Dolphin Tales
A Newsletter for Dove Elementary Families
December 4-December 8, 2017
A Note from the principal...
Happy December! The holiday season is upon us, and we are hard at work finishing out this semester with rigorous and engaging learning experiences and opportunities for our students to explore their interests in a variety of activities! Our extracurricular clubs like the Christmas Cooking club and Dove Dynamic Drummers, and Winter Choir are just a few of the reasons that make me so proud to be a Dove Dolphin! I hope to see you at our Winter Choir and Dove Dynamic Drummers concert at Grapevine High School this Tuesday evening, and be sure to cheer for our float as we travel down Main St. in the Grapevine Parade of Lights on Thursday evening!
Proud to be your principal,
Heather Landrum
@DES_Landrum
Proud to be IB!
As part of International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) our 5th grade students in their final year at Dove will carry out an extended, in-depth, collaborative project known as the PYP exhibition. This involves students working collaboratively to conduct an inquiry into real life issues or problems. In preparation for exhibition our students are taking on the role of co-designers along with their teachers in the unit of inquiry on Who We Are. To launch this unit each class had a debate over the statement “Change is always good” and came up with examples to support their stance.
Students then explored upcoming standards in the curriculum such as the Declaration of Independence, Boston Tea Party, Articles of Confederation, plant and animal adaptation, survival within the environment, inherited and learned traits, etc. and rather than the teachers telling students the big concepts, they facilitated and guided students to come up with the concepts of function, change, and causation. Listen for evidence of your student talking about transformation over time and how that connects to Who We Are.
Toy Drive at Dove
Dove Elementary’s KC Club is hosting a toy drive for the GRACE Christmas Cottage!
If you would like to participate by donating a new and unwrapped toy, please bring your gift to school anytime through Friday, December 15th.
The Book Fair is Coming to Dove!
Our Winter book fair will be held Monday, December 11 through Friday, December 15. It will also be open during Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 16. Volunteering at the book fair is a great way to get involved at the school. Volunteers will be needed on Thursday, December 7 to help set up the fair and throughout the following week. Use this link to sign up to volunteer!
We also have an easy way to buy Christmas gifts for teachers! We will be selling gift certificates in any amount before and during the book fair (exact change or a check made out to Dove will be accepted for gift certificates). Teachers can use the certificates to purchase books during the book fair. Students who purchase a gift certificate will be entered in a grade level drawing for a free poster! The drawing will take place on Monday, December 18.
From Ms. Diggs, Dove Librarian
The GCISD Reads initiative is designed to build a love of reading in students - encouraging them to read a large quantity and a wide variety of books. Students have a choice of the challenge they wish to complete. Students can participate in one of the following challenges:
- 1,500 pages (K-2)
- 2,500 pages (3-5)
- 100 Book Challenge (K-2)
- 25 Book Challenge (3-5; books should be at least 100 pages)
- Genre Challenge (1-5)
First through fifth grade students also received a Six Flags 6 Hour Reading form in Monday folders last week (Kindergarten is documenting for students in the classroom). Students just need to document 6 hours of reading outside of school in order to earn a free ticket to Six Flags! Outside reading done for GCISD Reads will also count for this. This form is due to teachers by Friday, February 9, 2018.
Technology over the Holidays
Volunteers Needed!
Lost & Found
Please bring your ID!
From Dove PTA
Talent Show
Dove Apple Tree
District Information
Parade of Lights
Play it Safe
GCISD offers the "Play It Safe" program for all students in grades K-5. The GCISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC is a volunteer council comprised of parents and community members that reflect the values of the district and community) has previewed and recommended these programs for all GCISD elementary schools. The curriculum and presentations are aligned with district philosophy. This program is a personal safety program and does not address human sexuality. Play It Safe is a child abuse prevention and awareness program that incorporates individual grade level, age-appropriate scripts and movies to teach children how to reduce the risk of sexual and physical abuse, and sexual assault. It teaches them to recognize potentially abusive behavior, provides the tools to respond to threatening situations, and encourages them to report abuse to a trusted adult.
Parents have the option to request that their student not participate in the above program(s). The form for non-participation is located on the GCISD website:
http://www.gcisd-kl2.org, Departments, Health and Physical Education, Nonparticipation forms.
A parent preview of the program will be held on Tuesday, January 16th, at 10:00 am or 6:00 pm at the GCISD Administration Building - Board Room, 3051 Ira E. Woods Ave., Grapevine, Texas 76051
If you are unable to attend the parent preview, but wish to view the material, please contact The Women's Center of Tarrant County, Inc. at 817-927-4040 and ask for the Play It Safe department. They will schedule a time for you to go to their center and view the videos.
2018-2019 School Calendar Approved
SHAC
Grapevine: A Visual Journey Through A Beloved Texas Town
Upcoming Events
December 5-
- DDD and Dove Choir Concert at GHS- 7pm
- 2nd grade field trip to Nash Farms
December 6- Christmas Cooking Club
December 7- Grapevine Christmas Parade
December 11-16- Book Fair at Dove!
December 13- Christmas Cooking Club
December 16- Breakfast with Santa at Dove! Book Fair Open
December 18-
- Geography Bee in Dove Cafeteria at 8:30
- Spirit Night at Fuzzy's Tacos
December 21- Polar Express Day
- 9:30-9:45 December All-School Assembly Caring Student of the Month & Drawing for two bikes! (Students with no tardies and no absences) *Time change
- 9:45-10:45 DDD/Choir School Performance
- 11:00-11:45 Christmas parties
- 11:45 Early release
January 9, 2018- School starts!
January 12- Atten-Dance for 2nd nine weeks
Contact Us
In a partnership with parents, students, teachers, and community, Dove Elementary provides a safe and supportive environment in which students develop an understanding and respect for self and others. We cultivate learning through encouragement of inquiry and empower students to make a difference in our ever-changing world.
Follow our story on Twitter at #DESisBEST
Email: heather.landrum@gcisd.net
Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/1594
Location: 1932 Dove Road, Grapevine, TX, United States
Phone: 817.251.5700
Twitter: @DESDolphins