GISD eNews 12-11-25

Best In Show! Best of luck to students competing at the Williamson County Livestock Show this week! You can join the fun and support our students. See the event schedule online at: http://www.wmcolivestock.org/schedule-show-barn.html.   ICYMI: Servitude in Action: GHS Eagle Serve Day 2025 In this week’s eNews: Fall Climate Surveys - Your Feedback Requested   2026 Rezoning Process – Town Hall Meeting Tonight at Williams Reminder: Middle of Year Assessments Happening Now Upcoming Performances: Jolly Holiday Premieres Tonight   Stay Engaged through ParentSquare Stay engaged with GISD, your child's campus, teachers, coaches and more through the new ParentSquare app. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with our campuses and our district. Learn more about ParentSquare here Customize how you receive notifications here   From Our Partners: From the Williamson County Museum: The American Revolution Experience exhibit Applications for GPD’s Blue Santa - Closes Soon From the Rotary Club of Sun City: Breakfast with Santa Dec. 20 A+FCU is awarding 60 Scholarships - Learn More From the Georgetown Project: 2026 MLK Day of Service   Important Upcoming Dates: December 15 – Board Meeting December 19 – Early Release for All Students December 22 - January 2 – District Closed/Winter Break January 5 – Professional Learning/Student Holiday January 6 - First day of spring semester for students    VISIT OUR ENEWS HUB ‎ Important news and announcements are posted regularly and we encourage you to visit our GISD eNews website www.georgetownisdnews.org for the latest news, updates, feature stories and more. We also invite you to stay in touch with us via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.   VISIT OUR WEBSITE   ‎ 507 E. University Avenue  Georgetown, TX 78626 512-943-5000

Thursday, Dec 11 2025

Servitude in Action: GHS Eagle Serve Day 2025

On November 19, 128 Georgetown High School (GHS) student leaders kicked off the season of giving with acts of service, kindness and mentorship across elementary campuses.  Representing 21 GHS clubs, teams and organizations, student leaders did everything from cleaning storage rooms and decorating for Christmas, to serving lunch and spending time with their elementary counterparts.  The day started with an opening rally, where a guest speaker talked to the students about the connection between leadership and servanthood. “The students launched into the day hoping to plant seeds and build legacies – for their organizations, for GHS, and for our community,” said Jonathan Colburn, the lead educator for GHS student leadership. “They did exactly that, and it was such a proud Eagle moment.” This single day of service, known as “Eagle Serve Day”, carries a big impact. For our high school students, it instills core values of leadership and service. For our teachers, it brings some joy during a stressful time of the school year. And for our youngest learners, it sets an example for what leadership rooted in generosity and service looks like.  Mr. Colburn shared a special “thank you” to the organizations that participated in Eagle Serve Day: Band Baseball  Criminal Justice Club Fellowship of Christian Athletes French National Honor Society Georgettes Key Club Link Crew Men's Soccer NEXT College & Career Readiness National Honor Society Powerlifting Senior Class Council Softball Student Council Swimming Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) Tennis The Locker Theater Volleyball

Friday, Dec 05 2025

Georgetown ISD Announces Principals for Elementary N...

At a board workshop on Monday night, the Georgetown Independent School District named two new principals for Elementary No. 12 and Middle School No. 5, respectively. Located just south of East View High School, the district’s newest campuses will open for the 2026-27 school year. Dr. Emily Fraser currently serves as principal at McCoy Elementary and will transition in January to lead Elementary School No. 12. Dr. Fraser has 17 years of experience in education, having served as an elementary teacher, special education resource and inclusion teacher, ARD facilitator, and assistant principal at Carver Elementary and Forbes Middle School.  As McCoy principal, Fraser implemented innovative professional learning for campus staff, successfully orchestrated the blending of district-wide programs on the campus level, and led strategic instructional work for her campus.  Fraser holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, a master’s in education from Schreiner University and a bachelor of arts in general studies from Schreiner University. Emily and her husband Travis have two children in GISD: Johnny, a junior at East View High School, and Jaxon, a fifth grader at McCoy.  As a Georgetown High School alumna and 16-year GISD educator, Fraser is excited to be a part of this new chapter in the district. “GISD is such an amazing place, and I am blessed with the honor of opening its next elementary school,” Fraser said. “This community is strong, and I look forward to all of the opportunities we will bring to the next generation of learners.”  Michael Coyle  currently serves as associate principal of Northeast Early College High School in Austin ISD and will join GISD in January to lead Middle School No. 5. Coyle enters this role with 25 years of experience in education, having served as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, assistant principal and principal.  In his campus leadership roles, Coyle has achieved three consecutive years of improvement in accountability scores from the Texas Education Agency (TEA), reduced chronic absenteeism by 12%, and implemented systems to support the climate, culture, and academics of a high-needs campus. In 2021, Coyle was named Austin ISD Assistant Principal of the Year, and in 2025, he was a finalist for Austin ISD Principal of the Year. Coyle earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Lamar University and a bachelor’s degree in social sciences from Montclair State University.  In their new roles, Fraser and Coyle will facilitate the opening of the new campuses, hire staff, and develop new processes that ensure the campus’ alignment with the district’s mission, vision, beliefs, and Strategic Direction.  “Hiring leaders is the most important responsibility that I have as Superintendent,” shared Dr. Padavil. “The Principal sets the tone for the staff and students. They set a culture of being responsive to the needs of families. I’m excited for what Dr. Fraser and Mr. Coyle will bring to our newest schools.” GISD administrators serve as instructional leaders with a commitment to hiring and supporting high-quality instructors to deliver high-quality learning experiences for every learner.  They also are responsible for establishing a strong culture to help every student thrive.  Fraser and Coyle will transition to their new roles in January 2026.  Elementary No. 12 and Middle School No. 5 are being constructed with funds from the 2024 bond in the district’s fast-growing east side. At capacity, they will support a combined 1,850 students. Learn more about the  2024 GISD Bond .  

Friday, Dec 05 2025

Community Event Brings Williams Families and Staff T...

When educators at Williams Elementary set out to plan a community event, they were intent on accomplishing three main goals: build community, strengthen relationships, and promote literacy among bilingual families.  “The heart of the event was to make connections with our families,” said Elyssa Benavides, Williams assistant principal. “And to get books into homes, especially for kids in lower-income areas where access might be limited.” With support from Georgetown Bridges to Growth, The Locker, dual language teachers and the GISD multilingual department, over 120 bilingual books were distributed to Williams dual language students.  “I think it meant a lot to the families to not only receive new books, but to have so many people come together to share them in person and make that extra connection,” Benavides said. While these community events often take place on campus, Williams staff wanted to do something a little different for this one: Bring the campus to the families . “We set up the event in a neighborhood where a large population of our bilingual families live,” Benavides said. “A lot of families came up and told us how much it meant that we made the effort to meet them where they are.” While students dug into their new books, parents connected with one another, visited with staff and learned more about their child’s campus during Q&A’s and small group discussions.  “The event provided us with an opportunity to connect with families in their own space, in a more relaxed, authentic way,” said Debra Truett, teacher at Williams. “Overall, the event strengthened trust and created a shared sense of investment in our students’ success.” Because of the generosity of so many people, families walked away that night feeling more informed, more seen, and more connected to their child’s education. 

Friday, Dec 05 2025