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Greetings WE Families,

It has been an interesting week for sure. We have the best students and staff. The challenging weather on Tuesday morning started the day off with a bang. The children did an amazing job. They quickly followed directions to get into safe locations and were very patient as we waited for it to clear. And then as if nothing happened, they moved right back into our regular schedule.

Thank you to the parents that participated in the parent meeting to review books and hear about our collective equity work. Ms. Nation has collected many wonderful books for us. We want you to be a part of this work. Your perspective matters to us. Ms. Nation is including more information and links to share your thoughts with us electronically. She has included this information below and on our website under the Teaching and Learning tab labeled WE Build Bridges. It would be great if you could take some time over the next two weeks to review the books and share your thoughts and wonderings.

I hope the weather cooperates for the long weekend. Enjoy!

Your grateful principal,

Christine Knox

School Leadership Team: SLT is an advisory team, please feel free to reach out to any of us if you feel that there are opportunities for improvement that you would like to share with us. You can ask your questions or share your ideas here in the SLT Q & A form.

Community Circle/Coffee Chat Dates:Mark your calendars:

November 17th- NO Coffee Chat

December 15th- EL Dimension of High Quality Work

February 2nd

March 1st

March 29th

April 26th

May 22nd - Our last day of school ( No Coffee Chat)

NED's Mindset Mission is coming to Westchester Thursday January 18th! This is a character education program that centers around three important messages that help students become leaders of their own learning: Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best. This Mission connects with our EL Design Principles (Perseverance, Collaboration, and Craftsmanship), as well as the Westchester Way (W.E. are Responsible, Respectful, and Safe). During NED's assembly, students will learn about the importance of these life skills while enjoying storytelling, magic, humor and yo-yo tricks. You can view more information about NED's Mission at this link: http://www.mindsetmission.com/assembly.html

Help us have a winning Krewe!

​​​​​​​Help our teachers and staff have a special break throughout the day by stocking the teacher’s lounge! Items can be purchased directly from the Amazon Wishlist below (or purchased locally and brought to school!). Thanks so much for your support of our staff!

Is your child interested in STEAM? Sign them up for Super Saturday today! CSD teachers & staff will guide K-5 students through STEAM inspired lessons at no charge to families. The time is from 9a - 12p at Beacon Hill Middle School.

https://forms.gle/zjMdPEStxanx47wh8

We have been alerted to phishing emails sent to parents claiming to be from a principal from an email address in the form e.g. principal.name.csdecatur.net@gmail.com. This is a common technique to try to deceive recipients into believing the email is legitimate. However, these messages are scams trying to steal your money or personal information. If your principal needs to email you individually, they will do so from their CSD email address ending with @csdecatur.net. If you receive one of these phishing emails, your email provider has a method for reporting it; here are directions to reporting phish for Outlook/Hotmail, Yahoo!, and Google.

City Schools of Decatur’s Board of Education Winter Community Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at Beacon Hill Middle School.

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Re: Important Update - Nutrition Department Meal Charge Procedure

We hope you are experiencing a great school year. This letter is to inform you of an important change to the meal charge procedure to bring nutrition accounts current.

CSD is committed to providing every child access to healthy and palatable meals during their school day. This commitment includes ensuring parental responsibility, timely communication, and adherence to all federal regulations related to the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

As a reminder, any family experiencing financial hardship can apply for free or reduced-price meals anytime during the school year using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Background:

At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, the federal government provided funds for every public school student to receive meals at no cost, regardless of family income. The program ended in 2022, and the district resumed the regular practice of meal charges, with notifications of outstanding balances. During the 2022-23 school year, students were allowed to continue to receive regular priced meals even if they had a balance on their account. The unpaid lunch fees have resulted in a districtwide $88,000.00 balance, and a change in our meal payment procedure is required.

Charging Guidelines:

Our School Nutrition Program operates as an independent fund, sustained through meal payments and government reimbursements. This financial practice ensures that the program remains self-sustaining and efficiently manages its resources.

It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to cover the costs of any debt on student lunch accounts. As a reminder, any family experiencing financial hardship can apply for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by clicking “More” and then “Meal Benefits.”

While we understand that emergencies can arise, we want to encourage all families to maintain a positive lunch account balance. Families can pay their outstanding balance and add funds to lunch accounts through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by clicking “Food Service.” The district is working to make the payment process easier for families. As a first step, the transaction fee for electronic check payments has been reduced from $4.00 to $0.35.

Please be advised that all outstanding negative balances must be settled as soon as possible. Payment arrangements may be made by contacting the Nutrition Department.

The new meal payment procedure will come into effect on February 1, 2024 and will include the following guidelines:

• Middle and High school students will have a maximum limit of three charged meals, equivalent to -$10.50 per student for the entire school year.

• Elementary school students will have a maximum limit of three charged meals, equivalent to -$9.75 per student for the entire school year.

• Once these limits are reached, students will be provided an alternative lunch. The alternative lunch will be a cheese sandwich and milk.

• If the debt is not resolved or continues to accumulate, it will be referred to the school counselor.

• Adults are required to pay the full cost before receiving meals.

This revised procedure underscores the City Schools of Decatur’s commitment to adhering to federal guidelines and providing nutritious meals to students while practicing fiscal responsibility.

Account Notices:

The school nutrition department will communicate with parents/guardians through various means to address negative balances. This is crucial for the timely resolution of financial obligations. Families will receive notifications for negative balances weekly.

As a reminder, all families can apply for free or reduced-price meals anytime during the school year using the Infinite Campus Parent Portal.

Please also be aware that student accounts must be settled before a student withdraws or transfers to another district school. Student transcripts will be held until outstanding balances are paid.

Your understanding and cooperation in the implementation of these changes is appreciated. If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact our school nutrition department at meals@csdecatur.net.

Regards,

Monique Breedlove, Director of Nutrition

Registration for “New Families” to College Heights begins February 1, 2024. Child must be four (4) years of age on September 1, 2024 to be eligible. Children five years of age prior to September 1, 2024 must register for kindergarten.

Congratulations to the talented winners of the Decatur Education Foundation's Sticker Design Challenge! CSD students in 5th through 10th grade showcased their creativity by submitting over 60 unique designs, each capturing the essence of what makes Decatur schools exceptional.

Our team was blown away by the diverse range of submissions, and we extend our gratitude to every student who shared their vision with us. Special recognition goes to the outstanding artists — Emma, Ellison, Sydney, Elyse, and Clare — who not only captured the spirit of our schools but also earned themselves professional prints of their stickers and craft store gift cards.

Stay tuned for another opportunity to showcase your talents with DEF’s next student challenge, set to be unveiled in March. Thank you for making the DEF sticker design challenge a resounding success!

Start the new year off at the Atlanta Hawks' City Schools of Decatur Night at State Farm Arena on Saturday, January 13, 2024! As a bonus, you can support the BHMS Chorus, which will perform the national anthem. The City Schools of Decatur ticket offer includes a $10 food and beverage credit and through this offer, a portion of each ticket purchased will benefit City Schools of Decatur. Click here to purchase tickets.

Westchester newsletters

Email: bnation@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Westchester
Location: 758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterelementarycsd