College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

Welcome back! We were so happy to see our little chicks return on Monday. I hope you had a fun and restful break. It's hard to believe we only have a few weeks left in the school year. This is a busy time of the year for our school family with a lot of fun events coming our way. Please make sure to check the Important Dates section and mark your calendars.

Hang in there, families! There are lots of memories to make in these last few weeks. Thank you for your continued support.

Have a great weekend,

Principal Garland

April 24 - 0-3 Art Show, 10:00 a.m.

April 24 - PTO Movie Night & Pizza Dinner, 6:00 p.m.

April 30 - Pre-K field trip to K-2 schools

May 4-15 - Parent Conference Window

May 8 - Field Day (rain date May 12) click HERE to volunteer, 8:30 a.m.

May 19 - Pre-K parade, 9:00 a.m.

May 22 - Last day of school (Pre-K)

For the last several months, College Heights has been a learning lab for Decatur High School students in the Decatur Career Academy's Early Childhood Education track. College Heights students built relationships with these amazing DHS seniors through their weekly visits where they were immersed in classroom instruction and activities across several College Heights classrooms.

As a thank you and wrap-up, College Heights hosted these seniors for a donut reception (special thanks to the College Heights PTO for providing the yummy donuts!) and debrief on what went well, what can we do better to improve their internship experience, some funny or touching moments they experienced along the way, and any plans for continuing with early childhood education in college.

Special thanks to Carol Duzan for making this partnership happen, and thank you to our senior interns. We will miss you, but know that you will always be part of the College Heights school family!

Come one, come all to the 0-3 Art Show next Friday, April 24 beginning at 10:00 a.m.! This annual event is the culmination of many months of learning and creativity. Our artists are so excited to show off their work.

Click HERE to volunteer!

This year's Field Day is scheduled for Friday, May 8 (rain date May 12) from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Get ready for one of the most exciting days of the school year—Field Day! Our annual Field Day will be held on May 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (rain date May 12). It's a wonderful day filled with fun, healthy competition, and teamwork, and we need your help to make it a huge success for all our students.

We rely heavily on parent volunteers to ensure the day runs smoothly and safely. Your participation makes a significant difference in the quality of this experience for every child.

We have 3 ways you can volunteer:

1. Group Chaperone (Walking Group Leader)

This role involves walking around the Field Day stations with a small group of students (typically 3–4 children). You will help keep your group together, ensure they transition safely between activities, and encourage them as they participate. This is a great role for parents who want to spend the day actively moving and engaging directly with the children. To chaperone a group of students in your child's class, please contact your child's teacher directly.

2. Station Runner (Activity Monitor)

This role involves managing one of the planned Field Day stations. Responsibilities include explaining the activity, managing equipment, and keeping the children enthusiastic. Specific instructions for each station will be provided upon arrival. Click HERE to volunteer for a station runner position.

3. Donations (Snacks)

Unable to volunteer? Consider donating kid-friendly snacks or small bottles of water no later than May 1.

If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up by April 24 so we can finalize assignments and ensure adequate coverage.

To ensure the safety of all students, City Schools of Decatur requires all volunteers and chaperones to have a current background check on file. This is especially important for anyone who will be with students without a staff member present.

How to get a background check:

• Schedule an appointment: Background checks are conducted at 2635 Talley Street, 2nd Floor. There is a $35 fee (cash or check made out to City Schools of Decatur) for the background check, and it must be turned in to the front desk at College Heights before you go for your background check. You can book an appointment using this link: https://calendar.app.google/du9yW1Gg8SV6pjGp8

• Important scheduling note: Appointments are typically available on Mondays and Wednesdays. You can schedule an appointment up to 21 days in advance.

• What to bring: Please bring your driver's license with you to your 10-minute appointment. You will also fill out a short form.

• Results: The information is submitted to the GBI, and results are often returned within 24 hours.

Come and be a part of the fun!

Complete our parent climate survey* and provide College Heights with valuable feedback, and the class with the highest percentage of completed surveys wins a popsicle party! Click the link to start the survey.

*This survey is specific to College Heights; it is not a district survey.

Pre-K students enjoyed Dan Santat's imaginative retelling of the Humpty Dumpty tale, After the Fall, and we compared and contrasted the classic nursery rhyme with the book.

Our Pre-K students are really engaged in choosing and checking out books each week. They have improved so much in independence and articulating preferences. I hope you are enjoying reading their books with them at home. Thank you for helping your students return their books each Monday. We will check out books for three more weeks. Our last checkout day will be Monday, May 4, with all books due back on May 11, which will be our last class of the year.

It's rare that I find a book that is this appealing to different age groups, but This is NOT My Lunch Box! wowed students in the two- and three-year-old classes. They loved learning about what different animals like to eat, and giving a 👍 or 👎 if they would also eat those foods.

This week's books for one-, two-, and three-year-olds

We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang

A Busy Creature's Day Eating by Mo Willems

Wild About Us! written by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by Janet Stevens

Little Lost Cowboy by Simon Puttock and Caroline Jayne Church

Read the April 16, 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.