Future Ready Newsletter

Parents here are tips to share with your students on finishing the year strong!

1. Stay Organized: Help your student create a schedule to manage their time effectively and prioritize tasks.

2. Review Goals: Encourage your student to revisit their academic and personal goals for the year, and take steps to achieve them.

3. Seek Support: Remind your student to reach out to teachers, tutors, or peers for assistance with challenging subjects or assignments.

4. Maintain Balance: Emphasize the importance of balancing academics with self-care and extracurricular activities to prevent burnout.

5. Celebrate Achievements: Recognize and celebrate your student's accomplishments throughout the year to boost motivation and morale.

With these tips, your student will be equipped to finish the school year strong and set the stage for future success!

Parents,

As the school year comes to a close, please take time to ensure your student finishes the year strong. Skyward allows you the following options:

• View grades
• Grade notifications (you set the parameters for which you would like a notification about your student's grades)

Instructions for Parents to View Grades-English

Instructions for Parents to View Grades-Spanish

Instructions for Parent Grade Notifications-English

Instructions for Parent Grade Notifications-Spanish

NCAA is a member-led organization dedicated to the well-being and lifelong success of college athletes. Below you will find a link that includes some frequently asked questions regarding NCAA. You will also find a document that provides the course requirements for NCAA. If you have any additional questions, please contact your campus counselor.

NCAA's FAQ

NCAA Brochure with Course Requirements

NCAA Eligibility Center has a free webinar scheduled for students and families on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. EST. Please click the link below to register.

NCAA Eligibility Center Free Webinar

Parents,

All middle school students have selected their courses for next school year. The 6th & 7th grade students met with their middle school counselors while the 8th grade students got an opportunity to meet with the high school counselors from Grand Prairie HS and South Grand Prairie.

Campus Counselors have been reaching out to parents that have not signed their 8th grade student's Endorsement in Skyward. Please complete this by May 3, 2024.

All junior students will be meeting with their counselors to review course options for the upcoming year and develop a plan for post-high school endeavors. Parents, we encourage you to engage in conversations with your students about their aspirations and post-secondary plans. Students have the option to pursue careers in the workforce, attend college (including trade schools or 2-year institutions), or join the military. Remember, there's a path for everyone!

Your high school student(s) have made their course selections for the upcoming school year. If you'd like to know more about their chosen courses, simply have your student log into their Xello account and share their course planner with you. Should you have any questions regarding their selected courses, have your student stop by and visit with their counselor.

We are excited to announce a new recognition program for our graduating seniors. Students who have earned *specific benchmarks on college readiness tests will be eligible to receive honor cords at graduation. To qualify for these cords, students must meet the Texas Success Initiative (TSI) testing standards in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. These testing standards can only be met through the ACT, SAT, or the TSIA2 exams. Importantly, students do not need to meet the TSI standards for both subjects on a single test. For example, a student could achieve the ELA standard on the SAT and the Math standard on the TSIA2 exam. Check with your campus counselor, administration, and senior sponsor to see your status towards earning this honor cord. GPISD has all test scores taken in the district, but if you have taken an exam outside of the district, we may not have those scores. Use this link to report scores taken outside of the district. Please upload the entire score report that shows both the score and the student's identifying information.

Additionally, we are proud to honor students who have committed to serving our country. Students who are enlisting in the military will be eligible to receive an honor cord upon submission of a completed DD4 form. This is a way for us to recognize the dedication and commitment of these students to the nation's service. Use this link to report military enlistment through a completed DD4 form.

We believe these honor cords will be a meaningful acknowledgment of the hard work and achievements of our students. They symbolize not only academic readiness for college but also a commitment to serving and contributing to our community and country. We look forward to celebrating these accomplishments with you at graduation.

**For any questions regarding these honor cords please contact/direct others to Holly Mohler, Director of College, Career, and Military Readiness Outcomes at Holly.Mohler@gpisd.org.

Parent Promise is a scholarship program which provides a pathway for you to earn a certificate or associate degree in order to pursue a career in an in-demand field of study at no cost to you. Parent Promise will cover any gap between state and federal financial aid at Dallas College to make sure tuition is covered.

The Parent Promise is only eligible for parents whose student attends a Dallas County Promise partner school:

Crosswinds High School

Dubiski High School

Grand Prairie High School

South Grand Prairie High School

For more information visit: https://www.dallascollege.edu/paying-for-college/parent-promise/pages/default.aspx

Campuses are having FAFSA nights at individual campuses. Please reach out to the college center advisors for more information.

You've completed the FAFSA, what's next? See the next steps below.

Parents, it's that time of the year where students should be applying for scholarships. Please click the link below to see the remaining April scholarships.

Students in the 7th and 8th Grade AVID elective classes completed a Super Bowl Athlete One Pager.

They were to choose any player from either team, and provide the following information:

• Team, jersey #

• College attended

• Number of students enrolled

• Amount of tuition

• Year entered the draft

• Amount of first contract

• GPA needed to attend college

• % accepted to college

5th grade reading students utilizing WICOR.

Email: Jereese.Johnson@gpisd.org

Patricia Calahan

Email: Patricia.Calahan@gpisd.org

Dr. Holly Mohler

Email: Holly.Mohler@gpisd.org

Email: Ana.Gonzalez@gpisd.org

Melissa Rodriguez

Email: Melissa.Rodriguez@gpisd.org