Tiger Time News
News from the O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young
Young@Heart, March 5, 2017
Click here to see the digital version of Tiger Time News.
What a fun and exciting week we have before Spring Break. We have our Portrait Of A Graduate Community Showcase/Open House this coming Thursday evening. Then, on Friday we have our school-wide Boosterthon Fun Run! We hope you will attend both of these memorable events! Remember... elementary school is fleeting. In a few short years, your kids will be entering middle school. Enjoy each day; you will miss them.
I had some excellent questions this week about our Vision Committee and O.C. Taylor focus. I thought I would share the Q & A with you as well. Let's keep having important dialogue like this about our school:
1) Is this a district "rule" that elementary schools have a focus or is it something we are doing based on the survey results?
Having a campus focus is not a district rule. In the district Thought Exchange Survey, a parent shared the following: “Campus specialization. Many campuses have a specialty (STEM, Dual Language, ASPIRE). OC Taylor does not. Does the strategic plan include ideas for other campuses? Parent/Guardian” As the principal, I have had many parents ask me this question. Based on this data, I am facilitating an OCT Vision Committee to study what our vision is for the future of OCT. Once we know what our vision and mission are, we can more clearly articulate a plan for reaching those. Our plan may or may not have a specific “focus.” The committee will determine those specifics. I welcome as many people as possible to participate in these meetings. We do not want to fall behind other schools, but we don’t want to run ahead without a careful and thoughtful plan based on data and community input. Also, OCT student enrollment has seen a steady decline. Many of our students zoned to OCT now attend a school in GCISD with a focus or specialty. Losing students at our school negatively impacts many facets of our organization, and we would like to mitigate this.
2) Without knowing what the focus is it may be hard to answer this question, but how does the focus area play into lesson planning and class delivery?
All schools in the state of Texas have a required set of standards we must teach; these can be found online and are titled Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS): http://tea.texas.gov/index2.aspx?id=6148. All GCISD schools follow these standards and teach these concepts and skills. Schools with a specific “focus” usually embed strategies into the current required standards.
3) What if the focus area is something my kid just isn't interested in? Does that mean I may have to switch to another elementary school?
If the Vision Committee and OCT community decide upon a focus, we hope and desire all students would give it a chance. However, once the child has experienced some of the focus and still is not happy or not interested in OCT, the parents may apply for a transfer to another elementary campus. The teachers and administration want each child to enjoy coming to school. We want them to be engaged in the learning process. For these reasons stated, we are exploring ways to increase student engagement.
As always, my office door and email inbox are open. Let me know what your little Tiger needs!
To the greatest 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
Monday, March 6
8:15 PTA Executive Board Meeting;
8:30 - 9:00; 10:00 - 10:30; 5:00 - 5:30; Pre-K Tours (Tell your friends to come see our Pre-K.)
3:00 - 4:00 Chess Club (B7)
Tuesday, March 7
12:30 - 1:00; 2:00 - 2:30 Pre-K Tours (Tell your friends to come see our Pre-K program.)
Wednesday, March 8
2nd Grade Field Trip (Dallas World Aquarium)
2:55 - 3:40 TTT
3:00 - 3:55 Yearbook (Group B)
Thursday, March 9
2:55 - 4:00 Choir
5:30 - 6:30 4th Grade Sky Ranch Meeting (Learning Commons)
5:45 - 6:30 Social time in the front of the school... come visit with your friends, eat (we have a food truck coming), and socialize with the OCT community and your friends.
6:30 - 7:30 Portrait of a Graduate Showcase/Open House
Friday, March 10
Boosterthon Fun Run!! Parents, come support your child and cheer them on!
4th Grade Puberty Film (Girls)
3:10 - 4:00 Running Club
Monday, March 13-17
Spring Break! No school for kids or staff. Enjoy!
O.C Taylor Fun Run!!!
Parents! This year's second main fundraiser is the O.C. Taylor Fun Run! Please click here and watch this video. It’s a 9-day program that kicked off with a Pep Rally on March 1st. Then, families have time to get pledges for every lap your student runs (30-35 laps), and we’ll celebrate at the Fun Run on March 10th. With our big goal to raise funds, we asked the Fun Run experts at Boosterthon to power our Fun Run and make it more profitable, easier, and fun.
Students will also experience an amazing character theme, BACKYARD BOX OFFICE! It’s a movie theme all about making a difference by getting into character. Our students will learn from five REAL kid difference-makers. From inventors to world-class speakers, to business owners, to world-record holders, these five kids will inspire our students to practice the five “Character Acts” and make a difference in our community.
Donations will go towards purchasing OCT new recording and green screen equipment and to the entire 9-day experience! So please help our school by reaching out to sponsors. Also, all families are invited to come out and cheer on your student at the Fun Run! Thank you for your support!
OCT Teacher of the Year and Paraprofessional of the Year
The teacher runner-ups include Kindergarten teacher, Sara Bahou, and 2nd-grade teacher, Laree Archer. Our paraprofessional runner-ups include PALS aide, Cindi WIlliams, and PPCD aide, Amy Richardson. Congratulations to all of you for being selected by your colleagues and friends! Way to go!
Photo below from L-R:
Lisa Young, Principal,
Samantha MacFadden (Coach Mac), Paraprofessional of the Year,
Kathy Griffin, Teacher of the Year, Gifted-Talented teacher,
Jennifer Putman, Assistant Principal
Come Visit OCT Pre-K!
Monday, March 6 at
- 8:30 - 9:00;
- 10:00 - 10:30; or
- 5:00 - 5:30.
- 12:30 - 1:00; or
- 2:00 - 2:30.
Portrait Of A Graduate Showcase/Open House
Thursday, Mar 9, 2017, 06:30 PM
O C Taylor Elementary School, Pool Road, Colleyville, TX, United States
O. C. Taylor is Open! Come on in and visit!
We would love for you to see all of the great things happening at O.C. Taylor. Visit your child’s classroom and the following grade levels to see how they exemplify GCISD’s Portrait of a Graduate.
Pre-K - Dr. Seuss celebration
K - Texas Celebration
1st - Chatterpix / Research Showcasing Inventors
2nd - Mini-Breakout EDU
3rd - Wax Museum from 6:40-7:10 in the cafeteria and gym
4th - Sky Ranch Preview
5th - 6:30 Live version of Taylor Tiger News in each classroom on the big screens
Photo Booth
Visit our #theOCTway photo booth in the upper-grade Science Lab.
Specials Teachers
Visit with our Specials teachers by the gym.
Green Screen Room
Experience our Green Screen Room and take a look at our set-up.
Virtual Reality Goggles
Stop by the Learning Commons to try out our Virtual Reality Goggles.
Parent Pride
Take a sticky and show your parent pride on our posters located in the front.
Boosterthon Table
Stop by the Boosterthon table and make your last donation.
Art Room
Check out our awesome artwork in the hallway and draw a “selfie.”
Music
Stop by and scan the Music QR code to sing our school song.
Astronomy
Take a look through the telescope out front and see some cool moon craters.
Food Truck
Enjoy some food while visiting with others out front (5:45 p.m.-7:30 p.m.) provided by the Lean Machine.
School Breakfast Week
Chipotle OCT Fundraiser Night
We invite you and your family to come to Chipotle in Euless off of 121 and Glade for dinner on Tues., March 21. 50% of the profits will come back to O. C. Taylor. That is right.... 50%! The funds we get from Chipotle will go toward purchasing updated technical equipment in our much used and popular green screen room.
Tuesday, Mar 21, 2017, 05:00 PM
Shops at Vineyard Village, 3010 TX-121 #800, Euless, TX 76039
OCT March Updates
A Note from Our Assistant Principal, Mrs. Putman
A Note From Our Librarian, Mrs. Bonacci
Would you like FREE audio books for your family?
Studies show the importance of building vocabulary to improve reading proficiency and student achievement. In fact the root cause of reading problems is a lack of vocabulary. Students who are read to for five minutes each day add approximately 282,000 words to their vocabulary per year. Compare this to the 1,800,000 words per year that students are exposed to when they are read to for 20 minutes every day and you can see the obvious advantage these students have over their peers!
Audiobooks are a great way students can increase their vocabulary. Click here to learn how you and your family can access free audiobooks.
A Note From Our Music Teacher, Mrs. Vencil
The days are flying by as we continue learning and making beautiful music in the OCT music room. Parents - please mark your calendars for our upcoming music events and programs.
Sunday, March 5 at 4 p.m.: The Taylor Tiger Choir will sing the national anthem at the Lone Star Brahmas hockey game. Choir students and families can order tickets from Mrs. Vencill. Anyone else interested in attending this fun event can email splourde@nytexsports.com for tickets.
Thursday, March 23 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.: Our 1st grade students will perform in our Music In Our Schools Month program. These students will sing, dance and play instruments to highlight the importance of music in our public schools. *1st grade students are expected to participate in BOTH performances!
Thursday, March 30 at 6:30 p.m.: The Taylor Tiger Choir will perform several toe-tapping, sing along songs at the beginning of our PTA Spaghetti Dinner in the OCT cafeteria. Look for Spaghetti Dinner order forms to go home in your student's Monday folder soon! The Taylor Tiger Choir will perform the same songs for our OCT students and staff Friday, April 7 at 2 p.m.
**Save the date for our 2nd Grade Festival of Friends program Thursday, May 4 at 8 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. and Fifth Grade Rocks Thursday, May 18 at 8:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.!!
Please feel free to call or send an email if your have any questions about the fun happening in the OCT music room!
A Note From Our P.E. Coaches, Coach Mester and Coach Mac
A Note From Our Art Teacher, Mrs. Morgan
During the month of March and April we will be exploring 3D sculptures and fiber arts, like weaving.
Kindergarten will be creating painted paper and then use it to explore weaving.
First grade will be discussing and learning different types of textures and create a texture print using paint.
Second grade will be exploring fiber art and use their knowledge to create a radial weave using a paper plate.
Third grade will be learning about different types of masks and how they relate to cultures around the world. Then they will use their knowledge to create their own.
Fourth grade will be learning about different types of sculptures and create a figure using a variety of materials like foil, tape and newspaper.
Fifth grade will be learning about 3-dimensional paper sculptures and will create an interlocking paper sculpture.
A Note From Our Gifted-Talented Teacher, Mrs. Griffin
A Note From Our Counselor, Mrs. Whisman
Technology Tip for Week of February 19: Safe Searches
GCISD DISTRICT FLYERS & INFORMATION
Special Programs Lottery Deadline: Friday March 10, 2017
Online applications to GCISD special programs are due Friday, March 10, 2017. All students who desire to newly enroll in Tuition-Based Pre-K, Dual Language, or STEM programs must complete a lottery application. Current 5th and 8th grade STEM students who desire to continue in the STEM program in the 2017-18 school year must complete a lottery application.
Submit an online lottery application here: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Page/46477
If more applications are submitted than the maximum number of students each campus may accept, then a lottery will be conducted on Friday, March 31, and streamed live on the district’s website.
Interested students must be residents of GCISD, or residents of the cities of Grapevine or Colleyville who are zoned to other districts. Every student who desires to be part of a special program must complete a lottery application.
For more information, please visit our website. http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Page/46220
Transfer Process
On Monday, January 23, Trustees approved changes to local board policies that impact the GCISD student transfer process for residents and nonresidents. In previous years, families interested in applying for a transfer were admitted based on the order in which the application was received and if they met specific board criteria for the transfer. During the week of April 24, GCISD will livestream the lottery on the district website. There will be a delay in an official notification, but families can check their lottery number to see if it was pulled for a more efficient notification. Once a specific date and time for the lottery has been determined, that information will be shared on the district website and in the district's e-newsletter, The LEADer. It is important to note this lottery is separate from the special programs lottery for one of the district's special programs located at a designated campus.
Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, families that reside within GCISD boundaries or live in the cities of Colleyville and Grapevine but are zoned for another school district, may apply for the transfer lottery.
"By moving to a lottery system, we are making the process more equitable for families that wish to have their student transfer to another campus," said Deputy Superintendent Dr. Rick Westfall. "Our goal with this adjustment to the transfer process is to create a system that simplifies the process for our families and removes the ambiguity from the transfer process."
From March 20 - April 21, families may submit their transfer application for the lottery. While the district will accept all transfer applications, students will only be granted transfers to campuses and grade-levels that can accept more students without going over capacity. Decisions about capacity will be made later in the semester and throughout summer depending on student registration and enrollment projections. In order to apply for the lottery, the student requesting the transfer must meet the following criteria:
Another benefit to the newly revised policies is that nonresident transfers no longer have to reapply every school year. Instead, both residents and nonresidents will only need to reapply when they are changing a level (i.e. from elementary to middle school or middle school to high school).
For more information about the GCISD transfer lottery, please visit the district website.
Nominate Student Hero!
Click here to read more and access nomination forms.
GCISD Pre-Kindergarten Registration 2017-18, April 17-21 (Late hours on April 18)
You are invited to GCISD Pre-K Registration for the 2017-18 school year on April 17- 21 from 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. or on April 18 (late hours) 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Language Assessment Center
3050 Timberline Drive
Grapevine, TX 76051
817-251-5231
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
GCISD Reads District-wide Program
https://www.smore.com/cyf5c-gcisd-reads
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
O.C. Taylor PTA Website
PTA Website: Please visit the PTA website – www.octaylorpta.com.