Gator Greetings

Gator Families,

You’re Invited: Legacy Celebration & Carnival – Friday, April 25th! 🎡

Join us for a special evening as we celebrate the legacy of GRE at our Legacy Celebration and Carnival on Friday, April 25th starting at 5:45 PM!

Take a trip down memory lane as you walk the halls, view school memorabilia, and enjoy a special video highlighting the memories we've made together. Then head outside for games, food, and fun for the whole family!

📚 GRE students can also pick up the free book they selected during the Spring Book Fair!

🚗 Parking Reminder:
Parking is limited, so we encourage families to walk, carpool, or use the overflow parking at Ethnos Church. Please do not park in non-designated areas—vehicles may be towed.

We can’t wait to celebrate with you! 💚🐊

Sincerely,

April D. Kenely

Principal

A huge shout-out to our incredible 3rd and 4th grade students who received the Distinguished Writer Award! 🏆 These talented young authors were recognized last week at a district-wide ceremony, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Way to go, Gators! Keep writing, dreaming, and shining! 💚🐊

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C45AEA823A5F85-56022828-taco#/

As we continue through the school year, we want to take a moment to celebrate the dedication and hard work of our incredible staff at GRE. Every day, our teachers, support staff, and administrators go above and beyond to create a positive and nurturing environment for our students.

We invite you to help us lift their spirits and show your appreciation by filling out a “Recognize Someone” form. A few kind words can make a world of difference, showing our team how much their efforts mean to our community.

To share your gratitude, simply click on the link below. Your message will be shared with the staff member, giving them a well-deserved boost of encouragement and appreciation.

Thank you for supporting our wonderful GRE team and helping make our school a truly special place!

Hip Hip Hooray! It’s your child’s birthday!

Celebrate with your child’s name on our GRE Marquee!

Reservations are $20 per child and support Garden Ridge.

After signing up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409094DA5AE22A7F94-garden, you will receive an email from Megan Grantonic with directions to pay online. Payment must be received prior to your child’s name being placed on the marquee.

There are spots for two students per week. Signups are first come first serve.

We wanted to remind you that if anyone else, other than a guardian listed in skyward, is going to be picking up your student for dismissal, we MUST have an email from you. In the email please include your child's name, teacher, and the name of the person picking up. The email can be for a one time pick up or a blanket all year pick up. Please specify if the email. It is important to send the email to your child's teacher AND the front office (elvingp@lisd.net) so that everyone is in the loop.

Please note that Emergency contacts are only used in an emergency, not for normal pick up.

• You must show ID at the front door before being allowed to enter the vestibule
• No Parking in the staff parking lot during arrival and dismissal
• Notes for absences must be received within 3 school days in order for it to be coded as excused
• You can use this link to submit a note or email our attendance clerk gutierrezz@lisd.net

Lewisville ISD's volunteer site, VOLY, is up and ready for the new school year. If you plan to volunteer on campus at any point in the 2024-2025 school year, please either create a VOLY account or renew your account from last year. LISD's VOLY site is Lewisvilleisd.voly.org. There is also a VOLY app you can use, found in the app store for your phone provider.

Remember that our VOLY site allows for the site to be translated to your family's home language. Look for the language drop down button at the top of the page.

Questions? Reach out to Partnerships@Lisd.net and we will be happy to assist.

Please remember, as an added step to ensure the safety of our students, you will still have your driver's license run through our Raptor system upon arrival at the campus. The Raptor system is a real-time sex offender check. Volunteers must pass both the Raptor and VOLY check in order to volunteer.

Please remember to keep your students home if they are sick. They need to be fever free for 24 hours without many medications before they return. Students also need to be free of vomiting and persistent diarrhea for 24 hours before returning.

When you enter or call in a student's absence, please indicate the reason if they are ill. I track illnesses and we will have hydrostatic cleans preformed as needed for multiple illnesses in a classroom.

Thank you for your help in keeping everyone healthy and in school. 🙂

Going forward in to ensure the safety and security of all students, we kindly ask that any non-guardians that wish to join a student for lunch have written approval from a guardian listed in Skyward.

If you would like to authorize a non-guardian to have lunch with your child, please send an email to elvingp@lisd.net and your child’s classroom teacher before the visit. This email can either:

• Specify a particular date for the lunch visit, or
• Authorize lunch visits for the entire school year.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for all students. In addition, please remember we are limiting lunch visits to once per week so students have time to socialize with their peers.

Thanks for your understanding!

Lunch visitor Procedures

• You must check in at the office with a valid ID
• Wear your visitor sticker at all times
• sit at the designated round tables
• Eat only with your child
• Remain in the cafeteria at all times (exception- when there is a book fair in the library)
• Limit lunch visits to once per week
• Enjoy!

If your child forgets their lunch at home, you can bring it to the front office. We will not be able to accept third party food delivery for students.

Please make sure to complete the Free/ Reduced Lunch form for your benefits.

MEAL PRICES:

• Breakfast: $1.35
• Lunch: $2.85
• Visitor/ Adult Lunch: $4.20

Watch DOGS at GRE

Watch DOGS are back this fall at GRE! The Watch DOGS program is a volunteer, service opportunity for dads, grandpas, uncles, and other positive male role models in the lives of our GRE students. You can sign up to participate in Watch DOGS by choosing a time slot on Voly. You must complete an online background check through our district's Voly system (linked below) for student safety and school security. Watch DOGS get to help around the school in a variety of ways including: greeting students at morning arrival, walking the halls for safety and security, reading with students in class, playing games with students, and going with your own student to specials, lunch, and recess! We would love to have you as a part of our Watch DOGS team!! Please reach out to Mrs. Mennsfield with any questions or concerns and be sure to complete your Voly check linked below. Thank you for partnering with us!

Link to Voly: Click here

Upcoming Events: Our Watch DOGS service opportunities are currently live on Voly! Submit your Voly background check now, as it can take a bit of time at the beginning of the year to get completed. You can sign up to volunteer for 1/2 day AM or PM on Tuesdays or Thursdays. If you have questions or need help accessing the sign up, please let Mennsfield know. Here is the link to sign up to be a GRE Watch DOG!

Kindergarten

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Specials Team Newsletter

As a reminder, the LISD Board of Trustees approved the 435 calendar option (option A) for the 2025-26 school year. View next year's calendar HERE.

In May 2025, Single Member Districts 2 and 3, and At-Large Place 7 will be on the ballot. For more information, click HERE.

• 🎉 Families, it’s time to enroll for kindergarten! LISD provides full-day kindergarten for those who will be five years old on/before Sept. 1. We can’t wait for your little learner to join us this fall. 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬: lisd.net/kinder.

Website: https://www.lisd.net/gardenridge
Location: Garden Ridge Elementary School, South Garden Ridge Boulevard, Flower Mound, TX, USA
Phone: 469-713-5956
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardenridgees/
Twitter: @GardenRidgeES