Talley Street Update
This week's news from Talley Street Upper Elementary
August 15, 2024
Important Upcoming Dates
SLT Interest Deadline: August 16
SLT Meeting: August 19 @ 4:30 p.m. (Media Center and Virtual)
Title I Parent Input Meeting: August 22, 8:00 a.m. (Room 56) | 5:00 PM (Virtual)
Curriculum Night: August 27, 6:00-7:30 p.m. | LINKS Curriculum Night @ 5:30 p.m.
Early Release: August 28 @ 12:15 p.m.
Walk n Roll: September 6
Family Trivia Night: September 19 @ 6 p.m.
Field Day: October 11 [DATE CHANGED]
Dear Talley Street Community,
All SLT candidate statements are due by tomorrow, Friday, August 16th, by 6:00 p.m. The school will post the candidate statements in next week's Talley Street Update. The candidate statements will also be shared via our social media platforms. SLT elections will begin on August 26th and run through August 28th. The school will send a Google Form on the morning of the 26th. Chromebooks will be available on the 27th during the school's curriculum night for voting. Families are limited to one vote per child attending Talley.
Monday, August 19th, is the August SLT meeting. The meeting will be at 4:30 in the school's media center. Parents and Guardians may also access the meeting via Google Meet. The link to the meeting is below. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Billy
Important Change - School Communications
Beginning next week, all families will receive one CSD district newsletter. The transition to one newsletter is in response to feedback from the CSD school community to streamline and reduce the volume of weekly communications to families from multiple schools.
The new district newsletter will include district news and links to all school newsletters. A link to the Talley newsletter will be embedded next to the school's logo.
Talley Robotics Challenge Teams (4th and 5th Grade): Now Accepting Applications
Are you passionate about STEM? Do you enjoy problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity? Are you in 4th or 5th grade? Then the Talley First Lego League (FLL) Robotics Challenge Team is for you! Discover the thrill of engineering, problem-solving, and teamwork. Design and program LEGO robots, research real-world challenges, and present innovative solutions in exciting team competitions. For more information about FLL, visit: FIRST | For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (firstinspires.org).
Talley Robotics is currently seeking students who want to participate on one of Talley's FLL Challenge Teams. Please note, this is a competitive team, not a club. Teams generally practice once a week for two hours after school and will compete in at least one FLL regional competition in December (more if teams advance past regionals). Participants are expected to regularly attend practices and competitions (barring emergencies/illness). The cost to participate is $125 per season (needs based scholarships are available).
Applications are available here. The deadline to submit is Tuesday, August 20th. For questions, please contact Talley STEM teacher Ms. Reno at areno@csdecatur.net.
Join the Coaching Team at Talley Street as a MENTOR for girls in 3rd-5th grade!
We need coaches!
We are in need of volunteer IN PERSON coaches for next season! Coaches are MENTORS who help inspire girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum (provided by Girls on the Run), which creatively integrates running. At Girls on the Run we inspire girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. It is NOT required to be a runner, athlete, or identify as female to be a coach! We cannot have any teams at Talley if we do not have enough volunteers to coach, so please consider joining our coaching team next season!
Here is what you can expect:
Fill out a coach's application and complete a background check
Attend a virtual training session AND an in person training session with GOTR Atlanta
Attend a virtual pre-season Talley Coaches Meeting
Commit to 1-2 days a week of coaching (Mon/Wed or Tues/Thurs from 2:30-4:00 p.m.) during the season
Support your fellow co-coaches, take turns leading lessons based on the detailed GOTR Curriculum you will be provided
This program has proven to have a positive impact on the girls who participate. Be prepared for it to have a positive impact on you, too!
Fall 2024 Dates
Lottery Closes September 3
Practice Begins Week of September 16
End-of-Season 5K December 7
Last Week of Programs December 9
We do not practice when there is no school.
Please reach out to Natalie Bundschu at nbundschu@csdecatur.net if you or anyone you know is interested in coaching this season. We would love to have as many coaches as possible and are happy to work with your availability. If possible, we would especially love coaches who could commit to returning to coach for future seasons.
Join the Girls on the Run team at Talley Street!
Join our IN-PERSON teams at Talley Street!
Girls on the Run inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum, which creatively integrates running. At Girls on the Run we inspire girls to recognize their inner strength and celebrate what makes them one of a kind. Trained coaches lead small teams through our research-based curricula which includes dynamic discussions, activities and running games. Over the course of the ten-week program, girls in 3rd-5th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. The program culminates with girls positively impacting their communities through a service project and being physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5K event.
Interested in participating? Registration is OPEN NOW
Questions? Email nbundschu@csdecatur.net or contact info@girlsontherunatlanta.org
Girls on the Run Site Information
Talley Street Upper Elementary School
Two days a week after school until 2:30-4:00 (Mondays/Wednesdays or Tuesdays/Thursdays)
Register Online: Girlsontherunatlanta.org
Paper application available upon request
Space is limited
GOTR uses an income-based sliding scale so that every girl who wants to participate can. Registration fee is available on a sliding scale starting at $0.
Includes GOTR lessons, journal, water bottle, 2 t-shirts and 5k registration.
Fall 2024 Dates
Lottery Closes September 3
Practice Begins Week of September 16
End-of-Season 5K December 7
Last Week of Programs December 9
We do not practice when there is no school.
*You can register anytime during the registration period. Team participants selected by the computer will receive an automated e-mail stating they are on the team. Girls who are not placed on the initial team will be placed on a waiting list and will receive an email from GOTR.
Chorus Sign-Up
4th and 5th graders - do you love to sing? Do you love to perform? Or maybe you want to give it a try? Sign up for chorus is happening right now!
Chorus meets right at dismissal every Wednesday until 3:15 with Ms. Jessup in the music room. We will have a few concerts a year, vocal coaching, ear training, music games, celebrations, meet new friends and MORE!
All 4th and 5th graders, in music class we will resume our recorder playing very soon! Families, please make sure your child brings back their recorder. Please contact Ms. Jessup (tjessup@csdecatur.net) if you have any questions. Thank you!
Talley Street School Leadership Team (SLT) Elections
The Talley Street Upper Elementary School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee of Talley Street's parents/guardians, staff members, and other personnel. The SLT focuses on school governance, student achievement, and family engagement. Some of the responsibilities of this team are to:
Serve on interview teams
Develop, approve, and monitor the continuous school improvement planning process
Review assessment data and use it for decision-making purposes
Review and approve changes to its bylaws
Recommend school needs to the CSD Board of Education during the annual budget process.
SLT members are elected to their positions except for appointed positions. Parents may attend to present an idea/concern at SLT work sessions. SLT meetings are open, and stakeholders are welcome to attend (look for dates in the Talley Street Update and on the school’s web page).
To vote in the SLT election, you must be a parent/guardian of a Talley Street Student. If you are interested in joining the SLT, please submit a candidate statement with biographical information and a paragraph explaining why you want to be an SLT member to Mr. Heaton (bheaton@csdecatur.net) by Friday, August 16, 2024. Each family will receive one vote per enrolled student. Remember that the most essential requirement of an SLT member is to have an honest desire to contribute to the educational experience and learning of all children at Talley Street Upper Elementary School.
Details:
All candidate statements are due August 16th to Mr. Heaton.
All candidate statements will be published in the Talley Street Update, Talley Street webpage, and on the school’s social media.
Elections will take place on August 29th and August 30th. The school will send out a Google form on the morning of the 29th.
Talley Street has an opening for one parent representative for the 24-25 school year.
Recaps
- The DHS halftime mascot race last friday was amazing! Congratulations to Claremont’s Claire the Bulldog for winning the trophy. Titan, you raced like a champ, and we are so proud!
Thanks to all of you who are registering your (and the grandparents’) Kroger and Publix accounts to support Talley. This quarter we brought in close to $200 to support our school! Sign up here: bit.ly/3yfmtn1
We had our 1st PTO meeting of the year last night and recapped all the amazing things that have already happened in this 1st month of school. Our agendas and minutes will be posted here once approved: https://www.talleypto.org/bylaws-minutes
To-Dos and To-Knows
- Donation Drive: our annual donation drive will wrap up on Aug. 30th. Give a family donation to the PTO to help fund our amazing programs throughout the the year: bit.ly/3ygCwRt
- Room Parents:
- We still need room parents for Ms. Gudrunardottir, Ms. Clem, and Ms. Jackson. If you are a parent in one of these classes, please consider signing up here: bit.ly/4bZiQPO
- If you have already signed up, thank you! We are holding two information sessions. Hear updates on new changes to the role this year and ask any questions you may have. Email rpcoordinator@talleypto.org with any questions or if you can’t make it! Please choose one session to attend:
- In Person: Tuesday, August 20, stop by the back area of the Talley Media Center anytime from 7:30-8:15 am after drop off
- Virtual: Tuesday, August 20, 7-7:30 pm via Zoom (https://hawks.zoom.us/j/81203383501?pwd=o7FKGmZsiJFOiTwL7AlqUfrDkgvnO3.1)
Snack Cart - Business Sponsors
For those that don’t know, the PTO sponsors the roll out of snack carts every other Friday for staff to grab a treat. They love it so much! We are looking for community businesses to sponsor a month at a time for $500. If you know of an interested business, please help connect us by emailing Erin at copresident@talleypto.org.
Talley Event Photos
Have you taken photos at Talley events? Got a great group shot under the rainbow arch on the first day? Please share them with us to include in the yearbook!
Send photos to yearbook@talleypto.org all year long.
Follow Us on Social Media!
2024-25 Early Release Days
Reminder! City Schools of Decatur's first Early Release Day is Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Here is the schedule of release times by school level:
Pre-K: 12:15 PM
Lower Elementary: 12:50 PM
Upper Elementary: 12:15 PM
Middle School: 1:45 PM
High School: 1:35 PM
College Heights: (0-3 and the Pre-K program will remain on the normal schedule)
The remaining early release dates are listed below:
Friday, September 20, 2024
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Friday, November 22, 2024
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
CSD Grading Handbook
We're off to a fantastic start this school year, with teachers already diving into instruction and engaging students in deeper learning. Last November, the City Schools of Decatur Board approved a new grading policy for the 2024-25 school year. Please click the CSD Grading Handbook link below to learn more about the details and implementation. Additional opportunities for discussion and questions will be available during each school's curriculum night.
District-Wide STAR Assessment
The STAR assessment testing window is open for CSD Pre-K through 12th grade students. Please check your school’s newsletter for specific testing dates for your student’s school and grade band. See frequently asked questions about STAR here.
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:
To learn more about STAR, click here.
STAR vs. MAP: view a research study on score correlations here.
Mark Your Calendars! CSD Programs Overview Virtual Meeting
Save the date for a virtual meeting to learn more about the following support programs and services available to CSD students:
Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)
Gifted and Talented Services
ESOL and Federal Programs
504 and Psychological Services
Professional School Counseling
Behavior Support
School Social Work
Special Education
Click here to submit your questions about the Programs Overview before Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 4 p.m.
Join Zoom meeting link: https://csdecatur.zoom.us/j/91572160845
Rock Out with DEF at Battle of the Bands!
Join Decatur Education Foundation for a brand new community event! Head to Legacy Park on Friday, Sept. 6th, from 5-9 pm for a fun family evening of live music and community! City Schools of Decatur community circle bands will bring the tunes – you bring your school spirit! The school with the largest percentage of representation will win a 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! Get tickets here: https://decatureducationfoundation.org/def-events/battle-of-the-bands/
*If cost is an issue, please email Drew@DecaturEducationFoundation.org.
Social Media and Contact Information
You can find more information on the following Facebook pages:
Talley Street Upper Elementary School PTO
Talley Street Upper Elementary School Parents
Talley Street PE
And these Instagrams:
@talleystreetgarden
For news from our counselors, check out their website:
For more about the Talley Street PTO, visit their website here: https://talleypto.org/.