Liberty Grove News
August 18, 2025
Principal's Corner
Wow! What a week! Your children are doing such a great job of catching on to routines, procedures and expectations throughout the building! We are having Open House this upcoming Thursday! Come join us so you can see all that they have been learning! Reminder- we will start dismissal at 3:20 to ensure a safe, learning process for all. PLEASE be patient!
Also- if you do not have your car tag, you will need to come to the office and get a new one and get back in the dismissal line or wait until 3:50 when late pickup students come to the office.
Please be patient with late pickup as well. You ARE REQUIRED to sign your child out and show either your pick up card or photo ID at late pickup. This is for the safety of your children. I understand it is frustrating if you forget, but its important to remember the expectations.
Please see the buttons down below for links to the supply lists. There is tons of information here so please review carefully!
Please fill out the Back to School Forms on Skyward as soon as possible and sign up for School Cafe. Click on the buttons at the bottom of this newsletter.
Lauren Jeffries
Disconnect to Reconnect
Disconnect to Reconnect Information from GISD
The expectations at Liberty Grove will remain the same as they were last year- devices stored away. Please speak with your children about this expectation and remind them that it is the law. We appreciate your support. Please reach out with any questions.
Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! We are honored that you have chosen Garland
ISD and look forward to partnering with you to ensure a successful year for your child.
We would like to inform you about a new state law, House Bill 1481, and its
implementation across our district. Enacted during the 89th Texas Legislative Session,
this law prohibits students from using personal digital communication devices, including
cell phones, smartwatches, and personal tablets, during the school day.
Garland ISD already had a strong policy prohibiting cell phone use during class;
however, this new law goes further by prohibiting all personal device use for the entire
school day, not just during instructional time. This means students will no longer be able
to use devices during passing periods, lunch, or other non-instructional times while on
campus.
The intent behind this legislation is to promote student well-being and create a more
focused learning environment. Research cited by lawmakers shows that excessive
device use can contribute to shorter attention spans, higher anxiety, and decreased
social interaction. By reducing distractions, we can help students stay engaged in
learning, connect more with their peers, and benefit from improved academic and social
outcomes.
What counts as a personal communication device?
■ Cell phones (smartphones, flip phones)
■ Laptops, Tablets, iPads, Smartwatches, Smartglasses
■ Earbuds, headphones, radios, or any device capable of calling, texting,
recording, or accessing the internet
More information can be found by clicking the link below or on the GISD website.
Transportation Information
TRANSPORTATION CALL CENTER
• Available from July 28 to August 29, 2025
• 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Call Center number is 972-494-8530
• Operators will be able to answer parent questions on the spot.
An important message for families of students who use bus transportation:
Bus drivers are working hard on their new routes to ensure August 11 is as smooth as
possible. We appreciate your patience during the first week of school, as buses may
experience delays due to construction and traffic congestion.
Note to Families: Back-to-School route information, including bus number, stop time, and
stop location, will be available beginning August 1 to parents of all eligible regular and
special education students. You must be eligible for transportation.
Route Information will be located on two platforms:
1. StopFinder Parent App – Provides bus tracking, as well as bus assignment
details. If you have previously activated Stopfinder there is no need to do so
again. If you did not activate your StopFinder access last year, look for an email
from noreply@stopfinder.com the first week of August to set up your password
and access the StopFinder Parent App. StopFinder information updates frequently
as route times or locations change. StopFinder will contain up-to-the-minute
information. See more about StopFinder with our StopFinder YouTube Video Link
2. Skyward Family Access – After logging into Skyward Family Access, click
“Online Forms” to find the transportation Information. (Bus tracking is NOT
available in Skyward Family Access.)
Please ensure the parent/guardian email and home address are up to date in the
Skyward student database. If it is not, please contact your student’s campus or Student
Services to update your information. Please note that during the first days of school,
there may be delays, and all times are approximate. For more information regarding
Transportation, please visit our website.
From the City of Rowlett
As many of you know, there is construction on Liberty Grove Road by Keeley Elementary. These roads are down to only one lane. In order to avoid the traffic through that area, they are STRONGLY encouraging using Old Dalrock Road to get to LGE. Please be advised that using Liberty Grove will cause traffic delays.
Back to School Forms
Back-to-School Forms in Skyward for the 25-26 school year will be available July 28! Please log in to Skyward Family Access, click on the “Verify Student Information” tab, and fill out your child’s forms before the first day of school. These can be found under the Student Information Update Tab. Thank you!
Class Dojo
Class Dojo is essential. It is the one-stop-shop to stay current with what is going on in your child's classroom and at Liberty Grove! Please be on the lookout for the invite from your child's teacher. Thanks for all that you do!
Counselor Corner
“I hope everyone had a great first week! Please check out my Virtual Office for information, resources, a virtual calming room, referral links, and even a fun back to school read aloud. There is also a link for my Counseling Needs Assessment to help me plan lessons with your students.
Please reach out to me at bsmccay@garlandisd.net if you ever have any Counseling questions or need help getting to resources for your student or family. Thank you and I look forward to a great year!
Dress Code
** Please be aware that ripped jeans, short shorts, revealing crop tops and open toed shoes (flip flops) will not be allowed.
**Crocs will be permitted but we request that they are not worn on PE days
The GISD Student Dress Code is intended to: (1) teach students grooming and hygiene; (2) create and maintain a respectful and positive learning environment; (3) prevent the disruption, interference with, or detraction from the educational environment and school activities; and (4) minimize health and safety hazards.
Note: This dress code provides guidance regarding common situations but cannot cover
every style of dress and specific situations that may arise. The District reserves the right to
prohibit any clothing or grooming style that the administration determines to be reasonably expected to pose a health or safety hazard or to cause disruption of, distraction from, or interference with general school operations. In addition, certain classes, courses or extracurricular programs may have additional requirements or guidelines for students participating in those programs.
Students and parents may determine a student’s personal dress and grooming standards, provided that they comply with the following:
Garments must allow for participation in all regular school activities while maintaining dignity and modesty.
Apparel that advertises or depicts alcohol, drugs, nudity, tobacco products, any other substance prohibited under FNCF (Legal), violent or criminal themes, gang membership, obscene language and/or obscene graphics, will not be permitted. Any disruptive or distractive mode of clothing or appearance that adversely impacts the educational process is not acceptable. Extremes in modes of dress, such as see through clothing, exposed midriffs, or clothing normally considered as undergarments are not acceptable.
All articles of clothing must be worn as they are designed to be worn.
Undergarments should not be visible.
Shorts of modest length, loose fitting, and hemmed may be worn by students.
Dresses and skirts should be of modest length and fit.
Extremely sloppy, badly torn, or inappropriately torn/slit/ripped clothing is prohibited.
Shoes must be worn. Taps, metal plates, cleats, or wheels on shoes will not be permitted.
Students may not wear house shoes, pajamas tops or bottoms, boxers, or other sleepwear as outerwear.
Hair, including facial hair, must be clean, groomed, and by the nature of the style does not intend to create a distraction.
Hair color that is disruptive or distracting to the school environment is prohibited. Hair must either be a natural color or naturally tinted or colored in a blended and balanced manner.
Hair must be kept out of the eyes and must not be a distraction.
Students may not wear hair curlers, rollers, hair picks, combs, or brushes in their hair.
Hats, caps, bandanas, sweat bands, hoods, visors, or other nonreligious head coverings should not be worn in the school building.
Earrings are limited to the ears for all students. Earrings include clip earrings, pierced earrings or studs, or any item used as a post in a pierced ear.
Facial and body piercing of any kind is prohibited.
Jewelry that causes a distraction or that could be dangerous to the student or other individuals are prohibited (i.e. spiked/studded jewelry, chokers, dog collars, necklaces made out of safety pins or chain links, etc.)
All inappropriate or distractive tattoos must be covered at all times while in the school building or at school-related activities, or school-sponsored events. Non-distractive tattoos may also be required to be covered (campus administrator discretion).
Sponsors of extracurricular activities may set individual dress and appearance standards with the approval of campus administration.
Students must have their student ID visible at all times.
If the campus administration determines that a student’s grooming or clothing violates the school’s dress code, the student will be given an opportunity to correct the problem at school or allow a parent or designee to bring an acceptable change of clothing to the school. Repeated offenses may result in disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.
Arrival and Dismissal
** students in PK-1 will not be permitted to be walkers without an older (2nd-5th) sibling- this is a safety concern and we want to keep all students safe.
Also- please be advised that dismissal changes need to be made by 2 pm daily and should be communicated to the front office and the homeroom teacher.
NO students will be dismissed from the office between 3 and 3:30 daily. This is to ensure that students are accounted for at dismissal and where they need to be safely!
Next week we will begin dismissal at 3:20. Students are really getting the hang of it! As students learn the protocols, we will push the times back.
** Please be patient with buses, arrival and dismissal for the first few weeks! Know that we are doing everything possible to move as quick as we can while keeping your children safe and teaching them the arrival and dismissal protocols! Be patient and DRIVE SAFE!
Lauren Jeffries, M. Ed
Liberty Grove Elementary
Email: ljeffries@garlandisd.net
Phone: 972-487-4416
Website: https://www.garlandisdschools.net/libertygrove
Twitter: @LGES_Gators
Facebook: Liberty Grove Elementary School
Dojo: www.classdojo.com