Phoenix News

Phoenix Family,

Welcome to the start of the 2024-2025 school year! We can’t wait to see our amazing Phoenixes soaring back to campus on Wednesday, August 14th! Our dedicated teachers have been hard at work, preparing an incredible year filled with opportunities for growth, learning, and success. We are ALL IN!

A quick reminder: TCC classes kick off on August 19th. Freshmen and sophomores, during the first week, you’ll head to the Common Area during your scheduled TCC course times. Upperclassmen, see below for Mrs. Heaton’s announcement for your specific instructions during this week.

Save the Date! Collegiate Academy’s Open House is happening on Monday, September 9th, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. This is your chance to meet our amazing teachers and get involved in our school community. We encourage you to support our Phoenix Family Booster Club—your contributions make a huge difference for our teams, clubs, and organizations. Check out how you can join below!

Together, let’s make this the best year yet!

All In, All Together,

Mrs. Jackson

Wow, summer flew by and school is ready to start. From the Booster Club, we want to officially welcome all the new freshman and their families. We are excited to have you as part of the Phoenix family!

Also, to the new staff and the staff that took on new roles this year. It’s going to be an amazing year and we are here to support you. We love our CA teachers and staff!!!

Not only does the Booster club take care of the staff, but we also support the students, families, clubs and organizations with various wants and needs throughout the year.

The teachers and staff know this and that’s why this year they choose to be “ALL IN!”
They are, are you? Join us today.

We truly can’t do what we do with out the support of everyone. We truly are one big Phoenix Family.

If you are not a member or have not yet updated your 2024-2025 membership, please do so below. There are 4 different membership levels from FREE all the way to our top Ambassador level.

I’m excited, as I know all of you are as well, for an AMAZING school year!

Phoenix Family Booster Club Membership Form

~Lisa Hankins
Booster Club President

Spirit squad tryouts will be on August 30th. Applications can be picked up at the front office. All applications due on Wednesday August 28th.

Welcome back Soccer players! As we begin our first week of school, it's important to get our Rank One documents completed as soon as possible. For students who are new to UIL sports and Rank One, the coaches will be going over all necessary requirements to get you eligible for this year's 24-25 soccer season during 6th period on Wednesday, Aug. 14, and Thursday, Aug. 15. Please click HERE to begin the Rank One process.

Hard copy physical forms will be distributed on Wednesday, 8/14 during 6th period. You will need to get your physical check in order to play. All Rank One requirements must be completed by Friday, August 30, in order to remain in 6th period Athletics.

ALL players will be meeting in room 1238. See you all this week!!

Seniors who have earned the privilege to participate in OFSDP (Optional Flexible School Day Program) will receive an email notification with approval for OFSDP before school starts.

Seniors approved for OFSDP need to fill out this FORM with parent and student signatures. Then, they need to physically turn it into Mrs. Gardner or Mrs. Lorkowski in the CA Common Area by 8:35 am on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

• By turning this form in on the first day of school, seniors approved for OFSDP will be able to start OFSDP on August 14th. Specifically, students who physically submit the form on the first day of school will only be required to report to campus for high school, including Pathways, classes the first three days of school (August 14-16th) since TCC classes start on Monday, August 19, 2024.

• Failure to turn in the signed OFSDP form on the first day of school will mean these seniors will need to report to campus by 8:35 am and report the Community Room in NBSS 1103 for the remainder of the day.

On Friday, August 16, 2024, there will be a REQUIRED OFSDP meeting from 8:35-9:30 am in the TCC Heritage Room. We will be covering important OFSDP information, expectations, and guidelines. Mrs. Heaton will sign the OFSDP forms for those in attendance. Failure to attend this meeting will result in students losing their OFSDP privileges. Failure to demonstrate appropriate behavior will also result in a loss of these privileges. Please contact Jessica Heaton, our Assistant Principal, if you have any questions regarding this required OFSDP meeting.

Seniors not eligible in OFSDP should report to all high school classes as usual; however, since college classes will not have started, these seniors should check in with Mrs. Gardner or Mrs. Lorkowski in the CA Common Area by 8:35 am AND report to NBSS 1103 Community Room during periods they have college classes for the first three days of school (August 14-16th).

Juniors who have earned the privilege to participate in Independent Studies will receive an email notification with approval to participate in Independent Studies before school starts.

Juniors approved for Independent Studies need to fill out this FORM with parent and student signatures. Then, they need to physically turn it into Mrs. Gardner or Mrs. Lorkowski in the CA Common Area by 8:35 am on Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

• Failure to turn in the signed Independent Studies form on the first day of school could result in these juniors losing this privilege.

On Friday, August 16, 2024, there will be a REQUIRED Independent Studies meeting from 9:35-10:30 am in the TCC Heritage Room. We will be covering important Independent Studies information, expectations, and guidelines. Mrs. Heaton will sign the Independent Studies forms for those in attendance. Failure to attend this meeting will result in students losing their Independent Studies privileges.Failure to demonstrate appropriate behavior will also result in a loss of these privileges. Please contact Jessica Heaton, our Assistant Principal, if you have any questions regarding this required Independent Studies meeting.

Juniors not participating in Independent Studies should report to all high school classes, including Pathways, as usual; however, since college classes will not have started, these juniors should check in with Mrs. Gardner or Mrs. Lorkowski in the CA Common Area by 8:35 am AND report to NBSS 1103 Community Room during periods they have college classes for the first three days of school (August 14-16th).

Returning student registration is open! To register a returning student click here. Collegiate Academy's goal is to have all students registered by Aug 9th so that we are ready for the 24-25 school year!

Families needing assistance with registration for the 2024-2025 school year should contact the campus registrar. Families who need additional assistance or have specific questions or concerns should contact their campus directly.

For more information, visit GCISD’s 2024-2025 registration page.

For safety and security reasons, this school year all student drivers must register any vehicles parked on campus. This is a quick and easy process. Simply, complete the Vehicle Permit Registration form no later than Friday, August 16, 2024. In return, you will receive a parking permit to put in your car at no cost to you. After filling out the form, please pick up your permit in the Collegiate Academy front office during your study hall or between 9am - 3pm the first week of school. Student drivers should park on the east side of the building in the white-striped spaces; yellow spaces are reserved for CA faculty. Students with unregistered vehicles will face disciplinary consequences.

Please contact our Assistant Principal, Jessica Heaton, with any questions. Thank you.

We'd like to extend an invitation to all of our families and students with 504 and IEP accommodations to attend an information night we are hosting on Tuesday, August 20th from 6:00-7pm at Collegiate Academy. The TCC SAR (Student Accessibility Resources) office will share information regarding how to apply for accommodations and what accommodations ARE and ARE NOT available at the college level.

Please reach out to Jessica Heaton (jessica.heaton@gcisd.net) with any 504/IEP questions.

Thank you!

Students should be able to view their high school schedules in Skyward. If you have any questions about your schedule, please contact Daina Gardner daina.gardner@gcisd.net. Schedules will be finalized the evening before August 14th.

Please ensure that your TCC classes are all set for the school year by checking Hello!TCC planning center. If any changes are made to your TCC schedule, please send a screenshot of the changes to Mrs. Gardner (daina.gardner@gcisd.net) so that she can update Skyward. Students, please make sure to regularly check your TCC email to stay informed and not miss out on important information

In order to provide safe and efficient transportation, all students are required to register to ride the bus. If you have not registered your student to ride the bus, please click the link below:

Collegiate Academy Bus Rider Registration Form

If you would like to receive information from our Family Booster Club, please fill out the google form below:

Booster Club - Email Sign Up

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Booster Club President, Lisa H.

(president.cabooster@gmail.com)

The adolescent years are marked by a roller-coaster ride of emotions—difficulty for youths, their parents, and educators. It is easy to misread depression as normal adolescent turmoil; however, depression (among the most common of mental illnesses) appears to be occurring at a much earlier age. Depression—which is treatable—is the leading risk factor for suicide.

To proactively address these issues, GCISD offers depression awareness and suicide prevention training as part of the SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program. The SOS Signs of Suicide® Prevention Program is designed for all secondary students in grades 6-12. The GCISD School Health Advisory Committee has previewed and recommended these programs for all GCISD secondary schools.

A parent preview of the program will be held on Wednesday, August 28th, 10:00am & 6:00pm at the GCISD Administration Building – Board Room, 3051 Ira E. Woods, Grapevine, Texas 76051.

For more information, including information about how to opt your student out of the program, please click here: English Spanish

At Collegiate Academy, student presentations will occur the week of Sept 9th, during all pathway classes. Questions about SOS and CA students may be directed to Daina Gardner at daina.gardner@gcisd.net or 817-515-6778.

Senior’s please check out the Senior Smore! This will be updated monthly and then weekly as we get closer and closer to graduation! If you have any questions about Senior Events please reach out to Daina Gardner (daina.Gardner@gcisd.net).

Click here for the Senior Smore

In order to learn, you have to be present. Our campus and district know attendance matters. This includes excused and unexcused absences, as well as tardies.

Did you know that with the state, a student is required to attend 90% of the school year? There is not a difference between excused and unexcused absences when it comes to missing instruction.

If a student is absent more than 10 percent of the time, they will be assigned Friday school to recover lost instructional time. Friday school takes place each Friday from 1:30 - 4:30 in the Common Area. If your student is assigned Friday school, parents can pick up when Friday school concludes. Or, we will have a late bus that will drop students off at Mustang-Panther Stadium.

In college classes, professors can drop students from a 16-week class if they miss five absences.

Let’s partner together to ensure your student’s success! It really comes down to how we can support your student on their path to earning a high school diploma and an Associate’s Degree - all for FREE!

How to check your student’s attendance:

• HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDANCE: To view your students’ high school attendance, please log in to Skyward Family Access OFTEN to view your student's attendance record.

COLLEGE ATTENDANCE: To view college attendance, have your student log into their TCC Canvas. Choose and click on a course. On the left hand side, scroll to the bottom, and there will be a blue link that says, “Qwickly”. Click that link and a prompt will ask you to authorize access to Canvas. Click “yes”, and you should be able to view your student's attendance for that class. If you have any questions or need assistance, please reach out to your student's Pathways teacher.

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.

Solicitudes para Almuerzo Gratuito y Reducido

A partir del 10 de julio de 2024, las solicitudes de comidas gratuitas y a precio reducido se pusieron a disposición para rellenarlas para el curso escolar 2024-2025. Se sugiere a las familias completar la Solicitud para Comidas Escolares Gratuitas y a Precio Reducido disponible en línea en www.schoollunchapp.com. Se puede descargar una copia impresa del sitio web o solicitarla en cualquier campus u oficina de Servicios de Nutrición.

La solicitud determinará la elegibilidad de un niño para recibir comidas gratuitas o a precio reducido y puede ayudar en la determinación de la elegibilidad para otros beneficios estatales o federales. Sólo es necesario rellenar una solicitud por hogar. Las escuelas notificarán al hogar de la elegibilidad del niño. El Departamento de Agricultura de Texas (TDA) administra los programas de nutrición escolar en Texas y ofrece una calculadora de elegibilidad en www.SquareMeals.org/ProgramEligibility.

Las decisiones sobre el pago de las comidas escolares se toman a nivel nacional-gobierno, no por el equipo de nutrición escolar o TDA. El dedicado personal de Servicios de Nutrición está deseando servir comidas sanas y equilibradas a los estudiantes en el nuevo año escolar. Si tiene alguna pregunta, llame al 817-251-5617 o envíe un correo electrónico a child.nutrition@gcisd.net.

La legislación de Texas ha aprobado el presupuesto para el bienio 2024-25, que incluye $3.3 millones de dólares anuales para cubrir el coste de los desayunos escolares de los alumnos que tienen derecho a comidas a precio reducido. Los alumnos aprobados para recibir comidas a precio reducido podrán desayunar sin coste alguno este curso escolar. El precio del almuerzo es de $.40 centavos.

Esta institución ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.

To reduce interruptions and distractions, and contribute to a positive learning environment, the Board approved updates to policies about telecommunications/electronic devices, most commonly cell phones; bullying using AI tools or other photo-altering tools or technology; and drug testing to now add alcohol to the Category I list of substances tested and align the consequences with those of drug use.

Specifically regarding telecommunications/electronic devices, the appropriate times and uses of devices are as follows:

• Elementary students may use before and after school only; may not use during school hours.

• Middle school students may use before and after school, and during lunch; may not use during passing periods or classes.

• High school students may use before and after school, during lunch, passing periods and off periods; may not during classes.

The student handbook is being updated to include the consequences and campus leaders have developed plans to ensure consistency across campuses in enforcement and consequences. Communication was also shared with families. Click here to view the discussion and action about telecommunications/electronic devices.

Parents, we ask for your partnership in reminding your student of the updated dress code expectations and solutions that will be implemented for students not in compliance.

Texas House Bill 114

Effective 9/1/2023, 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. The District encourages all families to talk with their students regarding the dangers associated with vaping or drug usage and to discuss the implications of this new law with your children, emphasizing the importance of adhering to school policies and laws for their own welfare and for the betterment of the school community as a whole.

Proyecto de Ley 114 del Senado de Texas

Efectivo el 1 de septiembre de 2023, el Proyecto de Ley 114 del Senado de Texas requiere que un estudiante sea ubicado en el DAEP si el estudiante posee, usa, o está bajo la influencia de, o vende, da, o distribuye marihuana, THC, o un cigarrillo electrónico a otra persona a menos de 300 pies de la propiedad de la escuela o en un evento relacionado con la escuela. El Distrito urge a todas las familias a hablar con sus estudiantes sobre los peligros asociados con el uso de cigarillos electrónicos o drogas y discutir las implicaciones de esta nueva ley con sus hijos, haciendo énfasis en la importancia de adherirse a las políticas escolares y a las leyes para su propio bienestar y para el mejoramiento de toda la comunidad escolar.

August 14th -First Day of Collegiate Academy Classes

August 19th -First Day of TCC Classes

August 20th - SAR Informational Meeting 6:00pm to 7:00pm @CA

September 2nd - No School (Student & Teacher Holiday)

September 13th - Senior Portraits @ CA

Website: http://www.gcisd-k12.org/Domain/2203
Location: 828 W Harwood Rd, North Richland Hills, TX 76180
Phone: 817-515-6775
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Grapevine-Colleyville-ISD-Collegiate-Academy
Twitter: @GCCA_PHX