Eagle Edition
November 4, 2021
Glennwood Elementary ~ Where Learning Takes Flight
Holly Brookins, PhD, Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach Karen Hearn, School Manager
Email: hbrookins@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/glennwood
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gleagles/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Calendar of Events
November 1-30
Native American Heritage Month
Friday, Nov. 5th
City Schools of Decatur will be closed - No School for Students
Friday, Nov. 12th
*Walk and Roll to School
*Virtual Community Circle with Ms. Jones' Class Hosting
Fall Book Fair with Little Shop of Stories
November 2-11
Tuesday, November 9
After School Outdoor Book Fair
and GL Spirit Wear Shopping Day
2:45-5:30 pm
Saturday, November 13
Romp + Read
10:00-11:00 am
Glennwood Playground
November 15-19
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week
November 22-26
Thanksgiving Holidays
Where Learning Takes Flight
November Design Principle: Service and Compassion
"Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others."
~Booker T. Washington
Hello, Families!
All CSD schools and offices, including College Heights ECLC and Frasier Center, will be closed on Friday, November 5. While we had hoped to stay open, we already see a significant impact on Friday operations due to the number of staff who need to be off work to address childcare issues due to other districts’ closures. Simply put, we do not have the available staff to address the disruption to school operations we anticipate tomorrow. All students and staff will have the day off with no makeup day, remote learning, or work expectations. We apologize for the inconvenience this closure may cause.
We would like to remind those who plan to celebrate our hometown team’s championship to be COVID-safe. We want all staff and students to be healthy when they return Monday.
Thank you,
Dr. Holly Brookins
Principal
Fall Book Fair with Little Shop of Stories Through Nov. 11!
Our fall book fair will be held through Nov. 11 (EXTENDED!). It is presented by Little Shop of Stories sponsored by PTA as a fundraiser for our media center. (Book fair shopping is at Glennwood or online only for the fundraiser for Glennwood. In-person purchases at Little Shop of Stories cannot be counted toward this fundraiser.) Our media center will receive 20% of all sales. Students will create wish lists and preview the book fair early next week. If parents wish to purchase books, you have a few options:
1. Send cash, check (payable to GL PTA) or Book Bucks gift card with students to school. Students will have the opportunity to shop at the book fair during the day.
2. Shop online at Little Shop of Stories book fair website. Books will be delivered to the school for students to take home.
3. We will offer one shopping opportunity after school for outdoor book fair and GL spirit wear shopping next Tuesday, Nov. 9th from 2:45-5:30 pm (NEW DATE!). Please remember to wear masks. Credit cards will be accepted for the outdoor sale. We still need a few parent volunteers to help with this event. Please SIGN UP HERE.
Introducing....Little Shop of Stories Book Fair Bucks!
We are now able to accept Book Fair Bucks at all Little Shop of Stories book fairs. Book Fair Bucks are available for purchase online in any amount from $1- $1000.
Book Fair Bucks are perfect for:
*Parents who do not want to send cash to school with their children
*Grandparents who want to spoil grandchildren and support the school
*Gifts for teachers and librarians to purchase whatever they like from the book fair.
To redeem, input your card number in the gift card field at check out if purchasing online. Please print out your receipt (eGift card) and send a copy to school with your child along with the wish list if they plan to shop in person at school.
Book Fair Bucks must be redeemed at the book fair- either in person or online. They cannot be used to shop in person at the bookstore.
Purchase your Book Fair Bucks HERE.
Thank you so much for supporting our media center!
Surveillance Testing Update
Walk and Roll to School, Friday Nov. 12th
Please bundle up and join us on your feet, your bike or your scooter (don’t forget those helmets!) and let’s show CSD how Eagles SOAR! You guys are doing an amazing job this year! Students who participate will continue to enter at their grade specific doors, where they will be counted, using our traditional marbles, by their staff door monitors. Don’t forget your masks on campus. And, each marble will still count towards students earning extra school wide recess, with announcements made at virtual 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!
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week November 15-19
We have the best crossing guards in all of Decatur helping to keep our kids safe at Glennwood everyday! Ms. Joyce (E. Ponce & Sycamore Pl) has been with us for many years, and Ms. Etta (Commerce & Sycamore Pl), who is new to our school this year, are both such wonderful and important members of our community. Let’s make sure to let them know how much we appreciate them! Please also be sure to thank any other crossing guards that help you and your family cross on the way to school! It would be wonderful if kiddos could make cards, notes, drawings, cookies/baked goods/treats, and/or gift cards to bring to our crossing guards during the week of November 15-19! As Glennwood’s Safe Routes to School representative, I’m coordinating a collection of funds for gifts to each of these special ladies from the school. If you’d like to contribute you can Venmo (@almcmil) or PayPal (almcmil@gmail.com), and I’ll include you/your child’s name on the card. I’d like to get all donations by Monday, November 15. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns or ideas at almcmil@gmail.com. Thanks for your help!
Glennwood PTA is excited to partner with the Decatur Makers to build some much-needed additional picnic tables! As you know, some classes have been eating lunch on the ground and in various places around campus. These new tables will offer more seating options, especially as the ground gets colder.
We need 6 volunteers to assist at each of the two shifts: Nov 6th at 930-12:30 and from 12:30-3:30. The build will take place at the Decatur Makers location, 605 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
No significant woodworking skills are needed.
Please email Alisha Mayheu (alisha@mayheu.com) to sign up!
And thanks to a generous donation of wood by the Cofer Brothers (http://www.coferbrothers.com/) , and the time and space of the Decatur Makers (www.decaturmakers.org)!
Glennwood Staff Snack Cart/Table
This year, to show our appreciation for our amazing staff, Glennwood PTA will be rolling out a regular staff snack cart/table. We are asking each grade level to "stock the cart" for a given month; each grade will be asked to do so twice this year. We kindly ask that each family participate in one of the two opportunities for your grade level (the intention is that a family only need to participate once).
For November, we're asking kindergarten families to host a "Gratitude Table" for our staff. If you're a K family, please visit the Sign Up Genius here to sign up to bring in something for our staff. Due to COVID protocols, all items must be individually wrapped and store-bought (not homemade). Please drop off your items with Ms. Hearn at the front office November 15-17th anytime during school hours and the PTA will assemble the snack table for our staff to enjoy on November 18. If you have any questions, please reach out to Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs: Haley Stevens (haleycstevens@gmail.com) or Cristina Stevenson (cristina.stevenson@gmail.com). Thank you!
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee Updates
The DEI will meet the 2nd Monday of the month, 8pm, via zoom:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96934475378?pwd=TElsMW5jT1p0WExvZXVnVENFTUhlUT09
Meeting ID: 969 3447 5378
Passcode: 815625
This year, the DEI committee would like to celebrate the similarities and differences of our Glennwood families. If your family has a special celebration or cultural event you would like to share with our greater community, or if you would like to help plan an event for one of the recognized month celebrations (for example- Asian American Heritage month), please reach out to Amanda Gillespie at GillespieAI@gmail.com.
Join the DEI book club! Have a book your family loves that centers a BIPOC or gender-diverse character? Let us know! We'd love to share it with the school community in an upcoming Romp & Read. See details below for our first event scheduled on November 13th.
VIRTUAL AUTHOR VISIT TODAY AT 4:00 PM
Happy Diwali!! Celebrate & learn about Diwali with Little Shop of Stories! Mitali Banerjee Ruths will read her new book, Archie Celebrates Diwali, and have a wonderful conversation with author Shelly Anand (Laxmi's Mooch).
WE ALSO HAVE THIS BOOK ON SALE AT OUR GL BOOK FAIR!
Today at 4:00pm -- on Little Shop of Stories Facebook Live! (@LittleShopofStoriesGA)
ESOL and Federal Programs Department
CSD Federal & Title Programs Coat Drive!
As the colder months are approaching, and as we are moving into the holiday season, the CSD Federal & Title Programs Department is kicking off a Coat Drive during November and December to help our families in need stay warm this winter!
We will have a drop-off bin at each CSD school and at the Elizabeth Wilson School Support Center to collect coats and will collect coats beginning Monday, November 15 - Monday, December 13, 2021. We ask that all donations be NEW items to help us maintain the integrity of our families.
News from the Decatur Education Foundation
Come Enjoy Live Music for a Great Cause! DEF and the DHS Songwriter’s Club are hosting the first No Ordinary Joe, a coffeehouse music series on Thursday, November 18th from 7-10 pm at the Decatur Student Center at Decatur High School. The evening’s emcee is internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter Caroline Herring, who will play in addition to five of our DHS student musicians. Tickets are $50 apiece and proceed benefit DEF’s behavioral health fund, Joe’s Fund. Join us for an evening of great music, coffee and desserts.
Could you be a mentor? We have two mentoring programs for which we’re seeking 15 women and 15 men volunteers to serve as mentors. Our AIM Scholars mentoring program pairs third-grade students with an adult mentor who help them by supporting their Academics and exploring their Interests; Mentors also help their students connect to educational and enrichment opportunities. Our REACH Georgia program pairs five 8th graders with mentors to help navigate high school and preparation for college. In just 2-4 hours per month, you can have a meaningful impact in the life of a student.
For more information, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring
Food Insecurity Needs
DEF is addressing weekend food insecurity in our school district and we need your help. Through counselors and social workers, we have identified around 30 students who need assistance on the weekends. Our weekend food Backpack Program is designed to provide each student with a breakfast, lunch, and snack for two days. The cost of each bag is approximately only $5.59! If you would like to support this program, we have two ways you can do so:
1. Donated on our website and add “lighten the load” in the memo section https://decatureducationfoundation.org/donate/
2. You can purchase the food we need from our Amazon Wishlist at https://a.co/6Etc74W
A Season of Giving/Christmas Decatur
A Season of Giving is beginning preparations for our 27th year of service to the City of Decatur community. At this time, we will continue to manage the program online, using the same process that we utilized last year. We will not be collecting physical gifts but instead will be providing gift cards to the families requesting assistance.
If your family would like to request assistance with holiday gifts for children who live with you, through 8th grade, you must complete this Survey Monkey application by November 21st. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ASeasonOfGiving2021
If you have trouble with the form, questions, or concerns, please email us at aseasonofgiving@decaturga.com or call our voicemail (404-378-8068) and leave a message.
For those families who do not need assistance, we need your help! Please donate at https://legacydecatur.org/. Select ‘A Season of Giving / Christmas Decatur’ in the donation form.