The Leadership Lens Issue #20

Dear Mustang Families,

What an incredible start to the second semester! It has been exciting to see our students back in the classrooms filled with learning, routines coming back in place, and watching them dive into their work with purpose.

As we move forward in 2026, we are committed to helping every student succeed by using what we know—and the data we gather—to guide our teaching. At Marshall, we don’t just want to teach lessons; we want to make sure students truly understand and master their learning. That approach is what will keep our campus moving forward.

Thank you for your support and partnership in making Marshall Leadership a place where students thrive. I hope you enjoyed a restful weekend!

Warm regards,

Mr. Amaton

Dear Mustang Families,

We are one week back into the new year, and it has been wonderful welcoming our students back to campus. Classrooms are back into routines, students are re-engaged in learning, and our Mustangs are working hard as we continue building momentum for a strong second semester.

Next week, we will continue with middle-of-the-year MAP Growth testing. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring students arrive on time, well-rested, and ready to do their best. These assessments help guide instruction and support student growth across all grade levels.

We are also excited to fully roll out our campus goal of recognizing 100 Positive Office Referrals. This initiative is designed to celebrate students who consistently demonstrate leadership, responsibility, kindness, and respect. Students who earn a Positive Office Referral will be recognized and celebrated for making great choices and modeling our campus expectations. We look forward to highlighting the many positive moments happening across Marshall each day.

Regular attendance plays a key role in student success, helping students stay connected to learning, build strong routines, and feel confident in the classroom. Along with being present each day, we are encouraging students to advocate for themselves by asking questions, seeking help when needed, and sharing their goals. These skills help build independence and leadership. Student success is strongest when school and families work together, and we are grateful for your continued communication, support, and partnership as we guide our Mustangs through the second half of the year.

Pony up,

taelor.harris@gpisd.org

7 Habits Connection: Habit 4 – Think Win-Win

This week, our school is recognizing See Something, Say Something Week, a reminder that speaking up helps keep our school community safe and supported. This message connects to Habit 4: Think Win-Win, which teaches students to look for solutions that help everyone.

When students choose to say something, they are not trying to get someone in trouble—they are helping create a safer, healthier environment for all. Reporting concerns such as bullying, unsafe behavior, or a classmate who may need help is a win for the student, a win for their peers, and a win for our school.

Families can reinforce this habit at home by talking with your child about:

• “Who are the trusted adults you can talk to at school?”

• “What kinds of situations should you always report?”

• “How does speaking up help everyone stay safe?”

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Encouraging children to use their voice builds confidence, responsibility, and care for others. Thank you for partnering with us to help students learn that speaking up is a powerful way to protect themselves and others.

💙 Individual & Family Counselor Support

GPISD has a wealth of resources available to students and their families. If your family is in need of assistance or counseling support, please reach out to me so that I can support you. Thank you for being a partner in your child's success and well-being!

Phone: 972-522-7220

Email: lakedra.anderson@gpsid.org

— Ms. Anderson, School Counselor

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

The start of a new year is a great opportunity to create learning habits that help students feel confident and motivated. Simple strategies at home—such as establishing a consistent homework routine, encouraging your child to read daily, and talking about how learning connects to real life—can support success in school. This year, remind your child that growth takes time and that perseverance matters more than getting everything right the first time. Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we work together to make this a year of progress and possibility.

Sincerely,
Your Instructional Coach

Hello, Marshall families! At home, we can practice Habit 4: Think Win-Win by making choices that help everyone feel valued and respected. This means looking for solutions where everyone benefits—like sharing toys, taking turns, and listening to each other’s ideas. When family members work together to find fair compromises, it builds trust and teamwork. Whether it’s deciding what game to play, how to share chores, or how to solve a disagreement, thinking win-win helps create a home where kindness, cooperation, and understanding grow every day.

We would also like to congratulate 💛Heshima🦁 for earning the most house points in Quarter 2 and winning the Q2 field trip! This achievement reflects teamwork, leadership, and a strong commitment to making positive choices. Way to go, Heshima—we are so proud of your hard work and dedication! 🎉

-Ms. Sutton

• All Month: School Board Appreciation Month

• 7-16: MOY MAP Testing Window

• 15: NEHS Meeting, 3:45-4:15pm

• 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No School

• 19: GPISD MLK, Jr. Parade, 9:00am (more details to come)

• 20: Leaders 5: Cafeteria, 1:15-2:45pm

• 20: District Spelling Bee, GPISD Education Center, 7:30pm

• 21: Campus Improvement Committee, 4:00 pm

• 22: 4th Grade GT Field Trip

• 22: Multicultural Night, 5:30-7:00pm

• 27: 100th Day of School!

• 27: RLA District Assessment

• 28: 101 Day of School

• 29: Q2 House Field Trip

• 30: Academy 4

• 30: House Rally & Family Time-Habit 3

Next week (January 12–16) is See Something, Say Something Week! We’ll be talking with students about speaking up to help keep our school safe. 🗣️✨
Students will earn 50 house points for each day they participate and dress up!

Dress-Up Days:

• Monday: Wear blue
• Tuesday: Dress like a community helper or trusted adult
• Wednesday: Wear a school-appropriate outfit that makes you feel confident
• Thursday: Wear neon colors
• Friday: Wear your house colors

“Building Community, Uniting a Nation the Nonviolent Way”
Monday, January 19, 2026
A Day On… Not a Day Off

The MLK Day Parade is almost here! Please complete and return this form if your child will be participating no later than Monday January 12, 2026 to plan accordingly.

Parade Information:
• Line-Up: 8:00 a.m. at 801 Osler Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75051
• Parade Start: 10:00 a.m. at 801 Osler Drive
• Parade End: Dalworth Recreation Center, 2012 Spikes St., Grand Prairie, TX 75051
• MLK Program: Immediately following the parade at Dalworth Recreation Center
*Participants will receive refreshments after the parade. If you have any questions please email:

Dora Izmene Garcia at Dora.Garcia@Gpisd.org or Jimmy Wright at Jimmy.Wright@GPISD.ORG

¡El desfile del Día de MLK ya casi está aquí! Por favor complete y regrese este formulario si su hijo/a participará a más tardar el lunes 12 de enero del 2026 para planear el evento.

Información del Desfile:
• Formación: 8:00 a.m. en 801 Osler Drive, Grand Prairie, TX 75051
• Inicio del Desfile: 10:00 a.m. desde 801 Osler Drive
• Fin del Desfile: Centro Recreativo Dalworth, 2012 Spikes St., Grand Prairie, TX 75051
• Programa de MLK: Inmediatamente después del desfile en el Centro Recreativo Dalworth
*Los participantes recibirán refrigerios después del desfile. Si tiene alguna pregunta, favor de mandar un correo electrónico a la señora Dora Izmene Garcia a Dora.garcia@Gpisd.org o al señor Jimmy Wright a Jimmy.Wright@GPISD.ORG

Purchase your child's yearbooks NOW! Purchases include 2 free customizable pages with your child's own memories from the year!

Purchase yearbooks HERE: https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1016310326852888

*Yearbooks will be delivered the last week of school!

🍫 World’s Finest Chocolate Fundraiser is Coming!

It’s almost that time again! Get ready to start selling those delicious chocolates. Fundraising will run

January 26th – February 17th, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Everyone loves chocolate!

Who will be our top sellers this year? 🏆🍫

More information coming soon!

📌 PTA Meeting – Monday, February 9th, 6:30pm

Join us for our upcoming PTA meeting with important announcements and updates.

If you have suggestions, questions, fun ideas we’d love to hear from you feel free to email us at marshallleadership.pta@gmail.com .

Also our Book Fair will be open before and after the meeting, making it the perfect time to shop with your student. We hope to see you there!

**Earn 1,000 house points just for attending

📚 Scholastic Book Fair February 6th–13th

The Book Fair is coming! We will be needing volunteers to help our students find the perfect book. For every day you volunteer, you will earn 500 house points a great way to support our students.

Spirit Night Coming Soon! 🤗

Stay tuned! We will be announcing our next Spirit Night soon. Which class will earn the highest attendance prize this time?

📌New Year, New Resolution — Make a Difference!

Make your New Year’s resolution count by joining the Marshall PTA and making a difference in your child’s life.

We are so close to reaching our goal of 250 PTA members this year! We’re just 21 members away from our goal!

👏 We currently have 229 members, up from 173 last year an incredible achievement!

Join the fun and help us finish strong. Becoming a PTA member is a great way to stay connected, support our school, and help create meaningful experiences for our students and school community. We are not done yet many more exciting surprises for our PTA teachers and PTA students are still to come!

We are so close to reaching our goal of 250 PTA members this year!👏 We currently have 228 members, up from 173 last year an incredible reflection of the strength and heart of our Marshall community.

Join the fun and help us finish strong! Becoming a PTA member is a great way to stay connected, support our school, and help create meaningful experiences for our students and school.

We’re excited about upcoming fundraisers, events, and spirit nights in the new year, and we would love for you to be part of it! We welcome new ideas, fresh energy, and new faces. If you have suggestions, questions, fun ideas, or are interested in joining the PTA, we’d love to hear from you and meet you.

marshallleadership.pta@gmail.com

Thank you for your continued support! We truly couldn’t do this without you!

Did you know GPISD offers a dinner program to students everyday? Students can receive a full packaged meal after the bell rings.

-Free to ALL students!
-Offered Monday-Friday!
-Offers an additional healthy and nutritious meal after the bell rings!

🌟Please sign up below for each child!

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¿Sabías que GPISD ofrece un programa de cena para estudiantes todos los días? Los estudiantes pueden recibir una comida completa después de que suene la campana.

-¡Gratis para TODOS los estudiantes!
-¡Disponible de lunes a viernes!
-¡Ofrece una comida adicional, sana y nutritiva después de que suene la campana!

Please join us in help completing a background check for volunteering on campus, visiting, and joining us for campus events including field trips. This would need to be completed annually.

Students have received one lanyard and one badge sleeve for free. Afterward, parents need to use the link or QR code to purchase replacements through MySchoolBucks.

You will have the option to choose:

• Badge sleeve $1
• Lanyard-red $2 ❤️
• Lanyard-orange $2 🧡
• Lanyard-yellow $2 💛
• Lanyard-green $2 💚
• Lanyard-blue $2 💙
• Lanyard-purple $2 💜
• Lanyard-black $2 🖤
• Lanyard-white $2 🤍

**Please choose the lanyard color for your child's house.**

To ensure a smooth and safe dismissal process, we kindly ask that there be no student check-outs on Fridays after 2:15 PM. This helps us maintain an orderly end-of-day routine and ensures all students are accounted for our Leadership trainigs. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!