Eagle Edition
April 13, 2023
Glennwood Elementary ~ Where Learning Takes Flight
Holly Brookins, PhD, Principal ~ Summer Clayton, Assistant Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach
Email: hbrookins@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/glennwood
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gleagles/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Calendar of Events
April is Autism Awareness Month
Friday, April 14
Walk and Roll to School
Community Circle - GL Twins Hosting at 8:30 am
Parent Coffee Chat in Media Center - 9:00-10:00 am
Thursday, April 20
9:00-11:00 am & 4:00-6:00 pm
Friday, April 28
Community Circle - Specials Classes Hosting
Virtual Talent Show - Special showing in GL Auditorium at 6:00 pm and virtual link will also be emailed to families
Where Learning Takes Flight
April Design Principle: Collaboration & Competition
"The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra."
~Jimmy Johnson
Hello Glennwood Families,
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful and restful spring break!
Your child’s school experience and success each year is very important to us. As we prepare to make class lists for next year, please know that you can place your trust in your child's teacher(s) and staff to make careful, thoughtful placements. The process for placement in a class for the next school year takes many hours. We are very intentional and deliberate as we place students.
We value your input on this! If you wish to share information for us to consider regarding your child, please consider completing the 23-24 GL Parent Input Form by Friday, April 21st. Please do not request a specific teacher but feel free to share characteristics that are important for your child.
Congratulations to CSD's Young Author Contest Winners! Elliott Scott is the City Schools of Decatur, District Kindergarten Winner of the 2023 Young Georgia Authors Contest and Lucas Stinson is the City Schools of Decatur, District Second Grade Winner of the 2023 Young Georgia Authors Contest. Congratulations to these two Glennwood students for winning for the district! We are very proud of you!
Elliott is in Ms. Ronco's class and Lucas is in Ms. Marquez's class. These students along with their families will be recognized at the April 18 CSD Board of Education Meeting.
The Young Georgia Authors (YGA) writing competition has encouraged K-12 Georgia students to develop an enthusiasm for writing for over 20 years. This prestigious competition is sponsored by the Georgia Language Arts Supervisors and the Georgia Regional Education Service Agency Network, with the support of the Georgia Department of Education.
Warmest regards,
Holly Brookins, PhD
Principal
Please Join Us for a Parent Coffee Chat Tomorrow!
Walk & Roll Day is Tomorrow!
It’s already that time again - Walk & Roll to School Day!! Please join us on your feet, your bike or your scooter (don’t forget those helmets!) and let’s show CSD how Eagles SOAR! Students who walk, bike or scoot will continue to enter at their grade specific doors, where they will be counted, using our traditional marbles, by their staff door monitors, and can pick up their incentives. Don’t forget, each marble counts towards students earning extra school wide recess, with announcements made at Community Circle! For additional details (including our three Walking School Bus Routes) and a full Walk & Roll schedule for the year, please visit the Glennwood website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Domain/530
Contact Amanda McMillan (almcmil@gmail.com) with any questions!
K-Day! is April 20
Friendly reminder: Talent Show videos are due on Monday, April 17. If you have not completed the sign-up/permission form, please go ahead and do so. Everything needed to participate is included in the following links. As a reminder, we will have a "showing" of the Talent Show Movie on April 28 in the auditorium. It will also be released in a link to view from home. Please email kpierce@csdecatur.net with any questions.
Here's the info needed for the talent show:
Talent Show Rules and Guidelines, Glennwood, 2023
Sign-Up/Permission - Glennwood Talent Virtual S... - PAST DUE
Video Submission Form, Glennwood Virtual Talent... - DUE Monday, April 17
I am excited that Glennwood Elementary will be hosting a blood drive with the Red Cross on May 16th. Please sign up to donate blood if you are able.
As a reminder, please provide a change of clothes that can be kept in your child's locker. The playground is muddy, kids spill things, and all kids, even the 2nd graders, have bathroom accidents. The school has a very limited supply of extra clothes and underwear. If your child needs a change of clothes, and we do not have something to fit, we will call you to bring in a change. Having an extra set in their locker will alleviate interrupting your day and will help the child return to class asap.
If you have any older clothes that you were planning on donating, pants and shorts for both boys and girls, we will gladly take them!
As always, if you have questions, please reach out by email at ebarrington@csdecatur.net or 404-371-4435
Nurse Beth
PTA Board Nominating Form 2023-2024
Do you want to get involved with Glennwood? Join the PTA board or help the PTA by being a chair! The current PTA is accepting nominations for the board and has some vacant spots for the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the Nominating Form if you would like to join the PTA Board or chair or join a PTA Committee, by Friday April 28.
Interested in learning more? Please email Co-Presidents, Leslie Sessley and Kelly Stinson at: President@glennwoodpta.org
Staff Appreciation Monthly Snack Table: Kindergarten hosting "Spring"-themed brunch table for April
Calling all kindergarten families! Kindergarten is hosting a "spring"-themed brunch table for our staff in April. We are collecting funds for a fresh brunch of bagels, coffee, juice, fruit, and mini-donuts. You can sign up below to donate funds to the PTA's paypal (treasurer@glennwoodpta.org) (please mark your donation as for the "Staff Appreciation April Snack Table") or sign up to bring something here. The PTA will use the funds collected to order fresh bagels and coffee on the day of the brunch.
We are also requesting volunteers to help with cleaning up, so please consider volunteering an hour of your time. Please drop off all donations to Ms. Reynolds at the front desk Monday, April 17-Wednesday, April 19th during school hours. We will host the snack table on Thursday, April 20th.
If you have any questions, please contact Staff Appreciation Chairs, Haley Stevens at haleycstevens@gmail.com or Samantha Bryan at samantha.chopp@gmail.com Thank you!
Save the Date - Glennwood Staff Appreciation Week is May 1-5
Mark your calendars now for Glennwood’s Staff Appreciation Week, May 1-5. The PTA will be hosting several fun events for our staff throughout the week. We will be requesting participation from our students as well as needing adult volunteers throughout the week, so please be on the lookout for more info from your room parents soon. We hope you will join us to thank our amazing staff for all their hard work for our students this year!
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer, please reach out to Haley Stevens (haleycstevens@gmail.com) or Samantha Bryan (samantha.chopp@gmail.com)
Attention second-grade families! Save the date for Glennwood's annual Second Grade Moving Forth Ceremony and Picnic. On the morning of Tuesday, May 23, we'll gather at the school to celebrate our second graders' accomplishments and wish them well as they move on from Glennwood. The ceremony will be followed by a family picnic at Glenlake Park, and we hope you will join in on the fun!
Please stay tuned for more details as well as opportunities to volunteer. Contact Anya Robinson (bream5@hotmail.com) or Cristina Stevenson (cristina.stevenson@gmail.com) with questions or to get involved in planning this special day.
Join the Glennwood DEI Committee for "Cocktails & Conversation: Caring for Yourself and the Planet" on Friday, April 21 from 6:30 - 8:30 at Camp Scene! In honor of Earth Day, this event is focused on environmental action and connection within our community. Childcare, cocktails, and a food truck with food for purchase!
Attendance is limited. Please RSVP to secure your seat! bit.ly/cocktailsandconvo421
TALLEY STREET RISING 3RD GRADE EVENTS
Hello future Talley Tiger parents and students! We are so excited to have you as a part of our crew for the 23-24 school year. We have a couple of events that we hope will get you excited and help with the transition to upper elementary school. To begin, we look forward to hosting our rising third graders on Tuesday, May 16th (Winnona Park) and Wednesday, May 17th (Clairemont/Glenwood). The students will be given a tour of the school by our student House leaders and will see inside a 3rd grade classroom.
In addition, all rising 3rd grade parents are invited to an information night on Wednesday, 5/17 from 6-7. It will include meeting 3rd grade teachers, learning more about the school, and taking a tour.
We look forward to meeting you and your children next month. Should you have any questions or concerns about next year, please reach out to me at bheaton@csdecatur.net.
Billy Heaton
Principal
Talley Street Upper Elementary
News from City Schools of Decatur
Extra Mile Awards
Students: Do you know a teacher or CSD employee who has gone “the extra mile” this year? Nominate them for the CSD Extra Mile Award! The Extra Mile Award is an annual award that allows students to show appreciation for the teachers or staff they feel go above and beyond what is expected of them.
Students (not parents) at any grade level can write an essay describing how their teacher (or staff member) goes the extra mile (parents can help younger children write the essay). The essays should be detailed and describe how the employee goes above and beyond.
Click here to submit a nomination. The deadline is May 31.
These awards will be presented at the CSD Opening Day Celebration in July.
Questions? Contact cburnett@csdecatur.net or 404-371-3601
CSD Special Education Department
This month we are hosting a Parent Engagement Meeting for families of students with IEPs on the topic of Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Please share the following with families:
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Meeting
WHEN: Thursday, April 27th, 6-7pm
WHERE: This is an online event.
WHO: Parents of students that are served through an IEP (ECLC- 12th).
MORE INFORMATION
Ms. Alicia Lipscomb, Public Affairs Specialist, for the Social Security Administration will share an overview of how to access SSI for individuals with a disability.
What is SSI?
How do parents apply for their student?
What does it mean to qualify for SSI?
What comes with the SSI benefits
What recourse do families have if denied the benefit?
Click here to RSVP or email Cheryl Grant, cgrant@csdecatur.net
DHS SGA Earth Day 5K
The DHS Student Government Association (SGA) is hosting their inaugural SGA Earth Day 5K at Legacy Park on April 29, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. Proceeds from this event will support SGA’s future sustainability efforts and the Decatur Track and Field. Bring the family and enjoy sprint races and activities, music, prizes, and food vendors.
News from the Decatur Education Foundation
Two Live Music Events!
Tickets now on sale! Amplify Decatur is hosting their Spring Concert in the Square on Saturday, April 29th and DEF is so pleased to be one of the beneficiaries. The line-up is chock full of some amazing musicians – check them out and purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/amplify-decatur-music-festival-tickets-527859721637. If you’d like to enjoy live music for FREE, consider volunteering at the concert! There are spots at every time of day available. Click here to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084caba628abff2-amplify1#/ Your evening of live music will support DEF, Decatur Cooperative Ministry and Giving Kitchen.
Come see some of our talented Decatur High musicians perform at No Ordinary Joe! Benefitting DEF’s behavioral health initiative, Joe’s Fund, No Ordinary Joe will feature Decatur High School’s Exploring Music Club members for an evening of live music at Waller’s Coffee Shop on Thursday, May 4th starting at 7pm. Tickets are now on sale at www.decatureducationfoundation.org/noordinaryjoe: $25 for adults/$10 for students. Big thanks to Waller’s for donating their space!
Nominate a Hero
Do you know a CSD teacher, paraprofessional or employee who has shown extreme care and compassion for a student at a time of great need or crisis? We are currently accepting nominations for the Clarence Strickland Make A Difference Award HERE. Nominations are due by April 20th and the recipient will be recognized at our scholarship event on May 15th.
Decatur Prevention Initiative and Decatur Parents Network
The Decatur Prevention Initiative in collaboration with Decatur Parents Network will be hosting an exclusive showing of the newly released film, Screenagers Under the Influence: Addressing Vaping, Drugs and Alcohol in the Digital Age. This film addresses many of the concerns our parents have been expressing. The Decatur showing is the first showing on the East Coast, and the filmmaker is flying in as a special guest and to be on the panel. Tickets are free, but are limited, so register today!