Falcon Flyer

Ms. Hanson's Notes

• MLK/CSK Awards at F.AVE tonight
• School Spelling Bee Tomorrow
• Recess in Cold Weather Information
• CSD Monitoring for Potential Severe Weather
• Upcoming Events at a Glance - Early Release Next Week

CSD News

• CSD Hosts Public Hearings for Homestead Exemption Opt Out
• School Safety & Security Summit

F.AVE News

• 5th Grade Wahsega Field Trip Information
• Coffee Chat - February 7, 2025 - Positive Learning Environments
• Specials Spotlight - Art

• Yearbook - Candid Photos & 5th Grade Dedications
• Sponsor's Corner - Marianne Banchero Real Estate

Helpful Info & Resources

• Standard Response Protocols
• School Climate Survey

CSD Community Partners News

• Bulldog Bash Auction Donations Needed
• Decatur Prevention Initiative
• Run with the Dogs 5K

Scroll down to learn more!

Tomorrow: We’ll be holding our school Spelling Bee! Students who signed up will take the online assessment, which covers both spelling and vocabulary. The top three scorers will move on to the district-level Spelling Bee.

Recess: We’ve received several questions about when students can go outside for recess. CSD follows a weather chart to determine if it’s safe for outdoor recess. On some days, later recess times may have more favorable weather, allowing those classes to go outside. Unfortunately, this can mean that classes with earlier recess times may not get the chance. Additionally, students who aren’t dressed appropriately for the weather will stay inside.

CSD continues to monitor the weather due to the potential of severe weather conditions next week. The safety of our staff and students is always our top priority. Staff and families should check email, the CSD website, and social media channels for updates.

CSD will host five hearings in January for the public to learn more about the district's plans to exercise the one-time option for local governments to opt out of Georgia House Bill 581, which establishes a statewide floating homestead exemption and cap on property taxes.

The schedule for the remaining public hearings is:

Tuesday, January 21, 6:45 p.m. (virtual only, access the meeting here)

Thursday, January 30, 10 a.m. (virtual only, access the meeting here)

Thursday, January 30, 6:45 p.m. (virtual only, access the meeting here)

Passed during the 2024 Legislative Session, HB 581 impacts property taxes for cities, counties and school districts by capping the annual increase in property values for tax purposes, effective January 1, 2025. The bill aims to provide property tax relief for local residents, using the Consumer Price Index as an inflationary index. Since school districts rely heavily on property taxes for funding, this cap could impact the availability of CSD schools' resources and programs.

The Board of Education will follow the legal procedures to opt out of the exemption, including holding the three virtual public hearings. Following the hearings, the board will vote to adopt an opt-out resolution at the February Board of Education meeting and file the resolution with the Secretary of State by March 1, 2025.

CSD has shared new Standard Response Protocols (SRP) posters and documents with schools to educate students, families and staff about best practices for responding to a crisis. Schools will display posters in highly visible areas, handouts will be sent home for families, and students will receive small reference cards to keep with them. English and Spanish versions are available for these documents.

What is SRP?

Developed in collaboration with law enforcement and the I Love U Guys Foundation, SRP is a set of terms and actions that students, CSD staff and first responders can incorporate into a school safety plan to train school communities to respond more effectively to emergencies.

SRP Terms and Actions:

• Lockdown: Secures a room and keeps people quiet and in place

• Evacuate: Moves people from one location to another

• Shelter: States the hazard and safety strategy

• Hold: Students stay in their classroom or area until the "All Clear" is announced

Secure: Students get inside and lock outside doors

January

January 16: Annual MLK/CSK Awards Ceremony

Monday, January 20: MLK Holiday

January 21 & 23: 5th Grade Field Trip to Fernbank

Wednesday, January 22: Early Release, dismissal at 12:15

5th Grade Parents,

Your child's teacher is sending home the information and forms for our overnight 5th grade field trip to Wahsega. Please return your forms and payment to your child's teacher by Friday, January 24.

• TRIP A: MARCH 5-6: Vickery, Wise, Terry, R. Stewart
• TRIP B: MARCH 6-7: H. Stewart, C. Williams, DiGiacomo, Miller

Join Ms. Ferguson and explore the ways in which we create and maintain postitive learning environments. Coffee and chat from 7:45 - 8:00, then listen to the presentation from 8:00 - 8:30 AM.

The FAVE Yearbook Committee wants to see all you've been doing in school this year! Please email your photos of FAVE Falcons in action to yearbook@favepto.org. We love photos of school events, field trips, student groups, and school work! Important: Please include student names and teacher/grade in your email if known.

More info on 5th grade dedications coming soon! If you are a 5th grade parent who would like to help in editing this section, please email yearbook@favepto.org

The FAVE PTO would like to thank Marianne Banchero Real Estate for being a NEST sponsor. As a longtime Decatur resident, Marianne is passionate about forming meaningful connections while helping people achieve their dreams through buying, selling, and investing in our local real estate market. She is always honored when people choose me to be a part of their journey, and strives to make things as stress free as possible through open, ongoing, and transparent communication.

F.AVE will take the new Georgia School Climate Survey this year. Each parent or guardian is invited to take the family version to answer questions about the current school or schools you have a child or children attending. If two or more children attend the same school, please only complete one survey for that school.

The survey measures what you think about how the school engages with families. Answers are not linked to names in any way. When typing answers, please do not give names or information that you don’t want to share with this school. Data will be shared with school leaders to help improve the school and will be published on the GaDOE website.

Please help by sharing your honest opinion on this 22-question survey. To take the survey, please click this link.

For more information about the surveys, please review this presentation from the Georgia Department of Education.

Plans are underway for another amazing event to raise money for Decatur Athletics – The Bulldog Bash! Save the date for this year's event on Saturday, March 22, at Independent Distilling Company. The event will feature a live online auction that includes everything from artwork and experiences to trips, restaurant gift cards, sporting event tickets, self-care, and more.

Do you have a connection, talent, vacation home or something unique that can help us raise money for our student-athletes? If so, please fill out this form! More information to come!

The Decatur Prevention Initiative (DPI) seeks the community's help in learning more about community perceptions and concerns regarding underage drinking and substance misuse among Decatur's youth. Please take this anonymous survey to help DPI plan, implement, evaluate and sustain programming.

Read older issues of the Falcon Flyer here. Older issues of CSD Weekly may be found on CSD's district newsletter webpage.

Principal

Lynn Hanson

lhanson@csdecatur.net

Assistant Principal

Meagan Ferguson

mferguson@csdecatur.net

Assistant Principal

Shannon Stewart

sstewart@csdecatur.net

School Manager

Malik Morrow

mmorrow@csdecatur.net

Bookkeeper

Shronda Edwards

sedwards@csdecatur.net

Who Do I Contact?

Email: fave@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/FAVE
Location: 101 5th Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: (404) 371-6680

Please do not reply to this newsletter. See the Who Do I Contact link above and direct your inquiries to the correct individual.