College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

Thank you for a hugely successful PTO Read-To-Me-A-Thon. I want to thank our Read-To-Me-A-Thon Committee for their hard work: Lauren Elliott, Leanna Westfall, Tracy Valle, Avery Davis Bell, and Marcus Jones. I would also like to thank the room parents for their collaboration and support. Looking ahead to November, our Pre-K and preschool special education programs are closed for Thanksgiving week (November 25-29). Our 0-3 tuition program will close at noon on Wednesday, November 27 and will be closed November 28-29.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Principal Garland

Please do not park in front of the school in the fire lane, which is indicated by the red paint on the curb and this sign. This area must be kept clear in case of emergencies. If you arrive after Pre-K carpool has closed, you will need to park in the side lot or the lower lot and walk your student into the building. Thank you for your cooperation.

Thank you so much for helping make our annual Literacy Week a huge success. Our students were so excited to have so many families on campus this week for Family Literacy Night, the Mystery Reader Flash Mob, and the Book Parade.

Did you have a chance to view our Five Days! Five Minutes! video series on early literacy?

These videos were curated by Erynn Mathews-Davis, our Instructional Coach, with the goal of offering information and strategies for supporting children's development. Here are the links:

Monday: Get Georgia Reading

Tuesday: A Love of Reading

Wednesday: How to READ With Your Child

Thursday: Building Babies' Brains Through Play

Friday: Early Literacy Skills

Book Parade - Buy the Books

Check out our adorable Book Parade photos below, and if you'd like to buy your student's classroom book, click here for the link to Charis Books & More. Purchased books will be delivered to your child's classroom soon after Literacy Week, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the school. Thanks for supporting diverse books!

Scholastic Book Fair - Shop Online through Sunday, November 3

Thank you so much for supporting our fall Scholastic Book Fair. Proceeds from the fair will be used for books, classroom furniture, and supplies. If you didn't get a chance to stop by, you can shop online through Sunday, November 3. Thousands of books are available for purchase! Thanks to everyone "rounding up" their book fair purchases, we were able to give nearly $300 in free books to students.

Book Parade (Friday, October 25)

This week was all about Halloween, and the excitement level was off the charts! Pre-K heard the adorable story Stumpkin and the Halloween classic, Room on the Broom. Younger students enjoyed a few Halloween tales as well. Happy Halloween to all who celebrate!

Friday marks the start of Native American Heritage Month, so beginning next week, we will dive into stories that celebrate Native Americans and their rich culture, history, and contributions to our world.

This week's stories:

Stumpkin by Lucy Ruth Cummins

Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler

Little Blue Truck's Halloween by Alice Schertle, illustrated by Jill McElmurry

If You're Spooky and You Know It by Aly Fronis, illustrated by Jannie Ho

Just a reminder College Heights is closed to all students (0-3 and Pre-K) on Tuesday, November 5 for a CSD Remote Digital Learning Day, including teacher professional learning. Pre-K students will engage in at-home instruction using a learning choice board. Look for more information from your child's classroom teacher.

With your help, the Read-To-Me-A-Thon raised more than $16,500. These funds will be used to support student enrichment programs, our library, Spanish classes, teacher/staff appreciation and so much more!

Thank you to everyone who contributed, including our sponsors (Kumon Decatur, Music Together of Decatur, and the Decatur Library), and congratulations to the class and individual winners!

Class participation winners:

0-1

Ms. Mags (room 116)

2-3

Ms. B (room 157)

Pre-K

Ms. Phillips (Cottage D)

Individual winners (most minutes read):

Cassidy Viilo (Ms. Mags, room 116)

Daphne Delarue-Orphanides (Ms. Yolanda, room 117)

Jae Evans (Ms. Amaryst, room 118)

Monroe Stewart (Ms. Asia, room 131)

Noura Lunka (Mr. Peyton, room 128)

Thomas DeLockery (Ms. Tori, room 126)

Asa Bell (Ms. B, room 157)

Jacqueline Baquero (Ms. Rahfiya, room 159)

Dean Young (Ms. Sela, room 121)

Avery Nicholson (Ms. Collins, room 141)

Christopher Phillips (Ms. Tereva, Cottage A)

Aoife Robbins (Ms. Blease, room 140)

Kavya Villeta-Gupta (Ms. Phillips, Cottage C)

Rowe Spreter (Ms. Jones, Cottage D)

Connor Squire (Ms. Bauer, room 146)

Iris Ranney (Ms. Sanders, room 143)

Magnolia Harrington (Ms. Ballard, room 141)

Supper & Sips Returns!

Grab your friends and neighbors and help us celebrate the return of Decatur Education Foundation's highly-anticipated fall FUNdraiser - Supper & Sips! Join us on Thursday, Nov. 14th, from 6-10 pm at The Chapel on Sycamore for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship - all for a good cause. The Supper provides crucial support for DEF, allowing us to continue our work addressing unmet needs, providing enriching opportunities, and supporting our educators.

Get your tickets today! Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email Meagan@DecaturEducationFoundation.org.

STEP UP for Decatur Youth!

DEF was founded more than 20 years ago by a group of residents who wanted to ensure that EVERY student in CSD had what they needed to learn and thrive. Today, DEF's mission remains focused on Decatur's kids and educators, and we are still 100% reliant on the support of the Decatur community. DEF puts the community's contributions where they will have the biggest impact on our students, and DEF's Step Up Circle is a special group of supporters that allows us to operate programs like Lighten the Load, Teacher Innovation Grants, behavioral health support, arts programming, and so much more. There are also benefits - for both businesses and individuals - to joining DEF's Step Up Circle (beyond the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from supporting Decatur's kids!). Visit https://decatureducationfoundation.org/step-up-circle/ to learn more about the different giving levels.

November 5 - NO SCHOOL for 0-3 and Pre-K (teacher professional learning day)

November 22 - Early Release Day (Pre-K)

November 25-29 - Thanksgiving Break (Pre-K/Preschool special education)

November 27 - School closed at noon (0-3 program)

November 28-29 - Thanksgiving Break (0-3 program)