Dr. Ferhman
December 16, 2022
In this newsletter:
- Letter from Superintendent
- Shout-outs: Decatur Virtual Academy Graduation, Glennwood’s Bring Your Parents to PE Day, Sidekicks AAPI/ADIPA, DHS Bake for Good Project, and Top Dog Award Winners
- CSD announcements and updates about the Georgia Parent Survey, Good Trouble Maker Award, Connection Sessions, BHMS Family Movie Night
- Community partner announcements and updates from the Decatur Education Foundation, Decatur Farm to School, Run With the Dogs
Letter from Superintendent
I cannot believe we are just a few days away from closing out the first half of the 2022-2023 school year! Somehow we went from August to December in the blink of an eye! I was reading back over all the Friday Follow-ups from this year, and reflecting on the astronomical list of accomplishments achieved by our staff and students in just 5 months. I am humbled and proud to be the leader of this amazing district. When we return in January, we will hit the ground running as we wrap up the strategic plan and charter renewal processes. I have been so inspired by the staff, students, and community members involved in the strategic planning and charter renewal process. These teams are recreating what CSD will look like in the future to guarantee we will meet the needs of each student in our school system while honoring and valuing our staff as the professionals they are! In January, I will be sharing details about the plan, including additional opportunities for all stakeholders to provide input and engage in the process.
On a more serious note, two separate situations at the high school occurred over the past two weeks that involved a racial slur used by a staff member in front of students and the inclusion of a swastika in the student musical. As a white woman and an anti-racist, I believe racial slurs and symbols of oppression are never acceptable in any context. As the superintendent for CSD, I am committed to addressing and interrupting racism where and when I see it.
As I have learned more about these situations, it is clear that both of these were harmful to students, members of our community, and to CSD staff members. I want to assure our students, staff, and community that there are several layers to our approach in addressing these situations as work is done to repair the harm committed.
I know there is a call for immediate action, and I can assure our community that that immediate action was taken and I am continuing to work with my team to take additional steps to address both of these situations. In CSD we believe in and use restorative practices as a tool to restore trust and support healing in our community. When such egregious harm has been done, there is not a singular path to resolution, as there are many layers of work at various levels of our organization to ensure that no further harm is done to our students and staff of color. Supports we have put in place so far include: restorative circles, support for the DHS Equity team, additional training for staff on racial slurs, and additional support and space for students and staff as they process what occurred.
I am committed to ensuring that all actions taken cause no further harm and that our response leads to deeper awareness, understanding, and actions towards ending racism in our schools and greater community. Putting all the pieces together and developing the next steps will take a little time, and as we are on the cusp of an extended break that impacts the speed at which we can get all the necessary resources in place. These two situations cannot and must not be dismissed. As we finalize the next phase of our response, we will share those details with all stakeholders.
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season and a safe, prosperous, and peaceful New Year.
Warmest Regards,
Maggie
Congratulations! Great job! Way to go!
Decatur Virtual Academy Graduation
Decatur Virtual Academy (DVA) held their first graduation at the December 15 Board of Education Meeting. At DVA, students are given the flexibility to work at their own pace. This option played an integral part in the success of our December graduates, Kendric Lanier and Charlotte Sanders. They worked hard to hold themselves accountable and achieve their goals. Congratulations Kendric and Charlotte! We are so proud of you!
Glennwood’s Bring Your Parents to PE Day!
Two days this week, Coach Meg at Glennwood Elementary made fun and fitness a family affair by inviting parents and grandparents to join their student’s during PE. The parents and kids had a ball playing parachute games which many of the parents remembered using when they were in elementary school. Stay tuned for a second Parents in PE. Event in the spring! Way to go Coach Meg and Glennwood students and families for promoting physical activity and a healthy lifestyle!
Sidekicks - AAPI/ADIPA
Sidekicks, created last school year to help build connections and community within our AAPI/ADIPA CSD community and beyond, kicked off Year 2 of its program this past Friday with Glennwood & DHS - bringing 41 of our AAPI/ADIPA kids together. This year, they were able to group the kids by specific identities (South Asian (India & Pakistan), Taiwanese & Cambodian, Japanese & Korean, Filipino & Pacific Islander, Vietnamese, and Chinese). The high schoolers felt strongly that this would be a positive new development for the Sidekicks.
DHS Bake for Good
DHS culinary students baked and packaged breads to donate to The Sycamore House through the Bake for Good program. The breads were delivered by the DHS JROTC on December 16, 2022. The audio/visuals class also made a mini documentary of the process. Here is the link with a description of the program: https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/bakeforgood. Way to go Career Tech students!
Top Dog Award Winners
Our Top Dog Award Winners this week are Kristan Jacobs, Jill Fields, and Kelly Nichols.
Kristan Jacobs, English Language Arts Intervention Teacher at Beacon Hill Middle School received this nomination from a student:
“Ms.Jacobs should be recognized for the Top Dog Award because she goes out of her way to help her students make sure they have what they need to be successful.”
Jill Fields, Math Teacher at Beacon Hill Middle School received this nomination from a student:
“Ms. Fields helps everybody so much. She always encourages me to challenge myself.”
Kelly Nichols, Assistant Principal (former P.E. Coach) at Talley Street Upper Elementary School received this nomination from a student:
“Coach Nichols is the leader of many Talley Rallies. She comes up with great P.E. games and great drill lineups for softball games. She is also the best communicator in the whole entire world.”
Way to go Kristan, Jill, and Kelly!!
Do you know someone who deserves Top Dog recognition? Nominate them here.
CSD Announcements and Updates
Georgia Parent Survey
The 2022-2023 Georgia Parent Survey is now open. Survey participation is voluntary, but we strongly encourage participation in the surveys to provide schools with critically important data to help guide prevention and intervention strategies. This school data is included in our school's College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) score. It is recommended that your school has at least a 75% participation rate. The surveys will remain open through Friday, January 27.
Here is the link to the survey. Thank you to the parents that have already provided their input.
Good Troublemaker Award
The late Congressman John Lewis was known for his famous plea to all humans fighting for social justice. “Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” Who in this district, or in your building, has actions that speak louder than their words when it comes to being a good troublemaker for equity? Honor them by telling us more about their actions as champions for equitable educational outcomes in CSD.
Nominate someone else or yourself for the Good Equity Troublemaker Award here by Sunday, January 8, 2023, at 11:59 PM. Contact Anthony Downer at adowner@csdecatur.net with any questions or for more info.
Connection Sessions
Connection Sessions are conversations between CSD's Equity Director, various invited guests, and the CSD POGM* community. During each session, community members are introduced to a person who is integral to supporting the school system while we discuss thoughts, interests, and concerns regarding City Schools of Decatur. Each session uses a racial equity lens - always asking the question - "What does race have to do with this?"
These sessions may not always have the answers, but they provide an opportunity for members of Decatur's POGM community (as well as all others) to explore perspectives, pose questions, and share thoughts.
Each meeting starts at 6 pm. Access it by using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/2yuj2tbs.
December 19th, 2022 - Karen Newton-Scott, Chief of School Performance
* People of color, despite being minoritized in the US, are a global majority. Thus, previously entitled BIPOC Connection Sessions, the name of this event is now Connection Sessions for POGM (People of the Global Majority). There is conflict regarding the use of the term BIPOC and this article details many relevant concerns. In short, the term BIPOC, which stands for Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color, elevates some cultures over others in a way that does not reflect the respect each culture deserves.
BHMS Family Movie Night
We are hosting our inaugural Family Movie Night at Beacon Hill! On Friday, December 16 at 6:00pm we will be offering a variety of movies to choose from for families to come and enjoy together.
Tickets are $10 each and concessions such as drinks and snacks will be available.
Click here to reserve your tickets, there is a limited quantity available.
Please note that all students must be chaperoned by an adult or have a safe way to get home. We are looking forward to sharing a night at the movies with our Beacon Hill community!
Proceeds from this event will support PBIS incentives for students at Beacon Hill.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Decatur Education Foundation
Decatur Education Foundation has always been an organization defined by solutions. Our mission is to connect people, resources, and ideas to solve the problems that keep our students from learning and thriving. We are focused on the big issues that impact our kids: behavioral health, inequity and racism, and food insecurity, all of which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. You can help us with a year-end contribution in any amount (every dollar counts), at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/donate. Together we can make a difference for #Ourkids! Thank you for your support.
Another way to give: 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
Decatur Farm to School
Are you interested in growing your school garden program or improving student access to fresh fruits and vegetables? The Decatur Farm to School Committee is accepting new members for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year. In addition to general volunteers, the committee is specifically looking for "School Garden Liaisons" from each CSD school. If this sounds like you or someone you know, learn more and sign-up here.
Run With the Dogs
Join us on Saturday, January 28, for Run With the Dogs, a Decatur tradition now in its 19th year.
The race is back at Beacon Hill Middle School for the 5K and Pup Trot, and the 5K race is an official qualifying event for the Peachtree Road Race! Register by January 15 to make sure you receive the coveted long-sleeved race T-shirt featuring Tuck the Pug.
Run With the Dogs is an annual fundraiser of the Decatur Bulldog Boosters to support the athletic programs at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School.
For more information and to register for the race, click here.