Grapevine Elementary
Monday Message
GES Families,
We want to take this opportunity to give a huge shout-out to our PTA and all the families who have joined this year! We are so thankful for the support of our amazing community! PTA has been involved in every aspect of the start of our school year from decorations on campus, welcoming new families, a welcome back luncheon for staff, stocking the lounge fridge, hundreds of volunteer hours, and even leading several of our club opportunities! In addition, we also have our first general meeting this Wednesday, September 13 and a Parent Program beginning at 6:30pm! You can see the PTA section below for more information. We hope you will join us!
Each membership helps our PTA to support our students, staff, and families in a variety of ways. Thanks to everyone who joined PTA in the month of August. We surpassed our August membership goal of 468 members and are currently 520 members strong! The August membership drawing will take place at Wednesday's PTA meeting. We are so close to our next goal which is a voice for every child -having the same number of PTA members as we have students at GES. If you haven't yet joined PTA, please join today on our website here. And many thanks to VP Membership Abby Embry for her hard work helping us reach our goal!
All my best,
Mrs. Hale
Meet the Kinder Team
Mrs. Killebrew Mrs. Dodd Mrs. Eubank Ms. Faurot
Our Kindergarten team has a combined 74 years in early childhood education! They are a dynamite group of dedicated educators ready to welcome our new stars each year. They are eager to serve our families and make your transition to elementary school a positive one! Please reach out to them with any questions you may have regarding your student!
Campus News and Announcements
Wild Wednesdays
To go along with our school theme this year, we invite our students to join the staff in participating in Wild Wednesdays this year. They may choose to wear something with animal print or an animal on it. This is purely optional and just something fun for students and staff as we remember the importance of our school theme throughout the year: Wild about Engagement!
Dot Day - September 15
Each year we celebrate International Dot Day! Dot Day is based on the book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. His books are known for teaching kids valuable lessons about courage, creativity, and collaboration. This week, our students will be doing Dot Day-based lessons in their classrooms, and will even do some Dot Day makerspaces in our Learning Commons. Be watching our social media platforms for pics on Dot Day!
Vision and Hearing Screening - Sept. 13
We will have our annual Vision and Hearing Screening on Wednesday, September 13th. This is for students in PreK, Kinder, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. We also test any new students in 2nd and 4th grade. Should something come back abnormal for your child in the screen process, you will be notified. Please let Nurse Lindsey know if you have any questions.
No School - September 18
Monday, September 18 is a teacher Professional Work Day. We look forward to seeing all our star students on Tuesday and hope they enjoy the long weekend!
GES Yearbooks on Sale
Order your yearbook early and save! As with everything else, we have been hit with a price increase on yearbooks this year too. But you can still get a little closer to last year’s price if you order by September 30th. See attached flyer for school code and instructions on ordering. If you have any trouble, please reach out to the GES PTA Yearbook Coordinator, Amanda Jernigan, at yearbook@gespta.org.
Campus Activities and Events
This is a live Google Calendar that we will keep updated throughout the year with campus activities. Click the calendar to open it up so you can switch to week or month view and look at future dates. Please check back frequently for new additions.
PTA Announcements
PTA Meeting Wednesday
We hope you see you this Wednesday, September 13th at 6:30 PM. We will have a brief PTA meeting and then welcome guest speaker Amy Kirchhoff, LPC NCC who will be speaking about Parenting and Teaching in the Wild - loving and leading our children through anxiety and sensory overwhelm. We will have coloring sheets available for children during the PTA meeting. Once the guest speaker begins CHHS student volunteers will take children out to play on the K-2nd playground.
Carnival Sponsor Bouchelle Designs
Our GES Carnival is coming up next month on October 21st. This Carnival is made possible by our amazing community sponsors. We would like to thank one of our Monkey Level Sponsors Bouchelle Designs, LLC. Bouchelle Designs, LLC is owned by GES mom Anna Rotenberry. Anna specializes in design, renovation, special needs spaces, and aesthetic organization. You can find the Bouchelle Designs website here. Thank you Anna and Bouchelle Designs!
Help us make this year's carnival amazing for our community by serving as a sponsor. Find the full sponsor letter here. Purchase your sponsorship on our website here. Email Carnival Co-Chairs Lanna Nguyen and Megan Ohail at carnival@gespta.org with any questions.
More Homeroom Parents Needed
Thanks to everyone that has signed up to serve as a homeroom parent. We have a few classes that do not yet have any volunteers. This is a great opportunity to volunteer this year. Homeroom parents serve as a resource for the teacher to assist with various tasks needed in the classroom. You will also help coordinate volunteers for various events throughout the school year. Each class will have 2 designated homeroom parents. Please only sign up for only one slot per teacher. If you have multiple kids at GES, you can be homeroom teacher in more than one class. Sign up here.
Please e-mail Ashleigh Panelli at Homerooms@gespta.org with any questions. Thank you for signing up!
DI Information Session This Week
Does your child love to create – build – sing/act – use their imagination? Destination Imagination is for them!
Students work together in teams of 5-7 to solve open-ended STEAM challenges designed to help students understand how to ask questions to solve problems, brainstorm and act on solutions, learn from failure, and celebrate successes.
At the August Meet-the-Teacher night, GES had lots of interest from students ranging from 1st to 5 th grade! We need adult volunteers to serve as team managers for 1st -2 nd graders (non-competitive – one challenge), as well as 4th and 5th grade (competitive – select from 6 challenges). Ideally, each team should have two team managers.
Cathy Patrick and Melisa Chan restarted DI last season (2022-2023) after a years-long hiatus with an intrepid group of 2nd graders. Cathy and Melisa will continue to be the team managers for the now 3rd grade team; and will also train and provide the administrative lead and support for other volunteer team
managers. The number of teams GES will be able to support is dependent on the number of team managers volunteering.
GCISD teams – non-competitive and competitive – will participate in the regional tournament sometime in February (actual date TBD).
If your child is interested in participating in a team or if an adult family member would like to volunteer as a team manager, Cathy and Melisa will host a DI informational session at GES Wednesday, September 13 th at 5pm in the GES Science Lab.
A set of FAQs have been created and is available here.
GCISD News
News for Other Schools
Have News to Share with Other Schools? Use Peachjar!
Peachjar is GCISD’s digital platform to share digital flyers or news with other campuses. If you have information about an event or activity, please use Peachjar.
The following groups are permitted to distribute approved materials under the designation of being a district-recognized and affiliated school support organization:
Campus Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs)
Campus Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs)
Recognized Booster Clubs and Campus Parent Clubs
High School Project Graduation Organizations
GCISD employees providing District Approved and Sponsored Education, Sports or Fine Arts Camps and Programs for GCISD students in a facility that is rented according to the GCISD facility use policy
University/College academic partnerships approved by the Curriculum Department
GCISD Education Foundation
For-profit entities under contract with the District to provide specific programs or services to GCISD students and parents (e.g. after school education or sports programs, portrait photographers, graduation material suppliers, etc.)
All flyers shall include the following disclaimer, which shall be in bold print and conspicuous in the material:
GCISD is not responsible for the contents of this flyer or electronic communication, nor does GCISD endorse any products and/or services referenced in this communication or provided by this provider. Parents sign-up or use advertised programs at their own risk.
To submit a flyer for distribution to another campus via Peachjar:
Send the flyer in a PDF format for approval to your campus principal. In the email, include the schools and grade levels that should receive the flyer, along with a URL for more information, if one is available.
Once the flyer is approved, the principal will forward it to Communications Services for posting on Peachjar.
Repeated Information
September Character Quality & Star Student of the Month
In GCISD, and in alignment with the state, monthly character qualities are highlighted in guidance lessons. Homeroom students are also selected by homeroom teachers for each monthly character quality to have demonstrated that trait in a big way or having made a large amount of growth in demonstrating that trait. This month is EMPATHY! Families can partner with GES staff by reviewing connection ideas HERE! PreK through fifth grade newsletters are included; scroll through to find your Stars' grade level. Please let Mrs. Horn know if you have any questions at this time at angela.horn@gcisd.net or 817-251-5740.
Math Homework
As we begin the 2023-2024 school year, math continues to be an area of focus for our campus. In looking at our campus data from last year, there is a need to continue to refine our practices to support all of our students. One way we are working towards that goal is by creating a system of math homework that is consistent from 2nd - 5th grade. We will be utilizing the program we purchased last year as a spiral review for grades 2-5. Last year, teachers began using Lone Star TEKSas Target Practice for the 10-minutes of spiral review time at the start of each math block. Through conversations with our teachers, we found that the 10 minutes alloted for spiral review wasn't enough to adequately cover the daily review.
This year, we have created a system where students will complete the spiral review problems for homework each night Monday-Thursday and then teachers will review them daily in class. We ask for your support in ensuring your child have time to complete the homework on a nightly basis. We do know that many students have activities during the week that could potentially hinder homework time. Because students have the homework for the whole week, they may choose to work ahead. We ask that each day students bring the homework in their daily folder so it is accessible at the start of the math lesson to review.
Per our GCISD grading policy, homework will never be taken for a grade. We ask that families support their student(s) in trying their best. If your student doesn't know how to complete a problem, they can make their best guess and wait for further explanation in class the next day. You will notice that over the course of the year, the skills on the homework will spiral. Research shows that a spiral review of math skills can increase student achievement by helping them maintain skills throughout the year. However, at times there might be a problem on the spiral review that hasn't been taught in their grade level content yet. For this reason, we simply ask that students try their best and ensure math homework doesn't become frustrational.
Math homework should not take more than 15-20 minutes per night. If you recognize that this is becoming a regular occurance for your child, please reach out to their math teacher for guidance.
Skyward
This is the official gradebook for all students in GCISD and grades sync automatically when saved. Skyward is the most current up-to-date look at how your child is performing academically. Skyward has a robust website but most parents choose to download the Skyward mobile app where you can set up alerts and get notifications about your child's grades.
2023-2024 Back to School Attendance Updates
Attendance matters! Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s learning and educational experiences. Parents and students are encouraged to avoid unnecessary absences. Two important state laws govern attendance. In efforts to promote student attendance and learning, please note the following reminders and updates to GCISD attendance requirements.
Laws Governing School Attendance:
Compulsory Attendance (AKA Truancy)
Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten
Students enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled at a campus.
Ages 6–18
State law requires that a student who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached their 19th birthday, shall attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended-year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt. Students/families who do not meet compulsory attendance will be referred to the GCISD Attendance Review Board and/or referred to Tarrant County Court for truancy. If a student fails to attend school without excuse on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period but does not fail to attend school for the time described below, the district shall initiate truancy prevention measures on the student.
Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (AKA 90% Rule)
To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten–grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. With the exception of absences due to serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment, all absences, whether excused or unexcused, must be considered in determining whether a student has attended the required percentage of days. Students who are in danger of losing credit or promotion will be contacted by the campuses with plans for opportunities to regain lost instructional time.
Official Attendance-Taking Time
Official attendance is taken every day at 10:00 a.m. Attendance is taken at 8:55 a.m. at Collegiate Academy and 12 p.m. for Bridges.
Documentation after an Absence
Up to eight days per year (four per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. All absences whether excused or unexcused count toward the 90% rule.
A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent. The campus may accept a phone call from the parent, but reserves the right to require a written note. A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law. The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused.
Attendance Incentives for Students
We have several different attendance incentives at GES to help promote regular and responsible attendance at school!
Campus: Our goal each month is to have 97% attendance or higher! If we meet our goal for the month, we will celebrate in a special way with the whole campus! We met our goal for August and students will have the opportunity to vote on what they want to do to celebrate! Stay tuned for more info!
Individual: This year we are giving individual attendance awards each nine weeks! Students will receive an attendance award if they have no more than 1 excused absence, 1 tardy, and 1 partial-day absence during the nine weeks grading period. Awards will be giving to students at the end of the nine weeks along with a token to visit our toy machine in the foyer.
Lunch Visitors
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 lunch from August 28-September 29 HERE.
PreK: 10:45 - 11:15
Kinder: 11:45 - 12:15
1st: 11:30 - 12:00
2nd: 11:00 - 11:30
3rd: 12:05 - 12:35
4th: 12:55 - 1:25
5th: 12:25 - 12:55
Volunteering
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:
read the Volunteer Handbook (this replaces the previous face to face volunteer trainings held on campus)
watch the appropriate video included in the handbook
electronically sign the verification Google form for each campus you plan to volunteer
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.
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