Tiger Times

The best resource for activities taking place in our district is the District Calendar.

For the full school year, click here to download the 2024-25 Academic Calendar.

Keep scrolling in this newsletter to find announcements, sports updates, reminders, highlights, and much more! There is a Table of Contents to the left for quick scanning.

12/5 - GMS Theatre Production - The Book of Dog - 7pm

12/7 - GMS UIL District One Act Play Competition @ Pottsboro HS

12/7 - Holiday Market - hosted by Chamber of Commerce 9 AM - 2 PM @ GHS

12/7 - Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

12/11 - Band Concert

12/16 - School Board Meeting - 6pm at Administration Bldg

12/18 - 1st Semester Ends

12/19-1/8 - WINTER BREAK

12/21 - Winter Solstice - exact moment when half of Earth is tilted the farthest away from the sun.

12/31 - NEW YEAR'S EVE

_______________________________________

1/1/2025 - HAPPY NEW YEAR

1/7 - Professional Development Day - Students will not be in school.

1/8 - Students return to school. (Begin 2nd Semester)

* Events can change in an instant! Be sure to use the Event Calendar for the latest updates.

The GISD School Board Meeting held one of our favorite events this month! We were excited to honor six of our students for exemplifying the true characteristics of a Gunter Tiger.

These students were nominated by their teachers for their outstanding contributions to their classroom and campus. They strive to do their very best in school and outside activities. They put others before themselves and offer assistance when needed.Their positive attitude follows them wherever they go!

Congratulations to the following students who were selected as the Fall Honorees to the Superintendent's Honor Roll:

• GES - Dylan Balderas & Jackson Wyant
• GMS - Bo Martin & Georgia Voto
• GHS - Prezley Grant & Madison Smith

Students selected to the SHR will attend an end of the year celebration with Mr. Martindale and some very special staff members!

Gunter ISD is blessed to have so many wonderful teachers on our campuses. At the school board meeting this past month, we celebrated three amazing teachers who give 110% each and every day. Campus principals presented these hard working faculty members to our GISD Board of Trustees and bragged on their tremendous work ethic. Actually, two of the teachers honored are Gunter High School graduates!

These teachers were selected because they go above and beyond in their classroom and on campus.They make learning fun and memorable for their students and serve as remarkable role models for our Tigers to look up to. Thank you for all you do to make our district the best it can be!

• GES - Rachel Smith
• GMS - Price Ferrell
• GHS - Asa Thornhill

GISD Board Briefs - 11.18.24

Visit the GISD Board of Trustees page on our website for more school board information.

* We love our school board at GISD. Please be sure to thank them for serving in these very important roles.

PUBLIC NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL PROPERTY

📌Deadline for Bid Packages - DECEMBER 12th

Please click here to view PDF

Pursuant to Section 11.154 of the Texas Education Code and Section 272.001(a) of the Texas Local Government Code, the Gunter Independent School District publishes this notice that the following parcels of surplus real property owned by Gunter Independent School District is offered for sale.

Bid Packet 1
https://5il.co/30n4z

Bid Packet 2
https://5il.co/30n50

Bid Packet 3
https://5il.co/30n51

Bid Packet 4
https://5il.co/30n52

Bid Packet 5
https://5il.co/30n4x

Bid Packet 6
https://5il.co/30n4y

A huge thank you TO ALL 3 Campus PTOs for the Annual Thanksgiving Pie Giveaway! Because of their efforts, every faculty member goes home with a pie to share with their family for the holidays. That's a lot of pie! We want you to know whether you are on the organization end or the giving end, we APPRECIATE everything you do to support our faculty and students.

Each campus has a wonderful group of parents who work together to help bring smiles to the teachers and students. Check out their Facebook page or contact information below to join them.

GHS PTO

• Email your name, cell number and email address gunterhighschoolpto@gmail.com.
• Click the following link to join the GHS PTO Parent Square Group - https://www.parentsquare.com/groups/join/flahz37kx2

GMS PTO - Contact through our Facebook page @guntermiddleschoolpto

GES PTO - Contact through our Facebook page | @gunterelementarypto
Text @gespto1 to 81010 to join

It was the most wonderful day of the year at GISD... Thanksgiving Lunch Day!!

Mrs. Rogers and her cafeteria staff at each campus work so hard on this meal every year, and it is a FAVORITE! Turkey, dressing, green beans, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls and pumpkin pie ... all the tastes to get our holiday taste buds primed.

With the entire school wanting to eat, the lines are extra long... so, the high school cafeteria welcomed Mr. Martindale as an honorary server! His help was definitely appreciated.

The smiles in the pictures tell a thousand stories. Be sure to send a special thanks to these wonderful cooks for loving on your kiddos every day.

NTFC School Safety Bulletin: Online Exploitation of Minors -11/26/24

Construction Zone: Fencing has been placed between the middle and high school. Construction on the Gunter Bond 2022 projects is continuing and that area is not accessible to you. For your safety, please DO NOT enter that area.

November 5th was a big day for our country with the 2024 Presidential Election. Some of our creative thinking teachers set up election booths for our students to help them understand how the voting process works in our great country.

Mr. Thornhill, organized a voting event for our GHS students. Classes were assigned a number of electoral votes based on the number of students enrolled in each class. Students headed to the polling booths to decide on the best ice cream flavor. The two candidates up for election were chocolate and vanilla. Ballots were handed out and each student voted.... and the results are below! The popular vote showed vanilla with 130 and chocolate with 86.

The breakdown of electoral votes were as follows...

Vanilla Votes - 12 Electoral Votes

- English 3

- Science 2

- Spanish 2

- Dual Credit 3

- Elective 2

Chocolate Votes - 8 Electoral Votes

- Math 4

- Social Studies 4

In this case, both the popular and electoral votes decided vanilla. This exercise was to show the students exactly how the system works.

In the race of chocolate ice cream vs vanilla ice cream, vanilla won both the popular and electoral vote. All students enjoyed the vanilla ice cream, even if they voted for chocolate :)

It was a great lesson in how our democracy works. Well done, Mr. Thornhill!

Kindergartners learned about Election Day and the voting process. They voted on their favorite cookies. They lined up in the hall with their voter registration cards. When it was their turn, and a voting booth was open, they came in and cast their vote. They loved it and took it seriously. They got “I voted” necklaces on their way out and made hats as well.

Our 3rd graders also practiced their right to vote on Election Day morning. They had a friendly election between Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies! The kiddos learned about the election process, campaigned for their candidate, filled out a voters registration card, voted for their candidate of choice, and of course, did some taste testing. Complete with the famous “I voted today” sticker, it was a great day in 3rd grade! The winner was….. OREO by a landslide!

On November 8th at 8:30 AM, Gunter ISD welcomed the local Veterans for our Annual Veterans Day Celebration. Please watch our special slide show presentation from our program by clicking here: https://youtu.be/ZtzUQmQHLv8

The program began with the 3rd grade choir singing, "We Honor You". The sweet, sweet voices echoing these words touched many hearts. "You sacrificed to serve our nation. You make us proud in many ways. Because of you we have our freedom. We honor you on Veterans Day" Thank you to the 3rd grade and Mrs. Perez for working so hard to give such a wonderful gift to our Veterans.

Gunter Boy Scout Troop 3 carried the flags and posted them at their rightful place in the center of the Event Center. They led the Pledge of Allegiance and then Audrey McGaughey beautifully performed the National Anthem.

Mr. Josh Barton, GHS Principal, welcomed everyone to the event. He reminded us to always thank the people who serve our country and reiterated the reason why this program is so important. Our students have the chance to see, hear from, and learn about the jobs and sacrifices our military men and women make to keep our nation safe and to protect our freedom.

The GHS Band performed the Branches of Armed Services while the members from each branch stood at the sound of their official song that represents its values, traditions, and culture.

Guest Speaker and Chief of Police in Gunter, Texas, Chief Danny Jones reminded us that the Veterans are the backbone of our democracy. We should honor their legacy by supporting our veterans, reaching out and helping those who struggle, and advocate for better mental health care for all those who served. Thank you, Chief Jones, for your service and for reminding us to be better people.

5th grade students, under the direction of Mrs. McGaughey, performed, "A Grateful Nation". The song begins, "You have our backs, you always do, you know that we rely on you." The song not only is touching as a performance for our Veterans, it also aids us in teaching our students about our nation and why we must be grateful for everything our service men and women do.

The Call of Service portion of our celebration honored each and every Veteran who attended. Mr. Price Ferrell read the name, service dates, branch, and roles while each man or woman stood before the crowd. Every Veteran received a round of applause, and we hope that small act of kindness showed them how truly grateful we are for their service.

The ending might have found a tear rolling down your cheek. Veteran, Todd Carruthers dressed in the military kilt, walked the perimeter of the Veterans seating area while playing, "Amazing Grace" on the bag pipes. It is so beautiful to watch the students as they turn their attention to the graceful sounds, and the crowd becomes mesmerized through the entire walk from entrance to exit.

Mr. Martindale closed the assembly and invited the Veterans to a brunch prepared by the Gunter ISD Food Service Department, GHS PTO and Gunter Brew House.

Special thanks to the following people who made this celebration a success:

Lead Organizer - Mrs. Charlotte Ruffle

Veteran Check in - Ms. Chonté Reeves and Mr. Price Ferrell

Brunch (Meal) - GISD Food Services Department headed by Mrs. Lauren Rogers

Brunch (Coffee Bar) - Gunter Brew House

Brunch (Bakery & Goodies) - GHS PTO

Centerpieces - Mrs. Jordan Kimbrell and her GHS Floral Design Classes

Greeting and Assisting Veterans to their Seats - FFA Officers

Serving Coffee and Busing Tables - NHS Officers

Welcome Banner - Mrs. Kendyll Hardin and the GHS Art Classes

Photography: Marion Cole and GHS Yearbook Advisor, Kelly Guice

We are excited to announce the students selected as our November Students of the Month! These students showed us their true TIGER TRAITS! They are natural leaders who confidently lead by example. They are focused, passionate and helpful to their classmates. All of these traits show that each of these Tigers have TRUE GRIT in everything they do!

Way to Go!

Kindergarten - Hayes Keel

1st Grade - Samantha Diamond

2nd Grade - McCoy Verden

3rd Grade - Cade Henry

4th Grade - Kane Fielder

Take a peek into some classrooms to get a glimpse of what our kids are learning.

Our Pre-K classes read the story, "Turk and Runt," where the Turkey family dresses up as snowmen to avoid being eaten. Students worked with their families to disguise a turkey. Here are some of the kids’ masterpieces!I don't see any turkeys, do you? I think they are all safe!

To celebrate World Kindness Day, Mrs. Needum talked to her class about how to be kind. Afterward, the students left a kind note for everyone in the class. Writing kind things and reading the kind words their friends left for them made everyone feel very special.

Our Pre-K Tiger Cubs drew a monster and the middle school theatre kiddos brought them to life! The sweet, sweet expressions show how much they loved seeing their drawing come to life! They loved getting to meet the big kiddos and thank them for their hard work!

Congratulations to these students who were selected as the November Students of the Month. These Tigers are earning their stripes by staying focused, performing tasks stealthily and leading the pack in the right direction. They have also been seen pouncing on every opportunity to help their peers!

5th Grade - Kamden Lynch

6th Grade - Chloe Coleman

7th Grade - Crystal Barrientos Fuentes

8th Grade - Kinslee Gray

GMS celebrated World Kindness Day by putting sticky notes on lockers with kind words and participating in random acts of kindness.

Students at the middle school participated in a Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest. Check out the creativity of our students! The winners are listed below. Congratulations to all!

8th grade

Grand Prize - Hailey Fischer

7th Grade

1st Place - Mckynzie Olsen

6th Grade

1st Place - Meredith Leonard

2nd Place - Kellen Toney

3rd Place - Ava Turner

5th Grade

1st Place - Lillie Grace Little

2nd Place - Bristol Graves

3rd Place - Emersyn Smith & Bellamy Woods

Winners were treated to Bundt cakes and Sonic drinks!

GMS students who had perfect attendance are entered into a a drawing each nine weeks. We were happy to recognize 10 of our students with Sonic drinks from the office.

Here's a glimpse of what is going on inside the GMS classrooms.

Mr. Small and his students had a great time visiting the Gunter Brewhouse. Students practiced budgeting, community skills, and appropriate communication. The employees and owner were so welcoming and friendly to us! They gave us a positive experience with some tasty smoothies and shakes! Thank you!

Mr. Small's students enjoyed a community outing at our local restaurant, Andrea’s Pizza. They had everything set up and ready for our arrival, making sure we began our journey perfectly. They were flexible at meeting the individualized needs of our students as we were focused on practicing appropriate social skills, good manners, and eating out in public.

The class used the money from our STC soda, tea, coffee business to purchase the meal! Thank you to everyone who has purchased a beverage from us so that we can continue these adventures.

5th grade scientists in Mrs. Bon's lab are studying the properties of light. They were engaged in a lab where they performed many experiments that showed how light is reflected or refracted. Students reported their findings on their lab sheet complete with pictures!

STEM students tested out their engineering skills by creating “egg nests.” As you might see in the picture collage, some worked and some were not so successful 🟡 ... but that's how you learn...by trial and error.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Student Council Sock Drive. In total, GHS students and faculty collected 1,095 pairs of socks!

The STUCO reps delivered the socks to Grand Central Station in Sherman, and they were so happy to add them to their shelves.

HOSA members traveled to see the residents of Cedar Hollow Rehabilitation Center to spread a little happiness! The students brought board games, painted residents fingernails, colored in coloring books or just visited with the residents. We love to see our students reaching out to others and spreading joy

Take a peek inside some of our classrooms.

Students in Mr. Thornhill's classroom have been preparing for a big event! They spent many days creating posters and projects to display at the Roman Forum. The Roman Forum was set up in our main entryway of the high school where students could browse the many displays and sample some authentic cuisine. It felt like they were walking through the economic, political and social center of every day life in the Roman Empire.

Outdoor Education students in Coach Applewhite's class learned how to create fire with tinder, flint and magnesium. It is not as easy as you think! The next day, they used those fire starting skills to cook up some chili and peach cobbler in their new dutch ovens. Yum!

You never know when an emergency will arise... our GHS Health Science students will be ready! They spent some time the week before Thanksgiving break learning CPR and AED. They practiced performing CPR on adults, children and infants, and covered the basic first aid skills as well.

A little tidbit... AED stands for automated external defibrillator. It's important for everyone to be aware of what an AED is and how to use it, as it could make a difference in saving someone's life.

Mrs. Hardin's art students had a little fun with their hands tight before Thanksgiving break. They each traced their hand and made it into a turkey, and then decorated the turkey hands into some art. Check out all the creativity!

GHS Theatre students traveled to the Texas Thespian Festival at the end of November. Six students competed for a bid to the National Festival next summer.

Honor Crew

• Christi Grayard was selected for Honor Crew for the second year in a row and has assisted performing schools to make sure their productions were a success.

Solo Musical Performance - NATIONALS QUALIFICATION

• Burkleigh Coats
• Audrey McGaughey

Workshops covering dance, acting, singing, sword fighting, wig making and more were on the agenda! Plus, they got to see some PHENOMENAL shows.

Please join us Wednesday, December 5th @ 7pm at Gunter High school as our Middle School Theatre students perform their competition UIL One-Act Play, "The Book of Dog." If you have ever had or loved a dog... this show is for YOU! Bring a tissue and a friend and come cheer on this amazing cast and crew! Tickets are $5 (or by donation) at the door.

We will take the show on the road for our District Competition at Pottsboro HS around 1pm on Saturday, December 7th. Shows begin at 10am and are open to the public!

Mrs. McGaughey said, "I am so PROUD of the beautiful story we are telling and couldn't be more proud of this stellar cast/crew! Hope you'll join us!"

District 3 LDE Contest

• Ag Issues Forum - 2nd place and advanced to Area
• Chapter Quiz - 2nd place and advanced to Area
• Job Interview - 4th place
• Radio Broadcasting - 6th place
• Creed Speaking - 5th place

For Sale - Horseshoe Snowmen made to order by our Ag Mech students!

$40 each

Hat Style A or B

Contact Dylan Ashlock to order yours today!

Dashlock@gunterisd.org

We are excited to see our kiddos getting involved outside of the school walls in the various county organizations. On Saturday, 11/16, several of our Tigers competed in the Erath County Robotics Tournament. Students were given ten minutes with their coaches and then spent the rest of the day in the competition by themselves. Congratulations to the following teams that placed!

Junior Team: 1st Place
Truett Franklin
Kyle Moore
Max Atyia
Luke Douglass

Intermediate Team: 6th Place
Michael Atyia
Charlotte Egger
Grant Douglass
Seth Rubio
It was fun to see them work so hard. They only had ten minutes with their coaches and then spent the rest of the day doing it all by themselves.

Wrestling T-shirts and sweatshirts are now on sale through December 2nd! All proceeds will go to the middle school and high school wrestling programs. https://www.guntertees.com/

Thanks for your support!

The Crisis Center provides a safe haven, crisis intervention and comprehensive support services to victims of family violence and sexual assault. They are always in need of donations to keep the center running. They need new items such as bedding, clothing, laundry supplies, toiletries, household cleaners, baby care items, and pre-packaged individually wrapped snacks. More specifically, they have an Amazon and Walmart wish list for the items they need listed below. The GHS NHS project runs through December 6th. Please help us fill the shelves of this much needed facility.
Link to crisis center wants/needs:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/TT4UHQT1RMSA?ref_=wl_share
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/lists/shared/WL/482d93a6-e2a4-49cd-9fca-a01cd7fcd841

HOSA is collecting items for teens at Cook Children's Hospital.
Please donate new items such as: books, blankets/pillows, coloring books for teens, Legos, craft kits, Chapstick, cards, board games, fun water bottles, stuffed animals, nail polish.
All items must be returned to Nurse Thornhill's room at the high school by December 10th.

GHS Junior/Senior Prom is Saturday, March 22, 2025, 7 - 11 PM at Bella Terra in Gunter. Tickets go on sale November 1.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Information about prom can be found here.

Congratulations to Lady Tiger, Madison Smith, who was selected as the KXII A+ Athlete! See her story here: https://www.kxii.com/video/2024/11/22/athlete-madison-smith-gunter/

Congratulations to all the senior athletes who signed their letter of intent to play at the next level! Our celebration began with the coach commending each player for their performance during their time here at Gunter. We are proud to see you moving onto college to continue your athletic dream. No matter who you play for in the future, you will always be a Gunter !

• Rylee Dunn > Central Christian (Softball)
• Chloe Johnson > Long Beach State (Volleyball)
• Madison Smith > Trinity University (Volleyball)

Special thanks to KTEN and KXII for covering this special event.

The SENIOR BLACK OUT PEP RALLY was so much fun! We were entertained by cheer, senior boys, senior moms, the drumline our twirler, color guard, a couple of games and some speakers... Everyone did a great job on their performances! The video is posted to the GHS Facebook page to watch over and over!

The crowd noise and glow was spectacular. After the football game, the Class of 2025 took their final walk across Tiger Field.

Schedules change due to a variety of factors, be sure you have the latest information by checking our Event calendar on the website for last minute changes.

Basketball - Girls | Boys

Baseball

Softball

Wrestling

Find your favorite photos from our photographer friends!
📸 Marion Cole and Renee Marler with OurGunter

All events are placed on the District Calendar located on our GISD website. This is the best place to look for schedule changes during the year.

Photo: OurGunter

Varsity

11/1 - vs Celina 58-41 - WIN

11/5 - vs, Krum 60-38 - WIN

11/8 - vs Liberty Christian 58-28 - WIN

11/12 - vs Paris High 51-41 - WIN

11/16 - vs Van Alstyne 60-27 - WIN

11/18 - Frisco Lebanon Trail 48-35 - WIN

11/25-26 - Texoma Classic in Denison / Pottsboro

• vs Frisco Wakeland 36-50 Loss
• vs Commerce 58-37 WIN
• vs Frisco High School 53-14 WIN
• vs Frisco Reedy 47-41 WIN

Middle School

White Team

11/11 vs Pottsboro 0-7 LOSS

11/18 vs Bonham 12-3 WIN

Blue Team

11/11 vs Pottsboro 5-10 LOSS

11/18 vs Bonham 12-4 WIN

Congrats to GHS Lady Tiger, Norah Layman (junior), on reaching 1,000 career points in her varsity career!

Middle School

11/18 vs Bonham

• 7th B W 18-7
• 7th A W 48-11
• 8th B W 29-7
• 8th A L 42-44

November 16 - Lake Lewisville

** 216 teams with 47 different schools represented

Team Gunter: 4th Place Overall

Individual Boats

• 1st Place Logan Hill/Colton Lee
• 35th Place Trevor Wright
• 58th Place Zachary Hales/Brody Bracewell
• 120th Place Hayden Rodges/Braeden McDaniel

Photo Credit - OurGunter

REGIONAL FINAL PLAYOFF INFORMATION

Gunter Tigers vs Holliday Eagles

Thursday, December 5th | 7 PM
@ Melissa High School - Coach Kenny Deel Stadium
3030 Milrany Ln., Melissa, TX 75454
Gunter is the HOME team.
Tickets will be posted on this page once they are on sale: https://www.melissaisd.org/page/tickets
THSCA, Sr. Citizen and District Passes will be accepted.

Game Day Parking: https://5il.co/31z6e

Clear Bag Policy and Spectator Guidelines: https://5il.co/31z48ttps://5il.co/31z48

VARSITY

• 11/1 vs S&S 49-0 WIN
  
• 11/7 vs Leonard 63-0 WIN
  
• 11/14 BI-DISTRICT CHAMPS vs TLC Cedar Hill 48-0 WIN
  
• 11/22 AREA CHAMPS vs City View 45-14 WIN
• 11/29 REGION SEMIFINAL CHAMPS vs Jacksboro 44-14 WIN

JV BLUE

• 11/6 vs Muenster 28-14 WIN
  

JV WHITE

• 11/6 vs McKinney 50-0 WIN
  

MIDDLE SCHOOL

11/6 - 7th Grade vs Leonard 26-14 WIN

11/6 - 8th Grade vs Muenster 12-14 LOSS

Congratulations to the Sub-Varsity teams on a great season!

🏆🏈 Gunter 7th finishes the season 8-1

🏆🏈 Gunter 8th finishes the season 7-2

🏆🏈 Gunter 9th finishes the season 9-1

🏆🏈 Gunter JV finishes the season 9-1

GMS student athletes traveled to Denison to compete in the Special Olympics Bocce Ball Tournament. They had a lot of fun and represented GMS so well!

Special thanks to the PALS from GHS who traveled with them to offer assistance and cheers!

VARSITY

11/4 - BI-DISTRICT CHAMPS vs Commerce 25-11, 25-10, 25-3

11/7 - AREA CHAMPS vs Whitesboro 25-18, 25-20, 25-17

11/15 - REGIONAL SEMI-FINAL CHAMPS vs New Diana 25-10, 25-10, 25-11

11/16 vs Ponder 29-27, 22-25, 14-25, 15-25

Final Standing - REGIONAL FINAL QUALIFIER

Congratulations on a great season, ladies!

All District MVP - Chloe Johnson

All District Co Blocker of the Year - Madison Smith

All District Server of the Year - Karsyn Haynie

All District Co Coach if the Year - Coach Beville

1st Team All District: Ellyat Henry, Kyla Gortmaker, Kailyn Vest

2nd Team All District: Grace Dainauski, Riley Rogan

Honorable Mention: Landrie Brummett

Academic All District: Ellyat Henry, Kyla Gortmaker, Kailyn Vest, Grace Dainauski, Riley Rogan, Landrie Brummett, Maddie Martindale, Kirby Cox, Ava Doty

Photos by OurGunter

We love to team up with our elementary school to send off our athletes during playoffs! Warm wishes, colored signs, and loud yells from our littlest Tigers always melt the hearts of our players!

Website: www.gunterisd.org
Location: Gunter, TX, USA
Phone: 903.433.4750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gunterisdschools
Twitter: @Gunter_ISD