The Cannon Connection
2025-2026 Newsletter for Cannon Elementary Families
September 7-13, 2025
Good morning Cannon families,
We had a fantastic turnout for our first Principal Coffee Chat! Thank you to all the parents who came. It was wonderful to see so many of you and have such a productive conversation about the school year ahead. Your insights, feedback, and questions are incredibly valuable, and we're excited to continue building a strong school community together.
We plan to hold these chats regularly throughout the year to keep the conversation going. If you couldn't make it this time, we hope to see you at the next one! Thanks again for your support and partnership.
Please help me give A BIG THANK YOU you to our parent and student volunteers that came out and helped raise over $1,000 for our Cannon PTA! There are so many ways to engage our school community. See below for more information regarding the PTA Silent Auction, Business Sponsorships, and upcoming Grant Writing Workshops!
This week, our school community will observe Patriot Day on September 11th. This is a day of national remembrance for the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the terrorist attacks of 2001.
It is also a day to honor and celebrate the brave first responders—police officers, firefighters, and medical personnel—who demonstrated extraordinary courage and selflessness on that day and continue to serve our communities every day.
In our classrooms, we will approach this day with age-appropriate lessons that focus on the values of compassion, heroism, and service to others. Our goal is to help our students understand the importance of remembering history while celebrating the incredible spirit of unity and resilience that emerged in the wake of tragedy.
We encourage you to take a moment with your family to reflect on the importance of community and to express gratitude to the first responders and service members who keep us safe.
Thank you for your partnership in teaching our children these important lessons.
This week, we are excited to start our school's STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Awards Ceremonies! Our goal is to go beyond just learning facts and formulas, and instead help students develop the thinking skills and creative problem-solving approaches that are at the heart of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) Education.
These STEM Habits of Mind or STEM Fluency Skills include skills like persisting through challenges, thinking flexibly, and asking meaningful questions—all of which are essential for success in STEM careers and beyond.
To celebrate our students who exemplify these crucial skills, we will be holding our annual Hall of Fame Inductee Awards Ceremonies. These ceremonies will recognize students from each grade level who have consistently demonstrated a commitment to these habits. We look forward to honoring their hard work and dedication.
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!
Proud to be your principal,
Dr. Tina Garrett
#BeCannonProud ☮️💗🐻
Have you been eyeing those reserved parking spots or wishing you could have front row seats to your student's end of year ceremony? Now is your chance to snag those and more! With the help of some of our generous teachers and staff, the Cannon PTA is auctioning off some amazing opportunities for students and parents alike! Bidding starts at $10 for items like picnic lunch with a teacher. Check it out here: https://go.rallyup.com/cannonpta/
Exciting news! Do you or someone you know own a local business and want to partner with the Cannon PTA? We have sponsorship opportunities! If you sign up to be a sponsor between now and September 30, depending on the sponsorship level, your business’ logo will be included on our STEM-A-Palooza t-shirt! Join us here!
Important Reminder: Responsible Use of GCISD Accounts
Parents and Students,
GCISD Technology Services noticed an increase in non-instructional copyrighted files (music, movies) on student Google Drive accounts. This violates district policy and federal copyright law. Our Acceptable Use and Intellectual Property policies, along with the Student Code of Conduct, prohibit such activity.
Violations can lead to serious consequences for students, including loss of computer privileges and potential legal penalties (fines from $750-$150,000 and criminal charges). "Fair Use" does not apply to personal entertainment.
Please speak with your child and ensure they immediately delete any non-instructional, copyrighted materials from their GCISD Google Drive. Your cooperation helps us maintain a safe and compliant digital environment. Continued violations will result in disciplinary action.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
PARENT ACTION NEEDED - Senate Bill 12 Requirements and Updates
Senate Bill 12, passed during the 89th Legislative session, requires school districts to obtain parent permission for student club participation as well as health services and school-based counseling and support services. It also contains requirements for sharing instructional plans and the prohibition of assisting with social transitioning. The new laws go into effect for the 2025-2026 school year. Families should review the information below and log into their student’s Skyward account to complete the pop-up permission forms.
Student Club Participation
SB 12 requires that parents give written consent before a student may participate in a student club authorized or sponsored by the school. School districts may not authorize or sponsor a student club based on sexual orientation or gender identity. All clubs authorized or sponsored by GCISD will be in accordance with all applicable laws and policies.
If a parent does not give general permission, they will be contacted about each individual club or activity for which their student expresses interest in attending. A paper permission form will be sent home and must be completed and returned to the school prior to the student being permitted to attend or participate in any club meetings.
Health Services
SB 12 requires that staff must have parent consent before providing a student with any care, unless it is a life-threatening emergency. This includes:
Assessment of minor injuries and providing basic first aid (like a scraped knee)
Assessment and management of common health issues and illnesses
Checking vital signs such as temperature, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and pulse oximetry
Monitoring chronic conditions and implementing care plans as appropriate
Provide general health teaching to students on topics such as hygiene, illness prevention, and healthy habits
Proving state mandated screenings
Administration of epinephrine delivery system for anaphylactic reaction or an opioid antagonist, such as Narcan or naloxone, in accordance with TEC and GCISD Board Policy
Application of topical preparations such as Aloe Vera gel, first aid spray, Benadryl cream, etc.
Additionally, you will find a full list of detailed services provided by GCISD campus nurses within the form in Skyward.
School-Based Counseling Services and Support Services
SB 12 requires that parents give permission prior to student participation in school-based counseling and support services. This includes setting academic goals and creating academic plans, guidance lessons, developing social well-being, and access to our character education curriculum, known as Character Strong.
What Support May Include:
Setting academic goals and creating academic plans
Developing social well-being
Checking in about emotions, challenges, or concerns
Learning coping strategies and managing stress
Addressing school-related issues (e.g., attendance, test anxiety, behavior, peer conflict)
Building friendship and conflict-resolution skills
Guidance lessons utilizing the Character Strong program
Participating in short-term individual or group sessions on school-related topics*
*Parents/guardians will be notified and asked for additional consent if individual or group counseling is recommended.
School Counseling Does Not Include:
Therapy or long-term mental health counseling
Assistance with social transitioning
Sharing Instructional Plans
SB 12 requires that teachers share an instructional plan or course syllabus with parents at the start of each semester. Teachers will email parents directly using email addresses provided in Skyward.
Prohibition of Assisting with Social Transitioning
SB 12 prohibits school district employees from assisting students with social transitioning, which includes helping them change their name, pronouns, or other expressions of gender identity that differ from their biological sex at birth.
Any applicable GCISD policies will be amended to be in alignment with state law.
Congratulations to your student on completing the i-Ready Diagnostic!
What is the i-Ready Diagnostic?
The Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that identifies students’ strengths and opportunities for growth.
That information helps determine how to best support their learning. Watch this video to learn more.
How can I access my student’s results?
Log in to your student’s i-Ready Dashboard through their Classlink icon and then click on the i-Ready icon.
Click on the For Families dropdown and select the For Families report.
Enter your District’s Report Code 9T1CRB.
Important Information from Nutrition Services
Welcome back! Nutrition Services is excited about the upcoming school year. School Menus, the district charge policy, menu item pricing and more can be found on the department website here.
More information including menu item nutritional information and allergens may be viewed through the nutrition services website or by downloading the Meal Viewer app through the apple or android store.
In accordance with program guidelines, the Free and Reduced application will be available online as part of skyward registration. The free and reduced application should be filled out electronically at https://www.nlappscloud.com/. For those parents that still would like to complete a paper application, they may download an application on the website or stop by the Nutrition Services office at 5800 Colleyville Blvd.
Procedure for Students with Unpaid Meal Charges
Parents/Guardians shall monitor their student’s school meal account to ensure that they always have a positive balance. In the event that a student does not have a positive balance, the student may charge up to 5 meals to their account. Only reimbursable meals may be charged. A la carte items may not be charged. Communication about a negative meal balance will be sent to parents/guardians via email/text. Students who have exceeded the 5 charged meal limit, will be offered an alternative meal that will be charged to the student’s account.
If you have questions about the Nutrition Services program, please call ext. 5618 or email child.nutrition@gcisd.net.
Meal Prices
Pk-8 Breakfast - $1.85
High School Breakfast - $2.05
Reduced Breakfast* - $0.00
Adult/Guest Breakfast - $3.25
Elem. Lunch - $3.10
Middle Lunch - $3.30
High School Lunch - $4.00
Reduced Lunch* - $0.40, after Sept. 1, No cost
Adult/Guest Lunch - $4.75
*(Reduced priced at GHS, CHHS, Bridges is $0.30 breakfast, $0.40 lunch)
Find How-Tos and Resources for Rooms, GCISD’s Two-Way Communication Tool
The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to ensure you are receiving all updates and information from your campus, teachers, or extracurriculars. If your student’s teacher uses Rooms as a communication tool, all messages and announcements can be found right in the GCISD mobile app, alongside other district and campus news and events! You can download this app on both Apple and Android devices.
Click here for a step-by-step sign up guide. If you have not yet received a text message or an email inviting you to sign up, your student is not yet assigned to a class within Rooms. Teachers are still in the process of setting up those groups, so you could expect to get notifications over the first few weeks if Rooms will be utilized for two-way communication.
Finally, click here if you need assistance troubleshooting any issues or email info@gcisd.net.
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