College Heights Connection

I hope you are having a good week. Thank you to all the families who were able to attend this week's Parent Engagement Event. We had a wonderful turnout. I hope you were able to walk away with some new knowledge on some of your student's classroom experiences. Just a friendly reminder our Pre-K and preschool special education programs will be on winter break next week (February 12th-16th). To our infant-preschool families, please be sure to get your 2024-2025 enrollment packet from your classroom teacher. Completed packets are due back on February 29th at 3:00 pm. If your child is moving on to Kindergarten there is nothing you need to complete but I do encourage you to reach out to your home school if you need aftercare services. Lastly, please be sure to get your Auction tickets. The Auction is the school's biggest fundraiser so we need our amazing families to make it a success.

Have a great weekend,

Principal Garland

We get a lot of questions and requests regarding classroom placements. Students in our infant and one year old classrooms will naturally matriculate to the classroom that is aligned to their birthday. Students in our toddler classrooms will be grouped into three (3) preschool classrooms and students in our preschool classrooms will be grouped into eight (8) Pre-K classrooms. Students are placed in classrooms based on student strengths and areas of growth. We are not able to accommodate parent request for specific teachers or peers. In addition, students are not guaranteed to be placed in classrooms of their siblings who were previously enrolled in the program. Thank you for understanding.

We will be offering summer camp services for any currently enrolled Pre-K student for the month of June. Camp details:

• Camp dates - June 3rd-28th
• Camp is available for the first 40 students registered.
• Camp hours will be 7:30-4:00 pm with after care services available from 4:00-5:00 pm at an additional cost.
• Camp tuition is $230/week without aftercare and $275/week with aftercare
• Tuition must be paid at the time of registration
• Fees are non-refundable

Registration opens February 26th at 8:00 am. Registration packets will be available at the front desk. All completed packets must be submitted to the front desk. No email packages will be accepted.

Questions? Please contact Elecia Fulton.

Winter Book Fair Ends Friday

Tomorrow is the last day to shop the winter book fair. Thank you for supporting early literacy programs at College Heights.

Winter Break - Library Closed

The library will be closed for student and parent checkout February 12-16. Families of 0-3 students, please take advantage of the self-serve DEI book cart across from Caretha's desk. There are many great books available for checkout.

Library This Week

In recognition of Lunar New Year, Pre-K students read the book Dragon Noodle Party, written by Ying Chang Compestine and illustrated by Paula Pang, and were excited to learn about the animals of the Chinese Zodiac. Students were also introduced to the library's display of Black history and Black excellence books in celebration of Black History Month.

Our younger students enjoyed:

Black is a Rainbow Color by Angela Joy, illustrated by Ekua Holmes

The Rice in the Pot Goes Round and Round by Wendy Wan-Long Shang, illustrated by Lorian Tu

Shake the Tree! by Chiara Vignocchi, Paolo Chiarinotti, and Silvia Borando

Ten Sleepy Sheep by Phyllis Root, illustrated by Susan Gaber

Pre-K families, if you haven't had a chance to return your library contracts, please sign and send them back tomorrow. Students will bring books home the week after Winter Break. Thank you and have a great break!

Gear up for Victory!

Can’t make it to the Super Bowl? Cheer on your favorite sports team live AND support College Heights, when you win tickets to see the best teams in Atlanta!

About the Auction

This is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year, featuring live and silent auctions, where you can bid on incredible items and experiences to help support College Heights ECLC.

Buy my tickets NOW!

Need a Babysitter?

Grab a spot that night at The Little Gym from 6:45-9:45 for ages 3-10. Easy for you, fun for kiddos! Gymnastics for Kids in Decatur, GA (thelittlegym.com)

This message is to update you on the application of funds to student lunch accounts thanks to the generosity of a grant from The Arby’s Foundation. You may notice activity on your student’s lunch account in Infinite Campus this week as we work to eliminate all outstanding debts accrued through February 2.

As a reminder, the federal program that provided funds for every public school student to receive meals at no cost ended in 2022. It is the responsibility of parents/guardians to cover the costs of any meal. Families may apply for free or reduced-price meals at any time during the school year in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal by clicking “More” and then “Meal Benefits.”

Dr. Whitaker will host her winter series of listening sessions around the City Schools of Decatur to listen and learn from students, staff, families, and community leaders. Initial sessions were held in the fall as part of the first phase of Dr. Whitaker’s three-phased entry plan into the district entitled GEM - which focused on gathering information, reviewing the findings to envision a plan forward, and maximizing the results. The meetings will be held virtually and in person. Here is a list of the sessions:

Winter Listening Sessions:

• Wednesday, February 21 - Oakhurst in Gym at 5:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, February 27 - Beacon Hill in Media Center at 5:30 p.m.

• Friday, March 1 - Virtual at 11:30 a.m. https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/91210511997

The Decatur Education Foundation invites you to run with us at Tour deCatur on Saturday, March 16, at Decatur High School. Mathnasium Decatur is proud to be this year's Presenting Sponsor, and activities include the 5K road race, a one-mile Fun Run, a Tot Trot, and an interactive Kids’ Zone. Secure your spot today:

https://bit.ly/Tour-deCatur-2024

Your support of the Decatur Education Foundation helps us remove obstacles to learning, provide opportunities for students, support educators, and strengthen the Decatur community. To register, volunteer, and learn more about how we help youth thrive in Decatur, visit DecaturEducationFoundation.org or email Kamela@decatureducationfoundation.org. See you at the starting line!

February 12-16 - Winter Break (Pre-K and preschool special education students)

February 24 - PTA Auction

February 26 - School to Heart to Home virtual parent series (12:00 pm)

February 28 - Early Release Day (Pre-K students)