Goshen Creek Elementary

Dear Goshen Creek Elementary Family,

I want to begin by sharing my heartfelt gratitude for a truly meaningful March. It was a month of growth, hard work, and community, and I am so proud of everything our students have accomplished so far. As we transition into April, we enter one of the most vibrant and busy times of the school year.

April and May are absolutely packed with important dates, opportunities for us to strengthen our partnership, and moments to create memories that you and your children will cherish. I know your schedules are full, but I encourage you to take a moment to read through this newsletter and mark your calendars now.

Every piece of information included is curated with you and our students in mind. We want to ensure you are informed of the latest updates while staying connected to the traditions and values that define our Goshen Way.

Highlights & Important Links

This edition of the newsletter contains vital information regarding:

• 2026-2027 Registration: Enrollment details for the upcoming Springtown ISD school year.

• No School Friday, April 3rd - Monday, April 6th, 2026 -Enjoy your long weekend!

• Kindergarten Round-up: Welcoming our newest and youngest Porcupines!

• Literacy Corner: Details on Reading Night and our April Home Connection Reading BINGO Card.

• Career Day: Inspiring our students to look toward their futures.

• Testing Season: Important dates for STAAR and End-of-Year assessments.

• End-of-Year Fun: Schedules for Field Day, awards ceremonies, and final celebratory activities.

Thank you for being such a special part of our Goshen Family. Your continued support is what makes our school a "community of difference makers."

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. Our amazing Goshen Creek Elementary Staff is here to support you every step of the way.

Have a blessed day, and let’s remain committed to our students, their growth, and their continued success!

Sincerely,

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

Haley Meeks, GCES Principal Secretary: HMeeks@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

Week 30 (March 30 - April 3)

30 - Choir Epic Waters Festival

31 - 3:45 Garden Club (last meeting)

2 - 4th Grade Girls Empowerment during Power Hour

3 - School Holiday

Week 31 (April 6 - 10)

6 - No School/ Staff Work Day

7 - Kinder Grad Pictures

Grade 2-4 Talent Show Forms Due

10 - 1st Grade Field Trip

End of 5th 6 weeks/Grades Due

Week 32 (April 13-17)

13 - Beginning of 6th 6 weeks

14 - 3rd & 4th Reading STAAR

Kinder & First Grade STAAR Trips

17 - 7:30 Celebration Assembly

Lunch with Loved Ones- Choose Love Ambassadors & Sharp Pines Recipients

Auditions for Talent Show 2-4 during rotations

Week 33 (April 20-24)

23 - 10am-7pm Kindergarten Round-Up

5-6pm Porcupines Reading Night on the Lawn

Week 34 (April 27-May 1)

27 - End of Year Assessment Window Opens

28 - 3rd & 4th Math STAAR

May 1 -3rd Grade Field Trip Bubble Exhibit

Week 35 (May 4-8)

NWEA & mClass Testing Week

Teacher Appreciation Week

Week 36 (May 11-15)

11 - 8-10:30 am Talent Show Dress Rehearsal

Talent Show 1:30-3pm

12 - 4th grade Field Trip - Main Event

4th Grade Track Meet & SIS Tour

14 - Career Day

15 - Field Day/Best Day Ever

Week 37 (May 18-22)

19 - 6th Six Weeks Celebration Assembly

Lunch with Loved Ones - Choose Love Ambassadors & Sharp Pines Recipients

20 - Goshen Creek Elementary Awards Day

21 - Last Day of School Luau in Tropical Attire

Early Release @ 12

🎒 2026–2027 Springtown ISD Student Registration

It is almost time to welcome our new and returning Sharp Pines! Please see the details below regarding the registration process for the upcoming school year:

• Online Registration Opens: April 1, 2026. All Springtown ISD registration can be completed conveniently through our online portal/Skyward.

• In-Person Support at Goshen Creek: April 23, 2026. We will host an on-campus registration opportunity specifically for our Kindergarten families or any parents who need assistance with the online system. (10 AM - 7:30 PM)

📞 Questions?

If you need any assistance or have questions regarding the registration process, please reach out to Jody Atchley:

• Email: JAtchley@Springtownisd.net

• Phone: 817-220-0272

We look forward to another incredible year of growth at Goshen Creek!

Who Will Accept the GCES Reading Challenge? 🦔📚

Complete your BINGO card as a family and join us for Goshen Creek Elementary Family Reading Night!

The Details

• When: Thursday, April 23, 2026

• Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

• Where: GCES Outdoor Learning Area

What to Expect

Our GCES Admin Team is heading outside to read with you! Grab your favorite books and bring a beach towel, lawn chair, or blanket to get cozy in our outdoor learning area. It’s the perfect setting to enjoy some quality family reading time alongside your favorite school leaders.

The Rewards

Turn in your completed BINGO card during the event to earn:

• 🐾 PAW Points

• 🎁 A Special Prize!

We are thrilled to invite you to join the fun at Goshen Creek Elementary for our upcoming Career Day on Thursday, May 14, 2026! We are looking for enthusiastic presenters to help make this day exciting and engaging by sharing their professions and passions with our students. Your participation is a wonderful way to inspire young minds and give them a glimpse into the many opportunities awaiting them in the future. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Sisk, our GCES Counselor at chsisk@springtownisd.net.

We ask that all potential presenters complete a SISD Background Check & your proposal for presentation by April .

• SISD Background Check Form in English and Spanish.
• Career Day Form to submit your proposal today.

At Goshen Creek Elementary, we are dedicated to nurturing the whole child, and we invite you to join us by signing up for a free account in the Choose Love Portal. This incredible resource is packed with insightful information and home connection activities designed to bridge the gap between school and family life. By accessing these tools, you can help reinforce the same empowering lessons of courage, gratitude, forgiveness, and compassion-in-action that our students are learning in the classroom.

Why join the portal?

• Strengthen Connections: Simple activities to do at home with your child.

• Empowerment: Tools to help children manage emotions and build resilience.

• Free Resources: Expert-backed content available to our GCES families at no cost.

Starting Our Day Together- Prompt, Prepared, & Successful!

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
• Creates a strong community and schoolwide unity
• Intentionally working on building a culture of readers, reading stamina, and building grit.

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.

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.

By working together, we can make sure everyone is safe, secure, and successful.

We share birthdays during morning assembly every day. Students will come to the office to pick-up their book, pencil, sticker, & a picture in front of our office porcupine for a birthday shoutout.

School Cafe

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

Bus Registration Forms & Information

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

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