Hard to believe it is almost Spring Break! It was nice to see so many of you and your families at the PTA Spring Fling! I am looking forward to more events like that in the future. I hope you will come and join us at Community Circle on Friday, April 1st at 8:30 am on the basketball court behind the parking lot! Many of you haven’t been to an in-person CC and you won’t want to miss it!

Directions for Families for Outdoor CC: We ask that parents walk to Glennwood if possible for Community Circle on Friday. There will be a few guest parking spaces available in the school parking lot and any overflow parking is being offered by Holy Trinity Church across the street. Parents will have a designated area to stand on the basketball court. Families and younger siblings are asked not to stand/sit with their child’s class. CC will end promptly at 8:55 am or earlier. We will ask parents to dismiss first so that students may quickly transition back to their classrooms. Some classes have specials beginning at 9:00 am. Please exit as quickly and safely as possible.

We are excited about our upcoming school-wide UniverSoul Circus experience on April 20, 2022 at Decatur High School. We will be attending a 9:30 show and return to school by 11:00 for a sack lunch. There are some important updates that I would like to share so that parents may make the best decision for their child’s attendance.

• We anticipate that there will be press at the event, therefore some crowd footage and photographs will be captured. If you have opted out of photographs and videos for your child(ren), then we can exempt them from being a part of any volunteerism for demonstrations that may place them in the direct line for this. However, they may appear in video or photographs that are captured from crowd reactions and participation.
  
• Due to the changes in our mitigation practices after Spring Break, it is important to provide clarification about the expectation for masks. We will no longer require masks at the event.
  

If this information causes anyone to change their decision and the permission slip has already been returned, please communicate that change with your child’s teacher. If your child does not attend the performance, we will do our best to create a different engaging experience here at Glennwood while others are at DHS.

Have an AMAZING and safe Spring Break! We will see you soon!

Dr. Holly Brookins

Principal

Walk & Roll and Community Circle are back together again!! Please join us on your feet, your bike or your scooter (don’t forget those helmets!) for Walk & Roll, and then stay for our first in person Community Circle in TWO YEARS!! Students who walk, bike or scoot will continue to enter at their grade specific doors, where they will be counted, using our traditional marbles, by their staff door monitors. After dropping their kiddos, parents can make their way to the blacktop to await the start of Community Circle. Each marble will still count towards students earning extra school wide recess, with announcements made immediately following at Community Circle! For additional details and a full Walk & Roll schedule for the year, please visit the Glennwood website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Domain/530

*Walking School Buses are on hold (due to Covid) until further notice*

Contact Amanda McMillan (almcmil@gmail.com) with any questions!

Last week and this week, I taught a lesson on equity & fairness to the students. In a developmentally appropriate way, we discussed what it means when we say that something isn't fair. Typically, we mean that things are not equal. Through demonstrations and examples, we see that things being equal are not always what is right and fair. The students deepen their understanding of fairness as meaning giving people what it is that they need. We read a story and played a game surrounding this with plenty. of examples of ways that things are and aren't fair oftentimes in school. I hope everyone has a wonderful, happy, and healthy spring break! I look forward to continuing more important lessons in the remainder of the year!

Save the Date---Launchpad for Learning Camp

The Launchpad for Learning Summer Camp will be held July 11-22. Launchpad for Learning Summer Camp is an exciting opportunity for students to be introduced to upcoming grade-level standards with hands-on activities, field trips, and much more! Be on the lookout for more information.

City Schools of Decatur Summer Programs-Save the Date

CSD is delighted to share that we will offer an in-person summer program for students who qualify in grades K through 12. The program will run June 6-23 from 8:30 to 11:30 am, Monday through Friday. Students will be invited to participate in the summer program based on the eligibility criteria described in the linked document. 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 Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary and Decatur High School, the availability of student transportation is limited. Click here for more information.

2022-2023 New Student Registration

Registration for the 2022-2023 school year opened on March 7. Students that are currently enrolled in CSD do not need to register to move to the next grade level or building. Registration information can be found at https://www.csdecatur.net/enrollment.

2022-2023 Comprehensive LEA Improvement Plan (CLIP)

The City Schools of Decatur is now in the process of soliciting feedback and input from all stakeholders as we revise our CLIP for the 2022-2023 school year.

We ask that you take an opportunity to review the CLIP documents found on the CSD Website linked HERE and then use the Feedback form linked HERE to provide your input and feedback by Friday, May 20, 2022.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Willie Washington, CSD ESOL and Federal Programs Director.

Save the date! The Wylde Center's Decatur Farm to School (DF2S) Spring Dine Out is scheduled for Wednesday, April 20. Just eat at/take out from a participating restaurant and a portion of total sales will go to DF2S! Participating restaurants include Wahoo! Grill, Farm Burger, Oakhurst Market, The Marlay House, My Parents’ Basement, Brick Store Pub, Butter & Cream Decatur, Raging Burrito, Arepa Mia, Folk Art Decatur, Sapori di Napoli, BBQ Cafe, Leon's Full Service, and more! Details can be found at https://www.wyldecenter.org/decatur-farm-to-school-2/. All proceeds support our farm-to-school activities, including Decatur High School summer internships, school grants, conference scholarships, and taste tests. Thank you for your support!

Decatur Parents Network - Two great Decatur Parents Network events are coming up!

1) Virtual Parents' Chat April 11th @ 7:30 pm.

We can't protect our children from everything, but we can educate ourselves and support each other. Many of our parents have requested more time for interaction and NETWORKING. Join us for our NEW monthly, informal parent chats. The next one is April 11th at @7:30 p.m. Please Register Here ahead of time; space is limited.

Link https://bit.ly/DecaturParentsNetworkParentChat

2) The Speakers Series for April 12 @ 7:00 pm.

According to local surveys, some Decatur youth put themselves at risk by operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs or riding with someone driving a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs.

Parents, you don't have to wait until they get their license to talk with your teens about this. Join us virtually for "If You Feel Different, You Drive Different" on April 12th @ 7:00. Register here Parents AND Teens are encouraged to attend.

https://bit.ly/DecaturParentsNetworkAprilSpeakerSeries

The Clarence Strickland Make a Difference Award recognizes a school system employee who steps in at a critical moment to help a student in need; who shows intuitive care and compassion to ensure a student’s health and safety. The award is named in honor of Clarence Strickland, longtime CSD employee and head custodian at Decatur High School, who was the first recipient of the award.

Award Criteria:

• Nominee must be a CSD employee

• Must show care, commitment, and compassion to our youth

• Preference is given to employees who may be less likely to be recognized (support staff, paraprofessionals, etc.)

Nominations must be submitted by April 15th, 2022, and the award will be presented at DEF’s Celebration of Excellence on May 17th. Find the nomination form HERE.

Question? info@decatureducationfoundation.org

DEF Treasure Hunt

Got some free time during spring break? Grab the kids, head outside for our TREASURE HUNT! It’s free, takes 1-2 hours to complete and there’s a sweet treat at the end!

Participating is simple: 1. Download the free app “ActionBound.” 2. Click on this QR code:

3. Complete the hunt for a chance to win some cool prizes like a week of summer camp at Little Shop or ColorWheel!

DEF has created a fun treasure hunt to help families celebrate our 20 years in the community! Participating is simple: 1. Download the free phone app “ActionBound.” 2. Click on this QR code.

3. Complete the hunt for a chance to win some cool prizes like a week of summer camp at Little Shop or ColorWheel!

At Decatur Education Foundation, our mission is to eliminate the problems our kids face so they can learn and thrive. You can help us do that through your donations of time and funds. To address food insecurity, we have several Amazon wish lists that are renewed monthly. Renfroe and Talley are accepting donations at these links:

RMS Snacks

Tally Snacks

Weekend Food Backpacks

Volunteering opportunities abound for both adults and upper high school students in need of hours:

As a Virtual Pals tutor -- we need tutors to be paired with a 2nd- 8th grade Decatur student for a one-hour weekly session. Click here to apply.

As a Virtual Pals Coordinator -- we need one person who checks in with the tutor pairs on a weekly basis. Time commitment is 1 hour per week. Email muslimo@decatureducationfoundation.org to apply.

As an AIM Mentor -- we need adult male and female mentors to be paired with a third-grader to have new experiences and find their passions. The time commitment is just 2-4 hours per month.

As a REACH Mentor – we need just one more adult male to mentor an 8th-grade student who has been nominated by his teachers for the REACH GA program. REACH mentors help their mentees through the rigors of high school and college applications. Time commitment is just 2-4 hours per month.