Talley Street Update

Dear Talley Street Community,

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Below are two important pieces of information concerning the district’s upcoming accreditation review process and the school’s draft In-person Reopening Plan. Included is a Google form for you to provide feedback on the Reopening Plan. Enjoy the week and have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Billy

Cognia Accreditation

Cognia offers accreditation and certification, assessment, professional services, and consulting to help schools drive continuous improvement. The organization focuses on innovation to provide more agile solutions for school improvement and to drive better outcomes for all students. Every 5 years the City Schools of Decatur completes the accreditation process and uses findings from this endeavor to inform our planning for continued development.

As an important stakeholder in the Talley Street Community, we value your input. With this in mind, we are asking each household to take a few minutes to complete the Culture & Climate Parent Survey and the Community Engagement Survey. Links to both surveys can be found below. The survey will open November 16th and close on December 11th. We appreciate your participation and feedback!

Talley Street Climate and Culture Parent Survey

Talley Street Community Engagement Survey

Talley Street Draft Return to In-Person Learning Plan

Talley Street’s Draft Return to In-Person Learning Plan is a living document that will continue to be updated as we receive information and better practices are created. In short, this is the guide for how Talley Street will operate when in-person learning begins. CSD principals have been working collaboratively to create the basics of these plans. Our in-person procedures document is still labelled a draft because it is consistently being tweaked and edited.

Talley Street Draft Return to In-Person Learning Plan

Return to In-Person Feedback Form

Meal Delivery Reminder

There will be no meal deliveries during the week of Thanksgiving Break, Monday, November 23-27. There will also be no meal deliveries during the Holiday Break from Monday, December 15 through Tuesday, January 5, 2020.

CSD Special Education November Virtual Meetings

Supporting Student Behaviors Virtual Meeting

(in the classroom and at home)

November 18, 2020

6:00-7:00 pm

RSVP with Cheryl Grant cgrant@csdecatur.net

Ms. Reynolds will present behavior strategies to assist families and their students with the transition from virtual learning to in-person schooling. She looks forward to connecting with parents and offering meaningful support during these new ways of delivering the curriculum.

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Understanding Evaluation and Eligibility

Presented by Vickie Wingard

November 19, 2020

6:00pm - 7:00pm

RSVP to Cheryl Grant cgrant@csdecatur.net

Vickie Wingard has been a School Psychologist with the City Schools of Decatur for the past 25 years and has worked with all age groups from preschool to high school. She has extensive
experience in conducting psychological evaluations and in leading special education eligibility teams in the decision-making process. She also works closely with the Multi-Tiered System of
Support (MTSS) Teams at her assigned schools and is an important resource for identifying research-based interventions and progress-monitoring tools in order to document students’
Response to Intervention (RtI), which is a requirement for special education consideration.

Decatur Education Foundation News

In non-pandemic years, we would be gearing up for our big fall party, Supper & Sips. Since we can't gather together in support of Decatur's kids to enjoy some delicious local food, drinks and fun games, we're launching our "Just Another Thursday Night at Home." While you won't enjoy the party and camaraderie of the Supper this year, you can still have that great feeling of fellowship by supporting our families with a gift to DEF. To participate: put on your jammies, pour yourself a beverage, get cozy on the sofa and click here.

Do you have some positive support to give to a Decatur student? DEF is still seeking some adult male volunteer mentors for their AIM Scholars Mentoring Program. AIM mentors are paired with 3rd grade students and “meet” regularly throughout the year. In just 2-4 hours per month, mentors help connect their mentees with educational and enrichment activities so they can find their passions and develop life skills. For more information, please visit decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring

City of Decatur News: A Season of Giving/Christmas Decatur

A Season of Giving/Christmas Decatur is beginning preparations for our 26th year of service to the City of Decatur community. As with everything else in 2020, this program will be a little different than we are used to! Due to the pandemic, we will be changing our program to be managed online. If your family would like to request assistance with holiday gifts for children who live with you, through 8th grade, you must complete the SurveyMonkey application by November 15: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2020ASeasonofGiving 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, and would like to participate, we would love your help! We have changed how we will handle the program for 2020. We will not be collecting physical gifts but providing gift cards to the families requesting assistance. If you would like to help us this year, please donate at https://legacydecatur.com/give/. Please select ‘A Season of Giving / Christmas Decatur’ for the organization in the donation form.

Decatur Active Living is offering Sports Conditioning for Ages 8-14

Decatur Active Living will be offering a four week, one hour conditioning program for boys and girls ages 8-14. The sessions will be held twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays beginning November 18; exact times will be determined by the number of participants. Class sizes will be limited and all safety protocols will be in place. Classes will be held on Ebster Field.

The purpose of conditioning is to get youth in shape, teach them how to create healthy habits, and to get athletes prepared for their next athletic season.

Registration is via RecTrac and begins November 12. Cost is $75 for residents, and $100 for non-residents. For more information please contact Stacy.Green@decaturga.com.

Decatur Strategic Plan 202s

The roundtables process included 800 registrants who contributed thousands of comments. Many of these comments about Decatur’s future were in agreement, but some topics revealed conflicting perspectives about how Decatur should chart its course for the next 10 years.

The 202s will allow for a deep dive on these topics. After hearing from subject matter experts, we will join together in virtual discussion groups to help understand tradeoffs and find balance among differing perspectives. Input will be used to form recommendations on how the Strategic Plan should address these issues. The 202s will seek to answer the question:

What does success look like in a community of 25K people within a metropolitan region of nearly 6 million people?”

Here’s the line-up:

Mobility: Thursday, Nov. 19, 4 – 5:30 p.m.

Housing: Thursday, Dec. 10, 4 – 5:30 p.m.

Equity & Racial Justice: Thursday, Jan. 14, 4 – 5:30 p.m.

Climate Change: January 2021, Date TBD

Speakers will be announced closer to the event. All events will occur on Zoom and will be recorded and available after the meeting. Visit decatur2030.com for details.

Red Ribbon Week Scavenger Hunt Challenge

DPI's Youth Action Team (composed of Renfroe Students) has created a scavenger hunt within Decatur to promote drug and alcohol prevention in youth. There will be one winner from each school who will receive a $20 Chick-Fil-A gift card. The competition begins Friday the 13th and ends Friday the 20th with winners announced on December 2nd. And...drumroll...you can participate too as a Decatur Community Member! See this video for more information!

Decatur Anti-Racism Speaker Series: December Speaker

Speaker: Tim Wise
Thursday, Dec. 3 • 6-7:30 p.m.

Tim Wise is among the most prominent antiracist writers and educators in the United States. He has spent the past 25 years speaking to audiences in all 50 states, on more than 1,000 college and high school campuses, at hundreds of professional and academic conferences, and to community groups across the country. He has trained corporate, government, entertainment, media, law enforcement, military and medical industry professionals on methods for dismantling racism in their institutions.

Visit decaturga.com/speakerseries to register and view recordings of past speakers.

Decatur Farm to School Merchandise

Looking for some awesome Decatur Farm to School SWAG? Look no further! We have freshly designed t-shirts, caps, face masks, and tote bags ready for purchase. All proceeds from merchandise sales will benefit the Wylde Center’s Decatur Farm to School program which includes CSD garden maintenance, CSD mini-grants, DHS summer internships, scholarships to attend conferences, twice-a-year vegetable taste tests, and educator-led programs in the classrooms and gardens.

Pre-order your merchandise before November 23 at the link below and pick up at the Wylde Center’s Oakhurst Garden in Decatur the week of December 14. Customers will be contacted via email with additional instructions when products are ready for pick up. Interested in having your order shipped? Let us know by responding to your confirmation email following your purchase.⁠ Thank you for your support!

https://wylde-center-online-shop.myshopify.com/collections/decatur-farm-to-school-merchandise

Thanksgiving Produce Available!

Save the date! Talley Street and Decatur High will be sharing garden produce with the Decatur community on November 21st, 12-2 PM on the steps of Ebster Gym.

We will have sweet potatoes, herbs and a variety of fall greens as well as books and school supplies. Everyone is welcome!

Parent Workshop: Helping your Child Navigate the Virtual School World

The school counselors of Clairemont and Talley are hosting a virtual parent workshop entitled, "Helping your Child Navigate the Virtual School World". Topics of this workshop will include: How to help your child be engaged with online learning, strategies to help your child socialize even during the quarantine, coping with emotions, recognizing signs of situational depression in your child and more. Feel free to bring your lunch to this fun and informative workshop. The workshop will be held on Tuesday, 12/1/20 at Noon. Please use the survey link to sign up for the workshop. Space will be limited. If you have any questions about this, you can email: Ms. Pratt, cpratt@csdecatur.net, Mrs. Weaver, kiweaver@csdecatur.net, or Mr. Pendrick, jpendrick@csdecatur.net.

Workshop sign up: https://forms.gle/6HSAmwyN7K3TXaYk7

Native American Heritage Month - Learn About Native Nations

November is Native American Heritage Month! Take a few moments from your last Wellness Wednesday in November to learn about Native nations. A Talley parent, Dr. Mandy Suhr-Sytsma, has created an amazing resource for us to learn from. It includes videos of Native American authors discussing their works, general information, a book list, and resources for parents. This resource can be found on the Media Center website, and at the link below.

Talley Spelling Bee Sign-Up

This year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee has developed an online testing platform that will allow Talley to host a school spelling bee program remotely from your homes. In place of our traditional spelling bee program, we will hold the competition through an online spelling and vocabulary test. The first step to spelling bee participation is for you to register for the Scripps National Spelling Bee's online testing platform by visiting https://online-test.spellingbee.com. Registration ends Friday, November 20! For more information about registering, please see the letter at the link below.

PTA Equity Series - The Myths of Racism And Beyond: Personal and Community Reflections THIS THURSDAY, November 19!

The Talley Street Upper Elementary PTA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee is sponsoring a series for parents and faculty entitled: The Myths of Racism and Beyond: Personal and Community Reflections.

Whether you are a social justice champion or wrestling with these topics for the first time, this workshop will help all of us deepen our understanding of racism and strengthen our commitment to action.

Through independent individual reflections in a personal journal and group sessions reflecting as a community once a month, our Talley Street Upper Elementary community will examine the power of race and discuss its impact across racial lines. Everyone is invited to provide their voice, perspective, and experiences with the power of race. The series will cover the article “The 10 Myths White People Believe About Racism,” with a paired bite-sized reading and short racial equity video assigned each month.

The series will include time for independent individual reflections through a personal journal and time for community reflections during group discussions once a month.

Community Reflections will be Thursdays 8-9pm on Zoom on the following dates: Nov 19, Jan 21, Feb 25, March 18, April 22, May 13

If you are unable to attend all sessions, you can work through the personal reflections on your own and join the community reflections as you can.

To join, please fill out this google form. Email CSD parent and co-facilitator Charlie Copp with any questions.

Yearbook input needed!

Your Talley 2020-21 Yearbook Committee is working on a great yearbook for this year - despite our unusual circumstances! We need your input on the best way to do student portraits. Please take a minute to fill out this survey. As always, email any questions or comments to yearbook@talleypto.org.

Did you know?

Welcome to the “Did You Know” Fun Facts about Talley Street sponsored by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) PTO Committee. Talley Street is an AMAZING school filled with incredible students and faculty, and through this series you will get to know more about our school crew.

Did You Know:

Talley Street has 695 students, with 4th grade topping the charts with 261 students. In second place is 3rd grade with 220, then 5th grade with 214. Go 4th grade! Go 4th grade!

Do you have a Did You Know factoid to include? Email talleydeicommittee@gmail.com.

Clairemont PTA Holiday Marketplace

Welcome to the 2020 Decatur Holiday Marketplace at Clairemont Elementary! We are so excited to carry on the tradition of this wonderful community event which is in its 29th year. In light of the current COVID pandemic, we have decided to make this year's event virtual. The dates for our virtual marketplace will be November 27th at 8 am through December 11th at 5 pm. During this time, all of our artists' sites will be available for shopping online and will be conveniently located right here on our clairemontpta.org website. A description of the shop and owners along with a few wonderful photos of their craft will be available to preview. If the artist is able to ship their wares after purchase, they will do so, and if not, for our local customers, we will have a special pick up day at the school on December 12th from 10-12. We are bringing the marketplace straight to your house!

Winnona Park PTA: Holiday Tree, Wreath and Candle Sale

The Winnona Park PTA is gearing up for its Annual Holiday Tree, Wreath and Candle Sale on December 5, 2020. Buy your item online and have it delivered fresh-cut, right to your door December 4-6. This year's fundraiser will feature Fraser fir trees, wreaths, and Hanukkah candles all delivered directly within a 5-mile radius. Pre-Order your holiday items now to ensure free delivery! https://winnonaparkpta.org/product-category/holiday-sale/

Where do we get our trees from, you ask?

Cool Springs Nursery will deliver freshly cut Frasier fir trees and wreaths direct from their farm in North Carolina. There are several sizes to choose from, with prices ranging from $85 to $120. Wreaths and Candles are also available for $30 and $10 a pack, respectively.

The Fraser Fir tree has a symmetrical shape and very tapered, sometimes described as an upside-down cone. The needles are soft and short, deep green on the top, and a silverfish-blue on the bottom. The branches are strong with a sweet fragrance, and it has excellent needle retention. Due to the branches turning slightly upward, it has somewhat of a compact appearance.

This fundraiser is so important because...

The Winnona Park PTA supports many offerings and initiatives including:

Classroom libraries
Teacher and parent grants
Field trips
Guest speakers for all students
Facility enhancements
Various community-building events
School community garden
Yearbooks
Incoming Kindergartener tees

Got questions about the specifics of these areas of support? Reach out to us! We would be happy to share them with you so that you understand the vital importance of the PTA that makes Winnona Park Elementary School so special.

https://winnonaparkpta.org/product-category/holiday-sale/

Thank you for your support,

Winnona Park Elementary PTA

Talley Street Passive Fundraising

Amazon Smile

We're now on Amazon Smile! Log into www.smile.amazon.com and log into your Amazon

account, then select Talley Street Upper Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, then save and the PTO will start getting quarterly deposits!

One important tip - you MUST be logged in via smile.amazon.com while shopping for us to

receive any funds.

Kroger Community Rewards

We are set up to receive funds from Kroger. From your account screens, select Community

Rewards and search for “Talley Street Upper Elementary School PTO." Select it and then you

should be all set. Every time you use your Kroger card, the PTO will benefit!

Box Tops

Box Tops have gone digital! Download the app, Box Tops for Education. Enter your

information, select Talley St., scan receipts and done! We will no longer be collecting paper box

tops. If you have any issues using the app, you can submit (via the app) the item not being

recognized on your receipt for credit.

Publix Partners

Looking for an easy way to support Talley Street PTO?

Who knew Passive Fundraising could be SO easy!! You don' need the key chain card anymore.

Follow the easy instructions on the link:

http://www.corporate.publix.com/community/corporate-campaigns/publix-partners

We’re set up as: Talley Street Upper Elementary School – Decatur, GA

www.csdecatur.net/opening - a repository for all documents, announcements, and communications about how CSD is handling the 2020-2021 school year.

www.csdecatur.net/nutrition - How to order meals

www.csdecatur.net/transportation
www.csdecatur.net/bustracker - How to sign up for the new Predictable Ryde Bus tracking app used for meal delivery, soon for the Fly-brary, mobile book delivery and when in-person learning resumes to track students on their buses
https://virtual.csdecatur.net/tech-help (how parents and staff can put in a tech support request)

https://virtual.csdecatur.net/students - classroom login information

https://virtual.csdecatur.net/parents - Virtual Learning Handbooks