The Cannon Connection

Good morning Cannon families,

They say "short" weeks are often the longest, and this one certainly gave us a run for our money. Despite the SNOWballs, we’ve made it through the majority of STAAR interim testing - Next up, STAAR Field Testing and Interim Make-Up Testing! Thank you for sending your scholar(s) prepared for testing with their charged Chromebook, charger, water bottle, and snack. In addition to STAAR interim make up testing, we have one more to go - the Reading Language Arts STAAR Field assessment for 3rd and 4th grades will be administered this Tuesday, February 3rd.

The purpose of this notification is to let you know that several GCISD campuses have been selected by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to conduct STAAR Field Testing during a week window from February 2-6. Nearly all districts in the state of Texas have campuses selected by the state agency to conduct such tests.

Several requirements of House Bill 3906, 86th Texas Legislature, 2019, are influencing a redesign of the STAAR test that was implemented in the 2022–2023 school year. This redesign included several components—transitioning to online assessments, adding writing to reading language arts assessments, capping the number of multiple-choice questions, and adding new item types. For these reasons, a stand-alone field test was required by the state in order to properly field test these new assessment questions. The field test will again be conducted this school year.

This test will not affect or impact your student in any way and we will not receive any individual results or data of any kind from this administration. The test will only be used by the state to evaluate the new item types being considered. Only the selected campuses and subject/grade areas listed below will be participating in the field test. These selections were made by the state:

All GCISD selected campuses will test on February 3, 2026. This day will be a closed campus testing day for assessment security. Please do not hesitate to reach if you should have any additional questions about the February STAAR Field test.

Congratulations to our Prekindergartner, Kindergartener, and 1st 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, February 6th for Listening with Empathy.

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! Please review the save the dates below for more information. 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 ☮️💗🐻

With flu season underway and several viruses circulating, we are seeing an increase in student absences due to illness.

To report an absence (excused or unexcused), there is no need to call the office if your student is sick. Please email Tahle Cox at piper.cox@gcisd.net to report your student’s absence.

In your email, please include:

• Student’s First and last name

• Date(s) of absence

• Reason for absence (e.g., stomach ache, headache, fever and chills, cough)

For Tarrant County flu reporting, we are required to note flu-like illness, which includes symptoms such as fever, sore throat, or cough.

Providing this information helps ensure absences are coded accurately in Skyward and that our reporting to the district and Tarrant County is correct.

Thank you for your help and cooperation.

Sincerely,
Tahle Cox

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,

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.

February 2-6 - National School Counselor Week

Monday, February 2 - Texas Military Heroes Day

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 experience

Thursday, February 5 - 👴🏻100th Day of School👵🏻

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 below.

Wednesday, February 11 - 5th grade AVID Applications Due

Friday, February 13 -❤️ Lunch with a Loved One Picnic Style

• Pre Kindergarten: 10:40-11:10
• Kindergarten: 10:50-11:20
• First Grade: 11:10-11:40
• Second Grade: 11:30-12:00
• Third Grade: 11:50-12:20
• Fourth Grade: 12:20-12:50
• Fifth Grade:12:50-1:20

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 & Cannon Book Fair

Monday, February 23 - Kids Heart Challenge

Wednesday, February 25 - Progress Report 3 Grades Post 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 2025-2026 Report Card 3”

Thursday, February 26 - 📸Spring Pictures

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

Monday, March 2 - Cannon Campus Excellence Committee Meeting 3:30-4:30 (New Date)

Friday, March 6 - 🕵🏼‍♀️ Hats Off to Learning! $1 wear a hat - All proceeds go toward reducing field trip costs.

Friday, March 6 -☕ PTA Principal Coffee - 8:30 am Cannon Cafe

Friday, March 6 - STEM Habits of Mind Hall of Fame Ceremony (2nd & 3rd, Art) -Being Persistent

Monday, March 9 - Cannon's Got Talent Show Participation Forms Due; More Information Coming Soon.

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!

Ordering is open now until February 5. Cheese, Meat, and Veggie Options - $12 each

Pizza Kit Pickups will be on Thursday, February 12, from 4-7 at Wise Guys!

Click for more information, and to RSVP!

Please join The Grapevine-Colleyville Education Foundation (GCEF) us for a night of community and celebration at our upcoming "Blingo" Fundraiser!

Blingo isn’t your typical fundraiser. Hosted at Chicken N Pickle Grapevine on February 12, it’s a high-energy, casual evening designed to be "low-key and high fun." Join us for a night of Bingo games with chances to win some amazing prizes. Since it falls during the week of Valentine’s Day, it’s the perfect opportunity for a "Galentine’s" night out with friends or even date night!

What to Expect:

• Casual Fun: No formal wear required! Enjoy the relaxed, vibrant atmosphere of Chicken N Pickle.

• Prizes That Sparkle: We’ll be playing for some incredible prizes (the "Bling" in Blingo!), as well as door prizes! We want everyone that attends to be a winner, enjoy some good food and a few drinks!

• Direct Impact: Most importantly, 100% of the funds raised go directly back into our schools. From classroom grants to district-wide initiatives, the money raised at this event is reinvested in the work you do every day.

Join Us! We would love to see our GCISD staff and administrators in the crowd!

Event Details:

• Date: Thursday, February 12, 2026 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

• Location: Chicken N Pickle Grapevine

• Let’s come together for a night of Bingo, Bling, and Brighter Futures. We hope to see you there!

• Tickets are $30.00 each.

Join the fun & support your foundation! Tickets are available now. Sign up here!

Cink here -

Applications for GCISD’s tuition-based pre-kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year are now available through the following dates:

• PK-4 (pre-kindergarten four year olds). Application period closes Friday, January 30

• PK-3 (pre-kindergarten for three year olds). Application period closes Friday, February 6

GCISD’s pre-k program offers limited open enrollment to:

• Children of employees of the cities of Grapevine and Colleyville

• 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.

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