CSD Weekly, September 12, 2024

City Schools of Decatur is aware of school threats circulating on social media targeting specific schools in the metro Atlanta area. Unfortunately, this is common following tragic events. We want to emphasize that there have been no credible threats to the school district or our schools. Out of an abundance of caution, CSD remains alert and will continue to work collaboratively with local law enforcement to ensure campus safety.

The safety of our students and staff remains our top priority. All threats to our schools or students are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Any situation and person(s) potentially endangering the safety of our school community will be handled quickly, including a disciplinary hearing and possible criminal charges for the responsible parties.

As a reminder, all students and families are encouraged to refrain from reposting threats and rumors online. According to police, reposting a threat is as good as making the threat itself and contributes to prolonging the event. We also want to reiterate how critical it is for the CSD community to remain vigilant in maintaining safety in, on, and around our schools. If you see or hear something, please report it immediately.

Together, we will ensure the safety of all students and staff in the City Schools of Decatur.

Please see the district news below to learn about:

• Good news around CSD
• District news and resources
• DHS Homecoming events
• How to join the STAR assessment webinar
  
• Flu vaccination events
• Upcoming events
  

To access this week's school newsletters, click on the school logos below.

Find out what's happening in CSD schools by clicking on the school's logo.

Each CSD school honored one Teacher of the Year (TOTY) from the 2023-24 school year. TOTY winners are honored for motivating and inspiring their students to achieve, lead, and collaborate. Congratulations to all of our winners!

School-Level Teachers of the Year

Asia Sylvest, One-year-old Teacher at College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center

Monica Nelson, Music Teacher at Clairemont Elementary

Susanna Shewan, LINKS Teacher at Glennwood Elementary

Eleanor Ball, Special Education Teacher at Oakhurst Elementary

Jamie Montgomery, First Grade Teacher at Westchester Elementary
Kelly McCool, Kindergarten Teacher at Winnona Park Elementary

Corinne Smith, Media Specialist at Fifth Avenue Elementary

Jessica Young, Fifth Grade Teacher at Talley Street Elementary

Christine Kraemer, Band Director at Beacon Hill Middle School

Dr. Cassy Smith, Science Teacher at Decatur High School

Search for "City Schools of Decatur" in the Apple App Store or Google Play today!

CSD is proud to offer arts opportunities for students throughout the district, including band, chorus, drama, musical theater, orchestra, and visual arts. National Arts in Education Week highlights the benefits of arts in education and the importance of equitable arts access for all students.

September is Attendance Awareness Month. Let's take this opportunity to reinforce the importance of regular attendance within our school communities! With your guidance and support, we can encourage students to be present every day.

September is National Literacy Month, a time to encourage the young people in your life to go to the library, pick up a good book, and explore new worlds. Research shows that early reading comprehension instruction is critical for students to be better prepared for more complex subjects later in life and gives them access to a broader range of texts, knowledge, and educational opportunities.

#BeThe1To is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s message for National Suicide Prevention Month and beyond, which helps spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide.

Be the one to:

1. Ask 2. Be There 3. Keep Them Safe 4. Help Them Stay Connected 5. Follow Up 6. Learn More

• Attendance Awareness Month, through September 30
• Suicide Awareness Month, through September 30
• National Arts in Education Week, September 9-14
  
• DHS Homecoming Parade and Game, September 13
• National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15

• National IT Professional Day, September 17

• STAR Assessment Webinar, September 17
  
• Board of Education Fall Community Meeting, September 18
  
• Early Release Day, September 20
• Fall Break, September 23-27

• National HR Professional Day, September 26

• National Night Out, October 1
• State of the Schools, October 11
• Dr. Whitaker's Fall Listening Sessions:
• October 14 (Virtual)
• October 23 (Talley Street)
• October 29 (DHA)

Line the DHS Homecoming parade route to see floats, sports teams, clubs, the band, the colorguard, and members of the 2024 Homecoming court!

Parade: Friday, September 13, 5:30-6:15 p.m.

The parade route begins at the corner of Commerce Dr. and Robin St., between the DHS stadium and the school. The route will continue north on Commerce Dr., take a right on E. Ponce de Leon Ave. (by CVS), right on Church St. (by Leon's), right on E. Trinity Pl. (by Twain's), then left on McDonough St. (by Chick-Fil-A) to end in front of the main DHS building. Parade marchers will hand out candy!

Homecoming football game against Chamblee at 7:30 p.m.: buy tickets here!

Please take this one-minute City Schools of Decatur 2024-25 Communications Survey to keep CSD in the loop about your preferred methods of communication and how CSD can better communicate with its families. The survey will close Monday, September 30. Email communications@csdecatur.net with questions.

Overview

City Schools of Decatur is committed to creating a culture that supports the needs of the whole student. As part of this work, CSD is preparing for the fall administration of the universal screening for social, emotional, and behavioral challenges, which works to identify student strengths and areas for growth relative to social, emotional, and behavioral well-being.

Parents are invited to attend one of the 30-minute virtual parent information sessions to inspect the screener and submit questions about the screener here.

• Friday, September 13, 3 p.m., on Zoom
  
• Tuesday, September 17, 9 a.m., on Zoom

Background

During the 2023-2024 school year, CSD adopted the BASC-3 BESS as the universal screener for behavior. Schools are teaching and creating contexts that promote social and emotional skills and wellness for all students, which can positively impact learning and long-term success. Across all content areas, educators use assessments to determine each student's strengths and areas of growth so they can plan how to teach best and support them. The social, emotional, and behavior (SEB) screening provides an indicator of whether a student’s SEB health is on track and works to ensure help is provided before little problems become big problems.

Details

This year, the SEB screener will be administered to students in grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, and 10. The fall administration of the BASC-3 BESS is open Monday, October 7-Friday, November 1.

Parents of students in these grades who do NOT wish for their students to participate in the screener should complete and submit the SEB screening opt-out form by Monday, September 30, 2024. If you submitted an opt-out form for your student(s) during the 2023-2024 school year, you must submit another opt-out form for this school year.

More information

Please read the frequently asked questions (FAQs), follow up with your student’s school counselor, or email sebscreenerquestions@csdecatur.net with questions.

Overview

In accordance with Georgia’s new Science of Reading professional learning requirements and in alignment with our core commitment that all students will learn to read by grade three, CSD is happy to announce its expanded approach to literacy professional development.

Training requirements

All K-5, 6-12 reading Remedial Education Program (REP), ESOL, and reading and adaptive special education teachers must complete an approved Science of Reading course. CSD offers:

• LETRS3
• Orton-Gillingham (OG)
• Georgia Literacy Academy (GLA)

CSD Support

• Four early release days for training all K-12 teachers on new ELA standards
• Quarterly full-day training sessions for all K-2 teachers on instructional routines supported by the Science of Reading
• Instructional guidance for grades 3-8 teachers in International Baccalaureate (IB) and Units of Inquiry (UoI) through quarterly school-based PLC meetings
• Two-day post-planning training sessions for K-8 teachers on new curriculum
• Weekly support provided by the 6-12 ELA/SS Coordinator through school-based PLCs for teachers of American Literature

Assessment

CSD uses STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading, and the dyslexia screeners Rapid Automatic Color Naming (RAN) and Encoding to guide instructional decisions.

Parents are invited to learn more by joining the STAR Webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 6 p.m.

The Teaching and Learning Department will host an informational webinar to provide an overview of STAR and discuss score reports on Tuesday, September 17, at 6 p.m. Join the webinar here.

Additional resources:

• Learn more about STAR
• Frequently asked questions about STAR
• STAR vs. MAP: research study on score correlations

The public is invited to the inaugural State of the Schools Address on October 11, 2024, at 9 a.m., at Agnes Scott College. Join us as Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker celebrates our schools and student achievements and shares district goals for the upcoming school year.

The CSD School Health Team is offering flu vaccines to CSD students, staff, and families in partnership with DeKalb Public Health.

Parents/guardians must be present for their student(s) to receive the flu vaccine at the time of service. Please bring your ID and insurance card for billing. The accepted insurances are United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Medicare, and Georgia Medicaid. We do not accept Oscar, Kaiser Permanente, or Tricare.

Scheduled flu vaccine events:

September 17, 3-5 p.m., College Heights ECLC

September 19, 5-7 p.m., Oakhurst Elementary

October 2, 9-11 a.m., Clairemont Elementary

October 7, 3-5 p.m., F.AVE

October 21, 3-5 p.m., Wilson Center, second-floor board room

October 24, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Decatur High School, DHS Hospitality Suite

October 28, 1-3 p.m., Glennwood Elementary

CSD is dedicated to giving every student a strong start from birth by building a best-in-class early learning center. This initiative focuses on expanding access to high-quality early learning opportunities for traditionally marginalized families within our community. This survey will gather information about the care, programming, and support needed for early childhood development in the Decatur area.

Parents of children ages 0-5 in the CSD community: Your insights about your experience as a parent or caregiver are crucial in helping us better understand and meet the early childhood needs of our families. Thank you for your valuable input, which will play a vital role in shaping the future of our community's early childhood care and education.

Take the CSD early childhood needs survey here.

The National Association of School Psychologists offers many resources to educators. Teachers who want to help promote safety in school or who may be helping students navigate the many aspects of a crisis can access NASP's safety and crisis resources to help guide their response or to share with students.

If you have a concern about yourself or someone else, please complete the General K-12 Referral Form (24-25). The School Counselors will review the form and connect the person with the appropriate resources. You may share information about yourself or remain anonymous.

Students can refer themselves for services or be referred by a friend, teacher, parent, or concerned community member. Referrals are anonymous unless the person chooses to identify themselves. School Counselors review referrals and connect the student with the appropriate resource(s).

Title IX is a federal law that protects students and staff from gender and sex-based discrimination in schools and the workplace. CSD is providing resources for easy reporting of violations.

Congratulations to Glennwood Elementary and the Flock of Eagles band for winning the inaugural DEF Battle of the Bands!

Parent bank Flock of Eagles covered Taylor Swift and took home the trophy! Glennwood's school music program won a $1,000 grant for having the most students in attendance. Thank you to all the bands who performed and everyone who came to see them!

City of Decatur Parks and Recreation commits to providing exceptional experiences that foster healthy living and meaningful community connections. Please visit their one-stop-shop website for information about after-school programs, school holiday programs, and summer camps. To stay updated on all things Decatur Parks and Recreation, follow them on Facebook and Instagram or sign up for their monthly newsletter here!

See the City of Decatur's Fall programs, including Fall Break soccer camp and tech/media camp.

Fall Break is September 23-27. The organizations listed here offer after school programs and/or camps during school breaks. Please contact the organization for more information. Please note that the listed providers are not formally associated with City Schools of Decatur, rather, we are providing information as a resource for our families.