Dear GES Families,

This year our school theme was “WILD About Engagement!”  By continuing to set individual goals and working hard to achieve them, our students stayed engaged in their reading and math. We saw great success with our students from our beginning of the year data to the end of year data. All students should have brought home score reports from their end of year assessments. 

We want to keep the momentum going over the summer! We encourage you to visit the local public libraries to help you locate books on your child’s independent reading level. Please reference the GCISD Summer Engagement resources for ideas throughout the summer. You can also read at the park, in the car, on an airplane, at the pool, while visiting family, and more! Additionally, you can read books with your child or even listen to audiobooks with them! For math, consider ways to practice fluency and facts such as counting, skip counting, playing games with cards, dice, etc. The more you engage your child in reading and math, the greater the student they will become. Children also learn so many social skills from playing games and taking turns. 

Additionally, we have also sent home a similar summer reading letter with all students that has their current independent reading level. Studies show that students who do not continue reading over the summer can lose up to 2 months reading performance, which can take months of instructional time to regain in the new school year. We hope you will continue to engage with your child in reading this summer to prevent the “summer slide” and ensure success as they move to the next grade level.  As an additional layer of engagement, all GES Star students returning in August for the 24-25 school year will have the opportunity to visit the Book Vending Machine if they maintain or exceed their current level over the summer, as indicated during beginning of the year assessments. 

We hope you will take on this challenge with us over the summer to STOP the summer slide!  Share your summer reading with us on our GES Facebook page or on X using #GESshineon. 

See you in August for Meet the Teacher on Monday, August 12, 2024!

All our best,

Your GES Family

Early Dismissal Thursday

We will be dismissing on Thursday, May 23rd at 11:45am for the last day of school! Please ensure you pick your child up on time. 

Bag Lunches for Thursday

Thursday we have a half-day of school. If your child will need to purchase a bag lunch from the school cafeteria to eat before they go home, please complete this FORM. Students will eat in their classrooms. They may also choose to bring a lunch from home or eat after dismissal at 11:45am. 

Report Cards Post Wednesday

Final report cards for the year will post on Wednesday, May 22 in your child's Skyward account. Thank you for your continued support and participation in checking your child's grades. 

5th Grade Graduation

Our 5th grade Graduation Ceremony will be held the evening of May 22nd at 6:30pm. Doors will open at 6:15pm. 

Fast Passes are not required for this event because it is after school hours. 

Yearbooks

Our Yearbooks will be delivered this week to homeroom classes. Students will have the opportunity throughout the week to sign them with their classmates. On Thursday during specials classes, there will be a grade level signing opportunity. For this reason, you might not see the yearbooks come home until Thursday or we ask that you keep them in your child's backpack for the remainder of the week. 

Many thanks to our PTA Yearbook Coordinator, Amanda Jernigan, who did an WILDLY wonderful job putting together the yearbook! She has held this position for several years and we are so grateful for all the time, effort, and energy she has given over the years to our campus. 

Wildly Amazing Student Wednesdays

Each Wednesday in May, to wrap up our WILD year, we will be celebrating our WILD Wednesdays by catching students who are exhibiting our GES Family Values! Through a generous donation from Kids Heart Challenge, we were able to obtain lanyards for each students and many different animal key chains. Students will be working each Wednesday to earn a different animal based on their safe, kind, helpful, and respectful choices. Students can choose to keep and wear their lanyards all month long, just on Wednesdays, or attach the keychains to their backpack. We hope this is a little extra motivation and engagement with our GES Guidelines for Success as we wrap up a wonderfully WILD year! 

• • May 22 - Have a Roaring Good Time at Recess by Being Safe

Field Day Thank You

We want to thank Coach Basil, our specials team, all the teachers and staff, as well as our volunteers and families for a fabulous Field Day on Friday! We had to pivot at the last minute due to the cancelation in the use of the small pool and our PTA came through in a huge way to provide water stations with less than 24 hours before the event. Coach Basil worked on updating the schedule and maps with the new activities and we had many volunteers step up to help make this time a blast for the students! We are so thankful for everyone's support!

Campus Excellence Committee

Each GCISD campus has a Campus Excellence Committee (CEC). Each year, this committee will establish and review the campus educational goals, objectives, and progress made within the Campus Improvement Plan while ensuring alignment with the vision, mission and District Improvement Plan. This committee is composed of representation from campus teachers, staff, parents, and business owners in the community.

If you are interested in serving on the GES CEC, please email Mrs. Hale. Having a full committee composed of all of the various stakeholders listed above is important. 

This year, the (CAMPUS) CEC met on the following dates: 

• Oct. 17, 2023

• Jan. 16, 2024

• April 16, 2024

A variety of topics were discussed including the following: 

• State Accountability/STAAR performance from the 2022-2023 school year: The State of Texas did not release A-F ratings, but we reviewed our data from the Spring 2023 STAAR tests. Highlights include 5th grade reading with a 10% increase in Meets level performance and 4th grade math with a 8% increase in Meets level performance. Our campus focus for this year was egagement and ensuring all students made a full years growth in reading and math. We implemented Kagan Cooperative Learning structures, teambuilding, and classbuilding in all classrooms. 

• Regular evaluation of campus progress towards the Campus Improvement Plan goals and strategies. 

• Standards Based Report Cards (SBRCs) on January 16. We discussed the purpose of report cards, the differences between SBRCs and traditional numeric report cards, and campus input on this topic. This information was received by the Mrs. Hale and brought to GCISD Principal Meetings and the District Excellence Committee for consideration. 

STAAR Scores

Families Can Access Test Scores on Scheduled Dates

Results for the STAAR, STAAR Alternate 2, TELPAS and TELPAS Alternate tests are expected to be available on the dates listed below:

• Tuesday, May 14 - TELPAS Alternate Score Release for Listening/Speaking and Reading/Writing for grades K-2 Emergent Bilingual

• Friday, June 7- STAAR End of Course English I, English II, Biology, Algebra I, U.S. History Score Release

• Wednesday, June 12 - TELPAS Score Release for Listening/Speaking and Reading/Writing for grades K-12 Emergent Bilingual

• Friday, June 14 - STAAR grades 3-8 Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies Score Release

• Thursday, June 20 - STAAR Alternate 2 grades 3-8 and End of Course Score Release

• Friday, August 2 - June STAAR End of Course Score Release

Families can access their children’s results through Skyward Family Portal on the release dates. Instructions on how to access scores in Skyward are here. If for any reason, your child’s results are not in Skyward, they can be accessed through the Texas Education Agency’s Family Portal, which will require an access code. Instructions on how to obtain the access code for your child can be found here. To learn more about the exams and what grade levels or students take the respective tests, visit TEA’s website. 

GES Summer Withdrawal Form

We are asking any families who know they are NOT returning to GES for the 2024-2025 school year to please complete the following GES Summer Withdrawal FORM. This does not include students moving on to middle school. 

Beat the Filter Challenge

• May 29-30, 9:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

• Cost: $20 

• Location: GCISD campus location - TBD

Register

Tech-savvy students, get ready for a thrilling two-day challenge to outwit the district's internet filter! Picture yourself in a room filled with filtering engineers and ethical hackers, observing your every move and cheering you on as you navigate the digital labyrinth. 

Prizes, awards, and letters of recommendation await the winners, opening doors to future opportunities. It's a safe and educational event, open to grades 6-12. Limited spots available, so act fast with your district-issued device! Get ready for an unforgettable adventure where you'll learn, compete, and discover your digital prowess!

This challenge is designed to be a safe and educational experience. You'll get to flex your hacking muscles without any risk of violating district policies or landing yourself in hot water. Spaces are limited, so act fast! This event is open to students in grades 6-12, and you'll need to bring your district-issued device to participate. Get ready to embark on an unforgettable adventure, where you'll learn, compete, and most importantly, have an absolute blast! Who knows, you might just discover your true calling as a digital mastermind!

Questions? Contact technology@gcisd.net 

Returning Student Registration & Devices

Any student who hasn't completed Returning Student Registration by Friday, May 17th will be asked to return their student device and charger before the summer. This will ensure that we have all technology should a family not return to GES in the fall. 

To register a returning student click here. 

Families who are awaiting a transfer request should register for the campus they are currently zoned for. Transfer requests will be processed at a later date. To view attendance zones, visit our School Maps Online. 

Thank You

Thank you for the amazing outpouring of love and support during Teacher Appreciation Week! We loved all the beautiful decorations, treats, gifts, notes, cards, time, and hugs that were showered upon us throughout the week. HUGE thank you to our Staff Appreciation Chair, Jamie Horn, and her committee with our GES PTA who organized a WILDLY amazing week! 

Registration for 2024-2025

Returning student registration is open! While parents are able to register up until the first day of school, parents are encouraged to register by Friday, May 17 to help the district gather enrollment numbers as early as possible for planning purposes. 

To register a returning student click here. Prior to completing online registration, students enrolling in pre-kindergarten must have completed a separate online application, which may be found here. 

Families who are awaiting a transfer request should register for the campus they are currently zoned for. Transfer requests will be processed at a later date. To view attendance zones, visit our School Maps Online. 

New student registration is also open and can be completed here. Students new to the district (including those entering kindergarten) must provide proof of residency, birth certificate, social security number, immunization record, emergency contact numbers and a report card from the previous school unless enrolling in kindergarten.

Families needing assistance with registration for the 2024-2025 school year should contact our campus registrar, Candice Patton, candice.patton@gcisd.net. Families who need additional assistance or have specific questions or concerns may also call the front office at 817-251-5735. 

For more information, visit GCISD’s 2024-2025 registration page.

Spend Your Summer With EDP! 

Enroll now to give your child a summer they will never forget!  Weekly registrations available.  Registration link is here.

GCISD Bond Approved by Voters

Thank you to the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD community for approving the school district’s $150,000,000 bond referendum. Unofficial results of the election show:

• Proposition A passed with 61.83% of voters in favor and 38.17% against. 

• Proposition B passed with 62.91% of voters in favor and 37.09% against.

• Proposition C passed with 60.18% of voters in favor and 39.82% against. 

The passing of this bond will provide funding to address safety and security, aging facilities, update technology infrastructure, and make improvements to the swim center. A detailed list of projects is available at GCISD.net/Bond. 

Click here to read more information about the May 4 election.

Class Pictures Available

If you would like to order a class picture from your child's year, you can go to the Glamourcraft website using our school code below. All orders will be shipped to your home. 

Must be ordered online at our website HERE. 

ALL ORDERS WILL BE SHIPPED TO THE HOME.

Click the link above & enter the following code.

SCHOOL CODE IS :

gvine24grps

Lunch Visitors

Lunch guests will sign-in through our secure vestibule with a valid ID, stop by the front office to check-in and receive a visitor badge, and then meet their GES star at the entrance to the cafeteria. Families will have the option to sit outside in the picnic table area for lunch or in our cafeteria at an empty table near the windows. Parents are welcome to bring in outside food when having their lunch with their child. We ask that you please be courteous to the rest of the community and limit lunch visits with your child to no more than one per month so that all families have the opportunity to visit. We appreciate your cooperation. 

Each family needs only 1 slot reserved. For example, Mom, Dad, and sister may all come eat lunch with Nancy. Only Mom needs to be registered as 1 visitor to reserve 1 picnic table together. When it asks for quantity of visitors, please select just 1. Lunch visitors may only eat with their child or student. You may not invite friends to sit with you when coming for lunch. 

You can sign-up for May 1-22 HERE. 

Volunteering

We LOVE our volunteers at GES! This year we are encouraging all families who plan to come to campus and interact with students to go ahead and complete the background check. Volunteers must complete this EACH YEAR beginning in August! It can take 1-2 weeks for your background check to clear. If you plan to be a guest reader, volunteer at a class party, chaperone a field trip, volunteer with PTA, open car doors with our Dad's Club, etc. you will need a completed Background Check!  

The following link takes you to the online Volunteer Handbook and background check: https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/volunteer-background-check 

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.

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.