DHS Weekly Update
Thursday, August 11, 2022
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
DHS Families,
Our school year is off to a great start! This Friday is our first football scrimmage. See information below. Congrats to our softball team for their successes this week! Our new Instructional Technologist, Jules Shelkoff, will start managing our social media (Facebook and Instagram) pages so make sure to 'like' or 'follow' our pages to get all of the latest information about DHS.
Rochelle L. Lofstrand, Principal
Decatur High School
Breakfast/Lunch Payments
This year school breakfast and lunch are no longer free unless a family qualifies for free/reduced lunch. School lunches have been free for the past two year because of COVID Cares funding. This has now stopped - https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/2022-23-parent-faqs. All families should look at the criteria to see if they qualify for free/reduced meals -https://www.csdecatur.net/Page/4670.
Also, don't forget to log into the Parent Portal to put money on your students' account or send a check/cash. See the new meal pricing below.
Attendance Procedures for 2022-2023 School Year
Dear DHS families,
Please read these attendance procedures carefully. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Michael Scott (mscott@csdecatur.net).
We hope that in the 2022-2023 school year, we can continue to improve student attendance as we continue to adjust to living with the constant presence of COVID-19. If your student is having a hard time getting to school, please reach out to their counselor and administrator. Contact info can be found here.
We will begin the attendance robocall for students who are absent from school on Monday, August 8th. We hope to have Parent Portal push notifications for attendance available soon.
Excused Absences
If your student misses a day or more for an illness, the death/illness of a family member, a religious holiday, or another excused reason, please fill out this form. If you would like us to consider a non-standard reason to excuse an absence, please reach out directly to Mr. Scott at least three weeks in advance of a planned absence.
Check-outs
If you need to check out your student, please fill out this form. We ask that all students be picked up from the front doors off of N. McDonough. Please ring the buzzer for assistance and be prepared to show a photo ID to our attendance office staff.
Timely Arrival to School
In order to be considered on-time, a student must be in class by 8:35 am. Students who do not meet this criterion must check in at the attendance office. Students who are late two or more times in a week without an excuse will be assigned after school detention on either Wednesday or Thursday (student's choice) of the following week.
Skipping Class
We expect students to be in every class every day. Students who skip class will be referred to their administrator every time they skip. This year, we will assign Saturday Detention to students on the third time they skip class. Students with Saturday conflicts for religious reasons will be assigned an alternate consequence.
Wes Hatfield
Asst Principal
Interested in Serving on the DHS School Leadership Team (SLT)
The Decatur High School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee consisting of parents/guardians, DHS staff members, community members and other personnel. All CSD schools have an SLT, formed as part of our System Charter, renewed by the state in 2014. Some of the responsibilities of this team are:
School Improvement Plan (SIP): Develop, approve and monitor the continuous school improvement planning process
Determine the allocation of the school’s instructional and technology budget
Review student achievement data
Recommend and support school needs to the CSD Board of Education during the annual budget process
Help with the interview process of potential Decatur High School employees
Monthly evening meetings
Current members of the Decatur High SLT are:
Elected Parents: Elliot Robinson, Amy Marti, Kunle Oguneye and Ila Wade
Staff Members: Sean DeWeese, Cassandra Black and Duane Sprull
Principal: Rochelle Lofstrand
CSD Central Office: Eston Melton, Chief Information Officer
DHS has two parent 2-year terms and one teacher 2-year term expiring this year. If you are interested in serving DHS as an SLT member or returning as a member, please submit your name, a paragraph with a biographical statement and a paragraph stating why you want to be on the SLT, to Rochelle Lofstrand at rlofstrand@csdecatur.net. Deadline for submission is Friday, August 19th. We will eBlast candidate statements in our newsletter.
SLT elections will occur virtually and will be communicated after August 19th.
Class of 2023 Senior Pictures
Three months left to take your senior photo! T You must have your portrait taken by CADY to be included in the senior section of the yearbook. There are several photo options you can choose, but to be in the yearbook you just need the yearbook pose. This option comes with Cap and Gown pictures, and one extra ‘scene.’ You should have started receiving emails about scheduling an appointment. You can go to one of their studios OR schedule an appointment here at the high school during a Road Shoot. The closest studio, The Atlanta Studio, located at 2030 Powers Ferry Rd., Suite 520 Atlanta, Georgia 30339 (near the Braves Stadium) is accepting appointments now. It is advised that you schedule an appointment sooner rather than later so that you can get retakes if you wish. CADY will be at DHS on Saturday 8/27 and Saturday 10/8. If you do not get an appointment on one of these days you will have to go to a studio to get your picture taken.
You have until October 31, either at school or at a studio, to get your photo taken for inclusion in the 2022-2023 yearbook. Please go to cady.com/schedule in order to schedule your appointment as soon as possible.
Anyone who needs financial assistance for the sitting fee should reach out to Principal Lofstrand, rlofstrand@csdecatur.net. If you have any other questions please email the yearbook sponsor Ms. Lockhart at alockhart@csdecatur.net.
It's Time for Football!
Come out to the game this Friday night to cheer on our Bulldogs as they scrimmage against Stephenson High School. The theme is Hawaiian, so wear your best aloha shirt to celebrate our first game. Game time is 7 p.m.
Know Before You Go
- GoFan tickets only. (No cash or credit accepted at the ticket gate.)
- Pull up your GoFan ticket on your phone before you arrive at the stadium for faster entry.
- Come hungry – there will be food in the lower concessions!
Renew your DBB membership to purchase your GoFan ticket package in time for the game. Tickets are shareable among family members for game admittance and those purchasing at the Family Booster level and above will receive a free spirit item.
Promote Your Business
Boosters has sponsorship opportunities that offer community visibility across our athletic and fundraising events, along with a GoFan mobile ticket package. Sponsors are coming on board every day, and they support Decatur Athletics in a big way – check them out on our website and show them the love.
CSD Athletics News and Updates
For All Information Relating to CSD Athletics: decaturbulldogsathletics.com
Bulldog Parents, bookmark the link below for the most up-to-date information relating athletics at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. Please feel free to reach out to our team with any questions! Go Bulldogs!!
Rodney Thomas - Executive Director of Student Services / Activities & Athletics Director (rthomas@csdecatur.net)
Kelli Aaron - Administrative Assistant & Bookkeeper (kaaron@csdecatur.net)
David Harbin - Assistant Activities & Athletics Director (dharbin@csdecatur.net)
FOOTBALL FRIDAY Expectations
Football Friday’s are back at Decatur High School. The Bulldogs take on Stephenson this Friday. Please attend to the following expectations:
All tickets must be purchased online at GoFan.co
No bookbags will be allowed in the stadium
All BHMS students must be accompanied by an adult to enter the game
CSD Employees (+1) receive free entry to all regular season home games with their CSD badge.
We look forward to cheering on the Bulldogs this season!!
DHS Softball Celebrations
Next PTSA Meeting
DHS SLT News
Next SLT Meeting
DISTRICT NEWS
School Nutrition - Point of Sales Issues
The School Nutrition Department recently updated the point of sale system and is experiencing some hiccups. We are working diligently to correct any errors on student meal accounts. Please use the attached form to identify any charges that you would like us to review. We will investigate your request as quickly as we are able. No child will be refused meal service as we go through the correction process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Please use this form to let us know about the discrepancy you are experiencing. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Mark Your Calendars!
Did you know that Decatur Education Foundation has been supporting Decatur’s kids for 20 years? That’s a milestone worth celebrating, so we’re hosting a FREE Community Concert at Legacy Park! Come Together Decatur, presented by Bark Technologies in partnership with Amplify, will be held on Saturday, September 10th from 4-8pm and will feature local favorites The Sundogs and John Boy and Surround Sound, as well as some of our talented DHS students. Everyone is invited to pack a picnic and gather with blankets or camping chairs to spend the afternoon enjoying some great live music and reconnecting with friends and neighbors. See you there!
If you anticipate your student needing a little extra help, DEF’s Virtual PALS program might be the answer. We pair a 2nd-8th grade student with an upper high school student or adult volunteer to help with homework, time management, and motivation. If you would like to sign your student up for the program, you can go here: https://forms.gle/SjYinSLJkZ363pi57 We also need tutor volunteers! If you can donate 1 hour per week to help a Decatur student virtually, you can apply here: https://forms.gle/YTbDUk8H4iS4qfD57 (High school students can earn volunteer hours!)
We also need adult volunteers for our AIM mentoring program, and our brand new FOCUS Prep Program that is specifically for high schoolers in preparation for post-high school. You can also find all forms and information at our website, www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring. Together we make a difference for our kids!
Madison Soap Box Derby
Driver Registration Now Open: Madison Avenue Derby on Oct. 15th
Don't miss your chance to be a part of one of Decatur's most iconic neighborhood events! Driver registration is now open for the 11th Annual Madison Avenue Derby, the non-motorized racing event where amateur racers of all ages design and build human-powered soapbox cars to compete against the clock in a downhill race!
Join the excitement as a racer or spectator on October 15, 2022, for a day of family-friendly fun - proceeds from the event this year go to support the Friends of Refugees! REGISTER TO RACE NOW
Decatur High School
Email: noreply@csdecatur.net
Website: csdecatur.net/DHS
Location: 310 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4170