The Bulldog, December 4, 2025

Note from Mrs. Lockwood:

Welcome back from the break! It always warms my heart to see the hallways bustling with positivity and excitement for learning. I hope everyone had a great holiday break. We've had a great week of teaching and learning.

This week, we began mid-year STAR Early Literacy, Math and Reading assessments. STAR is a computerized, adaptive test that helps teachers, parents, and administrators improve learning for all students and make informed decisions to promote a child's academic growth.

Students take the STAR assessment in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. By taking it three times a year, teachers and parents can see how their students are growing in Early Literacy, Math, and Reading over the course of the school year. We will use this data to inform our instructional decisions for our students.

The tests will be administered by classroom teachers and proctors in their classrooms. STAR family reports will be shared before the Winter Break.

Families, it's that time of year again. GADOE School Climate Survey! Last year, 39% of Clairemont parents participated in the annual survey. This year, I'm setting a goal of a 75% participation rate. I analyzed your responses over the summer and incorporated the results into my pre-planning presentation to the staff. Additionally, this data helps me identify successes and opportunities to improve our overall school environment. Your input is valuable and greatly appreciated! It only takes 5-10 minutes. Georgia School Climate Survey

I am pleased to report that our school-wide attendance for November was 96.5%! Attendance plays a crucial role in student success, as being in class every day ensures students don't miss out on vital learning experiences. Thank you for prioritizing consistent attendance. Let's keep this positive trend going throughout the month of December!

Our annual Decatur Holiday Marketplace is next weekend! Please come out and shop with the amazing vendors. It's going to be a fantastic two days of shopping, food, & fun!

Events at a glance:

• Friday, December 5: School Crew (students and staff only)
• Friday, December 12: Community Crew
• Friday, December 12; 5:30-9:00: Decatur Holiday Marketplace
• Saturday, December 13; 10:00-5:00: Decatur Holiday Marketplace
• Wednesday, December 17; 5:30-7:00: PTA Meeting
• Friday, December 19: CSD Early Release Day
• Monday, December 22 - Monday, January 5: Holiday Break No School

Our last Community Crew was a very special day! We honored our wonderful crossing guards with posters from the students and Publix gift cards as a way to thank them for keeping us safe on our way to and from school every day. Thank you!

VOLUNTEER HERE: https://decaturholidaymarketplace.com/volunteer/

BAKE SALE SIGN UP HERE: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F49A8AB23A2F58-59137213-bake

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 December 4, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

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

The PTA is partnering with Minted this holiday season. Support Clairemont Elementary by using our unique promo code FUNDRAISECLAIREMONT to purchase holiday cards and gifts from Minted.com. You’ll receive 20% off your order and 10% of each purchase will be donated back to us at the end of the year. Happy Holidays!

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.

This holiday season, our Decatur Bulldogs are teaming up to support Toys for Tots, and we need your help to make our First Annual Toy Toss a huge success!

Join us at the Basketball Game on December 5 and bring a new plush toy to donate. Every CSD Elementary student who brings a toy will receive FREE admission with a paying adult! The JV game tips off at 5 PM.

Then get ready for the highlight of the night: In between games, fans will toss their donated toys onto the court, where our players and cheerleaders will collect them and prepare them for delivery to Toys for Tots. It’s a fun, festive way to give back and show what Bulldog spirit is all about! (Click on the image above to see an example of the Toy Toss!)

Let’s pack the stands, support our teams, and spread holiday cheer across our community. Go Bulldogs!

Camp Details:

• All K-5th-grade students are invited to register for the Bulldog Basketball Cheerleader Mini Camp.
• The camp will take place on Monday, January 12, Wednesday, January 14, and Thursday, January 15, from 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. at Decatur High School.
• The DHS JV and Varsity cheerleaders will teach the mini-campers, cheers, jumps, and dances.
• The camp participants will perform with the DHS cheerleaders during halftime of the basketball games on Friday, January 16.
• Mini-camp registration closes on Wednesday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m. or when the camp reaches 50 registered and paid participants. Please complete one registration form per participant.
• The camp cost is $60 and must be paid through GoFan.com. The payment link is available here and at the end of the registration form.
• All camp proceeds are used to purchase camper t-shirts and support the Decatur High School Cheerleading program.

Questions? Email Coach Courtney Burnett at cburnett@csdecatur.net or Coach Crystal Evans at cevans1@csdecatur.net.

Decatur Education Foundation provides food assistance to families in Decatur. We have a bin in front of the school to collect items listed on the flyer above. Other ways you can help: click on the image above to order directly from their Amazon wish list, or click THIS LINK to donate funds they will use to purchase grocery gift cards. If you have any questions, please email info@decatureducationfoundation.org.