The Mustang Minute
Week of October 9th - 13th, 2023
Principal's Message
Mustang Family,
Homecoming Week 2023 was fantastic! The themed dress-up days were so much fun and the annual parade was amazing. The pep rally really got everyone excited for the big game and the homecoming tea for alumni was a lovely touch. The HOCO game was intense and exciting, and it all culminated in the annual HOCO dance last night. I just wanted to give a big thank you to the Leadership students who planned all of these fantastic events, led by Mrs. Jane Rose. And let's not forget about Mrs. Morgan Laney and Mr. Chris Laney for organizing such a fantastic parade that brought the whole GHS community together! There are tons and tons of pictures in this week's newsletter so, we hope you enjoy!
We are looking forward to the PSAT and senior activities that are taking place on Wednesday, October 11th. Our underclassmen will take the PSAT on that day, while our seniors complete activities that are pertinent to their final year of high school. Seniors will be guided through scholarship applications, the college admittance process, FASFA, and other opportunities to best prepare for life after Grapevine High School. There more information about this below.
Finally, don't forget that there is no school on Monday, October 9th, and we'll see you all bright and early on Tuesday! Let's have a look at what else is coming down the pike, shall we?
Rah, Rah, Rah...Mustangs Fight!
Alex
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month
Special Olympics Kick-off Party - October 10th at the MAC
A kick-off party for GCISD Special Olympics athletes will be held from 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, October 10, at the Grapevine High School Mustang Activity Center (MAC), 3223 Mustang Dr, Grapevine, TX 76051. This event is an opportunity for interested students to sign up to participate in the Special Olympics. The kick-off party will include an opening ceremony for athletes, yard games, food trucks, ice cream and more. Additionally Special Olympians who RSVP will receive a hot dog, chips, and drink courtesy of the booster club. Others may purchase food for $8. Complete the RSVP form here and come out to support these athletes.
Scenes from HOCO Week 2023
Homecoming Week - Theme Days
GHS Homecoming Parade
Best in Show - Volleyball
The HOCO Pep Rally
GHS Homecoming Alumni Tea
2023 Distinguished GHS Faculty Hall of Fame Inductee- Annette Lyford
2023 Distinguished GHS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee - Kathy Florence Spradley
2023-24 GHS Homecoming Court
HOCO King- Jack Fisher & HOCO Queen - Allie Edelman
HOCO Dance
PSAT Information
The digital PSAT will be offered to all students in 9th, 10th, and 11th grades this Wednesday, October 11th. All students need to report to their testing rooms by 8:20 that morning. Room assignments will be posted on the windows to the courtyard, across from the Library on Friday, October 6th, so students will know where to report on Wednesday morning.
Although the test is digital this year, students are still encouraged to bring # 2 pencils to do any figuring on the provided scratch paper, and their own calculator, should they prefer to use that over the calculator embedded into the test. GHS will not be providing calculators for this administration.
Additionally, there will be a ten minute break for each student during the testing session, so students are also encouraged to bring a snack and a drink to have during that time outside of the testing rooms.
Testing will conclude around mid-morning and we will resume a regular bell schedule. Below is the bell schedule for Wednesday, October 11th ONLY.
The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered to all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students on Wednesday, October 11th. This is a great opportunity for 9th and 10th graders to practice and familiarize themselves with College Board standardized assessments, and offers 11th grade students the opportunity to become a National Merit Qualifier and open the doors for a number of scholarships. The test is digital this year and all students in grades 9, 10, and 11 are automatically registered, so you do not need to sign up.
Ways that you can help you student prepare are:
Ensuring updates have been run on their school device. This can be accomplished by shutting down the device and restarting it to allow updates pushed out by the district to run upon restart.
Visiting College Board to set up a student account. (Use personal email address, not GCISD)
Utilizing practice tests on the Blue Book app for College Board assessments that is located on the desktop of your student’s school device.
**These steps will also be run through their social studies class in the near future. Reach out to Laura Foutch at laura.foutch@gcisd.net with any questions.
Seniors: Must Come to School on PSAT Day (Mandatory)
On October 11, students in grades 9-11 will take the PSAT/NMSQT. For juniors, this is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.This year, all students, regardless of whether they are taking the PSAT or not, will be expected to report to school at their regular start time of 8:40 a.m. All absences on this day will be documented as normal and will be factored into the requirements for exam exemptions.
Seniors with a “senior out” first period will report at the start of second period, which is 9:30 a.m. Each campus has designed activities that are targeted to the needs of seniors as they prepare for graduation in May. Seniors: Room assignments will be posted on the windows to the courtyard, across from the Library on Friday, October 6th, so students will know where to report on Wednesday morning.
This practice of no late arrival for non-testing students will continue for other testing days throughout this school year. Campuses will utilize testing days to facilitate activities that are required for graduation and necessary for student success, such as academic planning, supplemental testing, and state-mandated training.We appreciate your cooperation to ensure all our students arrive on time for testing days and are in the correct designated area.
SAT Information Wednesday, October 11th
Every year, GCISD offers the SAT for juniors who are currently enrolled. For senior students who were not enrolled or missed the exam date in March 2023, they will have the opportunity to take the SAT at school on Wednesday, October 11th. Students and parents of those eligible will be receiving an email in the next few weeks regarding information on that administration. If you have not received an email by October 1st and believe your student should be on the list, please reach out to Ms. Foutch at laura.foutch@gcisd.net.
Please note that GCISD only pays for students to take the exam ONE time. If your student has already used that opportunity, you will need to sign up for one of the national test dates offered through the College Board website and pay for it.
SENIORS: Seniors taking the SAT on Wednesday, October 11th have already been informed and registered. Room assignments will be posted on the windows to the courtyard, across from the Library on Friday, October 6th, so students will know where to report on Wednesday morning. Students are encouraged to bring #2 pencils and their own calculator for the exam, should they choose to use one. GHS will not be providing calculators for this administration. Additionally, students are encouraged to bring a snack or a drink to have during their break. Testing will run longer than the PSAT and students will be released for a late lunch after testing has concluded before reporting to their afternoon classes. Please see the schedule posted above under PSAT information.
Texas Election Code - Register to Vote
Texas Election Code Section 13.046 states that, “At least twice each school year, a high school deputy registrar shall distribute an officially prescribed registration application form to each student who is or will be 18 years of age or older during that year, subject to rules prescribed by the Secretary of State.”
In a continuing effort to promote the Portrait of Graduate attribute “Global Citizen” and raise awareness regarding voter registration, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD will endeavor to inform high school students about the local voting process and promote the importance of civic engagement.
Texas Election Code mandates certain practices to ensure eligible high school students are given the opportunity to register to vote. Applicable resources and timelines have been compiled on this site.Also Texas voter registration applications are available in the attendance office and counseling office.If you need more information please contact Ms. Evans (sharon.evans@gcisd.net)
HS Health Just Say YES - Freedom to Succeed Parent Preview - October 10th ( WebEx @ 6PM)
GCISD uses several resources and programs for high school health curriculum in order to be proactive in our delivery of education concerning human sexuality. Freedom to Succeed will be presented to high school Health students according to the campus schedule that can be found in the Parent Preview Letter linked here.
Parents may preview this program on October 10, 2023 at 6pm online using the links provided in the Parent Preview Letter. Every parent of a student enrolled in Health will be asked to indicate their preference of participation for their child electronically in the forms section of Skyward or by completing and returning a paper consent form by the deadlines established in the Parent Preview Letter. These deadlines allow each campus time to adequately prepare spaces, supervision, and account for student attendance. Thank you in advance for adhering to these deadlines.
Salud de estudiantes de preparatoria-Sólo dí sí-Libertad para tener éxito-Avance Informativo para Padres.
GCISD utiliza varios recursos y programas para el plan de estudios de salud escolar en las escuelas preparatorias con el fin de ser proactivos en ofrecer una educación sobre la sexualidad humana.
El programa “Libertad para tener éxito” (Freedom to Succeed) será presentado a los estudiantes de la escuela preparatoria inscritos en la clase de Salud de acuerdo con el horario de la escuela que se puede encontrar en la Carta de Avance Informativo para Padres vinculada a continuación.
Los padres pueden obtener un avance informativo de este programa el 10 de octubre de 2023 a las 6 pm en línea utilizando los enlaces proporcionados en la Carta de Avance Informativo para Padres. A cada padre de un estudiante inscrito en Salud se le pedirá que indique su preferencia de participación de su hijo electrónicamente en la sección de formularios de Skyward o llenando y regresando un formulario de consentimiento en papel dentro de las fechas límites establecidas en la Carta de Avance Informativo para Padres. Estas fechas límites dan tiempo a cada escuela para preparar adecuadamente los espacios, supervisar y considerar la asistencia de los estudiantes. Gracias de antemano por adherirse a estas fechas limites.
Safe Eclipse Viewing Parent Information
On Saturday, October 14 the Grapevine-Colleyville community will be able to view a solar eclipse. For a couple of hours, the moon will pass between the earth and the sun. The moon’s shadow will cross North, Central, and South America through the morning and midday. At around noon our community will be mostly covered by the moon’s shadow! The sky will become a little darker and the outside temperature will drop a little! To view the Sun during the eclipse, you MUST wear or use a Safe Solar Eclipse Viewer. ONLY Safe Solar Eclipse Viewers that comply with the I.S.O. 12312-2 international standard are safe to view the sun during an eclipse. Many types of indirect viewers can be made from items around your home. Please take a moment to read about Safe Eclipse Viewing to learn more about creating an eclipse experience that is safe and fun for everyone.
Here is very important AP Exam Information
School Portraits / Yearbook Purchase
Order GHS Yearbook & Senior Tribute (Link to both below)
Please click here to order your 2023-24 Grapevine High School yearbook. Seniors, just below the ad to order yearbook is the link to order your class of 2024 Senior Tribute.
Deadline for Senior Tributes is December 15th at midnight.
Senior Class 2024 Panoramic Picture Day, Monday, October 23rd at 10:00AM
Nominate a Deserving Teacher for the CBS News Texas Crystal Apple!
CBS News Texas has launched the Crystal Apple program to recognize stellar teachers in our community and is asking for nominations. Click the link to nominate one of our many amazing teachers in GCISD!
GCISD Holiday Card Contest
2023 GCISD Holiday Greeting Card Art Contest
All elementary, middle, and high school students are invited to submit original artwork for the cover of GCISD’s official holiday greeting card. This year’s theme is "Joy in Serving." Three student designs—one each from the elementary, middle, and high school levels—will be selected and sent out on behalf of the GCISD Board of Trustees and Superintendent Dr. Brad Schnautz. Cards are sent to community leaders, area businesses, organizations, and other school districts.
Each student will submit their artwork to their campus art teacher or other designee. Each school will select campus-based winners whose art will then be submitted to the district level for final selection. Each high school will choose up to 10 finalists; each middle school will choose up to 5 finalists; and each elementary will choose up to 3 finalists. Final designs for the cover will be selected by the Superintendent and his designees based on originality, the theme, use of the elements of art, and overall design.
The three students whose works are selected for the GCISD Holiday Greeting Card will receive $25 and recognition at the December meeting of the Board of Trustees. The selected artwork will be featured on the district’s website and used in district publicity.
National School Lunch Week is here: October 10-13, 2023
Each year, GCISD celebrates National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in October at our elementary and middle school campuses. During NSLW, we feature student favorites, Texas local items and special Texas State Fair themed treats for the students. This year’s menu features Cowboy Caviar, Texas made Lone Star Luau Fruit Slush, Pizza on a Stick, Cinnamon Sugar Churros and, back by popular demand, our Cowboy Quesadilla to name a few!
The students and staff have lots of fun with these special menu items this week and Nutrition Services looks forward to continuing this tradition. We hope you'll join us, October 10-13 during school lunch!
Mustang Golf
It was a great weekend of golf and camaraderie for a great cause. Thousands were raised to help educators pay their medical bills due to cancer. Chloe played great and represented us well with a Top 25 finish competing against the best golfers in the state. @GCISD_Athletics
Good luck Boys Varsity Golf at opening tournament at Texarkana Country Club!
Mustang Tennis for the Win at Richland High School!
The Outpost has new Pink-Out shirts available in the store!
Become a GHS Sponsor
Attention Mustang Family! Grapevine High School is proud to announce our first ever campus sponsorship program. Recognizing that great schools require great partners, we want to open our doors up to those businesses and organizations in our community that want to make supporting our school a priority. To that end we are accepting applications to join "The Herd." Interested sponsors can visit our website for more information about opportunities and the application process. Contact us today to find out how your business or organization can join. Dr. Paul Cook (Paul.cook@gcisd.net) or click here to go to our GHS website.
Who is my GHS counselor?
Students are assigned to a counselor by last name.
The GHS counseling team consists of:
Marnie Pape (A-D) - marnie.pape@gcisd.net
Abbey King (E-Le) - abbey.king@gcisd.net
Moises Flores (Li-Ri) - moises.flores@gcisd.net
Katherine Partridge (Ro-Z) - katherine.partridge@gcisd.net
Mary Parsley (Lead Counselor) - mary.parsley@gcisd.net
Jennifer Lemke (Student Advocate) - jennifer.lemke@gcisd.net
9-Week Level Down Window - Oct 16-18
Students will be allowed to LEVEL DOWN from Advanced or AP courses if needed at the end of the 4-week and 9-week points and at the end of the first semester (pending space and availability). A level-down form will be shared prior to the 4-week, 9-week, and semester level-down windows.
See the Course Selection Guide for more details.
Remaining Level Down Windows:
9-week window:
Oct 16-18. Schedule changes go into effect Monday, October 23rd.
Semester window:
December 4-6. Changes take effect on Thursday, January 4th.
Level Down Request Process:
During each of these windows, students will be able to access the level-down request form in their grade-level Canvas course (Class of 202#) or pick up a hard copy in the counseling office. The form is due from students with parent and teacher signatures by 4 p.m. on the last day of each window to the counseling office. Level downs are subject to space and availability.
10-Point Grade Bump at the 4-week and 9-week level down windows only:
The student’s grade from the class they are leveling down from will have 10 points added (not to exceed 100) and will move with the student to the new class at the end of the 4-week and 9-week points, but not at the end of the first semester. The increase in grade cannot be used to alter a student’s previously determined UIL eligibility status.
Counseling Newsletter
Here is the link to the October Counseling newsletter.
- GCISD College & Career Night - October 17th @ GHS
- ASVAB score interpretation seminar at College Night
- 9-Week Level Down Window (Oct 16-18)
- UT at Austin - Automatic Admission Policy
- Counselor visits with 9th and 12th grade English classes.
- Counseling Advisory Council (CAC)
Character Trait of the Month: Trustworthiness
Extended Day Programs are HIRING for Lead Coordinators & Site Aides
EDP is seeking to hire both full-time and part-time staff. Work hours are 11:00 AM - 6:30 PM or 2:00 PM - 6:30 PM, and the starting rate is $17-$22/hour. Email edp@gcisd.net if interested. Thank you!
Grapevine High School PTSA needs you!
Membership dues are only $10 each school year! Students, remember that if you will be applying for any PTA/PTSA scholarships, you need to be a member of PTSA. Click here to join!
We are kicking off our first Staff Appreciation Sonic Drink Sale!
Show your appreciation with a special delivery of a Sonic drink, a homemade treat, & a personal note. PRICING: { 1 @ $10 } { 3 @ $25 with the code SONIC3 at checkout } { 8 for $50 with the code SONIC8 at checkout } Please click on this link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/f6ed5d3c-744f-426c-910d-96158fdbc61d?fbclid=IwAR3fQEdBE8-36FP30UYgimrP8okDxJOpYFcK3_xlCdJeIHUf4sDzZNpmZ0w
RISE students will make deliveries on October 29th! This is a joint fundraiser between GHS Project Graduation and the GHS RISE Program. (Be sure to check out all that RISE has going this year https://twitter.com/GhsRise)
Thank you for your support!
Fundraiser for Project Graduation
We are excited to announce the return of the Lynch Creek Farm Fundraiser!
These items make beautiful, memorable gifts for the holidays. Free shipping through November 10th.
Project Graduation earns 15% back. Thank you for supporting PG2024."
https://www.lynchcreekfundraising.com/teams/300593-grapevine-project-graduation-2024
Donate a door prize for Project Graduation 2024!
Elementary School Senior Group Photos:
Senior parents.
There are elementary school senior group photos are currently being organized by parents. Please watch this space to see when the photo for your school is scheduled. (OC Taylor, HES, GES, and Silverlake still need parents to volunteer to coordinate, if you are interested in heading this up please email lahaascienda@verizon.net.)
Senior Tribute Ads are due December 15th at Midnight. Parents have done their best to schedule these at a time convenient for all, however, Fall is an extremely busy time, so thank you for your understanding. The suggested cost to participate is $10 per student; a half-page yearbook ad is $200.00. Any extra funds will be donated to Project Graduation to directly benefit the entire Class of 2024.
Thank you so much; please remember to spread the word and feel free to share this with your different groups!!
Volunteer Background Check
We sincerely appreciate the investment of your time as a volunteer. Whether it is just volunteering with PTSA, a school field trip, or in any capacity in connection with our partnership with Big Brothers-Big Sisters, you must complete a background check.
All volunteers are required to reapply each year. Due to a large number of applicants, we will not notify you of your volunteer status. To get your status, please check with the school office for this information before you volunteer.
Click below to apply:
https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/volunteer-background-check