Eagle Edition
December 2, 2021
Glennwood Elementary ~ Where Learning Takes Flight
Holly Brookins, PhD, Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach Karen Hearn, School Manager
Email: hbrookins@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/glennwood
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gleagles/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Calendar of Events
December 3
Walk and Roll to School and
Virtual Community Circle
Ms. Rose's Class Hosting
December 7-10
MAP Testing
December 11
Romp + Read - Glennwood Playground
10:00-11:00 am
December 13
8:00 pm
December 17
Virtual Community Circle
Ms. Kaplan's Class Hosting
December 18-January 3
Holiday Break
Where Learning Takes Flight
December Design Principle: Empathy and Caring
"One of the secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others."
~Lewis Carroll
Hello, Glennwood Families!
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful break. Earlier this week, I sent out an eblast letting families know that with the colder weather approaching, there will be times where we will eat inside the lunchroom. This is the same for all CSD schools. I received some questions from families, so I would like to share more details with you regarding inside lunch.
Overall, we are still encouraging outside lunch as much as possible. The weather looks like it is going to be fabulous and hopefully, we can keep the kids outside all the way up to the next break! We have loved having our new tent from PTA and the ten picnic tables donated by Decatur Makers! These have been put to good use for lunch and various other activities. Recess will continue to primarily be outside as students are warmer when running around. Be sure to send appropriate outdoor gear to keep them warm (and please let us know if you have a need for warm weather gear and we can help)! Dressing in layers is a great idea right now!
Here are some highlights regarding our plan that has been vetted by experts on our COVID-Readiness Team as well as our School Leadership Team:
As a staff, we determined that 50 degrees will be our threshold for indoor lunch. We will also take the wind chill into consideration. Staff shared that when the temp is lower, students and staff are cold and students have difficulty opening their lunches and packages due to cold hands and gloves.
Right now, we can have one class spread out in the cafeteria at a time, using both sides of our cafeteria, with 2 kids per 6-ft table sitting on opposite ends.
Students will remove mask only when actively eating and drinking. We will encourage students to eat at this time rather than being overly social (though we do want them to enjoy lunch and each others’ company! :))
Students wash their hands immediately before the 20 min lunch period and have hand sanitizer accessible during lunch and after.
Tables are sanitized in between each lunch period/class.
As a reminder, even when students are not masked at lunch, we do have other layers of mitigation still in place. For example, handwashing, staying home when sick, air purifiers in the cafeteria and in all classrooms, and updates to our school’s ventilation system.
To date, we have not had any known cases of COVID spread within the school. Additionally, we did not have any positive tests when surveillance testing was conducted. Surveillance testing has been discontinued for now due to supply shortages however, the district is working on an alternative plan.
As always, please feel free to reach out with comments, questions, concerns, or ideas! I am always grateful for feedback.
Warmest regards,
Dr. Holly Brookins
COVID Vaccination Survey and Info for Vaccinated Students
Walk and Roll is TOMORROW!
Please join us on your feet, your bike, or your scooter (don’t forget those helmets!) this Friday, for our last Walk & Roll of 2021! You guys have done an amazing job this year! Students who participate will continue to enter at their grade-specific doors, where they will be counted, using our traditional marbles, by their staff door monitors. Don’t forget your masks on campus. We will have incentives for each student who participates, and each marble will still count towards students earning extra school-wide recess, with announcements made at virtual Community Circle! For additional details and a full Walk & Roll schedule for the year, please visit the Glennwood website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Domain/530. This will be our last Walk & Roll for a couple of months - see you all again in March!
*Walking School Buses are on hold (due to Covid) until further notice*
Contact Amanda McMillan (almcmil@gmail.com) with any questions!
For the next couple of weeks until the December break, I will be teaching a collaborative lesson with one of our Special Education teachers, Natalie Marchetti, on learning differences and celebrating disabilities. I'm excited to collaborate on this lesson as I've wanted to teach on this topic for a while. We will leave time at the end for the students to address any questions they may have. I've seen what a positive difference teaching on this topic can make and I believe it will make Glennwood a more tolerant environment for all.
Calling all First Grade Families: December Glennwood Staff Snack Table
For December, the PTA is asking First Grade families to host a "Holiday Sweets and Treats" Display for our staff. If you're a First Grade family, please visit the Sign Up Genius here to sign up to bring in something for our staff (each grade will have two opportunities this year, so the intention is that families participate only once per year).
We request that all items be store bought (not homemade), but they do not need to be individually wrapped. Please drop off your items with Ms. Hearn at the front office December 13-15th anytime during school hours and the PTA will assemble the snack table for our staff to enjoy on Thursday, December 16th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs: Haley Stevens (haleycstevens@gmail.com) or Cristina Stevenson (cristina.stevenson@gmail.com) Thank you!
You're invited to our next PTA DEI Virtual Meeting
Monday, December 13, 2021 at 8 PM
Zoom: npraol@emory.edu is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Glennwood PTA DEI Committee Meeting
Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/2226327599?pwd=NTVrbVBzRkI2YnFTWVU3bXh4SDk2dz09
Meeting ID: 222 632 7599
Passcode: 815625
One tap mobile
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Lost and Found is Full!
Looking for a great way to kick off the Holiday Break?
Join our District at the State Farm Arena for City Schools of Decatur Night as the Hawks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 PM.
Each ticket includes $10 worth of food and beverage credit.
A portion from each ticket purchased through this offer will benefit the Decatur Education Foundation.
Tickets can be purchased through the provided link: hawkspromos.com/CSD
CSD Coat Drive
CSD Community Members, We Need You! As the colder months are approaching, and as we are moving into the holiday season, the CSD Federal & Title Programs Department is kicking off a Coat Drive during November and December to help our families in need to stay warm this winter!
We will have a drop-off bin at each CSD school and at the Elizabeth Wilson School Support Center to collect coats and will collect coats beginning Monday, November 8 - Monday, December 13. We ask that all donations be NEW items to help us maintain the integrity of our families.
City School of Decatur Transportation
All riders must register to ride the bus through Bus Planner. This will let us know who is riding and also how we communicate with parents. If you are interested in tracking the bus, please sign up for Here Come The Bus. The weather is changing and if your transportation plans have changed. You must register and provide your Operation ID card when riding the bus.
MTSS Department Presents CSD Super Saturdays for K-5
Please complete the form to register your K-5 CSD student(s) for a Super Saturday session.CSD teachers and highly recommended staff will conduct engaging hands-on enrichment activities with small groups (1:10) of students on one (1) Saturday per month. The instructional focus will change from month to month (Math, STEM, ELA/Reading, etc.). All sessions will run from 9:00 am- noon. This is FREE to all CSD K-5 students, but space is limited based on teacher availability. Registration will close at noon on the Friday before the session OR when all spaces have been filled. You will receive a confirmation email from Google upon successful registration. REGISTER HERE
CSD ARP ESSER LEA Plan
Georgia Student Health Survey
This year we will administer the Georgia Student Health Survey to students in their classrooms, and parents and guardians can complete the Georgia Parent Survey at this link https://gshs.gadoe.org/parents.
The Georgia Student Health Survey is an anonymous, statewide survey instrument that identifies school safety and climate issues that impact student achievement. In order to provide a safe and supportive learning environment for your child, the Georgia Department of Education collects survey information from students during the school year. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete and covers various topics such as school climate and safety, alcohol and drug use, and mental health. If you would like to examine the survey questions, please find the survey questions here at the GSHS webpage on the right side of the web page under related documents.
All student survey data is anonymous and self-reported. The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) gives you the right to opt your child out of participating in the survey. The survey will be given to all students. If you do NOT wish for your child to participate in the Georgia Student Health Survey, please complete this Opt-Out form by December 17th.
News from the Decatur Education Foundation
Could you be a mentor? We have two mentoring programs for which we’re seeking 15 women and 15 men volunteers to serve as mentors. Our AIM Scholars mentoring program pairs third-grade students with an adult mentor who help them by supporting their Academics and explore their Interests; Mentors also help their students connect to educational and enrichment opportunities. Our REACH Georgia program pairs five 8th graders with mentors to help navigate high school and preparation for college. Right now we just need one more male REACH mentor. In just 2-4 hours per month, you can have a meaningful impact in the life of a student. For more information, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring
Tutors needed: Can you help out a Decatur student virtually one hour per week? If so, we’d love your help! Please click here to apply: https://forms.gle/LoiZxoi6WvSe6WEr6
Decatur High School Alumni – the next alumni newsletter is coming soon, are you on the email list? If not, you can sign up at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/alumni. And you can update your profile at any time if you’ve got some exciting accomplishments to share with your classmates. Go Bulldogs!