CSD Back to School 2020 Details
Details on Virtual Learning schedules, Town Halls, and more
To view in your web browser, click here: https://www.smore.com/4reyu.
Greetings CSD Families,
Thank you for your patience while we refine our virtual learning plans.
Below you will find additional details regarding how to communicate your family's needs through our virtual learning readiness form, view virtual learning schedules, find more details about our Town Halls happening over the next few weeks, and more.
Also, all updates provided to the community, as well as additional information, can be found on www.csdecatur.net/opening2020.
As usual, you can find our updated school year calendar on the calendars tab of our district website or by clicking on www.csdecatur.net/calendar.
Virtual Learning Readiness Form
As we prepare to welcome our students to their virtual classrooms on August 17, we need information from each family regarding what your students and family need to make the virtual learning experience the best it can be. Please complete this form for each student in your household. The form will provide essential information about your technology and nutrition needs as well as key information regarding what supports may be needed for specific families. Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to complete the form. Please respond no later than Wednesday, August 5.
Virtual Learning Schedules
We know the importance of understanding how the virtual learning day will work and what the schedule will look like for families. The Virtual Vanguard Team and school leaders have worked diligently to develop schedules to help families and staff prepare. The links below are the recommended schedules by grade band. Schools will share more information soon about these schedules.
Wellness Wednesday
The National Institute of Wellness defines wellness as an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices that promote a more successful existence. CSD is committed to supporting the holistic development and health of our students and staff. The Equity and Student Support department has curated a variety of activities, interventions, and sessions designed to support wellness for students, staff, and parents. The dimensions of wellness include social, emotional, physical, spiritual, occupational (school), and intellectual. Wellness Wednesday will be focused on social, emotional, and physical wellness.
We frame our approach to wellness through an equity lens. Consequently, our programs, initiatives, and professional learning opportunities were designed to celebrate and be inclusive of diversity based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and other cultural characteristics.
A key component of Wellness Wednesday is SEE (Social Emotional Ethical ) Learning. The K-12 SEE Learning program was designed to foster social, emotional, and ethical intelligence for students and staff. The key components of the program include attention training, compassion and ethical development, systems thinking, resilience, and trauma-informed practice. These skills will be instrumental in helping our community navigate returning to school after COVID-19 and the local and national racial injustice we are currently experiencing. Members of the Equity and Student Support and Curriculum and Instruction departments including counselors, psychologists, social workers, and behavior specialists will be implementing the Social Emotional Ethical Learning program on Wellness Wednesday. Each student K-12 will attend a live virtual session with their homeroom or advisement class. Click here for a video introduction to SEE Learning. Tune into the virtual town hall scheduled on August 12 to learn more about Wellness Wednesday and SEE Learning.
Virtual Town Hall Meetings
We will host virtual town hall meetings to discuss virtual learning Pre-K through 12th grade, special programs and student supports, technology, and Wellness Wednesday. The schedule for the events is below. All meetings will be conducted in the webinar format through Zoom and will be limited to 500 people. The link to each meeting can be found here. You can submit questions ahead of time or during each town hall via this form. We ask that you submit questions before the meetings to give us the ability to answer as many questions as possible during the presentation. All town halls will be recorded and available on www.csdecatur.net/opening2020.
Teacher and Team Requests
Schools have received numerous requests for specific teacher and class placements. We understand and certainly support the community working together. However, our schools will not be able to accommodate class change requests based on how families are partnering together to support virtual learning.
As a school district, we have committed to designing virtual learning that is consistent across classrooms. By doing so, teachers at our schools will share the same learning experiences, modes of communication, and organization of learning materials. This will help facilitate learning across the grade levels and ensure the same content and quality of design for all students no matter the class assignment. We will share more details about this with families in the Town Hall Meetings and in the school-based Meet and Greets.
Also, please know that CSD staff members are not available to work privately for families during contracted hours. As a reminder, teachers are not permitted to work for pay to provide after-hour tutoring for students on their current class rosters.
Should you have any other questions or concerns, please reach out to your school principals.
Student Schedules and Meet and Greets
Schools are finalizing how they will hold virtual Meet and Greets and will share information with families soon. Parents will be able to log into the parent portal (Infinite Campus) to see teacher assignments on August 5. Please contact the administrative assistant at your child’s school if you do not have a parent portal account.
City Schools of Decatur
Email: contactus@csdecatur.net
Website: www.csdecatur.net
Location: 125 Electric Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-371-3601
Facebook: facebook.com/cityschoolsofdecatur