Gator Tales
Grace Episcopal School Vol. 11 (2018-2019)
Glow Gators Glow
Next Week at a "Gator Glance"
Monday, October 29
- K - 5th Grade Chapel @ 8:00 AM (Grace Church)
- Evergreen Orders Due
Tuesday, October 30
- 6th - 8th Grade Chapel @ 8:00 AM (Middle School Commons)
Wednesday, October 31
- Holy Eucharist Grades 1-8, Parents Welcome @ 8:00 am
- Class Fall Parties
- Parents' Guild All Parent Meeting, 5:00-6:00 pm in Kilbourne Hall
Friday, November 2
- Parent Prayer Group @ 8:00 am in Children's Chapel- 1st Grade
- Fast Food Friday- Sonic
From the Desk of Dr. Ricks
Parents and Friends,
What a wonderful week we have had! After a short (but much-needed) break, we jumped right into the 2nd week of this quarter. It was wonderful celebrating the students' hard work at Awards Day, and our Gator Cheerleaders, both Elementary and Middle School squads, performed with excellence at not only our own GES Black Out, but also at pep rallies for St. Frederick's and Neville. I was so proud of how they represented Grace School with such excellence and professionalism. Many thanks to Sponsor Megan Andrews, Coach Sam Hale, and the parents who put in countless hours with pep rally set up and take down, getting the girls ready and where they need to be, and for general support of our spirit athletes. We couldn't be successful without you!
I loved seeing so many of you at last night's Fall Festival. The rainy day did not dampen our spirits at all, and we had a wonderful turnout. It was a great family event and a nice way to kick off our seasonal calendar. Many thanks to Parents' Guild President Arabella Moore and her inexhaustible team of volunteers for putting on such a fantastic party for our students.
Fall conferences went very well. Thank you for working with our teachers to make the best possible learning environment for your children. And, we are happy to arrange conferences at any time. Please don’t keep concerns or frustrations to yourself; share them and know that we welcome input so we can work together for our students. Parents sometimes worry that when they express concerns or frustrations, the teacher will perhaps show resentment to the child, but I can truly assure you that is not the case! We want to hear from you. It is always best to start with the teacher, and then see me. These are the people who can help address the problem. While talking to other parents can help one get perspective or clarify certain information, other parents probably can’t help address what is going on in the way that the teacher can. Please don’t assume that a teacher knows about your concerns—very often children speak and react differently at school and home, and we may not have any idea of something that is really bothering you or your child if you don’t share it with us.
We are so thankful for this cooler weather, and please know that the sweatshirt/long t-shirt shop will be available soon! Thank you for your patience as we transition from summer to fall. There will be a quick turn around on orders, and as soon as the shirts are available for purchase, we will send notice asap.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Dr. Ricks
2018-2019 Annual Fund Donors
Laura Centola
Lynn Barr
Jacie Jones
Christine & Michael Monk
Mary Dean
Shelia Burton
Ginger Knight
Christy Stidham
Sheri Hand
Sheila Martin
Susan DeHart
Ginny & Joe King Montgomery
Stephanie & Charlie Heck
Tracie Crowson
Dee & Tommy Cagle
Judy Riley
Ellen Bowen
Becky & Ted Dillard
Brenda Foster
Laura Geis
Staci Gissendanner
Allison & Brandon Earl
Marilyn Kincannon
Grace Scholars ($100-$249)
Jennifer & Vance Nickelson
Marian Baker
Cheryl Jones
Tammy LaGrone
Trish & Tim Stephens
Stephanie & David Bryant
Meg & Matt Wood
Jennifer & Mike Graham
Starlia & Bob Noel
Rick Pettis
Debbie & Hershel Ryan
Rachel & Jim Loftin
SuAnn & Joe Dee Dycus
Lisa & Courtney Sharp
Alinya & Keith Edwards
Kelly & Alex Schott
Grace Associates ($250-$499)
Deidra & Jeremy Adair
Janelle & George Snellings
Tara & Drew Thomas
Karen & Bob Cooper
Grace Sustainers ($500-$999)
Grace Students
Allison & Bryan Taylor
Sara & James Butler
Jodi & Matt Lyle
Head of School Circle ($1,000-$2,499)
Erica & Michael Ryan
Beth & Barry Ricks
Arabella & James Moore
Claire & Hardy Gordon
Emily & Daniel Cassis
Dana & Martin deGravelle
Ozi & Ekam Anumele
Kara & DeSha Sims
Anna Katherine & Elliott Nipper
Kate & Kamran Ziaee
Founder's Circle ($2,500-$4,999)
Amber & Clay Shemwell
Bishop's Circle ($5,000 +)
Evergreen Orders Due Monday, October 29th
Orders due Monday, October 29th
The money raised by Evergreen Sales benefits the GES Parents' Guild. The Parents' Guild provides support to the school by purchasing Teacher supplies, playground equipment, hosting school events and leading the Lowery Hall Beautification Project. New this year, Parents' Guild is launching a Teacher Wish List project, more information regarding this will be presented at the November 1st Parents' Guild All Parent Meeting.
GES Parents' Guild All Parent Meeting
A few topics that will be discussed:
- Fall Festival Recap
- Teacher Wish Lists
- Evergreens
- Treasurer's Report
This is a great opportunity to fellowship with other Grace families and to stay informed on all the great things that are going on in our Grace Gator World.
Pumpkin Decorating Contest
Congratulations to our Winners!
2nd Place: Braylan Staten- Pete the Cat Baseball Player
3rd Place: Delilah Cabello- The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Honorable Mention:
Jake & Jaxon Cole- Gordy the Alligator
Olivia & Fitz Adair- Dubble Bubble Bubble Gum
Thank you to all that participated! All of our entries were so creative and well done. Great Job!!!
GES Parents' Guild would like to thank Bayou Life for coming to judge our Fabulous Pumpkins!
Sponsored By GES Parents' Guild
Picture Retake Day- Wednesday, October 31
Retakes are free if a student’s eyes are closed. If they want a different picture, the cost is $5.00.
Gator Sports Highlights
Congratulations to our Girls & Boys Soccer Teams!
Girls Soccer Team beat Woodlawn & OCS this week!
Boys Soccer Team Beat St. Fred's and Tied with OCS!
Grace Cheer
We are extremely proud of our Cheerleaders and Cheer Coaches!
GES Alumni Spotlight
Grace Alumni Helen Johnson, Taylor Grace Harris, Caroline Graham, Ava McCarty and a few friends had a great time touring several colleges in Texas. Their potential college list included Baylor University, University of Texas in Austin and TCU.
Good Luck Gator-grads! We are so proud of all your accomplishments!