From the City Schools of Decatur…

On Wednesday evening (2/3) Winnona Park Elementary was vandalized by someone who is unhappy about the tornado sirens that have been placed on our schools by the City of Decatur. They spray-painted a very large message on the blacktop of the lower parking lot as well as on the pole that the siren is attached to. If you have any information about this incident or know who is responsible for the vandalism, please contact the Decatur Police Department at 404-377-7911 or call Winnona Park Principal Greg Wiseman at 404-370-4490.

If you or others are upset about the tornado sirens being placed on the schools, please contact the Decatur City Commission or Ms. Peggy Merriss. Naturally, there are better ways to express one’s displeasure than defacing school property. Thank you for helping us keep our schools safe and clean for our students.

Karass and Macarolina recently requested a post where we could compile a list of passive and easy ways of earning free money for our respective schools.  A great idea!  So here ’tis.

Karass got the ball-rolling with the following suggestions.  I’ve added links where applicable.  Comments in parentheses are Karass’, italics are mine.

• Publix Partner Cards (best lucrative/ease of use ratio)  Can anyone find a link?
• Boxtops for Education (very popular with kids; also good L/EU ratio)  Clip box tops from a list of participating products, bring them to your school’s “box top coordinator’ and earn 10 cents a top!
• Target Red or Visa Cards (lucrative but less used) You must apply for a check or credit card.  1% of purchases go to your school of choice.
• Georgia Natural Gas True Blue Schools (very lucrative but few know about it) “Very lucrative” is right.  And easy!  If you’re already a Georgia Natural Gas customer, just pick your school of choice and they automatically donate $5 a month ’til the end of time!

• Campbell’s Labels for Education (less useful; yields prizes not $) Clip Campbells UPCs, mail them in, earn “great merchandise”.

Have other suggestions?  Tell us below and I’ll add them to this list!

Decatur edTV is reporting Renfroe Middle School Principal Bruce Roaden announced last night to the Renfroe Student Leadership Team that he has been tapped as the school system’s new Community Relations & School Leadership Team Director.

Writes Andrea at edTV…

Roaden will continue to be the RMS principal until 12 noon each day and then head over to his new job based at the CSD’s District office at Westchester.

…CSD Board Chair Valarie Wilson says Roaden has done a wonderful job increasing student achievement and earning the respect of teachers and staff during his three-year tenure at Renfroe. “This new position will expand his leadership role in our community,” Wilson told Decatur EDtv, “as he interacts with the public on behalf of the City Schools of Decatur.”

Welcome to the wonderful world of school communication Bruce!

Looks like last week’s CSD special, pre-meeting meeting wasn’t a one-time deal!

Blasted to the CSD mailing list this afternoon…

On February 9th from 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. the City Schools of Decatur Board of Education will hold a special meeting to address community questions and concerns in an informal setting. Due to the time constraints associated with this meeting, the number of individuals that the Board will be able to address may be limited. The meeting will take place at the Central Office at Westchester (758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur 30030).

Like anyone had to ask!

But seriously, here’s the opportunity many have been waiting for with bated breath.  I just received this note from Assistant Superintendent Thomas Van Soelen…

The architect for the 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue will be available at several locations in the coming days to hear from community members regarding their ideas for the new building. All meetings are open to the public. Time to offer ideas will be created based on the number of speakers that wish to speak. If a community member would rather offer input electronically, the email address fifthavenue@csdecatur.net has been set up for that purpose.

• Jan 19 Glennwood SLT meeting 4 pm
• Jan 19 Clairemont SLT meeting 5:30 pm
• Jan 20 Winnona Park SLT meeting 6 pm
• Jan 20 Decatur High School Performing arts center 7:30 pm, designed for current 4/5 parents
• Jan 25 Oakhurst SLT meeting 4:15 pm
• Jan 25 Oakhurst Neighborhood Association 7 pm

Beach Volleyball Court!  Beach Volleyball Court!  Beach Volleyball Court!

For those of you with kids entering the City Schools of Decatur for the first time in the coming 2010-2011 school year, here’s your homework for the month of February…

New Student Registration Information

Do you have students not currently enrolled in City Schools of Decatur but plan to attend in 2010-2011?

Help us plan for your child’s enrollment in City Schools of Decatur for the 2010-2011 school year. We want to hire the very best teachers, so the earlier we know of your plans, the better.

Come to register beginning February 1, 2010, bringing the following to the Central Office at Westchester (758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur 30030):

Read the rest of this entry »

Garrett notes that Andrea Berry has just posted video of the first portion of City Schools of Decatur’s Tuesday Community Forum online.

The video includes the voices of community members, the CSD Board of Ed, and the Superintendent discussing details of the plan.  Personally, I was very glad to see the Board and Superintendent offer reassurances to the community.  At this point, no one can answer everyone’s acreage questions, and we can each continue to elaborate on our personal comfort levels regarding site size, but I appreciated that the Board and Superintendent were willing to relay their reasons for being comfortable with 5th Avenue’s current size.

I hope everyone with an opinion/interest in the 5th Avenue rebuild will take the time to watch it.

FYI: Andrea pledges that part 2 would be available Friday morning.

On Monday, the school board updated facility and grounds use fees effective January 1, 2010.

Assistant Superintendent Thomas Van Soelen points to the last item on the school board’s agenda for an answer to the question, “How much did the Tennesee Volunteers pay the Decatur school system for use of the DHS field?”

An attachment included with the item gives the breakdown of fees to rent DHS stadium…

Field/Stadium Usage Fees

• $200 per hour without scoreboard use
• $250 per hour with scoreboard use Minimum: $200 Maximum: $2,500 per day (12 hours per day) Maximum: $15,000 per week (12 hours per day, seven days)
• $75 per hour for field lights in addition to field use fee
• $225 for each lining of the field in addition to field use fee

Van Soelen states “Tennessee was charged nearly that amount…”

And for those of us with grand plans of renting out the new auditorium for non-school events, check out auditorium rental fees after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

Just in from CSD.  Is this a newly scheduled meeting?

On January 12th from 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. the City Schools of Decatur Board of Education will hold a special meeting to address community questions and concerns in an informal setting. Due to the time constraints associated with this meeting, the number of individuals that the Board will be able to address may be limited. The meeting will take place at the Central Office at Westchester (758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur 30030).

The CSD Calendar Committee is back with another announcement!

From the Assistant Superintendent…

The CSD District Calendar Committee is exploring the idea of sponsoring an electronic clearinghouse of weeklong enrichment opportunities for students to support the transition to the 2010-2011 academic calendar. If you know of organizations/groups that have produced high-quality, week-long enrichment camps/experiences in the past and might wish to offer a program at a CSD facility during 2010-2011, feel free to provide the contact information to Thomas Van Soelen (tvansoelen@csdecatur.net) at CSD. He will contact them regarding CSD specifics.