OCT Tiger Time News
News from the O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Pedevilla
February 17-21, 2020
(BE SURE AND SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS NEWSLETTER AND READ THE OCT PTA SECTION!)
Dear OCT Families,
THANK YOU for all of the Valentine goodies and treats this week! The O.C. Taylor staff definitely feel loved by you!
Children who are read to at least three times a week by a family member are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to children who are read to less than 3 times a week. Whether your child is very young or a preteen/teen, cultivating time with your child is critical to healthy development. Why not use that time to read!
I read to my boys into high school. It helped them to develop an interest in reading and allowed us to have time together. We still laugh today about some of the books I read over and over with them... Possum Come A Knockin' by Nancy Van Laan, Sheep in A Jeep by Nancy Shaw, and Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. Studies show, "The nurturing and one-on-one attention from parents during reading aloud encourages children to form a positive association with books and reading later in life." (Reach Out and Read, Archives of Disease in Childhood, Reading Aloud to Children: The Evidence, 2008.)
If you need assistance in finding good books, ask your teacher or Mrs. Bonacci! We are here to support you as you support your child.
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, February 17
Student Holiday - No School, Teacher Professional Learning Day
Tuesday, February 18
Interim Assessment - 5th Grade Math
Wednesday, February 19
Interim Assessment - 5th Grade Reading
2:55 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.Yearbook
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Student-Led Conferences Grades 3, 4, 5
Thursday, February 20
2:55 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Choir
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Student-Led Conferences Grades K, 1, 2
Friday, February 21
7:50 a.m. - Kinder Rodeo Parade
2:00 p.m. - Kinder Rodeo Day
3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Running Club
Monday, February 24
Tigers, wear your Tiger shirt and jeans today!
Interim Assessment - 3rd/4th Grade Math
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Carter Blood Drive
Tuesday, February 25
Interim Assessments - 3rd/4th grade Reading
Spring Individual/Group Pictures
Wednesday, February 26
2:55 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Yearbook
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. NEHS
Thursday, February 27
2:55 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Choir
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Game On - CMS South Gym
Friday, February 28
11:00 a.m. Dads' Club Golf Tournament
3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Running Club
7:30 p.m. Brahmas Hockey Game (OCT Choir Sings)
Saturday, February 29
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Leap Into Wellness
Monday, March 2
Read Across America - wear red, white with jeans or Dr. Seuss
Interim Assessment - 5th Grade Science
Tuesday, March 3
Tigers, wear your Tiger shirt and jeans today!
Wednesday, March 4
2:55 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Yearbook
Thursday, March 5
2:55 p.m. Choir
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Sky Ranch Meeting (Learning Commons)
6:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. 3rd Grade Wax Museum (Entire school is invited to attend.)
6:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Portrait of a Graduate
Friday, March 6
Monday, March 9 - 13
Spring Break
Monday, March 16
Tigers, wear your Tiger shirt and jeans today!
Tuesday, March 17
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Wear green!
Wednesday, March 18
3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. NEHS
Thursday, March 19
2:55 p.m. Choir
6:30 p.m. Choir Performance/PTA Meeting/Keno/Pizza Night
Friday, March 20
Crazy Socks Day for Down Syndrome
3:00 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Running Club
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Grade Level Newsletters
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Important Links
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OCT and GCISD Updates
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No School for Students Tomorrow
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Updates from Counseling and Guidance, Mrs. Whisman
SAVE THE DATE - May 1, 2020
Would you like to come to O.C. Taylor and share with our students about your CAREER? We'd love to have you! On May 1, 2020 we will be observing Career Day! If you are interested in presenting or have a connection to someone who would like to join us, please fill out this form.
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Updates from Learning Commons, Mrs. Bonacci
Hello O. C. Taylor Families!
The Learning Commons is humming with the sounds of engaged learners! We have so many wonderful options for our Tigers to explore. The Tiger Time Production Studio (green screen) provides students with the opportunity to create videos about topics they are studying and books they are reading. We appreciate all of the costumes and puppets you have donated! The 3D printers are being used to print things like cipher wheels, Mt. Rushmore, and even a tiny representation of the Alamo!
We need consumables such as markers, colored pencils, and glue sticks. Any crafty/creative items are greatly appreciated. Students of all ages love to use paper punches and fun foam.
Thank you for your continued support for our O. C. Taylor Tigers.
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Updates from our Nurse Katy
- Battle of the tabs: I want to continue collecting aluminum tabs for the Ronald McDonald House of Fort Worth. Collecting tabs is a great way for all of us to really make a difference in the lives of families and children in need. The Battle of the Tabs is a competition between schools to see who can donate the most pounds of pop tabs to RMHFW. The winner will be announced on Earth Day, April 22, 2020. Please save all of your aluminum tabs and have your student bring them to school. I will have labeled jars for collection.
- Lions Recycle for Sight: If you have any old glasses or sunglasses, please consider donating them. The Lions Club cleans them and sorts them by prescription and then gets them to people who need them around the world! There is a donation box located in the front office.
- Donations: If you are doing Spring cleaning or shopping, I am needing a few items in the clinic. Size 4T, 5T, and 6 boys underwear. All sizes in girls shorts/pants/leggings. Thank you SO much for your help! :)
- Re-screens: I am still working on re-screening any students who failed their vision and/or hearing tests. If you see envelopes in your student's folders or backpacks, these are the referral letters. These letters need to be taken with you to the appointment, signed by the appropriate physician, and then returned to me for my records.
- 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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Important Information Regarding GCISD Elementary Student Issued Devices
Parents, please take a moment to review your child's GCISD issued device. From time to time the device may have damage or other issues that have not been addressed.
For Elementary iPads
If the screen has any cracks please ensure that the iPads are turned in for repair. To report issues or repairs, have your child enter a Helpdesk ticket through the Classlink icon on their iPad. If you have any problems, please have them notify their teacher.
Also, while looking at the iPad, please review the current operating system level by following these steps below. It is important that the iPad is on the latest software level for important updates. iPads might not receive the auto-update command so we need to manually check the device.
To update your iPad use the following steps:
1. Tap on Settings
2. Tap on General
3. Tap on Software Update
Depending on how old the operating system is, this can take several minutes. The iPad will restart itself when finished. If your battery is less than 75%, plugin during this process.
If your iPad fails to update because there's not enough space available:
1. Delete or back up photos and videos. These can be backed up to your Google Drive or iCloud.
2. Remove unused apps. This ability has been restored for students.
Important Information Regarding GCISD 5-12 Student Issued Devices
Parents, please take a moment to review your child's GCISD issued device. From time to time the device may have damage or other issues in which they have not turned in to be addressed. Look for cracked screens or missing keys. If you notice any damage, have your student enter a Helpdesk ticket via classlink so the device can be repaired.
Also, take the time to have your students completely restart their device by shutting it down and then turning back on. Doing this helps the system receive needed updates.
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Spring Interim Assessment Window February 18 - March 6
February 18- March 6
English I
English II
Grades 3-8 Math and Reading
Algebra I
Bio, Grade 5/8 Science - OPTIONAL
US HISTORY, Grade 8 Social Studies - OPTIONAL
During the window, February 18- March 6, all district-issued student CHROMEBOOKS (grades 5-8) will be placed in KIOSK mode for test security purposes. To exit KIOSK mode, students will need to hold down the CTRL-ALT-S key combination.
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Yearbooks Sold Only Online This Year
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Doodle 4 Google 2020
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O.C. Taylor Staff Shout-Outs
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Take Care of Texas Art Contest, by March 6th
2020 Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest (Elementary Only)
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and Texas Chemical Council are excited to kick off the 2020 Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest. Sixteen students—and one lucky teacher—will win a tablet or laptop! Prizes are provided by Texas Chemical Council.
To enter, K-5th grade students should create a unique piece of artwork portraying the positive ways people can Take Care of Texas by keeping the air and water clean, conserving water and energy, and reducing waste. You can see the winning artwork from previous years.
All entries must be postmarked on or before March 6, 2020 to be eligible. Please read our contest rules and complete the entry form to return with the artwork. Winners will be announced on April 15, 2020.
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Math Telescoping Exams (Elementary and Middle School)
Testing opportunities for telescoping in math for the 2020-2021 school year are available in the spring and summer for GCISD students who are completing Grades K - 7.
The Math Telescoping Information Packet will be available on the district website under the For Parents and Students Directory by selecting the link for Acceleration Exams, Math Telescoping, Grades K - 7.
Parents will find information about the requirements to qualify for Math Telescoping and instructions about the TWO STEP Online Registration Process. There will be links to print the Information Packet, begin the TWO STEP Online Registration Process to register for the spring exams, view the TEKS on the TEA website, and download Study Guides for the exams purchased from UT-Austin.
The online registration form will go live on February 14th for the April 18th test administration.
The online registration form will go live on May 4th for the June 17th test administration.
The exam dates and registration deadlines for each exam date are listed below:
Spring Exam Date: Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 9:00 am | Colleyville Middle School
Online Registration Opens – Spring Exam Date: February 14, 2020
Online Registration Deadline – Spring Exam Date: March 2, 2020
The online registration form will not be available on March 3, 2020
Exam Fee Payment Deadline – Spring Exam Date: March 3, 2020
Summer Exam Date: Wednesday, June 17, 2020 at 9:00 am | Colleyville Middle School
Online Registration Opens – Summer Exam Date: May 4, 2020
Online Registration Closes – Summer Exam Date: May 18, 2020
The online registration form will not be available on May 19, 2020
Exam Fee Payment Deadline – Summer Exam Date: May 19, 2020
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LEAP into Wellness, Feb. 29
Join us for a Safety, Health and Wellness Conference geared towards students of all ages and families on February 29. Please view the flyer for more information.
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Rock Your Socks Day, Celebrated at OCT on 3/20
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GCISD Walk of Honor, by Apr. 30
The GCISD Walk of Honor seeks to identify and recognize individuals who have become an important part of the GCISD story. Anyone may complete a nomination form and submit the required documents to the Walk of Honor Selection Committee. Each fall, new honorees are honored at a recognition event, and a permanent display of all honorees is housed at Mustang Panther Stadium in the Walk of Honor area. Nominations for next year’s class of honorees are now being accepted. The deadline to submit a nomination for consideration is April 30, 2020. Please visit the Nominate page for details.
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GET TO KNOW THE O.C. TAYLOR STAFF
OCT 2nd Grade Team
Mrs. Kim Knudson
Mrs. Knudson's greatest strength as a teacher is building relationships and communicating with her students and their families. She says, "When everyone is working together towards the same goal(s) we are unstoppable!"
She was awarded Teacher of the Year in 2013 by her O.C. Taylor peers. She has received dozens and dozens of DIY Best Teacher Ever Awards, one World's Okayest Mom Award, and voted Most Natural in High School (She is still not quite sure what that means.) I think it means she is wonderful!
She met her husband, Kyle, on a blind date, and they have been married for 20 years. They have two boys, Cade is a senior and Campbell is a freshman, both at CHHS. They also have two fur babies, Duke and Tucker.
She loves to eat Mexican food. Her last dying meal would be cheese enchiladas, rice & beans, chips & salsa. She said she'll need XL stretchy pants. She listens to The Ticket or KSCS on the radio. If she were a cookie, she said, "I would be Monster- it has a little bit of everything in it. It's a little bit salty and a little bit sweet, just like me. ;)" Her favorite color is Aqua because it is calming.
Her advice to parents is to have dinner with your children, at the table without devices, at least three times a week. She says, "Ask them questions and really listen to their answers, talk with them, not at them. Save discipline for other times, this is time to connect as a family. Practice making eye contact and saying hello to others, it is hugely important! Finally, tell your child no. Make them follow directions and follow through with consequences." Mrs. Knudson, I could not agree more!
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United States 2020 Census
The 2020 Census is closer than you think! The census counts every person living in the U.S. once, only once and in the right place. It's mandated by the U.S. Constitution in Article 1, Section 2: The U.S. has counted its population every 10 years since 1790. For more information and how to complete the census, visit 2020census.gov.
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School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
We think your kids are..... G-G-G-G-reat!
Grace Food Drive - Second Graders!
CALLING ALL SECOND GRADERS…
DO YOU WANT EXTRA RECESS?
FEBRUARY is your month SECOND GRADE
ITEMS IN NEED: MAC-n-CHEESE
GRACE is in need of some good ole Mac-n-Cheese. As soon as these boxes hit the shelves, it is gone. Collection baskets will be outside the 2nd Grade Classrooms and will stay there until the end of February! The next time you are in the grocery store, please consider supporting your community by picking up a box of Macaroni and Cheese. Thank you in advance for your support.
Dads' Club Golf Tournament February 28th!
Registration is open - $400 per foursome or $100 for individual player.
Holes are available to purchase for sponsorship! For more information, please contact Brad Haga, Dads' Club Golf Tournament Chair at brad.carlton.haga@gmail.com.
Registration includes cart rental, lunch, dinner, raffle tickets. Signup link here.
Game On - Thursday February 27th
Game On is Thursday, February 27th from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. in the CMS South Gym! This is such a fun event! Purchase your child’s spot to play in the Second Chance Auction. Students in PreK through 2nd grade will play fun games of Trash Your Neighbor's Yard, and the 3rd through 5th graders will face off in games of Newcomb! Do you have a 6th-8th grade student who wants to come back and challenge their favorite OCT teacher?!?! Purchase a spot for them in the alumni game! We hope to see you there.
Thank You for Showing the Love!
Thank you to every single person who helped to show our OCT team the love during our Show the Love Staff Appreciation Event! There were so many delectable desserts and beautiful fruit trays and beverage choices, and we appreciate every single one of you who baked and picked up and delivered delicious dishes to make this day such a treat!
Thank you first to Juanita Priesand, Staff Appreciation Chair who organized this beautiful event!
And thank you to a special group of ladies - Tamaron Hunt, Liz Payne, Misty Albright and Brandy Olsen!Thank you to our OCT staff for all of the love you give our Tigers every day!
PTA News!
* The O.C. Taylor PTA is only 23 members away from receiving another PTA Membership award! So if you feel so inclined, and you have not yet joined PTA, or if your parents or another relative or friend would like to support our PTA, please let them know that they can still join! Contact Liz Payne, VP of Membership, for more details! scottlizpayne@yahoo.com
*It is almost time to select next year's PTA Officers and then the Executive Board Members as well. Interest Forms will go home next week. If you are interested, please fill out a form and let us know where you would like to serve! We would love to have you on our PTA team!
Thank you!
Box Tops
It's a new semester, so we're starting a new Racing to Recess Challenge. New collection bags will be sent home this week. Keep clipping those Box Tops when you see them. 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! We're only a little more than $250 away from raising $1000 in Box Tops this year!!
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 or Albertson's! 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 & Albertson's will be given back to our school! So far this year we've raised over $70 for our school just by shopping for groceries!
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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.