make Summer Plans: GCISD Summer Programs Registration Opens March 24

Get ready for an unforgettable summer! Registration for GCISD summer programs opens March 24 on our Summer Programs page. Whether your child loves sports, adventure, hands-on learning, or making new friends, we have something for everyone!

Extended Day Program

This summer will be unforgettable and action packed at EDP with:

• Amazing Race Challenges – Compete in exciting adventures!

• Special Interest Clubs – Explore new hobbies and skills!

• Splash Days – Cool off with water-filled fun!

• Time Travel Adventures – Journey through time in engaging, learning activities!

New! EDP Mini Camps 

Think of these as the ice-cream sprinkles on top of an already amazing summer! Mini camps add MORE fun, MORE excitement, and MORE unforgettable memories. Choose mini camps only or add them to your EDP experience for the ultimate summer adventure.

Calling All Future MVPs and Sports Superstars

Want to train with the best? GCISD’s top-notch coaches are running sports camps all summer long! No matter your age or skill level, we’ve got a camp for you. Get ready to run, jump, and score your way to an amazing summer. New athletic camps will be added throughout spring and summer—so keep checking back!

Academic Summer Program Opportunities

Need a summer academic boost? We’ve got you covered:

• Courses for middle School students

• Secondary summer school (high school)

• Summer Bridge courses

Summer is calling. Will you answer? Get ready to say "Hello, Summer!" 

Tutoring for Students

We get lots of requests this time of year from families regarding tutoring. If your child is struggling and you feel they need more support after the school day, we would highly recommend that they use iReady for additional practice and support. All families can sit down with their child after school and guide them through completing an iReady lesson in reading, math, or both. These lessons are tailored to their individual needs and you will begin to see their growth as they fill in gaps and practice their skills. 

Our campus expectation continues to be that each student meets a minimum of 30 minutes per week and passes 2 lessons in both reading and math. If your child is not completing these minutes in class, it would greatly benefit them to complete the minutes at home. 

RaaWee - Absence Calendars to be Sent This Week

Beginning on March 10 and continuing monthly, families will receive an Absence Calendar. The purpose of these calendars is to update families on your child’s school attendance for the year. The report will include an attendance score, total number of absences, calendar of dates, and the type of absence recorded as well as a detailed absence breakdown. If your child is scoring in the red or orange, the campus has likely already been in contact regarding attendance. We will continue to reach out to discuss ways we can support your child as needed. 

Spring Photos are Ready!

To view your child's school photos, click on the email or text you received from Angela Wengrenovich Photography. You will enter your info and be taken directly to your child's gallery. This email only went to the primary parent in Skyward. You can forward to anyone you would like to view the photos.

If you didn't receive an email or can't find it, please visit this link - https://www.angelawengrenovichphotography.com/ges/ - to find more info on accessing your photos.

This is a new system this year. In order to purchase all your digital files, you'll need to add each photo to your cart. There is a max price on all the digital files per child of $60, so if you order 3 or more, you should add all to your cart to get them all for that price. Next year, there should be a "buy all" button!

All orders are due by Monday, March 31 at 11:59pm.

If you have any questions, please let me know at awengrenphoto@gmail.com

Families Invited to Attend Walk a Mile with GCISD April 15

Walk a Mile with GCISD 2025 will be an exciting event for all in GCISD and throughout our community. Staff, families and community members are invited to join us from 6-7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 15, at Mustang Panther Stadium. This free event is to spend time together as a GCISD family, meeting new people and spending time with friends while walking the track in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. GCISD community leaders as well as first responders and Baylor Scott & White will also be there. An online store will open Monday, March 10-Wednesday, March 26, for event t-shirts. Look for details to be announced on GCISD’s social media in the coming weeks and be sure to mark this event on your calendar.

Save the Dates: Success Ceremony & End of Year Parties

We hope you will save these dates for the end of year Success Ceremonies and Celebrations! The end of the school year is quickly approaching and we can't wait to celebrate with our students. 

Guinea Pig Wish List

Our guinea pigs that we adopted last year during our One School One Book reading of Wedgie and Gizmo are still enjoying life in the GES Learning Commons! Our students love to visit them and read to them and guinea pigs especially love to eat! If you would like to donate to their care, here is an Amazon Wish List of some of their favorites. They also love fresh veggies if your child would like to bring them a small handful. We only ask that they touch base with Mrs. Wahpekeche before feeding them so she can ensure a balanced diet. 

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.

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.