The Mustang Minute
Week of January 15th - 19th, 2024
Principal's Message
Mustang Family,
Mustangs Nation Night is Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. We will begin in GYM 1 sharply at 6:00 PM and then transition throughout the building for the rest of the evening. There will be maps and reminders of sessions on the monitors throughout the building as well as communicated within this newsletter below.
Thursday, Balfour will be on campus during lunch to assist our seniors in their fitting and purchase of their caps and gowns. If your senior has not taken care of this, please be sure to take advantage of this time next wee, or order online.
By now I'm sure many of you are aware of the inclement weather that is projected to impact the DFW in the coming days so be sure to keep an eye on it for next week. If there are any changes to our normal school day due to weather, it will be communicated via email, Twitter, Facebook, and our campus web page.
Rah, Rah, Rah...Mustangs Fight!
Alex
MLK Day of Service Date Change - January 20th
Newest Member of The Herd - Sweet Spot Donuts
We wanted to give a big shout out and thank you to Sweet Spot Donuts! Sweet Spot has been serving our community and our students faithfully for years. Most recently they came alongside our staff at Grapevine High School to help us celebrate some teachers who are doing great things on campus. Our "Mustangs Forever" competition winners were treated to some tasty snacks from our newest sponsor. Please make sure you stop in, grab a donut, and thank Sweet Spot for supporting our students.
Interested in joining "The Herd"? Click the link below to find out more
Mustang Nation Night - January 17th (6:00 -7:30 PM)
Seniors: Order Your Graduation Cap and Gown - January 18th During Lunch
Balfour will be on campus during all three lunches for Cap & Gown fitting and purchase on Thursday, January 18th. Seniors, if you have not already ordered these items online, this the perfect opportunity to get this checked off your graduation to do list.
To order your Cap and Gown for graduation online! Please click the link ----> https://www.balfour.com/shop/graduation/senior-gear?pim_a_collection=17546&smi=71816
Mark Your Calendars
Mustang Nation Night - January 17th
FAFSA Night - January 22nd
TECC (Across from the MAC @ GHS)
6:00 - 7:30 PM
General PTSA Meeting & TX Dot Presentation- January 22nd
6:30 PM in the Library
FAFSA Nights
GCISD Student Transfers
GCISD Student Transfers
The general and STEM student transfer application window for the 2024-2025 school year will open on Monday, February 5, 2024, at 8 am. Online applications will be accepted through Friday, February 16, 2024, at 4 pm.
Transfer Window Dates
Window 1: February 5 - February 16 - STEM/General Transfers
Window 2: March 4 - March 22 - STEM/General Transfers
Window 3: June 3 - June 14 - STEM/General Transfers
All students (including employee students) must apply for a transfer if they desire to attend a campus other than their zoned campus and/or when they are moving from the following grades/campuses:
Pre-K to Kindergarten
Elementary school to middle school
Middle school to high school
Students who are already approved on a transfer and are not moving to the next transition level do NOT need to submit a transfer request. For more information and to complete an online application on or after Monday, February 5, click here.
IMPORTANT: Please know that incomplete applications (e.g. missing residency documents) will NOT be processed during this round of student transfers. It is very important that families have all the needed documents when submitting transfer applications
GT/ ASPIRE Referral Window
The referral window for GT/ASPIRE testing for middle and high school students is open from January 8-31. Parents who are interested in testing, please sign your student(s) up for testing in Skyward.
Attention Students: No Personal Laptops
GCISD has a policy that prohibits students from bringing their personal laptops to campus. This is in place to ensure a secure and standardized computing environment for all students. Each student is provided with an assigned school laptop to use during their time on campus and homework. This policy helps us maintain a consistent and controlled digital infrastructure, facilitating efficient technical support and ensuring that all students have access to the same resources. This restriction on personal laptops aligns with our commitment to enhancing cybersecurity measures on campus. Over the coming weeks, we will be implementing security protocols that will prevent personal devices from connecting to the school network.
This proactive approach is aimed at safeguarding our digital infrastructure and protecting sensitive information. By using only the assigned school laptops, we can ensure that all devices adhere to the necessary security standards, minimizing potential vulnerabilities and creating a secure educational environment for everyone. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in contributing to the overall safety and integrity of our school's digital ecosystem.
Student Parking Fees - $50 for the remainder of the school year!
Parking for the spring semester is $50. Parking fee can be paid online through Skyward for a $5 fee or paid with cash, check or credit card in person at the school for no additional fee. You student will be required to fill out a form that is available in the front office. Be sure they know their license plate number.
AP Parents and Students,
There are several deadlines regarding AP testing this semester:
Feb 23, 2024- Students in second semester only courses need to be signed into the College Board and select “Yes” to indicate their decision to test, and for an exam to be ordered.
Mar 6, 2024- Final deadline for all students, full year or second semester only, to order a test with the mandatory College Board $40 late fee incurred. The fee is only incurred for exams for full year classes that missed the November deadline.
Apr 19, 2024- Final payment deadline for all AP exams.
**Remember, to have exams ordered, you MUST be registered in the College Board, AND in Total Registration. If your student was not registered in BOTH places by the end of day on November 10th, an exam HAS NOT been ordered for them.
Any questions or verifications of this process can be directed to laura.foutch@gcisd.net. Additionally, there is information and resource videos to help with this process on the school website under AP Exam Information.
Please reach out to Laura Foutch @ laura.foutch@gcisd.net with any questions.
TELPAS Testing Information
Students identified as emergent bilinguals and served through our English as a Second Language program will complete the two sections of TELPAS testing; Reading and Writing, and Listening and Speaking on the following dates in February. February 20th and 27th for freshmen and seniors and February 21st and 28th for sophomores and juniors. All students will receive a pass the day before testing to let them know which test they will be taking and where to report. Please reach out to Laura Foutch with any questions @ laura.foutch@gcisd.net
SAT Test for Juniors
GCISD will be offering the opportunity for all juniors to take the SAT, at no cost to the students, on Wednesday, March 6th, during the school day. Students who are juniors are automatically registered and do not need to sign up. Please reach out to Laura Foutch with any questions @ laura.foutch@gcisd.net.
2023 Federal School Report Cards
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), requires each state education agency to prepare and publish an annual report card. The Federal Report Card (FRC) for Texas Public Schools is a web-based system that generates the required federal report cards at the state, district, and campus levels for easy dissemination by school districts. Every district that receives Title I, Part A funding is responsible for distributing the FRCs to each of its campuses, the parents of all enrolled students, and the general public.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released the 2023 Federal Report Cards at the State, District, and Campus level with information as required by federal law. The Federal Report Cards do not contain 2023 State Accountability Rating information.
To view our district and campus federal report cards, please visit our Accountability webpage for a link to search on TEA's site or click on the red "Archived State and Federal SRCs" button the bottom of our district's Accountability page.
Basketball's Teacher Appreciation Night
Tuesday evening, GHS Men’s basketball had the pleasure of honoring their favorite faculty members from Grapevine High. The Varsity team welcomed their teachers to join them at center court before the start of the Argyle game. Each player recognized their teacher with a gift card, a certificate and flowers while the announcer shared comments written by each player. Jacob Sorrell honored Ms. Carolyn Province, Randy Garcia honored Coach Kiante Holmes, Owen O’Steen honored Ms. Brandie Stewart, David Coe also honored Ms. Brandie Stewart, AJ Sowell honored Ms. Brandi Larson, Connor Wilson honored Coach Taylor Barnhill, Dalton Wallace honored Mr. Jonathan Jackson, Demetrius Ford honored Coach Michael Siebert, Greyson Prince honored Coach Michael Heineck, Blue Schaper honored Mr. Patton Garay, Jaren Pope honored Coach Hayden Smith, Dillon Lowack honored Dr. Michael Nottingham, Brenden Storm honored Mrs. Caity Armstrong and Matthew Woodcock honored Mr. Sterling Bristow. Thank you to all of our teachers and faculty and all they do for our players and students! Go Mustangs!
Mustang Women's Soccer
Our defending STATE CHAMPION Lady Mustangs Soccer Team is gearing up for another great
season and the girls have been hard at work these past few months training and preparing!
We officially kicked off our season last weekend at the Bobcat Classic Winter Tournament in
Celina. Varsity and JV squads had a strong performance finishing the weekend both with 2-1-0
records. Most notable is Varsity’s big win over defending 2x state champions Celina, which
ended Celina's 60-game unbeaten streak!
Our next set of games will be January 11-13 at the Elite Governor’s Cup in Georgetown. Here
are a few highlights from our girls in action in Celina!
Swim Senior Night
Grapevine Congress at UIL State
Grapevine brings the heat at Plano East
Ten Grapevine Speech and Debate participated in the Plano East Tournament, on January 13, 2024. A special thank you to all the parents who have labored throughout the year to make this year a success. We appreciate your transporting, chaperoning, and judging. Special competition recognitions are as follows:
Humorous Interp:
3rd Place – Davis Marino
Prose
5th place – Iliana Sotelo
Informative Speaking
5th place – Safa Fatima
Original Oratory
Semis – Lane Britten
Congress
Semis: Isabella Dowell and Sophia Thompson
Lincoln Douglas Debate
Octos – Aaron Lou
Thank you to the following GHS competitors who competed that weekend.
Congress – Elena Medina
Lincoln Douglas Debate – Benjamin Hu
United States Extemp: Jackson Benzick
Attention All Juniors!
The Spring application for the National Honor Society is now open! Visit the NHS page on the GHS website to view the application. The 4 main requirements are a 4.2 weighted gpa, 15 community service hours, involvement in extracurricular activities, and demonstration of leadership. Applications are due February 16th at 4pm to Mr. Bristow or Ms. Armstrong. Any student that did not attend the application information meeting on January 9th please see Mr. Bristow in room 704S.
Feel free to email Mr. Bristow at sterling.bristow@gcisd.net if you have any questions.
GHS Theatre Presents
Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, Something Rotten. Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz. *This Show is Suitable for a Mature Audience. PG-13
Volunteers Needed
Singing Valentines
Cheer Tryout Meeting
Save the Date for Sports Physicals - Friday, April 5th 4 - 6PM GHS MAC
Senior Graduation Requirement - FAFSA/TASFA/Opt-Out Form
Seniors will be able to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) beginning in December 2023. An exact date is yet to be announced.
Completing the FAFSA (or TASFA) or an Opt-Out form is now a requirement for graduation. See below for details:
Beginning with the Class of 2022 and beyond, all Seniors must complete one of the following steps in order to comply with Texas Education Code (TEC), §28.0256 in order to graduate:
Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA); or
Complete and submit a Texas Application for State Financial Aid (TASFA); or
Submit a signed opt-out form.
As approved by the GCISD Board of Trustees, the District will accept the following as proof of completion:
Acknowledgment of receipt from an Institution of Higher Ed (IHE);
Copy of Signature page;
Screenshot of TASFA submission acknowledgment page (from those institutions that offer an electronic form);
Screenshot of FAFSA submission acknowledgment page; -OR-
Copy of a financial aid award letter
*Please do not send financial records to the school as proof.
After you have submitted your FAFSA/TASFA paperwork, please send one method of proof or your opt-out form to your high school counseling office no later than May 1, 2023.
The Texas OnCourse financial aid toolkit and StudentAid.gov provide additional information about applying for financial aid.
If you do not wish for your student to complete a FAFSA or TASFA, an opt-out form may be completed by a parent or guardian, a student age 18 years or older, or a school counselor who authorizes the student to decline to complete and submit the application for good cause.
If you wish to opt-out, please use one of the forms below and return it to your school counselor:
TEA Financial Aid Opt Out Form - English
Gia and her handler Cynthia, a registered pet therapy team from the non-profit group Pet Partners, were on-hand today to wish staff and students a "good morning" on their way to class.
Counselors- Students are assigned to by their last name.
The GHS counseling team consists of:
Marnie Pape (A-D) - marnie.pape@gcisd.net
Abbey King (E-Le) - abbey.king@gcisd.net
Moises Flores (Li-Ri) - moises.flores@gcisd.net
Katherine Partridge (Ro-Z) - katherine.partridge@gcisd.net
Mary Parsley (Lead Counselor) - mary.parsley@gcisd.net
Jennifer Lemke (Student Advocate) - jennifer.lemke@gcisd.net
Dual Credit Information Meeting
Seniors who qualify for free/reduced lunch
Seniors who qualify for free/reduced lunch may contact our Student Advocate, Jennifer Lemke, to request to borrow a graduation cap and gown (based on availability). Mrs. Lemke can be reached at Jennifer.lemke@gcisd.net.
Counseling January Newsletter
- Course Requests and Preferred Scheduling Timeline
- Seniors - FAFSA is now open!
- Mustang Nation - January 17th (6-7:30pm)
- Dual Credit Mandatory Meeting - January 17th @ GHS (6:45 pm)
Speech & Debate Fundraiser
Teen Driver Safety Program - TXDOT Presentation
GHS AMBASSADORS
FINAL DEADLINES for 2023-2024 school year as follows: (NO EXCEPTIONS!!!))
Class of 2024: March 1, 2024 - (No forms accepted from Senior class after March collection date).
Class of 2025, 2026, 2027: Last day of school- May 23, 2024 by noon (RED BOX will be removed at that time and no more forms accepted after that time).
Save the Date AABC Banquet
Grapevine High School PTSA needs you!
Membership dues are only $10 each school year! Students, remember that if you will be applying for any PTA/PTSA scholarships, you need to be a member of PTSA. Click here to join!
Donate a door prize for Project Graduation 2024!
Volunteer Background Check
We sincerely appreciate the investment of your time as a volunteer. Whether it is just volunteering with PTSA, a school field trip, or in any capacity in connection with our partnership with Big Brothers-Big Sisters, you must complete a background check.
All volunteers are required to reapply each year. Due to a large number of applicants, we will not notify you of your volunteer status. To get your status, please check with the school office for this information before you volunteer.
Click below to apply:
https://www.gcisd.net/o/gcisd/page/volunteer-background-check