Tiger Time News
News from the O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young
Young@Heart, January 28, 2018
Dear O.C. Taylor Parents,
Please remember to scroll down and read our PTA newsletter portion and specific grade level newsletters. Click here to see the Tiger Time News, student video version.
This past Friday we had our annual O.C. Taylor Talent Show. We see so much talent here! From academics to athletics and the arts, our students and teachers amaze me with their level of talent. Thank you to the parents and students who participated. Way to go!
To the BEST of days,
Principal Young
Email: lisa.young@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=16665
Location: 5300 Pool Road, Colleyville, TX, United States
Phone: (817) 305-4870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OC-Taylor-Elementary-School-361871583888299/
Twitter: @OCTYoung
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.
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Upcoming Dates
Monday, January 29
Tuesday, January 30
Wednesday, January 31
Yearbook - Group B - 3:00 - 3:45
Thursday, February 1
Choir 2:55 - 4:00
Friday, February 2
Go Red Day! Wear Red.
Future Explorations 2:00 - 2:50
Monday, February 5
Feb. 5-9 School Counseling Week
100th Day of School, kindergarteners dress like they are 100 years old
Pops for Pals - sold after school thru TTT
Kendra Scott Fundraiser 5pm - 8pm
Tuesday, February 6
Pops for Pals - sold after school thru TTT
Wednesday, February 7
Positive Proof 8am - 12pm
Pops for Pals - sold after school thru TTT
Thursday, February 8
Pops for Pals - sold after school thru TTT
Decades Night @ Skatetown 6:00 pm
Choir 2:55 - 4:00
Friday, February 9
PTA Walk To School
Future Explorations 2:00 - 2:55
Pops for PALS - sold after school thru TTT
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Kendra Scott Fundraiser
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Positive Proof
February 7th
8am - 12 pm
(Siblings Welcome)
Forms will be going home Monday, January 29th!
OCT Updates
National School Counseling Week, February 5-9, 2018
Thank you, Ms. Whisman! "School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars," will be celebrated from February. 5-9, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Be sure to tell Ms. Whisman how much she is appreciated. For more information about National School Counseling Week, click here.
Updates from OCT Counselor, Mrs. Whisman
GCISD will be celebrating KINDNESS DAY on February 15! Kindness Day is to promote kindness, compassion, and respect and to remind our students and community to follow Rachel's Challenge. Our GCISD Rachel’s Challenge Rally will be on April 21, 2018 at CHHS! Start spreading kindness everywhere you go!
If you would like to purchase a Rachel's Challenge Kindness shirt for your child to wear to school on Kindness Day and other special days throughout the year, please turn in your order form by Wednesday, January 31st. (Order forms were sent home on Thursday. For another form, click here.)
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A Note from Music, Mrs. Vencill
A Note from Mrs. Vencill.....
Beautiful music fills the air in the O.C. Taylor Music room!!! Our talented Tigers continue to impress me every day with all they can learn, create and perform when they work together and use a growth mindset. Our minds are definitely growing in lots of exciting ways.
Kindergarten: Our Kinder Tigers are working together to practice their folk dances and cowboy/cowgirl songs for the Kindergarten Rodeo. We hope to see all Kindergarten parents, family and friends in the OCT cafeteria Friday, February 23 at 2 p.m. for a rootin', tootin' good time.
1st Grade: Our first graders have the important job of performing in the Music In Our Schools Celebration Thursday, March 1 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. This program celebrates MUSIC education and all of the important things music adds to our lives. 1st graders are not only learning lots of fun songs and dances, they are also learning what it means to be a good performer. Talk to your first grader about proper performance etiquette!
2nd Grade: Our 2nd graders continue remembering what they know about note value and learning how to add pitch to their rhythms. We will connect what we're learning about rhythm and pitch to songs from around the world as we begin preparing for the 2nd Grade Festival of Friendsprogram.
3rd Grade: Third graders are working hard to become more comfortable reading notes from the treble clef staff. Reading music is an important skill that will carry through 4th and 5th grade. We will use Orff instruments to play simple melodic patterns.
4th Grade: If you haven't listened to your 4th grader play the recorder ask them for a mini performance! They sound GREAT! We will continue working towards earning a new Recorder Karate belt each week by learning and playing new songs on our recorders.
5th Grade: It's hard to believe our 5th graders will begin talking to middle school counselors this month. We will remember/review instrument families and how sound is produced in each family so they will be prepared to make smart decisions if they choose band as a middle school elective. 5th graders will also dive into the beginning stages of creating their final show, Fifth Grade ROCKS!
See you in the Music room!
Mrs. Vencill
Music Teacher
O.C. Taylor Elementary School
@OCTVencill #OCT4U
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A Note from Art, Mrs. Morgan
Students have started learning about their famous artist, as well as looking at and discussing some of their work!
Kindergarten is learning about the artists Paul Klee and Piet Mondrian. They will be reviewing shape names, as well as secondary and primary colors.
First grade is learning about the artist Henri Matisse. They will learn about organic and geometric shapes, as well as how to create paper cutouts.
Second grade is learning about the artist Vincent Van Gogh. They will learn about the foreground and background of a painting. Students will create their own modern version of Starry Night.
Third grade is learning about the artist Roy Lichtenstein. Students will learn about Ben-Day dots that were used in his paintings. They will then create an onomatopoeia word art piece.
Fourth grade is learning about the abstract artist Wassily Kandinsky. Students will learn how to blend watercolors to create an abstract piece, using sharpies and oil pastels.
Fifth grade is learning about pop art and the artist Andy Warhol. Students will use color theory and choose products/ logos that are important to them to create a pop art piece.
Cristie Morgan
Art Teacher
O.C. Taylor Elementary School
Twitter-@OCTMorgan
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A Note from P.E., Coach Mester and Coach Mac
Physical Education News
I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I was with our level of pickleball play this year! We had a blast learning serves, forehands, backhands, and volleys. We are putting the pickleball nets away and getting out a different net. That’s right, it is Newcomb time! We will be playing Newcomb and working on some volleyball skills. Finally, we will continue to improve our fitness levels by performing challenging warmups and jogging every day. See you in the gym!
Coach Mester
Physical Education Teacher
O.C. Taylor Elem.
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Updates from the Learning Commons, Mrs. Bonacci
One of the many things I love about O. C. Taylor students is that they truly enjoy learning new things both at school and at home. Thank you for all you do to nurture inquisitive children with a passion for learning! One of the challenges we all face in today’s information-rich environment is distinguishing between “good” and “bad” sources of information. We all love Google, but that’s not where we want our children to turn for all of their educational material.
If your child wants to look up information at home they can access all of our subscription-based resources through the GCISD ClassLink app. There, in the Learning Commons folder, they can find a wide variety of quality resources to keep their curious minds happy! If you need assistance accessing any of these resources please email me at dawn.bonacci@gcisd.net I am always happy to help!
For information about the Learning Commons Programs and Services visit this link-
https://www.smore.com/wk447-o-c-taylor-learning-commons
Check out our YouTube Channel to see the student version of the Tiger Time News- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNyhxtBhBp-_OPAja5yoffQ
If you would like to donate costumes or props for our green screen production studio contact Mrs. Bonacci at dawn.bonacci@gcisd.net
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Update from our Clinic, Nurse Katy
- National Go Red Day!: Friday February 2nd is National Go Red Day! Please feel free to wear red to show your support for heart disease! <3
- 5th grade parents: Scoliosis (spinal) screenings will be conducted during Specials on Monday February 12th. Parents of girls: Make sure your student wears a bra, sports bra, tube top or bathing suit top underneath their clothing on this day. If your child needs a second opinion after being screened, you will be notified. Otherwise, no news is good news! :)
Cold & Flu Season: Although we have not yet seen a spike in flu-like illnesses here at OCT, flu trends are on the rise in our area. Here are some healthy habits to practice at home. * Frequent handwashing. Wash with soap and warm water if available. If not, hand sanitizer is next best thing. *Avoid touching the "T-zone"- one's eyes, nose, or mouth . This is a BIG habit to try and break, but if you never touched these mucous membranes, you would almost never get sick!! * Cover your cough/sneeze. Use a tissue. If a tissue is not available, use the bend of your arm. DO NOT use your hands. * Avoid contact with those with a known illness. *Stay home AND isolate yourself if you become ill until fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea free for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of medications * Clean/disinfect surfaces frequently.
Handwashing Incentive: I have been handing out "High Fives" when I see students performing proper hand hygiene at the restrooms and in the clinic. They show their teacher their "High Five" and get a reward in return! Have your child show you that they know HOW to wash their hands (in between fingers, underneath nailbeds, etc) and that they know HOW LONG to wash their hands (by singing Happy Birthday or ABC song twice.
Donations to the clinic: I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your generosity/donations to the clinic. At this time, I do not need any clothing. Nut-free snacks and peppermints are always needed!
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Updates from Gifted and Talented, Mrs. Griffin
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Dyslexia
Experience a Dyslexia Lesson
January 29, 6:30PM, PDEC, 5800 Colleyville Blvd, Panther Den
Have you ever wondered what your child is learning and experiencing daily when they are in dyslexia intervention? Come and participate in a dyslexia intervention lesson from the GCISD Literacy Intervention staff to see through your child's eyes what they are learning and experiencing while in dyslexia intervention. All curriculums will be shown: Take Flight, MTA, and Esperanza.
Digital Accommodations
February 5, 6:30PM, PDEC, 5800 Colleyville Blvd, Panther Den
Join the GCISD Literacy Intervention team to learn what your student's device can do in regards to digital accommodations (speech to text & text to speech). This experience will give hands-on opportunities on how technology equalizes the learning/production experience for students with dyslexia. Students are encouraged to attend with their digital device to get the most out of this hands-on experience.
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Friendly Reminder
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Watch Dogs
We are so excited to have the Watch Dog program back again this year! Thank you to those who have signed up to be a Watch Dog. The process this year is a little different. Here is the form that needs to be submitted along with your background check and t-shirt purchase. Once those things are taken care, Jennifer Howard will send an email with the Signup Genius so you can choose a day to volunteer. We ask that you plan a week in advance when signing up. The calendar will be closed after Friday mornings for the following week to ensure teachers and the volunteers receive schedules. Thank you for understanding and respecting our process and procedure of this program.
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Colleyville Middle School 6th Grade Informational Night, February 20, 2018
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Cross Timbers Middle School Showcase Open House, February 20, 2018
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GCISD Parent Technology Academy
More classes are rolling out! Click on the following link to see more or to register: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=48875
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GCISD Nutrition Survey
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GCISD Nutrition Services Farm Fresh Friday, February 23, 2018
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Note from GCISD Nutrition Services
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GCISD is Now Hiring! Join the GCISD TEAM!
Do you know someone ready to join the GCISD Team? Please help spread the word! Great opportunities are available in our auxiliary departments:
- Nutrition Specialists –Part Time with benefits – Work while your students are in school!
- KidzU Extended Care Program Site Aides – Part Time with benefits – Great schedule for local college students!
- Night Custodians
- Bus Drivers & Monitors
- Maintenance Engineers
Apply online at: www.gcisd-k12.org
GCISD is looking for new Subs! Apply Online!
Hey parents and community members! Do you find yourself always on campus volunteering and helping out? Want to be more involved in the classroom and get a paycheck? Then subbing might just be for you!
We are hiring qualified candidates to substitute teach for GCISD. If you are looking to impact kids and help make a difference, we want you! You must have a minimum of 60 college hours to apply. Apply online: www.gcisd-k12.org
If you have any questions, contact erica.pasvar@gcisd.net.
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School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
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DECADES NIGHT AT SKATETOWN
Pull out your poodle skirt! Dust off your go go boots! Put your collar up on your polo shirt and join us for...
Decades Night at Skatetown!
February 8th
6-8 pm
Come dressed from your favorite decade!
All OCT students and their siblings will get to skate for free!
OCT students will receive a wristband for:
1 free slice of pizza, 1 drink, and 1 popcorn
Tickets may be purchased for additional food/drink items.
We need many volunteers to make the night a success, parents, please sign up for a spot to volunteer below:
Decades Night Volunteer Sign Up
Questions? Contact Dotty Ponder at dottylynnponder@gmail.com
WALK TO SCHOOL MORNING Fri. Feb. 9th
Please join us for our upcoming Walk to School Day on Friday, February 9th to show our support for a greener environment and a healthier body by encouraging students, parents and teachers to walk to school wherever possible.
Need a safe route to walk to school? Meet up with the "walking school bus." Adult volunteers will be present to walk with the students as a group. Drop off at 7:10 am, and departure is at 7:15 am. We have two locations:
1. Compass Center parking lot (southeast corner of Hall Johnson and Pool Rd)
2. Colleyville Senior Center parking lot (2512 Glade Road)
Did you know active kids learn better? Check out this article to learn more!!!
If you have any questions or comments, please contact:
CHOCOLATE DECADENCE
Please sign up to bring a dessert to share (list what your dessert will be so we can be sure have a variety). Chocolate Decadence Sign Up
Please drop off your dessert between 7:15 and 8:15 am on Tuesday, February 13, 2018.
Thank you!
Tamaron Hunt
ATTENTION 5TH GRADE PARENTS!
The Colleyville Middle School PTA and Cross Timbers Middle School PTA are soliciting members and officers for next year's PTA. If interested, fill out the form for the school you will be attending below.
HAVE YOU BEEN TO A PLAY YET AT ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS?
GRAPEVINE HIGH SCHOOL's Into The Woods Feb. 1, 2, 3, 7 pm, link for tickets here:
COLLEYVILLE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL's The Sound of Music Jan. 25, 26, 27, 28, Mon. 29th link for tickets here: https://www.chhspanthertheatre.com/
REMINDER TO SUPPORT GRACE...FEBRUARY IS 2nd GRADE!
3rd Grade!
Collection baskets will be outside 2nd Grade classrooms for the month of February.
Thank you for helping our community!
Questions? Concerns: contact Athena Wiginton at apw@thewigintons.com
ANY NEW MEMBERS TO P.T.A--Make Sure You Have our Paw Prints Directory!
This is a helpful, handy directory you will use all year round!
Contact: Laurie H. Ackermann at Laurietamar@gmail.com
APPLE TREE PROJECT
Don't forget the O.C. Taylor Apple Tree! Teachers need items from the Apple Tree. Apple Tree is an easy way to donate items teachers and staff need at the school.
Simply click he link below to see different "needs" around the school. If you choose to help, please make sure to mark as taken! Once taken, please send your item(s) to school with your child, attaching the name of the staff member for who it is intended.
Apple Tree List
Thanks so much! If you have any questions, please contact:
Jenifer Richards – Apple Tree coordinator
Jennifer Ditto - VP Volunteer
February:
2/7 8 am - 12 noon Positive Proof
2/8 6 pm All-Decades Night at Skate Town
2/9 Walk to School Morning
2/13 Staff Appreciation Event
2/14 Valentine's Day parties
2/19 Professional Learning Day/Presidents' Day Holiday - No School
2/27 Spring School & Club PIctures
2/28 Boosterthon Pep Rally
March
3/8 6:30 pm Open House
3/9 Boosterthon Fun Run
3/12 - 16 SPRING BREAK
TBD 1st Grade Music Program
3/22 6:30 PTA Spaghetti Dinner, Choir Program & Spirit Shop
3/30 No School (if no Inclement Weather Days)
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Thank you!
We think your kids are..... G-G-G-G-reat!
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. 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
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.