Caps & Gowns and Other Graduation Announcements

Parents & Seniors: Deadlines are approaching to order Senior Cap & Gowns, announcements, and Yearbook Recognition ads.

CAP & GOWNS/GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENTS:
You have until January 31st to place your orders for your senior's Cap & Gown, announcements, and other graduation items. After 1/31/19, Balfour will charge a $25 late fee. Order online or contact our local Balfour rep:
Rhonda Riggs
Centex Balfour - Austin
Phone: 512-996-9082
rhonda@centexbalfour.com

www.balfour.com

SENIOR RECOGNITION ADS FOR THE 2019 YEARBOOK
Senior Recognition Ads are available to purchase at Jostens.com: http://jostensadservice.com?REF=A07631375. Our deadline 2/1/19, but do not wait until the last minute. It can take some time to put these together.
Senior ads are very popular and space can be limited so don't delay!
Full Page $250
1/2 Page $140
1/4 Page $70
1/8 Page $40
Email Senior Recognition Ad questions to beth.kelly@orendaeducation.org.

YEARBOOKS ON SALE
Yearbooks are available to purchase at Jostens.com: http://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A07631375. The high school book is $45. Reserve a book for your senior by ordering early. Email yearbook ordering questions to beth.kelly@orendaeducation.org.

Funds for New Led Vision Board for New Gym Needed

FUNDRAISING ALERT.....Orenda Education is attempting to raise monies to fund an LED video display board to be mounted in the new Main Gymnasium on the Gateway College Prep campus. Donations totaling $50,000 are required to purchase the 6.6 foot-tall by 11.48 foot-wide pixilated board and control system.

The LED board would enhance a K-12 school community experience by promoting all the activities that occur in the gym... from athletic events to pep rallies to fine arts performances to graduation exercises.

“We feel this is a great opportunity to showcase our students and our school environment to all who will view content on this state-of-the-art media tool, including students, families and visitors to the campus” said Tommy Turner, Director of Community Relations.

Turner said much of the content for the display board also would be created by students studying video production and broadcasting courses now offered at the secondary school level. The video board will need to be staffed during events and student volunteers would help in those roles.

Eventually, advertising space could be sold with revenue helping to underwrite a portion of the cost of the board. Multi-year contracts could be sold to larger advertisers or local businesses with smaller budgets could purchase digital announcements during a single athletic event, for example, Turner said.

Persons interested in making pledges or donations to this project should contact Mr. Turner at tommy.turner@orendaeducation.org or call 512-869-3020.

We are so excited to introduce Schoolway to the community. Schoolway is a mobile app that can be accessed through Apple and Android devices. This will provide fluid communication from one source for all things related to Gateway College Prep. The beauty of Schoolway is that you get to choose the information that you want to receive by choosing the feeds that you are involved in. You will find that Schoolway is separated into Elementary, Middle, and High School. Underneath each are feeds from clubs, athletics, groups, and classes. You are able to subscribe to any feed that your student is involved with. Here are a few features of the Schoolway app:

● Push and email messaging from both the district and grade site levels
● Push and email messaging from clubs and athletics

● Instant safety notification and alert reporting

● GPS mapping and navigation

● School calendars

● Access to Blackboard

● Staff directories

● Multiple language options, including Spanish

● Access to your lunch accounts through PayPams

● Notification of school events including athletics

● Connection to Open Enrollment

● Access to important forms

The Schoolway app will send you push notifications to your device, but can also send you text notifications or email upon your request through settings. Sign up today and never again miss out on events and communications at Gateway. You can find out more at MYSCHOOLWAY.COM/GATEWAYCPS.

Gateway College Prep accepts enrollment application throughout the year, however, it is only during the Open Enrollment period that ALL applicants have an equal opportunity for admission to the school.  Texas charter school law requires Gateway to hold an “Open-Enrollment Period” for students and families seeking admission for the next school year.

The open-enrollment period is the entire month of January each year.  If the number of applications during the open-enrollment period exceeds the number of available student seats for any grade level, a random lottery is held to determine who is admitted.  For families who enroll after the open enrollment period, admission is based on a first come basis and Kingsland must have a seat available and still be accepting new enrollment applications.
 
Please note:  Submitting the enrollment application form only indicates your interest and places your name on the potential-student list. Families offered an enrollment seat will be sent a registration packet with instructions for registering. A formal registration will need to occur demonstrating your acceptance of the enrollment offer. If you do not accept the enrollment offer by registering your student by the communicated deadline sent with your registration packet, your seat will be offered to the next potential student on the waiting list.
 
Enrollment Notification: Families who submitted an enrollment application during the open- enrollment period will be notified (at a time to be determined) that their student will be offered an enrollment seat for the upcoming school year.
 
Registration:  After the initial open-enrollment period, students are enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis until all seats are filled. When an enrollment application is received after all seats for that grade have been filled, the potential student’s name is placed on a waiting list.

We Earned an "A" from TEA

 The Orenda Charter School District, which operates Gateway College Prep, is among the very few Central Texas school districts that received an “A” rating in overall performance by the Texas Education Agency’s new “A-F” grading system that was published August 15th.

Gateway College Prep enjoyed a “met standard” rating while earning 6 out of 7 distinctions. The one distinction missed was by one indicator, attendance. The school earned an overall score of 95.

School districts earned an “A” grade by “serving most students well, encouraging high academic achievement and/or appropriate academic growth for almost all students,” according to the TEA website.

District scores are based on three main indicators: “student achievement,” which is primarily based on standardized test performance and includes other measures like graduation rates for high schools; “school progress,” which compares test performance year-to-year and between comparable school districts; and “closing the gaps,” which includes performances in special groups of students based on socioeconomic status and other factors.

The only other surrounding independent school district earning an “A” rating was Round Rock ISD. Georgetown, Pflugerville and Leander ISDs all earned a “B” rating.