Welcome to Grapevine High School
What you need to know if you're new to GHS...
Principal's Welcome:
Welcome to the Mustang Family! This newsletter is designed to help you integrate successfully into Grapevine High School. By no means will this cover every single aspect of being a Mustang, but this will give you a good feel for the norms and expectations of our school. Feel free to visit our website for up -to-date information ww.ghs.gcisd.net. Our motto here at GHS is to be "The Best High School in Texas." We live by this every day. We are here to help you every way. Together we can and will achieve our goals. Welcome aboard, let's Build Excellent Schools Together.
Go Mustangs!
Alex Fingers- Principal
Mustang Round Up- August 3rd & 4th
All residency verification, fee payment, and personal information can now be done online from the comfort of your own home at any hour of the day, but we know that you still want the opportunity to see your friends, pick up your textbooks, join PTSA, and buy your Mustang gear, so get ready for Mustang Round Up.
At Round Up, you can also buy your parking permit, see the nurse, and get info on all of our student organizations and clubs. We will still have computers available for you if you have not had the opportunity to register online. Freshmen please bring your Chrome book and charger to exchange for a new laptop. All other students remember to bring last year's textbooks to return so that you will be allowed to check out your textbooks for this school year.
So join us for Mustang Round Up on:
August 3rd 8:30 - 11:30 10th grade
August 3rd 1:00 - 4:00 12th grade
August 4th 8:30 - 11:30 9th grade (Bring Chrome book and charger to exchange for laptop)
August 4th 1:00 - 4:00 11th grade
Please enter and exit the building at the main front entrance.
Attention Incoming 9th Graders: Chrome Book Device Exchange at Mustang Round Up
You will be exchanging your Chrome book for a new laptop.
Senior Portrait- AUGUST 9TH & 10TH ( 7 AM - 5 PM @ GHS)
Freshman Fish Camp August 12th
Check-in
Students will begin checking in at 7:45 AM at the Gym1/SAC entrance. The festivities will begin promptly at 8:30 AM. During this orientation, students will tour the building, learn about our school, visit their classrooms, eat lunch (provided), and conclude with a pep rally.
Dismissal
Students will be dismissed at 1:30 PM from the Gym1/SAC area.
We ask that all Freshmen do the following :
- Your Fish Camp T-Shirt (These will be given at Mustang Roundup on Aug. 4th). If you don't pick up a shirt at Mustang Roundup, one will be available at check-in in a limited quantity.
- Be sure to bring their cellphones if they have one
- Know your Skyward Student ID & Password ( You class schedule will be located Skyward and you will need access to your schedule during this event)
- Have QR Scanner capabilities (on cell phone)
- Your official schedule will be viewable on skyward the 1st day of school. Be sure to check for any changes.
GHS RAMP Award Winning Counselors
We can't wait to partner with you in supporting our Mustangs! We will send out a monthly newsletter, as well as update the Counselor's Corner section of the Mustang Minute newsletter every week. For more information on how we can be of service, please visit our website below.
https://ghs.gcisd.net/resources/counseling
Counselor's Alpha
Students are assigned to a counselor according to their last name. Please see the adjusted alphas for the counselors below.
Marnie Pape
Marnie Pape (A-D)
Abbey King
Abbey King ( E-Le )
Moises Flores
Moises Flores (Li- Ri)
Katherine Partridge
Katherine Partridge (Ro- Z)
Mary Parsley
Mary Parsley (Lead Counselor)
Jennifer Lemke
Jennifer Lemke (Student Advocate)
Geri Clayton
Belinda Foster
Attendance Matters
The State of Texas requires students to attend 90% of each class they are enrolled in order to be eligible to earn course credit. Please work closely with your teachers each semester to ensure you are meeting this guideline.
We understand that there are health appointments and other reasons your student may need to leave school early. In order to provide you with a smoother and quicker pick-up you may want to: Call ahead and let me know what time you would like your student ready to go! (At least 15 minutes, but early that day is good, too.)
Please make sure that the person picking up your student is a parent or emergency contact listed in Skyward. We cannot release a student to someone not listed!
Attendance Staff
Lisa Towchik
817-251-5241
Anabel Pineda Cruz
817-251-5241
Lynn Rigler
817-251-5242
Student drop-off and pick up procedures
Parent drop off at GHS is in the parking lot of gym 1. Please enter the parking lot from Timberline. You may enter the student parking entrance or the entrance nearest the tennis courts. Please exit from the same area you entered. This will help reduce congestion. Please turn right when exiting the campus. This will also expedite your time on campus and reduce congestion.
ONLY staff and busses may enter GHS from Mustang Drive. We take this precaution to ensure that our students are safe when arriving at GHS via the bus.
GHS Bell Schedule
Here Comes the Bus
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD has partnered with an innovative mobile device app and website entitled, Here Comes the Bus®. Here Comes the Bus allows you to view the real-time location of your child’s school bus on your smartphone, tablet or computer. With it, you will have the information you need to send your children to the bus stop at just the right time, helping to protect them from inclement weather and other roadside dangers.
Getting started:
Available in three languages (English, Spanish and French), the Here Comes the Bus app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
- Download the Here Comes the Bus app or visit herecomesthebus.com
- Click the Sign Up button
- Enter school code 79915 and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
- Complete the User Profile information
- Click “Students” and enter your child’s last name and student ID number when prompted
- Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!
To sign up on the website, or to learn more about this service, visit the Here Comes the Bus website.
Student Fees: These fees will be available starting July 29th
Student IDs
All students must purchase a picture ID for $5. A convenience fee will not be charged, if fees are paid by August 13, 2022. Pictures for IDs will be taken during GHS Picture Day on August 19, 2022. Students will receive their IDs at that time.
Course Fees
There are fees for some courses as identified in the Course Selection Guide. Fees can be paid at Mustang Round Up or on line through Skyward Family Access.
Log into your Skyward Family Access account here to pay all fees.
Extracurricular Fees
The District will not extracurricular fees for the 2022-2023 school year. This includes all sports, band, choir, cheer, Filles and Belles.
Parking Permits
Permits are $50.00 dollars per semester or $100.00 dollars for the full year.
These fees can be added to your course fees through skyward family access.
Questions
If a student is unable to pay for fees or has any questions, please feel free to contact GHS bookkeeper, Donna Gunn, at 817-251-5290 or donna.gunn@gcisd.net.
High School Endorsements
Types of High School Endorsements
The State of Texas requires students to choose an endorsement for graduation purposes. Most students graduating in GCISD will receive the Multidisciplinary Endorsement, but students may achieve others as well. Only ONE is required.
● Multidisciplinary
● Arts & Humanities
● Public Service
● Business & Industry
● STEM (Engineering, Math, or Science)
End of Course Exams (STAAR)
All students are required to take and pass 5 STAAR Exams to be eligible for graduation. If you are moving to GHS from either out of state or from a private school and have already received the full 1.0 credit for any of the following classes, you will be exempt from taking that specific STAAR test.
● 9th grade: English I
● 9th grade: Algebra I
● 9th grade: Biology
● 10th grade: English II
● 11th grade: U.S. History
FRIENDS FOR LIFE HOTLINE (Bullying)
At Grapevine High School there is a way for students to report bullying in an anonymous way. Utilizing the "Friends For Life - Bullying Report" link here or by calling 817-469-TIPS (8877) our students can anonymously report bullying, or alert our staff if they know of a friend in need of help. Our counselors meet with our students at the beginning of each school year to educate and remind them of this resource. We also have posters throughout the school building to serve as reminders of our stance together to combat bullying.
Have a friend in need?
Is someone you know the target of violence or bullying?
Make an anonymous call and get them help! It's okay to help a friend. That's the Mustang Way!
Call: 817-469-TIPS (8477)
Text: "TIP117 PLUS YOUR MESSAGE" to 274637
*All reports will go to your school counselor.
Student Laptop Issues
If your child is having issues with their GCISD issued device, please click on the following link
https://gcisdhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us
Also, be sure to let your teacher know that you are having technology issues. Then login with your student credentials and submit a work order ticket at the link listed above. If you cannot login, please call 817-251-5287 or stop by Room 311 with your device.
Overdrive
If you haven’t heard about Overdrive, I encourage you to check it out! Have your student go to classlink.gcisd.net, click on Learning Commons resources, click on Overdrive and browse the e-books and audiobooks that are available. The best part? It means our library is open 365 days a year!!
Grapevine High School PTSA needs you!
Students, remember that if you will be applying for any PTA/PTSA scholarships, you need to be a member of PTSA.
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.
Nurse’s Corner
Meet GHS nurse, Ruth Shook, and our clinic aide, Betsie Jaeger!
They can be reached by phone at 817.251.5244 or email at ruth.shook@gcisd.net and elizabeth.jaeger@gcisd.net
Parents: Please make sure the nurse has an updated copy of your child’s immunization record. You can check in their Skyward account or contact me or your physician if you have any questions regarding what your child needs.