Grapevine-Colleyville ISD officials approved the 2026-27 academic calendar at a Dec. 15 trustee meeting. The new calendar includes additional days off for students in October, November and April.

The details: The new calendar puts the first day of school on Aug. 12 and the last day on May 27. The school year’s first semester has 79 school days, and the second has 91 days, which includes STAAR and AP exams.

Thanksgiving break will start on Monday, Nov. 23, and class will resume on Monday, Nov. 30. Winter break starts on Dec. 18, and students will return to school on Wednesday, Jan 6, per the schedule.

Spring break is set for March 15-19, with students returning to class on Monday, March 22.

What else: GCISD will not have class on the Nov. 3 Election Day, due to feedback from parents and district staff after Election Day in the 2024-25 school year, executive director of instructional leadership Kalee McMullen said at the meeting.

Play Street Museum Southlake is now open. The business offers an indoor play area that has self-directed play, stimulates children’s imaginations, encourages them to problem solve and allows them to refine their social skills, according to the company website.

Zooming in: The facility is for children aged 1-8 years old. The space on weekends can be rented for special events, holiday events and birthday parties, said Melanie McBride, who runs the venture with her husband, Steve. The Southlake location features a retail portion at the front of the store, and children will be given a wooden dollar to learn how to use commerce, McBride said.

The details: Each of the locations has a different theme, and Southlake is only one of three in Texas with the farm theme, along with locations in McKinney and Cypress.

Fast-casual eatery Jason's Deli is celebrating its 50th anniversary by honoring the fresh food, people and communities that have defined the restaurant, officials announced in a Dec. 30 news release.

The background: The deli was founded in 1976 by Joe Tortorice Jr. in Beaumont and has since branched out to 114 Texas locations and 235 delis nationwide in 27 states, per the release.

What's new: According to the release, the eatery is celebrating its anniversary by spotlighting new soups during the National Soup Month of January, while also rolling out new items, including the Deli-Bration Cookie—a sugar cookie topped with sprinkles—and returning others.

In their own words: “Our 50th anniversary is about staying true to what’s made Jason’s Deli special since day one—thoughtfully prepared dishes, diverse selections and genuine care for the people we serve,” Clare Wilson, vice president of culinary and R&D at Jason’s Deli, said in the release. 

Keziah Farrar will fill the remaining vacancy on the Tarrant Appraisal District.

During a special meeting called Dec. 30, the board voted 5-0 to appoint the former Mansfield ISD trustee to replace Alan Blaylock and serve until Dec. 30, 2027.

Blaylock announced his resignation from the board and Fort Worth City Council in November to seek a state office, according to previous reporting. Blaylock was the Distict 10 representative, which serves northeast Fort Worth.

What happened: The special board meeting was announced during the Dec. 1 meeting. Three board members were absent during the Dec. 30 meeting: Gloria Peña, Wendy Burgess and Fred Campos.

Before the decision, Blaylock recused himself from voting, meaning four of the nine sitting board members did not vote.