DHS Weekly Update
Thursday, April 22, 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
DHS Students and Families,
This week we combined Cohort A and B and welcomed more students into the school for in-person learning. Students are adhering to our mask mandate, following the directional hallways, and engaging in work with their teachers and fellow students. Personally, I am overjoyed seeing our students walking the halls again! Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate the last 5 weeks of school.
You received a testing eBlast from Mr. Hatfield this week. The State was not able to have the End of Course state tests waived this year (last year they were) so we are moving forward with organizing testing beginning next week. Also, student participation in testing is not affecting our CCRPI scores so if students want to opt-out of EOC testing, just fill out the form that was embedded in the testing eBlast. If you need this again, please contact Mr. Hatfield at whatfield@csdecatur.net.
Information about summer school registration will be sent out to families soon. We know that some of our students need to 'unplug' from school for a while but others want the opportunity to catch-up. We hope that the flexibility of what we are working on will meet both of those needs.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Rochelle Lofstrand
Principal, Decatur High School
City Schools of Decatur Summer Program
CSD is delighted to share that we will offer an in-person summer program for students that qualify in grades K through 12. The program will run June 7-June 25 from 8:30 to 11:30am. Students will be invited to participate in the summer program based on eligibility criteria described below. Participation in the summer program is not required or mandated for any student. However, we highly encourage students who qualify to engage in this opportunity as it will set them up for success in the next grade level. For the summer program, which will be held at Talley Street Elementary and Decatur High School, availability of student transportation is limited.
Students who receive services from support programs such as Title 1, EIP, ESOL, and special education (via an IEP) will also be considered for the summer program per the criteria described below. Please note that the summer program is not the same as IEP service models, and do not use the same criteria as provided during the school year or Extended School Year (ESY). For a student with an IEP, the IEP team will determine ESY based on IDEA required considerations.
Invitations for participation in the summer program will be sent out by May 1. For students that qualify for the summer program but cannot attend in person, a virtual option will be provided. The Special Education Department will send out information regarding ESY directly to the parents of students who will be receiving those services at a future date.
K-5:
The summer program will be held at Talley Street Upper Elementary.
K-5 students must qualify in 2 of these 3 areas to be eligible for the summer program:
1) Class Performance: The student is not meeting standards in Language Arts or Math as evidenced by 1s on the report card and/or classroom assessments.
2) Reading Level: Based on a standardized measure, the student scored below the 49th percentile or at least one level below grade level
3) Math Level: Based on a standardized measure, the student scored below the 49th percentile or at least one level below grade level
6-8:
Students who have not yet met the standards in their Math or Language Arts class will be invited to attend. The students in 6th through 8th grade will meet at Decatur HIgh School.
9-12:
In addition to the June session, Decatur High School will also offer a second session July 8-27, also 8:30-11:30am. Students who have not yet met the standards in a core class will be invited to attend. For credit recovery, students will engage in blended learning in a course delivered through Apex with live support from a teacher.
Don’t qualify for Summer School but need a summer learning boost to get ready for fall?
All K-12 students will have access to a virtual personalized learning pathway to boost their understanding of content and skills and get a jump start to preparing for the next grade level. These activities would be optional learning activities for students that connect to grade level standards. These activities will be made available in addition to the summer enrichment activities available on the CSD Enrichment Website.
For students with Individualized Educational Plans
Click HERE for more information about Extended school Year (ESY) for students with IEPs. ESY serves students in grades PreK-12+ as determined by each student’s IEP team. ESY will be provided both in a virtual and in-person model, June 7-25, 8:30-11:30am. ESY will take place at ECLC for PreK students, Talley Street Upper Elementary for elementary students, and Decatur High School for our middle and high school students.Class of 2022 Senior Pictures
Congratulations Class of 2022! You are on your way to being a senior in less than 6 weeks and we have some information regarding your senior portraits. Please click on the link for a 90-second video from our school’s exclusive photographer, CADY. Be sure to watch the entire video and fill out the contact form, so you will receive information on how to schedule your senior portraits.cady.com/classof2022.
In order to be included in the Decatur High School yearbook you must have your picture taken by CADY by October 2021.
Car Wash!
Where: DHS Upper Parking Lot
When: 10am - 1pm
Cars - $6
SUV/Trucks - $8
Come out and get your car washed!
Don't Mask Your Gratitude! Show Your Appreciation for Our Teachers and Staff
In a year full of challenges our teachers and staff have steadfastly supported our kids. Let’s celebrate them with our Annual Teacher Appreciation effort!
To express our gratitude, your PTSA will provide each faculty staff member with a $25.00 gift card from a local business. And, because of your amazing generosity over the last week, we only need to raise $150.00 to meet our $2000.00 goal.
Don't miss this opportunity to show your appreciation! Make a donation
of any amount to your PTSA!
We need:
1 - $100.00 donor
3 - $50.00 donors
6 - $25.00 donors
With your donation, meeting our goal is simple! Go to https://www.decaturhighptsa.org and click donate.
Decatur High School Career Talk
We are in need of specific panelists for the following dates and times:
Decatur High School is looking for individuals that want to share their career/profession with our students! If you are interested in participating in a virtual 45 minutes - 1-hour panel that discusses the path you took for your career/profession and answer questions from our students, please respond to this Google Form. There will be 4-5 professionals on each panel.
April 27th @ 11:35 a.m. - Construction, Energy, Hospitality/Tourism, Human Services
Once you sign-up, more information will be sent to you by Mr. Duane Sprull (dsprull@csdecatur.net) and/or Ms. Jessica Sturm (jsturm@csdecatur.net). Please let us know if you have any questions.
Tonight! Decatur Parents Network Speakers Series
MLK Marker Installation in Decatur
SAVE THE DATE: On Saturday April 24, at 11 a.m., the Georgia Historical Society will unveil a marker honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the site in Decatur, Ga., where he was sentenced in 1960 to a chain gang in a traffic case and succeeded in putting racial injustice on trial in the court of world opinion.
Persuading the historical society to approve the marker involved considerable research. The DHS students gathered historical documents pinpointing where the DeKalb County courtroom and jail stood in 1960, and recorded oral histories of eyewitnesses to the events for a research paper. The students led a panel discussion at the high school, and then advocated for the marker in presentations to city commissioners and the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights, earning their unanimous support as co-sponsors. Community donations poured in to cover the $5,000 cost of the marker itself.
The students have been interviewed on public radio, by the Atlanta Journal Constitution and by the local Decaturish news site. They’ve also participated in a webinar at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, for which DHS senior Genesis Reddicks created a video explaining the story. Atlanta Student Movement members Roslyn Pope and Charles Black have been key supporters of the marker campaign, and appear in this video.
Check out this brochure - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uNd3xhSKmvIg7EjPH_X0W9tLCaqjstVs/view?usp=sharing
College Exploration Day
What: College Exploration Day
When: Wednesday, April 28th; 10:30am - noon
There will be three separate sessions that run concurrently from 10:30-noon. Students should register for the one that most aligns with their post-secondary goals. We will make all three recordings available to all attendees after the event. Students can register on the front page of our website, collegeaim.org or by using the links for the sessions below.
If you have any questions, contact:
Joanne Santivasci
College AIM
joanne.santivasci@collegeaim.org
- Technical & Community Colleges
- Atlanta Tech, Georgia Piedmont Tech, GSU Perimeter, Leap Year
- In-State, Public, 4-Year Colleges
- Albany State, Clayton State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State
- Highly Selective Colleges
- American, Hamilton, Lincoln, Trinity
2021 Decatur Farm to School - Summer Internship Grant Program
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Step Up for Teachers!
It's that time of year again -- time to Step Up for Teachers! And what a year it's been. Show your favorite teacher just how much you appreciate their hard work during this unprecedented school year with a loving tribute. Just go to www.stepupforteachers.com, make a $25 donation and leave your tribute. We'll notify the honored teacher or CSD staff member and deliver a "We Step Up for Teachers" yard sign to your door in the coming weeks. If you’d like to leave a tribute but can’t make a gift at this time, you can email your tribute to info@decatureducationfoundation.org. The Step Up campaign supports our teachers in the classroom through Teacher Innovation Grants that are awarded every fall. Let's show them some love! To see all of the wonderful tributes, you can visit decatureducationfoundation.org/tributes-2021.
As a special gift from DEF to our DHS seniors, we are giving every member of the senior class of 2021 a “Congratulations Class of 2021” yard sign! It’s a little something to brighten a lackluster final year of high school. Details about sign pick-up are coming soon.
City of Decatur News
DYC Presents Carpool Cinema
The Decatur Youth Council is hosting a free outdoor movie activity at Decatur Legacy Park on Saturday, April 24. Admission begins at 7 p.m. Showtime is at dusk (around 8:20 p.m.) We will be showing Disney's Lilo & Stitch.
If you plan to attend the outdoor movie screening, be advised that:
- You must view the movie from your vehicle. Walk-up viewing is not allowed at this activity to help us maintain a safe, socially distanced environment.
- You must practice social distancing at all times if you exit the vehicle.
- Parking spaces will be first come, first serve.
- Portable restrooms will be available in a designated area of the park.
- Concessions will not be available to purchase. Each ticket includes a snack bag for four with popcorn, water, and candy.
- Consider picking up dinner from a local restaurant to enjoy while you wait for the movie to begin.
Tickets are free, but availability is limited to the first 50 ticket holders. One ticket per vehicle. Tickets are available at https://www.freshtix.com/events/dyc-presents-carpool-cinema
Questions? Contact DYC staff liaison, Meredith Roark, at meredith.roark@decaturga.com.
Decatur High School
Email: kgoins@csdecatur.net
Website: csdecatur.net/DHS
Location: 310 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4170