Tiger Time News
News from the O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young
Young@Heart, August 9, 2017
Dear O.C. Taylor Parents,
Hello!!! We miss all of our little Tigers! We hope this newsletter finds you relaxing and soaking up this Texas sun! I am thrilled for the short respite from 100 degree temperatures.
Our wonderful PTA and OCT are working together to streamline communication. We are going to try and combine into one newsletter. Please see the bottom of each Tiger Time News for OCT PTA Updates each week. Thank you to our PTA President, Elissa Rinon, and our President Elect, Kristin McElroy, for working to improve your parent experience!
Preparing for Your Return
Our administrative team, teachers, and office staff are anxiously awaiting your return to OCT! See below for the Carpool Karaoke Video we prepared for you all!
First Day Surprise: Our Future's So Bright, We Gotta Wear Shades!
We have a rare event we will be observing the first day back to school: a solar eclipse! We have many activities planned. Thank you to our generous PTA for purchasing solar glasses for each and every OCT student to use to observe this occurrence.
Creekside Subdivision New to O.C. Taylor Zone
Over the last several months, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD has reviewed demographic information and student enrollment projections for several campuses that have a potential area of growth. Those campuses are Heritage Elementary and Grapevine Elementary. The district has evaluated several options to determine the best way to distribute student growth while minimizing the impact it may have on the community.
GCISD Trustees voted to change the elementary attendance zone for Creekside at Colleyville from Heritage Elementary School to O.C. Taylor Elementary School. Any student that attended Heritage Elementary School at any point during the 2016-2017 school year, as well as their siblings, may choose to stay at Heritage Elementary or may transfer to O.C. Taylor Elementary. Additionally, families that have already registered for the 2017-2018 year, and families that have a contract on a Creekside at Colleyville residence and will attend in 2017-2018 may attend Heritage Elementary School.
We are providing this information to you in case you have friends that are looking to move to Creekside and are wondering if they will be attending O.C. Taylor. We are so excited to welcome new families to the Tiger family over the next several years as the Creekside at Colleyville development is built. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Student Class Assignments for 2017-18
We have been working diligently on class assignments for next year. Our staff met in our Professional Learning Communities to discuss. The classroom teachers, OCT administration, counselor and special teachers reviewed these recommendations, made additional suggestions to accommodate, for example, para-professional support, and then the final approval rests with the principal and assistant principal. As we did last school year, in August before Meet the Teacher, our teachers will be calling home to let your child know he or she will be your child's teacher. Make sure the front office has a good phone number to reach you on Thursday, August 17.
Personnel Departures
This year we have two teachers leaving O.C. Taylor, Mrs. Visser our literacy interventionist and Mrs. Burns, a 2nd grade teacher. Mrs. Visser is excited about growing as an educator and about teaching 7th grade Language Arts at CMS. Mrs. Burns new teaching assignment is literacy interventionist at Dove Elementary; she will have the opportunity to put her soon-to-be master's degree of reading to good use! We will miss these ladies!
Staff Changes
Given Mrs. Visser transferring and our projected enrollment for 2017-18, we had to make some changes to the existing personnel. Ms. Griffith will move from teaching special education to serving as our literacy interventionist. Due to a projected lower enrollment in 1st grade, Ms. Read will move to teach 2nd grade. Due to an increased enrollment in PreK and 5th grade, we will be adding staff. Ms. Hayley Smetana, who currently teaches PreK at Bear Creek Elementary, will be partnering with Mrs. Potter to teach our littlest Tigers in PreK. Ms. Morgan Epperson from Katy ISD will be teaching Math/Science in 5th grade. Welcome back to Mrs. Liz Campbell who is coming back to OCT to teach special education again; she will take Ms. Griffith's place. Our new 2nd grade teacher is a transfer from Glenhope Elementary, Mrs. Julie Lee.
With all this, it should be noted that there is a possibility of additional changes as unforeseen events can occur.
We will be sending out more information closer to school starting. We thought all of you planners out there would appreciate a jump start. I can't wait to see you all!!!!
To the B.E.S.T. (Building Excellent Schools Together) of days,
Principal Young
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 #theoctway.
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.
We miss you! See the Carpool Karaoke Video!
Back To School Events
Thursday, August 17
5:00-6:00 p.m. Meet the Teacher
Friday, August 18
Monday, August 21
7:40 a.m. First Day of School
7:40 a.m. BooHoo/ Yahoo Breakfast in the Learning Commons
Tuesday, August 22
8:30 Fire Drill
Wednesday, August 23
5:00-6:30 PreK Curriculum Night start in the Learning Commons
5:00-6:30 Kinder and 1st Grade Curriculum Night start in the Cafeteria
Thursday, August 24
4:00-6:00 p.m. PTA Back-to-School Social at SkateTown
Friday, August 25
2:30 p.m. Evacuation Drill
Monday, August 28
8:30 Severe Weather Drill
Tuesday, August 29
Wednesday, August 30
5:00-6:30 p.m. 2nd and 3rd Grades, Curriculum Night, start in the Cafeteria
Thursday, August 31
8:30 Lockdown Drill
5:00-6:30 p.m. 4th and 5th Grades, Curriculum Night, start in the Cafeteria
Friday, September 1
Monday, September 4
LABOR DAY... NO SCHOOL
OCT Summer and Back-to-School Updates
Registration for 2017-18 School Year
Returning students will NOT be required to return in August to provide Proof of Residency, for the 2017-2018 school year, unless they have moved since August 2016 or are on an Affidavit of Residence.
Online registration WILL be required for ALL returning students. Registration for ALL returning students will be available through Skyward Family Access beginning July 18, 2017. ALL returning students MUST register online before they will be placed on a class list in August.
Students that have moved since August 2016 (and are still in the O.C.T. attendance zone) MUST come to the school office to provide proof of residency.
Complimentary Coffee 1st Day of School
GCISD DISTRICT FLYERS & INFORMATION
The New Confidential Student Report (CSR)
The Texas Education Agency publishes STAAR® report cards for all students every year. To improve communication and transparency with educators and families, TEA has redesigned the Confidential Student Report (CSR). The goal of the redesigned CSR is to create a family-friendly report on student progress, specifically highlighting growth and improvement as much as proficiency. The new CSR features:
- Growth and progress information
- A summer reading list
- Lexile levels and trend data
- New performance level descriptors
- Resources and suggestions for parents to use at home
- Suggested questions for parents to ask teachers and counselors
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-k12.org
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. 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!
Welcome back!
Welcome to the start of another O.C. Taylor Elementary school year! We hope the summer break was fun and relaxing for all of our families. We hope that you will consider becoming an active participant in our school’s Parent Teacher Association. The parents at O.C. Taylor have a tradition of being highly involved in supporting the needs of our school. No matter what your talents or interests may be, we have an opportunity for you to make a positive impact on the educational experience of our children.
We look forward to meeting you and sharing all that the O.C. Taylor PTA offers at Meet the Teacher night.
Elissa Rinon
President
Kristin McElroy
President Elect
School Supplies and Classroom Dues
The PTA will be at O.C. Taylor on the day of "Meet the Teacher" selling school supplies and collecting classroom and PTA dues and fees:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 17th - 4:00 pm to 6:00pm
In the Cafeteria
Check or Credit Card only
SUPPLY PACKS:
Kindergarten = $43
1st Grade = $45
2nd Grade = $38
3rd Grade = $37
4th Grade = $48
5th Grade = $49
PLANNERS (3rd, 4th & 5th Grade) = $5
CLASSROOM T-SHIRTS
PreK - 4th Grade = $6
5th Grade = $7 (includes 5th Roster on back)
Available sizes: YS, YM, YL, AS, AM
HOMEROOM FEE (PreK - 5th Grade) = $10
PTA DUES = $7.50 per membership (each membership receives an access to the online class directory)
To save time, please print, fill out THIS SUPPLY FORM, and bring with you to Meet the Teacher night on August 17.