Monday Message
News from Mrs. Hilcher- Principal of Grapevine Elementary
Week of November 16-20
Thankful
The definitions of thankful: pleased and relieved; expressing gratitude and relief. Synonyms: grateful, appreciative, filled with gratitude, relieved.
As the tragedy in France filled our news feeds on Friday, I was once again reminded of the amazing freedoms our service men and women defend and protect each day. Such powerful timing after we honored Veteran's Day on Wednesday by wearing red, white & blue and writing letters to veterans. As you know, Heritage Day at Grapevine Elementary School is our time to celebrate our students’ and community’s rich heritage, Grandparent’s Day and Veteran’s Day. We look forward to sharing this special event with you at 8:15 on Friday, November 20!
As we prepare for the week of Thanksgiving, I want you to know how thankful we are that your children are a part of GES! We appreciate how you partner with us to provide a school where each child has a healthy and happy learning environment. Your support through volunteering, donations, attending school events and even reading this newsletter each week makes a difference! I hope you will take a moment on this next #ThankYouThursday to share your appreciation with a GES staff member for the work they do each day. I also hope you enjoy the week of Thanksgiving with your children and have time to celebrate the many people and things you are thankful for!
Upcoming Events
Monday, 11/16 Epilepsy Awareness-wear purple
Monday,11/16 Choir (2:45-3:45pm)
Wednesday, 11/18 NEHS Give Back Campaign ends
Wednesday, 11/18 Running Club (2:45-3:45pm) & NEHS (2:45-3:30pm)
Thursday, 11/19 Choir (2:45-3:45pm)
Monday, 11/23-Friday 11/27 Thanksgiving holidays-no school
Monday,11/30 Choir (2:45-3:45pm)
Wednesday, 12/2 Running Club (2:45-3:45pm)
Thursday, 12/3 Choir (2:45-3:45pm)
Thursday,12/3 Grapevine Parade of Lights (7:00pm on Main Street)
Friday, 12/4 Kindergarten's Pizza and PJs night (6:00-9:00pm)
Wednesday, 12/9 Red Robin Spirit Night (6-8pm)
Tuesday, 12/15 Geography Bee
Friday, 12/18 Early dismissal at 11:45am
Monday, 12/21/15-Monday, 1/4/16 Student holiday
Important Reminders
Please remember that every visitor must present the front office staff with a valid state issued ID when checking a student out, visiting for lunch and/or volunteering
Students who are checked out of school early, after a field trip or school program, will receive a partial day absence
Reminder about birthday treats: Due to food allergies, we request parents either send store bought items (with the ingredient label showing) or non-food treats (pencils, erasers, etc.). Only food items that are peanut-free and have been approved by Nurse Burwell will be distributed. Birthday treats will be shared with classmates at the end of the school day.
GES Information & Announcements
GES Heritage Day-Nov. 20
Heritage Day activities include individual classroom projects and a second and third grade musical performance that will begin at 8:15am. ALL second & third grade students participating in the Heritage Day program on November 20th @8:15 need: long blue jeans, a solid white shirt, any style traditional red bandana tied in a triangle around the neck(point in front), and snugly fitting shoes-no flip flops. Students need to arrive at school dressed for their performance. Please contact Ms. Lambert at gayle.lambert@gcisd.net if your second or third grade child will not be present for the performance.
Hour of Code
What is Hour of Code? Check out this video to learn more about Hour of Code: https://goo.gl/mG1gbx
Why? There will be 1,000,000 more computer science jobs than computer science students by 2020. http://code.org/stats
How? On Friday, December 11, GES teachers will choose from a variety of resources and tutorials that expose students to foundational concepts of computer science.
Want to Help? If you are a computer programmer, and are interested in sharing your work experience with a group of our students, please contact Nancy Hale at nancy.hale@gcisd.net.
Geography Bee for 4th & 5th Graders
We are excited to announce that Grapevine Elementary will be hosting a Geography Bee again this year. Students in fourth and fifth grade will have the opportunity to participate and qualify for the National Geographic Bee. National Geographic guidelines state that students must complete a written geography test. This test will be given in student’s Social Studies class during the week of November 16 - 20. Based on test scores, the top 10 students will be selected to compete in the school Geography Bee on December 15. One student from GES will then represent our school by taking a final exam. The score from this exam will be reported to National Geographic for the opportunity to compete in the Texas Geography Bee. State winners have the chance to compete in the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C. If this opportunity interests your child and they enjoy learning about geography, there are several ways they can review and study prior to the Geography Bee: Go to the National Geographic Study Corner website: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/study-corner/
Download the GeoBee Challenge App. Take the Daily GeoBee Quiz at http://goo.gl/nxgUPt. We hope your child will take on this challenge and learn more about the world around them. If you have any questions regarding the Geography Bee, please feel free to contact our school geography bee coordinator, Mrs. Hale, at nancy.hale@gcisd.net
Information from Ms. Ray
Kindergarten GT Referrals
Important Links
- GCISD's online volunteer background check: http://bit.ly/1j1zDHT
- GES Yearbooks: http://www.TreeRing.com/validate (Our passcode: 1013813367251830)
- 2015-2016 Parent-Student Handbook and Student Code of Conduct: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Page/226
- The ABC's of Grapevine Elementary: http://bit.ly/1YsQweL
GCISD Information
GCISD Podcasts
Follow Our Story
Follow the excitement on Twitter and Facebook:
- On Twitter follow:
Principal Mrs. Hilcher: @GESHilcher
Assistant Principal Ms. Ray: @GESKRay
Grapevine Elementary: @GESStars
Your favorite teacher: @GES[lastname]
All GES classrooms by checking our #GESshineon
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrapevineElementary