Decatur High School Principal Lauri McKain sent a note out to DHS parents this morning regarding the proposed earlier start time for the high school that will be voted on at tonight’s School Board meeting.  If you were not one of the lucky few, you can read the note in full on her blog, but here’s a snippit…

Although it is a fairly significant shift earlier (50 minutes), all the other schools in the district had to be considered and staggered due to shared buses. There were a variety of options and topics discussed. Dr. Edwards listened intently as principals discussed feedback from teachers and parents about research around teenagers and optimal school performance. It was very clear in this research that the peak start time is around 10:00 a.m. However, this is not an option at this time. Therefore, when given the choice to be the first school to start or the last, the above reasons [editor's summary: after-school activities going late, time for after-school tutorial], weighed heavily in my preference for an earlier start time. I believe the students will successfully adjust. Some of our neighboring high schools start earlier—or within 15 minutes of that time. I am confident Decatur’s students will be able to do so as well.

And about 30 minutes ago, the AJC’s Maureen Downey posted the same paragraph of McKain’s note and then continued…

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An early bedtime for small children means that on nights when you just don’t have to energy to cook, takeout is often your best option.

My wife and I certainly have our list of takeout food fall-backs, but I was hoping we can come up with some new alternatives in the coming weeks.  So I thought I’d inquire with readers about where they like to pick up “to-go” food.

It might even help out other residents stuck in a “takeout rut”.

Some residents have expressed continued concerns about traffic in South Decatur with the opening of the new 5th Avenue Academy this fall.  As part of the City Schools of Decatur traffic study – which will be presented to the School Board this evening – Decatur PD collected traffic flow data on along Oakview Road on two days in February.  The conclusion:

The data indicates that traffic flow on Oakview is very limited. In the mornings the average traffic was less than one car per minute in either direction. In the afternoons the average was slightly more than two cars per minute.

Here are DPD’s hour-by-hour charts for your convenience.  “WB” stands for westbound, while “EB” stands for – you guessed it! – eastbound.  I’m guessing the colored-in hours are times when school traffic would be highest.

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Saw this while out this morning.

A new shop called “Spotlight Boutique” looks to be moving into the old Pambili space in the Artisan Building at 201 West Ponce de Leon Ave.   There’s not much info yet online beyond a sparse Facebook page, but just thought I’d pass along word!

From a City Schools of Decatur press release…

The City Schools of Decatur library media and instructional technology specialists invite all parents and community members to attend a program entitled “Internet Safety and Social Networking in the Digital Age” at the Decatur High School Theatre on Tuesday, April 26th, 7:00-8:00 p.m. Hoke Wilcox, Ed.S., an Instructional Technology Specialist from the Educational Technology Center at Kennesaw University, will be our presenter for the evening. Hoke is an engaging and knowledgeable speaker. Please don’t miss this opportunity.

Every parent who attends will receive a book provided by the federal government called NetCetera: Chatting with Kids about Being Online. The book gives adults practical tips to help kids navigate the online world.

We hope you will join us! Please note that this event is for adults only. For questions or comments, please email Heather Borowski, Instructional Technology Coordinator for City Schools of Decatur, hborowski@csdecatur.net.