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

City Schools of Decatur recognizes the challenges this week's virtual learning days have caused to families and the disruption to education. However, the safety of our students and staff remains our highest priority. Essential personnel were on-site today to warm up buses, inspect routes, clear ice and snow, and evaluate all facilities. These actions are part of our standard operating procedures for recovery after a winter storm.

DeKalb County has lifted the state of emergency. CSD looks forward to welcoming students and staff back tomorrow, Friday, January 24, 2025, as we will resume normal operations. However, bus riders please be patient, as some buses will experience delays due to icy conditions at Hillcrest Dr., Mt. Vernon at Glendale, Missionary at Inman, North Decatur Rd. going East, and Clairemont at Maediris. These bus routes will be adjusted to ensure they can safely transport students. Families should use the Stopfinder app for updated pick-up and drop-off times and information. Late bus riders will have the chance to eat school breakfast.

Walkers should be cautious on sidewalks and dress warmly. Car riders are encouraged to drive slowly. Athletics and after-school activities will resume as scheduled.

As a reminder, elementary students should return to school with the Chromebooks and chargers that schools provided last Friday.

Be safe and stay warm, CSD!

I want to start by thanking our staff, families and students for doing such an amazing job at pivoting to virtual learning this week due to our inclement weather days. Your patience, understanding and flexibility are invaluable to us to ensure students are engaged and learning. Even while learning at home, our Eagles continue to SOAR!

We will forward to seeing everyone at Community Circle tomorrow with Ms. Ronco's class hosting. This Community Circle was previously scheduled before the cancellation of CC on January 10 due to inclement weather, hence the reason we are meeting two Fridays in a row.

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 Glennwood parents to identify areas in need of improvement. See directions 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.

Warm regards (literally!),

Holly Brookins, Ph.D.

Principal

hbrookins@csdecatur.net

We are so excited to announce that the Caldecott Medalist for 2024, Vashti Harrison will be visiting Glennwood on February 14 at 9:00 am as the keynote speaker for our 6th Annual African American Read-In. She is also our first Coretta Scott King Award Honor Medalist (Writing and illustration) to visit our school. This is quite an honor for us!

Ms. Harrison will be sharing her award-winning newest book, Big with students. Families have an opportunity to purchase this and/or other books and have them signed and personalized. Order forms were sent home in folders on January 9. All orders are due by Tuesday, January 28th. Don't miss the chance to purchase a book for your child - 20% of all sales benefit the Glennwood Media Center. This visit is sponsored by GL PTA and the GL Library Fund.

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:

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.

Our yogurt parfait bar and other snacks for Staff Appreciation will now be held on Tuesday, January 28th.

Please review the available slots and sign up here! Items can be dropped off with Ms. Reynolds at the front office January 27-28 during school hours. PTA will assemble the snack table for our staff to enjoy on Jan. 28th. We are also requesting clean up volunteers, so please sign up if you can help!.

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. We’re still looking for additional tables so if you’re interested in participating, see here for more info. PLEASE SIGN UP 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. ADS ARE DUE BY FEBRUARY 14TH.

Please take our school’s climate survey and make your opinion count! This survey expires March 31, 2025. Survey participation is critical because the data will be used to calculate School Climate Star Ratings for the 2025-26 school year. City Schools of Decatur appreciates the contributions of parents, students, and staff!

Glennwood Family Climate Survey

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!