College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

Week three is almost complete, and our little chicks are doing great. They are settling into routines, making new friends, and showing us they are ready to learn and grow. Thank you for trusting us with your precious children. It is a privilege to be a part of their learning journey.

On that note, we hope you are planning to attend Curriculum Night on Monday to learn more about what we do here at College Heights. It's a great way to see what happens each day in your child's classroom, and it's also an excellent way to meet other families in your child's class.

Pre-K has its first early release day on Wednesday. More details are below.

Special thanks to PTO for hosting our first community event, the popsicle social, last Friday afternoon. Make sure to check out their announcements for ways you and your family can support PTO and help make College Heights the best it can be.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Sarah Garland

Principal, College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center

August 24 - PTO meeting and budget vote, 5:30 p.m. (before Curriculum Night; virtual option available, more details below)

August 24 - Curriculum Night, 6:00 p.m.

August 26 - Early Release Day, 12:15 p.m. (Pre-K only)

September 7 - Labor Day (school closed)

September 21-25 - Fall Break (Pre-K only)

October 12 - Teacher Work Day (Pre-K only)

Links to 2026-27 CSD district calendars:

0-3

Pre-K

Experience a day in the life of a College Heights Chick! We warmly invite you to join us for Curriculum Night on Monday, August 24 as we share a typical day in your child's exciting learning journey. Your child's teacher will share insights into the daily schedule, classroom routines, expectations, and provide valuable tips to support your child's success this year. Let's connect and build a strong partnership for your child's educational growth!

Choose one of the convenient 30-minute sessions below:

• Session 1: 6:00- 6:30 p.m.
• Session 2: 6:30-7:00 p.m.

To best accommodate families with multiple children at College Heights, the same informative session will be repeated during both time slots. This allows you to attend Curriculum Night for each child and learn about their classroom experiences.

The library will be open during Curriculum Night. Please stop by to create a family account and learn more about library programs at College Heights.

We look forward to seeing you!

On six days during the school year, all CSD schools will release students two hours early so that teachers and staff are able to have meetings, participate in professional learning, and hold parent conferences.

The Pre-K early release schedule is as follows:

• Two-hour early release. Students will still eat lunch at school.
• Bus riders will be dismissed between 11:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Walkers/car riders and community after school programs will be dismissed beginning at 12:15 p.m.
• Families enrolled in community after school programs should contact the program directly on their early release details.
• Students enrolled in the College Heights aftercare program will remain in their rooms for rest time and will transition to their aftercare location at 2:30 p.m.
• Early release days generally fall on the last Wednesday of the month, but some early release days occur just before a holiday or break.
• The 2026-2027 early release dates are: 8/26, 10/28, 12/18, 1/27, 3/17, and 5/27 (the last day of school).
  
• Students in the 0-3 tuition program are not released early; they attend for the entire school day as usual.

Please reach out to Caretha Hall if you have any additional questions.

REGISTRATION OPENS MONDAY MORNING AT 8:00 A.M.

We will be offering camp services during the Pre-K fall break (September 21-25). Camp will be capped at 40 students, and spaces will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.

Applications are available at the front desk and on the school website. Completed registration packets can not be submitted before August 24. Payment is due at the time of registration. Deadline to register is September 11. For families in need of financial assistance, please contact Principal Garland. For questions or concerns, please email Justin Hellstrom, After School Manager. Your child does not need to be enrolled in the After School Program to participate in camp.

Tuition is $ 275/week (includes daily breakfast, lunch, snack, and all activities).
Camp hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

MUSIC (one-year-olds through Pre-K)

Omolewa Perry, affectionately called Mr. O, is a percussionist, multi-instrumentalist, and music educator from Atlanta. Born into a family of African Diasporic Musicians, he is passionate about sharing the power of music and drumming with young learners.

Mr. O has taught and performed throughout the Atlanta area, inspiring students through percussion, creativity, and self-expression. He also teaches music at Clairemont Elementary School.

ZUMBA (Pre-K)

Welcome to Zumba Kids! This class consists of high-energy, kid-friendly choreography and music that encourages coordination, stamina and sportsmanship. Every class starts with a warm-up followed by several choreographed dances of a variety of styles. We end with a dance party, where every student has the opportunity to be the leader, and a cool down of yoga stretches and mindful breathing. Everyone participates at their own level, engaging their imagination along the way!

SPANISH (Preschool and Pre-K)

Hola! My name is Judith Rodes, and I’m currently the Spanish teacher at Westchester Elementary. I’ll also be teaching Spanish at College Heights this year. I’m originally from Cuba and lived in Spain for 17 years before moving to Atlanta in 2012. I love music, singing, dancing, and traveling, and I bring all of these things into my Spanish classroom! I believe little ones learn best when they can sing, move, play, and have fun while discovering a new language and culture. My favorite part of teaching Spanish is seeing those little smiles when students learn a new word, sing a song, or proudly say something in Spanish! Outside of school, I love singing with my band, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

¡Vamos a aprender, cantar y divertirnos en español! 🌎 🎶

LIBRARY (one-year-olds through Pre-K)

Hello! I'm Leslie Joiner, and this is my fifth year as the school librarian here at College Heights. Before that, I was the media clerk and a kindergarten paraprofessional at Oakhurst, and I also taught at Decatur Presbyterian Children's Community for several years. My passion is connecting students and families with great books. Some of my all-time favorite children's books include Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall, Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich, The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry, anything by Mo Willems, and the oldie but goodie The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes by DuBose Heyward. I invite you to stop by the library, tell me some of your favorites, and come check out some new books to share with your little ones. Look for the library newsletter, which details all the ways you and your family can engage with the College Heights library, next week.

As part of our curriculum, Pre-K teachers plan several off-site field trip opportunities for our pre-K students. In order to cover the transportation and vendor costs, we are requesting each family pay a one-time $25 field trip fee. There will be a table set up in the front lobby during Meet and Greet for parents to pay their fees. Payments can be made with a check or cash only. We will have limited cash on site to make change.

Thank you for supporting this important initiative.

Read this week's CSD Weekly for district-wide news and information.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by for the popsicle social! It was a pleasure to put some names with faces, and to see some familiar faces, too.

Pre-K families: We are still seeking room parents for Room 146! This is a great way to get involved in your student’s education and support our teachers. Please email CollegeHeightsPTOpresident@gmail.com with interest or questions.

School Garden Volunteer Day is Sunday, August 30th at 9:30 a.m. Bring garden gloves & meet us in the garden behind the school. RSVP here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094CACAA28A2F5C16-65134717-garden

It’s never too late to join the PTO. Membership is free and all are welcome!

Mark your calendars for the following PTO events. Details to follow.

• Aug 24 - PTO Member Meeting to approve the budget / Curriculum Night - 5:30 p.m.

• Oct 21-28 - Read-To-Me-A-Thon!

• Oct 30 - Trunk or Treat

• Feb 27 - Annual Auction

• Apr 23 - Spring Social Event

• May 3-7 - College Heights Staff Appreciation Week

College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center cultivates an atmosphere where children take their first steps in building an authentic love of learning through developmentally appropriate practices in an environment that fosters family and community involvement.

All recent issues of the College Heights Connection are available here.

Older issues of CSD Weekly may be found on CSD's district newsletter webpage.