Eagle Edition

Holly Brookins, PhD, Principal ~ Summer Clayton, Assistant Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach

Email: hbrookins@csdecatur.net
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435 * Website * Facebook

We had a practice fire drill today, and our students did great! We are looking forward to seeing everyone at Community Circle tomorrow with our last winter performance with first grade. We will also recognize all January birthdays.

We have few responses to the Glennwood Family Climate Survey. I would like to share a friendly reminder that your voice is very important and we want your feedback! Responses are confidential and will be combined with the survey responses of other parents at Glennwood to identify areas in need of improvement. Directions are below.

The City Schools of Decatur appreciates the contributions of parents, students, and employees. Each year, CSD takes part in annual school climate surveys and climate star ratings organized by the Georgia Department of Education. The outcomes will contribute to our district's School Climate Star Ratings, which are included in each school's yearly College and Career Ready Performance Index. All public schools in Georgia participate in a Student Health Survey, Parent Survey, and School Personnel Survey as part of the school climate survey process. Please complete the Glennwood Family Climate Survey. It will take no more than 10 minutes to complete. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. Thank you for your time and participation.

The City Schools of Decatur Board of Education will host a community meeting at Glennwood next Wednesday, January 22 from 6:30-8:00 pm. All are invited to attend.

Warm regards,

Holly Brookins, Ph.D.

Principal

hbrookins@csdecatur.net

CSD continues to monitor the weather due to the potential of severe weather conditions next week. The safety of our staff and students is always our top priority. Staff and families should check email, the CSD website, and social media channels for updates.

CSD will host five hearings in January for the public to learn more about the district's plans to exercise the one-time option for local governments to opt out of Georgia House Bill 581, which establishes a statewide floating homestead exemption and cap on property taxes.

The schedule for the remaining public hearings is:

Tuesday, January 21, 6:45 p.m. (virtual only, access the meeting here)

Thursday, January 30, 10 a.m. (virtual only, access the meeting here)

Thursday, January 30, 6:45 p.m. (virtual only, access the meeting here)

Passed during the 2024 Legislative Session, HB 581 impacts property taxes for cities, counties and school districts by capping the annual increase in property values for tax purposes, effective January 1, 2025. The bill aims to provide property tax relief for local residents, using the Consumer Price Index as an inflationary index. Since school districts rely heavily on property taxes for funding, this cap could impact the availability of CSD schools' resources and programs.

The Board of Education will follow the legal procedures to opt out of the exemption, including holding the three virtual public hearings. Following the hearings, the board will vote to adopt an opt-out resolution at the February Board of Education meeting and file the resolution with the Secretary of State by March 1, 2025.

CSD has shared new Standard Response Protocols (SRP) posters and documents with schools to educate students, families and staff about best practices for responding to a crisis. Schools will display posters in highly visible areas, handouts will be sent home for families, and students will receive small reference cards to keep with them. English and Spanish versions are available for these documents.

What is SRP?

Developed in collaboration with law enforcement and the I Love U Guys Foundation, SRP is a set of terms and actions that students, CSD staff and first responders can incorporate into a school safety plan to train school communities to respond more effectively to emergencies.

SRP Terms and Actions:

• Lockdown: Secures a room and keeps people quiet and in place

• Evacuate: Moves people from one location to another

• Shelter: States the hazard and safety strategy

• Hold: Students stay in their classroom or area until the "All Clear" is announced

Secure: Students get inside and lock outside doors

Please join us Friday, January 17 at 9:15 (following Community Circle) in room 214 (Mrs. Jones’ room on the top floor), for a Parent Coffee Chat on Glennwood’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Various members of the PBIS Committee will present on what PBIS is and some of its evidence-based research as well as an introduction to our new Eagle Buck School Store! We hope that you are able to join us for some coffee and conversation.

Read-a-Thon is one of our biggest PTA fundraisers that encourages all students to get excited about reading while participating in a friendly competition and having fun!

Learn more and sign up here. Thank you for your participation and support! Questions? Contact Karen Pearl at readathon@glennwoodespta.com

Attention second grade families – help kick-start the new year and show appreciation to our staff on Thursday, January 23 with a yogurt parfait bar and other snacks.

Please review the available slots and sign up here! Items can be dropped off with Ms. Reynolds at the front office January 21-22 during school hours. PTA will assemble the snack table for our staff to enjoy on January 23. We are also requesting clean up volunteers, so please sign up if you can to help clean up.

If you are unable to purchase items for the table, but would like to donate funds towards the event or to restock snacks in the teacher lounge, the PTA is also collecting monetary donations. Donations can be made here with a note that it is for the January Snack Table and we'll take care of it for you. If you have any questions, please reach out to Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs: Samantha Bryan or Hui-Chuan Hodges (staffappreciation@glennwoodespta.com). Thank you!

Culture Night is a Glennwood community event where our families can come together to share their culture with others.

There will be tables representing various cultures, a book reading, and other activities. If you'd like to sign up to lead a table, please SIGN UP HERE by Monday, February 3!

Honor your child with a Tribute Ad in this year’s yearbook. This is a great way to celebrate your child’s growth as a Glennwood student. Follow this link and enter school code 24818 to design and purchase your ad.

Plans are underway for another amazing event to raise money for Decatur Athletics – The Bulldog Bash! Save the date for this year's event on Saturday, March 22, at Independent Distilling Company. The event will feature a live online auction that includes everything from artwork and experiences to trips, restaurant gift cards, sporting event tickets, self-care, and more.

Do you have a connection, talent, vacation home or something unique that can help us raise money for our student-athletes? If so, please fill out this form! More information to come!