page background

Friday Follow-Up

Friday Follow-Up

May 5, 2023

In this newsletter:

  • Shout-outs: National Principal’s Day, School Lunch Hero Day, Decatur Prevention Initiative’s Youth Action Team Promote Mental Health at DHS, Sidekicks End of the Year (EOY) Celebration, CSD Student Art Exhibit Recap, Wilson Center Celebrates Jewish American Heritage, Asian American Heritage, Pacific Islander, and Desi Heritage Month and Top Dog Award Winners
  • CSD announcements and updates about the Budget Public Hearings, CSD CLIP Input - Your Input is Needed!, ESOL ACCESS Test Parent Meeting, Teacher Appreciation Spotlights, Extra Mile Awards, Bus Registration Open, and CSD Summer School Registration for Grades K-8

Congratulations! Great job! Way to go!

Happy National Principal’s Day

Monday, May 1, was National Principal’s Day! We are thankful for all the hard work and dedication our school principals put in daily. They are the backbone of our school community, always striving to create a safe and inclusive environment for our students to learn and thrive. Way to go, Principals!

zoom_out_map

School Lunch Hero Day

Our school nutrition staff are heroes every day, but today is National School Lunch Hero Day! We appreciate all you do for our students. Way to go, School Lunch Heroes!


Decatur Prevention Initiative’s Youth Action Team Promote Mental Health at DHS

Decatur Prevention Initiative’s Youth Action Team put together a variety of events at Decatur High School to kick-off May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Students watched mental health awareness videos and were provided mental health resources this week. Click here to watch a video recap of their event.


Sidekicks EOY Celebration

Glennwood and Decatur High School students celebrated their last day of Sidekicks by playing a game of 'volcanoes vs. ice cream cones' followed by BINGO, where the students called out bingo numbers in the AAPI languages they identify with. Shout out to Glennwood's leadership team, Beth Lewis, and everyone involved in helping make Sidekicks possible.

CSD Art Exhibit Recap

Thanks so much to everyone who was able to stop by and support our young artists for the CSD April Art Exhibition! An installation crew of 8th graders learned how to curate and install artwork. They even got to see some of their elementary school art teachers and help them install work. The turnout was incredible! We had a packed house on Friday night! Also, a HUGE thanks to Dr. McCranie and BHMS Orchestra for the beautiful music on Friday evening. Way to go!

Wilson Center Celebrates Jewish American Heritage, Asian American Heritage, Pacific Islander, and Desi Heritage Month

In celebration of Jewish American Heritage, Asian American Heritage, Pacific Islander, and Desi Heritage Month, some Wilson Center staff shared awesome things about their heritage, including warm and delicious Challah bread.

zoom_out_map

Top Dog Award Winners

Our Top Dog Award Winners this week are Frank DeFilippo and Judy Bytheway!


Frank DeFilippo, Special Education Coordinator at Wilson Center, received this nomination from a colleague:

“Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.” -Brené Brown

Frank DeFilippo is, without a doubt, a true leader with great integrity. As a Special Education Coordinator, he supports many special education teachers in CSD, as well as all of the speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. He offers guidance and sound advice, he facilitates difficult meetings, he even helps out as a substitute classroom teacher! All the while keeping the success of our special education students and support of our educators at the forefront. He reveals himself time and time again to “practice his values rather than simply professing them.” CSD Special Education is so lucky to have him!


Judy Bytheway, Biology Teacher at Decatur High School, received this nomination from a student:

“Mrs. Bytheway teaches me in resource Biology class. She is an amazing teacher. She makes the class fun and she helps us understand challenging concepts.”


Way to go, Frank and Judy!


Do you know someone who deserves Top Dog recognition? Nominate them here.

CSD Announcements and Updates

Budget Public Hearings

The Board of Education will host two public hearings on the budget on May 9.

CSD CLIP Input - Your Input is Needed!

Attention Staff, Parents, and Community Members! If you did not get a chance to attend either of the CSD CLIP Input sessions, you still have an opportunity to provide your voice to this process! Please take a moment to review the CSD CLIP Documents Video and the CSD CLIP Documents below. Then share your input with the stakeholder feedback form, also linked below! Please contact Willie Washington at wwashington@csdecatur.net if you have any questions.

Attention Parents! ESOL ACCESS Test Parent Meeting

Hello, All CSD ESOL Families! We would love to invite you to our next ESOL Parents' Meeting about Reviewing ACCESS Testing Results on Thursday, May 11, at 6:00 p.m. at the Wilson Center. Please view the flyer below for further information. If you have any questions or need childcare, transportation, or interpreting services for this meeting, please contact Tiffany Lundy at tlundy@csdecatur.net. We look forward to seeing you there!

zoom_out_map

Extra Mile Awards

Students: Do you know a teacher or CSD employee who has gone “the extra mile” this year? Nominate them for the CSD Extra Mile Award! The Extra Mile Award is an annual award that allows students to show 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 employee goes above and beyond.


Click here to submit a nomination. The deadline is May 31.


These awards will be presented at the CSD Opening Day Celebration in July.


Questions? Contact cburnett@csdecatur.net or 404-371-3601

zoom_out_map

Teacher Appreciation Spotlights

Our teachers make a difference in the lives of our students everyday. Their dedication and hard work does not go unnoticed. Has your teacher made a positive impact on your education? Has your child’s teacher shown dedication and compassion for your child? Click here to share how a teacher has made a positive difference. Teacher appreciation posts will be posted on our social media channels throughout the month of May.

CSD Summer School for Grades K-8

Registration for summer school for grades K-8 ends on May 19, 2023. Participation is by letter of invitation only.

Bus Registration Open

2023-2024 Bus Registration is open!

Flyer designed by DHS student intern: Alan Maharg

City Schools of Decatur