Weekly Update
WEEKLY UPDATE - March 21, 2024
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Hello,
Back in December, Leadership Georgia visited Decatur High School and Decatur Career Academy. The word got out about how impressive our students and faculty operated during the school day. Today, 70 visitors connected to Leadership DeKalb toured Decatur Career Academy to see our students in action. Leadership DeKalb not only saw our outstanding programs in the Decatur Career Academy but they were treated to lunch prepared by our Culinary Arts students. The visit at DHS wrapped up with a panel discussion featuring our students related to careers. DHS would like to thank our friends from Leadership DeKalb for selecting us when they could have gone anywhere in DeKalb. My sincerest thanks go out to our wonderful student body and our faculty and staff. You are a tremendous group to work with, and I want everyone to know that our local as well as our extended community recognize the great work happening in Decatur.
Sincerely,
Duane Sprull
Principal
Go Bulldogs!
Graduation 2024
Prom 2024
Students Parking Near Ebster Field
Construction will begin on Ebster Field during Spring Break, leading to NO parking on Robin Street and Electric starting April 8 for about eight weeks. For more information CLICK HERE
DHS NEWS
Counseling and Bulldog Athletics News!
Click HERE to hear from our counseling department!
Congratulations Coach Messer
🏅 Congrats to these DHS Teams 🏅
Literary Team State Competition!
The DHS Literary Team went to the state finals Saturday, March 16 at Warner Robbins High School facing 23 other schools in the 5A division. Our team competed in the Essay, Extemporaneous Speaking, and Literary Interpretation.
The students who competed and results:
- Eleanor Sterne, who placed 3rd 🥉 in Literary Analysis essay
- Olivia Chin for Personal Essay
- Captain Eva Hamilton for Argumentative Essay
- Lucia Saravia, who placed 3rd 🥉 in International Extemporaneous Speaking
- Anushruti Ram for Solo Humorous Literary Interpretation
We are so proud of our team and cannot wait to see how they continue to grow next season!
FCCLA State Leadership Conference in Athens, GA
Exciting Bands News!
What a month we've had and it's not over yet! The various ensembles in our band program have been quite active and high achieving over the last few weeks.
- All State Band: Six students from the band program participated in the Georgia All State Band after passing competitive auditions. Nate Cohen, Elle Girard, Sophia Phillips, Nate Wakefield, Emma Xuan, and Jason Zgonc deserve congratulations for their achievement.
- Large Group Performance Evaluation (LGPE): All three curricular bands received a superior rating at the GMEA LGPE, reflecting their exceptional prepared music and sight-reading performance. Judges praised their musicality and control.
- Indoor Percussion: DHS now has a competitive indoor percussion ensemble, placing 5th in their first competition. Led by Mr. Willie Burke, the ensemble's progress is commendable, with upcoming competitions including the state championships.
- Winter Guard: Both JV and Varsity winter guards performed well, with the varsity team advancing to finals at the WGI Gulfport regional and finishing 8th overall. Under Ms. Lisa Stevenson's direction, the teams have represented the school admirably. Their season will conclude at state championships in Chattanooga.
Activities Around DHS
🌺Spring Festival 🌸
Decatur High School's Student Government Association (SGA) requests volunteers to provide us with tables and tents for our student artists and clubs for the 2nd annual DHS Spring Festival. We would need the tables and tents to be dropped off on the Decatur High School football field by 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 11th, 2024 and be picked up by 4:30 PM on the same day.
We request that you sign up by April 11th, so we will have enough time to make other arrangements if we are not able to secure all of the tables and tents we need. Please put your name on your table/tent so pick up can go smoothly.
Please sign Up Here and thanks!
Inspiring Insights at Coca Cola: A Women in Technology Field Trip
Members of the DHS Women In Technology club embarked on an enlightening field trip to the Coca Cola headquarters. They engaged in various activities, including discussions with employees, tours of the facility, and a hands-on soda-making experience. The highlights included insights from female professionals in chemistry, engineering, and executive roles, empowering the students with valuable lessons about careers in STEM.
Student Employment & Internship Hiring Fair
DHS Cinema Drive
This is a 3-D movie experience that focuses on driving while under the influence, distracted, or tired.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
- 1st-period Juniors Last name A-H (181 students)
- 2nd-period Seniors Last name A-G (173 students)
- 3rd-period Juniors Last name I-R (178 students)
- After School -family/student info session in Dr Eskew room
Thursday, Apr 11, 2024
- WIN period Seniors Last name H-R (169 students)
- 7th-period Juniors Last name S-Z (88 students)
- 6th-period Seniors Last name S-Z (76 students)
International Baccalaureate Middle Years/Career/Diploma Programme Feedback
DHS/BHMS is gathering information to prepare for our IB MYP/CP/DP evaluation that is happening in the 24-25 school year. Every 5 years we engage in an evaluation process for our IB Programming. We are asking that you take a few moments to complete this attached survey. Your input will help support us as we are working to reflect on our practices as an IB MYP/CP/DP Programme.
If you would like to learn more about the IB MYP, BHMS hosted a Principal's Chat last month on the topic. You can read/watch here to find out more. If you would like to learn more about the IB CP/DP/other options, DHS hosted a webinar in November which you can watch here.
PBIS Wish List
We're excited to share with you our efforts to support and recognize students through our PACK program (Purposeful, Accountable, Connected, and Kind) and PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). Our goal is to foster meaningful connections between teachers and students, ensuring that every student feels valued and seen.
One of our initiatives involves writing congratulatory letters to graduating seniors. Last year, our dedicated staff penned nearly 1400 personalized cards to celebrate this milestone. You can contribute to this heartwarming effort by purchasing cards from our Amazon incentives wish list, which our staff will use to send messages of encouragement and congratulations.
Additionally, there are other incentives on the list chosen by students. These incentives are awarded to students who demonstrate improvements in their behavior, further reinforcing our commitment to positive reinforcement and support.
Your support in helping our staff connect with our students is truly appreciated. Together, we can continue to create a supportive and nurturing environment where every student thrives.
Thank you for being a valued part of our community!
PTSA NEWS
PTSA Community Service Hours
Reminder: For parents of seniors who are working toward the PTSA's Community Service Recognition at graduation, the deadline for entering the hours on the PTSA website is April 30, 2024. To check and enter hours go to: https://www.decaturhighptsa.org/user_volunteer_hours
About the Community Service Recognition Program
The community service program is for all grades at DHS. Hours can be accumulated during all four years, and seniors with 60 or more hours accumulated will be honored at graduation with a special cord and identification in the graduation program.
NOTE: There is NO Community Service Hour requirement to graduate from Decatur High School.
Recent PTSA Impact: The PTSA is thrilled to have supported a "Stock the Supply Closet" initiative for the Staff. Department heads submitted requests, and items purchased include: pencils, dry-erase markers and erasers, portable speaker & mic, various items for fine arts, a lens cleaning station, jump ropes, a weighted ball, binders, folders, dividers, and more!
We're having an inaugural "Welcome to DHS" event for all Class of 2028 (rising 9th grade) and other new DHS Parents/Guardians. The event will be in late April. Stay tuned for more info. To help, please email president@decaturhighschoolptsa.org
We're recruiting for the 2024-2025 board. To submit interest, please complete this form.
May 11th will be a fun-filled day at DHS with the Earth Day 5K, Spring Festival, and the Retro Review. Stay tuned for more details about how to be involved, and please Save the Date.
Community EID Celebration
There will be a Community EID Celebration on April 21 from 3-5 at Glenwood Elementary School. The event is open to all CSD students and families. The volunteer, please see this link.
CSD & Community Partners News!
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. When viewing the partial phases of the eclipse through cameras, binoculars, or telescopes equipped with proper solar filters, you do not need to wear eclipse glasses. (The solar filters do the same job as the eclipse glasses to protect your eyes.)
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.
Countdown to the April 8 Solar Eclipse
All outdoor after-school activities will be canceled. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
We Want to Hear From You!
CSD ELA Adoption
Once materials are reviewed, you can give feedback HERE. Survey will be open March 4-25
Student Restorative Practices and Code of Conduct Handbook (SRPCCH)
Fiscal year 2025 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.
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.
America Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund Feedback Surveys
City Schools of Decatur is reviewing its ARP ESSER LEA Plan and ARP ESSER Budget. We are soliciting stakeholder feedback through April 10, 2024.
Please use the link below to view the plan and budget and share your input: https://www.csdecatur.net/Page/4415
Georgia School Board Association (GSBA) Youth Advisory Council (YAC)
GSBA's Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is now accepting applications for 2024!
The YAC is a student leadership program formed by GSBA to give high school students the opportunity to provide meaningful input to school board members and aid them in their decision-making. In addition, YAC members will have the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and contribute to their community by affecting positive change for students across Georgia.
The first round of the application process is now open and will close on March 25, 2024.
You can find more information on expectations, meeting dates, eligibility and more in our initial information document. The application link is available on our website.
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.