Weekly Update

• Congrats to DHS Math Team
• Activities around DHS: Robotics Team Announcement, DHS Fencing Team, Class or 2025 Announcements, FCCLA National Conference
• Visiting DHS and Student Attendance Protocols
• PTSA News
• CSD District News
• Community Partners

Hello,

I spent a good portion of the morning speaking with parents via the telephone and visiting the classrooms of our new teachers. Although at times parent conversations are difficult, I will always encourage two-way communication when advocating for your students. The interactions are necessary and even though I am always a supporter of our staff, please know that students always come first.

Our new DHS teachers have hit the ground running. I have been able to visit most of their classrooms this week and find them to be a group of dedicated teachers who are already adding much value to our school community. If you have a minute, please reach out to your student’s new teacher and welcome them to the P.A.C.K.

I want to provide another reminder to complete the ANNUAL DATA UPDATE if you have not done so.

Sincerely,

Duane Sprull Ed.D

Principal

The application to join Decatur Robotics FRC Team 4026 is available on our website. Our team grew rapidly over the last few years and we will cap the team at 32 members this season. The deadline for submission is August 30th for new members and August 9th for returning members. We are also requiring parents/guardians to submit an acknowledgement form. This is a competitive team, not a club, and requires a commitment from everyone involved. We're looking forward to another successful year!

No experience is required. We are more than robots and there is something for everyone. Please attend an open house August 15th or 22nd for more information and a tour of the build space. You can also email 4026@decaturrobotics.org.

Student applications and the parent/guardian acknowledgement forms can be found here:

https://www.decaturrobotics.org/our-team/join-our-team

Parents and students come learn about DHS Fencing Club! Parents please enter through the McDonough entrance to the school.

This past summer the DHS chapter of Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) took 3 students to compete at the National FCCLA Leadership Conference in Seattle, Washington! These students advanced from our regional competition all the way to the national competition to represent our school and our FACS program. Current juniors Asha Abdulle (Sustainability Challenge) and Amelia Hood (Focus on Children) both received silver medals in their events. Maeve Gallentine (graduated senior) competed in Fashion Construction and received a gold medal. She was also selected for the FCCLA Fashion Show to display her impressive seamstress skills to all 8,000+ FCCLA members present at the session. As a group we enjoyed sightseeing around Seattle, riding the ferry boat to Bainbridge Island, and connecting with other FCCLA students and adults through leadership sessions.

Please see the following link HERE for information about yearbooks, senior pictures, senior ads, senior quotes, and senior baby pictures.

If you have any questions please email indectaur@csdecatur.net.

We’re looking forward to another great year at Decatur High School. The most important decision students and their families can make about school is the choice to show up ready to learn every day! That said, we know that illnesses and emergencies happen and we’re here to support students when they need to miss school. Our two goals this year at DHS are to increase attendance across the board and to improve the percentage of student absences that are excused.

Summary

Use this email address to excuse absences: dhsattendance@csdecatur.net

Checkouts are done in person at the N. McDonough entrance. No checkouts will be processed after 3 PM. This form can be used to schedule a checkout without a parent/guardian present but must be filled out by 9 AM on the day of the checkout.

Documenting Excused Absences

Absences from school may be excused for any of the following reasons:

• Student health

• Funeral, bereavement, or family emergency

• Registering to vote

• Court order

• Religious holiday

• Hazardous conditions that render attendance impossible or dangerous

When your student is absent for one of these reasons, please email dhsattendance@csdecatur.net.

Student Check Outs

We encourage, welcome, and prefer that parents and guardians come to DHS to check their students out. When doing so, please come to the entrance under the spaceship on N. McDonough, ring the buzzer, and present your ID when asked. Once we confirm your identity, you’ll be invited to wait inside for your student or to hang out outside while we retrieve a student for you. To facilitate a smooth end of the school day, we cannot accommodate checkouts after 3 PM except in emergency situations. If you have such a situation, please contact the attendance office at 404-370-4170 x2148.

This year, we’re going to use a different structure for students to check out without a parent present. Any parent or guardian wishing to have their student check out without being physically present must fill out this form by 9 AM on the day of the check out. Any requests made after 9 AM on the day of the check out will not be honored without a parent or guardian physically present.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us at dhsattendance@csdecatur.net.

Welcome to the 24-25 Academic Year!

Parents/Guardians are invited to the DHS Parent/Guardian Info Session on Saturday, August 10 from 8:45-noon in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). The program begins promptly at 9, so we encourage arriving around 8:45 for a sweet treat and coffee.

Agenda:

• Growing Up is Hard to Do: Supporting My Soon-To-Be-An-Adult Child
• Academic & Support Services
• Key Rules/Contacts - Teaming with Admin, Faculty, and Staff
• Student Performance and Student Paths
• Getting Involved & Making Connections
• Q&A Panel with Current DHS Students and Parents

The intended audience is any Decatur Parent/Guardian who wants more info on Decatur HS. While the audience may be mostly 9th-grade parents/guardians, all parents/guardians are welcome. Note: students will not be turned away, but the format is not geared toward teenage learners.

To support the PTSA, please see this link

Applications for the 2024-25 Student Advisory Councils will open in the Student Launchpad on Wednesday, July 31. The Superintendent's Council allows students to meet each other and discuss matters affecting their education with Superintendent Whitaker. Additionally, there will be opportunities for students to share creative ideas, concerns, or suggestions for improving our district. The application deadline is Wednesday, August 14, at 5 pm.

The application requires a Google account to enable students to upload submissions. While student CSD Google accounts are preferred, any Google account will access the form. Please contact your school's media specialist if support is needed to access the CSD Google account. Students may also access the application here using their Google account.

◽Schedules ◽ Grades ◽ Lunch Money ◽ Contact Information◽ Test Scores ◽ And More!

At the beginning of every school year, it is critical for families to use the Parent Portal for back-to-school readiness. Action needed:

• Complete the Annual Data Update (ADU). The ADU is how families verify or update critical communication and health information and do sign-offs for the handbook and code of conduct. From the Portal home screen, select More ⇒ Annual Data Update. More information about the Annual Data Update is available at https://www.csdecatur.net/adu. All new and returning parents must update student information via Infinite Campus BEFORE July 30.

• Apply for Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefits. We encourage ALL families to apply. Families that previously received benefits must reapply every year. In the Portal, select More ⇒ Meal Benefits. More information about the meal benefit is available at https://www.csdecatur.net/nutrition.

• Add funds and set up balance alerts and auto-payment for meal account balances. In the Portal, select Food Service.

If you need help with the Portal, visit https://www.csdecatur.net/portalhelp or contact your school’s front office.

Parents and families can request a name change for your student. If you wish to have your child's chosen or preferred name updated in our records, please complete the name/gender change request form. Please note that the updated name and gender marker will be reflected in our Infinite Campus and Google Workspace applications. However, it's important to remember that CSD will only use legal names on official documents such as transcripts requested by outside sources.

If a legal name change has occurred, please contact your child's school to have the student's records updated accordingly. Thank you for your attention to this matter and for helping us ensure that our records are accurate and respectful of each student's preferences.

In May 2024, the Board of Education approved a new nutrition policy for implementation in the 2024-25 school year. The Board is committed to providing every child with access to a healthy breakfast and lunch during the school day. CSD is required to comply with all federal regulations concerning the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs. The School Nutrition Program (SNP) functions as a self-sustaining entity, covering its costs through meal payments and reimbursements from the federal and state governments. The full policy is available here.

City Schools of Decatur will make accommodations for children with disabilities whose disability or special dietary need restricts their diet when that need is certified by a licensed physician. Milk intolerance is not considered a disability or food allergy. For modifications or substitutions to the school meals, the school’s Nurse or Nutrition Manager must have a written Medical Statement to Request Accommodations for Disabilities in the School Meal Programs Form on file that is signed by a licensed physician or licensed health care professional who is authorized to write medical prescriptions under State law.

The Accommodations form and the Milk Substitutions form are located here.

Join Decatur Education Foundation, a Community of Problem-Solvers!

Welcome to another great year in City Schools of Decatur! Decatur Education Foundation is proud to be this community's - YOUR community's - local nonprofit dedicated to helping solve the problems that keep Decatur's kids from finding success. DEF hosts community events (a brand new one is coming soon - be on the lookout!) and generates resources from our community to support programs that provide opportunities, address unmet needs, and support educators and students in ALL of our CSD schools. But we can't do it without your help! Support our work by volunteering, attending our events, or making a donation in support of Decatur's kids. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to learn about upcoming events, and visit our website - www.decatureducationfoundation.org - to learn more about our work and how you can be a part of it! Our community. Our kids. Together, we make a difference.

The Decatur Youth Council (DYC) is a city-sponsored, community-based leadership program for high school students who live within the City of Decatur and attend public, private, and home-based schools. Members of the DYC will develop into young leaders through structured monthly educational programs and team-building activities. Learn more at decaturga.com/bc-dyc.

DYC Application: 36556 (decaturga.com)

1. Decatur High School
2. Decatur High School PTSA
3. Visiting DHS and Student Attendance
   
4. Bell Schedule
5. DHS Cell Phone Protocol
6. Bus Routes