College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday break filled with joy and relaxation. We are so excited to kick off the year with our College Heights PTO Silent Auction on February 28! This event is more than just a fundraiser; it’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow parents and staff. As our biggest event of the year, your support is vital—all proceeds go directly toward supporting our incredible teachers and enhancing our school. Purchase your tickets here.

We can’t wait to see you there and make this our best auction yet!

Principal Garland

January 19 - MLK Day (school closed for all students)

January 28 - Early Release Day (Pre-K)

February 16-20 - Winter Break (Pre-K)

February 28 - Art from the Heart PTO Auction (purchase tickets HERE)

March 16 - Family Night

March 16-20 - Spring Book Fair

March 25 - Early Release Day (Pre-K)

April 6-10 - Spring Break (school closed for all students)

Over the past eight months, our leadership team, advisory council, and stakeholders have worked diligently on the Cognia accreditation process. Cognia is a globally recognized benchmark that validates a school’s commitment to rigorous standards, effective teaching, and continuous improvement.

Following an in-depth evaluation of our culture, leadership, and student growth, I am thrilled to announce that College Heights has been awarded Accreditation with Merit. This distinction indicates that our program exceeds Cognia’s high expectations and highlights our "Noteworthy Practices" as a model for excellence. This accreditation remains in place for the next six years. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the College Heights staff for their unwavering dedication to our students and families.

Registration for the 2026-2027 school year has begun. Packets will include a cover letter that will walk you through the documents and fees required for enrollment.

Current 0-2 families:

Teachers will send home registration packets in January. Please note: current residency must be submitted to secure your spot. If you have updated immunizations, please submit the GA 3231 form with your packet.

Current Preschool/Rising Pre-K families:

Teachers will send home registration packets this week. Please note that parents must submit all required documents. Bright from the Start will not allow us to use documents currently on file. Therefore, all documents must be resubmitted. All enrollment documents and fees must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on January 30.

Current Pre-K/Rising Kindergarten families:

Your Pre-K student will be automatically enrolled in your neighborhood school for Kindergarten. There is nothing families need to do at this time. We encourage you to reach out to your home school if you will need aftercare services for your student to find out about the enrollment process.

Prospective Pre-K families (new to College Heights or new to CSD):

Families, you are our best ambassadors for our school. Do you know of friends or neighbors with a rising Pre-K student? We would love to get to know them! Please let them know that registration begins Monday, February 2 and lasts through Friday, February 27. Click here for more information on the timeline and procedure for Pre-K registration.

Get ready for our Winter Break Camp! Registration is limited to the first 40 campers.

🗓️ Key Dates & Times

• Registration Opens: Monday, January 12 at 8:00 a.m.

• Submission Method: Applications must be submitted in person at the school's front desk.

📝 How to Apply

1. Get the Application: Applications are available now on the school website or at the front desk.

2. Submit In Person: Bring your completed application to the front desk starting January 12.

🎒What's Included?

Camp tuition covers breakfast, lunch, snack, and all activities.

The entire school was freshly painted over the break, and the two modular classrooms on the north side of the building were removed. In our program, we believe the environment plays a role in a child's day. By moving toward neutral, nature-inspired tones, we are intentionally designing a space that supports our core instruction:

• Self-Regulation (Conscious Discipline): Young nervous systems are highly sensitive. Neutral walls provide visual quiet, which helps children stay in a calm, regulated state, the optimal brain state for learning and connection.

• Active Learning & Focus (HighScope & Montessori): When the background is neutral, the children’s work and our learning materials become the focal point. This reduces visual noise, allowing children to better engage in the play and learning process and focus deeply on their chosen work.

• A Canvas for Curiosity (Inquiry): The Greek Villa (white) paint acts as a clean gallery wall. It allows the children's art, artifacts, and documentation of their learning to truly stand out and drive our curriculum forward.

• Connection to Nature (Developmentally Appropriate Practices): The addition of Clary Sage (green) paint brings the outdoors in. This organic connection promotes a sense of well-being for both children and teachers, making our school feel like a peaceful home away from home.

Our goal is to continue reducing visual clutter and incorporating natural materials to create a cohesive, peaceful, and beautiful home away from home for our students. Stay tuned as we add and refine visual spaces and displays in the common spaces that reflect the children's work and learning.

Pre-K classes will meet tomorrow (Friday) because of the teacher workday on Monday. Our younger students enjoyed several books this week; see the list below.

Does your child have a spring or summer birthday? It's not too late to participate in our birthday book program. For a donation of $25, your child will visit the library to select a birthday book, which will feature a custom dedication bookplate with a message of your choice. They bring the book home for two weeks, then it comes back to the library for others to enjoy. Click here for more information, and thank you for helping grow the school library!

We have some gorgeous new books. Come check them out! Remember, families can create library accounts and check out up to five books at a time. If you don't have time to come browse, email Leslie with some of your child's interests and I will curate a stack that can go home in your child's backpack.

Does your family have a Yoto? We are evaluating the possibility of adding Yoto cards to our library collection for students and families to check out. If this is something that would be useful to you, please email Leslie Joiner.

This week's books:

Zip Zap Wickety Wack: A Story About Sharing by Matthew Diffie

The Snow Thief by Alice Hemming and Nicola Slater

Today is Monday by Eric Carle

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Laura Bryant

Check out these photos of learning and play in action. We missed our little chicks over the break!

Don’t miss your chance to snag Early Bird Tickets for just $50 before the sale ends on January 28th. Join us for the College Heights Auction, “Art from the Heart,” on Saturday, February 28th from 6–9pm—an evening filled with great food, an open bar, live music, and a vibrant community spirit.

It’s the perfect opportunity to mix, mingle, and celebrate the incredible teachers and staff who make College Heights shine (and yes, they attend for free). This year, many teachers—including every 0–3 teacher—have created unique and memorable student experiences that you’ll be able to bid on during the auction.

Read the January 8, 2026, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

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.

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.