College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

I hope you are having a wonderful week. We have several exciting parent engagement opportunities this month. Please be sure to read all the details in this week's newsletter on how you can participate in the fun! Just a friendly reminder College Heights is closed for all students April 7-11 for Spring Break.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Principal Garland

Join us for our spring Family Night on Monday, March 24 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.!

We will be kicking off our book fair, officially unveiling our new cafeteria mural, and engaging in a fun and informative classroom experience. Each teacher is planning an activity that is unique and meaningful to their classroom community and provides a glimpse into a day in the life of a College Heights student.

The Family Night Schedule

6:00-6:30 p.m.

• Welcome Mix & Mingle
• "Sip and Celebrate" our beautiful new mural in the cafeteria with juice boxes
• Young Children and Digital Health Information Table with Ilene Zeff, Media Specialist at Winnona Park Elementary School
• Spring book fair in the library

6:30-6:55 p.m.

• Family Engagement Experience (in classrooms)

6:55-7:00 p.m.

• Goodbyes and wrap up!

We hope you can join us!

Pre-K families, you are now able to access your student's 2024-2025 testing data in Infinite Campus. On the menu on the left side of the screen, scroll to the bottom, click More and then click the Assessments tab.

If you need assistance accessing your Infinite Campus account, please reach out to Cynthia Andrews.

For assessment-related questions, please contact Erynn Mathews-Davis.

The Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (DECAL) and Georgia’s Pre-K Program are partnering with the Path2College 529 Plan, the official college savings plan for the state of Georgia, to sponsor this year’s Pre-K to College Sweepstakes.

Four children from across the state will be randomly selected to win a $1,529.00 contribution for their Path2College 529 Plan. The four Pre-K programs that the winners attend will also win a $1,529.00 check made payable to their Pre-K program.

The deadline to enter is March 31, 2025. Good luck!

All students are required to submit a GA Form 3300 (hearing, vision, nutrition and dental screening) AND a GA Form 3231 (certificate of immunization) within 90 days of starting school. Please make sure your child's forms are current and you are scheduling medical appointments in advance with your child's pediatrician to maintain these vital records. Submit all forms to either Ms. Caretha or Nurse Lola as they are being updated. To check for expiration date, please note the box at the upper right hand corner of the GA Form 3231. Check the date above the wording "date of expiration." If there is an X in the box, the form is complete.

From Bright from The Start Requirements:

"Georgia law requires that all children attending a child care facility have a valid certificate of immunization upon enrollment in a child care program. DECAL’s rules and regulations for child care programs require that a valid certificate of immunization be obtained during the enrollment process before the child’s first day of attendance or within 30 calendar days after a child’s first day of attendance. No child shall continue enrollment in the center for more than thirty (30) days without such evidence."

Participate in a raffle to give our adorable winter break mascot a new home and support the purchase of supplies for the after school program and summer camps at the same time! Details can be found below.

Pre-K students are spending the next two weeks learning about the books of author and illustrator Kevin Henkes and they love bringing books home to share with you!

Books read with one-, two-, and three-year old classes:

A Good Day by Kevin Henkes

Mel Fell by Corey L. Tabor

A Piglet Named Mercy by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

Chester Van Chime Who Forgot How to Rhyme by Avery Monsen, illustrated by Abby Hanlon

Row, Row, Row Your Boat retold by Megan Borgert-Spaniol, illustrated by Dan Crisp

We are excited to partner with Little Shop of Stories to bring amazing books for all ages to College Heights.

Dates and Times

March 24-28, 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

March 24 College Heights Family Night, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Pre-K students will browse the book fair with their classes on Monday, March 24. We need parent (or grandparent) volunteers on this day from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You don't have to be the parent of a Pre-K student.

Sign up to be a book fair volunteer HERE!

Can you help Ms. Elecia? She is looking for these boxes (see photo below) for a summer camp project. If you have them, please drop them off at the front desk. Thanks in advance!

That’s a wrap on our school auction! We are so pleased to announce that we raised $28,000 and exceeded the donation goal of $6,000 to fund field trips for all students, expand our Spanish and garden lessons, and renovate the school laundry room. Thanks so much to everyone who volunteered, donated, bid, and partied with us! We are very grateful for this amazing community. Email receipts will be going out soon.

A special thank you to our Auction Committee Chair, Stephanie Cho, whose vision and execution created a beautifully successful event!

Please let us know your thoughts by filling out this anonymous survey about the auction. Your feedback will help us plan for next year.

If you are interested in joining the Auction Committee for the 2025/26 school year please send an email to CollegeHeightsPTO@gmail.com. The Committee Chair gets a VIP front row parking spot at College Heights for the entire school year!

Thank you also to College Heights teacher and film genius Myles Boynton (MReelz) for making the heartwarming movie shown during the auction. The video includes a peek into the laundry room that will be getting a makeover thanks to you all! Check it out here.

The 2025-2026 CSD enrollment opens on Monday, March 3, for rising Kindergarten students or students new to CSD. Registration may be completed entirely online. Find more registration information here.

New Families: See CSD's Key Contacts & Resources for Families, available in multiple languages.

REMINDER: If your currently enrolled student has a sibling who will be new to CSD for the 2025-2026 school year, you must register this new sibling via the Parent Portal.

1. Select "More" from the menu in the Parent Portal.

2. Select "Annual Data Update."

3. Select "2025-2026 New Student Registration."

As part of the enrollment process, you will also need to email residency documentation to CSD's district enrollment specialist, Patrice Moore, at pmoore@csdecatur.net, as the Parent Portal will not allow you to change or upload this field. Information about required residency proof documents is available on the CSD website. Please contact pmoore@csdecatur.net or 404-371-3601 x1063 for assistance.

Tour deCatur Registration is Open!

Get ready, get set, get registered for Decatur Education Foundation's 23rd annual Tour deCatur! Sign up at www.tourdecatur.com!

The fun happens on Saturday, March 15, at the Decatur High School stadium. This year, in addition to the 5k (a Peachtree qualifier), the 1-Mile Fun Run, and the adorable Tot Trot (for our friends ages four and under), DEF is offering a "None-Run" for anyone who wants to support Decatur kids without breaking a sweat! This is DEF's largest fundraiser and supports programs and initiatives that remove obstacles, provide opportunities, support educators, and strengthen the Decatur community!

All issues of the College Heights Connection are available on our website. Click here!

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

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.

March 14 - Preschool Holi Celebration

March 24 - Family Engagement Night (6:00-7:00 p.m.)

March 24-28 - Spring Book Fair with Little Shop of Stories

March 26 - Early Release Day (Pre-K)

April 7-11 - Spring Break (school closed for Pre-K and 0-3 program)

April 25 - Preschool Art Show

April 30 - Early Release Day (Pre-K) FINAL EARLY RELEASE DAY OF THE YEAR

May 23 - Last Day of School (Pre-K)