Photos from Al, Hannah, Richard and Marishyl!

 

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The Georgia Department of Transportation is finally getting around to building out a “Safe Routes to School transportation improvement” project and some residents don’t approve of one particular element of the project, moving the entrance to Glennwood Elementary to align with Sycamore Place. A petition created by surrounding residents to oppose the plan states…

“The current plan would result in the loss of existing trees and the current school sign and will create a much shorter front driveway for the school. The shorter driveway will result in the buses loading in the lower parking lot where carpool is currently held. This will result in requiring staggered dismissal times, which will be a considerable inconvenience for teachers and families. It will also result in traffic backups onto East Ponce de Leon, as parents’ cars will not be able to maneuver past the busses into the lower parking lot. Finally, there is a safety concern with having Sycamore Place end directly into our driveway, as a distracted driver may continue driving straight through the light without noticing the transition from street to driveway.”

City Manager Peggy Merriss says that the plan is “part of a Safe Routes to School transportation improvement that the City and the City Schools requested a number of years ago that GDOT is just getting around to completing.”  She adds that the plan “also includes improvements to the intersection at Commerce Drive and Sycamore Place, installation of bike racks and some other items.”

There also seem to be differing explanations of why the plan was conceived in the first place.

According to the City Manager, the current situation along the street is that “…the intersection at East Ponce de Leon and Sycamore Place followed quickly by the entrance to the drive at Glennwood Elementary is a challenging one for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles to negotiate and rebuilding it would improve conditions.”  But opposing residents say the work was initially planned because of increased traffic due to it being a 4/5 Academy and that it is now unnecessary because Glennwood is now a neighborhood school and “many families living within walking or biking distance.”

So it sounds like there are a few different viewpoints on the purpose and result of the project at this point.  Either way, Ms. Merriss also tells DM that “…the City is aware of the City Schools concerns about timing of construction and disruption to the school.  We are trying to get GDOT’s cooperation in reviewing the project to address the concerns.”

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Big stacks of useless paper at risk of crushing your small pets or children? Jennifer sends in the info for Glennwood Elementary’s upcoming Community Shred Day…

Community Shred Day

Saturday November 10, 2012 – 9AM to 1PM

• Glennwood Elementary School
• 440 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
• Decatur, GA 30030

All donations go to Glennwood PTA

What to shred??

ATM receipts, Bank statements, Birth certificate copies, Canceled and voided checks, Credit and charge card bills, carbon copies, summaries and receipts, Credit reports and histories, Documents containing names, addresses, phone numbers or e-mail addresses, Documents relating to investments, Documents containing passwords or PIN numbers, Driver’s licenses or items with a driver’s license number, Employee pay stubs, Expired passports and visas, Legal documents, Investment, stock and property transactions, Medical and dental records, Papers with a Social Security number, Pre-approved credit card applications, Receipts with checking account numbers,Tax forms, Utility bills (telephone, gas, electric, water, cable TV, Internet), etc.

Giffney sends along this announcement and pic…

Glennwood Elementary Fall Festival will be held on Sunday, October 21st from 11:00AM-4:00PM. There will be a Creepy Cafe and lots of fun activities including the Haunted House, 20′ inflatable slide, maze, costume contest (2:00) tattoo and face painting, beauty parlor booth, cake walk, pumpkin painting and many boardwalk games. New this year– unique, handmade scarecrows on display. Each classroom has made themed scarecrows to be sold at silent auction during the event. Come in droves, come in dozens. Bring your friends and country cousins!

Principal Dianna Herron-Watson sent out this letter to parents yesterday…

Dear Glennwood Families,

First, I’d like to thank each of you for such a supportive and positive beginning of school. You have our students coming to school prepared to learn by being rested, on time and with positive learning attitudes! Our staff will continue to practice and develop routines and procedures to ensure we maximize learning time throughout the year.

On Monday, August 20th, Glennwood will make a slight change in our start and end times. This small shift will make a huge impact, ensuring CSD transportation runs more efficiently. Effective on Monday, Glennwood school hours will be changed to 8:00 AM -2:30 PM, a 10 minute adjustment.

We already open our doors and begin serving breakfast at 7:30 AM and this won’t change. Our established morning routines will stay the same. This change in schedule means that students will now move to their classes with staff assistance at 7:50 AM. All students should be in their classrooms ready to learn at 8:00 AM and students not in their classrooms at that time will be considered tardy.

Afternoons will be handled with the same routines. Here is our new bell schedule:

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