College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

It's been a great first day here at College Heights. Our little chicks are settling into their new classrooms, getting to know their teachers and classmates, and learning new routines. We are so excited to get to know all of our students and families over the coming weeks.

These first few days of school can really take a toll on little ones, so make sure they are getting plenty of rest and lots of hugs. Thank you for trusting us with your sweet children; we are looking forward to a great year of growing and learning.

Have a great weekend,

Principal Garland

August 21 - Curriculum Night (6-7 p.m.)

August 27 - Pre-K Early Release Day (12:15 p.m.)

September 1 - Labor Day (no school)

September 12 - Coffee Chat on Curriculum and Assessment (8:00 a.m.)

September 22-26 - Fall Break (no school for Pre-K and Preschool Special Education students)

Day-of dismissal changes for Pre-K students must be made prior to 1:00 pm and must be communicated to the school, not the classroom teacher, as teachers are not always able to check email during the school day.

Please communicate dismissal changes to Caretha Hall by phone (preferred) at (404) 370-4480 or by email.

Experience a day in the life of a College Heights Chick! We warmly invite you to join us for Curriculum Night on August 21 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.

We look forward to seeing you!

Congratulations to Briana Bauer, Pre-K teacher, for receiving the Extra Mile Award. This award, which honors exceptional educators, is given annually by the Decatur Education Foundation. Extra Mile Award nominations come from students and acknowledge the extraordinary contributions of City Schools of Decatur faculty and staff. Briana was nominated by her former student Wilder Erickson, who came with his mom to present Briana with the award at CSD's Opening Day celebration on Tuesday. Wilder was happy to pose for a picture with his teachers, Briana Bauer and Tamara Walker. Way to go, Briana, and thanks for going above and beyond for your students every day!

Pre-K students will experience a variety of off-site field trips this year. Field trips are aligned to instructional goals and provide an opportunity for our students to extend their learning. For the school to budget for entrance fees and transportation costs, we are asking each Pre-K family to contribute a $25 field trip fee. This contribution will cover your student's field trip costs for the entire school year. If you did not have the chance to pay at Meet and Greet yesterday, you can send a check (no cash please!) with your Pre-K student through their green folder. Thank you for supporting this important initiative.

The health and safety of our students and staff is a top priority at College Heights. We closely monitor weather conditions that may impact outdoor exposure time and follow the Department of Public Health's guidelines for safe and comfortable outdoor play. Please refer to the chart below for more information.

The College Heights Chick made a splash at the CSD Back-to-School Bash last week and got to meet Dr. Gyimah Whitaker, our school superintendent. Look for the College Heights Chick to make guest appearances at College Heights soon!

College Heights recently launched its new website, which will provide an enhanced online experience for current and prospective families, staff, and community members.

As with any move, some content may have inadvertently been misplaced, or a few links may be temporarily down during the migration to the new platform. If you encounter any issues, please contact Leslie Joiner. Thank you for your patience and valuable feedback as we complete the final adjustments and continue to add content.

The College Heights PTO wishes you a wonderful start to the 2025-26 school year! Please visit our website to sign up for a free membership, check out volunteer opportunities, and order your school shirts in time for Spirit Week in September.

Meet the PTO Board:

Lauren Elliott - President

Andrew Navratil - Treasurer

Amber Womble - Secretary

If you are interested in joining as Vice President please email Lauren.

CSD is pleased to continue offering credit card payments as a convenient payment method for school-related fees. In line with standard industry practices, CSD imposes a transaction fee to cover the processing costs charged by credit card companies for accepting these payments. During the 2024-25 school year, CSD capitalized on the increase in electronic check transactions ($0.35 per transaction) to reduce the Infinite Campus credit card processing fee from a flat rate of $4.00 to $2.50 per transaction.

However, credit card companies impose a fee of 3.5% or more on the total transaction amount for credit card payments rather than a flat fee. The difference has created a gap between the fees charged by CSD and the actual credit card processing costs incurred by the district, leaving the district to cover the additional expenses for each credit card transaction.

Effective July 1, CSD will shift to a retail merchant model for credit card processing. This change will involve moving from a $2.50 flat fee to a 3.5% percentage-based fee for all CSD credit card transactions. The transition means there will be a charge of $3.50 for every $100 credit card transaction. We encourage electronic checks, as these fees will remain $0.35.

The transition to a percentage-based fee supports the district's financial sustainability and aligns the fee structure with actual processing costs. It also allows CSD to maintain credit card payment options without diverting funds from other educational priorities.

All 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.

Click here to view this week's edition of the CSD Weekly.