The Bulldog, October 23, 2025

Note from Mrs. Lockwood:

In case you haven't noticed, fall is officially here!! This has been a great week of teaching and learning.

I'm excited to share that Clairemont has been recognized as a Distinguished School by the Georgia Department of Education!

This special recognition honors Targeted Assistance/Title I schools that demonstrate exceptional student achievement. Clairemont earned this Distinguished status because we are among the top 5% of highest-achieving schools within this program across the state of Georgia!

This recognition reflects the dedication of our students, staff, and families—thank you for all you do to make Clairemont shine!

Tomorrow is our second annual Fall Family Movie Night! The votes are in, and tomorrow's feature film is Lilo & Stitch. Please join us for a good time. The movie starts at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 each. For families of four or more, a flat rate of $20. Movie tickets include a movie snack pack.

As we continue to settle into the school year, please remember that our instructional day begins at 8:20. Our day is packed with exciting learning experiences, and I want all students to be here on time and ready to learn! Students arriving after 8:20 will be marked tardy. Thank you for your support in getting our students to school on time.

Events at a glance:

• Friday, October 24: School Crew (students and staff only)
• Friday, October 24: Family Movie Night; 5:30-7:00
• Saturday, October 25: Community Day; 9:00-3:00
• Tuesday, October 28: Spirit Night at Butter & Cream
• Wednesday, October 29: 1st grade trip to Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary
• Friday, October 31: Book Character Dress Up Day
• Friday, October 31: School Crew (students and staff only)
• Tuesday, November 4: CSD Digital Learning Day
• Friday, November 7: Community Crew
• Friday, November 14: Walk & Roll
• Friday, November 14: School Crew (students and staff only)

Please join us tomorrow night for our annual Family Movie Night. The students have voted and picked the new live-action Lilo & Stitch! Tickets are $5 each or $20 for a family of four or more. Tickets include admission to the movie as well as popcorn and a drink. Payments can be make to Ms. Brackins in the front office.

• Join the PTA for a day of outdoor fun, service, and snacks on October 25th from 9 am to 3 pm. There will be coffee and bagels in the morning.
• Register for a two hour time slot here.
• Children are welcome!
• This year, we have a special opportunity during Community Day to help with painting the wooden backdrop inside the auditorium. If you would like to specifically sign up to assist with this project, sign up here.

October 23–31 is Red Ribbon Week! During this national week of awareness, schools across the country help students learn the importance of making safe, healthy, and positive choices.

At Clairemont, we’re joining in by exploring how our everyday decisions help us stay strong, kind, and confident. Our theme this year is “Healthy Choices Are Our Superpower!”

During Red Ribbon Week, students will learn about ways to develop healthy habits and show self-control. Together, we’re helping our Clairemont kids grow into brave, caring, and healthy superheroes—one smart choice at a time!

If your family is in need of assistance during this holiday season, you can submit an application to a Season of Giving.

Submit an application here: https://aseasonofgiving.org/child-application/

(Click on any of the images below to make them bigger.)

Trick or Trade is a proactive initiative to promote good dental health and encourage children to reduce their sugar intake after Halloween and therefore, promote healthy habits.

Quest Orthodontics has generously offered to provide kid-safe goodies. The whole week after Halloween, students will have the opportunity to exchange their excess Halloween candy for a small present.

Students can stop by Nurse Manjit's office for the trade any day the week of November 3rd.

One exchange per student.

Thank you to Quest Orthodontics - Decatur, 720 Church St, Decatur, GA 30030

Last Friday at Community Circle, we were treated to a merengue performance by our kindergarten classes! They celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month while also reinforcing gross motor skills, counting, and keeping a beat - all skills that contribute to early literacy! Plus, there's never been a cuter merengue band. 😊

Our specials teachers put on a pretty "spectacular" party this Wednesday for students who met their Class Dojo goals during specials classes and while visiting the library. Students got to snack on caramel or chocolate apples, play pin the face on the Jack-o-lantern, participate in sack races, and more fun activities in the gorgeous fall weather.

Second graders have just begun their second Wit & Wisdom unit which focuses on the American West and asks the question, "what was life like in the West for early Americans?" To ignite their imaginations and kick off this unit, our instructional coach Ms. Nesbit wrote a readers theater which teachers performed for students. After the presentation, students broke into groups to hear from a member of the Osage Nation, a "real" pioneer woman who talked about life on the Oregon Trail (complete with samples of pioneer food), and reflect on what they might sacrifice to help others, as in the Legend of the Bluebonnets.

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Brunch – Sign Up to Help!

We love our Clairemont Teachers and Staff!

This month kicks off a series of appreciation events with our first Teacher & Staff Appreciation Brunch – a special way to show some love to the incredible humans who make our school so great!

Each grade level will host a brunch throughout the year:

Kindergarten: October 29th

1st Grade: January 21st

2nd Grade: March 18th

Kindergarten families, it’s your time to shine! Help us spoil our hardworking teachers and staff by signing up to bring a brunch item. Let’s make these brunches delicious and memorable – our Clairemont Teachers and Staff are the BEST!

Sign up HERE

To avoid constantly asking parents to send in money throughout the year to cover various classroom costs (e.g., learning celebrations and classroom celebrations), we would like to collect classroom funds at one time.

We are suggesting a one-time donation of $10–20 per child but appreciate any amount you are comfortable giving. This is not an official request from the school, and contributions are totally voluntary and optional.

This year, to make the funds equitable, the Clairemont Room Parent Coordinator is collecting one Class Fund Pool that they will divide equally among all classes. These funds go directly to supporting teachers by providing equal funds for teacher birthday, holiday, teacher appreciation, and end of year gifts. If you would like to contribute, please donate via Venmo to @cgensler (confirmation code 2277) by October 27th, 2025. Please put “Clairemont Room Fund” as a note when sending in your donation, so that we will know what it’s for.

Carrie Gensler is the room parent coordinator and will confirm receipt of contributions. Please contact her if you have any questions or concerns. Please also contact her if you need another method of payment besides Venmo.

Carrie Gensler

Cgensler88@gmail.com

4047712277

Click the image above to sign up for the bake sale!

Hey Clairemont Crew!

We invite you and your family to join us here at the school for this wonderful community tradition. All proceeds from the event support learning initiatives for Clairemont students & teachers. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for the latest updates. This year's Marketplace will be held at Clairemont Elementary School on Friday, December 12th from 5:30pm-9pm and Saturday, December 13th, from 10am-5pm.

VOLUNTEER HERE

Want to help with the Marketplace? We rely on all of our Clairemont parent volunteers and our Clairemont Bulldogs to put this fundraiser on its feet. It takes the whole CREW to pull off this wonderful tradition! Please email Marketplace Chairperson Melissa Godbee at decaturholidaymarketplace@gmail.com for more information or if you would like to be more involved with any of the preparations such as decorating transformation, soup service, booking live music, social media or sponsorships.

Read the October 23, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

On October 16, Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker emailed a letter to City Schools of Decatur community that the Board of Education has initiated a comprehensive review of K-2 school utilization. This review will assess how CSD's K-2 schools are currently being utilized to ensure that space, staffing, and resources align with student needs while also maintaining operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility.

The Board of Education work session on October 14, 2025, served as a preliminary discussion to review various options, including the potential closure of a K-2 school. The consulting firm Education Planners has been engaged to facilitate this process and presented a timeline for the first time at the board work session, along with a detailed overview of the school closure and redistricting process. The board has not yet decided which school, if any, will be closed. There will be opportunities for families to share their input in the upcoming weeks.

Please read the full letter in English here. Additional language translations of the letter and up-to-date information about the process are available on the K-2 School Consolidation & Redistricting Process webpage. Stakeholder engagement is encouraged and vital as we work together to make the best decisions for our students and schools.

The community is invited to upcoming public hearings to provide feedback:

• Wednesday, October 29, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Beacon Hill Middle School, Cafeteria
• Thursday, November 13, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Beacon Hill Middle School, Cafeteria

In addition to the in-person public hearings, input may be submitted via this feedback form.

Join us for the first Spirit Night of the year at Butter & Cream on Tuesday, October 28! What's Spirit Night you ask? Visit Butter & Cream on Tuesday and tell them you're with Clairemont Elementary when you check out. A portion of sales will go to the Clairemont PTA!

Signing up as a member allows you to fully access our website and add your bulldog to the directory along with classes and groups/clubs. This membership supports our school and the National and State PTA by paying annual dues that help us operate. We use PTA funds to support teacher grants and school events. A portion of the $10 serves as dues paid to the National and State Parent Teacher Association which is our governing organization.