CSD Weekly, January 16, 2025

• School Newsletters: See What's Happening in Our Schools!
• CSD Hosts Public Hearings for Homestead Exemption Opt Out (Georgia HB 581)
• What is CSD Doing to Keep Our Schools Safe? Join Us for the Conversation!
• Board of Education Elects New Chair Dr. Carmen Sulton and Vice Chair Hans Utz
• Around CSD: DHS Senior Wins Posse Scholarship, Talley Street Robotics Go to Super Regionals
• Save the Date: BOE Community Meeting, Superintendent's Listening Sessions, Run With the Dogs 5K, Bulldog Bash

Find out what's happening in CSD schools by clicking on your school's newsletter name.

College Heights Connection

Clairemont Bulldog

Glennwood Eagle Edition

Oakhurst Weekly

Westchester Weekly

Winnona Park Wildcat Weekly

F.AVE Falcon Flyer

Talley Street Update

Beacon Hill Weekly Update

DHS Weekly Update

DVA Weekly Update

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 and the City of Decatur (COD) will co-host a joint School Safety & Security Summit on Monday, January 27, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center of Decatur High School. The conversation is open to all students, staff, families, and school communities. Advance registration and submission of questions are encouraged. Find more details, register to attend, and submit questions at this link.

January is National Mentoring Month! This week, we're highlighting the mentors of the City of Decatur Police Department for donating a new and improved tool chest to the DHS Robotics team, making moving the team's tools from build sessions to competitions easier and safer! DPD continues to provide valuable mentorship to the team, which has its first competition in March.

The Board of Education elected Dr. Carmen Sulton as its new chair and Hanz Utz as vice chair at the board meeting on Tuesday, January 14. They will serve in these roles through the end of the year. Both were elected to the board in 2021 and have children who attend CSD schools.

Learn more about CSD's board members. The board meeting agenda can be found on Simbli, and a recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

Rachana Huy, a senior at DHS, has won the prestigious Posse Scholarship, a full-tuition, merit-based scholarship awarded to high school students who attend partner colleges and universities across the U.S. The Posse Foundation provides Posse Scholars a comprehensive support system throughout their undergraduate education.

Rachana plans to attend George Washington University in the fall and major in international business and archaeology, with the goal of making archaeology more ethical and accessible. She hopes to carry on the legacy of her grandfather, an archaeologist in Cambodia before the Khmer Rouge. Rachana also volunteers with Meals on Wheels and is the captain of the DHS volleyball team.

"I'm extremely grateful to have an established support system going with me into college and to know that the mentors at Posse believe in my potential," Rachana said. "I am looking forward to forming connections with other members of my Posse and having one another to lean on in the transitional period of starting college out of state away from our families and throughout college."

Left photo: The Programming Penguins: front row, left to right: Julian Nayak, Reid Simpson. Middle row, left to right: Mary Adele Coblentz, Gabriel Alanso, Owen Stevens, Gracie Stevens, Ryan Dau-McMillan, Isaac Brandt, Charlie D’Avis, Luca Farhat.

Right photo: The Straw Hat Pirates: left to right: Liam Newman, Anvie Junghare, Kenan Avci, Sam Potvien, Rian Thomas, Cameron Ross, Alice Messager. Not pictured: Eamon Lynch

The Talley Street "Programming Penguins" and "Straw Hat Pirates" First LEGO League (FLL) Robotics teams competed at the CircuitRunners Regional Robotics Tournaments in December. The Programming Penguins presented an innovation project to address challenges with ocean pollution, and The Straw Hat Pirates addressed challenges with underwater noise pollution. Both teams programmed a robot they built to compete in various LEGO missions.

The Straw Hat Pirates won the Top Robot Mission Award at the Regional Competition. Both teams qualified to compete in the Super Regional Robotics Tournament this Saturday, January 18, 2025, in Marietta. Congratulations to the Talley teams, and thank you to parent coaches Lynda Kim, Eric Stevens, Patrick Brandt, Chesney D'Avis, Daniel Newman, Aaron Potvien, and Jim and Kyla Ross.

Alicia Reno, STEM teacher at Talley Street, CSD's 2025 Teacher of the Year, and the 2025 Georgia Teacher of the Year Runner-Up, will join the 11Alive afternoon show this Friday, January 17, filming at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to talk about the Georgia Teachers Initiative, the GA Foundation for Public Education, and CSD!

Watch Alicia's segment on Friday, January 17, at noon on WXIA, at 2 p.m. on WATL, or stream it on 11Alive + streaming app.

Congratulations to DHS junior and basketball player Jason Welborn, who won Sports Illustrated's Georgia Boys High School Basketball Player of the Week! Thank you to the CSD community for showing up and voting for Jason!

As we create more opportunities for dialogue around CSD, families are invited to attend an upcoming winter listening session where Dr. Whitaker will hear directly from our community about the issues that matter to them.

• Monday, February 3, 5:30-6:30 p.m., CH-ECLC (Media Center)

• Monday, February 10, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Virtual)

This school year, CSD is developing a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) framework that fully aligns with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework. The implementation will begin in grades 6-12, as data shows these students have the most pressing SEL needs. The SEL framework for elementary schools will be introduced at a later date.

Information regarding the SEL framework was presented during the Board of Education meeting in September 2024. CSD has created a comprehensive needs assessment, finalized the CSD 6-12 SEL standards, and selected a dedicated SEL curriculum. The next steps involve drafting CSD's SEL vision and long-term objectives, establishing K-5 SEL standards, and providing SEL professional learning for middle and high school leaders and staff.

CSD appreciates all who have offered their insights and feedback. We invite families to engage in this vital work. Please complete this input and feedback form regarding the proposed CSD SEL vision and long-term goals by Friday, February 7, 2025.

Your voice is is valued and vital! Please take CSD's climate survey for your K-12 school through March 31, 2025.

Clairemont Family Climate Survey

Glennwood Family Climate Survey

Oakhurst Family Climate Survey

Westchester Family Climate Survey

Winnona Park Family Climate Survey

F.AVE Family Climate Survey

Talley Street Family Climate Survey

Beacon Hill Family Climate Survey

DHS Family Climate Survey

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

The Georgia Departments of Education and Revenue are launching a student license plate design contest to commemorate the United States semiquincentennial, the 250th anniversary of the 1776 Declaration of Independence, celebrated on July 4, 2026.

The final license plate will be selected from designs submitted by students in grades six through eight in Georgia schools. See the submission guidelines and submit a design by January 31, 2025, at 5 p.m. Contact licenseplatecontest@doe.k12.ga.us with questions.

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:

February 8, 2025

Remaining Super Saturday dates:

March 15, 2025

April 19, 2025

May 10, 2025

Disney's The Lion King JR. runs January 24-26, at the DHS Performing Arts Center. Buy tickets at DecaturPerforms.org.

• National Mentoring Month, January 1-31
• Annual MLK/CSK Awards Ceremony, January 16
• Homestead Exemption Opt-Out Public Hearings (HB 581), January 21 & 30
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 20

• Early Release Day, January 22

• Board of Education Community Meeting, January 22

• CSD Safety and Security Summit, January 27

• Dr. Whitaker's Listening Sessions, February 3 & 10

• Winter Break, February 17-21

• Early Release Day, February 26

• DHS Graduation Day, May 16

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.

Did you know that Run With the Dogs 5K is one of Decatur Bulldog Booster's biggest fundraisers? In addition to being a Peachtree Road Race qualifier and a great community event, all proceeds go to support team play needs for 1,100+ athletes on 57 teams, representing 19 sports at DHS and BHMS.

Register today and get an amazing t-shirt designed by Decatur's Adam Pinsley! Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 25 – you won't want to miss it!

​​​​​​​2025 Run With the Dogs Sponsors:

Event Sponsors

Decatur FC

Green Orthodontics

Presenting Sponsors

Amy Widener, Realtor

Body 20 Decatur

Associate Sponsors

Fleet Feet Decatur

Gracie Jiu Jitsu Decatur

M. Cary and Daughters Plumbing

The Law Office of Ken Lanier

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!

City of Decatur Parks and Recreation Upcoming Youth Events

Learn more about upcoming events and programs here, or visit the recreation center webpages:

• Decatur Recreation Center
• Ebster Recreation Center
• Oakhurst Recreation Center

Visit Parks and Recreation's 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!

Read recent issues of CSD Weekly below. Older issues of CSD Weekly may be found on CSD's district newsletter webpage.

• CSD Weekly - January 9, 2025
• CSD Weekly - December 19, 2024
• CSD Weekly - December 12, 2024
• CSD Weekly - December 5, 2024
• CSD Weekly - November 21, 2024