Goshen Creek Elementary

Dear Goshen Creek Elementary Parents and Guardians,

I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for all that you do, especially for sharing your blessings with us every day. Your overwhelming support for our Big Kahuna Fundraiser is truly appreciated. All funds raised will go towards enhancing our playground, and while I do not have the final totals yet, I will share that information as soon as it is available.

Thank you also for prioritizing family reading time. At Goshen, we are dedicated to fostering a culture among staff, students, and community members that cherishes reading. We ask for your continued support in making reading fun! Our teachers and staff love to reward hard work, and students earn PAW Points for their efforts in reading, perseverance, and being attentive listeners. We firmly believe that hard work pays off, and we appreciate everyone’s efforts to ensure our students are prompt, prepared, and ready for school each day.

I would also like to thank you in advance for your attention to the details in this newsletter. We have several exciting events coming up at Goshen, including:

• Homecoming Spirit Week: September 29 - October 3, 2025
• Go RED for DYSLEXIA Day - Wear Red: October 8, 2025
• Goshen Creek Elementary Fall Picture Day: Thursday, October 9, 2025
• Big Kahuna Fundraiser - All Sales are DUE for Final Submission: October 9, 2025
• Student Fall Break - No School: October 10th - 14th
• Columbus Day & Parent Conferences: October 14th, 2025
• Coffee and Conversation with the Principal: October 14, 2025
• Student Progress Reports: October 16, 2025
• Unity Day - Wear Orange: October 22, 2025
• Goshen Creek Elementary KISS (Kids Invite Someone Special) Breakfast: October 22nd & 23rd
• Goshen Elementary Fall Book Fair: October 20th - October 24th
• Bus Safety Week: October 20th - 24th, 2025
• Red Ribbon Week: October 27th - 31st
• End of the Second Six Weeks - All Grades Due: October 30, 2025
• 2nd Six Weeks Report Cards Go Home: November 6, 2025
• 2nd Six Weeks Celebration Assembly: November 7, 2025
• Choose Love Ambassadors & Sharp Pines - Lunch with Loved Ones: November 7, 2025

In the community:

• Homecoming: Friday, October 3, 2025 at SHS Stadium
• Opportunity to Volunteer Homecoming Varsity Concession Stand on October 3rd
• PTA Boo Grams Sales: October 15tth - 24th
• Boo Gram Delivery: October 30th
• Goshen Creek Elementary PTA Boo Bash: Thursday, October 30, 2025
• SISD School Board Meeting: Monday, October 27, 2025
• No School for Students/ Staff PD Day on October 31st, 2025

Lastly, we appreciate your continued partnership in ensuring your child arrives at school by 7:30 AM for morning assembly. We love to start our day together the Goshen way & help us unite as a family.

As always, my door is open, and I am here to support you every step of the way to help ensure all students grow to their highest potential.

Warm regards,

Wendy Ashley Principal Goshen Creek Elementary

Wendy Ashley, GCES Principal Email: WAshley@Springtownisd.net

Amy Baker, GCES AP Email: ABaker@Springtownisd.net

Katie Orsburn, GCES AP Email: KOrsburn@Springtownisd.net

Chrystal Sisk, GCES Counselor Email: ChSisk@Springtownisd.net

Officer Dews, GCES SRO Email: NDews@Springtownisd.net

Denisse Corona, GCES Principal Secretary Email: DCoronaIbarra@Springtownisd.net

Nikki Wiens, GCES Receptionist Email: NWiens@Springtownisd.net

Jody Atchley, GCES PEIMS Clerk Email: JAtchley@Springtownisd.net

Ashley Hall, GCES Nurse Email: AHall@Springtownisd.net

🎉 Parents, let's make our Goshen staff members feel appreciated! If a certain staff member has gone above and beyond to brighten your child's day, let them know! 💖 Complete this form, and our admin team will deliver treats to share the love. Who deserves a shout-out? 👏 #GoshenFamily

Here are some easy ways you can help create a love for numbers & build strong math minds at home by using everyday math around them:

• Cooking Together
  Use measuring cups and spoons to explore fractions and volume. Ask questions like, “If we need 1/2 cup and we only have 1/4 cup, how many do we need to fill it?”

• Grocery Shopping Math
  Let kids compare prices, count items, or calculate total costs. For example, “If one apple costs 75 cents, how much for 4 apples?” or “Which is the better deal?”

• Time-Telling Practice
  Use clocks around the house to practice telling time, calculating elapsed time, or planning schedules. Ask, “If your show starts at 4:30 and lasts 45 minutes, what time does it end?”

• Shape and Pattern Hunt
  Encourage kids to find shapes and patterns at home or outside—on tiles, walls, or in nature. Discuss properties like sides, corners, and symmetry.

• Money Counting and Budgeting
  Give kids real or play money to practice counting, making change, or setting a small budget for a family outing or toy purchase.

• Number Recognition and Counting Games
  Use everyday objects like toys, buttons, or snacks to practice identifying numbers and counting aloud. Play simple games like “What number comes next?” to build counting-on skills and number sequence understanding.

These everyday activities make math meaningful and fun while strengthening critical thinking, problem solving, independence, as well as a love for math. Math is all around us and there are so many opportunities to grow.

Dear Families,

This October, we invite you and your child to join our school-wide Pumpkin Patch by creating a colorful paper pumpkin together at home to send back to school! Teachers will send paper home with students on Monday, October 6th and we ask that you return it by October 20, 2025.

Here’s how to participate:

1. Decorate Your Pumpkin: Use the pumpkin outline below to color, decorate, and personalize your pumpkin any way you like! You can use crayons, markers, stickers, glitter, or anything creative.

2. Cut It Out: Carefully cut out your decorated pumpkin along the solid lines.

3. Write Your Child’s Name: On the back of the pumpkin, please write your child’s full name and their teacher’s name.

4. Send It Back: Return your decorated and cut-out pumpkin to school by Monday, October 20, 2025.

Your Back-to-School Guide is here and ready for you! It's packed with everything you need to get your child’s school year off to a smooth start—school supplies, start times, and more!

Find your child’s campus page, check out the details, and make sure you're ready for the first day.

Click here to view: bit.ly/sisdbacktoschool

We can't wait to welcome everyone back on August 13th—it’s going to be a great year! #PorcupineFamily #BackToSchool

Health Services
Nurses now need parent permission to provide care such as first aid, health checks, or screenings (unless it's an emergency).
Without opting in on this form, your student will not be able to visit the nurse—even for something like a Band-Aid

These forms are required for the 2025–2026 school year, and it’s very important that they are filled out as soon as possible.

"Opting in" will help us ensure we can continue supporting your student in every way possible

𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 & 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓-𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔!

It’s time to submit your application for free or reduced-price school meals. A new application is required every school year—even if your student received benefits last year.

Apply online at www.schoolcafe.com or download the SchoolCafe app to get started.
Quick
Confidential
Could help even if you don’t think you qualify

Every application submitted helps support our schools. Don’t wait—apply today! #PorcupineFamily

The first day of school is two days away!

If your child will be riding the bus this year, don’t forget to complete the Bus Rider Registration Form so we can get them safely to and from school. Please call the bus barn at 817-220-1700 to verify registration and Goshen at 817-220-0272 to confirm first day, first week, & normal mod of dismissal procedures.

Fill out the transportation form here: bit.ly/busridershipform

Let’s get ready for a great school year! #PorcupineFamily #BackToSchool2025

Our assembly begins promptly at 7:30 AM. It is crucial that all students arrive on time, prepared, and ready to begin. During our assemblies, we will cover:

• Goshen's Golden Rules
• Social norms and character lessons
• Activities to build reading stamina
• Celebrating our birthdays

Additionally, every six weeks, we will recognize our students’ hard work through our celebration assemblies, where we honor achievements in honor roll, attendance, Sharp Pines, and Choose Love Ambassadors.

We encourage all parents to sign up for Skyward Access, as it is essential for monitoring your child's grades and progress throughout the school year. More information will be coming soon about our student handbook & grading information.

Attendance Information

Attendance Information- All absence excuse notes/letters are to be sent to Mrs. Jody Atchley in the front office. If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact her at JAtchley@Springtownisd.net.

Attendance Laws- Regular school attendance is essential. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s education. The student and parent should avoid unnecessary absences. Two important state laws—one dealing with compulsory attendance and the other with how attendance affects the award of a student’s final grade or course credit—are discussed below:

1) At the elementary level, students are considered absent if they come to school 20 minutes after the start of the school day or if they are checked out from school 20 minutes before the end of the school day.

-Upon returning to school after being absent, late to school, leaving early from school, or sent home, the student must bring a note that is signed by the parent/guardian that describes the reason for the absence

-When a student incurs three or more unexcused absences within a four-week period, the law requires the school to send notice to the parent. The notice will:

• Remind the parent of his or her duty to monitor the student’s attendance and require the student to attend school;

• Inform the parent that the district will initiate truancy prevention measures.

A court of law may impose penalties against the parent if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school. The district may file a complaint against the parent if the student incurs ten or more unexcused absences within a six-month period in the same school year.

2) Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (All Grade Levels) To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student must attend the class at least 90 percent of the days it is offered. A student who attends fewer than 90 percent of the days the class is offered will be referred to the attendance review committee. The committee will determine whether there are extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can regain credit or a final grade.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we kindly ask that you take a few moments to review our morning and afternoon drop-off zones. The Parent Hub contains more detailed information regarding these procedures, which are designed to ensure the safety and efficiency of our student pick-up and drop-off.

Car Tags:
Your child will receive their car tags with student ID numbers during the Meet the Teacher event. These tags will be essential for parent pick-up starting on day one. All parents, guardians, or individuals picking up students must display their car tags visibly in the window.

Identification Check:
If you do not have your car tag, you will be required to park and present identification for student safety.

Emergency Contacts:
Please ensure that all your current information is up to date within Skyward. Make sure that anyone who may pick up your child is listed as an emergency contact.

Helpful Tips for Smooth Drop-Off/Pick-Up:

• Familiarize yourself with the designated drop-off zones and their procedures.
• Arrive a few minutes early to reduce wait times.
• Follow all staff directions to ensure the safety of all students.
• Remind your child of their pick-up location and process.

We appreciate your cooperation as we work together to keep our students safe. Thank you for your attention to these important details!

Six Helpful Tips to Help Prepare Your Child

1. Practice Name Responses:
   Have your child practice responding after hearing their first and last name. This will help them respond quickly during dismissal when we call names.

2. Arrival Time for Pick-Up:
   Please don’t arrive for student pick-up until 3:00 PM. Students will not be released until 3:20 PM. Arriving at three helps prevent traffic jams on Pojo and Highway 199.

3. Use Your Car Rider Tag:
   Ensure you have your car rider tag every day. This is crucial for the safety and efficiency of the pick-up process.

4. Be Kind in Line:
   Remember that the first week can be challenging. Kindness and patience in line will help us all succeed.

5. Assistance with Buckling Up:
   If your child needs help buckling up, please pull into the parking lot or out of the way of the loading zone. This allows the line to continue moving smoothly.

6. Observe Speed Limits:
   Speed bumps have been added in both the pick-up and drop-off lines to encourage slower speeds and enhance safety for everyone.

After a few weeks, the pick-up line will clear in just 15-20 minutes. We appreciate you sharing your precious child or children with us and working together to ensure everyone is safe, secure, and successful.

Warm regards,

Wendy Ashley
Principal
Goshen Creek Elementary School