The Bulldog, January 15, 2026

Note from Mrs. Lockwood:

Another great week at Clairemont! Second semester is off to a wonderful start.

First-semester grades have been posted in Infinite Campus. Report cards are available for your review in the parent portal. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

We're making progress, but there's still work to be done. Currently, 21% (30 families) have completed the family survey. This year's goal is 75%. Clairemont's family perspective is important. Please take 5-10 minutes to complete the survey. Georgia School Climate Survey. We will have Chromebooks set up tomorrow morning for people to complete the survey before we kick off Community Crew.

This week, our school-wide attendance for Monday through Thursday is 96%. Today marks our lowest attendance percentage of the week. It's pretty cold outside, but the building is warm, and learning continues! Let's aim for 100% attendance on Friday to finish the week strong!

Events at a glance:

• Friday, January 16: Community Crew
• Monday, January 19: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School
• Thursday, January 22; 5:30: PTA Meeting *New Date*
• Friday, January 23: School Crew (students and staff only)
• Wednesday, January 28: CSD Early Release Day
• Friday, January 30: Community Crew

You guys did it!
The 34th Marketplace was a HUGE success, and it truly takes a village. We have so many people to thank:

Our PTA — for holding down the doors and supporting Marketplace all day long.
Our Graphic Design & Social Media Chair, Jaimie Moore — even with a former Bulldog in fourth grade, she continues to show up and support this community in a big way.
Our Soup Chef, Matt Woodruff — for warming hearts and bellies.
Our Live Music Chair, Jaime Murdoch, and his son Ben (an eighth grade alum!) — for bringing the soundtrack that makes Marketplace feel magical.
Our Transformation Chair, Gus Godbee — for turning vision into reality.
Our Co–Bake Sale Coordinators, Frances Ennis & Doris LaRock — for all the sweetness (and organization!).
Our Co–Artist Chairs, Emily Deschler & Beth Mack — for curating such an incredible group of artists and for all the hours.
All Clairemont staff, administration, and teachers — for helping get the school ready and supporting every step of the way.
The parents and students who volunteered — Marketplace simply would not happen without you.

We are so grateful for this community and the love, time, and talent that went into making the 34th Marketplace such a success.

This week's first highlight is bittersweet. We got to celebrate our beloved Ms. Foster but we have to say goodbye for now, as she moves up to the middle school for a new assignment. Ms. Foster has supported and loved our Clairemont students for many years and it won't be the same here without her! The second graders who have known her since they were in kindergarten got a chance to show their love and appreciation at School Crew last Friday.

With the holiday break behind us, our students and teachers are back at the good work of teaching and learning we do every day. This week some of our kindergarten students practiced counting to 20 forward AND backwards!

Meanwhile, in second grade students are practicing adding and subtracting using open number lines. No matter the level, our students are working hard and growing as scholars every day!

A21

We all share a common goal for our children to be safe and protected from all things harmful. Related to that goal, Georgia Rule 160-4-2-.12 Comprehensive Health and Physical Education Program (HB 287) and Erin's Law (SB401) require annual age-appropriate sexual abuse and assault awareness and prevention in kindergarten through grade nine and human trafficking prevention in grades six through 12. The A21 K-12 Human Trafficking Education Curriculum is a research-based, evidence-informed program that City Schools of Decatur (CSD) uses to teach the importance of healthy relationships and their connection to personal safety. Click the link below to find additional information about the A21 program.

This school year CSD launched Naviance for Elementary. This program is designed to cultivate College, Career, and Life Readiness (CCLR) skills in our youngest learners, fostering confidence and sparking curiosity about their futures. CL students will have the opportunity to explore this exciting new program. Click the link below to find additional information about Naviance for Elementary.

We hope you had some time to read during all your family fun over the break! Your student should have received a Winter Reading Bingo sheet in their red Thursday folder the week before the break.

Mark off each square as you complete the challenge. Complete five in a row in any direction to win a prize! OR you can fill in all the squares to get blackout bingo to be invited to a popsicle party and earn three checkouts at a time for the rest of the year!

Turn in your bingo sheet to Ms. D by Friday, January 16.

If you need another copy of the bingo sheet, click on the file below.

Read the January 15, 2026, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

• Wednesday, January 21, 2026, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Talley Street Elementary School. Board community meetings are designed to provide an opportunity for two-way communication and engagement between the board and the community.

Please take a moment this week to make your voice heard and participate in the Georgia Department of Education climate survey for your school! Your participation and feedback are greatly appreciated. The data collected will help determine the School Climate Star Ratings for the 2026-27 school year, which will enable schools to improve or build upon their successes.

Clairemont Elementary School Family Survey

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.

An ongoing speaker series from DEF, Decatur Prevention Initiative and the Decatur Parents Network returns Thursday, January 22, with a documentary viewing and panel discussion on "Navigating the Changing Drug Landscape: Talking to our Kids About Dangerous Substances." This event is free and open to any adult. Find more information and register in advance here.

Thursday, January 22, 6:30-8 p.m., DHS Learning Commons (Library/Media Center). Enter the bus drop-off area off of Commerce Drive.