Dr. Fehrman's Friday Follow-Up
August 19, 2022
Click this link https://www.smore.com/xvhc0 for the mobile-friendly version of this newsletter.
In this newsletter:
Board Policy Review
Shout outs: Top Dog Winner, CSD Readers
CSD announcements and updates about Strategic Plan, Connection Sessions, COVID Updates, Bark for Schools, Literacy Events, Special Education Parent Engagement, School Nutrition
Community partner announcements and updates from the Pan African Festival, Decatur Education Foundation, Madison Avenue Soapbox Derby and the Decatur YMCA
Board Policy Review
As communicated at the August Board meeting and in the Bulletin Board Newsletter last week, we are in the process of transitioning the district to the governance model recommended by the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA). Over the next several months, the Board will be reviewing and adopting a large number of policies that CSD is required to have by the state legislature. GSBA drafted the initial set of policies adopted which are mostly routine operating procedures. The Board will first review draft policies at their meetings and then publish them for public review. After the review period of roughly four weeks or the time between meetings, the Board will vote on the final versions of the policies.
The Board will also select reform policies to draft. Reform policies are Board policies designed to make significant changes in the school district and effectuate the Board’s Theory of Action for Change. The Board will be working on developing their Theory of Action at the next work session.
All members of the CSD community are invited to review and provide comments on the policies. Please visit the Simbli site to see the policies currently in the public review process. As the Board fully adopts policies, you can access them through the CSD Simbli site.
Congratulations! Great job! Way to go!
Top Dog Award Winner
The Top Dog nominations this year will highlight an attribute of the IB Learner Profile. The attribute for August is Inquirer. The Learner Profile says, as Inquirers, “We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.”
This week's Inquirer Top Dog is Melody Yoo, Teacher at Beacon Hill Middle School.
Ms. Yoo received this nomination from a colleague at BHMS:
“Ms. Yoo is an inquirer. As an 8th-grade Individuals & Societies teacher at Beacon Hill Middle School, Ms. Yoo has explored ways to decolonize the Georgia curriculum by lifting the voices and telling the stories from various marginalized communities. Ms. Yoo has utilized professional education opportunities through the Georgia Council for History Education as well as Asian American Voices for Change to enhance learning in her classroom. This summer, Ms. Yoo spent time in California attending the National Educators Association Conference to learn from other educators and work with them on strategies to incorporate Asian American history and culture into our classrooms. Ms. Yoo’s commitment to continuing education will not only be an asset to students in her science classroom but to all students and teachers at Beacon Hill and our CSD community as a whole. Thank you. Ms. Yoo.”
Way to go, CSD Students!
City Schools of Decatur 2021-2022 Georgia Milestones Results
As we continue to review our Georgia Milestones data to develop actionable steps to ensure each student in every classroom achieves the highest level of success, we wanted to take a moment to share our celebrations with the community. Our students, teachers, school and district instructional leaders, and the entire CSD community should be incredibly proud of the successes that we are already achieving!
Highlights of our 2021-2022 results include:
Third Grade
Highest percentage Reading at or above grade level in the state of Georgia (2nd year)
Highest percentage of students scoring proficient or above in English Language Arts in the state of Georgia
Highest percentage of students scoring distinguished in English Language Arts in the state of Georgia
Fourth Grade
Highest percentage of students scoring proficient or above in English Language Arts in the state of Georgia
Fifth Grade
Highest percentage Reading at or above grade level in the state of Georgia (2nd year)
Highest percentage of students scoring proficient or above in English Language Arts in the state of Georgia
Sixth Grade
Highest percentage of students scoring distinguished in Math in the state of Georgia
Click here to read more information about the Georgia Milestones scores.
CSD Announcements and Updates
Strategic Plan Community Input Session
Please make plans to join us for the Strategic Plan Community Input Session on September 6th at 6:30 pm in the Beacon Hill Middle School cafeteria. This meeting is open to all staff, students, parents, and community partners. This session will be the primary input gathering meeting for stakeholders to share their vision for what CSD can become in the next five years. We look forward to seeing you there!
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.
August 22nd, 2022 - Dr. Maggie Fehrman, Superintendent, CSD
September TBD, 2022 - Adena Walker, Chief of Human Resources, CSD
October 17th, 2022 - Billy Heaton, Principal, Talley Street
November 14th, 2022 - Courtney Burnett, Chief of Staff, CSD
December 19th, 2022 - Karen Newton-Scott, Principal, FAVE
* 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.
COVID Testing, Mitigation, and Communication
Last week, the CDC released new COVID guidelines for schools. With this new guidance, we have updated our practices and procedures outlined below.
Mitigation: Our mitigation document has been updated and can be found here. It is not feasible for all of our buildings to offer outdoor lunch in the same way across all schools. Therefore, outdoor lunch is no longer a COVID mitigation strategy in CSD.
Testing: COVID Testing will continue to be offered to CSD students/staff/families at the Wilson Center (Board Room Entrance), Monday through Friday, from 6:15 am-9:15 am. Surveillance testing will be discontinued at all school sites. If you have any questions about the testing offered at the Wilson Center, please contact Shonda Moore, School Health Coordinator, at smoore1@csdecatur.net.
Communication: Parents will continue to be notified if there is a positive case in their child’s class. The whole school emails will be discontinued going forward, but the school and community can see the number of cases in the school on the COVID report on the district website. The COVID report only includes self-reported positive cases and may not reflect every case in our school and district. Therefore, we strongly encourage parents to let the school know when their child has a positive COVID diagnosis so we can inform the class and reflect the most accurate number of cases in the weekly report.
Bark for Schools
Digital safety is critically important to CSD, which is why we are adding Bark for Schools to our collection of online safety measures. Bark joins other measures, such as our content filter and staff monitoring of students’ classroom computer activity, to provide an additional layer of protection for our students.
Bark monitors student use of key student collaboration and communication tools for potential issues around cyberbullying, suicidal ideation, sexual predation, threats of violence, and more. When possible dangers arise within school-issued accounts, Bark for Schools alerts school teams, typically administrators and counselors, so they can address the situation in a timely manner. These alerts also give us insights that help us promote the well-being of the entire student body.
Bark was successfully piloted this spring at Talley Street Upper Elementary, and it will be fully implemented in grades 3-12 beginning September 6. You can learn more about Bark for Schools — including their commitment to student privacy. Beyond their own privacy commitment, Bark agreed to meet CSD’s stringent requirements around student data privacy and security.
Literacy Parent Events
The Teaching and Learning Department is excited to host several parent-focused literacy events this school year. The August and September sessions are listed below. Stay tuned for information about additional programs scheduled for the remainder of the school year.
August Events:
August 24 at 4:00 pm: American Reading Company (ARC) Virtual Parent Education: The Science of Reading Is More Than A Movement
August 24 from 6:30 - 7:30 pm: City Schools of Decatur and American Reading Company (ARC) Virtual Parent Education with Dr. David Liben, Consultant and Author of Foundational Skills Development, and Amelia Larson, Executive Vice President of ARC Innovations and Academic Partnerships
Meeting ID: 914 0253 9081 and Passcode: 632209
September Events:
September 15 at 4:00 pm: American Reading Company (ARC) Virtual Parent Education: Comprehensive Literacy for Turbulent Times - The Power Behind a Knowledge Building Curricula
If you have any questions about these events, please contact the Teaching and Learning Department at csimon@csdecatur.net.
Special Education Parent Engagement
September Meeting:
disAbility Link - Empowering Youth
Mr. William Thomas, Youth & Diversity Supervisor for disAbility Link, will give an overview of the services and supports offered through the Empowering Youth program for youths ages 14-29. disAbility link provides but is not limited to employment support, self-advocacy, social activities, and peer support.
Target Audience: Parents of students with disabilities ages 14-22 years old
Date: September 15
Time: 6-7 pm
Location: Virtual
To RSVP, click this Link or email Cheryl Grant at cgrant@csdecatur.net.
For more information, please see the August Welcome Back Flyer.
School Nutrition - Point of Sale Issues
The School Nutrition Department recently updated the point of sale system and is experiencing some hiccups. We are working diligently to correct any errors on student meal accounts. Please use the linked form to identify any charges that you would like us to review. We will investigate your request as quickly as we are able. No child will be refused meal service as we go through the correction process. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Please use this form to let us know about the discrepancy you are experiencing.
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Pan African Festival
The Pan African Festival is happening tomorrow, August 20th. Go to https://beaconhillblackalliance.org/pan-african-festival/ to learn more about the event.
Decatur Education Foundation
DEF has several volunteer opportunities that can fit easily into your weekly schedule! We need tutor volunteers for our Virtual Pals Tutoring program. If you can donate 1 hour per week to help a Decatur student virtually, you can apply here: https://forms.gle/YTbDUk8H4iS4qfD57 (High school students can earn volunteer hours!) We also need adult mentors for our AIM mentoring program and volunteer “coaches” for our brand new FOCUS Prep Program that is specifically for high schoolers in preparation for post-high school. For a mentor application, click here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/6385892/Mentor-Application. If you’d like to become a coach, click here: https://forms.gle/F73gdN5fxzXqET5o7. You can also find all forms and information at our website, www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring. Together we make a difference for our kids!
Madison Soap Box Derby
Driver Registration Now Open: Madison Avenue Derby on Oct. 15th
Don't miss your chance to be a part of one of Decatur's most iconic neighborhood events! Driver registration is now open for the 11th Annual Madison Avenue Derby, the non-motorized racing event where amateur racers of all ages design and build human-powered soapbox cars to compete against the clock in a downhill race!
Join the excitement as a racer or spectator on October 15, 2022, for a day of family-friendly fun - proceeds from the event this year go to support the Friends of Refugees! REGISTER TO RACE NOW
Decatur YMCA School Break Camps
See flyer below.