Talley Street Update

Dear Talley Street Community,

On March 16, 2021, our country once again experienced the killing of innocent lives because of hate and racism. Eight people, six of which were Asian women, were tragically killed in their place of work. Sadly, this event is a continuation of hate crimes against Asian Americans that have escalated over the past year. We must stand against the racist acts of hate and bias. Talley Street faculty and staff strongly condemn racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against Asian Americans. We stand in solidarity with them. This tragic event reinforces the urgency of the actions we are taking as a school through our anti-racism work to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Resources:

CSD’s Equity Website

Staff, caretakers, and students can contact the Department of Equity and Student Support with concerns regarding discrimination and/or harassment.
If a student or staff member appears to be having more difficulty with their feelings than might be expected, or, if you could use additional support yourself, please contact a school administrator, counselor, or other support personnel.
CSD employees are also encouraged to use the services provided through our Employee Assistance Program.
If you would like outside information or support please visit the following resources on our Equity website:

Asian-American Harassment related to the COVID-19 Outbreak (*currently links to an established page with many valuable resources on the Equity & Student Support site)
The Coalition to Support Grieving Students - The Coalition’s purpose is to create and share a set of free, industry-endorsed resources that will empower school communities across America in the ongoing support of grieving students.
Addressing Anti-Asian Violence and Bias - These resources help teachers discuss the historical precedents for this moment, introduce ways for students to recognize and speak up against coronavirus racism, and start conversations with even the youngest learners about recognizing and acting to address injustice.

For even more equity-related information, visit the following resources on our Equity Website.

School Supply Boxes

The deadline for completing the school supply box Google form is Friday, March 26th. After Friday, the school will assume that parents want the supplies donated to the school. For those who indicated that they will pick up the boxes, you are welcome to do so daily from 9:00 to 3:00. The link to the form is below. Please reach out to the school with any questions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdOZRzVgHSOPjsmH-pOLx_a2WnpoLJ75l3kNRMwWSsnHekEmQ/viewform

Deadline to Make Learning Choice Selection

The deadline to make your learning selection for after spring break is this Wednesday, March 24th. If parents do not reply by the end of the day Wednesday, their child will remain in his or her current learning environment (virtual or in-person). The link is below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0oWs3czn3Og-nidx2zv6nDfXJUKXvq9Y6GwZF2JXS5T_Xvg/viewform

Have a great week!

Billy

Kids and Companion Yoga Class for Talley Families

Kids, grab a grown-up and join us for some evening yoga in this 4-week class taught by 3rd-grade teacher Kara Morrison. We will stretch, laugh, breathe, move, and relax. The theme of all our classes will be kindness, so each week we'll also practice cultivating kindness for ourselves and others.

This class will meet from 7 - 7:45 PM on the following 4 Thursdays:

March 11, March 18, March 25, and April 1st

Check out this flyer for more information and for the zoom link.

Talley Street PTO & Committee Chair Positions

The Talley Street PTO Board needs your help for the 2021-22 school year to support our students and staff! Please consider joining the PTO Board or chairing one of our committees.

To view a description of the open Board and Committee positions and to submit your interest, please follow this link:

Talley Street PTO & Committee Chair Nominations

Nominations are due by Friday, April 23

The Nominating Committee needs 1-2 more volunteers to help recruit, vet, and slate nominees. Please e-mail India Epps at nomination@talleypto.org if you would like to help the committee or have any questions.

The Myths of Racism and Beyond: Personal and Community Reflections

Please join us in January for the next The Myths of Racism and Beyond: Personal and Community Reflections, sponsored by the DEI Committee.

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

The remaining Community Reflections will be Thursdays from8-9 PM on Zoom on the following dates:

Apr 22

May 13

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

To participate, please fill out this google form. Email Charlie Copp with any questions. Charlie is a CSD parent and will help facilitate the series along with fellow Talley parent Elliott Robinson.

Decatur Education Foundation News

The Tour deCatur is Coming Up on March 27th!

Has your family registered yet for the Run Where You Are Tour deCatur 5K and Fun Run? You can still sign up at www.tourdecatur.com. The elementary students who register for the Fun Run will receive a Zoom link to warm up and cool down with some of the elementary school coaches! You can download race bibs from the site or create your own and WIN A FREE BUTTER & CREAM ICE CREAM CONE! That’s right: make your own race bib and post a photo of it on Facebook or Instagram with #Tourdecatur2021, and you’ll receive a gift certificate for a free ice cream. Register today for a fun family activity that supports #OurKids! Want another reason to run on Saturday, March 27th? We heard that the Easter Bunny will be riding around Decatur in a fire truck that day! Be on the lookout!

DEF Needs Mentors!

We have an immediate need for two women mentors for our REACH mentoring program. If you or someone you know is looking to give back to their community in a fundamental way, mentoring a student 2-4 hours a month is a great way to do that. For more information, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring or contact Marie@decatureducationfoundation.org to sign up.

Decatur Farm to School

SAVE THE DATE! Wednesday, April 21st, will be Decatur Farm to School’s Spring Take Out! Order from participating restaurants during their open hours and a portion of your order total will go to DF2S! Proceeds from the Spring Take Out support our DHS student summer internships, Decatur kitchen staff training, conference scholarships for students and teachers, taste tests, and school gardens - just to name a few. Give yourself a break, eat a delicious meal, and support a fabulous cause!

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