College Heights Connection

I hope you are having a great week. A special thank you to the families in Ms. Carrion's preschool classroom for a wonderful staff breakfast last week. The distribution of the 2024-2025 enrollment packets has been pushed back. I am waiting on the finance department to finalize the financial agreements. Families moving to Pre-K do NOT need to register online. Only those families new to the school will register online for Pre-K. Enrollment packets will be distributed by the teachers. Packets will include registration for after care. Thank you for your flexibility.

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.

On Monday, February 5, families are invited to an evening event here at College Heights from 6:00-7:00 pm. Families will participate in fun and engaging activities in their child's classroom. These activities are designed to provide a glimpse of the learning that happens during the school day. This evening will also feature our winter book fair featuring diverse and inclusive books from Charis Books & More. Dinner will be provided by PTA. Please RSVP to your child's teacher by TOMORROW (February 2) with the number of attendees in your family.

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 Happening Now

College Heights is partnering with Charis Books & More for our annual winter book fair. Charis has curated a wonderful selection of diverse and inclusive books especially for College Heights students and families. These are books your kids will ask you to read over and over again! The books will be on display in the library beginning Monday, January 29th through Friday, February 9th.

In the winter book fair, families select the books they wish to buy and then pay to place an order for these books. Your books will be delivered to your student's classroom school shortly after Winter Break. Families will also have the opportunity to purchase books for teachers from their classroom wish lists.

Families can shop the fair in THREE convenient ways:

• Visit the College Heights library to view books and place an order.
• Shop the fair online. You can also view Charis' recommendations for children and teens and adults (you can purchase almost any book in print!). When completing your online order, type "CH ECLC" in the comment section and a percentage of your sale will be donated back to our school.
• Make your purchase in person at Charis Books & More (184 S. Candler Street on the Agnes Scott campus) and let them know you are with College Heights ECLC.

Questions? Contact Leslie or come by the library. Thank you for supporting early literacy programs at College Heights!

Library This Week

Pre-K students continued their learning about Caldecott Medal and Honor books and played a game to determine which Caldecott book would be the read aloud for the day. Our younger students enjoyed Little Taco Truck by Tanya Valentine and Jorge Martin, I Don't Care by Julie Fogliano, Molly Idle, and Juana Martinez-Neal, Ride, Roll, Run Time for Fun by Valerie Bolling and Sabrena Khadija, and we sang and danced to The Animal Boogie by Debbie Harter, sung by Fred Penner.

February is Black History Month and our read alouds over the next few weeks will focus on picture books by Black authors and illustrators. We have a robust collection of books celebrating Black history and Black excellence, so please stop by the library to view our book display or the DEI Book Cart and pick up some books to share with your families at home during this month and beyond.

Finally, Pre-K parents, please return your library contracts to your child's teacher by Friday, February 2. Students will bring books home the week after Winter Break. Thank you!

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!

Make Party Planning a Breeze!

Planning a birthday bash for a special little someone? Throw a party to remember AND support College Heights, when you win a birthday party package at the Auction!

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)

The window for the 2023-24 Georgia Student Health Survey and Parent Survey closes Friday, March 1. Student and parent survey participation is critical because the data will be used to calculate School Climate Star Ratings for the 2024-25 school year. Parents can access the survey here, and students in grade 3-12 can access it via the Georgia Health Survey icon in LaunchPad (or directly here for 3-5, here for 6-8, and here for 9-12).

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 is thrilled to announce the 22nd Annual Tour deCatur 5K and One-Mile Fun Run. Join us on Saturday, March 16, 2024, for a day of family-friendly fun surrounded by your Decatur community. Registration for the 5K, the one-mile Fun Run, and the Tot Trot is now open! Secure your spot today: https://bit.ly/Tour-deCatur-2024

As DEF's largest fundraiser, the Tour deCatur plays a crucial role in supporting programs that address issues such as racial and economic inequity, food insecurity, behavioral health, and learning differences. Please email Kamela@decatureducationfoundation.org if you’re interested in volunteering and supporting the event. See you at the starting line!

January 29-February 9 - Winter Book Fair (Media Center)

February 5 - Family Night (RSVP requested)

February 12-16 - Winter Break (Pre-K students)

February 24 - PTA Auction

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