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Weekly Update
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March 14, 2024
Dear Winnona Park Community,
We’ve seen an uptick in smartwatches being brought to school by students in recent weeks. I can’t emphasize enough how disruptive these devices are to the classroom environment and there is no practical reason for parents and K-2 children to text one another during the school day.
The CSD Code of Conduct, rule 8A, prohibits student use of cell phones and other communication devices. If a student is on their smartwatch while at school, we will collect it and ask a parent to pick it up.
Please, please, please - ensure that your child leaves his/her/their watch at home. I promise you that if you need to get in touch with your child or they need to contact you during the school day, we will make that happen.
As someone who spent five years as a middle school principal, please trust me when I say you want to delay providing smartwatches and smartphones for your child as long as possible. For smartphones, I suggest 8th grade. Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Gregory Wiseman
Principal, Winnona Park Elementary School
Important Dates
March 15th - Second Grade at Community Circle
March 23rd - Garden Workday - 10AM - 12 PM
March 26th - Spirit Night at Raging Burrito
March 27th - Early Release Day
March 31st - 2nd Grade Yearbook Tributes due!!!
April 1st - 5th - Spring Break
April 8th - Solar Eclipse
Coretta Scott King & Martin Luther King Jr. Awards
In April 2024, two Winnona Park students will receive the Coretta Scott King Award and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award. This award recognizes students who best demonstrate the beliefs and visions of two great Civil Rights leaders. Complete this project (one per student) by Monday, April 15, 2024, at 4 PM EST. Submissions should be emailed to Greg Wiseman at gwiseman@csdecatur.net OR delivered to the WP main office.
2nd Grade Yearbook Tributes - DUE MARCH 31!
To honor our second-grade students who are moving on from Winnona Park, the PTA is offering a FREE tribute in the 2023-24 yearbook for all second-grade students. Go to the online form by March 31 to submit a photo and personal message for your
second grader! Please email Elizabeth Karp at winnonayearbook@gmail.com with questions. Thank you!
Garden Vandalism
Over the last several weeks the WP garden has experienced various instances of vandalism and theft. If you are out and about after school hours or on the weekends and you notice kids in the garden area, please be a good neighbor and let them know the garden is not a place they should be.
PE News and Tour Decatur
March 16th (this Saturday) - Tour Decatur 1 mile fun run and 5K - Sign Up HERE. If registration fees are a barrier to participation please reach out to Kamela Jaafar for a scholarship code. kamela@decatureducationfoundation.org See you Saturday morning at Decatur High School for Tour Decatur. (Day of parking is available at the Agnes Scott parking deck on S. McDonough.)
Already registered? Pick up your number and t-shirts at DEF’s Legacy Park office:
Thursday from 5:30-7:30 at Mathnasium,
Friday from 4-6 at DEF's office
Saturday’s Timeline -
7:30 - Day of Registration and Number Pick Up
8:00 - Arrival and Warm-Up (Decatur High School Football Field)
8:30 - 1 mile fun run (Start line is on Commerce)
9:15 - 5K (Start line is on Commerce)
10:15 - Tot Trot
10:30 - 5K Age Group Awards
Other Important Dates:
March 25th - April 12th - Kids Heart Challenge - (Jump Rope for Heart) - During PE everyone will complete the jump rope challenges. Click HERE for the optional fundraising part of the challenge.
May 10th - Field Day - Planning has begun.
Volunteer Spots to help the day run smoothly - Sign up to work HERE
Help feed the teachers and station volunteers. - Sign up to bring food HERE.
Winnona Park PTA
From our PTA
Visit our PTA website - https://winnonaparkpta.ptboard.com/.
Community Garden Day! March 23rd 10am-12pm
We invite you to join us for a day of green thumbs and fresh air at our upcoming Garden Work Day! Our school's garden is a place of beauty and growth, and your help is needed to keep it flourishing. Whether you're an experienced gardener or just eager to get your hands dirty, all are welcome - we will be preparing the garden beds for our Spring planting. Bring your gardening gloves and enthusiasm, and let's nurture our garden together!
**Special requests: we would love to borrow a garden tiller and we could use a little extra compost for the beds - please let us know if you can provide these items by emailing cristinawmigliore@gmail.com - THANK YOU!!
PTA BOARD & COMMITTEE CHAIRS/CO CHAIRS NEEDED!
Are you interested in becoming involved in the PTA next year?! We would love to have you! Currently looking for board and committee chairs and co chairs. If you have any interest please fill out the following google form and the PTA will contact you. PTA Interest Form
Our Black Owned Business Marketplace continues this week!! Local vendors will be set up at 8am prior to community circle out back by the pond- ALL parents are welcome to stop by after drop off and support these businesses.
MORNING HELPERS NEEDED!
Do you have some spare time to give in the morning? If so, please volunteer for an hour to help our amazing staff and teachers at Winnona Park. You'll check in with Mrs. Cathy Sikes at the front desk and she will let you know what you can help with that morning. We appreciate your willingness to volunteer your time. Sign up here!
Candid Photos for Yearbook
We would love to see our kids, teachers, and staff in action. Please submit candid photos to winnonayearbook@gmail.com. We can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to use every submission but we will do our best. In addition to general candids, we are looking for photos from the Read-a-thon, Diversity Committee events, the WP garden, field trips and other PTA events. Please include a reference to the event and grade/teachers if appropriate. Thanks!
Annual PTA Donation
Thank you for donating to the PTA! Your support helps fund the following for Winnona Park: yearbooks and field trips for EVERY STUDENT, teacher stipends for classroom necessities, free kindergarten and staff shirts, and fun school events just to name a few. Your support means the world to our little school!
How to Donate:
Click "Sign Up" link to sign up in our new website (For mobile phone, click top right menu, then "Sign Up" link- you can use google or facebook for quick login)
After signing in to https://winnonaparkpta.ptboard.com, click "Forms & Payments" to make your annual PTA donation.
Easy Ways to Support our School
Searching for ways to support WPES without breaking a sweat? Well, you are in luck! Below are six easy ways you can support our school, no heavy lifting required!
1- Kroger Community Rewards- Link rewards to Winnona Park Elementary PTA
2-My Publix Partner- select Winnona Park
3-Box Tops for Education- download the app
4-Mabel’s Labels- search for Winnona Park Elementary
5-Minted- use unique code FUNDRAISEWINNONA at checkout for your 20% discount plus WPES gets 15% back
6-Spirit Nights- Dine out at local restaurants on our WP spirit night, mention Winnona and a percentage of your purchase will come back to WP. See our website for the calendar of events https://winnonaparkpta.ptboard.com/calendar
City Schools of Decatur
Countdown to the April 8 Solar Eclipse
On April 8, residents in northern Mexico, the U.S., and southeastern Canada will witness totality – a rare darkness during daylight offering a glimpse of the Sun's corona. Scientists suggest that this could be the best eclipse in many centuries and for years to come.
To ensure safe viewing of the eclipse, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Astronomical Society are collaborating to educate the public. Staring directly at the sun, even during a partial eclipse, can lead to permanent vision damage or blindness.
Since the solar eclipse will occur during dismissal, CSD will provide solar eclipse glasses for PreK-12 students to safely enjoy the event. However, after students are dismissed from school, as walkers or after they disembark from the bus, CSD cannot monitor nor ensure proper use of the eyewear by students. Families are encouraged to help in communicating the following guidelines to all students:
Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the Moon completely blocks the Sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the Sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing.
View the Sun through eclipse glasses or a handheld solar viewer during the partial eclipse phases before and after totality.
Always inspect your eclipse glasses or handheld viewer before use; if torn, scratched, or otherwise damaged, discard the device.
- Do NOT look at the Sun through a camera lens (including a cell phone camera), telescope, binoculars, or any other optical device while wearing eclipse glasses or using a handheld solar viewer. Those require different types of solar filters. The concentrated solar rays will burn through the filter and cause serious eye injury.
- Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.
- Do NOT use eclipse glasses or handheld viewers with cameras, binoculars, or telescopes.
If you have concerns about your child using the eclipse glasses properly, please plan to pick them up for early dismissal. Families who would like to enjoy the event together are also encouraged to check students out for early dismissal.
All outdoor after-school activities will be canceled. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Student Restorative Practices and Code of Conduct Handbook (SRPCCH)
It’s time for the yearly review of the Student Restorative Practices and Code of Conduct Handbook (SRPCCH), and we value your feedback and contributions. Please use the provided link to access the Stakeholder Review Feedback Form. The deadline to submit feedback and input is March 31, 2024.
FY25 Budget
The City Schools of Decatur is in the process of establishing the Fiscal Year 2025 Budget. We are interested in input from the community on any suggestions, concerns, or questions. Please click here to provide your feedback.
Click here to access the entire FY25 Preliminary Budget 5-Year Financial Review presentation.
CSD FY25 Budget Book Cover Student Design Contest
Calling all City Schools of Decatur K-12 talented student artists! We are seeking submissions for the cover of our first-ever FY25 Budget Book. The budget book will tell students, families, and community stakeholders how CSD receives and spends money to educate all students. It includes the history of the school district, financial documents, and the organizational structure for ensuring all students are safe, seen, and successful.
The contest winner’s design will be featured on the cover of the budget book, on all CSD social media platforms, and in all school newsletters. The winner will also be recognized at an upcoming Board of Education meeting.
We can’t wait to see the creativity of our talented student artists on display! To enter, upload your design in a JPEG or PNG format using this form by April 14.The 2024 Annual Parent Involvement Survey for Families Raising a Student With a Disability is Open!
GaDOE is surveying parents of students with disabilities in Georgia to determine their perceptions of parent engagement with schools. It is critical that the GaDOE assist local school systems in partnering with families to raise the achievement rate for students with disabilities. This short survey will help identify family involvement needs within the state and local school districts. The data is reported as a percentage of parental involvement in the Annual Performance Report and is kept confidential.
PTA/PTO/PTSA Upcoming Events
Mar 15: Oakhurst Auction from 7-11 p.m.
Mar 16: Glennwood Casino Night from 7-10 p.m.
Mar 23: Talley Tigerfest from 11-3 p.m.
Mar 23: Westchester Holi Event from 2-4 p.m.
City Schools of Decatur Community Partners
Tour deCatur is days away!
Join your Decatur community on March 16th for Decatur Education Foundation’s annual Tour deCatur 5K, One-Mile Fun Run, and the adorable Tot Trot (for the four and under crowd)!
This is DEF’s largest fundraiser, and your support provides funding for programs addressing racial and economic inequity, food insecurity, behavioral health, and learning differences.
Beat the race-day rush, and register now! In-person registration and packet pick-up will be available at the following locations:
DEF’s Office at Legacy Park - 500 S Columbia Dr, Decatur, GA 30030
Thursday, March 14 from 12 p.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, March 15 from 6 p.m.-7 p.m.
Mathnasium - 1248 Clairmont Rd #3C, Decatur, GA 30030
Thursday, March 14th, from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. (Mathnasium Decatur's Pi Day Party)
Thank you for supporting this important work! See you at the starting line!
Fair on the Square
Come join the Decatur Youth Council and friends at the inaugural Fair on the Square.
Saturday, March 16, from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the Decatur Square.
This year's Decatur Youth Council Spring Project is something special! The DYC, along with help from other high-school leadership teams and city staff members, is hosting the first-ever Fair on the Square.
Our event is a way to leap into spring with a carnival-themed festival that will be fun for the whole family. Entry to the festival is free, and attendees will enjoy live music performed by local bands.
There will be the opportunity to purchase carnival tickets for carnival games and attractions. Some of the attractions at this year's festival include a mechanical bull and a dunk tank with your favorite local celebrities!
Food trucks will be on-site with carnival treats for purchase. Attendees can also pop into the local restaurants surrounding the Square.
The DYC and friends look forward to seeing you at the Square on March 16 from 12 to 5 p.m.!