DHS Weekly Update
Thursday, February 25, 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear DHS Community,
Over 45% of DHS students have indicated they will return to school for in-person learning. Therefore we will utilize Schedule A. Below is a brief description of this schedule:
In-person students are divided into two groups (A & B). Each group has in-person learning two mornings a week and virtual learning two mornings a week. All morning classes are taught concurrently. Afternoons are for being live with teachers for additional support and content. Check out our schedule here as well as a video that walks you through it. Wednesdays are for Wednesday school (assigned by individual teachers) and meetings, professional learning, etc.
Please also be aware that our schedule is different next week to accommodate for preparing for students' return. See that section below.
Much more details about this schedule can be found on the Reopening Plans section of the school’s website and in this Eblast.
Thank you,
Rochelle Lofstrand
Principal, Decatur High School
Virtual and In-Person Learning Groups Confirmation
By 1:00pm today, the most current learning choice data will be uploaded to the Parent Portal. At this time you will be able to confirm your child’s In-Person Group (A or B), or if your child is a virtual learner.
To confirm your child’s status, log in to the Parent Portal, and click “Today.” Your child’s group is listed under “Blended Learning Group” just beneath your child’s name. Students opting for virtual learning will be listed as “Virtual Learning.”
All students that opted for in-person learning have been divided into two groups: Group A will be in person Monday and Tuesday mornings, and Group B will be in-person Thursday and Friday mornings.
Schedule Change for Next Week
In order to prepare to welcome students in-person on March 8th, we will modify next week's schedule to accommodate teacher planning and preparation.
- No Wednesday school on March 3rd.
- Thursday and Friday (3/4 and 3/5) we will be following the new schedule (only virtually) for the morning. No classes will be in the afternoon.
Thursday (3/4): VIRTUALLY
- 1st - 8:35-9:25
- 3rd - 9:35-10:25
- 5th - 10:35-11:25
- 7th - 11:35- 12:25
Friday (3/5): VIRTUALLY
- 2nd - 8:35-9:25
- 4th - 9:35-10:25
- 6th - 10:35-11:25
- Adv & Project Time 11:35- 12:25
Student Backpacks for the Remainder of the Year
Thanks to the DHS PTSA and DEF, each student will receive a clear drawstring bag for carrying school items throughout the day. Students will receive these during their first day of in-person learning. We are thankful for their generosity and support!
Family Engagement Survey
All answers are anonymous and only aggregate response data are provided to the school. No one at your school or district will be able to trace your responses. Please complete this survey no later than March 6, 2021.
Please use the link below to access the survey:
https://rezed.io/11063126578
If you have any questions please contact the Tripod Team at help@tripoded.com.
DHS Student Parking for the Remainder of the 2020-2021 School Year
This message is in regards to parking at Decatur High School for the remainder of the 2020-2021 school year. Parking tags will cost $10.00 (cash, check, or through Infinite Campus) and will be given to students on a tiered system. Below are the following procedures for students wishing to park at DHS this school year:
- Parking passes are for in-person students only
- Parking passes will be given to students by the following tiers:
- 1st priority: Work-based learning and Dual Enrollment students - due today @ 4 p.m.
- 2nd priority: Seniors (who are not in work-based learning or dual enrollment) - due February 26th @ 4 p.m.
- 3rd priority: Juniors (who are not in work-based learning or dual enrollment) - due March 1st @ 4 p.m.
- Note: Once 1st priority students are given parking passes, Seniors will be drawn at random for the remaining passes. If there are passes after all Seniors receive a pass, Juniors that have submitted their paperwork will be drawn at random and notified.
- Students wishing to receive a parking pass must complete this Google Form and submit appropriate documents via the Google Form:
- A COPY of your License
- A COPY of your Proof of Insurance
- Vehicle information - year and make of vehicle, model, color, vehicle ID number (VIN), Georgia vehicle tag number, and year
See deadlines mentioned above
Once your form is completed and all documents are upload, Ms. Sturm will send you a confirmation email on March 1st that you can pick up your parking pass on March 3rd between 10 am and noon.
***Note: Not all students that apply for a pass will receive one***
Please let Ms. Sturm know if you have any questions - jsturm@csdecatur.net
Share Your Career/Profession With Our Students!
Decatur High School is looking for individuals that want to share their career/profession with our students! If you are interested in participating in a virtual 45 minutes - 1 hour panel that discusses the path you took for your career/profession and answer questions from our students, please respond to this Google Form by March 10th. There will be 4-5 professionals on each panel.
March 19th @ 11:35 a.m. - Agriculture, Government, Health Sciences, Business/Marking
March 26th @ 11:35 a.m. - Transportation, Law & Legal Services, Information Technology, Finance
April 20th @ 11:35 a.m. - Manufacturing, Education, AV Technology, Entertainment
April 27th @ 11:35 a.m. - Construction, Human Services, Energy, Hospitality/Tourism
Once you sign-up, more information will be sent to you by Mr. Duane Sprull (dsprull@csdecatur.net) and/or Ms. Jessica Sturm (jsturm@csdecatur.net). Please let us know if you have any questions.
Red Cross Blood Drive
The National Honor Society is sponsoring a Red Cross Blood Drive on Tuesday, March 9th from 1-6 p.m. at the Decatur Library Lower Level. Students and adults may donate. Student donors must be 17 years or older and meet the following requirements. Donors must sign up through redcrossblood.org using the sponsor code "DHS."
If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Walker at kwalker@csdecatur.net. Thanks for helping us to save lives!
Gifted Review
BUY YOUR YEARBOOK
The 2020-2021 school year will be a memorable one for sure.
We have ordered 750 yearbooks and have sold 75% of the available books.
If you plan on buying one, please do so ASAP.
Not sure if you bought a book - ask your student to check their email and the list that was sent out.
Books can be bought at www.jostens.com and are $60 until Feb 28.
Get one today before prices go up!
If you have any questions please email alockhart@csdecatur.net.
PTSA...SHARE THE LOVE - FEBRUARY
The PTSA wants to support our kids and faculty and to share the love in February. We are planning to award a $25 gift card, from local area shops and restaurants to a randomly selected Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior and Staff member every day in the month of February. All 28 days - even on the weekends and during Winter Break! Your name will be announced on the morning announcements and an email will also go out to share the news. Please pick up your prizes on Fridays (February 5th, 12th, and 26th) during the lunch hour in Ms. Sturm's office near the library doors by the bus loop. We look forward to bringing some love to you and hope you enjoy this little gift.
DISTRICT NEWS
As we transition to in-person school at Renfroe and DHS, CSD Nutrition will be changing how meals are distributed. In-person learners at the elementary level will continue the process already established.
CSD Nutrition will begin offering Grab & Go Meal Kits at the middle and high school based on the schedule listed below. Meal kits will include a variety of ready-made and reheat-ready choices. Meal safety, reheating instructions, and, a menu will be provided in meal kits. To participate, you will need to fill out this form which indicates your preferred school of pick up and if you would like milk with your meals.
All children, regardless of school enrollment or meal eligibility status, can receive FREE meals. Families will drive-thru and pick up FREE grab & go meal kits at the bus ramp area of either Renfroe or DHS.
Students participating in the sibling meal pick-up program may continue with this method. For vegetarian, lactose-free, or other special diet options, please consult our website here.
The deadline for placing a pre-order for 3/8/2021 is Wednesday 3/3/2021 by 4:00 p.m.
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
From the City of Decatur
From the hundreds of residents who participated in our in-person and then virtual Citizen Roundtables over the course of 2020 to the Virtual Forums collecting opinions and ideas of all types, to the more recent, topic-specific Decatur 202 sessions that drilled down on issues of mobility, housing, racial equity, and climate action, Decatur residents have been hard at work voicing their vision for the city’s next decade.
These front-end input opportunities for the 2020 Strategic Plan will be wrapping up soon, but it’s not too late to get your ideas on the table. Share any remaining thoughts online in our Virtual Forums which can be accessed at http://bit.ly/300tKT6.
Calling All Decatur Youth. We want to hear from YOU!
The Strategic Plan will help guide the City in deciding what’s most important to Decatur residents like YOU in the next 10 years.
Visit https://decatur2030.com/resources/ and look for the Youth Input section to share your ideas by March 15, 2021. Choose your response type and email your ideas to childfriendlydecatur@gmail.com. If you drew a picture, please take a photo and email it to us. Once input has completed, recommendations will begin to emerge for public review and comment so stay tuned for that as we move further into 2021.
From DEF
Grand Re-opening of the Decatur Student Center coming soon at DHS!
Thanks to a generous $25K donation from Decatur City Church to Joe’s Fund, DEF’s behavioral health initiative, the Decatur Student Center at DHS has been completely renovated and will open when in-person learning begins in March. The DSC was established to address our students’ nonacademic needs and will have dedicated space for one-on-one counseling, group counseling, and a ZenDen where students can go to relax and regroup. We’ll be posting photos and virtual tours soon. In the meantime, if you’d like to join the Joe’s Fund Challenge with a donation, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/joesfund. You can help us match Decatur City Church’s gift to double the impact to ensure that we can continue to address the wide and varied needs of all of our kids.
The Tour Must Go On!
Due to Covid-19, DEF can’t host its annual Tour deCatur 5K and Fun Run in its usual in-person form. This year, we are offering a “Run Where You Are” 5K and Fun Run on the weekend of March 27th. 5K participants can register at www.tourdecatur.com where you can also order an event shirt. We hope this event will encourage the community to go outside to celebrate our health and the onset of spring. For some participants, this year’s Tour could be a goal to achieve or a fun family activity, and for others, it might just be exciting to have something to put on the calendar! 5K participants can submit a photo of their tracked time, and race results will be posted on the race website and on the DEF Facebook page in the week following the race.
Decatur High School
Email: kgoins@csdecatur.net
Website: csdecatur.net/DHS
Location: 310 North McDonough Street, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4170