Good morning, Cannon families!

Monday, January 20, 2025, we observe the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King. An American who spent his life advocating for equality in education, career opportunities, justice, and civil rights. We hope you take the day to rest, pay tribute, and reflect. "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." ~Martin Luther King Jr.

As a reminder, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day Monday, January 20 is a student and staff holiday.

Last Wednesday, we welcomed chamber leadership groups from Grapevine and Colleyville to GCISD for Education Day. Grapevine and Colleyville guests started their day at Cannon with a performance from our choir and tours led by our student leadership group, the STEMbassadors! Guests had the opportunity to learn about the district through student panels, presentations from the administration, fine arts performances, and a delicious lunch prepared by our culinary arts students. It was a fantastic day showcasing what it means to work and learn in GCISD. We are incredibly proud of the STEM teaching and learning at Cannon, and our scholars did a phenomenal job representing our STEM mission to the community. Please help me give special thanks to Ms. Rios, our choir director, and Mrs. Hagar for preparing our Cubs so well! #WeAreGCISD

On Friday, we celebrated our Cubs' academic growth at our Middle of Year Glow in the Dark Pep Rally! We have so many glows to celebrate, and our Cubs are ready to continuing growing!

In December, students in grades K-8 completed the mid-year i-Ready Diagnostic for reading and mathematics. Your child’s teacher will share results beginning Wednesday, January 8, through Friday, January 17. This second diagnostic report shows a student’s progress compared to the beginning of the school year. You can learn more about results that your teacher will share by watching the “Understanding i-Ready Diagnostic Data for Families video or by reviewing this two-page resource guide.

As a reminder, the i-Ready Diagnostic helps teachers identify students’ needs in reading and mathematics, personalize their learning, and monitor their progress throughout the year. Want to learn more about i-Ready? Watch this video.

Congratulations to our fourth and fifth grade STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Inductees for Growth Mindset Learner! 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 this Friday.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has released the 2024 Federal Report Cards at the State, District, and Campus level with information as required by federal law. The Federal Report Cards do not contain 2024 State Accountability Rating information.

To view our district and campus federal report cards, please visit our Accountability webpage (https://www.gcisd.net/page/school-report-cards-src) for a link to search on TEA's site or click on the red "Archived State and Federal SRCs" button at the bottom of the page.

This week, we begin STAAR Interim Testing. Our campus will be closed for test security on Thursday, January 23. This means no visitors, including lunch, of any kind on this day. Also, once we begin testing, we can not release students until all students are finished. Please do not schedule appointments on testing days - we will not be able to release your student early. Make sure your scholar arrives at school on time with their charged device, charger, snack, and a water bottle. Thank you for your understanding and help to ensure the best testing environment for your Cub!

This Friday, January 24 we will host our 📽CAN PTA Movie & Meeting Night - 6:30-8:30!

Our January PTA Principal Coffee has a new date! Please join us Friday, January 31, at 9:15 am in our Cannon Cafe; I hope to see you there!

As always, thank you for your parent partnership!

Proud to be your principal,

Dr. Tina Garrett

We are excited to announce an upcoming event designed to help incoming middle school students get a taste of the GCISD middle school experience! On February 5, we will be hosting the GCISD Middle School Day, an engaging opportunity for students to explore the offerings and environment of their future middle schools.

Student Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, February 5

• Time: 10-11:30 a.m. (leave campus at 9:30 a.m.)

• Transportation: Busing will be provided for all participating students

• Lunch: Students will eat when they return to their elementary campuses

What to Expect:

The event will give students a chance to experience life as a middle schooler in GCISD. Students will be bussed or walk to the middle school nearest to their elementary campus to participate in a 6th grade experience, including a group introduction and rotations focused on middle school offerings such as art, band, choir, theatre, and AVID.

Campus-Specific Details:

Each elementary school will have specific middle school assignments for this experience:

• Colleyville Middle School: Bransford, O.C. Taylor, Colleyville Elementary (walk)

• Cross Timbers Middle School: Glenhope and Timberline

• Grapevine Middle School: Cannon, Dove, Silver Lake

• Heritage Middle School: Bear Creek, Grapevine Elementary, Heritage Elementary (walk)

The day will begin with a whole group introduction to provide students with important information about middle school, including course selection and other helpful details. Following this, students will participate in rotations where they will explore different elective options.

Evening Campus-Specific Sessions:

In addition to the daytime event, each middle school will host campus-specific sessions in the evening of February 5 for students and their parents. These sessions will focus on providing additional details about the specific middle school campus, including the electives and programs they offer. You are encouraged to attend the middle school for which you are zoned.

We look forward to helping your child make a smooth transition into middle school and are excited for them to experience the variety of opportunities that await them!

We are thrilled that the cooking class at Cannon Elementary was such a success this fall semester, and now we are finalizing details for our Spring 2025 after-school classes.

GCISD offers the "Play It Safe" program for all students in grades PK-5. The GCISD School Health Advisory Council (SHAC is a volunteer council comprised of parents and community members that reflect the values of the district and community) has previewed and recommended these programs for all GCISD elementary schools. The curriculum and presentations are aligned with district philosophy. This program is a personal safety program and does not address human sexuality. Play It Safe is a child abuse prevention and awareness program that incorporates individual grade level, age-appropriate scripts and movies to teach children how to reduce the risk of sexual and physical abuse, and sexual assault. It teaches them to recognize potentially abusive behavior, provides the tools to respond to threatening situations, and encourages them to report abuse to a trusted adult.

More information about the Play It Safe Program is HERE.

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. We need parents to provide an OPT IN or OPT OUT for their child. Click here to view instructions on how to Opt In/Out from your Family Access. If you cannot complete the form in Skyward, you can complete a Google form HERE instead.

Debemos tener su permiso para que su hijo participe en este programa. Indique SÍ “OPT IN” si desea que su hijo/a participe. Necesitamos que los padres escojan SÍ “OPT IN” o NO “OPT OUT” para su hijo/a. Haga clic aquí para ver instrucciones sobre cómo participar o no en Skyward Family Access.

Monday, January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No school for students and staff.

Thursday, January 23 - STAAR Interim Testing - Closed Campus

*Please ensure your scholar has their charged district device and charger, water bottle, and snack each day of testing.

Friday, January 24 - 🐾Wear your Cannon Cub Spirit Gear! ☮♥🐻

Friday, January 24 -STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (2nd, 3rd, & Applied STEM) - Growth Mindset Learner - 2:35 pm Cannon Amphitheatre

Friday, January 24 - 📽CAN PTA Movie & Meeting Night - 6:30-8:30

*Camp Information Fair Included

January 27-31 - Holocaust Remembrance Week / Upstander Week

Monday, January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Monday, January 27 - Cannon Campus Excellence Committee (CEC) Meeting - 3:30-4:30

Tuesday, January 28 - STAAR Interim Testing - Closed Campus

*Please ensure your scholar has their charged district device and charger, water bottle, and snack each day of testing.

Wednesday, January 29 - STAAR Interim Testing - Closed Campus

*Please ensure your scholar has their charged district device and charger, water bottle, and snack each day of testing.

Thursday, January 30 - Scoliosis Screening 5th- grade girls only

Friday, January 31-☕ PTA Principal Coffee 9:15-10:00

Friday, January 31 -STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (Kinder, 1sr, & Applied STEM) - Growth Mindset Learner - 2:35 pm Cannon Amphitheatre

February 3-7 National School Counseling Week - Show Mrs. Coburn some Love!

Tuesday, February 4 - 👵100th Day of School - Show your age! OR show your Cub PRIDE by wearing Cannon Spirit Gear!

Wednesday, February 5 - Middle School Showcase Night for Parents! 6:00-7:30 pm at all four GCISD Middle Schools: GMS, CMS, HMS, CTMS

Friday, February 7 - Show your 🏈Superbowl Football OR 🐾Cannon Cub spirit with your favorite spirit gear!

Friday, February 7 -STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (4th, 5th, & Music) - Listening with Empathy - 2:35 pm Cannon Amphitheatre

Thursday, February 13- ♥ Lunch with a Loved One Picnic Style! We invite loved ones to join their Cub(s) for lunch. Feel free to bring a blanket to have an indoor picnic style lunch with your Cubbie! Kinder: 10:50-11:20; 1st grade: 11:10-11:40; 2nd grade: 11:30-12:00; 3rd grade:11:50-12:20; 4th grade: 12:20-12:50; 5th grade: 12:50-1:20. All visitors must sign it at the kiosk with their drivers license.

Thursday, February 13 -STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (2nd, 3rd, & Music) - Listening with Empathy - 2:35 pm Cannon Amphitheatre

Thursday, February 13 - ♥4th & 5th grade Valentines Dance 6:30-8:30 pm

Friday, February 14 - Staff and Student Holiday - No School

Monday, February 17 - Staff Professional Development - No School for Students

Tuesday, February 18-21 -⚙ National Engineering Week ⚙

Wednesday, February 19 - Progress Report 3 Posts in Skyward

Progress Reports 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 2024-2025 Progress Report 3”

Friday, February 21 - 🧢$1 Hats off to Learning; 🤠Students may pay $1.00 to wear a hat on this day. All proceeds go to decreasing overall grade level costs for field trip experiences.

Friday, February 21-STEM Habit of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (Kinder, 1st, & Music) - Listening with Empathy - 2:35 pm Cannon Amphitheatre

Friday, February 21 - ⚙Family Engineering Night 6:00-7:30 pm

Thursday, February 27 - 📸 Spring class, special groups, and sibling picture day!

Family- Save the date for our last Emergent Bilingual parent event!

Our Bilingual Services Department is pleased to announce our last event, which is focused on community engagement.

In partnership with TEA, we will host a watch party on Thursday, January 30, 2025, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This event will highlight community participation programs, which provide opportunities for English learners, their parents, and family members to participate in various activities and events under Title III, Part A.

The watch party will take place at the JPS Building, located at 3050 Timberline Dr, Grapevine, TX 76051, Room 001. The event will be conducted via Zoom and available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

Parents can register to attend by scanning the QR code on the flyer or visiting https://bit.ly/3sWe1G0.

The second cohort of Leadership GCISD begins January 21 and spots are filling quickly. This is a semester-long program that gives parents, staff and community members an inside look at our school district. As a member of this program, you’ll have the opportunity to experience engaging presentations, connect with district leaders and gain valuable insights! Check out the spring schedule and apply for Leadership GCISD or other district committee opportunities.

Do you know a GCISD employee who goes above and beyond for students and staff? Nominate them for the Stars of GCISD program! Every nomination is also shared with the nominee’s supervisor and they are entered for a chance to be honored as the district’s Star of GCISD! Submit your nomination now at www.gcisd.net/starsofgcisd.

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. Background checks must be completed each year!

Get a jumpstart and complete your background check today! Apply Online

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