College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

It's an exciting time of year as we prepare for our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences! This is one of the most valuable opportunities we have to collaborate, share insights, and ensure a focused plan for your child's success this school year.

Please use the links below to sign up for a time slot that works best for your family. We encourage you to come ready to discuss your student's progress, celebrate their achievements, and strategize together on areas for growth. Your partnership is essential to their academic and social development.

Have a great weekend,

Principal Garland

November 24-28 - Thanksgiving Break (Pre-K and preschool special education)

November 26 - School Closes at Noon (0-3)

November 27-28 - Thanksgiving Break (0-3)

December 1-12 - Parent Conference Window

December 19 - Early Release Day (Pre-K)

December 22-January 5 - Semester Break (Pre-K)

December 24-January 2 - Winter Break (0-3)

Families, please click the image below to access the conference signup Google doc. You will need to click your teacher's individual link to sign up for a conference. Links to conference agendas are also below.

How well do you know your school principal, instructional coach, technology support specialist, and school librarian? Read below to find out more!

Sarah Garland is College Heights' principal. She is originally from Cincinnati. In her spare time, she loves spending time with family and friends and watching her kids play club soccer, something they have done since they were young, with many miles traveled and many games played. She loves all things college football but the Georgia Bulldogs are her team. Her secret passion is interior design. She writes: "If I could wallpaper every space in my house I would (my family has said no way!)." Her goal this year is to learn how to play Mahjong.

Erynn Mathews-Davis has been the instructional coach since 2022 and has worked with young children for many years. When she's not at school, this southern California girl loves to grab good eats with friends, exercise, and read. She also listens to true crime podcasts and watches crime and psychological thrillers, as well as dark comedy shows and movies. Her fun fact: as a high school cheerleader, she and her squad were background actors on a TV sitcom called Hangin' with Mr. Cooper. They played pretentious rival cheerleaders from Oakland Prep in an episode called "Cheers."

Ramous Fields has been the College Heights technology specialist for six years. He hails from Atlanta. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with friends and family - especially grandchildren - and he is an amateur musician who plays saxophone and guitar. Ramous is an identical twin, and he says, "My twin has actually visited College Heights to help me prank and surprise my work family."

Leslie Joiner is the librarian at College Heights. She is an Atlanta native who loves to run, read (of course!), travel, cook, and hang out with family and friends. She is working on a master's degree in school library media and instructional technology (graduation date May 2026!), so that keeps her pretty busy when she's not at College Heights. Her fun fact: she is a direct descendant of Clement C. Moore, who wrote "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (better known as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas). Her middle name is actually Moore!

Back to normal this week! Pre-K students enjoyed a lively scavenger hunt/matching game designed to prepare them to check out books in the library. They learned how that books are organized in different ways throughout the library, and picture signs are a way for us to locate our favorite topics, authors, or illustrators. See photos below.

Our one-, two-, and three-year-olds heard several stories and all classes got to dance to a very fun song/book called Space Song Rocket Ride that taught us all about our solar system.

This week's books:

Stop That Pickle! by Peter Armour, illustrated by Andrew Shachat

This Story Is Not About a Kitten by Randall de Sève and Carson Ellis

Buffalo Fluffalo and Puffalo by Bess Kalb and Erin Kraan

Space Song Rocket Ride by Sunny Scribens, illustrated by David Sim, sung by Mark Collins

One of These Is Not Like the Others by Barney Saltzberg

Little Owl Lost by Chris Haughton

Yum! Many students and teachers chose today's Thanksgiving lunch, and Sloan got a very special note in her lunch today.

Davy (Ms. Amaryst's class) shows that even little kids can be a big help as he helps his mom, Christie Bailey, CSD school psychologist, wheel her cart down the hallway.

Pre-K Spanish in the library? ¡Si, claro!

Read the November 13, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

During the Board of Education meeting held on November 11, 2025, the board decided to reassess and revise the K-2 School Consolidation and Redistricting Process. The process has been renamed the K-2 Utilization Process, and the timeline will be modified to allow for more public feedback.

BOE consultant Education Planners will host a public forum on Thursday, November 13, 2025, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Beacon Hill Middle School. The community is invited to provide input and offer considerations to Education Planners regarding the K-2 School Utilization Process. The meeting will replace the previously advertised second public hearing on the K-2 School Consolidation and Redistricting Process.

The meeting format will be as follows:

• General Information Session: Information Presented

• Committee Work Sessions: Public Input

Education Planners recommended the creation of four committees to guide the next phase of planning. The proposed committees are:

• Facilities & Finance Committee: enrollment, costs, and capital planning

• Student Experience Committee: instructional programs, transitions, and early-learning access

• Safety & Operations Committee: traffic, walkability, and daily operations

• Culture & Communication Committee: transparency and ongoing engagement

Community members are invited to sign up for one of the committees here. More information about the K-2 School Utilization Process is available on the CSD website.

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.