Dr. Fehrman's Friday Follow-Up
October 28, 2022
Click this link https://www.smore.com/yg21a for the mobile-friendly version of this newsletter.
In this newsletter:
Strategic Plan Update
Shout-outs: Frasier Center Fall Festival, DHS Softball, DHS Cross Country, DCA Skills Challenge, BHMS Stellar Student Athletes, Red Ribbon Week, BHMS Photography Students, and Top Dog Award Winners
CSD announcements and updates about the Strategic Plan Town Halls, COVID and Flu Shots, BHMS Circus Olympus, Decatur Student Center Offering, Special Education Parent Meetings, DVA Interest, and DHS Flag Football Fundraiser
Community partner announcements and updates from Run with the Dogs and Decatur Education Foundation
Strategic Plan Update
The Strategic Planning Team met this Tuesday to prioritize five goal areas for CSD’s community-inspired strategic plan. The team comprised a diverse group of district staff, community leaders, and parents. The team reviewed a great deal of information to determine which goal areas will be the main focus of the work in CSD over the next five years. The CSD website provides an overview of the strategic planning process. We are working on uploading all of the information shared with the Planning Team to the website.
Next week, I will host three town hall meetings to share the priority goal areas set by the planning team, as well as an overview of the process and next steps. In addition, I will record one of the virtual town hall meetings and post that on our site for anyone unable to attend the meetings. We will also share a form to provide feedback on the goal areas selected by the planning team:
Student Success in All Academic Areas
Equity and Student Support
Cultivating and Retaining Quality Professionals
Organizational Effectiveness and Excellence
Building an Engaging and Inclusive Culture
I want to thank the 56 staff and community members who dedicated an entire day to building the foundational elements of our community-inspired strategic plan. The diverse group of stakeholders provided multiple perspectives to ensure that our goal areas are focused on our students. You can review a list of the Strategic Planning team members on the CSD Strategic Planning page.
Congratulations! Great job! Way to go!
Frasier Center Fall Festival
The Frasier Center enjoyed food, games, hayrides, face painting, and more at their Fall Festival. What a nice way to welcome fall. Way to go!
Congratulations on a Great Season DHS Softball!
Congratulations to our Varsity Softball team for a great season. The Bulldogs entered the GHSA State Tournament as the #2 seed out of Region 4 5A. In the new GHSA set-up, the Bulldogs faced Northgate in the first game of the Super Regional. After a tough loss, the Bulldogs turned and immediately played Greenbriar in an elimination game. The girls fought hard but came up short, losing 0-3. Great job to the Seniors who led this young team to be the Region 4-5A Runners Up! Way to go, Bulldogs!
DHS Cross Country Teams are Headed to State!
Congratulations to both the boys and girls Cross Country teams! DHS hosted the region XC Championship yesterday at Legacy Park. Both teams brought home first-place trophies and will compete in the state meet in Carrollton on Saturday, November 5. Good luck at your next meet! Way to go, Bulldogs!
Decatur Career Academy Competes in the Skills Challenge
The DCA students that competed were: Lila Wietsma & Jacob Enfinger in the Fine
Furniture/Woodworking (team event), Mikka Wolff & Sam Coblin in the Blueprint Reading (individual event), Thomas Butterfield & Ben Howard in Welding (individual event).
All of our students represented us well in this first competition of its kind for the Decatur Career Academy. Lila and Jacob brought home the 2nd place medal for the Fine Furniture/Woodworking category. Thomas secured 2nd place in the Welding category and Mikka took the second place prize for Blueprint Reading.
Thank you to the folks at Benning Construction Company for their support by providing the kids with extra tools and materials to practice with in preparation for the event.
Way to go!
BHMS Stellar Student Athletes
Congratulations to the BHMS students who received a Stellar Student-Athlete Award from their teacher this past week. We are proud of these students' achievements in their respective sports and in the classroom at Beacon Hill. These students have been recognized for being positive role models for their peers. Each of them received a certificate noting their impact. Great job, Beacon Hill Bulldogs!
Red Ribbon Week
Shout out to Decatur Prevention Initiative’s Youth Action Team at DHS for planning, organizing, and executing their Red Ribbon Week event from start to finish. They educated and engaged their peers on the benefits of being drug-free. Thank you Youth Action Team, for promoting safety and health in our schools and community. Way to go!
BHMS Photography Students at Talley Street
6th grade Photography students exercise their skills at Talley Street, capturing the "essence" of their student body so the PTO can print them for their school walls. It is great to see this collaboration across schools, and we can’t wait to see their pictures. Way to go, BHMS and Talley!
Top Dog Award Winner
Our Top Dog Award Winners this week are Tiffany Lawrence and Brianna Tidmore!
Director of School Nutrition, Tiffany Lawrence, received this nomination from a colleague:
“Tiffany worked creatively to remove nutrition as a barrier for students participating in intercession and after-school tutoring. Both programs fall outside of her staff's calendar days and she developed a plan to provide a shelf-stable snack, coolers for drinks, and coordinated pick-up ahead of time to ensure service. Thank you, Tiffany and the Nutrition department!”
Teacher at Fifth Avenue, Brianna Tidmore, received this nomination from a colleague:
“Ms. Tidmore is an amazing teacher! She is always thinking of new ways to engage ALL students! She goes above and beyond on a daily basis and is a great team player. We are lucky to have her!”
Way to go, Tiffany and Brianna!
Do you know someone who deserves Top Dog recognition? Nominate them here.
CSD Announcements and Updates
Strategic Plan Town Halls
Dr. Fehrman will host three town hall meetings where all community members can attend and review the information discussed at the Strategic Plan Team meeting, as well as the goals and performance objectives drafted. In addition, the town halls will provide an opportunity for the community to add their feedback and ensure we have aligned our goals with what our community wants to see achieved in our district over the next five years.
Strategic Plan Town Hall Dates / Times
November 1 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am (virtual) https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/96433860943
November 3 @ 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm (virtual) https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/92270288945
November 3 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm (in person) at the DHA Community Resource Center at
481 Electric Avenue
CSD Covid-19 and Flu Shot Event
The City Schools of Decatur will partner with the Dekalb County Board of Health to offer a COVID-19 and FLU Vaccine on Tuesday, November 1, from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at 125 Electric Ave. Ages 5 and up are welcome.
The first 200 people to receive their COVID-19 vaccine or booster will receive a $100 prepaid gift card.
BHMS Circus Olympus
The circus has come to town! Well… sort of. There’s no elephant on a bicycle, but there are the Greek Geeks and they have a story or two to tell! More specifically, a myth or two: Pandora’s Box, Persephone and the Underworld, King Midas, Athena and Arachne, and don’t forget the Mythapalooza Slam Jam!
Tickets are $10 (general seating) and are available online at www.decaturperforms.org.
Performances in the BHMS Cafeteria on:
Friday, November 4 at 7 PM
Saturday, November 5 at 3 PM
Saturday, November 5 at 7 PM
Decatur Student Center Offering - Family Meetings
Would You Like to Learn How to Conduct Family Meetings?
Are you tired of constant family arguments?
Are you tired of feeling as if your family is disconnected?
Are you tired of your family not knowing the schedule for the week?
Then perhaps Family Meetings are for you! Participants will learn how to conduct effective family meetings that will benefit all family members and encourage cohesiveness. Family Meetings have been shown to increase family members’ self-esteem, communication & conflict-resolution skills, and instill a sense of belonging & resilience.
When: Wednesdays, beginning November 9th, 2022
What: 6 weekly, 45-minute Google Meet sessions from 12:00 - 12:45
How: Attend weekly interactive meetings with camera on & ready to participate!
Cost: FREE and limited to 6 families
Click here to register and learn more!
Special Education Parent Meetings
Golden Steps ABA
CSD welcomes Amanda Bissonnette of Golden Steps ABA to share an overview of the services and support they provide to families.
Here's more about Golden Steps ABA:
Golden Steps implements Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy to assist children in overcoming behaviors that challenge their ability to navigate and flourish in social, educational, and home settings. We track their progress, encourage their growth, and applaud them when they inevitably succeed.
Date: November 10, 2022
Time: 6-7 pm
Location: This is a virtual meeting.
Target Audience: Pre-K to 6th grades
RSVP here
How It Works- Assistive Technology Meeting
Yael Cohen, Assistive Tech. Specialist & Frank DeFilippo, Special Education Coordinator, will be sharing a variety of apps and Google extensions that students can access to support their learning in class.
For example, if your student is experiencing:
Poor handwriting
Poor grammar
Difficulty spelling
Difficulty with Organizing writing assignments
Date: November 17, 2022
Time: 6-7 pm
Location: This is a virtual meeting.
RSVP here
For questions, please contact Cheryl Grant at cgrant@csdecatur.net.
Decatur Virtual Academy Interest
Are you interested in Decatur Virtual Academy?
The window is open for students to transfer to Decatur Virtual Academy for the Spring 2023 semester.
To allow adequate time to complete online courses, the registration deadline for Spring semester enrollment is December 20. From October 7 until December 20, families may request a transfer to online learning for the Spring Semester by completing this form.
Space is limited. Once we are full, families will be on a waitlist. This form can only be completed by a parent or guardian who has educational rights for a CSD student. Once the form is completed, Ms. Whatley will schedule a time to discuss courses, the attendance policy, and let you know if there is space for your student.
Please review the Decatur Virtual Academy Handbook prior to speaking with Ms. Whatley.
DHS Flag Football Fundraiser
Show your support for the DHS Flag Football team by purchasing a beautiful poinsettia plant here. You will have the choice of purchasing an 8” or 6” poinsettia in a foil-wrapped pot. Once purchased, you will receive an email by November 15 detailing the instructions for pick up in December at DHS. Thank you for your support!
Community Partner Announcements and Updates
Run With the Dogs
Run With the Dogs (RWTD) 2023 registration is now open!
Join us on Saturday, January 28, 2023, for Run With the Dogs, a Decatur tradition in its 19th year.
We’ll be back at Beacon Hill Middle School for the 5K and Pup Trot and are pleased to announce that this year’s race is an official qualifying event for the Peachtree Road Race!
If you think you have the perfect dog to be featured on this year’s t-shirt, please enter the Face of the Race contest. Just post a photo of your dog, plus a blurb about why your dog should be selected as the Face of the Race, to http://www.facebook.com/RWTD5k or on Instagram with the hashtag #RWTD5K.
All contest entrants must register for the race for their dogs to be considered. Photos can be submitted until November 7. Four finalists will be selected by the volunteer race committee, and voting on these four finalists will begin on November 11. The Face of the Race winner will be announced on November 18.
Run With the Dogs 5K is an annual fundraiser of DBB and supports the athletic programs at Decatur High School and Beacon Hill Middle School. All race participants will receive a long-sleeved T-shirt, which will once again be designed by local artist Adam Pinsley.
Click here to register. For more information, visit rwtd5K.com.
Decatur Education Foundation
We are having a big party to celebrate our 20th Anniversary, and everyone’s invited to enjoy an adult evening of dinner, drinks, and dancing! Mark your calendar for Soiree in the City on Saturday, November 12th from 6-10 pm, and purchase your tickets today at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/soiree. It’s the perfect excuse to get dressed up and go out on the town for a great cause! We’ll enjoy a seated harvest dinner by Little Farmhouse Cafe, live music from Maxwell Street, and a full array of cocktails and mocktails. See you there!
Meaningful volunteer opportunities are available! DEF is seeking volunteers to be tutors and mentors. Tutors are needed to help students from 2nd – 8th grades for one hour per week. We are also gearing up to re-launch our AIM Scholars mentoring program in January for which we need 20-30 adult volunteers. If you would like to learn more about these programs and sign up, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring.
Can’t volunteer but want to help out? You can donate to our Lighten the Load program which keeps the snack pantry stocked at Beacon Hill Middle School. For those families in our community experiencing food insecurity, we also have a weekend backpack program. Both have unique Amazon wish lists that are updated monthly. You can donate directly to them using these links:
Beacon Hill Middle Snack Program: /a.co/d0HJHTr
Weekend Backpack Program: https://a.co/6Etc74W