Talley Street Update
March 29, 2021
An Update from the Principal
Dear Talley Street Community,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend! Tomorrow, March 30th, your child’s teacher for the last nine weeks of the school year will be reaching out to you. The last nine weeks begin on April 12th after spring break. I appreciate all the parents who completed the learning choice survey. It was very helpful for our planning. For those parents who did not complete the survey, your child will remain in their current learning environment (virtual or in person). We were able to accommodate most students being placed with a familiar teacher from the school year. The average class size for in person learning will be 18. The average class size for virtual learning will be 17. I am confident that all of our students will end the year on a positive note.
This Friday, April 2nd is the end of our Term 5 grading period. As a way to encourage student agency, student-led conferences will take place during the week of April 12th outside of the school day. Student led conferences will be done at home. Students will complete a school-created Google Form alongside the parent that focuses on self-assessment of strengths and weaknesses as a learner in Term 5 as well as the IB Learner Profile. Students and parents will work together to write a goal for Term 6, which will be the last portion of the Google Form. The Google Form will come out on Monday, 4/12 in our eBlast.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at bheaton@csdecatur.net. I hope everyone has a fun and safe spring break!
Billy
City Schools of Decatur Summer Program
CSD is delighted to share that we will offer an in-person summer program for students that qualify in grades K through 12. The program will run June 7-June 25 from 8:30 to 11:30am. Students will be invited to participate in the summer program based on eligibility criteria described below. Participation in the summer program is not required or mandated for any student. However, we highly encourage students who qualify to engage in this opportunity as it will set them up for success in the next grade level. For the summer program, which will be held at ECLC, Talley Street Elementary, and Decatur High School, availability of student transportation is limited.
Students who receive services from support programs such as Title 1, EIP, ESOL, and special education (via an IEP) will also be considered for the summer program per the criteria described below. Please note that summer program are not the same as IEP service models, and do not use the same criteria as provided during the school year or Extended School Year (ESY). For a student with an IEP, the IEP team will determine ESY based on IDEA required considerations.
Invitations for participation in the summer program will be sent out by May 1. For students that qualify for the summer program but cannot attend in person, a virtual option will be provided. The Special Education Department will send out information regarding ESY directly to the parents of students who will be receiving those services at a future date.
K-5
The summer program will be held at Talley Street Upper Elementary. K-5 students must qualify in 2 of these 3 areas to be eligible for the summer program:
- Class Performance: The student is not meeting standards in Language Arts or Math as evidenced by 1s on the report card and/or classroom assessments.
- Reading Level: Based on a standardized measure, the student scored below the 49th percentile or at least one level below grade level
- Math Level: Based on a standardized measure, the student scored below the 49th percentile or at least one level below grade level
6-8
Students who have not yet met the standards in their Math or Language Arts class will be invited to attend. The students in 6th through 8th grade will meet at Decatur High School.
9-12
Decatur High School will offer a second session July 8-27, also 8:30-11:30am. Students who have not yet met the standards in a core class will be invited to attend. For credit recovery, students will engage in blended learning in a course delivered through Apex with live support from a teacher.
Don’t qualify for Summer School but need a summer learning boost to get ready for fall?
All K-12 students will have access to a virtual personalized learning pathway to boost their understanding of content and skills and get a jump start to preparing for the next grade level. These activities would be optional learning activities for students that connect to grade level standards. These activities will be made available in addition to the summer enrichment activities available on the CSD Enrichment Website.
For Students with Individualized Educational Plans
Click HERE for more information about Extended school Year (ESY) for students with IEPs. ESY serves students in grades PreK-12+ as determined by each student’s IEP team. ESY will be provided both in a virtual and in-person model, June 7-25, 8:30-11:30am. ESY will take place at ECLC for PreK students, Talley Street Upper Elementary for elementary students, and Decatur High School for our middle and high school students.
Georgia Milestones Administration
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has stated that schools are to administer the Georgia Milestones Assessment System (GMAS) test. Testing will take place in the school setting. All in-person learners are required to participate. Schools must offer the opportunity for virtual learners to test in person.
The GMAS testing window is May 10 - May 18. The specific testing days for grades 3-5 follow.
In-person students will test during their morning instructional periods. Virtual students who opt to test will do so between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Testing accommodations or modifications will be provided just as in previous years per individualized student support plans. Safety mitigation measures will be implemented for both the morning and afternoon testing sessions.
Parents of virtual students will receive a survey to indicate their testing decision this week. Only families whose students are full-time virtual learners will be allowed to decline testing, due to the COVID pandemic.
A Zoom meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m for a question and answer session about the administration of the Georgia Milestones for families of virtual learners. However, any parent is welcome to attend. You may join the webinar at this link:
https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/94070179459?pwd=U3dNY1QvV2t4Qkp2ZG0ybVVOU3VpQT09
Passcode: 351843
CSD Updates
In-Person Learning Bus Registration
For Transportation to prepare for the future if you desire your child to ride the bus complete the Rider Registration Form. To be eligible for transportation you will have to live outside .75 of home to school distance. Once you have registered, we will let you know if you qualify for transportation and what route you are on closer to when we head back to in-person learning.
NOTE: You must register with our Predictable Ryde Bus Tracker by following the steps below:
To register you must register through the Predictable Ryde Bus Tracker App; you are also submitting a Rider Registration; that can be done by completing this form:
https://www.predictableride.com/register-rider-external.html?c=865D264F94CA4B299ACD0B41294FB67C&g=a803c9c1-e89a-45c0-b8cf-a622bf504110
*Note even if you signed up for meals or book delivery during virtual learning, you still need to complete this form for your child to ride the bus.
Instructions after Registering for Predictable Ryde's bus tracking app:
- Download app: see links below.
- Add your zone/route*. (*Your route will be sent to you via email once we have them assigned and are closer to returning to in-person learning.)
- Add an alert for when the bus is close to your specific stop.
Below you will find step-by-step instructions.
1. Download the app onto your phone
- Download the Predictable Ryde Bus Tracker Android App Here (http://www.predictableryde.com/bustracker/PredictableRydeBusTracker.apk)
- Download the Predictable Ryde Bus Tracker iOS App Here (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/predictable-ryde-bus-tracker/id1250126051)
2. Add your Bus Route or Zone:
- Once you receive an email from CSD's Transportation department informing you of your bus route, you can add that route to your app.
- When in the "My Profile" section of the app, you will see "Your Bus Routes:" under your personal contact information in the Subscription Information column.
- Under that, you will see an Orange Button that reads " Add More Bus Routes"
- Please click that button and click the checkbox next to your Zone. Choose your Route number from that list.
- If you do not know which zone your home is located in, please contact Lowanda Bowman at lbowman@csdecatur.net.
3. Add an alert for when the bus is 100, 300, or 500 ft or even 1/4 a mile away from your stop.
- When signed into your app or on the web version, click the "My Profile" section.
- Then at the bottom under Active Alerts, hit the orange "+Create New Alert" button.
- Then select your route, select your stop, and the proximity of when you would like to receive your alert. (Note: In Decatur, which is a small, urban district, we suggest you select one of the Close options, 1/4 mile alert proximity.)
Without your child's student number and zones, we cannot match you with your proper route. In addition, if you do not set an alert you will not receive a notification that your bus is close to your stop. Instead, you would have to closely and continuously monitor the Predictable Ryde app to see when your bus is in close proximity to your stop. Please be sure to complete all four of these steps, which will help make this app more useful.
Thank you for your assistance in making this app as effective and efficient as possible. Once this setup is complete you will be able to easily monitor your bus right from your own phone.
Sincerely,
LoWanda Bowman and the CSD Transportation Department
Talley Updates
Kids and Companion Yoga Class for Talley Families
Kids, grab a grown-up and join us for some evening yoga in this 4-week class taught by 3rd-grade teacher Kara Morrison. We will stretch, laugh, breathe, move, and relax. The theme of all our classes will be kindness, so each week we'll also practice cultivating kindness for ourselves and others.
This class will meet from 7 - 7:45 PM on the following 4 Thursdays:
March 11, March 18, March 25, and April 1st
Check out this flyer for more information and for the zoom link.
Virtual Book Fair
Don't Forget to Order a Yearbook!
You can still pre-order a Talley yearbook online at the early bird price of $10. (Talley's school code is 203291.) Online sales via the Memorybook site will close on April 12. We still have a dropbox for cash and check payments at the Talley front desk by the check-in table. Send payments in an envelope with your student's name and teacher. Questions? Email yearbook@talleypto.org.
PTO Updates
Talley Street PTO & Committee Chair Positions
The Talley Street PTO Board needs your help for the 2021-22 school year to support our students and staff! Please consider joining the PTO Board or chairing one of our committees.
To view a description of the open Board and Committee positions and to submit your interest, please follow this link:
Talley Street PTO & Committee Chair Nominations
Nominations are due by Friday, April 23
The Nominating Committee needs 1-2 more volunteers to help recruit, vet, and slate nominees. Please e-mail India Epps at nomination@talleypto.org if you would like to help the committee or have any questions.The Myths of Racism and Beyond: Personal and Community Reflections
Please join us in January for the next The Myths of Racism and Beyond: Personal and Community Reflections, sponsored by the DEI Committee.
Whether you are a social justice champion or wrestling with these topics for the first time, this workshop will help all of us deepen our understanding of racism and strengthen our commitment to action.
Through independent individual reflections in a personal journal and group sessions reflecting as a community once a month, our Talley Street Upper Elementary community will examine the power of race and discuss its impact across racial lines. Everyone is invited to provide their voice, perspective, and experiences with the power of race.
The series will cover the article “The 10 Myths White People Believe About Racism,” with a paired bite-sized reading and short racial equity video assigned each month. It will include time for independent individual reflections through a personal journal and time for community reflections during group discussions once a month.
The remaining Community Reflections will be Thursdays from8-9 PM on Zoom on the following dates:
Apr 22
May 13
If you are unable to attend all sessions, you can work through the personal reflections asynchronously and join the community reflections as you can.
To participate, please fill out this google form. Email Charlie Copp with any questions. Charlie is a CSD parent and will help facilitate the series along with fellow Talley parent Elliott Robinson.
Community Updates
Decatur Farm to School
WHICH GREAT RESTAURANT WILL YOU CHOOSE?
Wednesday, April 21st, will be Decatur Farm to School’s Spring Take Out! Order from participating restaurants during their open hours and a portion of your order total will go to DF2S! You can get food from Arepa Mia, Brick Store Pub, Butter & Cream, Farm Burger, Folk Art, Kimball House, Leon’s Full Service, Marlay House, My Parents’ Basement, Oakhurst Market, Raging Burrito, Sapori Di Napoli, Steinbeck’s, The Imperial, or Universal Joint! Proceeds from the Spring Take Out support our DF2S programs. Give yourself a break, eat a delicious meal, and support a wonderful cause.
Talley Street Passive Fundraising
We're now on Amazon Smile! Log into www.smile.amazon.com and log into your Amazon
account, then select Talley Street Upper Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, then save and the PTO will start getting quarterly deposits!
One important tip - you MUST be logged in via smile.amazon.com while shopping for us to
receive any funds.
Kroger Community Rewards
We are set up to receive funds from Kroger. From your account screens, select Community
Rewards and search for “Talley Street Upper Elementary School PTO." Select it and then you
should be all set. Every time you use your Kroger card, the PTO will benefit!
Box Tops
Box Tops have gone digital! Download the app, Box Tops for Education. Enter your
information, select Talley St., scan receipts and done! We will no longer be collecting paper box
tops. If you have any issues using the app, you can submit (via the app) the item not being
recognized on your receipt for credit.
Publix Partners
Looking for an easy way to support Talley Street PTO?
Who knew Passive Fundraising could be SO easy!! You don' need the key chain card anymore.
Follow the easy instructions on the link:
http://www.corporate.publix.com/community/corporate-campaigns/publix-partners
We’re set up as: Talley Street Upper Elementary School – Decatur, GA
Helpful Links
www.csdecatur.net/opening - a repository for all documents, announcements, and communications about how CSD is handling the 2020-2021 school year.
www.csdecatur.net/nutrition - How to order meals
www.csdecatur.net/transportation
www.csdecatur.net/bustracker - How to sign up for the new Predictable Ryde Bus tracking app used for meal delivery, soon for the Fly-brary, mobile book delivery and when in-person learning resumes to track students on their buses
https://virtual.csdecatur.net/tech-help (how parents and staff can put in a tech support request)
https://virtual.csdecatur.net/students - classroom login information
https://virtual.csdecatur.net/parents - Virtual Learning Handbooks
Social Media and Contact Information
Talley Street Upper Elementary School PTO
Talley Street Upper Elementary School Parents
For news in the Media Center and from our school counselors, check out their websites:
For more about the Talley Street PTO, visit their website here: https://talleypto.org/