College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

I hope you are staying warm! This cold weather came on fast. Please make sure your student has a jacket/coat for these chilly days. It is important the students are dressed appropriately for outside time.

The PTO Read-To-Me-a-Thon has officially kicked off. All the details are listed below. Our goal is 100% participation. In addition, Literacy Week kicks off Monday. We have a lot of fun events planned throughout the week to celebrate our love of literacy. Be sure to check your teacher's newsletters for classroom specific activities and how you can become involved.

We have two family engagement opportunities next week. On Monday, October 21, please join us for Family Literacy Night from 6-7 pm. On Friday, October 25, at 9:30 am we will have our annual Book Parade in the front parking lot. We do kindly ask parents to stand along the grassy areas of the parking lot so that we can reserve the sidewalk for the students and teachers. Immediately following the parade we will be announcing our PTO Read-To-Me-a-Thon winners as well as our College Heights Professional Employee of the Year. Be sure to stick around!

Lastly, just a reminder the school is closed on November 5 for a district professional learning day.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Principal Garland

Monday, October 21 (6-7 p.m.) - Family Literacy Night

Families are invited to kick off our literacy week at Family Literacy Night. College Heights teachers and staff will be manning several different stations that will include literacy games, story time, sharing information about our Bunny Bags and DEI book cart, bookmark making, and much more. The Scholastic Book Fair will also be open that night.

Tuesday, October 22 (check with your teacher for exact time) - Mystery Reader Flash Mob

Families are invited to come read in your child's classroom. Teachers are sending signup information.

Wednesday, October 23 - DHS Fall Literacy Activity Stations

Students from the early childhood education program at Decatur High School are coming to visit College Heights. They will host a variety of early literacy activity stations.

Thursday, October 24 - Get Cozy and Read/Special Guest Readers

Students can wear pajamas to school and spend some extra time reading books in their classrooms. We will have a special guest come and read to the one and two year old classes.

Friday, October 25 (9:30 a.m.) - Book Parade

All classes will be parading in the front of the school representing the different diverse books they have been reading. This is a can't-miss event!

BUT WAIT - THERE'S MORE!

Five Days! Five Minutes! A video series on early literacy for parents

Each day, families will receive a quick five minute video on building early literacy skills in young children. These videos were curated by Erynn Mathews-Davis, our Instructional Coach, with the goal of offering information and strategies for supporting children's development.

Buy a book parade book for your family

Representation matters, which is why we feature diverse books in our annual book parade. This year, we are partnering with Charis Books & More to offer families the opportunity to purchase these books. Books purchased will be delivered to your child's classroom soon after Literacy Week, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the school. Purchase books here.

Shop the Scholastic Book Fair

The fall Scholastic Book Fair will take place all week in the library from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This book fair will feature a wide variety of books for infants through grade school students. Can you spare an hour to volunteer at the book fair in the morning? As of October 17 we only have two people signed up! If you are interested, please click here!

Congratulations to our grant writers, Annie Phillips and Erika Sanders, for securing the grant, and thank you to DEF for making this valuable resource possible for Pre-K students for this year and beyond!

This week Pre-K students played a scavenger hunt/picture matching game designed to show them how to find books in the library. This will prepare Pre-K students to begin checking out books. We talked about how signs are really important. They show us what to do (and sometimes what NOT to do), where to go, and what to expect.

No library next week; come to the Book Fair!

This week's stories (one, two, and three year olds):

Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, illustrated by the Fan brothers

The Monster Mac and Cheese Party by Todd Parr

Pete the Cat Five Little Pumpkins by James Dean

Me Gusta by Angela Dominguez

How Do Dinosaurs Learn to be Kind? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Marc Teague

Deana Kingsbury will be returning to take student photos. Black and white, candid student photos will be taken during morning recess time the week of October 14 AND on October 22 (see updated schedule below). You can see some of Deana's amazing work displayed in the hallways on either side of the library.

Just a reminder College Heights is closed to all students (0-3 and Pre-K) on Tuesday, November 5 for a teacher professional learning day. Pre-K students will engage in at-home instruction using a learning choice board. Look for more information from your child's classroom teacher.

Supper & Sips Returns!

Grab your friends and neighbors and help us celebrate the return of Decatur Education Foundation's highly-anticipated fall FUNdraiser - Supper & Sips! Join us on Thursday, Nov. 14th, from 6-10 pm at The Chapel on Sycamore for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship - all for a good cause. The Supper provides crucial support for DEF, allowing us to continue our work addressing unmet needs, providing enriching opportunities, and supporting our educators.

Get your tickets today! Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email Meagan@DecaturEducationFoundation.org.

STEP UP for Decatur Youth!

DEF was founded more than 20 years ago by a group of residents who wanted to ensure that EVERY student in CSD had what they needed to learn and thrive. Today, DEF's mission remains focused on Decatur's kids and educators, and we are still 100% reliant on the support of the Decatur community. DEF puts the community's contributions where they will have the biggest impact on our students, and DEF's Step Up Circle is a special group of supporters that allows us to operate programs like Lighten the Load, Teacher Innovation Grants, behavioral health support, arts programming, and so much more. There are also benefits - for both businesses and individuals - to joining DEF's Step Up Circle (beyond the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from supporting Decatur's kids!). Visit https://decatureducationfoundation.org/step-up-circle/ to learn more about the different giving levels.

October 21-25 - Literacy Week

October 21 - Family Literacy Night, 6-7 pm

October 22 - School Photos

October 25 - Book Parade, 9:30 am

October 30 - Early Release Day (Pre-K only), 12:15 pm

November 5 - NO SCHOOL for 0-3 and Pre-K (teacher professional learning day)