Tiger Time News
May 9-13, 2022
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mrs. Pedevilla
Principal
Mrs. Pedevilla's News
Dear O.C. Taylor Families,
Happy Mother's Day to all of our amazing O.C. Taylor moms! We are celebrating YOU today!
To those of you whose moms have passed away and are planning to do your best to smile through this Sunday, please know that you are in my thoughts today. Your pain is valid. If there was ever a day to give yourself permission to mourn all that you've lost, today is that day.
To those whose mothers may still be alive but repeatedly disappointed them, causing hurt and pain, please know you are worth so much more than she made you feel. You are stronger because of her and now able to be the mother you need to be for your own children. Offer her forgiveness for your own well-being. I am sending you peace.
To all of the good moms out there, you are courageous, brave, strong, and sacrificial. You cloak all you do in unconditional love. You are under-recognized and overly criticized. I see you. I thank you. Thank you for all you do for your children and your children's school. I am humbled by your dedication and faithfulness. I bow before you in awe. Keep fighting the good fight! Don't grow weary! I promise it is worth it. I am your biggest fan!
THANK YOU for the generosity you bestowed upon the O.C. Taylor teachers and staff this week during Staff and Teacher Appreciation Week! We were humbled by your many tokens of appreciation. The sweets, lunches, breakfast, snacks, notes, cards, and gift card garden were a giant source of happiness. As the principal, I can't thank you enough for pouring into our staff and appreciating them and me! I see them give their entire heart and soul to your children and our school. I try to do the same as well. We love our Tigers and their parents!
To the BEST of days,
Principal Pedevilla
Grade Level Newsletters
Please read your child's grade level newsletter by clicking on the grade to the right.
Important Upcoming Events:
5/9 - 5/18 Campus closed to visitors/volunteers
due to STAAR testing
5/10 Math STAAR (grades 3, 4, and 5)
5/10 1st Grade Field Trip
5/12 Reading STAAR (grades 3, 4, and 5)
5/17 Science STAAR (grade 5 only)
5/18 Student Council 3:05 - 4:00
5/19 5th Grade Rocks 6:30 pm
5/20 Field Day
5/24 Career Day
5/25 Lunch on the Lawn (during normal lunch times)
5/26 Last Day of School 7:40 am - 3:05 pm
See calendar on the right.
Updates
Important Reminders
NEW REMINDERS/UPDATES
Registration for the 2022-2023 school year begins May 2 - Beginning Monday, registration for both new and returning families will be open in Skyward. As a reminder, the primary guardian will need to complete the registration in Skyward Family Access. If you have forgotten your login and/or password, please click on Forgot login or password on the login screen and that information will be sent to your email.
Please note that bus rider registration will not be included in Skyward registration this year. If students need to register as a bus rider, they can do so by visiting www.GCISD.net/transportation after completing registration in Skyward.
If you need additional assistance or have specific questions or concerns, please contact your campus directly. If you have trouble registering for the 2022-2023 school year, please contact your campus registrar or onlinereg@gcisd.net.
- 2022 Summer Food Service Program Information: For a meal near you call 211 or Text FOOD to 304-304 The Summer Food Service Program provides free meals to all children age 18 and younger. These meals provide essential nutrients for active growing kids. Children need good nutrition year-round so they can learn, grow and succeed in life. With nearly 2 million food insecure children living in Texas, these healthy meals are vital to nourishing young Texans during the summer vacation.
Summer food program meal sites help children succeed by providing the nourishment they need to return to school in the fall ready to thrive. To participate in the free meal program, all kids have to do is show up at a serving site. Locations of summer sites for daily meal service: (a traditional breakfast and lunch will be served daily)
Timberline Elementary
3220 Timberline Dr.
June 1 - July 1
7:30 - 8:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Cross Timbers Middle
2301 Pool Rd.
June 6 - August 4
7:30 - 8:00 a.m.
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch will be offer vs. serve. Students will need to select a minimum three components for breakfast and lunch. At lunch the meal must include a fruit or vegetable in order to have a complete meal.
The entire meal must be consumed at the serving site absolutely no “to go” breakfasts or lunches are available.
For additional information please call the GCISD Nutrition Services Department at 817-251-5618 or email child.nutrition@gcisd.net. For more information about the national Summer Food Service Program, visit SummerFood.org.
REPEAT REMINDERS/UPDATES
BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE UPDATE: As GCISD continues preparations for the next school year, the Technology Services department has an important update to share regarding the use of personal devices on GCISD campuses. Beginning in August 2022, personal PC or MacBook laptops will no longer be able to connect to the internet while on a GCISD campus. This means that students will need to use a district-issued device while on campus. District-issued devices are already required during standardized state testing, but will now be required at all times when using the internet on a GCISD campus. This change is being implemented to further enhance the District’s cybersecurity efforts. Additionally, GCISD will be able to better provide technical support if all students are utilizing district-issued technology. Prior to the start of the 2022-2023 school year, all GCISD students who do not already have a district-issued device will be given one at a designated time on their campus. Pre-K through 2nd-grade students will receive an iPad, 3rd-grade through 8th-grade students will receive a Chromebook, and 9th-grade through 12th-grade students will receive a Windows PC.
REMINDER: LIGHTSPEED RELAY PARENT PORTAL: The purpose of the Lightspeed Relay Parent Portal is to partner with parents to raise good digital citizens. Each week, parents receive an email called the Relay Portal Weekly Report that comes out Sunday evening with information about their child's browsing activity. The weekly parent report contains:
the number of websites that a child browsed
the average number of pages a child visited each day during the week
the number of pages that a child visited daily
the top ten sites a child visited
When a parent logs into the Parent Portal Dashboard, it takes them to the landing page. This shows a summary of the most recent student internet activity. It includes sites, dates, and times. Parents can interact with the sites by clicking on them to see exactly what their child viewed. If you have more than one child in the District, you can easily toggle between them in a dropdown at the top of the screen. Parents can also pause web browsing on their child's device. This will temporarily block website browsing when their child is not at school. Important: This only acts to disable browsing when the child is away from school.
INVITE TO WRITE FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR: It is officially May and the last 9 week grading period of the school year. We are starting to think about the 2022-2023 school year. We welcome your participation in all areas of your child’s education and are providing this form to request any additional information you feel will help us in the important task of class placement.
ATTENDANCE: As a reminder, all students in grades K-5 must be in attendance at least 90% of the time (18 days or fewer) to receive credit for classes. Students who have 9 or more absences to date are in jeopardy of being retained in that grade level. While we understand that illnesses and unexpected circumstances arise, please help us ensure that your student(s) are present each day and ready to learn.
MISSING SCHOOL: If you have a child who is out ill or not in attendance, please call the office and let us know. Thank you!
CHECKING OUT A STUDENT EARLY: We kindly ask if you need to pick up a child before our 2:55 p.m. dismissal, please do so before 2:30 p.m.
CHANGE IN DISMISSAL OR PICK UP: Please call the front office by at least 2:00 p.m. A phone call is required. Sometimes we have only one person in the front office, so we want to provide ample time to be able to meet your needs.
VOLUNTEER BACKGROUND CHECK: Please go to the district website, read the Volunteer Handbook then apply to volunteer.
Campus Coordinator for Behavior, Testing, Special Education, and 504
Assistant Principal, Allison Bailey
Mrs. Bailey's Bulletin
O. C. Taylor STAAR Schedule:
Tuesday, May 10 = Math STAAR (grades 3, 4, and 5)
Thursday, May 12 = Reading STAAR (grades 3, 4, and 5)
Tuesday, May 17 = Science STAAR (grade 5 only)
Make-Up STAAR tests will be provided for students who are absent due to illness or unable to attend school on a testing date. These will be scheduled for students as needed from May 11-20, 2022.
STAAR Testing Tips:
Ensure that your child's Chromebook is charged for testing dates. Students need to bring their charger to school with them, as well.
Get a good night's sleep.
Eat a healthy breakfast on the day of testing.
Bring a healthy snack to eat and a water bottle.
Practice STAAR Tests at home: Parents can access the online practice at home by going to texasassessment.gov - Students and Families - Practice Test Log In tile - guest user ON - sign in - select the grade level assessment.
I'm here to support all of our students and families! Please reach out to me anytime with any questions or concerns regarding behavior, testing, or your student's needs. You may call me at (817) 305-4870 or email allison.bailey@gcisd.net.
Kindly,
Assistant Principal Bailey
Mrs. Irwin's News
Colleyville Public Library Summer Reading Program: Students had a visit from the Colleyville Public Library and their mascot, Rocket, to learn about the summer reading program! Click the links below to learn more!
STUDENT CHECK OUT: Grades K-2nd visit the learning commons (which houses the library) weekly and Pre-K & grades 3th-5th visit every other week. Students may exchange books between class visits as many times as needed and renew books over multiple weeks. Check out ends in May according to the dates below. Click Here for Library Circulation Policies
Library Books Are Due!
Return your books by the dates above. Click here for OCT Library Policies and how to pay for lost books.
OCT Clinic
Nurse Katy's News
Upcoming Field Trips: Field trips are baaaaaaccckkk!!! :)
If your student has an emergency medication here at school (inhaler, Epi-pen, Diastat, etc.) IT WILL BE SENT WITH THEM ON FIELD TRIPS. Grade level teachers will keep the meds/permission forms as they have been trained to administer if needed. If your student is a Type 1 Diabetic, we will talk more in depth about their plan of care.
Reporting Covid-19 Cases: GCISD is now collecting reports of COVID-19 cases in a new way. To report a student or staff COVID-19 case to GCISD, please complete this form. A District or campus nurse will then contact you with next steps. Please complete the form rather than reporting cases directly to any GCISD staff.
Art
Mrs. Morgan's Art Class
Music
Mrs. Vencill's Music Class
Specials Curriculum Update-May
Mark your calendar for the GREATEST SHOW of the year...5th Grade Rocks!, Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. The 5th graders have created an awesome show, and I can't wait to see the final product.
See you in the music room!
Mrs. Vencill
bethany.vencill@gcisd.net
P.E.
Coach Mester's P.E. Class
Specials Curriculum Update-May
See you in the gym,
Coach Mester
See you in the gym,
Coach Mester
jason.mester@gcisd.net
Mrs. Whisman's News
My name is Stacy Whisman, and I am the counselor at OC Taylor. I have a section in the Parent Tiger Den each week, Student Assistance, that is updated with our monthly guidance theme, important dates of upcoming events, and links to get in touch with me for any student needs and concerns.
FUTURE EXPLORATIONS - Career Pathways:
Have you heard from your Tiger all they are learning about the Career Pathways? At O.C. Taylor, we focus on one Career Pathway a month as a campus to learn about the different careers in each cluster and what kind of education and training is needed. We will be hosting our annual Career Day on TUESDAY, MAY 24. At this time we have speakers scheduled throughout the day in each classroom. All of our TIGERS will learn about different careers on this fun, information packed day! Thank you so much if you are one of our wonderful volunteers!
IMPORTANT DATES FOR 5TH GRADE FAMILIES:
LINK TO SKYWARD EMAIL REGARDING COURSE REQUEST CHANGES- window closed May 6
Spring is the time when our 5th grade families begin preparing to make many choices in regard to ALL THINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL. In the 5th Grade level newsletter, there will also be the link to the updated information and dates from each of the GCISD middle schools. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions throughout this process if you can't find the information you need from the link.
Gifted and Talented GT LEAD
Mrs. Griffin's News
Testing for GT Services and/or the ASPIRE Academy
Kindergarten through 5th Grade currently enrolled students may be referred and tested for GT services and/or the ASPIRE Academy during the window below:
Referral Window: January 10 - January 28
Testing Window: February 1 - February 28
GT Decisions mailed on: March 28
ASPIRE Decisions mailed: April 27
Parent Inventory/Permission to Test (Scroll down to bottom of page. Link will only be LIVE during the referral window.)
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CLICK HERE for the GT LEAD Page & Newsletter
STAY CONNECTED in GCISD...
Join SAGE, (Supporting and Advocating for Gifted Education), which is a gifted parent advocacy group that provides a wealth of information regarding social/emotional well-being of gifted children, information on camps for gifted learners, and information on what GT is like in our district and how to navigate it through high school and beyond. Please follow this link to join: https://gc-sage.org
Articles to Meet the Affective Needs of our Gifted Learners:
Please feel free to contact me at any time via email at kathy.griffin@gcisd.net
Twitter: @OCTGriffin
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MATH TELESCOPING TEST
Students in grades K - 5th have an opportunity to take an End of Course math assessment in order to skip a grade of math. The testing will be in the summer, and the results will apply to the 2022-23 school year. A parent can register his or her child for testing through the second link below or by calling the number below. There are two deadlines for two testing events. If you have questions about this process, I am happy to answer those.
In order for your child to telescope in math, a student must take a grade level end of course exam and score 90% or higher. For example, a first grader would take an end of course 2nd grade exam. If that child scored 90% or higher on it, then the next year as a 2nd Grader, that student would take 3rd Grade math. If you are wondering if this could be a good fit for your child, reach out to your child's math teacher to discuss this opportunity. If you choose to move forward with testing, then you can register online using the link above once the window opens, or you can contact the Assessment Department at GCISD Administration Office (817-251-5524) to schedule and pay for testing.
O.C. Taylor PTA
Tamaron Hunt
President / O.C. Taylor PTA
PTA News
WELCOME TO O.C. TAYLOR PTA!
NEW THIS WEEK:
STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK
Thank you so much to all our families who donated to our teachers and staff for Staff Appreciation Week. We had the Berry Best time celebrating the amazing staff all week long!
CAMPUS CLOSED
Campus is closed to visitors and volunteers May 9th - 18th. Important Birthday Note! We will NOT be able to have Tiger Grams during this time, but Name in Lights will be scheduled on the requested day. Please reach out to Tamaron Hunt at octaylorptapresident@gmail.com if you have any questions.
SCHOOL OF EXCELLENCE
As we wrap up the school year, we want to celebrate all the things we have accomplished at OCT! We invite you to complete our final survey as part of our School of Excellence application. We truly feel our school has what it takes to receive this honor. We will get the results sometime in August. Thank you for your continued support!
5th GRADE ROCKS + PTA GENERAL MEETING
Our last PTA General Meeting will be held right before our 5th Grade Rocks performance on Thursday, May 19th at 6:30 p.m. We hope to see you there!
FIELD DAY
Field Day is the most fun day of the year! On Friday, May 20th, families are welcome to come cheer on their students as the rotate in a varitey of games. If you are planning on attending, please skip the check in lines and fill out this FAST PASS! Entrance will be outside the main front doors.
INFORMATION - Please click here for more information about Field Day!
SCHEDULE - Please click here to view the schedule of events for Field Day!
VOLUNTEERS - We need lots of people to pull of this big day, please sign up here to volunteer! We love our volunteers and also know you want to be able to watch your children compete! So, if it works for your schedule, if you have younger children, please sign up for the afternoon slots and if you have older children, sign up for the morning slots. Of course, we will take voluteers in any slot! Thank you! Let the Games Begin!
ONGOING / REMINDERS:
GRACE DONATIONS - MAY
Every year, we team up with Grace Grapevine to help stock their food pantry.
May Items: Toothbrushes
The Grade with the most donations each month will get an extra recess.
Thank you for supporting Grace and our community!
**CONGRATULATIONS 4th Grade AGAIN!! 4th Grade won an extra recess for the most donated items in April!**
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
As we wind down the school year, please get in your May and/or Summer birthdays scheduled as soon as you can! If you order a Birthday/Tiger Gram, you are welcome to come to school to take pictures and celebrate your kiddo! We start Grams at 2:30 unless otherwise communicated. You are also welcome to bring treats for the class - food items must be pre-packaged and have the ingredients labeled or you can bring non-food items.
As a reminder, we do ask that you give us two weeks to prepare during this busy spring! We love celebrating your kiddos!! Order here: https://octaylorpta.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/152510
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
It's already time to order school supplies for next year! We love offering this easy, breezy service to families so the students can have exactly what the teachers want/need for next school year. Order online starting now - May 30th for the best pricing!
https://www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks/
School Code = TAY009 (3 letters/3 numbers)
*School supplies will be delivered to your student's classrooms before the first day of school!
If you have any questions, please reach out to our School Supplies Chair, Jessica Rajian at octschoolsupplies@gmail.com
LOST and FOUND
The Lost and Found racks are overflowing!! Please come in and check to see if any of the items belong to your students. All items left after the end of the school year will be donated to GRACE. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Grace Chair, Allison Wendler at allisonwendlercasa@gmail.com
MONAGHAN'S KICK-A-THON - We've almost reached $5,000! - Keep sending in those pledges!
Thank you for joining us in this FUNdraiser sponsored by Monaghan's Taekwondo!
We still need your help with raising funds for our new shade structures over our playgrounds!! Please help us by donating a flat amount or using your student's kick counts and submit your pledge here!
2022/2023 PTA OFFICERS
Congratulations to the new 2022/2023 PTA Officers! This group will meet soon to slate the remaining board members for next year from the interest forms previously due. We are thankful for this leadership team!
President - Stephanie Wilkerson
President Elect - VACANT
VP of Programs - VACANT
VP of Fundraising - Tamaron Hunt
VP of Membership - Vanessa Kastler
VP of Volunteers - Challee Garland
Secretary - Lindsay Harrison
Treasurer - Julie Odietus
SECOND CHANCE AUCTION
We had a few items from our original auction that we wanted to offer again. Items include Front Row Parking, Front Row Seating for events coming up Game On spots. These are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE items that are BUY IT NOW prices (no bidding). This auction will be a link on our website and will go LIVE on TODAY, Sunday, March 6th at 3:00 p.m.. Link will stay open until all items are purchased. Items will be hidden once they are out of stock. Please read the items/dates carefully! SHOP HERE!
FUSS FREE FUNDRAISING - CHECK THE PROGRESS HERE!
What exactly is Fuss Free Fundraising? Fuss Free Fundraising is our easiest form of fundraising at OCT! Instead of your child going door to door-to-door selling cookies, wrapping paper, candles, etc., we ask for a donation.
Why should I contribute? 100% of the funds raised stay at our school!! Your donations support our teachers and staff, make improvements to our facilities, cover school programming and leadership opportunities, and provide equipment that enhances learning for your kids!
What's our Goal? Our Fuss Free Fundraising goal this year is $15,000 and we are about $5,000 short. Once we reach the goal, all families who have donated this year to date will be put in a drawing. We will also reward the class with the most donations! Winners will get to throw the ball to try to dunk Mrs. Bailey and try to dunk me in a dunk tank. How fun! Thank you for supporting our school. Please donate here!
Fuss Free Fundraising, Volunteer, Happy Birthday* and Membership forms are open anytime.
*We do request two weeks advance notice for birthday orders to help our volunteers plan for your student's special day!
VOLUNTEER NEEDS
We can't wait to see you get involved at our school. We love our volunteers!! Please reach out to Stephanie Wilkerson, VP of Programs at octptavolunteers@gmail.com to find a volunteer position for you!
5th GRADE PARENTS!!
New facebook pages have been created for incoming 6th grade families going to Colleyville Middle School and Cross Timbers Middle School. To keep up with the latest and connect with other families, join here!
CMS: Future Colts Incoming 6th Grade Parent Group 2022-2023
CTMS: CTMS Incoming 6th graders
SAVE THE DATE!
Monday, May 9th - Wednesday, May 18th - CAMPUS CLOSED FOR TESTING
Monday, May 9th - PTA Executive Meeting/Luncheon
Tuesday, May 10th - STAAR Math 3rd/4th/5th
Tuesday, May 10th - 1st Grade Field Trip to Kidzania
Thursday, May 12th - STAAR Reading 3rd/4th/5th
Tuesday, May 17th - STAAR Science 5th
Tuesday, May 17th - 2nd Grade Field Trip to Fort Worth Zoo
Thursday, May 19th - 5th Grade Rocks! + PTA General Meeting
Friday, May 20th - Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast (more info coming)
Friday, May 20th - Field Day
Tuesday, May 24th - Career Day
Wednesday, May 25th - Stuffed Animal + Hat Day ($1 to support 5th Grade Continuation)
Wednesday, May 25th - Lunch on the Lawn / parents are invited to join students during normal lunchtimes
Thursday, May 26th - 5th Grade Continuation Ceremony
If you have any questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out!
Tamaron Hunt
President / O.C. Taylor PTA
octaylorptapresident@gmail.com