Talley Street Update

Save the Date!

CSD Digital Learning Day (NO In-Person School): November 4
Walk n Roll: November 7
PTO Meeting: November 12, 6 pm
Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL): November 24-28

School Photos

School photos are here! You can access the proofs using this link. The link will expire on November 8. The access code to log in is your child's student ID.

Important STEM Announcement

Thank you so much for your toilet paper roll support this year! We are on the prowl for a few items to use when we discuss ecosystems and decomposition. Do you have any of the following around the house?

10 gallon aquarium with a screen top
dark plastic container with a top (for worm composting)
old newspapers
house plants that need a new home in the STEM lab
shoeboxes

Any questions? Email Mrs. Reno (areno@csdecatur.net)! Thank you again for everything. You make science happen!

Library Announcements

@TalleyMediaCenter

The Talley Media Center is now on Instagram! Follow along with our learning adventures here.

Library Volunteers Needed

Do you love encouraging kids to read? Would you like to be part of helping our school library become more inviting? Are you interested in helping us promote book joy? We would love to have you as a library volunteer! Please sign up using the button bellow if you're interested. Volunteer onboarding will be on Friday, October 31, at 7:50 AM!

Media Center Volunteer Form

House Service Projects

Some of our houses have begun working on their service projects for the year. We need support from our entire Talley community!

Onraka Food Drive

Onraka's food drive will run from October 20-November 14, 2025. Bins will be in the lobby. We need canned goods, rice, dry beans, single applesauce, cereal, tuna packets, soups, peanut butter, pasta and pasta sauces, dry milk.

Nukumori Talent Show

Nukumori is hosting a 5th grade talent show to raise money for Decatur Cooperative Ministries. More information, including rules and registration, can be found here (make sure to look at the second page)!

Witzzle Pro (Begins November 6)

After School Club at Talley - Witzzle Pro

When: Thursdays from 2:30-3:30 (parent pickup at 3:30)

Start Date: 11/6/2026

End Date: 12/11/2025

*40 students - first 40 that sign up.

How do I sign up: Fill out the form Witzzle Pro Sign up Link

Who can sign up: Any student who currently attends Talley (max 40 students). If you sign up for Witzzle Pro, please be sure that you do not already have a commitment on Thursdays after school.

What is Witzzle Pro: Witzzle Pro is a super fun game that can be played as a single, small group, or large group. It helps to enhance problem solving skills, order of operations, and has up to 7 different levels of difficulty - so it is a game for any age 6 and up. If you love to play games and like math - this Club is for you! We will have a fun tournament on our last meeting day.

Feel free to also email Ashley Forman (aforman@csdecatur.net) or Lindsey Combs (lindsey.combs@csdecatur.net) if you have any questions.

Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition (Due: November 14)

Calling all K-12 storytellers, writers, and authors! Every story deserves to be told — especially yours.

Submit your story and share your voice with the world!

Speaker Series Kicks Off with Great Success!

Nearly two dozen students, parents, faculty and community members attended the first guest speaker session organized by the Green Team and Talley's Best Buddies group. Talley parent Veronica Apecena discussed how the creation of her business was inspired by a dear friend with developmental disabilities and addressed, through her friend's story, the importance of creating inclusive work environments. She then led attendees in a discussion of plastic waste, its effect on our environment and how little changes in our behaviors/purchasing practices can have a positive effect. The afternoon was topped off by a visit to her mobile refillery, where students viewed examples of eco-friendly products, learned how to make use of reusable containers and were given a sample to take home. Learn more about Veronica and Joyful Jarra here.

Stay tuned for news about our next guest speaker!

Plastic Film for House Points

Our next collection for house points will be Wednesday, November 5. Click here for information about what counts as plastic film and learn about how it gets processed and reused.

Save the Small Stuff

Loose bottle caps, plastic bread tags, food pouch tops, milk pull-tags...These small items don't have to be garbage. Through Ridwell, these items can be recycled. Send your small items to the Green Team for a special collection.

Students also are encouraged to bring items featured in the Green Team Store, which can earn them house points and prizes!

Thank you to everyone who participated in Talley’s Reading Rally! Together, students raised over $12,000. Way to go, Tigers! Congratulations to the classes who earned parties for completing the most BINGO squares: 3rd - Ellspermann (415); 4th - Welp (339); 5th - Hickson (440); and bonus party for Ms. Young's class (437)! The donation site will stay open a little longer if you’d like to help us reach our $15,000 goal: https://talleypto.betterworld.org/campaigns/talley-2025-reading-rally
Our next Walk & Roll is on Friday, November 7th, and we're looking for volunteers to help run the new Marble Table for Bus Riders! This is a simple but important job that’s even better with a student helper by your side. If you're interested in helping boost school spirit and kicking off a Friday morning in a fun way, we’d love to have you volunteer! More details and sign-ups at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0848ACAA28A5FE3-59594689-busriders.
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week is coming up on November 10th-14th! This year, we’re collecting funds to give each of the 20+ crossing guards a Kroger Gift Card from the Talley community. If you’d like to contribute, please Venmo Mallory Donaldson (@Mallory-Donaldson) by Monday, November 10th. We also encourage students to make thank you cards and deliver them personally to their Crossing Guards that week. Contact Mallory at srts@talleypto.org with any questions. Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who keep our students safe every day!
Join the new Talley Street Bike Bus! We bike to Talley every Friday morning! More details are available at: https://atlantabikebus.com/schools/talley. We are still looking for a few more adult volunteers to help with routes! Express interest or sign up (for yourself and/or your student) at: https://tinyurl.com/talleybikebus. For questions, contact: talleystreetbikebus@gmail.com.
Talley ‘25-’26 yearbooks are on pre-sale! They are $23 through 12/31/25 (when they will increase to $28). Order at bit.ly/talleyyearbook25. Please consider donating a yearbook. If you need financial assistance, a discount code is available; contact Ms. Weaver (kiweaver@csdecatur.net), Talley school Counselor. For other questions, contact yearbook@talleypto.org.

Read the October 23, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

On October 16, Superintendent Dr. Gyimah Whitaker emailed a letter to City Schools of Decatur community that the Board of Education has initiated a comprehensive review of K-2 school utilization. This review will assess how CSD's K-2 schools are currently being utilized to ensure that space, staffing, and resources align with student needs while also maintaining operational efficiency and fiscal responsibility.

The Board of Education work session on October 14, 2025, served as a preliminary discussion to review various options, including the potential closure of a K-2 school. The consulting firm Education Planners has been engaged to facilitate this process and presented a timeline for the first time at the board work session, along with a detailed overview of the school closure and redistricting process. The board has not yet decided which school, if any, will be closed. There will be opportunities for families to share their input in the upcoming weeks.

Please read the full letter in English here. Additional language translations of the letter and up-to-date information about the process are available on the K-2 School Consolidation & Redistricting Process webpage. Stakeholder engagement is encouraged and vital as we work together to make the best decisions for our students and schools.

The community is invited to upcoming public hearings to provide feedback:

Wednesday, October 29, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Beacon Hill Middle School, Cafeteria
Thursday, November 13, 6:30-8:00 p.m., Beacon Hill Middle School, Cafeteria

In addition to the in-person public hearings, input may be submitted via this feedback form.

A Season of Giving

A Season of Giving/Christmas Decatur ensures that our community’s children and seniors in need experience the joy of the holidays with gifts matched to their wishes. This program is made possible through the generous spirit of neighbors helping neighbors. Applications for children are due by October 31. And here you can find information on how to sponsor a child, teen, or senior citizen, as well as how to volunteer.