DHS teacher Chris Billingsley writes in…

The Decatur High School Close Up students are having a great time in Washington, D.C. Wednesday’s “Capital Hill Day” was a lot of work but the kids enjoyed themselves and learned a great deal. The students took a tour of the Supreme Court, the Capital, met with staff from John Lewis and Saxby Chambliss offices, and had a seminar at the Heritage Foundation. On Thursday, students will tour Mt. Vernon and the Newseum. On Friday, students will lay a wreath at the Korean Memorial (dedicated to Edward R. Ravenel, Class of 1943, Charles Jackson, Class of 945 and Gene S. Blough, Class of 1948. The students will end the trip taking a tour of the White House and Arlington Cemetery.

If you have any information you would like to share concerning these students, please reply [email protected]

In his final year as DHS teacher, Chris Billingsley sends in this report/reflection…

Today I took my final field trip to the Jimmy Carter Center and Museum. Seventy students and seven chaperons seem to have enjoyed the experience (including the Varsity for lunch). I took my first trip in the late 80s but my relationship with the Carter Center began to strengthen in the early 90s when the superintendent, Dr. Don Griffith, encouraged teachers to use the Expeditionary Learning model. The Carter Center field trip program that I used today still has many of the core ideas of Expeditionary Learning. Except for time that the Carter Center was being renovated, I brought at least two groups of 70 students per year. There was one year, maybe 1999 or 2000, that I took five trips to the Carter Center.

One of the highlights of all the trips was the time that President Carter spoke to my students after the 9/11 attack. My students were given the chance to ask Carter questions before the national media. It was quite a thrill to see our students stand and ask a question while more that 70 members of the state, national and international press snapped pictures and took video. I hope that the students that attended the final trip today will always remember the words of Jimmy Carter’s high school teacher and principal, Miss Julia Coleman, who regularly told her students, including young Jimmy, that “anyone of you could grow up to be President of the United States”.

Now that I am nearing the end of my career in the classroom, I regret that my students didn’t hear this more often, because I still believe that the United States is where anyone, even a kid from Decatur, Georgia, can grow up to be anything they choose, even President!

DHS teacher Chris Billingsley writes in…

The Decatur High School Close Up Club will have a “Decatur Spring Clean” on Saturday, March 24, from 8:30 to 4:00.

This is a free service for Decatur homeowners but donations to help pay for a memorial wreath in honor of DHS grads killed in action while serving in the U.S. military will be accepted (donations in excess of the cost of the wreath will be used for miscellaneous expenses while in D.C.). A team of students and their adult supervisors will rake and bag leaves, spread mulch and pine straw, and do other kinds of yard work. Please contact Mr. Chris Billingsley, DHS teacher and Close Up sponsor ([email protected] ), for more information.

FYI- Because of the hard work of the Close Up students and their parents, and the generosity of many people from in and around the City of Decatur, all twenty-seven Close Up students will receive travel grants and a trip to Gettysburg, Williamsburg, or Mt. Vernon (at no cost to students and their parents). Any money raised from this final service project is just the icing on the cake for this year’s team. Thanks Decatur for all your help

DHS teacher Chris Billingsley writes in…

Three marble benches have been restored and relocated along the path in front of the Decatur High School gym. The benches, which were dedicated to DHS teachers from the 1960s, were once located around the flagpole on the southern edge of the campus. The benches may provide a space for DHS sweethearts while they court and spark in the coming weeks (although nothing should ever take the place of “The Wall”, famous among grads from the Thirties to the Seventies as the place for sweethearts to be seen). Ms. Lauri McKain, DHS principal, also told me that the famous sundial monument, that stood in front of Boys High/North Building, will be restored soon and placed in front of the gym.

I believe that Ms. Cotton, Ms. McClung, and Mr. Murphey would be pleased.

Restored marble benches after the jump.

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DHS teacher Chris Billingsley sent in this picture taken early Thursday morning…

I noticed the lights to the DHS stadium were on [Thursday] morning when I arrived at work. The girls’ soccer team, coached by Stephen Gathany, were on the field getting ready for the upcoming season. 6:00 A.M. practices, even when it’s dark and cold, is what it takes to win a region championship.

Decatur High School Principal Lauri McKain writes in to let us know that DHS’ Senior Class has officially asked Mr. Chris Billingsley to be their graduation speaker this year.  His response?  “Alrighty!”, according to Principal McKain.

After 36 years of teaching at DHS, Mr. B will retire at the end of this year.

Above is a pic of Student Government President Ashleigh Rasheed presenting him with a letter that the senior class had signed requesting that he do this.

Congrats Chris!  Thank you for your many years of service to our schools and the many great DHS (and non-DHS) stories you’ve provided to this website over the past few years.

DHS teacher Chris Billingsley writes in…

The students enjoyed meeting all the elected officials, especially Ms. Elizabeth Wilson, former mayor of Decatur. They were also interested in Senator Jason Carter’s proposal to put an income cap on eligibility for the Hope Scholarship. I was especially interested in the discussion about new municipalities in the Atlanta area and a proposed constitutional amendment concerning state sponsored, but locally paid for, charter schools.