Eagle Edition
August 11, 2022
Glennwood Elementary ~ Where Learning Takes Flight
Holly Brookins, PhD, Principal ~ Summer Clayton, Assistant Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach
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
August 16-September 2
MAP Testing Window
Monday, August 15
8:00-10:00 pm
Friday, August 19
First Outdoor Community Circle (Staff & Students Only)
Monday, August 22
8:00 pm.
Friday, September 2
Outdoor Community Circle (Families Invited)
Monday, September 5
Labor Day Holiday (No School)
Where Learning Takes Flight
August Design Principle: The Responsibility for Learning
"The price of greatness is responsibility."
~Winston Churchill
Hello Glennwood Families,
It's hard to believe that we are already almost at the end of the second week of school! I have been so pleased with how well things are going. Every day, I feel very fortunate that I am the principal of this amazing school. I am so lucky to work with our phenomenal teachers, staff, students and families in this wonderful community.
Just a few reminders and tweaks that will help our arrival and dismissal process:
If you arrive before 7:45am, please form a single line in the drive so our staff can get through to park.
Please be mindful of our crosswalks and families and students crossing.
If your child is out sick or has a change of dismissal, please be sure to let the after care providers know. Often, we are using precious minutes at dismissal trying to help the aftercare van drivers determine whether their students will be riding with them. This holds up our car line.
If a dismissal change is necessary, please send in a note or email to both your child’s teacher and Michelle Reynolds before 2pm each day. Teachers are working with students and cannot get to email often during the day. You may also opt to call the front office 404-370-4435, but please be sure you speak to someone and not a voicemail.
Kindergarten students are working on learning their colors. Tomorrow is blue day. Please wear blue tomorrow to support our kindergarten team. Here is the remaining schedule:
Friday (Aug. 12): BLUE DAY
Monday (Aug. 15): PURPLE DAY
Tuesday (Aug. 16): BROWN DAY
Wednesday (Aug. 17): PINK DAY
Thursday (Aug. 18): BLACK DAY
Friday (Aug. 19): Glennwood Spirit Day!
Warmest regards,
Dr. Holly Brookins
Principal
MAP Testing Begins August 16
Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Math and Reading assessments beginning August 16th. You can read more about the MAP assessments here. The MAP assessment is an adaptive assessment used to track student growth and progress over time. This assessment is for students to “show what they know” and helps inform instruction. Students' assessment results will be shared with families at the first parent/teacher conferences in September. The schedule will be as follows:
August 16th/17th (Reading), 22nd/23rd (Math)
Kindergarten students- 8:30-9:00
1st grade students- 9:15-9:45
2nd grade students 10:15-11:15 (T, W only)
August 24th through September 3rd
Makeups- 2nd grade (8/18, 8/19)
Makeups for all grade levels as needed
Kindergarten students will practice checking out books next week and will check out to the classroom first. After a few weeks once they learn this responsibility well, they will begin taking library books home.
Parents may sign up to be library patrons too and check out up to five books at a time. If you are interested in becoming a patron, please email: Anne Dishman, our media clerk at adishman@csdecatur.net to sign up, and she will give you more information.
In your child's folder today, you will receive information about participating in the Birthday Book Program fundraiser for the media center. This is a special way to honor your child on their birthday and also help the library grow its collection of books. Forms and payment are by Friday, August 26. Thank you for supporting the Glennwood Media Center!
CSD Health Cards: CSD Health cards were sent home with your student last week. Please complete and return the card in your child’s backpack as soon as possible. If you are unable to locate it and need another one, please let me or your child’s teacher know. As always, if you would like to share additional information about your child’s health condition, you can email me at ebarrington@csdecatur.net or call the main office and follow the prompts for Nurse Beth. The more pertinent health information we have regarding your child, the more prepared we are to keep them safe and healthy this school year.
Immunizations: If your child is currently up-to-date on their childhood vaccines, you do not have to send in any forms to me. If your child is not currently up to date on vaccines, is on a delayed schedule or has an out-of-state immunization record, please reach out to me and I can assist you. Students are required to have current immunization records or notarized immunization exemptions(GA form 2208) to be enrolled in GA public schools. Of note, COVID vaccines are not considered required childhood vaccines for school enrollment.
COVID-19 Information: Please notify us if your child tests positive for COVID-19. An email to ebarrington@csdecatur.net is the quickest way to reach me and I will respond with isolation dates and what is needed to return. In general, students will isolate for five full days after the first day of symptoms, and can return to school on day 6, provided their symptoms are improving and they wear a mask at school for a full ten days after symptoms began. A negative COVID-19 test is not required for return to school, but students must be fever-free with symptoms improving. At this time, we are NOT offering concurrent learning for student absences due to COVID-19. For information on CSD’s current COVID-19 mitigations, please click here.
Covid Surveillance Testing: We will begin surveillance testing on Thursday August 18, 2022 between 12:30 and 2:30pm, and we’ll continue testing weekly for the foreseeable future. If you have any additional questions, please contact Nurse Beth at ebarrington@csdecatur.net or by phone through the main school number.
Please note: consent from last school year is no longer valid. If you would like your child to participate in weekly surveillance testing, you must sign them up and consent to testing. If they are not signed up, we will not be able to test them. Please register for testing and consent HERE. This link only registers students at Glennwood. If you have students at other schools, you will need to register them separately.
Student Mask Wearing: Glennwood Parents/Families, DeKalb County community levels of COVID-19 continue to remain in the high range, with the CDC recommending mask wearing indoors in public settings. While we encourage and support students wearing a mask indoors, teachers/staff are not able to monitor and remind students about keeping their masks on during the day. This conversation must be between students and families at home. We do have disposable child masks should your child need a replacement at school, but we will not be reminding students to put their masks on if they choose to take them off while indoors. Thank you for your understanding.
For any health-related questions or concerns, please contact Nurse Beth at 404-370-4435 or ebarrington@csdecatur.net.
Walk & Roll - Fun Parent Volunteer Opportunity!
We are gearing up for another fun year of Walk & Roll, and we are bringing a fun addition back to the mix! This school year we will resume the three “Walking School Buses” in conjunction with each of our scheduled Walk & Roll dates. Parents and children who want to join in the fun and walk with a group are welcome to participate. Those parents unable to walk or roll due to schedule conflicts may drop off their child at any of the bus stops listed below and volunteers (in bright orange vests) will walk with your child to school. These groups can accommodate walkers only; if your child wishes to bike or scoot to school, please make other arrangements. Walking School Buses will be canceled in the event of rain, and we will NOT have Walking School Buses in the afternoons, so please make sure your child has transportation home after school.
And, here’s where you come in...Walk & Roll Parent Volunteers Needed!!
Parents serve as Walking School Bus leaders, and each route (see below for route details) requires 2-3 parents each month (7 Walk & Roll dates/school year). Please consider signing up as a regular (every month) or occasional (have your name placed on a list to be contacted as needed) Walking School Bus leader. It is a small commitment, but a wonderful way to help your own and other children to participate in the fun of our monthly Walk & Roll days and to benefit from the exercise! Reach out to Amanda McMillan at almcmil@gmail.com with any questions or to sign-up!
The Glennwood PTA operates a website that makes it easy for you to gather information, volunteer, and engage. Our website offers our families a calendar of PTO/School events, a choice of Personal and/or Family memberships, Spirit Wear Store, and a password-protected directory of students and parents (If you wish to be included).
1. Please visit: www.GlennwoodPTA.org
2. Click My Info/Sign In
3. New User? Click here to register
4.The password is: soareagles
5. Follow the prompts to set up a user account and add students/teacher assignments/etc. You can also volunteer for the many opportunities listed on the website, get a membership and check out our Corporate Sponsorship options.
Why Join the Glennwood PTA? Membership dues and donations will be used to support the PTA’s mission to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering students, families, and communities in education. Dues will support our community and the initiatives, events, and services we offer throughout the year.
Upcoming PTA Meeting
Our PTA Meeting is open to our Glennwood Community.
Date: Monday, August 15th, 2022
Time: 8p.m.-10p.m.
Location: Virtual (Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86303901530?pwd=dDlsaDQzdlJWMDBkc2lDQjJJenI3QT09 Meeting ID: 863 0390 1530 Passcode: 196784)
Glennwood Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
Glennwood DEI committee meetings will resume this year on the 4th Monday of the month. There will be in-person and Zoom options! Please join us for an evening of community building, discussion and planning of Glennwood and CSD-wide DEI events!
To get involved, please complete this sign-up HERE.
The first meeting will be Monday, Aug 22, 8 pm at the Gillespie-LaFond house 323 Glendale Ave, Decatur, GA 30030.
Please direct any questions to GlennwoodDEI@gmail.com
Zoom option for those who cannot attend in person:
https://zoom.us/j/2226327599?pwd=NTVrbVBzRkI2YnFTWVU3bXh4SDk2dz09Meeting ID: 222 632 7599
Passcode: 815625
The Glennwood Elementary School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee consisting of Glennwood parents/guardians, staff members, a community member, and a district representative. The purpose of the SLT is to make decisions that support the continuous improvement of the school in accordance with the provisions of the District Charter. This year we will have ONE parent vacancy on the SLT and will have the SLT election in late August. If you are interested in filling one of the vacancies, please complete this form. If you have any questions regarding the SLT, feel free to contact Dr. Brookins.
Current representatives:
Dr. Holly Brookins (GL Principal)
Summer Clayton (Assistant Principal)
Jill Tolsma (Staff)
Marnie Kaplan (Staff)
Courtney Simon (District Rep)
Natasha Vorspel-Reuter (Parent rolling off)
Lisa Loveall (Parent)
Lauren Wattenmaker (Parent)
Sarah Jones (Parent)
CSD School Nutrition Department
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 attached 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. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
News from the Decatur Education Foundation
Mark Your Calendars! Did you know that Decatur Education Foundation has been supporting Decatur’s kids for 20 years? That’s a milestone worth celebrating, so we’re hosting a FREE Community Concert at Legacy Park! Come Together Decatur, presented by Bark Technologies in partnership with Amplify, will be held on Saturday, September 10th from 4-8pm and will feature local favorites The Sundogs and John Boy and Surround Sound, as well as some of our talented DHS students. Everyone is invited to pack a picnic and gather with blankets or camping chairs to spend the afternoon enjoying some great live music and reconnecting with friends and neighbors. See you there!
DEF Virtual PALS Program
If you anticipate your student needing a little extra help, DEF’s Virtual PALS program might be the answer. We pair a 2nd-8th grade student with an upper high school student or adult volunteer to help with homework, time management, and motivation. If you would like to sign your student up for the program, you can go here: https://forms.gle/SjYinSLJkZ363pi57 We also need tutor volunteers! 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 volunteers for our AIM mentoring program, and our brand new FOCUS Prep Program that is specifically for high schoolers in preparation for post-high school. 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