Tiger Time News
News from the O.C. Taylor Principal, Lisa Young
Young@Heart, January 21, 2018
Dear O.C. Taylor Parents,
Please remember to scroll down and read our PTA newsletter portion and grade-level newsletters. Click here to see this week's Tiger Time News, student video version.
Our mission at O.C. Taylor is to create lifelong learners and servant leaders through authentic real-world experiences. We began our third session of Future Explorations this past Friday and continue to see our mission come to life in this experience. Be sure and ask your child about his/her class they attended.
Our Campus Excellence Committee is meeting this week to analyze the progress of our 2017-18 Campus Improvement Plan goals and objectives. We will soon be asking for feedback from you in a survey. We want to hear your thoughts and opinions. As Helen Keller stated, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."
To the BEST 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
OCT Vision: To empower our children today to create a better tomorrow.
OCT Mission: To create life-long learners and develop servant leaders through authentic, real-world experiences.
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Upcoming Dates
Monday, January 22
Play It Safe
T-Shirt Order Deadline
7:00 - 10:00 p.m. - Board of Trustees Meeting
Tuesday, January 23
3:10 -4:30 p.m. CEC
Wednesday, January 24
3:00 - 3:45 p.m. - Yearbook - Group A
2:55 - 3:45 p.m. - TTT
Thursday, January 25
2:55 - 4:00 p.m. - Choir
3:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Talent Show Dress Rehearsal
Friday, January 26
8:30 a.m. Talent Show
2:00 - 2:50 p.m. - Future Explorations
6:30 p.m. PTA Meeting/Talent Show
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Dallas Stars Watch Dogs Family Night from Todd Streets
As a Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Watch Dogs representative, we would like to invite you to our first annual Watch Dogs night on Sunday, Feb. 11th. As a thank you to all the great dads in Grapevine-Colleyville , we have partnered with the national Watch Dogs organization to provide a discounted rate on tickets.
Tickets start as low as $10 and can be purchased at www.dallasstars.com/watchdogs. We encourage you to bring the family out for a fun afternoon of Dallas Stars Hockey and share this link with all Watch Dogs dads. If anyone has questions feel free to call or email anytime. I can be reached at 214-387-5547.
Thanks,
Todd Streets
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Love Your Device Contest
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Our second annual.....
Love Your Device Contest.
Hello Elementary Teachers!
The idea: Capture the spirit and creativity of our students to promote better care of the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD student devices. Create a sense of student pride in our one-to-one initiative. Encourage our students to exercise self/peer governance.
The dates: Technology Services will be accepting a wide range of presentations, posters or other public service projects through February 7.
Student winners will be announced on February 14
The prizes: Our coveted #Love Your Device t-shirt, district and school recognition, snack vouchers for students, and class/duty coverage for teachers. Plus many other cool items.
Teachers who actively participate will receive a voucher good for class and/or duty coverage of their choice. Your campus tech will have a poster that includes a QR code linked to our district website with all of the details. The district website link is also included below:
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Kendra Scott Fundraiser Rescheduled
Kendra Scott fundraiser has been rescheduled to February 5 from 5pm - 8 pm. DADS... this is a PERFECT time to get your wonderful wife a Valentine's Day gift AND support your child's school all at the same time! I hope to see you there!
OCT Updates
Updates from OCT Counselor, Mrs. Whisman
Play It Safe is a child abuse prevention and awareness program that incorporates individual grade level, age-appropriate scripts and movies to teach them to recognize potentially abusive behavior, provides the tools to respond to threatening situations, and encourages them to report abuse to a trusted adult. There will be a parent preview at the GCISD Administration building on January 16 at 10am and 6pm. O.C. Taylor will have presenters on campus to teach this program on January 22. Teachers have sent out permission slips that will need to be returned by January 19th. Any student who does not have permission from parents will go to Mrs. Whisman's room during that time. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Mrs. Whisman at 817-305-4880.
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Updates from the Learning Commons, Mrs. Bonacci
One of the many things I love about O. C. Taylor students is that they truly enjoy learning new things both at school and at home. Thank you for all you do to nurture inquisitive children with a passion for learning! One of the challenges we all face in today’s information-rich environment is distinguishing between “good” and “bad” sources of information. We all love Google, but that’s not where we want our children to turn for all of their educational material.
If your child wants to look up information at home they can access all of our subscription-based resources through the GCISD ClassLink app. There, in the Learning Commons folder, they can find a wide variety of quality resources to keep their curious minds happy! If you need assistance accessing any of these resources please email me atdawn.bonacci@gcisd.net I am always happy to help!
For information about the Learning Commons Programs and Services visit this link-
https://www.smore.com/wk447-o-c-taylor-learning-commons
Check out our YouTube Channel to see the student version of the Tiger Time News- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNyhxtBhBp-_OPAja5yoffQ
If you would like to donate costumes or props for our green screen production studio contact Mrs. Bonacci atdawn.bonacci@gcisd.net
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Update from our Clinic, Nurse Katy
- 5th grade parents: Scoliosis (spinal) screenings will be conducted during Specials on Monday February 12th. Parents of girls: Make sure your student wears a bra, sports bra, tube top or bathing suit top underneath their clothing on this day. If your child needs a second opinion after being screened, you will be notified. Otherwise, no news is good news! :)
Cold & Flu Season: Although we have not yet seen a spike in flu-like illnesses here at OCT, flu trends are on the rise in our area. Here are some healthy habits to practice at home. * Frequent handwashing. Wash with soap and warm water if available. If not, hand sanitizer is next best thing. *Avoid touching the "T-zone"- one's eyes, nose, or mouth . This is a BIG habit to try and break, but if you never touched these mucous membranes, you would almost never get sick!! * Cover your cough/sneeze. Use a tissue. If a tissue is not available, use the bend of your arm. DO NOT use your hands. * Avoid contact with those with a known illness. *Stay home AND isolate yourself if you become ill until fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea free for a minimum of 24 hours without the aid of medications * Clean/disinfect surfaces frequently.
Handwashing Incentive: I will be rewarding students who I observe performing proper hand hygiene while here at school. Have your child show you that they know HOW to wash their hands (in between fingers, underneath nailbeds, etc) and that they know HOW LONG to wash their hands (by singing Happy Birthday or ABC song twice.
Cough and Cold Medicine Safety: "Parents and caregivers should be aware that prescription opioid cough and cold medicines that include codeine or hydrocodone should not be used in children. Codeine and hydrocodone are narcotic medicines called opioids and may carry serious risks when used in children. It is important for parents and caregivers to understand that a cough due to a common cold often does not need medicines for treatment. If a cough medicine is prescribed, ask your child’s health care professional or a pharmacist if it contains an opioid such as codeine or hydrocodone. Always read the labels on prescription bottles. If the medicine prescribed for your child contains an opioid, talk to your child’s health care professional about a different, non-opioid medicine, or if you have any questions or concerns." See USFDA link for more details.
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Updates from Gifted and Talented, Mrs. Griffin
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Watch Dogs
We are so excited to have the Watch Dog program back again this year! Thank you to those who have signed up to be a Watch Dog. The process this year is a little different. Here is the form that needs to be submitted along with your background check and t-shirt purchase. Once those things are taken care, Jennifer Howard will send an email with the Signup Genius so you can choose a day to volunteer. We ask that you plan a week in advance when signing up. The calendar will be closed after Friday mornings for the following week to ensure teachers and the volunteers receive schedules. Thank you for understanding and respecting our process and procedure of this program.
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Let's Talk
Click here to start a conversation through Let's Talk! This site may be found on our campus homepage.
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Colleyville Middle School 6th Grade Informational Night, February 20, 2018
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Cross Timbers Middle School Showcase Open House, February 20, 2018
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January is School Board Recognition Month
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Counseling
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Note from GCISD Nutrition Services
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GCISD is Now Hiring! Join the GCISD TEAM!
Do you know someone ready to join the GCISD Team? Please help spread the word! Great opportunities are available in our auxiliary departments:
- Nutrition Specialists –Part Time with benefits – Work while your students are in school!
- KidzU Extended Care Program Site Aides – Part Time with benefits – Great schedule for local college students!
- Night Custodians
- Bus Drivers & Monitors
- Maintenance Engineers
Apply online at: www.gcisd-k12.org
GCISD is looking for new Subs! Apply Online!
Hey parents and community members! Do you find yourself always on campus volunteering and helping out? Want to be more involved in the classroom and get a paycheck? Then subbing might just be for you!
We are hiring qualified candidates to substitute teach for GCISD. If you are looking to impact kids and help make a difference, we want you! You must have a minimum of 60 college hours to apply. Apply online: www.gcisd-k12.org
If you have any questions, contact erica.pasvar@gcisd.net.
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School Health Advisory Council (SHAC)
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O.C. TAYLOR HAS 3 STUDENTS ADVANCING TO STATE REFLECTIONS COMPETITION!
CONGRATULATIONS to:
Madeline Gifford. - Photography
Mason Partain. - Film Production
Emily Ann Rodriguez. - Visual Arts
All three students did a phenomenal job portraying this year's REFLECTIONS theme, "Within Reach." We expect to hear sometime after Spring Break whether their art is advancing to NATIONALS...stay tuned!
We also want to extend congratulations to ALL of our students (and their parents) who submitted Reflections entries this year. We encourage all students to please consider participating next year in this wonderful program, celebrating the creativity and artistic talents of our students!
Laurie H. Ackermann
O.C. Taylor REFLECTIONS Chair 2017 - 2018
SPIRIT WEAR ORDERS ARE DUE MONDAY!
https://www.shopcoveys.com/store/c71/OC_Taylor.html
Questions? contact: vickymobley@gmail.com
O.C. TAYLOR TALENT SHOW UPDATE! DRESS REHEARSAL & UPCOMING SHOW!
All Talent Show participants please come dressed and prepared for DRESS REHEARSAL this Thursday, January 25th from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
We cannot wait to share with the school all of your amazing acts on Friday, January 26th, at 8:30 am and 6:30 pm! Get ready to show everyone that...O.C. Taylor's Got Talent!
Parents, invite your family and friends! This is an event you won't want to miss!
Stephanie Wilkerson
Talent Show Coordinator
817-721-3288
stephanie@wilkerson.tx.com
REMINDER TO SUPPORT GRACE...JANUARY IS 2ND GRADE!
Help our Community! Participate in our GRACE cereal project.
Collection baskets will be outside 2nd Grade classrooms for the month of January.
Thank you for helping our community!
Questions? Concerns: contact Athena Wiginton at apw@thewigintons.com
APPLE TREE PROJECT
Don't forget the O.C. Taylor Apple Tree! Teachers need items from the Apple Tree. Apple Tree is an easy way to donate items teachers and staff need at the school.
Simply click he link below to see different "needs" around the school. If you choose to help, please make sure to mark as taken! Once taken, please send your item(s) to school with your child, attaching the name of the staff member for who it is intended.
Apple Tree List
Thanks so much! If you have any questions, please contact:
Jenifer Richards – Apple Tree coordinator
Jennifer Ditto - VP Volunteer
January:
1/25 3 - 6 pm Dress Rehearsal for Talent Show
1/26 Talent Show 8:30 am
1/26 PTA Meeting & Talent Show 6:30 pm
February:
2/7 8 am - 12 noon Positive Proof
2/8 6 pm Decades Night at Skate Town
2/9 Walk to School Morning
2/13 Staff Appreciation Event
2/14 Valentine's Day parties
2/19 Professional Learning Day/Presidents' Day Holiday - No School
2/27 Spring School & Club PIctures
2/28 Boosterthon Pep Rally
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Thank you!
We think your kids are..... G-G-G-G-reat!
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
Stay Connected at O. C. Taylor Elementary School
We have a number of ways to keep in touch with our school. Be sure to read, subscribe to and join these resources to get all the latest news.
Facebook: If you’re a Facebook member be sure to join the O.C. Taylor Elementary Facebook Group to get updates in your feed. This group is meant to provide another way to get news and updates.
Website: The school’s website has the latest news, updates, and calendars, as well as general information about the school, resources for parents, volunteer opportunity information, event information and ways to donate.
Twitter: We regularly post events and upcoming news on Twitter. Follow me on Twitter: @OCTYoung and follow our hashtag #OCT4U.