Head U Gator News
Jan. 15, 2021
Don't send students....
If you suspect you or anyone in your household might be positive for COVID, DO NOT SEND YOUR STUDENT(S) TO SCHOOL! Keep them home until you have test results so that it doesn't impact other students or teaching staff.
We are not currently able to find sufficient substitutes for the teachers who have to be out, so we are having to utilize other staff members like myself, our assistant principal, the PE aide, learning liaison and counselor to cover classrooms. That affects our whole school and means other important work doesn't get done.
Additionally, if you have a suspicion that your student may have been exposed to someone positive, please don't send them until you know for sure.
Thank you to those parents who have called and talk with our nurse or checked before sending a student to school. Tarrant County is currently the most active spot in the state for COVID cases, and we all have to double down on our efforts in order to minimize the number of cases as much as possible.
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STEM and Dual Language Lottery
The personalized programs application window for the 2021-2022 school year will open on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Online applications will be accepted through Friday, February 12, 2021. The lottery will be conducted on Monday, February 22, 2021.
Students who are already in STEM or Dual Language do NOT need to apply, even at transition years.
For more information and to complete an online application on or after Tuesday, January 19, click here.
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Tuition Based Pre-K Lottery/Lotería de Prekíndergarten Basado en Pago de Cuotas Escolares
The Pre-K Tuition Based lottery application is now open and will close at 10:00 p.m. on January 15, 2021. Families interested in tuition based pre-k need to complete the application. Students meeting Texas state eligibility criteria will be able to apply and qualify in April 2021. For more information on tuition and pre-k qualifications visit WWW.GCISD.NET/PREK or contact gcisd.pk@gcisd.net
La solicitud para la lotería del programa de Pre-K basado en pago de cuotas escolares se abrirá el 5 de enero a las 8:30 am y cerrará a las 10:00 pm el 15 de enero. Las familias interesadas en el programa de Pre-K a base de pago deben completar esta solicitud. Los estudiantes que cumplan con los criterios de elegibilidad del estado de Texas podrán solicitar y calificar en abril de 2021. Para obtener más información sobre la matrícula y los requisitos de prekínder, visite WWW.GCISD.NET/PREK o comuníquese con gcisd.pk@gcisd.net.
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Glenhope Yearbook- order now!
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COVID status in GCISD
Here's the link to a report on current GCISD COVID cases:
The district has improved the information display so it is easier to see how the virus is impacting our district and the chart also shows the cases over time in the district.
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1st - 4th GRADE PARENT REFERRALS FOR GIFTED & TALENTED SERVICES
The referral window for students who are interested in Gifted and Talented services opens January 19 through January 29, 2021. Referrals are only for 1st - 4th-grade students at this time. This referral window also applies to any current GT LEAD student who is interested in applying for the ASPIRE Academy.
An informative presentation is available on the Advanced Academics page of the district website: http://bit.ly/2rtZzFv
Parents interested in referring their children for testing need to complete this form by January 29th: https://bit.ly/2NT0M0y
GT specialists will administer any necessary testing from February 8 through March 5, 2021. Parents will be notified regarding results as soon as the assessment process is completed.
Thank you for your cooperation and support of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and its educational programs.
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REMOTE LEARNERS
If your child is a remote learner, he/she can still take advantage of checking out books from our Glenhope library. Follow one of the steps below, wait for an email saying your child's book is ready and stop by Glenhope and pick up the book from the vestibule. It is that easy!
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Free Meals Extension
The USDA has extended its nationwide waiver, allowing GCISD to now offer free meals through June 2021 at all elementary and middle school campuses and meal bundles at curbside locations. Complete information can be found here.
USDA has issued a nationwide waiver, allowing Grapevine-Colleyville ISD to offer meals FREE at no charge through December 2020 at all elementary and middle school campuses and meal bundles at curbside locations.
Beginning on September 22, 2020 Grapevine-Colleyville ISD will begin providing free meals to students as part of the Seamless Summer Option (SSO) program. Sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA), this program will allow any student in elementary or middle school to receive a free breakfast and lunch meal in the school cafeteria, with the option to purchase a-la-carte items. Additionally, the District will offer meal bundles at no cost available for curbside pick-up that will contain meals for the entire week, including the weekend.
Curbside meals may be picked up on Wednesdays at Grapevine Elementary, Cross Timbers Middle or Grapevine Middle from 4-6 p.m. The meal bundles will include seven breakfast, seven lunches and a choice of chocolate or white ½ pint milk (14 milks will be provided). Heating instructions will be included so that families can prepare the meals at their convenience.
GCISD’s high schools do not participate in the federally funded program and therefore meals will be charged as normal in those cafeterias; however, high school students are able to pick up a meal bundle from one of the curbside locations.
For more information on how the federal program operates please visit www.squaremeals.org or www.fns.usda.gov.
Parents are encouraged to continue filling out the free and reduced application online at www.schoollunchapp.com. The benefits from being approved for free or reduced-price meals, may include discounts for transportation, standardized tests, college application fees and technology fees to name a few. If you have any questions, please email child.nutrition@gcisd.net or call 817-251-5617.
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If you are a returning student or new to GCISD, you may not be familiar with GCISD Reads. GCISD Reads is a district initiative to get students excited about reading by providing different challenges for them to complete throughout the year. Students are provided choice by being able to choose from several different challenges. Students have several ways to record their reading. You can print off a form from the link below or they can record their books digitally on Biblionasium. You can visit the Biblionasium link below for directions on how to record minute read. Once they complete a challenge, they can return the form to Mrs. Freyou in the library or to their teacher. If you have any questions, please feel free to email terri.freyou@gcisd.net
Attached you will find a copy of the State of Texas 2019–20 School Report Card for [name of school]. This report is required by the Texas Legislature and prepared by the Texas Education Agency. It is to be sent to the parent or guardian of every child enrolled in a Texas public school. The report provides information concerning student performance on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR®), as well as information on student enrollment, class size averages, and financial expenditures. Due to COVID-19, STAAR® assessments were canceled for the 2019–20 school year. Therefore, several data points have not been updated, including STAAR® and academic growth data.
The School Report Cards can be found online at https://tea.texas.gov/Student_Testing_and_Accountability/Accountability/State_Accountability/Performance_Reporting/School_Report_Cards. A more complete report about Glenhope, the Texas Academic Performance Report (TAPR), is available by contacting my office or can be accessed online at https://rptsvr1.tea.texas.gov/perfreport/tapr/index.html.
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State and Federal reports
Federal Report Cards for the state, the district and each of the district’s campuses are now available on the district’s website at this link: https://www.gcisd.net/departments/accountability/school_report_cards or are also available on the Texas Education Agency’s website at: https://tea.texas.gov/Finance_and_Grants/Grants/Federal_Report_Card/.
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is sharing this information about the district and your child’s campus with you as part of its obligations under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA).
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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 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.
The Women's Center of Tarrant County, Inc., uses trained employees to present a fact-based personal safety program for students. The presentations are classroom-based so that children are in a familiar environment, and feel comfortable to interact with the trainer. A video is shown, followed by a question and answer time.
Glenhope will be showing Play It Safe to students on Tuesday, January 26, 2020
Parents have the option to request that their student not participate in the above program(s).
The form for non-participation is located here: https://forms.gle/gTsFSUgPRReLn4Ah7
A parent preview was held on January 12 at 10:00 AM via Zoom. This presentation will be recorded and posted on the GCISD website for parents to watch at their convenience.
Videos and scripts will be available for parents to preview from
1/11/2020 to 1/19/2020.
https://vimeo.com/showcase/7889498 Password: GCISD2021
If you are unable to view the videos or 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.
Any questions regarding the program should be directed to our Director of Counseling, Emberly Hil
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Pre-AP Label Change
Next school year, the College Board will be requiring school districts to pay a fee if they use the Pre-AP label for any of their courses. This fee is an annual fee that is per course, per campus. GCISD along with many neighboring districts, have decided not to purchase the use of the Pre-AP label in an effort to remain fiscally responsible.
Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, GCISD will be implementing the title change to “Advanced” for all courses formerly known as Pre-AP. This change will be reflected in the 2021-22 Course Selection Guide set to release in January of 2021. As an example, Pre-AP World History will now be labeled as World History Advanced.
GCISD will use AP's guidelines to ensure the rigor of both middle school and high school courses. Classes now labeled “Advanced” will remain the same weight as the PreAP courses they are replacing. GCISD will continue to work with the College Board through our AP offerings.
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GCISD Language Assessment Center Online Courses for Adults
In partnership with the Grapevine Community Outreach Center, the GCISD Language Assessment Center will begin offering online courses for adults. These free courses will be self-paced and will provide skills in English as a Second Language and Adult Basic Literacy, as well as GED support. The flyers can be viewed and shared here in English and Spanish.