The Cannon Connection
2025-2026 Newsletter for Cannon Elementary Families
January 18-24, 2026
Good morning Cannon families,
A huge thank you to all the families who joined us for our PTA meeting and Movie Night! Seeing our cafe filled with students, parents, and staff was a wonderful reminder of how strong our school community truly is. These events aren’t just about meetings or movies; they are about building the friendships and support systems that make Cannon a special place to learn and grow.
Just a reminder that there is no school on Monday, January 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We hope you enjoy the long weekend with your family and find a meaningful way to honor Dr. King’s vision of equality and community. In our classrooms, our staff do the vital work of teaching our students how to walk in his footsteps—practicing empathy, choosing kindness, and building a "Beloved Community" every single day.
Congratulations to our 4th and 5th 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 Friday, January 23rd.
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!
This week, we welcome the Texas Mobile STEM Lab, which provides on the go cross-curricular STEM experiences. This opportunity is made possible by a grant awarded to us by the state. We are thrilled to be a recipient of this STEMtastic learning opportunity for both our scholars and staff! These activities will foster STEM thinking to our Kindergarten through 5th grade students, and allow our scholars to engage with the engineering design process. By way of an awarded grant, Learning Undefeated will provide the TEKS-aligned materials needed for all of our scholars to complete engineering design challenges focused on brainstorming, designing, and testing. All activities focus on students designing solutions to problems and allow for collaboration and exploration of the content. This amazing opportunity also provides job embedded professional development for our staff members to grow their STEM teaching skills. Please understand that only students with completed permission slips will participate in this STEMtastic experience.
Unfortunately, we are seeing an uptick in "bathroom bandit" behavior again. To keep our school a clean and comfortable place for everyone, we need your partnership. We have recently seen an uptick in concerning behavior in our student restrooms.
We take great pride in our school building, and we want to show extra appreciation for our beloved Mr. Jose, who works tirelessly to keep our hallways and classrooms shining. To support him and maintain a healthy environment for all students, please have a conversation with your child this weekend regarding restroom etiquette:
Hygiene First: Remind your child of the importance of thorough hand-washing with soap.
Respect the Space: Discuss the importance of using restrooms for their intended purpose and keeping the floors and stalls clean.
Support Mr. Jose: Explain that when we make a mess, it creates a much harder job for our wonderful custodial staff.
By working together, we can ensure our school remains a clean, safe, and respectful environment for every student. Thank you for being such an integral part of our school community. Let’s make 2026 a year of kindness, curiosity, and growth!
Proud to be your principal,
Dr. Tina Garrett
#BeCannonProud ☮️💗🐻
Community Connection
I hope you’re off to a wonderful start to the new year! My name is Katelyn Ashley, and I am the Outdoor Programs Coordinator for the City of Grapevine Parks and Recreation Department. Grapevine Parks and Recreation is excited to announce a Coloring Contest taking place this January in celebration of our upcoming dinosaur event, Prehistoric Park, happening this March.
Prehistoric Park Coloring Contest Details:
Participants will print and color a Megalosaurus coloring page and submit a photo of their completed artwork. One winning design will be selected and transformed into a real animatronic dinosaur, painted to match the artwork and displayed at Prehistoric Park at Meadowmere Park from March 14–29. The winner will also receive free one-day admission to visit the park and see their dinosaur in person.
All entries must be submitted by February 2, 2026. Every participant will also be entered into a drawing to win a ticket to Prehistoric Park.
Additional information about Prehistoric Park and the coloring contest can be found at GoGrapevine.com/PrehistoricPark.
We would love your help sharing this exciting and creative opportunity with your students. Thank you for helping us inspire some amazing dinosaur creations—we can’t wait to see what they design!
Best,
Katelyn Ashley
Outdoor Programs Coordinator
Coburn's Counselor Corner
This month is all about PERSEVERANCE. We are talking about pushing ourselves through challenges and obstacles. Everyone experiences challenges in their lives. We all have moments when we feel like we can’t do it or we want to give up on a big task. It is essential to develop tools that aid us in navigating those challenging moments. How might you practice perseverance as a family this month?
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.
Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - District Closed - Student & Staff Holiday
January 19: Confederate Heroes Day / Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tuesday, January 20-23 - TEA STEM Mobile Lab Visit for all Kindergarten - 5th grade Cubs!
Thursday, January 22 - 5th Grade Science STAAR Interim Testing; Campus Closed to all visitors; Please make every effort to have your scholar arrive on time (7:35 am), and do not schedule appointments on STAAR testing days.
Friday, January 23 - 🐾Cannon Spirit Gear Friday - Wear your Cub Gear!
Friday, January 23 - STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (2nd & 3rd, STEM) - Growth Mindset Learner
January 26-30 - Holocaust Remembrance Week
Monday, January 26 - Cannon Campus Excellence Committee Meeting 3:30-4:30
Tuesday, January 27 - 3rd-5th Grade Reading Language Arts STAAR Interim Testing; Campus Closed to all visitors; Please make every effort to have your scholar arrive on time (7:35 am), and do not schedule appointments on STAAR testing days.
January 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Thursday, January 29 - 3rd-5th Grade Math STAAR Interim Testing; Campus Closed to all visitors; Please make every effort to have your scholar arrive on time (7:35 am), and do not schedule appointments on STAAR testing days.
Friday, January 30 - 🐾Cannon Spirit Gear Friday - Wear your Cub Gear!
Friday, January 30 - STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (PreK, Kindergarten, & 1st, STEM) -Growth Mindset Learner
Monday, February 2 - Texas Military Heroes Day and the 100th Day of School
Tuesday, February 3 - 3rd & 4th Reading Language Arts STAAR field test - Closed Campus for Test Security; Please make every effort to have your scholar arrive on time (7:35 am), and do not schedule appointments on STAAR testing days.
Wednesday, February 4 - 5th to MS Parent Transition Event (see below for more details)
Thursday, February 5 - 5th to MS Student field trip expereince
Friday, February 6 - 🐾Cannon Spirit Gear Friday - Wear your Cub Gear! 🕵🏼♀️ Hats Off to Learning! $1 wear a hat - All proceeds go toward reducing field trip costs.
Friday, February 6 - STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (4th & 5th , Music) -Listening with Empathy
Friday, February 6 -☃️PTA Snowball Valentines Dance (4th & 5th Graders) 6:30-8:30 -More information coming soon.
Friday, February 13 -❤️ Lunch with a Loved One Picnic Style
Friday, February 13 - 🐾Cannon Spirit Gear Friday - Wear your Cub Gear!
Friday, February 13- STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (2nd & 3rd , Music) -Listening with Empathy
Monday, February 16 - Staff Professional Development Day- No School for Students
Friday, February 20 - 🐾Cannon Spirit Gear Friday - Wear your Cub Gear!
Friday, February 20- STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (PreK, Kindergarten, & 1st grade, Music) -Listening with Empathy
February 23 - 27 - ⚙️National Engineering Week
Friday, February 27- 🐾Cannon Spirit Gear Friday - Wear your Cub Gear!
Friday, February 27- STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (4th & 5th grade, Art) - Being Persistent
Friday, February 27 - Family Engineering Night - 6:00-7:15
Do you or someone you know want to be a sponsor?
Cink here -
Community Invited to Review, Provide Feedback about 2026-2027 Mathematics Instructional Materials
GCISD is reviewing mathematics instructional materials for implementation in the 2026-2027 school year. All stakeholders may preview state-approved resources and provide feedback until January 31, 2026. Instructions on how to view the resources online are included on the GCISD Mathematics webpage. Print versions of the materials can be reviewed in person at the GCISD Administration Building, located at 3051 Ira E. Woods in Grapevine, TX 76051, on the following dates:
Feedback can be provided using this Feedback Form. For questions, please reach out to GCISD Director of Mathematics emily.powell@gcisd.net.
Tuition-Based Pre-K Application Period Opens in January
Applications for GCISD’s tuition-based pre-kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year will be available on the following dates:
Tuesday, January 13-Friday, January 30, for PK-4 (pre-kindergarten four year olds)
Tuesday, January 20-Friday February 6, for PK-3 (pre-kindergarten for three year olds)
GCISD’s pre-k program also offers limited open enrollment to:
Children of employees of the cities of Grapevine and Colleyville and children GCISD employees
Grandchildren of GCISD residents
Children who reside within the city boundaries of Grapevine or Colleyville but not within the boundaries of GCISD
For more information on tuition, pre-k qualifications and to apply, visit www.gcisd.net/page/pre-kindergarten.
Review the 2025-2026 Student Code of Conduct, Parent Handbook
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.
Cannon Elementary: A GCISD STEM School
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