Eagle Edition

Bill Howard, Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach ~ Michelle Reynolds, School Manager

Email: bill.howard@csdecatur.net
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435 * Website * Facebook

It has been another wonderful week of growth and discovery here at Glennwood! Before we head off into our winter break, I wanted to share a few exciting updates and reminders with our community.

Innovation in Action: Freckle/LaLio Learning Labs

Thank you, families, for your response to sending students to the media center for early morning Freckle/LaLio Learning Labs and for encouraging more practice at home. This first week has been incredible to see our students dive into these hands-on, collaborative spaces. A huge shout-out to Ms. Tolsma and Sra. Ramos for their leadership and creativity in making these labs such a success. Our students are thriving because of your dedication!

High Stakes & High Fun: PTA Casino Night

Don't forget to "bet" on our school! Our PTA Casino Night is right around the corner. It’s going to be a fantastic evening of community and fun, but we need your headcounts soon. Saturday is the last day to take advantage of early bird pricing. Click HERE to purchase your ticket by February 14.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Community Circle tomorrow morning with Ms. Ronco’s class hosting. We will also recognize all February Birthdays and our 2025-26 Teacher of the Year.

Finally, I want to wish everyone a restful and rejuvenating winter break. Whether you are traveling or enjoying a "staycation," I hope you find plenty of time for relaxation and family. We look forward to seeing our students back on campus, refreshed and ready to learn!

In partnership,

Bill Howard

Proud Principal, Glennwood Elementary

Across the grade levels we started Black History Month by reading “Charlie Parker Played Be Bop” by Chris Raschka. The book explores the rhythmic nature of bebop music and uses playful onomatopoeias to mimic the sounds. There are also various feathered friends featured throughout the pictures as hints to Parker’s nickname, “Bird.” We next listened and moved our bodies to Parker’s music at various tempos. “Ornithology” (another reference to his nickname) for fast frenetic dancing, and the ballad “Summertime” for slower movements.

We are very fortunate at Glennwood to have a class set of ukuleles and the 2nd graders have been putting them to good use this month! After starting with the basics of naming the various parts and the names of the strings, we’re strumming together as a class and have even started to multitask with some singing while playing. It’s been a great challenge and the students are rising to the occasion.

It’s also time to start looking ahead towards the 6th Annual Virtual Talent Show, and I’m excited to see all the skills these students are ready to show off. Submissions are open now through March 1st, and we’ll all gather in the Auditorium on April 1st at 6pm for a viewing party. If you can’t make it to the party a link to the video will be available the next day.

Prepare your special talent- Glennwood is hosting our sixth annual Virtual Talent Show! This is a joyful and age-appropriate celebration of the wide variety of talents represented by our Glennwood Eagles. Students wishing to participate will need a parent/guardian to complete the following steps.

Friday, March 1 - Permission Form and Video due

1. Permission Form - Scan the QR code at the top of this form

2. Video submission - Upload your video to this google drive HERE (or scan the QR code at the top of this form) with your student’s name as the title. Please reach out to Mr. Crabb (joseph.crabb@csdecatur.net) if you have any questions or issues submitting.

Wednesday, April 1, 6pm - Talent Show Premier Night!

There are two options to view the talent show:

1. Talent Show Premier Night in the Glennwood Auditorium at 6pm.

2. A link for the video will be sent the following day for families to view at home.

Please be sure to read the guidelines and rules below. I am grateful for your willingness to help your child share their talent with our school community. We are looking forward to a fun and engaging show for our school community to enjoy! Please contact me at any time with questions or concerns.

Thank you for your support of our student performers!

Joe Crabb, Music Teacher

joseph.crabb@csdecatur.net

Guidelines & Tips for Preparing Your Act

★ Remember that this is meant to be a fun experience! Keep it light and positive. It’s not a

competition. My belief is that any performance for this age group should be a positive, fun

experience, not stressful. :)

★ Decide what your talent act will be. It could be singing, dancing, playing an instrument, cooking, acting (monologue or scene with others in your house), comedy act, magic, or perhaps a hidden talent we don’t know about. Your act should be no longer than 1.5 minutes, including your introduction (name and grade). This may mean that you’ll need to choose a portion of a song to perform. This helps ensure all performers are included while also keeping the show manageable for all to enjoy. Please email me if you have trouble finding material or need more ideas.

★ Talent acts can be as short as you’d like, even if it’s just a few seconds long. Tell a joke, read a poem, do a trick on a bike, scooter, or pogo stick, show us your animal training skills, or do a cartwheel. The options are endless with a virtual show, so be as creative as you'd like!

★ Introduce yourself. Please use the following format for your video:

1. The Introduction: State your First Name and Grade Level.

2. If you have a song/poem/etc. Tell us the title.

3. The Performance (90 seconds or less, not including the introduction)

★ Be sure you practice and feel confident about your act. You’ll feel better about it if you know what you’re doing!

★ Tips for those who choose to sing: If you are singing a song, it is best to find a track to sing to that doesn’t have another singer’s voice on it. A search for the song’s “karaoke” track will help you find this. Either downloading a track or using one from YouTube would work for this purpose. You can also sing with no accompaniment if you’d prefer.

★ Record your final performance in an area with good lighting and a background that’s not distracting. If possible, hold your phone horizontally when you record your performance. Remember to dress for the occasion, too! What would you choose to wear if you were performing live on our stage at school (if your act could be performed on stage)?

A few more things:

*Please follow these steps to ensure all guidelines have been met.

1. Videos must feature a current Glennwood student. Siblings or other family members may participate along with the Glennwood student (e.g. duet, acting, etc.).

2. Participants must have Parent/Guardian sign the Virtual Talent Show Permission Form ***By signing this form, you are giving consent for your child's video to be included in the Final Glennwood Virtual Talent Show Video and shared among the Glennwood Online Community.***

3. Videos must be submitted by March 1st, 2026.

4. Please limit the length of your video to 1.5 minutes.

5. To be a part of the Glennwood Virtual Talent Show, all material must be family-friendly. The Glennwood staff has the right to deny any video submission if the act features inappropriate material. Let’s keep it fun and inclusive for all. :)

Thank you for supporting our Eagle talents!

Currently in school counseling, we began the A21 personal safety lessons. The first lesson we have been covering is on Rights and Responsibilities. In Kindergarten, we have focused on making healthy choices and being a responsible citizen. During the lesson, students helped select healthy and unhealthy choices for both our bodies and our minds. In 1st Grade, we focused on rights and responses and being respectful. We read a scenario involving bullying and students answered questions surrounding the story. In 2nd grade, we focused on the right to choose and choices & consequences. We discussed how making healthy choices promotes safety and a strategy for making healthy choices. There will be 2 more lessons in the curriculum and they will build upon each other.

We are about to begin our iRun unit in P.E. in just a few weeks in preparation for the Tour Decatur 5K/Fun Run, an optional race at Decatur High on Saturday, March 14. We are once again selling short-sleeve Glennwood t-shirts to raise money for DEF and Glennwood. The online store is open now and will close February 13. The website is https://pswear.com/Glennwood.

We had the biggest turnout at Tour Decatur last year of all the elementary schools and hope to win again this year! The school with the highest participation this year receives a grant. Here is the registration link.

The shirt is featured below ($12) and runs in sizes YS-A3XL. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Read the February 12, 2026, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

SATURDAY IS THE LAST DAY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EARLY BIRD PRICING!!

Click HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET

100% of all funds raised support Glennwood Elementary staff, students, and families in the City of Decatur. Some examples of supporting programs include:

• Field trips and other educational programs

• Community-building events

• End-of-year and holiday staff bonuses

• Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in all classrooms

• Principal discretionary fund

• Author visits

• Staff appreciation

• School supplies for all students

• Teacher assistance and training & more!

Need childcare options? Check out this option at The Little Gym click here

Click HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKET

Your ticket includes:
Casino Games by White Tie Casino Events & Entertainment
Food provided by Oakhurst Market
Adult and NA Beverages

If you are a Soaring Member or Platinum Sponsor, you receive (2) tickets as part of your membership/sponsorship. Please email Noelle at president@glennwoodespta.com for your coupon code to register.

If you need assistance with your tickets please reach out to Principal Howard at: bill.howard@csdecatur.net.

We need your help to recognize and celebrate our wonderful bus drivers, who safely get our kids to and from school every day, regardless of weather or how much traffic is on our streets. Often these drivers work double duty…getting students to events and field trips in between their morning and afternoon routes! The PTA is sponsoring a gift for our two wonderful drivers here at Glennwood, Ms. Hill & Ms. Brooks, as well as our stellar bus monitor, Ms. Marie. But, it would be wonderful if you could have your children bring in their own notes and cards of kindness for their bus drivers/monitors and deliver them personally. And, remind your children to greet and thank their driver this month, and every day! Let’s show our bus drivers how much the Glennwood community truly loves them! Questions? Email Amanda McMillan at srts@glennwoodespta.com.

Culture Night is a Glennwood community event where our families can come together to share their culture with others. There will be activities and tables representing various cultures.

Sign up to lead a table here. Want to learn more? Check out these pics from last year.

Please sign up by Monday, March 16th.

If you have any questions, please email Eugene Strawn at dei@glennwoodespta.com.

Yearbook Tribute Ads are now open until Feb. 14th.

(Note: Yearbook sales have not yet started so don’t worry — you didn’t miss out!)

Honor your child with a Tribute Ad in this year’s yearbook. This is a great way to celebrate your child’s growth as a Glennwood student. Follow this link (https://yearbookordercenter.com/jobSearch/displayHome) and enter school code 24818 to design and purchase your ad.

Garden Gnomies - Every other Friday

Eagle Bucks School Store - 3x a month

Stay up-to-date with all things Glennwood and tag us! Our PTA Facebook Page on IG and FB, as well as our parents' page: Glennwood Parents' Page

Tour deCatur - March 14th - Sign up here! This year we're partnering with our Decatur Bulldog Booster friends and are offering a "Bulldog Jog" option for anyone who'd like to run with their dog (while the Boosters' Run With the Dogs 5k is on "paws"). Also new this year, you'll see an option to join a team. (This is a participation competition - not a fundraising one.) The school with the largest percentage of participation will receive a trophy, a grant from DEF, and bragging rights!