Tiger Time News
News from O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young Pedevilla
May 19, 2019
Dear O.C. Taylor Parents,
This week all of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders took the state-mandated STAAR assessments, along with thousands of other children across the state of Texas. I have no idea how any of our Tigers did on any of the assessments. No staff member is allowed to read the tests or ask students any questions about the tests. But I do know this…there is absolutely NO way a paper-pencil test designed by people who do not know them and legislated by people who haven’t been in a classroom in years can measure our children's worth or predict what an amazing future they are going to have.
For you see, my O.C. Taylor Tigers are GREAT: growth-minded, responsible, extra respectful, always kind, and take pride in themselves. They are creative, resourceful, adventurous, independent, articulate, thoughtful, self-confident, trustworthy, friends to all, courageous, determined, sensitive, creative, caring, curious, humble, funny, mannerly, strong, talented, motivated, and positive…I could go on and on! They are servant leaders; they are our future. I am beyond proud of these fabulous learners that I am blessed to call “mine!" Our future is bright because of who they are EACH and EVERY day!
To the BEST of days,
Principal Pedevilla
Stay Connected at O. C. Taylor Elementary School
We have a number of ways to keep in touch with our school. Be sure to read, subscribe to and join these resources to get all the latest news.
Facebook: If you’re a Facebook member be sure to join the O.C. Taylor Elementary Facebook Group to get updates in your feed. This group is meant to provide another way to get news and updates.
Website: The school’s website has the latest news, updates, and calendars, as well as general information about the school, resources for parents, volunteer opportunity information, event information and ways to donate.
Twitter: We regularly post events and upcoming news on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter: @OCTYoung and follow our hashtag #OCT4U.
OCT Vision: To empower our children today to create a better tomorrow.
OCT Mission: To create life-long learners and develop servant leaders through authentic, real-world experiences.
O.C. Taylor Elementary Events
May 20
9:00 - Graduation Walk (Former Tigers who are seniors are coming to walk the halls of OCT.)
May 21
8:30 a.m. 5th Grade Rocks
8:30 - 2:30 Campus Excellence Committee Meeting to write Campus Improvement Plan
10:00 - 1:00 Carter Blood Drive (Please come and donate blood!)
6:30 p.m. PTA Meeting/5th Grade Rocks
May 22
3:30 - 5:30 Leslie Cave's Retirement Reception in the Learning Commons (All are invited.)
May 23
May 24
Field Day!!!! Please come! We need your help. You will miss these one day.
May 27
NO SCHOOL... Memorial Day
May 28
May 29
May 30 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
9:00 5th Grade Graduation
11:45 Early Dismissal
2:00 PTA Dad's Club Camp Out
OCT and GCISD Updates
5th Grade Rocks, May 21
Mark your calendar for the GREATEST SHOW of the year...5th Grade Rocks, Tuesday, May 21 at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The 5th graders have created an awesome show, and I can't wait for you to see it!
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Art Portfolios Coming Home
Students made a portfolio this year to store all of their artwork. I will be passing out the remainder of the work during this month. Be looking for your child’s art portfolio!!
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Field Day is Fri., May 24
OC Taylor Field Day is Friday, May 24th! We want all parents to come to school to see their children, even if for a short time.
Volunteer signup for Field Day 2019: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aaa92f4-field https://www.facebook.com/events/357995008405126/
Please see more information below in our PTA section!
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Updates from the Clinic, Nurse Katy
- OCT Tigers and families: THANK YOU so much for all of the sweet cards, gifts, snacks and hand-written notes during Nurse Appreciation Week. I cannot express how loved and appreciated everyone made me feel. :)
- Carter BloodCare blood drive: The Carter BloodCare bus will be here at OCT on Tuesday May 21st from 10-1. Click on the link below and help save a life! The classroom with the most donations will win a popsicle party! https://ww3.greatpartners.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/103883
- Medications in the clinic: If your child has had a medication kept in the clinic this school year, it has to be picked up before Friday May 31st. If you checked the "yes" box on the Medication form, I will send home medicine in your child's backpack. If you checked the "no" box on the form, you will have to come to the clinic and pick it up. Feel free to call me or email me if you would like to make other arrangements.
- Weather: Please make sure your children are wearing weather-appropriate clothing. If your child burns easily, you can apply sunscreen on your child before school.
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New Learning Commons Coming
The GCISD Reads Challenge was a huge success this year! Several of our Tigers completed the challenge FOUR times. That’s over 10,000 pages read by a child in just one year! Take a look at the graphic below to see why that is such a HUGE win for our tigers:
I know that selecting appropriate reading material can be a challenge. Keep in mind that readers experience text at one of three levels; frustration, instructional, or independent.
When helping your child to select reading material it is important to avoid text that is at the “frustration” level because it may cause a child to think that reading is not an enjoyable activity. Text that a child can read most of the words, but needs a bit of assistance is “instructional”, and should be supported by a strong reader helping the child with unknown words. Ideally, your child should select books that he or she can read independently to build confidence and fluency. Book lists and suggestions, along with the GCISD Reads recording forms can be found on the GCISD Reads Smore at https://www.smore.com/n06z7-2019-2020-gcisd-reads-challenge
Thank you for encouraging your little tiger to read this summer. The next GCISD Reads Challenge starts on June 1st. Happy Reading!
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Updates from Counseling and Guidance, Mrs. Whisman
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Updates from Literacy Specialists/Dyslexia, Ms. Griffith and Ms. Honeycutt
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Mrs. Cave is Retiring
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NO SCHOOL on Memorial Day
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Technology Tip: Beware of YOLO app
The YOLO app is the latest anonymous app to go viral with teens. Similar to Yik Yak, Whisper, and Sarahah the Yolo app is an anonymous Q&A app. However, YOLO works seamlessly with Snapchat – which is already one of the most popular teen apps.
We frequently see anonymous Q&A apps like the YOLO app turn into breeding grounds for negativity and bullying. Anonymous apps don’t help students achieve their goals or help their digital footprint, so I think YOLO is a no go!
- YOLO: Anonymous Questions is an app that allows users to add an “ask me anything” sticker to their Snapchat Story
- When a user posts an “ask me anything” sticker in their Snapchat Story, viewers can swipe up to open the YOLO app and ask a question
- Users log into the YOLO app with their Snapchat login details
- The app allows users to review questions privately. Then, the user chooses which questions they want to answer and who to share that answer with on Snapchat
- Answers are usually posted with a selfie
- The app was built using Snap Kit which is a software creation platform by Snapchat. This means that the app works seamlessly with Snapchat (a platform teens know and love)
- The app is incredibly popular with teens. Within the first week of launching the YOLO app became #1 in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
- It is being compared to Yik Yak, Whisper, and Sarahah – apps which have been criticized for promoting bullying. Sarahah and Yik Yak were removed from the App Store due to bullying
- It can bring out the worst in some tweens and teens when they feel like they can ask their friends questions anonymously without having to take responsibility for their words
- If your child is seeking validation from strangers – this should be a major red flag for parents
The YOLO app in the news:
But as with Sarahah, Secret, YikYak, and other anonymous apps before it, YOLO is vulnerable to being used to spread hate speech and bullying. Given school-age kids can get in trouble for insulting someone in the hallway, they’re quick to torment peers though apps, especially if they piggyback on one everyone already uses.
–TechCrunchYOLO does warn users that it has ‘no tolerance for objectionable content or abusive users’ before they can start asking or answering questions—but when have teenagers ever followed the rules en masse?
–Fast CompanyWHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
- Be on the same apps as your children. I do not think your elementary children should be using Snapchat. I recommend deleting it. If you have teenagers, I encourage you to set up an account, spend time on the app, have them teach you how it works, get familiar with where private messaging happens on the app, and monitor them regularly. You will always be the best tool for keeping your kids safe
- Talk to your young children and teenagers and remind them that they do not need “honest” feedback from strangers
- Teach your children to avoid gossiping both offline and online – even if they are “anonymous”
- Discuss the dangers of anonymous apps and how they can have an impact on real life
- Follow suggested age ranges to help your child prepare for the responsibility of being on social media:
- Ages 0-13: Private
- Ages 13: Have a family discussion regarding what should go public
- Age 14-15: Build a personal website and post positive volunteer photos (and accomplishments/projects) online
- Age 17: Colleges should be able to find a positive online footprint for your student
Content: http://bit.ly/2VV5aCD
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Last Day of School
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OCT School Supply Pack Pre-Sale
OC Taylor PTA is working hard to make back-to-school time as easy as possible for our families! We are moving to online-only ordering for school supply packs for 2019-2020. This will help us eliminate the lines at Meet the Teacher night in August, and allow you and your child to focus on meeting their teacher. Here is how to order:
1. Order your child's school supply pack online between April 30th and June 16th on the Educational Products website at https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/
2. Enter our school code TAY009
3. Select your child's grade level school supply pack. Make sure to choose your child's grade for NEXT year, not their current grade level. You can order supply packs for all of your children in the same order.
4. After receiving your order confirmation, your child's school supply pack will be waiting in your child's classroom in August!
Questions? Contact Melissa Adkins, School Supplies Chair at melissa.adkins@gmail.com
Bus Rider Information
Your child needs to be a registered bus rider in order to ride a GCISD bus. If you are wanting to register your child to ride the bus, please do so in Skyward. If you are needing to temporarily change your child's bus transportation (i.e. riding home with a friend for a day, etc.), please complete this form. This form must be completed 48 hours in advance. To ensure the safety of our bus riders, we do not accept notes from parents or administrators in place of the form.
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5th Graders Going To CTMS
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5th Graders Going To CMS
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Cafeteria and Menu Updates
Attached is a copy of the calendar menu, it may also be viewed on the district's website. Nutrition information may be viewed through the nutrition services website or by downloading the new Meal Viewer app through the apple or android store.
If you have questions about the Nutrition Services program, please call ext. 5615 or email julie.telesca@gcisd.net.
School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
GCISD - Building Excellent Schools Together
GCISD LEAD 2021- BUILDING EXCELLENT SCHOOLS TOGETHER!
The mission of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is to be THE BEST and through the district’s strategic plan, called LEAD 2021, we continue building on the foundation started in 2011-2012. LEAD stands for Leading Excellence – Action Driven. For more information about LEAD 2021, please visit the district website. We are excited about the new LEAD 2.0 and hearing from all parents! There are some exciting educational experiences going on in GCISD!
GCISD’s WHY?
Redefining Education because your future matters today!
GCISD’s Portrait of a Graduate
Skilled Problem Solvers
Communicators
Global Citizens
Self-regulated Learners
Collaborators
We think your kids are..... G-G-G-G-reat!
Field Day May 24th
NOT JUST FOR KIDS, Parents are encouraged to attend. Hang out the entire day or check the attached schedule for each grade level.
Volunteer signup for Field Day 2019: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040a45aaa92f4-field
Last Day of School Campout/Cookout May 30th
THIS EVENT IS FREE BUT PLEASE REGISTER (Blue Flyer)
Event Schedule:
3-8pm Water Slide Bounce Houses
6pm Cookout
8pm Outdoor Movie
8am Breakfast
9am Cleanup
Order Your School Supply Packs Online!
OC Taylor PTA is working hard to make back-to-school time as easy as possible for our families! We are moving to online-only ordering for school supply packs for 2019-2020. This will help us eliminate the lines at Meet the Teacher night in August, and allow you and your child to focus on meeting their teacher.
School supply packs will not be for sale at meet the teacher night. Order online.
Here is how to order:
1. Order your child's school supply pack online between April 30th and June 16th on the Educational Products website at https://www.educationalproducts.com/ShopPacks/
2. Enter our school code TAY009
3. Select your child's grade level school supply pack. Make sure to choose your child's grade for NEXT year, not their current grade level. You can order supply packs for all of your children in the same order.
4. After receiving your order confirmation, your child's school supply pack will be waiting in your child's classroom in August!
Questions? Contact Melissa Adkins, School Supplies Chair at melissa.adkins@gmail.com
Amazon Smile
Be sure to shop smileamazon.com. 0.5% of all your purchases will go to the OC Taylor PTA. Log on to smileamazon.com and select PTA Texas Congress 1610 O C Taylor Elementary as your preferred charity. It's an amazoningly easy way to earn money for our school!! Remember, you must log on to smileamazon.com every time you shop to ensure your purchases earn money for our school! We just received another check for $68.37! That’s $112.88 in just one semester. Keep up the good work!
Box Tops Fundraiser
The Box Top Racing to Recess Challenge is nearing its final lap! The winning grade level will earn an extra 30 minute recess! Clip out Box Tops for Education and place them on the Box Top Collection Sheet or in the Ziploc Bag that was sent home last semester. If you've already sent in that bag, just write your child's grade level on a new ziploc bag. Send your Box Tops in to your child's teacher or place them in the blue bin in the front lobby.
After 18 weeks, 3rd grade has a huge lead with 698 box tops, 5th grade is in 2nd place with 511, and 2nd grade in 3rd place with 424. Please be sure to turn in all Box Tops by Friday, May 24th so they can be counted for this semester’s Racing to Recess Challenge!
Join the PTA!
Thank you to all our parents and staff that joined the PTA already! We truly appreciate your support!
If you did not join the PTA at Meet the Teacher, we encourage you to do so. The annual dues are only $7.50 per membership. That's the lowest price in town for PTA memberships, and it's the BEST, in my opinion! Membership in the PTA allows you to improve the education and opportunities for our students. When you join the PTA, you become a member of the Texas PTA, and you will receive a copy of our 2018-2019 Paw Prints student directory! This valuable directory contains classroom lists, phone numbers, addresses and other vital information you will use all year! To join the PTA, it's so simple, visit JOINPTA.ORG
Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Liz Payne- VP Memberships
Thank you!
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