Good morning, Cannon families,

Wow, what a turn out for our annual Cannon Meet the Teacher Night! It was so great to see everyone excited for another amazing school year! Mrs. Bailey, our new Assistant Principal, and I enjoyed welcoming you back and look forward to Wednesday, August 14 at 7:25 am to welcome you on our first day of school. Please make sure to read all the information below for a smooth and safe transition back. Our number one priority is school safety; We expect our Cannon families to follow all procedures below.

It's always hard to drop off your Cub on the first day of school! Kindergarten through fifth grade guardians walking their child in on the first day are welcome to join our PTA community in our Cannon Cafe for coffee and donuts. Let's connect and celebrate our Cubs return to school!

Don't forget to send your student in comfortable clothes and sneakers for their busy school days!

Per our new GCISD Cell Phone Policy, remind your scholar(s) their cell phones and smart watchers are expected to be turned off and in their backpacks during the school day. Failure to comply will result in staff confiscating devices. Confiscated devices will be sent to the office for parent pick up. Thank you for your help to ensure our instructional time with no interruptions.

We will welcome all Cannon Cubs Back to School on Wednesday, August 14, for our first day of school! The alarm clock will come quickly - prepare for the adjustment! Remember Cubs are tardy after 7:40 and the cafe breakfast line closes promptly at 7:40.

Any parent or guardian wanting to walk their Cub in on the first day of school will have to have their Driver's License on hand and sign in to the security kiosks prior to entering the building; Please plan ahead! You're welcome to stop by the front office on Monday, August 12 or Tuesday, August 1

between 8:00-3:00 to print your first day kiosk badge for quick entry! Per our amazing safety procedures, we will be checking badges and Driver's License so be ready 😊!

Proud to be your principal,

Dr. Tina Garrett

Signing up for the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) does NOT mean you are signing up to volunteer; it means you support our school community by being a member! Please sign up!

We invite ALL of our Cannon community to participate in our PTA Calendar Fundraiser. It's simple - Pick a Day and Pay that Amount! You can select a day (or more). We need to fill up a calendar for each classroom teacher, specials teacher, and our special services teachers. We know our public schools need our help - Our aim is to fundraise sufficient funds to support our teachers and our Cubs. If we fill all of our calendars, we have a surprise to welcome our new Assistant Principal at our Back to School Bash on Friday, August 23rd after grade level curriculum night sessions.

It's time to get your Cannon spirit gear! This is our biggest Cub store yet; we've heard your feedback and we've put it into action. We've included a wide range of styles and fits - short-sleeve t-shirts, dry fit, long sleeves, and sweatshirts! We want all of our Cannon community to flaunt Cub gear with pride everyday but especially every Friday for our spirit days. We also expect each Cub to wear their grade level color shirt for field trips, field day, our annual STEMapalooza, and for our pep rallies! Our grade level colors stick with our Cubs from Kindergarten through fifth grade. When the Cannon spirit store closes on Friday, August 23, shirts will be delivered to Cannon three weeks later. Our Cub gear is not just for kids - come on parents show your Cannon Cub LOVE! You won't want to miss this opportunity to get your needed gear. Help us build a stronger school community through our Cannon PTA and purchase your gear today! We are Cannon PROUD! ☮♥🐻https://cannoncubspiritshop.itemorder.com/shop/home/

We ask that all of our Cubs wear their grade level shirts for field trips, at our annual STEMapalooza, field day, and our school spirit pep rallies!

Every FRIDAY is a Cannon spirit gear day!

Kinder - Orange; 1st - Black; 2nd - Yellow; 3rd- Green; 4th - Royal Blue; 5th - Red

We are always working to improve and simplify communication between you and the district, and this year, we’re adding a new feature called Rooms to our district app. Rooms enables you to have two-way parent-teacher conversations and keep up with classroom announcements.

Our district app currently offers the following:

• Live feed updates

• District and school news

• Upcoming events

• Push notifications for important and urgent announcements

  
  

With Rooms, you’ll have access to even more exciting features like:

• Two-way messaging with teachers, staff and coaches

• Classroom announcements, reminders about coursework, and materials

• Automatic translation

This means that you don’t need another tool, like Remind was used in past years, to keep up with your child’s teachers and coursework. You’ll be able to find the vast majority of school and district information in one place – within our GCISD app. If you don’t already have it, the district mobile app is free and you can search for it in the Play Store and App Store!

On Friday, August 9, you'll receive an invite to Rooms by email or text. Once you receive the invite, you'll follow the link on your browser to create a login.

After you’ve created your login, you can access Rooms through the GCISD app. Once you’re there, you’ll see a toggle at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Just touch Rooms to get started. If you have multiple children attending our district, you’ll see them both listed in the menu section of Rooms. While you can access your account on August 9, you will be unable to view your student’s teachers and Room profile until August 12, when classrooms are announced.

We understand that some guardians may not be able to download the new app, which is why Rooms also has a browser version of the application. This allows you to access Rooms without using the Apple or Android app.

We hope this offers you a richer, simpler—and ultimately—easier communication experience. You can read more about Rooms on our district’s FAQ page here.

Sign-ups for Junior Captains are officially open!

As a Junior Captain, pre-K through fifth grade students can step onto the field to deliver the game ball at a home football game and join the team for the coin toss. The applications are open until August 16, and you will find out if your student was chosen in the random drawing by August 23 in an email. We can’t wait to welcome your student into the big lights on Friday nights. Apply today.

Important attendance information: Attendance matters! Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s learning and educational experiences. Parents and students are encouraged to avoid unnecessary absences. Two important state laws govern attendance. In efforts to promote student attendance and learning, please note the following reminders and updates to GCISD attendance requirements.

Laws Governing School Attendance:

Compulsory Attendance (AKA Truancy)

Pre-kindergarten and Kindergarten

Students enrolled in prekindergarten or kindergarten are required to attend school and are subject to the compulsory attendance requirements as long as they remain enrolled at a campus.

Ages 6–18

State law requires that a student who is at least six years of age, or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade, and who has not yet reached their 19th birthday, shall attend school, as well as any applicable accelerated instruction program, extended-year program, or tutorial session, unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt. Students/families who do not meet compulsory attendance will be referred to the GCISD Attendance Review Board and/or referred to Tarrant County Court for truancy. If a student fails to attend school without excuse on three or more days or parts of days within a four-week period but does not fail to attend school for the time described below, the district shall initiate truancy prevention measures on the student.

Attendance for Credit or Final Grade (AKA 90% Rule)

To receive credit or a final grade in a class, a student in kindergarten–grade 12 must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. With the exception of absences due to serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment, all absences, whether excused or unexcused, must be considered in determining whether a student has attended the required percentage of days. Students who are in danger of losing credit or promotion will be contacted by the campuses with plans for opportunities to regain lost instructional time.

Official Attendance-Taking Time

Official attendance is taken every day at 10:00 a.m. Attendance is taken at 8:55 a.m. at Collegiate Academy and 12 p.m. for Bridges.

Documentation after an Absence

Up to eight days per year (four per semester) may be excused by a parent note for missed attendance beyond medical, approved excused, and statutorily exemptions. Vacations taken during the school year will be coded as unexcused absences. All absences whether excused or unexcused count toward the 90% rule.

A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent. The campus may accept a phone call from the parent, but reserves the right to require a written note. A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law. The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused.

Welcome back! Nutrition Services is excited about the upcoming school year. School Menus, the district charge policy, menu item pricing and more can be found on the department's school menus web page.

More information, including menu item nutritional information and allergens, may be viewed through the Nutrition Services web page or by downloading the MealViewer app available for download through the Apple Store or Google Play.

Parents/Guardians shall monitor their student’s school meal account to ensure that they always have a positive balance. In the event that a student does not have a positive balance, the student may charge up to five meals to their account. Only reimbursable meals may be charged. A la carte items may not be charged. Communication about a negative meal balance will be sent to parents/guardians via email/text. Students who have exceeded the 5 charged meal limit, will be offed an alternative meal that will be charged to the student’s account.

If you have questions about the Nutrition Services program, please call ext. 5615 or email julie.telesca@gcisd.net.

Meal Prices

• Pre-k-8 Breakfast - $1.65

• High School Breakfast - $1.85

• Reduced Breakfast - $0.00 (this school year only)

• Adult/Guest Breakfast - $3.25

• Elem. Lunch - $2.90

• Middle Lunch - $3.10

• High School Lunch - $3.45

• Reduced Lunch - $0.40

• Adult/Guest Lunch - $4.50

Adults and guests may not charge.

Starting on July 10, 2024, free and reduced-price meal applications were made available to fill out for the 2024-2025 school year. Families are encouraged to complete the Application for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals available online at www.schoollunchapp.com. A paper copy may be downloaded from the website or requested at any campus or Nutrition Services office.

The application will determine a child’s eligibility for free and reduced-price meals and may assist in the determination of eligibility for other state or federal benefits. Only one application needs to be completed per household. Schools will notify the household of the child’s eligibility. The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) administers school nutrition programs in Texas and offers an eligibility calculator at www.SquareMeals.org/ProgramEligibility.

Decisions regarding payment for school meals are made at the national-government level, not by the school nutrition team or TDA. The dedicated staff in Nutrition Services is looking forward to serving healthy, balanced meals to students in the new school year. If you have any questions, please call 817-251-5617 or email child.nutrition@gcisd.net.

Texas legislation has approved a 2024-25 biennium budget, which includes $3.3 million per year to cover the cost of school breakfasts for students eligible for reduced price meals. Students that are approved for reduced-priced meals may eat breakfast at no cost this school year. Lunch price is $0.40.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

GCISD Bus Rider Families,

The 2024-2025 bus routes are now available. Stops are reviewed annually based on safety, distance, and number of students at each stop and may have changed from the previous year. Families MUST complete bus rider registration to receive transportation services in the 2024-2025 school year.

• If you have already registered for the bus, to view your child’s assigned bus stop, you must register in the SMART Tag parent portal app linked here. The app can also be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

• If you have not yet registered for the bus, you can still register. GCISD’s Bus Rider Registration form is on the district's Transportation page and also linked here. If you’re eligible for transportation, bus stops can be viewed on the SMART Tag parent portal app 48 hours after registration.

Additional information and FAQ can be found at GCISD’s Transportation web page.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at transportation.services@gcisd.net, or at (817) 251-5592.

Thank you,

GCISD Transportation Services

GCISD’s Back-to-School Resources page provides a one-stop shop of information to get ready for the new school year. Use the links on the page, which are also provided below, to let campuses know you’re coming and to learn important information about the new school year. Don’t delay! The first day of school is August 14, less than a month away!

• Returning Student Registration

• New Student Registration

• Pre-kindergarten Application (required prior to completing online registration)

• Bus Rider Registration

• Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications

Additional information on the Back-to-School Resources page includes:

• 2024-2025 Instructional Calendar

• 2024-2025 School Supply List

• School Hours

• Attendance Reminders and Requirements

• Vaping Policy and Consequences

• Technology Support to the Student Help Desk or GCISD Help Desk for Staff

• Immunization Requirements and Exemptions

• Sickness Protocols

• Extended Day Program

• Volunteer Background Check

• Stadium Expectations

• GCISD App, which will now include parent-teacher chat and classroom announcements

We welcome our parents to engage in our events throughout this school year! Any parent attending or supporting an event during the school day must have a cleared background check. Background checks must be completed each year!

Get a jumpstart and complete your background check today! Apply Online

Email: tina.garrett@gcisd.net
Website: https://can.gcisd.net/
Location: Cannon Elementary School, West College Street, Grapevine, TX, USA
Phone: 817-251-5680
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cannonSTEM/
Twitter: @canSTEM