Hello, Dove families!

It was wonderful to see our families Thursday night at Meet the Teacher! Thank you to Dove PTA and the volunteers who helped Chalk the Walk, serve snow cones and drinks, and run the Spirit Shop!! We appreciate the support from all our volunteers!

This year our school theme is SUPER!! We spent time as a staff reflecting on our super powers, our strengths, and how we use those to meet the needs of our students and strengthen our skills as a staff.

Families, I ask of you to consider your super power and how you might use that to support our school this year!! Please join PTA, Dove Men's Club, sign up to volunteer, and connect with your child's teacher. WE NEED YOU!!

Proud to be your principal,

Heather Landrum

In order to safely have visitors in the building to walk their children to their classroom on the first day of school, it is a district expectation that every adult will need to Raptor in at our kiosks in the foyer.

In an effort to alleviate long lines on the first morning of school, Dove is allowing families to print their "First Day of School" visitor badge in advance.

Hopefully you were able to print one at Meet the Teacher, but you can also stop by Dove Monday, Aug. 14 8:00am-3:00pm. You will simply scan your ID and print the badge, then hold onto it until Tuesday morning.

When you arrive on campus Tuesday, you must wear your badge on your shirt where it can be visible to all staff and have your photo ID available as you enter the building to ensure it matches the badge. There will have plenty of staff at the main foyer and PK-2 entrances to allow all those with a printed badge to enter quickly.

Your cooperation as we continue this tradition in a safe manner for all students and staff is appreciated!

ALL VISITORS MUST HAVE A VISITOR'S BADGE AND PRESENT A MATCHING PHOTO ID TO ENTER THE BUILDING ON THE 1ST DAY.

All visitors who wish to visit at Dove or be a part of events such as field trips, Friendship Day, class parties, Field Day, Book Fair shopping, the Fun Run, and more need to have a cleared background check every year.

We encourage ALL VISITORS to do this at the beginning of each school year to avoid any conflicts with attending events at our school!

More information about the process and the online application can be found HERE.

In the coming weeks, links to grade-level newsletters can also be found here:

PreK

Kindergarten

1st grade

2nd grade

3rd grade

4th grade

5th grade

ALL visitors must present a photo ID and sign in as a visitor in our Raptor system upon entering Dove EACH TIME THEY VISIT. Any visitor without a photo ID will not be allowed to sign in to our school. Thank you for understanding and for keeping the safety of our students and staff a priority!

Your membership in Dove PTA directly supports the school, the students, and the teachers of Dove Elementary. Our organization is stronger and more beneficial to our school with members like you. By becoming a PTA member, you will have a direct, positive effect on Dove Elementary.

Be sure to check out the Dove PTA Website at https://www.dovepta.org/ and "Like" Dove PTA on Facebook to stay connected to our school community!

We are so excited to announce that Dove Elementary has been recognized as a National PTA School of Excellence! This prestigious designation recognizes your incredible work as national leaders in developing strong family-school partnerships! Thank you to Dove staff, Dove families, and our community partners for working with us!

Every Friday, we show our Dove Spirit!! Need new Dove shirts for this school year? Visit the PTA Online site to order your gear! It will be delivered to the school and sent home with your student!

https://www.dovepta.org/shop

It's time to JOIN PTA for the 2023-24 school year! www.dovepta.org/join

Membership is $10! Help us reach our goal of 1 membership per student. There is never an obligation to volunteer, however if you fill out the interest forms for DOVE MEN'S CLUB and to VOLUNTEER, we will give you $5 off for spiritwear. Our SPIRIT SHOP is online also this year. Pickup or shop at Meet the Teacher. Don't forget your coupon!

Dove PTA... easy as 1, 2, 3! Join, Sign-up, Shop

www.dovepta.org/join

Where can I find the school supply list?

Scroll down a little in this newsletter to find the school supply list. You can also find it on the GCISD Website: www. gcisd.net

Do PK students need to buy school supplies?

Supplies for PK students are included in their enrollment; you do not need to purchase supplies.

What if I can't afford to buy all my child's supplies for school right now?

If you are in need of assistance with school supplies, please email our counselor, Jennifer Hill at jennifer.hill@gcisd.net

If you pre order the school supply packs through PTA last spring, those will be in your child's classroom at Meet the Teacher Night. If you haven't purchased school supplies for this school year, please click the link below for a copy of the list! We encourage you to bring all your students supplies with you on Meet the Teacher Night! It makes the 1st day of school so much easier!

23--24 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUPPLY LIST

Campus Newsletter

Beginning in August, Mrs. Landrum will send a weekly Newsletter via Remind and email. The newsletter, called Dolphin Tales, is packed full of important information!

Website

• Dove Elementary: des.gcisd.net
• Grapevine-Colleyville ISD: gcisd.net

Social Media

• Facebook: If you are on social media, you will want to "Like" Dove Elementary, Dove PTA, and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD on Facebook! PTA Grade Level Coordinators will also invite families to the grade level Facebook page!
• We are also on Twitter! You can read more about our story by following #DESisBEST on Twitter!

Be sure to check out the back-to-school resources on GCISD.net with links that will help families get ready for the first day. Some of those links include:

• Registration for new students and returning students - Registering now helps schools plan for the students who will attend on the first day.

• School Calendar - Check out the student calendars for the 2023-2024 school year.

• Bus Transportation - Bus service is available for students who reside more than two miles from their designated school.

• Immunizations - Do you know which immunizations are required?

• Nutrition Services - Apply now for free and reduced-price meals.

• Extended Day Program - GCISD offers a high quality before and after school program for students in pre-K through fifth grade.

• New Discipline Updates - Effective September 1, 2023, Texas House Bill 114 requires a student to be placed in the DAEP if the student possesses, uses, or is under the influence of, or sells, gives, or delivers marijuana, THC, or an e-cigarette to another person within 300 feet of school property or at a school-related event.

• Volunteer Background Check - Whether you volunteer in a classroom, your school’s field day or in any capacity, you must complete a Volunteer Background Authorization.

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 15, 2023! Our doors open at 7:20am, and parents are welcome to walk their student to their classroom on the first day.

You can pre-print your Visitor's Badge Monday at Dove 8:00-3:00.

ALL VISITORS MUST HAVE A VISITOR'S BADGE AND PRESENT A MATCHING PHOTO ID TO ENTER THE BUILDING ON THE 1ST DAY.

Wednesday, August 16 is Independence Day, and parents will be asked to wait outside and let a staff member assist their child if they need help walking to their classroom.

7:20- Our doors open at 7:20am, and a staff member will be posted at each exterior door in which students may enter the building. If your student will need to eat breakfast at school, please have them at school as close to 7:20 as possible!

• Car Drop Off: If you are dropping your student off in your car, pull through the front loop at Dove. We have two morning drop off locations: the first crosswalk is for PK-2nd grade students; the furthest crosswalk is for 3rd-5th grade students. Do not use the back parking lot to drop off students.

• IMPORTANT: Your child should be able to unclick their seatbelt and get out of the car by themself. Please DO NOT get out of your car to assist your child; it will slow down our drop off line. Staff members will be on duty at the front of the building to help get younger students out of cars.

• Parent Walk Up: If you would like to walk your student to the door of the building, please park at Dove Park, cross Hood Ln. via the crossing walk, and walk them to the door of the building. I know it might be tempting to park in the parking spots at the front of the building, but it gets VERY congested right there, and we have seen several "almost" car accidents! PLEASE DO NOT PARK OUT FRONT IN THE MORNING!

• Bus: Students riding the bus will enter the building through the bus circle.

• Student walk/bike: Students walking or biking to school will enter the building through the bus circle doors.

7:35- Our "WARNING BELL" will ring letting everyone know they have 5 minutes to get to their classroom!

7:40- Final bell!! All students and staff should be in the building and ready to start the day!

**If your child is arriving after 7:40, please park in a front parking spot and walk your child to the front office to check in**

Dismissal of students begins at 3:00. It is very important that you let your child's teacher know how they will get home from school each day! You will also receive a dismissal card when you enroll your student! You will need this all year when picking up your student! We have several dismissal options:

Bus Riders (Kinder-5): If you have been approved for bus service, your child will be dismissed to the gym foyer. A staff member will check them in and watch them board their bus. See below for our new services- Here Comes the Bus!

Parent Walk Ups (3rd-5th): If you are walking to the school and would like to meet your child, please walk to the front of the building. A staff member will read your child's name from the dismissal card, and your child will be called out front.

Parent Walk Ups (1st and 2nd): If you are walking to the school and would like to meet your child, please walk to the 1st grade exterior doors. A staff member will read your child's name from the dismissal card, and your child will be called to the 1st grade doors.

Front Walkers (1st-5th): Students who are walking to the Dove Park Apartments will exit the building through the front doors.

Back Walkers (1st-5th): Students who are walking to Dove Park or down Hood Ln. will exit the building through the 5th grade doors, walk up the sidewalk past the bike rack, and if needed, cross the street with the assistance of our crossing guard.

Field Walkers (1st-5th): Students who are walking home by crossing the field will exit the building from Mr. Strang's door and walk across the playground and back field.

PK and Kinder: All Pre K and Kinder students and their older siblings will be dismissed from the gym. Parents will Park at Dove Park and walk up to the gym door facing Hood Ln. The line will be long at first, but after a few days, it will move quickly. That side faces the afternoon sun, so bring some water! Don't forget your dismissal card!

Car Riders (1st-5th): Cars will turn left into our front loop off of Dove. The dismissal line is only ONE LANE!! Please have your dismissal card sitting on the passenger side of your dash so that a staff member can quickly read it. We will call students' names in the order of the cars, and students will exit the building and be loaded into cars by our staff. PLEASE DO NOT PARK OR GET OUT OF YOUR CAR!

Get to Know the New SMART Tag System

The GCISD Transportation Services Department is excited to announce that it has launched phase one of a new safety measure for bus riding students. The name of the program is Secured Mobility Authorized Ridership Technology also known as the SMART tag system. Implementation of SMART tag will improve student safety and security through accurate and real-time updates from students riding the bus and, more importantly, will alert bus drivers if a student is exiting at the wrong stop or attempting to board the wrong bus. When parents need to know where their students are, this system will provide the transportation staff with timely information.

For more information and to create a parent account, visit the Transportation Department webpage on the GCISD website, or click HERE.

Eating a healthy meal before school and for lunch helps contribute to our students' success! See below for lots of information about breakfast and lunch at Dove!

GCISD School Menus

GCISD will begin charging for meals this year. To see if your child qualifies for Free or Reduced Meal Pricing, please click HERE and complete the form.

To add money to your child's meal account, please send a check to school with them or drop it by the front office. **Pro Tip** Download the My School Bucks App from your App Store. You can add money directly to your child's meal account, track their spending, and receive notifications when their meal account runs low!

To apply for Free/ Reduced Meals for your student, please click HERE and you will be connected to the GCISD Nutrition Services Website. The Free/ Reduced application in addition to GCISD Nutrition contact information can be found here.

Thank you!

Breakfast will be served 7:20-7:35 each morning, and students needing to grab a breakfast before heading to their classrooms should arrive as close to 7:20 as possible each day! Breakfast will be eaten in the classroom. Please communicate with your child's teacher if you need them to get breakfast from the cafeteria.

Can I drop off lunch for my child?

Parents may drop off lunches for their students in the front office secured vestibule. If possible, please label your child's lunch. If needed, there is a sharpie and sticky notes on the shelves you can use to label your child's lunch. Once labeled, place their lunch on the correct grade-level shelf.

• No Commercial Deliveries
• We do not allow any other food deliveries for students other than parent drop-offs. DoorDash, Uber Eats, or any other food delivery services for students will not be accepted.

Lunch times vary by grade level, but each grade level will have 30 minutes in the cafeteria. 30 minutes will fly by! If sending a lunch from home, please practice with your child how to open the containers by themselves.

If buying a lunch from the cafeteria, students will go through the serving line and choose a milk, entree, and sides.

We welcome visitors during lunch!

Due to seating capacity, we only have space for a certain number of visitors during each grade level lunch. Please sign up on the spaces below to ensure that you have a spot to sit at lunch! Once the slots on a particular grade level are filled, we won't have the space for additional visitors on that day during that grade level lunch.

Teacher appreciate having a few weeks at the beginning of the year to practice lunch routines and expectations. We will begin having visitors at lunch the week of August 28.

You can sign up by clicking the link below and scrolling to find the day you want to visit and your child's grade level (the sign up is organized by date and lunch time).

GCISD is proud to announce a partnership with the City of Grapevine and City of Colleyville, along with the Grapevine and Colleyville Police Departments, to employ a full-time School Resource Officer at all GCISD campuses.

https://www.gcisd.net/article/1194038

New this year, the Grapevine Police Department has installed two equipment safes at Dove where they are able to store essential tools for a rapid response. The safes do not contain firearms. They are only accessible by Grapevine Police personnel and will remain locked. We just wanted to keep you informed of this new safety measure as the GPD continues to serve and support our schools.

GCISD has a process called Child Find to locate, identify, and evaluate children with disabilities from birth through age 21 who may require early intervention or special education services. Anyone can start the process: a parent/guardian, doctor, teacher, or relative by calling Child Find. Learn more: https://www.gcisd.net/page/child-find

It's time to select our star Junior Captains who will steal the spotlight on the field! Picture this: your talented student strutting onto the field, surrounded by cheers, to deliver the game ball and lock eyes with the rival team during the coin toss🤩 The spotlight will be theirs and it's a moment they'll remember forever! Ready to see your student on the big screen? Enter them into the drawing toda

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSetBHlUXer8s95ZNYhxSAoiE73N3m-Sjw3kvw1lf9j8YXIG1A/viewform

August 15: 1st Day of School!!!

• 7:20am Doors open for breakfast
• 7:35am First bell rings
• 7:40am Tardy Bell rings (students must be in class)
• 3:00pm Dismissal

August 18: Dove Spirit Shirt Day!

August 25: Dove Spirit Shirt Day!

August 31: Back-to-School Information Night! (Curriculum Night)

• 5:00 Staff Introductions and PTA Meeting in Cafeteria
• 5:45-6:15 (Session 1)
• 6:30-7:00 (Session 2)

September 1: Dove Spirit Shirt Day!

September 4: Labor Day Holiday- No School

September 7: Boosterthon Fun Run Kick Off Pep Rally

September 15: Boosterthon Fun Run!!

The mission of Dove Elementary:

In a partnership with parents, students, teachers, and community, Dove Elementary provides a safe and supportive environment in which students develop an understanding and respect for self and others. We cultivate learning through encouragement of inquiry and empower students to make a difference in our ever-changing world.

Follow our story on Twitter at #DESisBEST

Email: heather.landrum@gcisd.net
Website: des.gcisd.net
Location: 1932 Dove Road, Grapevine, TX, United States
Phone: 817.251.5700
Twitter: @DESisBEST