DHS Weekly Update
Hello,
In the next few days, we will be in full on testing season. I want to express my appreciation for the opportunity to lead this group of students, faculty, and staff. During this time of year, our faculty takes on additional responsibilities, including proctoring, covering classes, senior activities, and still covering clubs, athletic practices, meetings, and competitions. Students are dealing with the anxiety of their class work, testing, and the many other things going on in their lives. Thank you, parents, for entrusting your student to us. Please do not hesitate to reach out if there is anything our team can do to support your student.
Finally, Teacher Appreciation Week is during the first week of May. Our DHS PTSA does a wonderful job of celebrating the entire staff throughout the school year. Please look for requests for assistance, membership, and leadership opportunities from the DHS PTSA.
Sincerely,
Duane Sprull, Ed.D.
Blue and Gold Institute
The Blue & Gold Institute is a structured academic intervention and re-engagement program designed for students who need a non-traditional educational pathway due to attendance challenges, credit deficits, social-emotional needs, or difficulty remaining focused and successful in a large high school setting.
BGI is a program, not a separate school, and will function as an inclusive component of Decatur High School. As part of this work, CSD is integrating Decatur Virtual Academy onto the DHS campus so students remain DHS students while accessing BGI for part of the year.
The primary goals of BGI are to increase engagement for full-time virtual students, provide credit recovery and online initial credit opportunities, and ensure certified, skilled staff to support core academics and special education.
For more information about BGI, please review the informational video.
Students and families interested in BGI for the 2026-2027 school year should complete this form.
District Champions
State Champions
Isaac Hall, Lucas Kwong, Ethan Kolesky, Samuel Master
On Sunday, April 19th, 2026, Decatur High School Best Buddies chapter hosted their first annual Field Day with Emory Best Buddies. Students joined together and participated in events which included face painting, freeze dance, tug of war, hot potato, three-legged race, sponge race, egg and spoon race, and a parachute. After all the fun events, everyone gathered together to enjoy some snacks, Domino's pizza, and popsicles! We ended the event with everyone participating in a dance party! We can't wait to see everyone again next year!!
On Monday, April 20th, the Decatur High School auditorium was filled with pride as we hosted our 2026 Academic Awards ceremony! Sponsored by the Student Government Association (SGA) and led by students, the event honored students for their outstanding academic achievement, citizenship, and character through the presentation of the Bulldog Legacy and Top Dog awards. We also celebrated our prestigious College Book Award winners and National Merit Finalists for their incredible dedication to their scholarship and the DHS community.
Congratulations to all our honorees for representing the very best of Decatur—we are so proud of your hard work!
After winning a DEF Student Innovation grant for their project Fanning Curiosity, freshmen students Sonoma Oster and Andrea Roytershteyn led a group of 40 high school students to Glennwood to help their 2nd graders learn about electricity and renewable energy. The students, with the help of the high schoolers, built solar-powered fans and went outside to test them. The students even got to take their projects home to further their learning outside of school and share it with their families. Thank you to DEF for making this incredible opportunity possible! We all had a great time! If you would like to participate in field trips like these in the future and learn more about STEM, consider joining the Ultimate Problem Solving club.
Dinner, Drama, and Dessert: Courtyard Dinner Theatre!
This year's Courtyard Dinner Theatre will be next Thursday, April 30th at 6:30pm. Join us for this fun evening of mystery and dining al fresco with the students of Decatur High School’s Intermediate Acting and Culinary Arts classes. You will feel like part of the action as events unfold around you, while enjoying the students’ culinary creations.
Three-course menu (no modifications, please) prepared and served by Chef Scot Blair and our talented culinary students.
- First Course - Wedge salad with radish and peas, a blue cheese crouton with ranch dressing
- Second Course - Lemon Chicken Breast with Roasted Veggie and Parmesan Orzo (chicken omitted for vegetarian option)
- Desert- Tiramisu garnished with raspberries
- Served with bread basket and choice of iced tea, lemonade or water
Click here for a direct link to the ticket purchasing page. Only 100 seats will be sold at this One Night Only event - so get your tickets today!
The play is 40 minutes with no intermission. Rain date is Friday, May 1 at 6:30 p.m. No refunds will be given for rescheduling.
Dinner Theater will take place in the DHS Cafeteria Courtyard - Park by the Frazier Center and go through the black gates at the top of the hill. Exact location of courtyard: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xZ2Seb4xJLcokHiw9
Please reach out to Emily Nichols or Chef Scot Blair if you have any questions and enjoy the show!
Order a Copy of the 2026 DHS Literary Magazine
DHS’s Creative Writing students are wrapping up production of the 2026 literary magazine. The Decatur High School Literary Magazine is a student-produced publication, dating back to 1972. Every year, DHS's Creative Writing students develop a theme, solicit student creative writing and artwork, review submissions, and design and execute the layout and illustrations to produce the magazine. All writing, artwork, and production decisions are made by students, with support from the DHS English department.
If you want to order a print copy of the magazine, please complete this form. This year's theme is a Journey into the Mind.
Please note:
Lit/Mag staff members and students whose work is printed in the lit/mag will receive a complimentary copy of the magazine. Thank you to the CSD school board for funding these complimentary copies. Only use this form if you would like to order additional copies or if you would like to donate to the magazine.
The literary magazine is expected to go to print by Friday, April 24th.
Magazines will not be ready for pick-up until approximately May 8th.
If you want to guarantee that you receive additional copies of the magazine, orders must be placed before Friday, April 24th.
Additional copies may be available for purchase after delivery, but there is no guarantee.
Questions about this form or the DHS Literary Magazine? Please contact Ms. Frances Wilson, DHS Creative Writing teacher, at fwilson@csdecatur.net.
Spin Into Success: Join the 2026 Color Guard!
Does your student love to dance, perform, and be part of a team? We are looking for enthusiastic students to join the Fall 2026 Decatur Color Guard! Whether they are a seasoned performer or have never picked up a flag, we want to see them there—absolutely no experience is required to audition.
Who: Rising 8th–12th Graders
When: April 27 – 30 | 4:15 PM – 6:30 PM each day
Where: BHMS Gym
Wear: Athletic clothes and tennis shoes
Ready to join the pageantry? Please register using the link below to let us know you’re coming!
Questions? Reach out to lstevenson@csdecatur.net.
🤖 Discover the Future: Decatur Robotics Showcase!
🚁 Drone Academy Summer Camp – Registration Now Live
Decatur Career Academy is partnering with AI Nautics to offer a five-day Drone Academy Summer Camp, June 22–26 (9 AM–5 PM) for rising juniors and seniors (ages 16+).
Students will receive hands-on drone training and complete their assessment at Peachtree DeKalb Airport, an official FAA testing site.
- Cost: $500
- Four $250 scholarships available
- Only 15 seats
- Deadline: May 1
Seats are limited. Registration is first come, first served.
In response to direct feedback from our community, the Decatur Parents Network and Decatur Education Foundation are hosting a vital conversation on Monday, April 27th. Navigating the pressures of social media and body image is a modern challenge for our kids; this session offers a supportive space for parents to learn what's normal, what's concerning, and—most importantly—how to help. We’ll be joined by experienced therapists Mosammat Alam and Kendra Marcus to dive into the "why" behind disordered eating and how we can best show up for our adolescents.
Join us at the Beacon Hill Middle School Media Center:
When: Monday, April 27, 2026, from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Who: This event is designed for adults only.
Where: BHMS Media Center
Ready to join the conversation? Register here to save your spot or scan the QR code on the flyer. We hope to see you there!
PTSA Community Service Hours Due April 30th for Seniors
The deadline for seniors to submit community service hours toward the PTSA Community Service Graduation Cord is Thursday, April 30. To receive the cord, students must complete 60 hours of approved community service during their high school years and all hours must be entered and approved in MobileServe.
To confirm their hours qualify for the graduation cord, seniors should log in to MobileServe and view the approved hours listed on their homepage. They should check two things (see the image to the right)
Seniors who have completed service hours but haven’t created a MobileServe account or logged hours yet have until 11:59 PM on April 30th to get them in! Visit the Guide to Community Service Hours for instructions on setting up your account and logging hours.
Questions? Email cs@decaturhighptsa.org