Dr. Fehrman
March 3, 2023
In this newsletter:
ALL IN DECATUR!
Vision and Mission Survey
National Developmental Awareness Month
Shout-outs: FCCLA Students Head to State Leadership Conference, BHMS Students Place on National German Exam, Decatur High School Student, Lily Mae Barcik Awarded Prestigious National Honor Society Scholarship, and Top Dog Award Winners
CSD announcements and updates about the Parent & Community Math Chats, K-12 New Student Enrollment, ESOL & Federal Programs Title III Parent Meeting, ESOL & Federal Programs College FAFSA Night, and Community Resource Fair
Community partner announcements and updates from the Decatur Parents Network, Decatur Farm to School, Safe Routes to School, Decatur Bulldog Boosters, and Decatur Education Foundation
I am thrilled to share that I will be presenting the strategic plan next week. I can’t wait to share the plan with our entire community! This plan recenters us on being a truly student-focused organization where equity is woven into the fabric of everything we do. This plan sets the stage for us to reimagine what schools look like so we meet the needs of ALL students by creating learning environments where every student feels welcome and included. I want to thank our community for investing in our schools by providing ongoing input and feedback throughout this process.
Hope to see you next week when I share what we mean when we say, “ALL IN DECATUR!”
Please note the date for the Board meeting has changed from Tuesday, March 7, to Wednesday, March 8, at 5 pm. The meeting will take place at the Wilson Center (125 Electric Avenue). The entire community is invited to come and hear the presentation and the Board’s discussion in person or listen in via zoom.
Strategic Plan - Vision and Mission Survey LAST CHANCE - We want to hear from you by March 5!
We want to hear from you! As part of the CSD strategic planning process, we are reviewing and updating our vision and mission statements. The survey is now open, and we want to hear what you like and what you think we should change or add to these foundational parts of our strategic plan.
Why are we doing this? Vision and mission statements help ground the work school districts do and represent the shared values and goals that everyone in the school community is committed to working toward. They form the foundation for developing and implementing policies and practices to support staff members, families, and students.
Call to Action: Please take 5-7 minutes to complete the CSD Vision & Mission Survey, review the current vision and mission statements (both are included in the survey for your reference), and share your thoughts with us. Don’t delay and complete by March 5th!
Congratulations! Great job! Way to go!
FCCLA Students Head to State Leadership Conference
Before February Break, 12 FCCLA students competed in Region STAR Events. Nine qualifying teams will move on to compete at the State Leadership Conference at the end of March in Athens, GA. The goal is to make it to the National Leadership Conference in Denver, Colorado, over the summer! Way to go, Bulldogs!
(Top row: Maeve Gallentine, Eva Hamilton, Zavia Strickland-Owens, Miles Floyd, Patricia Robinson)
(Bottom row: Kierra Johnson, Izzy Mellars, Maddie Cooper, Ella Forsman, Jadyn Biggers)
BHMS Students Place on National German Exam
Congratulations to 7th graders Calla Lockwood, Charlotte Kemper, and M Eastman on being awarded the Gold Medal (90th+ percentile), and 7th grader, Ivy Arnold, and 8th grader, Ellie Green, the Silver Medal (80th+ percentile) as special recognition on the Level II National German Exam Honor Roll for their outstanding performance on the 2023 National German Exam for High School Students. Over 12,300 students participated in the exam this year, from all regions of the US. This is a huge accomplishment for our students and speaks to the amazing work of their teacher, Mrs. Jennifer McNulty. Way to go, Bulldogs!
DHS Student, Lily Mae Barcik Awarded Prestigious National Honor Society Scholarship
Congratulations, Lily Mae Barcik, on being selected as a NHS Scholarship semifinalist! Lilly Mae is the first member to earn this prestigious recognition since Decatur High School’s NHS chapter was chartered in 1953. She has shown leadership and activism through her long-term commitment to clean energy, environmental justice and education. Lily Mae is also Co-President of the Garden Club, active with the Sierra Club, a former member of the City of Decatur and City Schools of Decatur strategic planning groups, and a math tutor. Way to go, Lily Mae!
Top Dog Award Winners
Our Top Dog Award Winners this week are Brandie Ivester, Stephanie Clark, and CSD Special Education Paraprofessionals!
Brandie Ivester, World Literature Special Education Teacher at Decatur High School, received this nomination from a student:
Ms. Ivester is my co-teacher for World Literature and my study skills teacher. She helps me a lot with my writing, reading comprehension, and organization. Ms. Ivester is very kind and caring, and teaches me important strategies to organize my writing and reading in clear ways. She makes it easier for me to tackle hard concepts and feel successful. She is an amazing teacher.
Stephanie Clark, Transportation Supervisor, received this nomination from a colleague:
Stephanie truly cares about kids. When we had a student that was ill and unable to ride the bus due to mitigation policies or be picked up by his parents, Stephanie volunteered to transport the student home in a district vehicle so that he would feel comfortable and safe.
CSD Special Education Paraprofessionals, received this nomination from a colleague:
Decatur is so lucky to have so many amazing and talented special education para pros throughout the district. These staff members exemplify caring. Their service is invaluable for the special education department, the students, the teachers, and the schools as a whole. They assist students in so many ways--advocating for students, caring for students' basic needs, and helping students stay safe, engaged, and learning. These professionals are required to support students in so many different capacities and they rise to the occasion. Because of their dedication, our students come to school happy to see a familiar person--someone who understands and cares for them. Way to go paras! I know the smiles on the kids' faces are enough, but you guys deserve all the recognition when it comes to caring. You guys rock it!
Way to go, Brandie, Stephanie, and CSD Special Education Paraprofessionals!!
Do you know someone who deserves Top Dog recognition? Nominate them here.
CSD Announcements and Updates
Parent & Community Math Chats
Join us for a 3 part series to learn all about the new K-12 math standards for the 2023-2024 school year and how you can help your students at home. We are offering a morning and evening session for each part. Both sessions will present the same information. All sessions will be virtual.
Part 1: What are the new math standards? March 15 at 9:30 or 5:30
Part 2: What is mathematical modeling? April 20 at 9:30 or 5:30
Part 3: How to help my child with the new standards? May 18 at 9:30 or 5:30
K-12 New Student Enrollment
Enrollment for new students for the 2023-24 school year starts on March 6. All current students do not need to reenroll to move to the next grade band. However, current students entering K, 3rd, 6th, and 9th grades should be prepared to provide (at their school) updated residency information when school starts. Please go to https://www.csdecatur.net/enrollment to review the enrollment process and required documentation.
ESOL & Federal Programs Title III Parent Meeting
The ESOL & Federal Programs Department is hosting a Title III Parent Meeting on March 9, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the Wilson Center, 125 Electric Avenue. You don’t want to miss this event!
ESOL & Federal Programs College & FAFSA Night
It’s College & FAFSA time! The ESOL & Federal Programs Department is hosting a College & FAFSA Night Thursday, March 21, from 6:00-7:30. This is a FREE in-person event. Please plan to attend and learn from professionals about paying for college and how to be admitted into college.
Community Resource Fair
CSD, in partnership with The Dekalb County Coalition and The Decatur Education Foundation, is excited to host our first annual Spring Resource Fair! The Community Resource Fair will take place on March 16 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at 105 Electric Avenue (in the green space across the Wilson Center and Ebster Gym). We have 20+ vendors and organizations planning to come out to connect with families. The vendors and organizations will be offering mental health resources, physical health resources, food resources, and housing resources. We will also have fun activities on-site for families. For any questions, please contact Madison Bobbitt at mbobbit@csdecatur.net.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Decatur Parents Network
The Decatur Parents Network is hosting an in-person Vaping Prevention/Risks event on Thursday, March 9, immediately following the PTA meeting in the BHMS media center at 6:45 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided. The link to register is https://bit.ly/DecaturParentsNetworkVaping. See flyer for more details.
Decatur Farm to School
READY FOR A DELICIOUS MEAL AND A GOOD CAUSE? Wednesday, March 15, will be Decatur Farm to School’s Dine Out event! Order from or eat at participating restaurants and a portion of your order total will go to DF2S! Proceeds from the Dine out will support our DF2S programs. Give yourself a break, eat a delicious meal, and support a wonderful cause! Click here for more information and a list of participating restaurants.
Decatur Bulldog Booster
Bulldog Bash Is Just Around the Corner
On March 18, Boosters is hosting our annual Bulldog Bash at Legacy Park from 7-11 p.m. to support Decatur Athletics. The adult-only event features a food truck, bar, live music (by The Dammages and The Thrillbillies), an online silent auction (featuring art, sport tickets, braces, experiences, restaurant gift cards, etc.), 50/50 raffle, Coaches’ Wish List Funds, Coach of the Year Award and more. All proceeds go to support our coaches and athletes at DHS and BHMS. Come out and support your Bulldogs! (You can still contribute and bid on items even if you can’t make it to the event.)
Safe Routes to School
All children and families who have ever participated in Walk & Roll to School are invited to attend, Bike Dudes Ride Again—A Celebration of Two Decades of Safe Routes/Walk&Roll to School in Decatur on Saturday, March 18 from 10:00-12:00 p.m @ Guild Journeyman Bike Shop located at 115 Clairemont Avenue. Come join Walk & Roll parent champions and teachers from CSD schools and enjoy coffee, hot chocolate, donuts, and community. We hope to see you there!
Decatur Education Foundation
You can donate food to our Lighten the Load BHMS snack pantry and weekend backpack programs to help food-insecure families in Decatur. Click on the following links to help complete the monthly wishlists:
Beacon Hill Middle Snack Program: /a.co/d0HJHTr
Weekend Backpack Program: https://a.co/6Etc74W
ColorWheel Art Studio is hosting an Empty Bowls fundraiser TONIGHT from 6-8pm that benefits our Lighten the Load program. For $25 you receive a hand-made bowl to enjoy soup from Leon’s Full Service and Brick Store Pub. Tickets are available HERE.
The Tour deCatur is coming up soon on Saturday, March 11th! You can still register at www.tourdecatur.com to run the 5K (a Peachtree Road Race qualifier), the one-mile Fun Run and the Tot Trot for the 4 and under set. As DEF’s biggest fundraiser, your participation helps fund everything we do to help our students learn and thrive. Presenting Sponsor Mathnasium of Decatur and Platinum Sponsor Realtor Amy Widener will be there at the race with giveaways!
Amplify Decatur is hosting their Spring Concert in the Square on Saturday, April 29th and DEF is so pleased to be one of the beneficiaries. The line-up is chock full of some amazing musicians – check them out and purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amplify-decatur-music-festival-tickets-527859721637. Your evening of live music will support DEF, Decatur Cooperative Ministry and Giving Kitchen.