The Leadership Lens Issue #21

Dear Mustang Families,

I hope you and your families enjoyed a restful three-day weekend as we honored and reflected on the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His message of service, respect, and unity continues to inspire the work we do each day with our students.

As we return to school, we are refocused and energized for a strong start to the remainder of the semester. This is a great time for students to recommit to their learning goals and for families to support healthy routines that promote success, including consistent attendance, arriving on time, and being prepared for each day.

In our classrooms, teachers will continue engaging students in meaningful learning experiences while reinforcing positive behavior and responsibility. We appreciate your continued partnership in supporting our campus expectations and helping students make great choices.

Please continue to watch for important updates through our school communications, including ClassDojo, newsletters, and our website. Your involvement plays a vital role in your child’s success.

Thank you for your continued support and for being an essential part of our school community. We look forward to a productive and successful rest of January!

Warm regards,

Mr. Amaton

Dear Mustang Families,

We hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and had time to reflect on the meaning of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Thank you to our staff, students, and families who came out to celebrate and support this important day. Dr. King’s legacy reminds us that leadership is about vision, purpose, and service to others. His life strongly reflects Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind, as he worked toward a future rooted in equality, justice, and unity. This holiday is a day on, not a day off, calling us to continue serving others and leading with intention. One of his most powerful reminders was, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” We encourage our students to carry this message forward through their actions each day.

A special thank you to our amazing PTA for providing bagels in celebration of National Bagel Day. Your continued support makes a meaningful difference for our staff and campus community.

Our MAP Growth testing window has officially closed, and we appreciate the support of our students, staff, and families throughout the process. The data we collect helps guide instruction, highlight student strengths, and inform the support and enrichment needed as we continue through the school year. Our next testing window will take place January 26–February 6 for spring assessments, and more information will be shared soon. While testing may feel frequent, each assessment plays an important role in monitoring progress and ensuring students receive what they need to be successful. We encourage families to talk with students about testing and its purpose, as understanding the “why” helps build confidence, ownership, and reduces test anxiety.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to our Mustangs. We look forward to another great week of learning and leadership at Marshall.

Pony up,

taelor.harris@gpisd.org

📧 6th Grade Registration Information (5th Grade Families)

Emails with 6th grade middle school registration information have been sent. Please be sure to check the email listed in Skyward and complete the registration steps.

If you have questions or need assistance, please feel free to me.

💻 Middle School Parent Night: Wednesday, January 21 @ 5:30 pm (5th Grade Families)
Via Microsoft Teams

Meeting ID: 298 630 528 645 42

Passcode: Fr7At3wi

Join us to learn more about the transition to middle school and ask questions about what to expect next year.

💙 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

Please check your email for important information about middle school registration. Registration should be completed with your student and must be done for your zoned (home) campus.

Important: Even if you plan to apply to a school of choice, you still need to register for your home campus to ensure your student has a guaranteed placement.

Please feel free to contact Ms. Anderson if you have any questions.
📞 Phone: (972) 522-7220
✉️ Email: lakedra.anderson@gpisd.org

Por favor revisen su correo electrónico para obtener información importante sobre la inscripción a la escuela intermedia (middle school). La inscripción debe completarse junto con su estudiante y debe hacerse para la escuela asignada según su domicilio (escuela zonificada).

Importante: Incluso si planean solicitar ingreso a una escuela de elección, aún deben inscribir a su estudiante en su escuela asignada para garantizar que tenga un lugar asegurado.

No duden en comunicarse con la Sra. Anderson si tienen alguna pregunta.
📞 Teléfono: (972) 522-7220
✉️ Correo electrónico: lakedra.anderson@gpisd.org

January is a wonderful time to reset and refocus after the busy holiday season. As an instructional coach, I encourage families to use this month to help students strengthen organization skills. Try creating a simple weekly plan with your child that includes homework time, reading, and short brain breaks. Reviewing the plan together each evening helps children feel supported and prepared, while also teaching them how to manage their time. Starting the year with clear routines and encouragement sets a strong foundation for learning and growth in the months ahead.

Your Instructional Coach

Dear Families,

One way we build leaders is by practicing our 7 habits of highly effective kids not only at school, but also at home. Here are some simple, kid-friendly ways students can practice Habit 4: Think Win-Win at home—focusing on kindness, fairness, and cooperation:

• Share and take turns with siblings during games, screen time, or choosing what to watch, so everyone feels included.

• Help with chores by working together to finish tasks faster and make home a happier place for everyone.

• Use kind words and listen when there is a disagreement, trying to understand the other person’s feelings before responding.

• Compromise by finding solutions that work for everyone, such as picking a game everyone enjoys or taking turns choosing activities.

• Celebrate others’ successes, like congratulating a sibling for doing well or helping a family member when they need support.

• Ask, “How can we both win?” when a problem comes up, reminding themselves that families are strongest when everyone feels valued.

Practicing Think Win-Win at home helps students build empathy, responsibility, and positive relationships—skills that benefit them at school and beyond. 💛

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

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

• 19: GPISD MLK, Jr. Parade, 10:00am (line up at 8:00am)

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

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

• 21: Campus Improvement Committee, 4:00pm

• 22: 4th Grade GT Field Trip

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

• 26: World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser Kick-off

• 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

We invite our families to join us for Multicultural Night on Thursday, January 22, 2026 from 5:30-7:00 in our MLA Cafeteria!

The evening will be a celebration of the many cultures in our school community. Families may participate in any way they feel comfortable—by sharing games, decorations, music, stories, traditions, clothing, food or recipes. There is no right or wrong way to participate. Families will earn points towards their house. Bring an item or items to share and decorate your table to represent your culture. We hope you’ll join us!

*You may share food as part of your cultural display, but please have a list of ingredients displayed for anyone with allergies.

Show your house or Marshall spirit EVERY Friday for 50 house points!

⚫ Amistad 🐺

⚪ Ansvar 🐘

🔴 Bakim 🦘

🟢 Feria🦒

🟠 Fidato 🐪

🟡 Heshima 🦁

🔵 Revuer 🦅

🟣 Sabedoria 🦉

*Shirts will be picked up and delivered to students approximately 2 weeks after the store closes.

We are excited to celebrate the 100th Day of School on Tuesday, January 27th! To join the fun, students are invited to dress up as if they are 100 years old or wear a shirt decorated with 100 items (like stickers, dots, or drawings). Get creative and have fun showing off your 100th Day spirit! All students who participate will earn 100 house points for their house. We can’t wait to see your amazing outfits as we celebrate 100 days of learning together! 🎉👵👴💯

👉Find some ideas for homemade shirts here: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/115148/100th-day-school-shirt-ideas/

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!