Dr. Fehrman's Friday Follow-Up
November 4, 2022
Click this link https://www.smore.com/jg06y for the mobile-friendly version of this newsletter.
In this newsletter:
- Strategic Plan Town Halls
- National Family Engagement Month
- Shout-outs: Teachers of the Year, DHS Band, Covid and Flu Shot Event, ECLC Teachers Receive Their CPR Certification, DHS Football, Social Studies Cheerleaders and Champions, and Top Dog Award Winners
- CSD announcements and updates about the CSD Dyslexia Task Force, ARC Parent Literacy Meeting, BHMS Circus Olympus, Decatur Student Center Offering, Special Education Parent Meetings, DVA Interest, and DHS Flag Football Fundraiser
- Community partner announcements and updates from Run with the Dogs and Decatur Education Foundation
Strategic Plan Update
Thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the Strategic Plan Town Halls! If you were unable to attend, please click here to view the presentation. After you listen to the presentation, we would love your feedback. Click here to share your thoughts on the goal areas.
The next step in developing our community-inspired strategic plan will occur next Thursday when the Action Team meets to write performance measures, identify initiatives, and draft action steps. As I built the action team, I selected school-based staff to be the team leads for each of the five goal areas. I wanted to ensure that the staff implementing much of the work would be the leading developers of the plan. I continually tell the team at Wilson Center that our job is to support the schools, and I want to model that through the strategic plan development.
There will also be opportunities for students to participate and be engaged in this phase of the process. It is important that student voices are heard and that they are given the opportunity to provide input on how CSD can better meet their needs.
National Family Engagement Month
November is National Family Engagement Month, and we would like to acknowledge all of the grown-ups in our students’ lives for the invaluable role they play in their student’s learning, development, and overall well-being. Thank you for your involvement in your child’s education and the many ways you support them in and out of school. It makes such a huge impact!
Are you looking for fun activities to engage your family this month? Then, click on the Family Engagement Month Calendar and try as many different activities as you can!
November 17 is National Parent Involvement Day!
Congratulations! Great job! Way to go!
Teachers of the Year
Congratulations to our school-level Teachers of the Year! This group of teachers are rock stars and are so deserving of this honor.
Anne Collins, College Heights ECLC
Katie Green, Clairemont Elementary
Marnie Kaplan, Glennwood Elementary
Yolanda Carmichael-Kemp, Oakhurst Elementary
Wanda Nesbitt, Westchester Elementary
Monica Blackmon, Winnona Park Elementary
Charee Waugh, Fifth Avenue Elementary
Jillian Farley, Talley Street Elementary
Beverly Beyer, Beacon Hill Middle School
Maura Burke, Decatur High School
Congratulations, DHS Marching Band!
Our Decatur High School Marching Band has worked tirelessly all year to learn their production entitled "The Night Sky," which features music by Beethoven, Coldplay, and Eric Whitacre. The band competed in the Lafayette Marching Classic at Fayette County High School. The band took second place honors in the 4-A class in the Music, Visual, Effect, and Percussion captions. Our colorguard was first in class and tied for 1st place out of the 20 high schools that competed. Mr. Jenkins and the band staff are very proud of all the marching band students. Our marching band is preparing for its final competition of the season, which will be at Milton High School on Saturday, November 5. The band performs at 5:40 pm. Way to go, Marching Bulldogs!
COVID-19 and Flu Shot Event Success
CSD, in partnership with the DeKalb County Board of Health, hosted a successful COVID-19 and Flu Vaccine event. Over 200 vaccines were given to the community! In addition to the $100 prepaid gift cards for the first 200 people who received their vaccine or booster, CSD’s own, Mrs. Georgia Global Continental, Tamara Braxton, stopped by with giveaways! Way to go!
ECLC Teachers Receive Their CPR Certification!
Way to go to the fantastic group of ECLC teachers who spent their Teacher Workday gaining or renewing their CPR certification. Thank you for your dedication to safety and saving lives. Great job, College Heights!
DHS Football Region Champs!
Our DHS football Bulldogs won their region game last week and will be playing in the first round of State Playoffs scheduled for November 12th. Way to go, Bulldogs!
Social Studies Cheerleaders and Champions
Congratulations, CSD teachers Liz Williams, Jon Sommer, and Javier Frazier, on being selected to serve as the 2022-23 GaDOE/Metro RESA Social Studies liaisons, representing the City Schools of Decatur! They will attend monthly GaDOE curriculum, special programming, and resource meetings and disseminate the Georgia Standards of Excellence-based information throughout the K-12 social studies learning community. Great job, Liz, Jon, and Javier!
Top Dog Award Winners
Our Top Dog Award Winners this week are Latonya Henry and Kiana Wills!
Assistant Principal and Coach at Westchester Elementary, Latonya Henry, received this nomination from a parent.
“She is incredibly cheerful and genuinely joyful when welcoming new kids.”
Counselor at Decatur High School, Kiana Wills, received this nomination from a student.
“Ms. Wills was very welcoming when I first came to this school. She didn't make me feel uncomfortable talking to her and she didn't make me feel like any of my questions were dumb questions. She's very sweet and shows she cares in many, many ways.”
Congratulations, Latonya and Kiana!
Do you know someone who deserves Top Dog recognition? Nominate them here.
CSD Announcements and Updates
CSD Dyslexia Task Force
We held our first task force meeting on Friday, October 28. The focus of the committee is examining how CSD addresses dyslexia. Some tasks for these prestigious educators, parents, and community members include reviewing how CSD is implementing the dyslexia pilot, analyzing the CSD instructional programming, and serving as a resource for parents. Thank you, committee members, for sharing your expertise to do this critical work!
Mr. Benjamin Knaebel - Coordinator of Section 504 and School Psychology
Ms. Brooke Reynolds - Third Grade Teacher, Talley Street Upper Elementary School
Ms. Christine Knox - Principal, Westchester Elementary
Ms. Courtney Simon - Director of ELA & Social Studies
Mr. Frank DeFilippo - Coordinator Of ESS & Pupil Services
Dr. Gail Hardwick - District Reading Coach
Dr. Holly Brookins - Principal, Glennwood Elementary School
Dr. Jennifer Lindstrom - GaDOE Dyslexia Statewide Coordinator
Dr. Karla Zisook - District Reading Coach
Dr. Maggie Fehrman - Superintendent
Ms. Laura Bollman - CSD Parent
Ms. Lori Garrett - CSD Parent
Ms. Meagan Swingle - CSD Parent
Ms. Patti Fornwalt - CSD Parent
Ms. Sarah Wyman - CSD Parent
Ms. Vera Jemison - EIP Teacher, Talley Upper Elementary School
ARC Parent Literacy Parent Meeting
There will be an American Reading Company (ARC) Literacy Curriculum In-Person Parent Meeting with Amelia Larson, Executive Vice President of Innovations and Academic Partnerships, on Wednesday, November 15, 2022, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm in the Wilson Center Boardroom, 125 Electric Ave. Decatur, GA 30030. Please join us to find out more about what your child is doing during their literacy block.
BHMS Circus Olympus
The circus has come to town! Well… sort of. There’s no elephant on a bicycle, but there are the Greek Geeks and they have a story or two to tell! More specifically, a myth or two: Pandora’s Box, Persephone and the Underworld, King Midas, Athena and Arachne, and don’t forget the Mythapalooza Slam Jam!
Tickets are $10 (general seating) and are available online at www.decaturperforms.org.
Performances in the BHMS Cafeteria on:
Friday, November 4 at 7 PM
Saturday, November 5 at 3 PM
Saturday, November 5 at 7 PM
Decatur Student Center Offering - Family Meetings
Would You Like to Learn How to Conduct Family Meetings?
Are you tired of constant family arguments?
Are you tired of feeling as if your family is disconnected?
Are you tired of your family not knowing the schedule for the week?
Then perhaps Family Meetings are for you! Participants will learn how to conduct effective family meetings that will benefit all family members and encourage cohesiveness. Family Meetings have been shown to increase family members’ self-esteem, communication & conflict-resolution skills, and instill a sense of belonging & resilience.
When: Wednesdays, beginning November 9th, 2022
What: 6 weekly, 45-minute Google Meet sessions from 12:00 - 12:45
How: Attend weekly interactive meetings with camera on & ready to participate!
Cost: FREE and limited to 6 families
Click here to register and learn more!
Special Education Parent Meetings
Golden Steps ABA
CSD welcomes Amanda Bissonnette of Golden Steps ABA to share an overview of the services and support they provide to families.
Here's more about Golden Steps ABA:
Golden Steps implements Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to assist children in overcoming behaviors that challenge their ability to navigate and flourish in social, educational, and home settings. We track their progress, encourage their growth, and applaud them when they inevitably succeed.
Date: November 10, 2022
Time: 6-7 pm
Location: This is a virtual meeting.
Target Audience: Pre-K to 6th grades
RSVP here
How It Works- Assistive Technology Meeting
Yael Cohen, Assistive Tech. Specialist & Frank DeFilippo, Special Education Coordinator, will be sharing a variety of apps and Google extensions that students can access to support their learning in class.
For example, if your student is experiencing:
Poor handwriting
Poor grammar
Difficulty spelling
Difficulty with Organizing writing assignments
Date: November 17, 2022
Time: 6-7 pm
Location: This is a virtual meeting.
RSVP here
For questions, please contact Cheryl Grant at cgrant@csdecatur.net.
DHS Flag Football Fundraiser
Show your support for the DHS Flag Football team by purchasing a beautiful poinsettia plant here. You will have the choice of purchasing an 8” or 6” poinsettia in a foil-wrapped pot. Once purchased, you will receive an email by November 15 detailing the instructions for pick up in December at DHS. Thank you for your support!
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Run With the Dogs
Run With the Dogs (RWTD) 2023 registration is now open!
Join us on Saturday, January 28, 2023, for Run With the Dogs, a Decatur tradition in its 19th year.
We’ll be back at Beacon Hill Middle School for the 5K and Pup Trot and are pleased to announce that this year’s race is an official qualifying event for the Peachtree Road Race!
If you think you have the perfect dog to be featured on this year’s t-shirt, please enter the Face of the Race contest. Just post a photo of your dog, plus a blurb about why your dog should be selected as the Face of the Race, to http://www.facebook.com/RWTD5k or on Instagram with the hashtag #RWTD5K.
All contest entrants must register for the race for their dogs to be considered. Photos can be submitted until November 7. Four finalists will be selected by the volunteer race committee, and voting on these four finalists will begin on November 11. The Face of the Race winner will be announced on November 18.
Run With the Dogs 5K is an annual fundraiser of DBB and supports the athletic programs at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. All race participants will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt, which will once again be designed by local artist Adam Pinsley.
Click here to register. For more information, visit rwtd5K.com.
Decatur Education Foundation
We are having a big party to celebrate our 20th Anniversary, and everyone’s invited to enjoy an adult evening of dinner, drinks, and dancing! Mark your calendar for Soiree in the City on Saturday, November 12th from 6-10 pm, and purchase your tickets today at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/soiree. It’s the perfect excuse to get dressed up and go out on the town for a great cause! We’ll enjoy a seated harvest dinner by Little Farmhouse Cafe, live music from Maxwell Street, and a full array of cocktails and mocktails. See you there!
Meaningful volunteer opportunities are available! DEF is seeking volunteers to be tutors and mentors. Tutors are needed to help students from 2nd – 8th grades for one hour per week. We are also gearing up to re-launch our AIM Scholars mentoring program in January for which we need 20-30 adult volunteers. If you would like to learn more about these programs and sign up, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring.
Can’t volunteer but want to help out? You can donate to our Lighten the Load program which keeps the snack pantry stocked at Beacon Hill Middle School. For those families in our community experiencing food insecurity, we also have a weekend backpack program. Both have unique Amazon wish lists that are updated monthly. You can donate directly to them using these links:
Beacon Hill Middle Snack Program: /a.co/d0HJHTr
Weekend Backpack Program: https://a.co/6Etc74W