Cannon Connection
A newsletter for Cannon Elementary parents - 2017-2018
Week of October 16, 2017
Hi Cannon Parents!
One of the GCISD initiatives that our Cannon staff is working hard on this year is on implementing more opportunities for STUDENT VOICE. Throughout the year, our teachers will be intentionally looking for ways to provide students opportunities to express their opinions about how to make their learning better, or to choose assignments based upon how they best learn. Research supports that when students own their learning, they benefit by challenging themselves to reach new heights. Student Voice is powerful!
This year, I am forming a student advisory board called the Principal Panel as part of my own effort to encourage STUDENT VOICE. This will be open for 1st-5th graders only and TWO students per grade level will be selected. I plan to meet monthly with these students to hear their ideas on a variety of topics, listen to their questions, and ask for their opinions on issues, events, etc... here at Cannon!
The Adobe Spark video provided below will be shared with all 1st-5th grade Cubs this week, so that they can learn more about this year's Principal Panel. All interested students must complete an application, using the link provided below. Applications should be completed by students only and they are due by Friday, October 20th.
I'm really looking forward to these monthly meetings with students and hearing their VOICE! :) Thank you for talking with your children about this opportunity!
Click here for the Principal Panel student application.
Proud to be your principal,
Mrs. Blizzard
Mark Your Calendars.....
10/17 Vision & Hearing Screenings - 1st, 3rd, & 5th graders. (2nd & 4th only for new students)
10/18-10/20 5th graders go to Camp Sky Ranch!
10/23-10/27 Red Ribbon Week- see daily dress-up activities in this newsletter!
10/26 PTA Family Math Night - hosted by Mathnasium - 5:45-6:15
10/27 Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day - all students & staff!
SEEN @ CANNON LAST WEEK!
WatchDOGS Dad's Pizza Kickoff!
Connecting Construction To Learning in 4th Grade
Going On A Number Hunt!
Cannon Students Take Top Honors In Art Contest!
I hope many of our families were able to attend the Butterfly Flutterby at the Grapevine Botanical Gardens this weekend! As part of this fun event, GCISD students were encouraged to create artwork that depicts the migration of the monarch butterfly, in a creative way. We had SO many amazing entries!!
Congratulations to these Cannon students who received awards for their artwork:
Second Place Winner:
Graciela Curry - Kindergarten
Third Place Winners:
Santi Alvarado - 4th grade
Kat Jackson - 5th grade
Honorable Mention for Kindergarten
Lanayah Urena
Honorable Mention for 1st Grade
Johan D. Rodriguez
The grand prize winners and the first place winners will have their artwork showcased at the Grapevine Public Library. The second and third place winners will be showcased at the REC. This art will be on display for approximately 3 weeks, so be sure to get into the community to check it out!
VISION AND HEARING SCREENINGS THIS WEEK!
All Cannon students in Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grade will participate in vision and hearing screenings on Tuesday, October 17th at school. Students who are new to Cannon in grades 2nd & 4th will also participate in these screenings. If your child will be participating in these screenings, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD HAS THEIR GLASSES AT SCHOOL ON TUESDAY! Thank you!
Red Ribbon Week - October 23-27
Our school will be joining all the schools across the nation Oct. 23–27 in celebration of Red Ribbon Week! This special week is to remind everyone about the dangers of drug usage. The red ribbon is the symbol behind the nation’s fight against drugs.
On Monday, October 23rd , scholars will be making a promise to be drug free as they plant tulip bulbs outside in the front of the school. Red tulips blooming in the spring will serve as a beautiful reminder of the promises scholars made this week. We are also having a poster contest. Posters must be on 11 x 17 paper or poster board and should have a message about being drug free. The 1st place winners will go on to the district contest. GCISD is also sponsoring a Public Service Announcement (PSA) competition.
Please submit your PSA to amanda.coburn@gcisd.net and title it Red Ribbon PSA. All posters and Public Service Announcements must be turned in to your students’ classroom teacher or Mrs. Coburn by Monday, October 23 rd at 3pm. We want this week to be fun, educational, but most important; we want our students to know it is OK to Say No To Drugs! Please discuss each one of these areas with your family. Let’s do everything we can to make our community healthy, safe, and drug free.
See the image below for the Red Ribbon activities we will do each day. Encourage your child to dress up every day!
An Update for GCISD Bus Riders
In June 2017, Governor Abbott signed Senate Bill 693, which requires all buses model year 2018 or newer, to be equipped with three-point seat belts for each passenger. The buses will have 76 seat belts in instances where students can ride three to a row, but can be adapted to seat two per row. While the Bill was signed into law, and the district must comply, there was no additional state funding allocated for this requirement.
In the 2016 Bond, voters approved the purchase of seven new buses. Although seat belts were not included in the original proposal, the buses purchased with bond funds will be equipped with three-point seat belts. These purchases will be spread over a four-year period. The first two buses with seat belts were recently received into the GCISD fleet and will begin service immediately.
Since GCISD is a Robin Hood district and estimates the payment to the State this year will be $44 million, there is no funding to purchase additional buses beyond the seven approved in the 2016 Bond.
Student safety is the number one priority in GCISD and the transportation department practices bus safety on a daily basis with riders. These practices will continue on all buses, regardless of the inclusion of seat belts.
IT'S TIME FOR STORYBOOK PUMPKINS!
Please check out Mrs. Wagner's link below to get all of the details about this year's plan for Storybook Pumpkins! Each student who participates will be allowed to choose a FREE book to keep!
COMPUTER CLASSES & ENGLISH CLASSES FOR ADULTS OFFERED @ GMS
REFLECTIONS ART CONTEST SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE ON 11-1-17!
Art House studio is holding a Reflections workshop on Oct. 28, 2017 at 1:30-4:30pm.
It's $20/student, supplies are provided and students may choose from various art mediums (see attached flyer or website https://studioarthouse.com/our-classes/workshops/ for more info).
To sign up:
https://studioarthouse.com/event-registration/?ee=4581 or call 817-416-4278.
PTA QUICK PICKS!
This week's "quick picks" of reminders & information from PTA:
- Read-A-Thon Kick-off, Friday, October 27 - Students dress as your favorite Book Character to kick-off our Read-A-Thon fundraiser. Students will receive sponsors for their reading minutes. Read-A-Thon packet coming home soon.
- PTA Math Night - Thursday, October 26 at 6 pm. Mathnasium will play and teach our Cannon students and families math games. Come to learn ways to make math learning FUN at home.
- Burgers, Books & Boogie, November 10. Cannon PTA will sell In-N-Out Burger meals at $5 a meal (made fresh onsite.) Students will trade books in a book exchange then boogie at a school dance in the gym. Plan to attend this family fun event on November 10. More information coming soon.
Stay connected by following Cannon PTA on social media. Click here to "like" the PTA Facebook page. Follow them on Twitter @CannonPTA.
I want to make you aware of where you can see information and resources, specifically about the Cannon construction project. Also, check out the awesome exterior renderings of our new school below!!
Please reach out to me to let me know of any questions you may have about this project. This is a VERY exciting time for our Cannon school community and I want to make sure all of our Cannon families stay informed!
Click here to see project updates on all GCISD Bond programs
Click here to sign up for construction updates by email about the Cannon project!
STEM IN GCISD BLOG
This blog will have the most updated information about upcoming events specific to Cannon, GMS STEM, and the future STEM program at GHS.
Cannon Elementary: A GCISD STEM School
Email: tona.blizzard@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/1428
Location: 1300 W College St, Grapevine, TX, United States
Phone: 817-251-5680
Facebook: facebook.com/CannonSTEM
Twitter: @canSTEM