Eagle Edition
May 6, 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
Eagle Happenings
Friday, May 7
Virtual Community Circle
Glennwood Twins Hosting
Talent Show Video Submissions Due
Greg Pizzoli Book Orders Due
Monday, May 10
Lunch Bunch Author/Illustrator Visit with Greg Pizzoli at 12:30 pm (Livestream)
May 10-14
Spring Book Fair with Little Shop of Stories
Friday, May 14
Glennwood Virtual Talent Show
May 17-21
Culture Week sponsored by GL Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
Tuesday, May 18
Culture Week Video Submissions Due
Wednesday, May 19
Virtual K101
6:00-7:00 pm
ALL LIBRARY BOOKS DUE
Wednesday, May 26
Moving Forth Ceremony for 2nd Grade Virtual Students at 1:30 pm
Thursday, May 27
Moving Forth Ceremony for 2nd Grade In-Person Students
Kaplan: 8:45
Marion: 9:45
Marquez: 10:45
End of Year Drive Thru Car Parade for All Students 1:00-2:00 pm
Friday, May 28
Last Day of School
Where Learning Takes Flight
May Design Principle: Solitude and Reflection
"Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself."
~George Bernard Shaw
Hello, Glennwood Families!
It is hard to believe that we are coming to the end of our first year together. What a year it has been… filled with love, perseverance, good times and not-so-good times, but most of all, community! It has been truly amazing to me, a newcomer, to see how this community has wrapped itself around the school to support our students and staff. Thank you to all of the people who had a part in helping us through a very challenging school year. From our staff to our students, parents, community members, and medical professionals who lent us their expertise- thank you from the bottom of our hearts. I appreciate all of you who supported us through these difficult times. There were also so many silver linings that we have tried to focus on this year. I am just so thankful to be here at Glennwood with all of you!
We have lots of end-of-year festivities upcoming to celebrate our time together! Here is a list so you can mark your calendars- please check it out! We have a lot planned- from Rising K 101, to a drive-thru end of the year parade here at GL, to 2nd grade moving forth ceremonies! It is an exciting time to be a Glennwood Eagle! Speaking of… do you know a rising Kindergarten student or new Eagle? If so, please share this important information with them!
This week in-person students and virtual students (who opted in) took the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test at Glennwood. Kindergarten and first grade students took the math MAP test. Second grade students took the math and reading MAP tests. The district shared that these scores will be available for parents to view in Infinite Campus in the upcoming weeks along with report cards. Please check the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus for that information if your child took the MAP test.
If you have any questions about the MAP test or your child's scores on MAP, please don't hesitate to reach out to our instructional coach, Jill Tolsma, at: jtolsma@csdecatur.net
Glennwood Virtual Talent Show Videos Due by Friday, May 7
Links for Virtual Talent Show
Last Author Visit for the 2021 School Year Lunch Bunch
Author/Illustrator Greg Pizzoli May 10, 12:30-1:00 pm
This author visit is with the amazing Greg Pizzoli and optional for students and will be streamed live. Grab your lunch and join us virtually for a fun time as he shares his newest book, Baloney and His Friends Going Up! Here is the link to join us.
Ordering Information for Virtual Learners
Orders should be placed directly with Little Shop of Stories for curbside pick up or delivery.
Include the word “Glennwood” in your order comment online to be sure of getting a signed bookplate!
https://littleshopofstories.indielite.org/book/9780759554801
https://littleshopofstories.indielite.org/book/9780759554696
Order Form for In-Person Students HERE
ALL ORDERS ARE DUE TOMORROW!
*books ordered as part of this visit will include autographed bookplates!
Thank you for supporting your local, independent bookstore and the Glennwood Media Center!
PTA Board Elections for 2021-2022 School Year:
Elections are taking place this week for next year's PTA Board. Please cast your vote here. The deadline to vote is Tomorrow, Friday, May 7th.
Glennwood 2021-2022 School Supplies:
Glennwood School Supplies are now available to order for the 2021-2022 School Year. Each student who purchases will receive an individualized set of grade-level school supplies. This year, due to a significant price saving, we are ordering all Glennwood supplies from Office Depot, and the PTA will place a bulk order for the school. All students who order with the PTA will be provided an individual set of supplies to be kept at their desks. The supplies will be delivered directly to the school and will be in the students’ classroom when they arrive on the first day of school. To order, visit the PTA website and select the grade level kit you are purchasing. You will also have the option to donate a kit to make sure each student has access to individual supplies. To purchase your supplies, visit Store – Glennwood Elementary PTA (glenwood pta.org). The deadline to purchase is June 15.
Glennwood Culture Celebration Week!: Hosted by the PTA's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
What: A celebration of Glennwood's many cultures!
When: Week of May 17-21
Family Video Participation Opportunity: Record a brief 30-60 second video of your child (children) and a family member (grandparent, parent, caregiver) discussing one of the following questions. Video montages will be shown during Community Circle and during morning class crew time.
Submit videos by: Wednesday, May 12th - HERE IS THE LINK TO SUBMIT YOUR VIDEOS.
Culture Question prompts:
- What is a food that is special for our family and why?
- What music does our family play when we celebrate or get together?
- What makes our family special? (prompt for talking about different types of diversity: 2 Moms or 2 Dads, different physical abilities, parents of different cultures, races)
- Or
- Family celebration photo prompt: Submit a photo of your family celebrating a special event. Talk about what the event is, what you're wearing or doing in the picture.
Questions? Reach out to DEI Committee Member, Kate Reddy: kthomasreddy@gmail.com
Save the date for Java Joy!
Save The Date. Local real estate, government affairs, and business law firm, Williams Teusink, is sponsoring a Java Joy mobile coffee cart for our outstanding Glennwood teachers on Friday, May 28th from 7:00-8:30 AM near the carpool turn around. Teachers come and get your caffeine and a little joy from one of the company's Joyristas! Java Joy is a non-profit mobile coffee cart run by adults with disabilities. They will be serving hot and iced CounterCulture coffee and hot chocolate.
Not a teacher, don't worry! The Joyristas from Java Joy will be spreading additional joy to our Glennwood community on Saturday, May 29 from 8:30-10:00 AM. If you are headed out of town for the holiday weekend, drop by the front of the school near the marquee sign for a cup of delicious coffee. To participate, you will need to pre-order your coffee and snacks from Java Joy Neighborhood Orders. We need to reserve at least 25 cups by 7:00 PM on 5/28.
Parents and Guardians of Rising 3rd Graders
Talley Street will be holding a virtual parent orientation for rising 3rd-grade students on May 20th at 6:30. Please use this form to indicate questions and topics you would like covered. We are so excited to be welcoming a new group of Talley Tigers! If you have specific questions for me, please email Principal Billy Heaton directly at bheaton@csdecatur.net.
Talley School Supplies for Rising Third Graders:
The Talley PTO is partnering with 1st Day School Supplies to offer an online shopping option for purchasing your school supplies for next year. You can buy everything on the lists with just a few clicks and the supplies will be delivered to your home over the summer. Visit 1st Day and order through June 15. You will also have the option to donate a kit to make sure each student has access to individual supplies.
Talley Street Elementary STUDENTS: Order Your School Supply Kit Now!
CSD and DEF Extra Mile Award
Hey students! Do you know a teacher or other employee who has gone the extra mile this year? Nominate them for the Extra Mile Award! The Extra Mile Award is an annual award that allows students to show their appreciation for the teachers or staff they feel go above and beyond what is expected of them. Students (not parents) at any grade level can write an essay describing how their teacher (or staff member) goes the extra mile (parents can help younger children write the essay). The essays should be detailed and describe how the teacher or staff member goes above and beyond.
Submit your nominations using this link: https://forms.gle/SehMw6njfL9we3MZ9. The deadline for submissions is May 26.
Thank you to Decatur Education Foundation for sponsoring this award!
From the Superintendent's Office
We completed our accreditation review visit last month and received many accolades from the accreditation review team. The accreditation team shared how impressed they were with the crew mentality among our staff, families, students, and community members and the pride with which everyone spoke during the interviews. They also highlighted the evidence of a highly collaborative team among our teachers and staff. The team also highlighted how we have embedded equity as a core value in all that we do. And finally, they shared that they were impressed with the high level of care our staff show for our students.
The team noted two areas of growth related to collecting and analyzing data over time to inform our decisions and track progress and further develop our communication protocols.
The information gleaned from the accreditation process helped us enhance the plans outlined in our district improvement plan to use our strengths to support our growth areas. The next phase of our improvement planning process was developing a coherence lens to ensure that we focus on our vision and mission as we proceed through our improvement planning cycle. Please watch the short video to learn more about our coherence framework.
Please mark your calendars for our input sessions. These sessions are open to parents, community members, staff, and students. We will share more information regarding these sessions in the coming days, along with a link to RSVP for the session.
District Improvement Feedback and Input Sessions
May 3 at 6:00 p.m
May 12 at 6:00 p.m
Coffee Chats
Also, in the coming weeks, Dr. Fehrman will partner with all district department leaders to host a round of coffee chats. We will meet in the courtyard between Wilson Center and Ebster Gym to hear directly from parents and community members. Please use this link to share any questions you have for each department. We will take the first part of the meeting to share responses to the questions submitted through this form and then open the session to live questions from the attendees. We will record each coffee chat and post the recordings for members of our community who cannot attend. We hope you stop by your favorite coffee shop and then walk over to join us for these sessions.
Tuesday, May 4 at 1:00 p.m. - Curriculum and Special Education
Wednesday, May 5 at 10:00 a.m. - Communications
Thursday, May 6 at 10:00 a.m. - Equity and Student Support
Tuesday, May 11 at 10:00 a.m. - Information Services
Tuesday, May 11 at 11:15 a.m. - Finance and Staff Support
Thursday, May 13 at 9:45 a.m. - Operations
Step Up for Teachers!
It's that time of year again -- time to Step Up for Teachers! And what a year it's been. Show your favorite teacher just how much you appreciate their hard work during this unprecedented school year with a loving tribute. Just go to www.stepupforteachers.com, make a $25 donation and leave your tribute. We'll notify the honored teacher or CSD staff member and deliver a "We Step Up for Teachers" yard sign to your door in the coming weeks. If you’d like to leave a tribute but can’t make a gift at this time, you can email your tribute to info@decatureducationfoundation.org. The Step Up campaign supports our teachers in the classroom through Teacher Innovation Grants that are awarded every fall. Let's show them some love! To see all of the wonderful tributes, you can visit decatureducationfoundation.org/tributes-2021.
As a special gift from DEF to our DHS seniors, we are giving every member of the senior class of 2021 a “Congratulations Class of 2021” yard sign! It’s a little something to brighten a lackluster final year of high school and celebrate their accomplishments. Details about sign pick-up are coming soon.
Our schools have been closed for most of the school year, but our CSD teachers and staff have continued to work tirelessly to support our students. Have you witnessed a teacher or staff person who has shown compassion for a student during a time of great need or crisis? Every year, DEF recognizes a CSD employee who has shown extraordinary compassion to help a student in crisis through The Clarence Strickland Make a Difference Award. Nominations for this award are accepted from community members or CSD staff and can be completed by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/YiF1pANPKnMfm26b6. Nominations must be received by May 26, 2021, and award(s) will be presented at the teacher’s Opening Day event in July.
Decatur CREATES Leaders at Glennwood Who S.O.A.R.
S.O.A.R.
Show Self-Control
Offer Kindness
Act Responsibly
Respect Others
*SOARIN' image created by GL art teacher, Kasey Burkhalter*
Virtual Learning Help
If you need to complete a request for a tech ticket, please follow this LINK. Before entering a tech ticket, please check on the CSD's Tech Help Support Page for parents and students first.