CSD Weekly, September 19, 2024

Please see the district news below to learn about:

• Launch of ResolveCSD
• CSD Reads Week, September 30-October 8
• Remaining flu vaccine events
  
• District news and resources

Find out what's happening in CSD schools by clicking on the school's logo.

Decatur High School celebrated Homecoming last week with an amazing spirit week, fun parade, and a resounding win on the field! Kudos to the students, staff, and parent volunteers who worked to make the week a success! Congratulations to Homecoming 2024 Monarchs, Barron Scott and Bella Spear!

• Attendance Awareness Month, through September 30
• Suicide Awareness Month, through September 30
• National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15
• Early Release Day, September 20
• Fall Break, September 23-27

• National HR Professional Day, September 26

• National Night Out, October 1
• State of the Schools, October 11
• Dr. Whitaker's Fall Listening Sessions:
• October 14 (Virtual)
• October 23 (Talley Street)
• October 29 (DHA)
• Super Saturday, October 19
• Digital Learning Day, November 5

Let's share the joy of reading during CSD READS WEEK, September 30 to October 8! Students will hear virtual readings from Dr. Whitaker, donate books to Children Read Atlanta via their schools, and participate in fun reading activities to promote literacy districtwide. CSD is partnering with the Decatur Book Festival for National Literacy Month!

The CSD School Health Team is offering flu vaccines to CSD students, staff, and families in partnership with DeKalb Public Health.

Remaining scheduled flu vaccine events:

October 2, 9-11 a.m., Clairemont Elementary

October 7, 3-5 p.m., F.AVE

October 21, 3-5 p.m., Wilson Center, second-floor board room

October 24, 3:30-5:30 p.m., BHMS and Decatur High School combined, DHS Hospitality Suite

October 28, 1-3 p.m., Glennwood Elementary

Parents/guardians must be present for their student(s) to receive the flu vaccine at the time of service. Please bring your ID and insurance card for billing. The accepted insurances are United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Medicare, and Georgia Medicaid. We do not accept Oscar, Kaiser Permanente, or Tricare.

CSD has launched CSD Constituent Services, which provides resources for stakeholders to address their issues and concerns. Part of Constituent Services is ResolveCSD, CSD's new process for elevating concerns that cannot be resolved at a school or department level. CSD believes that concerns are best handled as close to their origin as possible, starting with the school staff or principal. Learn more at the CSD Constituent Services website.

CSD K-5 students: Join Super Saturdays for a morning of fun and educational STEAM-inspired lessons and activities led by CSD teachers and staff! These events are completely free and include hands-on instruction, all necessary supplies and materials, and plenty of engaging learning opportunities in a supportive and creative environment. Super Saturdays take place from 9 a.m.-noon at Fifth Avenue ES, 101 5th Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030. Register here for Super Saturdays!

Next Super Saturday date:

October 19, 2024

Remaining Super Saturday dates:

November 16, 2024

December 14, 2024

January 11, 2025

February 8, 2025

March 15, 2025

April 19, 2025

May 10, 2025

CSD is dedicated to giving every student a strong start from birth by building a best-in-class early learning center. This initiative focuses on expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities for traditionally marginalized families within our community. This survey will gather information about the care, programming, and support needed for early childhood development in the Decatur area.

Parents of children ages 0-5 in the CSD community: Your insights about your experience as a parent or caregiver are crucial in helping us better understand and meet the early childhood needs of our families. Thank you for your valuable input, which will play a vital role in shaping the future of our community's early childhood care and education.

Take the CSD early childhood needs survey here.

September 15-October 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month. This month, we acknowledge and pay tribute to the rich history, traditions, and cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

September is Attendance Awareness Month. Let's take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of regular attendance within our school communities! With your guidance and support, we can encourage students to be present every day.

September is National Literacy Month, a time to encourage the young people in your life to go to the library, pick up a good book, and explore new worlds. Research shows that early reading comprehension instruction is critical for students to be better prepared for more complex subjects later in life and gives them access to a broader range of texts, knowledge, and educational opportunities.

#BeThe1To is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s message for National Suicide Prevention Month and beyond, which helps spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide.

Be the one to:

1. Ask 2. Be There 3. Keep Them Safe 4. Help Them Stay Connected 5. Follow Up 6. Learn More

Search for "City Schools of Decatur" in the Apple App Store or Google Play today!

The National Association of School Psychologists offers many resources to educators. Teachers who want to help promote safety in school or who may be helping students navigate the many aspects of a crisis can access NASP's safety and crisis resources to help guide their response or to share with students.

If you have a concern about yourself or someone else, please complete the General K-12 Referral Form (24-25). The School Counselors will review the form and connect the person with the appropriate resources. You may share information about yourself or remain anonymous.

Students can refer themselves for services or be referred by a friend, teacher, parent, or concerned community member. Referrals are anonymous unless the person chooses to identify themselves. School Counselors review referrals and connect the student with the appropriate resource(s).

Title IX is a federal law that protects students and staff from gender and sex-based discrimination in schools and the workplace. CSD is providing resources for easy reporting of violations.

Fall Break is September 23-27. The organizations listed here offer after-school programs and camps during school breaks. Please contact the organization for more information. We are providing this information as a resource for our families. Please note that the listed providers are not formally associated with the City Schools of Decatur.

Lighten the Load for CSD Families

As fall break approaches, we're reminded that DEF's Lighten the Load program began with an elementary school teacher who told us that one of her students dreaded school breaks because he and his siblings counted on having two meals a day at school. Our Lighten the Load program has evolved, but we're still committed to helping remove obstacles like food insecurity for our kids.

The number of weekend food bags we provide has DOUBLED this year, and we need your help to ensure we're able to continue to meet this need for kids in our community! Please consider donating to DEF, or purchasing items from our Lighten the Load wish list.

DEF Provides Suicide Intervention Training

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Through Joe’s Fund, DEF’s behavioral health fund, we provide ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) workshops multiple times each year. These two-day workshops are open to any CSD staff member or Decatur community member.

Upcoming ASIST trainings:

October 10-11

February 27-28

March 13-14

Find more info here and sign up for a training here. Help us make Decatur a suicide-safe community and support this important work.

See the City of Decatur's Fall programs, including Fall Break soccer camp and tech/media camp.

City of Decatur Parks and Recreation commits to providing exceptional experiences that foster healthy living and meaningful community connections. Please visit their one-stop-shop website for information about after-school programs, school holiday programs, and summer camps. To stay updated on all things Decatur Parks and Recreation, follow them on Facebook and Instagram or sign up for their monthly newsletter here!

Please take this one-minute City Schools of Decatur 2024-25 Communications Survey to keep CSD in the loop about your preferred methods of communication and how CSD can better communicate with its families. The survey will close Monday, September 30. Email communications@csdecatur.net with questions.