OCT Tiger Time News
News from the O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Pedevilla
for week of December 1, 2019
(BE SURE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER AND READ THE OCT PTA SECTION!)
Dear OCT Families,
I hope everyone has had a relaxing break and a Happy Thanksgiving. We have only three weeks this year until our winter break. We are spending time in December celebrating different holidays. We invite your children to participate (see Holiday Hullabaloo list below). This is, of course, optional. Our intent is to be inclusive and teach our children about the holidays our Tigers celebrate. We realize this list does not include all holidays. If we have left off a holiday that is important to your family, please email me and let me know.
We also desire to create a fun and exciting learning environment where kids desire to be as this increases the likelihood of academic achievement. Please continue your nightly reading at home! If you have any questions, please email your teacher. Bring on the fun!
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.
Email: lisa.pedevilla@gcisd.net
Website: https://oct.gcisd.net/
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.
Upcoming Events
Monday, December 2
Chinese New Year Day (Wear red.)
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. PTA Executive Board Holiday Luncheon
Tuesday, December 3
Candy Cane Day (Wear red and white.)
9:00 a.m. CMS Band/Choir
Wednesday, December 4
Diwali Day (Wear bright-colored clothing.)
2:55 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Yearbook
2:55 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. TTT
Thursday, December 5
Kwanza Kraft Day (Wear black, red, and green.)
2:55 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Choir
Grapevine Parade of Lights
Friday, December 6
O Christmas Tree Day (Wear green.)
2:55 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Running Club
6:30 p.m. Colleyville Tree Lighting
Monday, December 9
Reindeer Day (Wear reindeer ears, any ears, or a hat.)
Book Fair
5th Grade Field Trip Camp Thurman
Tuesday, December 10
Happy Hanukkah (Wear blue and white.)
Book Fair
Wednesday, December 11
Snowman Day (Wear a scarf, something white, or snowman attire.)
Book Fair
No Yearbook Meeting
2:55 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Thursday, December 12
Feliz Navidad (Wear red, white, yellow, and/or green.)
Book Fair
8:30 a.m. Holiday Choir Concert
2:55 - 4:00 p.m. Choir
6:30 p.m. PTA Meeting and Holiday Choir Concert
Friday, December 13
7:00 a.m. Grand Slam with Grand Friends (Grandparents or any Senior Friends) (Wear any holiday shirt.)
9:00 a.m. Spelling Bee
1:30 p.m. CTMS Band/Choir
Spirit Shop during lunches and after school
Monday, December 16
Santa Hat Day (PTA gives out free Santa hats to all!)
8:00 a.m. -9:00 a.m. PK-2nd ONCOR Safety Program
9:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m. 3rd-5th ONCOR Safety Program
1:30 p.m. Santa Visits OCT
Tuesday, December 17
Elfie Selfie Day by the Fire (Wear cozy socks and/or dress like an elf.)
Wednesday, December 18
Ugly Sweater Day (Wear a sweater or holiday shirt.)
Thursday, December 19
Polar Express Day (Wear your pajamas and watch The Polar Express.)
Friday, December 20
Fancy Festivities Party Day (Wear your festive party gear.)
10:45 a.m. Class Winter Parties
11:45 a.m. Early dismissal
Monday, Dec. 23 - Tuesday, Jan. 7
WINTER BREAK
Wednesday, January 8
First day back for students after the break
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Grade Level Newsletters
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Important Links
OCT and GCISD Updates
Assistant Principal Points from Mrs. Bailey
Social and Emotional Well-Being: LEAD 2.0 Goal 2
Our goal is to support the social and emotional well-being of all students at OC Taylor. Showing and modeling respectful interactions and discourse are some of the key ways to cultivate positive relationships and connect with students. This promotes confidence and motivation in the learning environment. Research shows that students thrive on the following positive supports: listen and restate what students say, accept and reflect upon feelings, and spend quality one-on-one time with children.
During the holiday season, please enjoy quality time with your loved ones and children. Play outside, jump in leaf piles, snuggle up and read a story, or just talk.
We are so thankful for each and every Tiger and their families!
Allison Bailey
(817) 305-4870
@OCTBailey
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GCISD Leap Into Wellness
THIS FORM WILL STOP ACCEPTING RESPONSES AT THE END OF THE DAY ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2109. Proposal acceptance notification will occur by January 17, 2020.
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Lost and Found
Also, please write your child's name inside all jackets, sweaters, coats, cups, and other items.
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Pre-K Information Night
GCISD is hosting a Pre-K information night from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on December 10. Please join us if you have any questions or would like to learn more about GCISD Pre-K for the 2020-2021 school year!
Tuesday, December 10 in the Mustang Room at the PDEC (Professional Development & Education Center) | 5800 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, TX
Presentations at 5:30 p.m. & 6:15 p.m.
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District-wide Test Message
GCISD uses a variety of methods for communicating in an emergency situation. In order to ensure that parents receive all relative information, GCISD is going to conduct a test message on Tuesday, December 3. For more information, and to make sure you are signed up to receive District communication, click here.
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Holiday Hullabaloo
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Updates from Counseling and Guidance, Mrs. Whisman
Classroom Guidance: November's guidance lessons will focus on gratitude and having a positive attitude.
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Updates from Learning Commons, Mrs. Bonacci
We have two exciting events taking place in the Learning Commons in December! Volunteers are always welcome.
- The Traveling Coding Playground will visit on December 4th. Our students will have an opportunity to try out all kinds of cool technology toy/tools. (You might even want to stop by to get gift ideas).
- Our Scholastic Book Fair will be held December 9-13. The Scholastic Book Fair e-Wallet is a CASH-FREE option for students.
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Updates from Art, Mrs. Morgan
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Menu Advisory Committee Meeting
Parents - Want to learn more about the federally funded school lunch program? Ever wonder how the menus are planned? The Parent Menu Advisory meeting includes parents and staff who review the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) to provide greater knowledge of the regulations. During the meeting, parents will learn how the menus are planned and student promotions are developed. In addition, we will sample recipes and discuss the techniques used to encourage students to take a complete meal.
The meeting will be held on December 4th, 2019 from 5-6 pm.
Meeting location: GCISD Professional Developement Education Center: Panther Den | 5800 Colleyville Blvd #A108 Colleyville, Texas 76034
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O.C. Taylor Staff Shout-Outs
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Updates from our Nurse Katy
- 5th grade girls Scoliosis Screening: We will be screening all 5th grade girls at OCT on Wednesday December 4th during Specials. Notification letters were sent home with your student. These only need to be signed/returned if you DO NOT want your student to be screened. Please make sure your student wears a bra, sports bra, tube top, or bathing suit top underneath their shirts on Screening day! If you have any questions, please feel free to call or email me.
- Flu Season: If you have not yet received your flu shot, BE WISE- IMMUNIZE! If your student tests positive for the flu, please let us know when calling in their absence. I have to report all flu-like illness/flu diagnosis to Tarrant County Health Department weekly.
- If your child is sick: Please keep students at home until they are fever and/or symptom-free for at least 24 hours without any medication. In GCISD, a temperature of 100 degrees is considered to be a fever. Encourage healthy habits at home to help prevent the spread of illnesses. Washing hands with soap and water (sing Happy Birthday song or ABCs twice!) Coughing and sneezing into elbows or a Kleenex instead of hands. Not touching the face- especially the T-zone. Getting plenty of rest. Staying hydrated.
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GET TO KNOW THE O.C. TAYLOR STAFF
OCT PPCD and Pre-K team
Heather Potter, Pre-K teacher
Bri Conte, Pre-K paraprofesional
Sara Stricherz, PPCD teacher
Rhonda Schafer, PPCD teacher
Gabriela Haynes, Pre-K teacher
Front row:
Amy Richardson, PPCD paraprofessional
Allora Khan, Pre-K paraprofessional
Lorrine Evans, PPCD paraprofessional
Miss Bri Conte, Pre-K Paraprofessional
Her strength is being able to build strong relationships with the kids and creating a positive atmosphere.
She has a cute little Yorkie-Maltese dog named Roxy. Her favorite food is pizza. If she were a superhero, she would like the superpower of being invisible.
Welcome to OCT, Miss Conte!
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Technology Tip: Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube
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Follow OCT on Twitter
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GCISD is Now Hiring! Join the GCISD TEAM!
Many opportunities are available in our auxiliary departments:
- Nutrition Specialists -PT w/ benefits – work while your students are in school!
- Kidzu Site Aide – PT w/benefits – this schedule works well for local college students!
- Night Custodians
- Bus Drivers & Monitors
- Maintenance Engineers
Apply online at: www.gcisd.net
School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
We think your kids are..... G-G-G-G-reat!
Silent Auction December 1st - 9th
The Silent Auction is NOW LIVE!
Log on to https://www.32auctions.com/OCTSilentAuction20192020 and start bidding on amazing Rule the School, Party with the Principal, Game On, and teacher packages! We also have parking and front row seating and a fabulous WFAA package from our very own Cynthia Izaguirre for a behind the scenes tour! You don’t want to miss out on these awesome packages. Remember, you can set a proxy bid for your max bid or purchase with buy it now pricing to ensure you don’t miss out on your favorites!
The auction will close on Monday, December 9th at 11:45 p.m.
Grand Slam with Grand Friends - Friday, December 13th!
We have a NEW exciting event, Friday, December 13th - Grand Slam with Grand Friends! This event begins at 7:00 a.m. It's a special time for our Tigers to eat breakfast with grandparents or any "grand" (senior) friend. We know this will be a very special event, so we are requesting for parents to please help the traffic flow and to prevent overcrowding, by considering dropping kids and "grands" off for the event at the specified times.
You can determine a specific time that you will be back to pick up your "grand" friends. Kids with the last names beginning A-L will eat in the cafeteria between 7:00 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. Kids with the last names beginning M-Z, will eat between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. This will help the cafeteria to accommodate everyone. Grandparents and friends will also be invited to go back to the classrooms at 8:00 a.m. for quick visits so they can see where their child learns daily.
The Spirit Shop will be set up in the lobby, and the Scholastic Book Fair will be in the Learning Commons if any of the grandparents would like to shop with the kids - great gift opportunities available in both places!
Please "like" the event on our FB page if you plan on attending, as it will help us to finalize our plans and volunteer needs!
If you do want to be on campus that morning, please volunteer on the Sign Up Genius here: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10c0b4daaaa2daaf85-volunteers
Dads' Club
Our Dads' Club is comprised of the hardest-working dads and step-dads and uncles and male role models we could ever find in the world! We are so blessed by each one of these men who work on numerous projects that benefit our Tigers!
For the past month (and more!), our dads have spent hundreds of hours building the most impressive parade float for the Grapevine Parade of Lights this past Thursday! It was an incredible feat of architecture and engineering, with an actual train that ran the entire parade! The kids are so proud of the float, as are all of the OCT staff and parents! Thank you, Dads for ALL you do! If you didn't have an opportunity to see it at the parade, please visit the OCT PTA or Dads' Club Facebook pages or Twitter to see pictures and videos!! THANK YOU, DADS' CLUB!
World Wear Donation Bin
FUN DAY PART 2
A HUGE Thank You to all the parents that helped out with Fun Day Part 2! We couldn't have done it without you. The kids LOVED the inflatables, especially human whack-a-mole. It was such a hit that it will definitely be back for our Spring Fling. Thanks for all you do to help support our amazing school!
Box Tops
Wow! We counted, bundled, and mailed off $564.30 of Box Tops! Combined with our earnings via the Box Top App, we have raised $630.60 in Box Tops this year. Currently, 4th grade is in the lead in our Racing to Recess Challenge. The winning class will receive an extra recess. Continue to send in those Box Tops still found on participating products. If you haven't already, be sure to download the Box Tops App so that you can scan your receipts and earn money for our school instantly!
AMAZON SMILE
Be sure to shop smileamazon.com so that .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 amazingly easy way to earn money for our school!! Remember, you must log on to smileamazon.com every time you shop Amazon to ensure that your purchases earn money for our school.
Tom Thumb Good Neighbor Program
You can now earn money for our school, simply by shopping for groceries at Tom Thumb! Designate O.C. Taylor PTA as your organization by completing a Reward Application at any courtesy booth. Fill in the top portion and the "Good Neighbor Program" section, indicating account number 8332 to link your grocery purchases to O.C. Taylor. If you already have a Rewards Card, simply stop by a courtesy desk to link our school to your existing account. Pharmacy, fuel, alcoholic beverages, and tobacco products do not count toward the purchase amount credited to the Good Neighbor Program accounts. 1% of all eligible purchases made at Tom Thumb will be given back to our school!
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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.