Dr. Fehrman's Friday Follow-Up
December 17, 2021
From The Superintendents Desk
This week, the students from FAVE and Talley sent the most amazing gifts to the team at Wilson Center. In their art class, students crafted figurines for central office staff with our initials. My rhino has a place of honor on my shelf. They also shared “Expressions of Gratitude.” This is truly a gift that keeps on giving! The box was full of personal notes of gratitude for our teachers, beautiful schools, playgrounds, leaders and so much more. Thank you to all the students at FAVE and Talley for this thoughtful and special gift.
This morning I started my day at FAVE in Ms. Monroe’s class for her Authors Appetizer Lesson. I arrived a little early and was able to eavesdrop on their Morning Meeting as they discussed things money can’t buy like, respect, character, trust, integrity, and love. This was such a timely lesson for students as we enter the holiday break to be reminded that what matters most is not things we can buy or give but who we are as people.
CSD recognized and thanked our two outgoing Board members, Heather Tell and Lewis Jones, for their many years of service to the students and community at the December Board meeting. I believe public schools are the solution to building better local, national, and global communities. School board members volunteer their time and expertise to serve the students in their communities and uphold the highest standards of excellence in schools. I am thankful for Heather’s and Lewis’s service to the students and staff in City Schools of Decatur. In January, CSD will welcome our two new Board members, Hans Utz and Dr. Carmen Sulton, to the team. Since November, I have had the opportunity to get to know Hans and Carmen better. The skills and knowledge they bring to the Board will help CSD rise to even higher levels of success.
Stronger Together Shout-Out
Oakhurst Toy Drive
The Oakhurst staff is always encouraging their students to be leaders. Last week Colin Bacher, a first-grader in Ms. Hart's classroom, approached Principal Frazier to ask if they could do a toy drive. Upon further conversation with Colin, Principal Frazier learned that he had already contacted a local children's shelter to get details.
We are so proud of Colin's leadership. Thanks to Oakhurst parents and students for supporting Colin's efforts to give to less fortunate children. Way to go Colin!
ESOL & Federal Programs Parent and Family Engagement
We could not have done it without YOU!! We collected nearly 100 coats across CSD!! Many thanks to ALL of our Principals, Schools, and Wilson Center staff for your participation and support in helping to make our ESOL & Federal Programs Coat Drive a huge success!
Updates
Decatur Student Center Holiday Tips
The holiday season often contains many traditions, rituals, and... well… expectations. When things are going according to plan, these traditions and rituals can be a comforting reminder of family values, belonging, and warmth. But, how do we experience the holidays when things don't go according to plan or when unscheduled events crash the party? Some families are dealing with newly divorced parents, loss of family members, or inability to visit family like in years past.
Change is hard, especially during the holiday season. Instead of making assumptions about how things should go, what would it be like to accept or even welcome change and uncertainty during the holiday season? Only you know the answer to that question, but here are some ideas to get the ball rolling.
Create a new tradition: Really anything could do the trick here. The most important thing is to keep everyone included in the decision-making process. Here are some ideas for new traditions, for example, best shaving cream beard contest, baking as a family, building a blanket fort for a holiday movie night, going to a drive-in theater, having a game night, or talking (or drawing) about your family memories and collect these to read in the future. Most importantly, keep it simple and take the pressure off. Spending quality time together is more important than having a picture-perfect holiday break.
Acknowledge the change: Start an open conversation about differences in this holiday season, but do so lightly: you might be feeling more distressed about the changes than the kiddos do and you don't want to inadvertently stress them out. Ask them about what they want to do this holiday season. This will help them feel more included and autonomous. If you are going through a divorce, try to avoid putting children in the middle of two households. Presenting as a united front may help children feel more comfortable expressing what they really want.
Plan ahead: Planning ahead provides the necessary structure in uncertain times. Remember to write your plans in the sand and your goals in stone. If one plan doesn't work out, it's good to have a backup.