The Bulldog

Note from Mrs. Lockwood

We are having a great week! Everyone is settling nicely into the school year. Last week’s Back to School Picnic was a huge success! Thank you to all who were able to come out and connect as Clairemont community.

Are you interested in serving on the School Leadership Team (SLT)? If you are not familiar with this, please look at this page to get an idea of what the team does at the school and system level. Applications are due by Tuesday, August 27, 2023. Please look here for the SLT application. You will have the opportunity to vote at Curriculum Night on the 29th.

Curriculum Night will take place Thursday, August 29, from 5:30-7:00. Before Curriculum Night begins, we will have a General PTA meeting, 5:30-6:00 and then begin Curriculum Night at 6:00. Join our PTA, Clairemont instructional team and your student’s teacher to get an overview of what the learning will look like this year. Childcare will be provided during Curriculum Night.

Our Fall picture day is coming up soon. Fall pictures will be Wednesday, September 11th. For the first time ever, we will offer an option for sibling pictures! Every student will take their individual picture. Sibling groups will then have an opportunity to take a group picture. Information will be in upcoming newsletters with information to purchase your fall portraits.

Events At A Glance

• Thursday, August 22nd - Title 1 Parent Input Meeting, 5:00-6:00 pm (Virtual)

• Friday, August 22nd, 8:20 - Community Circle

• Thursday, August 29th - Curriculum Night, 5:30-7:30

• Monday, September 2nd - Labor Day - No School
  

• Wednesday, September 11th - Fall Picture Day
  

• Wednesday, September 4th - Friday, September, 6th - CoGat Testing

Follow the directions below for the type of device you have. Use this link when it asks for a URL:

https://www.csdecatur.net//site/handlers/icalfeed.ashx?MIID=17

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We had a celebrity sighting last week at Community Circle! Claire the Bulldog stopped by for a victory lap to celebrate her big win at the mascot race! Our students were so excited to see Claire and watch a replay of her exciting first place finish!

Thank you to our amazing PTA for a successful Back to School Pizza Picnic last Friday! We had so much fun playing with our new friends, eating pizza, and sneaking extra desserts when the grown-ups weren't looking!

This year, the Clairemont Players will present the musical Dinosaurs Before Dark! Many students are familiar with the beloved Magic Tree House series of books, and now they will get to take part in bringing the first book to life! Mark your calendars for this exciting musical event on the evening of Thursday, November 21st.

Auditions are coming up soon! Auditions will take place Monday and Tuesday, September 16th and 17th. Auditions will be after school from 2:45-4:30 both days. We ask that students with last names beginning with A-L plan to audition on Monday, and last names beginning with M-Z audition on Tuesday. If you have a conflict with your assigned day, please let Mrs. Nelson or Ms. DeRosa know.

**Stay tuned for more information coming next week for details about preparing for auditions.

This year, rehearsals will be on Monday and Tuesday afternoons from 2:45-4:00. Students who participate in Animal Crackers aftercare will be able to return to the cafeteria at the end of rehearsals.

From September 4-6, all 1st-grade students will be taking the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Unlike traditional achievement tests, which measure how well a student has learned the curriculum, the CogAT assesses a child’s ability to reason abstractly and recognize patterns and relationships in the world around them. Teachers can use CogAT scores to better understand a child’s pattern of strengths and weaknesses. Our school district also uses CogAT scores to identify academically-gifted students.

Dear families,

We are having a great school year.

Just few reminders from school nurse:

1. Please fill out the health cards that are sent home in Thursday folders if you haven't already.

2. Please make sure kids eat breakfast - even if it's a little bit - as they have a long day.

3. Please pack an extra set of clothes and a sweatshirt in case they need it at school.

4. I would gladly accept any donations for the school clinic including Kleenex tissue boxes, disposable cups, unscented baby wipes, unscented trash bags 4 gallon or smaller, and sandwich ziplocs.

You can send them with the student or drop them off at the front office.

Thanks,

Nurse Manjit

Stay up-to-date with all the Clairemont PTA news and see pics of our fun events by following the PTA on Facebook or Instagram.

Find us at: https://www.facebook.com/ClairemontElementary and on Instagram @ClairemontPTA.

And of course, you can find all things Clairemont PTA as well as the form to join at our website: https://clairemontpta.ptboard.com/

The artist application for our annual Decatur Holiday Marketplace is NOW OPEN!

You can find the vendor application HERE. The application closes on September 30.

Please help us spread the word!

Can you help us?

We need a parent that is a certified or registered public accountant to help us review the records we keep at the end of the raffle.

Please email Marketplace Chairperson Melissa Godbee at decaturholidaymarketplace@gmail.com if you are able to help!

Attend DEF's Battle of the Bands, a family-friendly community concert, and you could help your school win a $1000 music grant! Head to the Legacy Park lawn on Friday, Sept. 6 from 5-9 p.m. for a fun evening of live music, yummy food, and community! Four CSD bands will be bringing the tunes – you BYOB (bring your own blanket) and your school spirit! The school with the largest percentage of representation will win the music grant for their school... along with a trophy and bragging rights, of course! We’ll have food vendors and sweet treats to supplement your picnic. Adults are $10 and KIDS ARE FREE! Buy tickets here.

*If cost is an issue, please email Drew@DecaturEducationFoundation.org.