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 have had a wonderful week at Glennwood SOARing, and teachers have been working hard with Ms. Tolsma and our EL Education Designer to begin planning for spring expeditions. Tomorrow we have Community Circle with Ms. Rose and Mr. C's kindergarten crew hosting. We will also recognize February birthdays. After CC, Mr. Blase will host a parent coffee chat (details below) and we'd love for you to attend.

Saturday, our GL PTA is hosting Culture Night from 3:00-5:00 pm in the auditorium. This is such a fun and educational experience for our students and families. I hope you are planning to attend. Additionally, thank you to the PTA for sponsoring and to the families who are hosting a booth.

Lastly, I want to say a big thank you to those who have completed the School Climate Survey. Our numbers for Glennwood have increased but we still need more responses. I would like to ask you to also complete the City Schools of Decatur Social Emotional Learning (SEL) vision and goals survey. By SEL, we are talking about the process through which students and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Your input is very valuable to the student support services team and this survey closes on February 7. Thank you in advance!

Warm regards,

Holly Brookins, Ph.D

Principal

hbrookins@csdecatur.net

On Friday, February 7 at 9:15 a.m. (following Community Circle) please join school counselor, Jonathan Blase, for part one of a two-part presentation on "Becoming a More Resilient Parent."

Resilience is often thought of as the ability to bounce back from a tough time. In this training, we’re going to look at resilience as bouncing forward. Parents frequently model resilience for their children. Our actions – no matter how small – can have a big impact on our children, and ultimately, our communities.

This training will discuss:

• Our responses to stress

• The impacts stress can have

• Ways we can promote positive childhood experiences and create resilience through connection

What: BECOMING A MORE RESILIENT PARENT: HELPING FAMILIES THRIVE

When: Friday, February 7th 9:15-10 a.m.

Where: Room 214 (Jones)

Why: To learn about stress and promoting positive childhood experiences as well as connect with other parents.

Part two of this training will be on March 14th. If you are unable to attend part one, we will do a short review of covered materials in the beginning of part two.

Now that the weather is warming up, we are getting ready to begin our iRun unit in P.E. This is to prepare for Tour deCatur, an optional 5K/Fun Run at Decatur High School on Saturday, March 15. We are selling Glennwood t-shirts (short and long-sleeve) and sweatshirts to raise money for DEF and Glennwood. The online store is open now and will close February 16. The website is https://pswear.com/Glennwood

The shirts are featured below and the prices are on the website. Please let me know if you have any questions at minscoe@csdecatur.net. Thanks!

Culture Night is a Glennwood community event where our families can come together to share their culture with others. We hope to see you Saturday!!

• 3:00-4:30pm -- Check in + Engaging with Culture Tables -- students will receive a passport to complete as they tour the room

• 4:30-4:40pm -- Book reading with Neima Abdulahi, author of Amina’s MaahMaah Jar

• 4:40-5pm -- Bollywood Bhangra Dance Performance by Dance Flix Academy

If you have any questions, please email dei@glennwoodespta.com.

For February, we're asking First Grade Families to help our staff be festive on Thursday, February 13th. Please review the available slots and sign up HERE! Items can be dropped off with Ms. Reynolds at the front office Feb 10th-12th during school hours. PTA will assemble the snack table for our staff to enjoy on Feb. 13th. 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!

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.

On Friday, January 31, Glennwood welcomed very special guests from Manga African Dance. Manga is a non-profit organization with a mission to "preserve, present, and teach indigenous African cultural arts through dance, drums, fashion, adrama, songs, and more." Glennwood students attended a fabulous performance of drummers and dancers telling stories through music and dance. The performance included music from various cultures from Western, Central, and Southern Africa. We also learned about Sunu, the ceremonial music played by the Malinke people of Guinea and Mali during traditional festivals, and how this dance made its way around the world eventually giving birth to the Charleston and popular hip hop moves in the United States. Their joy and energy was contagious, and students thoroughly enjoyed dancing, moving, and celebrating along with Manga. This performance was made possible by the DEF grant awarded to our parent band, The Flock, at the DEF Battle of the Bands. Thank you DEF, the Flock, and Manga!

This letter is to inform you that the CSD Nutrition Department is reinstating snack sales at all elementary schools. Snacks can be convenient for students needing extra energy during the school day. The snacks available will be Smart Snacks approved and comply with federal guidelines, ensuring they are healthy and nutritious choices for students.

Please note that parents must settle outstanding lunch balances before students may purchase snacks. We encourage you to review your student's lunch account and make any necessary payments.

Should you have questions or concerns, please contact School Nutrition 470.237.0368 ext. 7607 or meals@csdecatur.net.

Monique Breedlove

Director of School Nutrition

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

As we create more opportunities for dialogue around CSD, families are invited to attend an upcoming winter listening session where Dr. Whitaker will hear directly from our community about the issues that matter to them.

• Monday, February 10, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (virtual)

Tour deCatur Registration is Open!

Get ready, get set, get registered for Decatur Education Foundation's 23rd annual Tour deCatur! Sign up at www.tourdecatur.com!

The fun happens on Saturday, March 15, at the Decatur High School stadium. This year, in addition to the 5k (a Peachtree qualifier), the 1-Mile Fun Run, and the adorable Tot Trot (for our friends ages four and under), DEF is offering a "None-Run" for anyone who wants to support Decatur kids without breaking a sweat! This is DEF's largest fundraiser and supports programs and initiatives that remove obstacles, provide opportunities, support educators, and strengthen the Decatur community!

To prepare for the race, all K-2 elementary schools in the district are participating in the iRun program, which teaches students the fundamentals of fitness skills that make running, jogging, and walking enjoyable and safe and prepares them to run the one-mile fun run in March. For more information about DEF's initiatives and how you can get involved, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org.

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!