New This Week - January 29, 2018

Curriculum this week

Language Arts in Spanish: 
     Spelling - test Friday 2/2
     Writing - friendly letter
     Library - Wednesday
Math: 3D Shapes - using TinkerCad to create a robot from 3D Shapes
Engineering: Producers & Consumers - Beginning our Package Engineering Unit

If you can donate a bottle of hand sanitizer to our 2nd graders, we would appreciate it! 

GT LEAD & Aspire Academy GT Testing for Grades 1-4

The parent information meeting will be Thursday, February 1 from 6:00-7:00 pm at the Professional Development Education Center in Colleyville.  Please make plans to attend this meeting to learn more about testing and qualifying for Cannon's GT LEAD program and the Aspire Academy at Glenhope Elementary for the upcoming school year. The parent nomination window for GT LEAD and the Aspire Academy opens February 2-16, and parents need to complete a Parent Inventory/Permission-to-test form found on the district website under Advanced Academics. Testing will begin February 26.

If you have any questions, please email our campus GT specialist at Melanie.Gable@gcisd.net.  

Field Trip Information

2nd Graders will celebrate Engineering Week with a trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History on February 20th.  Please return student permission slips and $5 as soon as possible.

Parent Technology Academy

GCISD's Technology Department has planned some wonderful parent information sessions for the spring semester! Parent Technology Academy is a free monthly series by GCISD Technology developed to help educate our community about our ever-changing digital world. Check out the dates & topics below! Each session is approximately 45 minutes with 15 minutes Q&A.

Thank you to all of the parents that attended the session last week on Internet Safety. Stay tuned for more information coming soon about the following topics!

FUTURE SESSION TOPICS:

February 20 - Top Apps that parents need to know about

Bear Creek Elementary cafeteria - 6 p.m.

March 20- Mobile App and Social Media awareness and branding

Grapevine High School library - 6 p.m.

April 19- Tops Apps that parents need to know about

Colleyville Middle School cafeteria - 6 p.m.

May 22- Internet Safety ( Digital Citizenship) – tools for at home Internet filtering

Colleyville Heritage High School library - 6 p.m.

Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter

Read Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter here.

New This Week - January 22, 2018

Curriculum this week

Language Arts in English: 
     Media Literacy
     Spelling - Final /k/ sound - Look a Pink Truck rule - test Friday 1/26
     Writing - narrative text
     Library - Wednesday
Math: Area & 3D Shapes
Social Studies: Economics

If you can donate a bottle of hand sanitizer to our 2nd graders, we would appreciate it! 

GT LEAD & Aspire Academy GT Testing for Grades 1-4

The parent information meeting will be Thursday, February 1 from 6:00-7:00 pm at the Professional Development Education Center in Colleyville.  Please make plans to attend this meeting to learn more about testing and qualifying for Cannon's GT LEAD program and the Aspire Academy at Glenhope Elementary for the upcoming school year. The parent nomination window for GT LEAD and the Aspire Academy opens February 2-16, and parents need to complete a Parent Inventory/Permission-to-test form found on the district website under Advanced Academics. Testing will begin February 26.

If you have any questions, please email our campus GT specialist at Melanie.Gable@gcisd.net.  

Field Trip Information

If you are interested in helping chaperone our field trip to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History in February, we need your reservation and $10 by JANUARY 22nd.  Student permission slips and $5 will be due closer to the February 20th trip.

Parent Technology Academy

GCISD's Technology Department has planned some wonderful parent information sessions for the spring semester! Parent Technology Academy is a free monthly series by GCISD Technology developed to help educate our community about our ever-changing digital world. Check out the dates & topics below! Each session is approximately 45 minutes with 15 minutes Q&A.

Thank you to all of the parents that attended the session last week on Internet Safety. Stay tuned for more information coming soon about the following topics!

FUTURE SESSION TOPICS:

February 20 - Top Apps that parents need to know about

Bear Creek Elementary cafeteria - 6 p.m.

March 20- Mobile App and Social Media awareness and branding

Grapevine High School library - 6 p.m.

April 19- Tops Apps that parents need to know about

Colleyville Middle School cafeteria - 6 p.m.

May 22- Internet Safety ( Digital Citizenship) – tools for at home Internet filtering

Colleyville Heritage High School library - 6 p.m.

Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter

Read Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter here.

New this Week - January 15, 2018

Curriculum this week

Language Arts in Spanish: 
     Following Multi-Step Written Directions
     Expository Writing
     Library Checkout - Wednesday
     Spelling Test - Friday
Math: Geometry - 2 Dimensional Shapes
Social Studies:  Community Services

Inclement Weather Reminders

In the event of inclement weather this evening, stay tuned to the GCISD Website and all of the local television & radio stations listed below:

KDFW, Channel 4, KXAS, Channel 5 ,WFAA Channel 8

KTVT Channel 11, KTXA-UPN, Channel 21, CW33, Channel 33

KLIF 570 AM radio, WBAP 820 AM radio, KRLD 1080 AM radio

KERA 90.1 FM radio, KLTY 94.9 FM radio, KLUV 98.7 FM radio

KPLX 99.5 FM, KJKK 100.3 FM radio, KVIL 103.7 FM radio

KRLD 105.3 The Fan FM radio, KMVK 107.5 FM radio (Spanish)

January Book of the Month

How to Bicycle To The Moon to Plant Sunflowers  is the perfect book to kick off our Book of the Month for 2018!

This month's design challenge is to design and build a catapult that will launch a "meteorite" into a model of the moon.  All plans are due THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 19th.  The winners of this challenge will demonstrate their catapults at the Friday Assembly on February 2nd!

Crazy Catapult Challenge Design Plan

January Book of the Month Video

Design Challenge Details

Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter

Read Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter here.

New this Week - January 8, 2018

Curriculum this week

Language Arts in English: 
     Asking & Answering questions about text
     Spelling - Initial /k/ sound - Cat King rule - test Friday 1/12
     Writing - expository text
Math: Personal Financial Literacy
Social Studies: Community Services - visits from Police & Fire Department
                       Walking Field Trip Friday to Library & REC Center

Keeping Healthy

As you know, the flu season is in full swing, so please make sure your child is following some precautions to keep them and your family healthy. Be sure to wash hands when you sneeze & sneeze "in your sleeve" to keep spreading germs to a minimum. Be sure to clean your child's iPad regularly with lysol wipes as well.  Get plenty of sleep & eat right.

If you can donate a bottle of hand sanitizer to our 2nd graders, we would appreciate it!   

Texas Winter Weather

Have you ever heard this:  "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute and it will change!"   Often times it is warm in the morning and cold by noon. District guidelines allow us to go out for recess as long as the temperature (actual OR feels like) is above 36 degrees.  We believe it is important that the kids go outside to move and get fresh air, but it is important that they are adequately dressed for the weather.  You can help us out by being sure that your child has a jacket with them in the winter.  Nurse Kendra sent all staff these guidelines for winter recess:

Cold Weather:

During times of excessive cold weather, the following precautions will be taken for all outdoor physical activity including, but not limited to: recess, physical education classes, and/or outdoor field trips.

• Teachers and coaching staffs should be aware of the wind chill factor and take appropriate precautions during cold weather.
• If a student does not have adequate warm clothing to participate in the outdoor activity, such clothing should be provided or the student excused from the activity.
• Students should not have recess or Physical Education classes outside when temperature or wind chill factor drops below 36 degrees. 
• On days when the temperature is unseasonably cold, outside recess should be restricted to no more than 15 minutes.

Thanks for helping us keep your child safe, warm and enjoying the outdoors!

January Book of the Month

How To Bicycle To The Moon To Plant Sunflowers is the perfect book to kick off our Book of the Month for 2018!! 

Our Cubs are going to LOVE this month's Design Challenge, which is to design and build a catapult that will launch an object of their choice to simulate a meteorite into a model of the moon.  All designs are due January 19th. The winners of this challenge will have the opportunity to demonstrate their catapults at the Friday assembly on February 2nd!

Crazy Catapult Challenge Design Plan

January Book of the Month Video

Design Challenge Details

STEM Competition for Students

The Tonight Show, with Jimmy Fallon, is giving STEM-loving kids a shot to be on his show, thanks to a new STEM competition for kids. Click here for all of the details!

In partnership with Camp Invention, a program run by the non-profit National Inventors Hall of Fame, young inventors are invited to send a video entry showing off their working model or prototype. Students selected as the winning inventor win an all-expenses paid trip to NYC and some airtime on The Tonight Show. Submissions due by February 1st.

Click here to see previous student inventors on The Tonight Show!

Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter

Read Mrs. Blizzard's Parent Newsletter here.