The Cannon Connection

Good morning, Cannon families,

Happy Daylight Savings - Don't forget to Spring your CLOCKS Forward!

We had an absolute blast last week celebrating the joy of reading! From wacky socks to future careers, our Cubs showed up with so much creativity and spirit for our Dress Up Days. It was wonderful to see the hallways filled with such excitement for literacy. Thank you, parents, for your incredible participation and for helping your children get into character each day.

We have some very "egg-citing" news to share from the first-grade wing! Our long-awaited spring arrivals have finally made their debut. After weeks of careful observation and counting down the days, our first-grade chicks have officially hatched! Our classrooms are now filled with tiny peeps and a lot of wonder. Our young scientists are doing a wonderful job observing their new feathered friends and learning all about the life cycle firsthand. Welcome to the world, little ones!

Last week, our 2nd through 4th-grade Cubs took an important step in becoming community leaders! We were honored to host a Safety Smart Rally, game-show style, presented by Tarrant County 9-1-1.

Our scholars learned vital skills on how to handle emergencies and the proper way to use 9-1-1. We are so proud of how engaged they were—our Cubs are officially ready to help and support our community to keep everyone safe.

During our recent rally, students practiced:

• How and when to call for help.
• Providing important location details to dispatchers.
• Staying calm during an emergency.

Ask your scholar tonight what they learned about being "Safety Smart!"

We capped off our exciting week with a "cool" night at the rink! A huge thank you to all the families who joined us for our PTA Spirit Night to cheer on the Brahmas Hockey team. It was wonderful to see Cubs in the stands showing their school spirit and enjoying some fast-paced fun together. Thank you for supporting our school and making our community stronger (and louder!) one goal at a time!

Congratulations to our 2nd and 3rd grade STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Inductees for Being Persistent!

STEM teaching and learning is an instructional approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Through STEM education practices, students develop key skills including: problem solving, creativity, and critical analysis. We are PROUD to honor our scholars for exhibiting STEM thinking, and we can't wait to celebrate our next group of inductees Thursday, March 12th for Being Persistent.

If your scholar is selected, your teacher will reach out to you with ceremony details about the specific date and time for each grade's ceremony. We hope you will join us in celebrating our young innovators!

It's going to be another busy week at Cannon, make sure to check out all the details in our save the dates below.

As we move into a busy spring season, we want to ensure every Cub gets home safely and on time! When reporting a transportation change to your child’s teacher and the front office, please remember to also notify EDP (Extended Day Program) and your child’s daycare provider. Our teachers and office staff do a great job coordinating, but notifying these outside programs directly ensures there is no confusion at the end of the day. Thank you for helping us keep our dismissal process safe and efficient!

There is a special kind of energy on campus this time of year. As the weather warms up, we are seeing 'growth' in every corner of our school—quite literally in our first-grade classrooms with our new baby chicks!

From the creativity shown during Read Across America week to the community spirit at our Brahmas Hockey night, it is clear that our scholars are thriving. As we head into this new season, we remain focused on finishing the year strong, staying 'Safety Smart,' and celebrating every milestone along the way. Thank you for being such an integral part of our pride!

As a reminder, Friday, March 13 is an Instructional Planning Day for Teachers, and NO SCHOOL for students. The following week March 16-20 is our🌞Spring Break, and the campus will be closed!

Enjoy a wonderful Spring Break Holiday with your family! Your next Principal Newsletter will be shared Sunday, March 22nd.

Proud to be your principal,

Dr. Tina Garrett

#BeCannonProud ☮️💗🐻

We want to keep our students’ brains active and engaged over the upcoming break! Your child will be bringing home, or has already brought home, a special Spring Break Reading Tracker. We are challenging every student to complete ten 20-minute reading sessions while school is out.

How to Participate:

• The Goal: Read for at least 20 minutes, ten different times during Spring Break.

• What Counts: Independent reading, audiobooks, and, especially for our younger learners, being read to by an adult or sibling all count!

• Track Your Progress: Each time your child completes a 20-minute session, they should color in one book on their graphic organizer.

• Earn a Prize: Any student who completes all 10 sections (200 minutes total) and returns their signed paper to Mrs. Sloan when we head back to school will receive a special prize!

Whether it’s reading a favorite book at home, listening to an audiobook in the car, or sharing a bedtime story, every 20-minute block gets them closer to their reward. We can’t wait to see those colorful trackers when we return!

Happy Reading

PDSES $1,500 Grant for Families Opens April 1st!

The Parent-Directed Special Education Services (PDSES) program provides a one-time $1,500 online grant to parents/guardians of eligible students. Parents/guardians who apply can receive an online account where they shop for educational goods and services.

To be eligible for a PDSES grant, students must:

• be currently enrolled in a Texas public school (grades EE-12th),
• receive special education services through an individualized education program (IEP), and
• have NOT received a PDSES grant in the past – PDSES is a one-time only grant.

This school year’s PDSES application opens on April 1, 2026, at 8:00am CST and closes on April 30, 2026, at 5:00pm CST.

For more information about the PDSES program, visit: PDSES.TEA.TEXAS.GOV.

Outreach resources can also be found in multiple languages on the PDSES Outreach Materials webpage.

Guidance

HONESTY is the character trait we are learning about in February. We are talking about it being truthful in what you say and do. Practicing Honesty helps strengthen our relationships and reduce stress. At home you can discuss the importance of being Honest and work together to create a family Honesty pledge. How can you celebrate HONESTY as a family this month?

Play It Safe - Rescheduled for March 2

We must have your permission in order for your child to participate in this program. Please indicate OPT IN if you would like your child to participate. Parents/guardians must provide an OPT IN or OPT OUT for their child on the form linked below.

Play It Safe Opt-In/Opt-Out Form

Contact Mrs. Coburn

If you would like Mrs. Coburn to contact you or check on your student, you can complete the following link: Request to Talk to Counselor

Please be advised: If you make any changes to your Skyward form for Senate Bill 12 (Counseling Services, Health Services, or Club Participation), you must notify the campus support staff either verbally or via email. The Skyward system does not alert staff of resubmissions, so your communication is necessary to ensure your changes are received.

March - Texas History Month:

• In honor of those Texans who helped shape the history of the State of Texas and in recognition of events throughout Texas' History

Monday, March 9 - Cannon's Got Talent Show Participation Forms Due; Make sure to sign up below-

Monday, March 9 - First Grade Musical Performance: 2:20 Cannon Cafe

Tuesday, March 10 - International Day of Awesomeness

Wednesday, March 11 - Special Olympics Track Meet

Mathematics Telescoping Testing Registration (In Skyward) March 11 at 8:00 AM - March 25 at NOON.

March 11 and March 12 - Growth and Development Presentations: Girls (4th/5th) 3/11, Boys (5th) 3/12

Thursday, March 12 - STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (PreK, Kinder, 1st, & Art) -Being Persistent

Friday, March 13 - No School for Students/ Instructional Planning for Staff

March 16-20 🌞Spring Break!

Monday, March 23 - All Cubs Return - 7:20 Arrival!

Monday, March 23 - 2026-2027 Skyward Registration Opens for New & Returning Students

March 23-May 1 - Cannon Transfer Window Open

Monday, March 23 - Cannon's Got Talent Show Auditions

Wednesday, March 25 - Report Card 3 Posts in Skyward; Report Cards will be available in Skyward this week. To view your student’s progress report, please follow the instructions below:

• Visit www.GCISD.net and click “Quick Links” at the top of the page

• Click the Skyward icon and the “Log In Here” box in the middle of the page

• Click “Progress Reports/Report Cards” on the menu to the left

• Choose 2025-2026 Report Card 3”

Wednesday, March 25 - Cannon's Got Talent Show Dress Rehearsal

Friday, March 27 - Cannon's Got Talent Show

Do you know a family interested in a transfer to Cannon? Help spread the word about our upcoming campus tour dates.

Do you know a former Cannon Cub that is graduating high school this year? If so, spread the word about our CAN PTA Scholarship opportunity!

Must be a graduating senior from GCISD. Must plan to enroll full time in an accredited college, university or technical institution the following summer or fall after graduation. Multiple campuses in our district participate and you will find opportunities to apply for scholarships from any campus that you attended during your time in GCISD but you are limited to applying for one elementary school, one middle school and one high school regardless of the number of different schools you may have attended.

Link to Application:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfIdaXjcYQM822YtBuzdt4QLqk1nMZOLJHDClKz1ksA1XIF4w/viewform

https://cannonpta.membershiptoolkit.com/store/22174

Talent Show & PTA Meeting — Mark Your Calendars! Join us for one of our favorite nights of the year—Cannon’s Annual Talent Show—on March 27 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM! Our talented students will take the stage to showcase their creativity, confidence, and hard work, and it’s always an evening full of fun and school spirit. More information below...

Before the show begins, we will also hold our General PTA Member Meeting, which will include the election of our new board members for the upcoming year. We encourage all members to arrive early, participate in this important process, and then stay to cheer on our amazing performers. We hope to see you there for a night of leadership, talent, and community celebration!

The talent show is open to Cannon Elementary students in grades PreK-5

● Soloists and groups are eligible.

● Students may perform in only ONE act.

● One entry per group must be submitted no later than Monday, March 9th. Entry form completion will include selecting an audition time. No walk-ins will be accepted on the day of auditions.

● If you are sick or absent from school on the day of your performance, you may not take part in the Talent Show that night.

● Rated G, please! Lyrics, costumes, and performances should comply with the district dress code of conduct and be appropriate for al elementary school age groups. You are expected to review the lyrics and content of the songs submitted.

● Single acts are limited to a maximum of 1 minute and 30 seconds, and group acts can be 2 minutes.

● Lip-syncing is permitted ONLY if the act includes choreographed dance steps or lip-synching is incorporated into a skit.

● SINGERS: We want YOU to be heard so please make every effort to avoid singing over an artist’s voice for your performance. A karaoke digital file is recommended.

● Music must be included in the shared Talent Show Google Drive. Include specific start and end times. We play all songs from a single computer; We cannot play off another device, YouTube, or the Internet.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Participant Entry Form Deadline: Monday, March 9th, 2026

Show and MC Auditions: Monday, March 23, 4:30-6:30 Cafe (At least one parent must be raptored and present with the auditioning act.)

DRESS Rehearsal: Wednesday, March 25, from 4:30-6:30 Cafe (At least one parent must be raptored and present with the auditioning act.)

Cannon’s Got Talent Show: Friday, March 27 from 6:30-8:30 (6:00-6:30 General PTA Meeting)

Cink here -

GCISD is exploring expanding the Extended Learning program to offer more services and opportunities for students. Your feedback through our Extended Learning Survey will help us design offerings that truly meet the needs and interests of GCISD families through meaningful enrichment opportunities and flexible learning experiences.

Additionally, GCISD is exploring the development of an enrichment program designed to serve homeschool families in the DFW metroplex. Please help us get the word out by sharing this Community Feedback Form with any families you know whose children do not currently attend a GCISD school.

Parents, looking for exciting ways to keep your child engaged this summer? We’ve got you covered! Our Extended Learning Mini Camps offer something for everyone — from building basketball and volleyball skills to exploring science through a STAR WARS™ lens (yes, they’ll even create their own light saber!), diving into hands-on art, becoming a comic strip whiz, or learning the basics of coding.

Give your child a summer full of creativity, movement, innovation, and FUN. Spots fill fast — don’t miss out on the excitement! 🚀✨

Reading Refresh Camp is specially designed for students with dyslexia and focuses on maintaining and strengthening literacy skills over the summer. Through structured, research-based instruction in a supportive small-group setting, students will build foundational reading skills, boost confidence, and continue their growth as readers. Our goal is to help every camper feel successful, capable, and excited about learning. 🌟

GCISD Class of 2026! We know your "to-do" list is likely miles long right now—between cap and gown orders, final projects, and trying to soak in every last minute of high school. But we have one item that deserves a spot at the very top of your list: The GCEF Student Scholarships.

These awards aren't just for one type of student. Whether you’re heading to a four-year university or pursuing CTE (Career and Technical Education) opportunities, there is a scholarship designed with your goals in mind.

These 19 scholarships vary in dollar amounts, academic interests, and personal goals. No matter your "thing," there’s likely a match for you.

Scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors across the district. For specific requirements on GPA, community service, or area of study, be sure to review the “Eligibility Section” within the application portal.

Pro-Tip: Don’t count yourself out! With 19 different opportunities tied to one form, your chances are better than you think.

The Clock is Ticking ⏰

The deadline to submit your application is March 15. While that might feel like plenty of time, Spring Break has a way of sneaking up on us. Don't leave free money on the table—get your application in early so you can get back to enjoying your senior year.

Application Form

GCISD is having a successful start to the school year! Please help us keep that momentum going by taking a moment to review with your students the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct and 2025-2026 Student Parent-Handbook, which includes dress code and updates from the 89th Legislative Session.

We welcome our parents to engage in our events throughout this school year! Any parent attending or supporting an event during the school day must have a cleared background check. That includes field trips, holiday parties, field day, and volunteering on campus during the school day!

Background checks must be completed each year! Click here to learn more: GCISD Volunteer Page

Email: tina.garrett@gcisd.net
Website: https://can.gcisd.net/
Location: Cannon Elementary School, West College Street, Grapevine, TX, USA
Phone: 817-251-5680
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cannonSTEM/
Twitter: @canSTEM

Instagram: @CannonSTEM