Pirate Parent Newsletter

On behalf of the faculty and staff at Stone Mountain High School, we would like to welcome you back to the 2025 school year. We are excited about what this semester has in store for our scholars. Why are we excited? It is a result of the hard work being done by your students and our teachers. Some examples of that hard work:

• Our school CCRPI (College and Career Readiness Index score) improved with a 16% increase in students meeting progress towards English proficiency and a 5.9% improvement in Math. Additionally our Readiness score which measures whether students are participating in activities preparing them for and demonstrating readiness for the next level, college, or career improved by 5% and our graduation rate by 1.4%.
• Our MAP growth scores doubled from this time last year in Reading going from 31% of our students demonstrating growth to almost 60% demonstrating growth.

With good communication and transparency, we can continue to improve outcomes for all of our students. Please let us know if you need anything so we can assist you and your students towards a successful second semester.

Parents, please review the bus route schedules for your students. It is important they are at the bus stop on time. Please call us with any questions or concerns.

Our students will be taking a survey to measure the school climate of our school beginning next week. Please read the letter below to learn more about the survey. If you would not like your student to participate in the survey, they will need to return the opt-out letter below to the school by Friday. If you would like a opt-out letter sent home with your students, call us at the school and we will provide them one. We also need parents to complete the survey as well. Please see the link below to complete the survey as a parent as this data provides information as to how we can improve as a school as well as what we are doing well.

Our next Parent Workshop is at 6:00 PM on January 15. We will be sharing information about student support services available at our school including our Student and Family Engagement Center (SAFE) and Communities In Schools. Please join us to learn more about these important services and how they assist our students and families.

Please complete the survey below by January 17, 2025 to have a say in what you think should be the DCSD priorities for the 2026 budget. Make your voice heard!

Thanks for your interest in becoming a Volunteer for the DeKalb County School District.

• Complete the Volunteer Application And Release Form:

  https://bit.ly/DCSDVolunterApplicationAndReleaseForm

• Complete the DCSD Volunteer Code of Conduct:

  https://bit.ly/voluntercodeofconduct

Please view and complete the Mandated Reporter Video/Quiz before attending the training session:

Steps for Mandated Reporter Video/Quiz:

• Create an account (no cost)
• Choose State: GA
• Click Child Abuse and Neglect Course: Mandated Reporter
• Click Start Course
• Complete Quiz

• Save or print your certificate. Send a Copy of your certificate to DCSDvolunteer@dekalbschoolsga.org

https://www.prosolutionstraining.com/store/product/index.cfm?tDisplayAdd=1&tProductVersion_id

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The Department of Family and Community Empowerment is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting of your choice.

Topic: DCSD Volunteer Training

Time:

September 18, 2024, 12:00 PM

September 25, 2024, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM

October 2, 2024, 12:00 PM

October 9, 2024, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM

October 30, 2024, 12:00 PM

November 6, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM

November 13, 2024, 12:00 PM

November 20, 2024, 12:00 PM

December 4, 2024, 12:00 PM

December 11, 2024, 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM

December 18, 2024, 12:00 PM

DCSD Volunteer is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: DCSD Volunteer Training Zoom Meeting

Join Zoom Meeting

https://dekalbschoolsga-org.zoom.us/j/85757845773

Meeting ID: 857 5784 5773

Passcode: 598219

Studies show that students who use cellphones during class are less successful academically and socially in school. DCSD is promoting the Disconnect to Reconnect policy as a means to support student academic achievement and to build positive classroom and school cultures. Please review the discipline policy in the DCSD Code of Student Conduct and provide your thoughts on the Disconnect to Reconnect initiative by clicking the link below.

Please be reminded that we are a clear bookbag school. Students will not be allowed to bring in bags that are not clear. We communicated this during Rising Ninth Grade Meetings last year and have done so throughout the summer. Students cannot enter DCSD athletic events without a clear bag as well. This is a safe schools initiative as it assists us in deterring vape pens and weapons. If you join the PTSA below and show your membership proof, we will provide your student with a clear bookbag!

It is important we have accurate address and contact information. This assists all parents by allowing us to provide you important information concerning your scholars. Additionally, for students with attendance problems, the lack of a current annual verification is a red flag that the student may not live in our attendance zone. We will ask for proof of residence in these cases and failure to provide that proof of residence will result in the student being withdrawn. Thank you to those families who have verified their contact information. We need all parents to update your address and contact information in Infinite Campus. If you currently have the Parent Portal, you can do that by clicking Annual Verification. If you do not have Parent Portal, you can contact Shenita Seidu at 678 676 6326. Please see instructions in English and Spanish below.

As you are aware, we have had struggles with having enough bus drivers in our district. I wanted to make you aware, if you are not, that we have an app that assists with bus times and route information. Please see the QR code below or enter the download information. There are also step-by-step instructions on how to set the app up attached below.

Our current average daily attendance rate last week was 87.39%. We must get better as a school in this area. Your students cannot be successful if they do not come to school.

• Any student arriving after 8:30 MUST be signed in by a parent/guardian. If a student arrives late with no parent/guardian, we will attempt to call the parent. We will do this only two times. After the second time the student arrives late after 8:30, we will ask the parent for proof of residence. The parent will have one week to submit the proof of residence. Failure to submit the proof of residence will result in withdrawal.
• We will do a tardy table for every period. Once students accumulate 7 tardies, they will be assigned In School Suspension or Saturday School (parent's choice).
• All students who have 6 or more absences will receive a 6-Day Notification letter and a referral to the school social worker.
• No student will be allowed to leave campus with anyone not on the contact list within Infinite Campus. This is why annual verification is important to complete. Please update your emergency contacts with Infinite Campus by completing Annual Verification.
• Please send excuse notes to school if your student is absent.

Volume 4: Issue 10

Email: michael_costa@dekalbschoolsga.org
Website: http://www.stonemountainhs.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 4555 Central Drive, Stone Mountain, GA, USA
Phone: 678.676.6303
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070311425418
Twitter: @principal_costa