Weekly Update
March 6, 2025
Dear Winnona Park Community,
Enrollment opened this week for rising Kindergarten students or students new to CSD for the 25-26 school year. It is so helpful for my planning purposes to know who my kiddos are entering kindergarten (or 1st and 2nd grade for the first time) as soon as possible. If you have a child in a private Pre-K or kindergarten program who will join the Winnona Park Crew next year, please register ASAP. If you have a child at College Heights, no action is required.
Also, please spread the word amongst your friends as well and encourage them if they have children joining us next year. Registration can be completed entirely online. Learn more here.
If your currently enrolled student has a sibling who will be new to City Schools of Decatur for the 2025-2026 school year, this new sibling must be registered via the parent portal (https://www.csdecatur.net/families/k-12-registration-process). In the parent portal, select "More" from the menu, then "Annual Data Update", then "2025-2026 New Student Registration.” As part of the enrollment process, you will also need to email Patrice Moore (pmoore@csdecatur.net) the residency documentation as the parent portal will not allow you to change or upload this field. Proof of Residency Required Documents are available on the CSD website here.
Sincerely,
Gregory Wiseman
Principal, Winnona Park Elementary School
Important Dates
March 7 - Community Circle - First Grade Families; Living Museum with first grade students
March 10 - PTA Meeting - All are welcome!
March 12 - Walk-N-Roll is back! We are trying to reduce waste so please bring your own coffee mug.
March 14 - Community Circle with second grade families
March 16 - Community Garden Workday
March 21 - Community Circle with kindergarten families
March 24 - 28: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
March 26 - Early Release Day. Students are dismissed at 12:50 PM
March 28 - Community Circle with first grade families
From the Animal Crackers Aftercare Program
The City of Decatur offers the Animal Crackers program at all K-2 school sites and the Whiz Kids program at all 3-5 school sites. Enrollment for incoming students is done through a lottery process, which opened on February 20 and closes on April 18, 2025. The lottery spin will be April 25, 2025. Full details on registering for the afterschool lottery are on the City of Decatur website at How to Register for 25-26 Lottery on the Forms and Documents page. Contact the Out-of-School Time Division for more information at dprd@decaturga.com or 404-377-0494.
Families can find various afterschool options for students for the 2025-26 school year on the CSD website.
PE News - Tour Decatur and Field Day
Let’s celebrate our health and physical wellness. Two fun events are coming soon and we would love to see you there.
Saturday, March 15th - Tour Decatur, Fun Run and 5K. www.tourdecatur.com
Friday, May 9th - Field Day - Volunteers can sign up HERE.
From Dr. Hicks - Recess Bingo Coming Soon
Recess Bingo is coming to a playground near you! Once per week this Spring, I’ll join each grade level at recess in an effort to encourage them to earn a Recess Bingo. Goals of Recess Bingo include asking to join a group, being a good sport, and playing a game you don’t like. Overall, I’m hoping this is a fun way for students to improve their social skills and practice skills we’ve learned together throughout the year in the real world. I’m working my way around classes to tell them about this bingo challenge. I’d love for you to talk with them about how they use bingo stamps!
District News
Annual School Climate Survey Open through March
Winnona Park parents have the opportunity to take the Georgia School Climate Survey through March 31, 2025. These surveys are the measures by which GaDOE determine each school’s climate, and the results are a part of each school's CCRPI results. Schools with fewer than 15 family responses will lose one star from their overall School Climate Rating. Your voice is valued and vital! To take the survey, please click this link.
Enrollment Begins for New Students and All Rising Kindergarteners
The 2025-2026 CSD enrollment opens on Monday, March 3, for rising Kindergarten students or students new to CSD. Registration may be completed entirely online. Find more registration information here.
New Families: See CSD's Key Contacts & Resources for Families, available in multiple languages.
REMINDER: If your currently enrolled student has a sibling who will be new to CSD for the 2025-2026 school year, you must register this new sibling via the Parent Portal.
1. Select "More" from the menu in the Parent Portal.
2. Select "Annual Data Update."
3. Select "2025-2026 New Student Registration."
As part of the enrollment process, you will also need to email residency documentation to CSD's district enrollment specialist, Patrice Moore, at pmoore@csdecatur.net, as the Parent Portal will not allow you to change or upload this field. Information about required residency proof documents is available on the CSD website. Please contact pmoore@csdecatur.net or 404-371-3601 x1063 for assistance.
Immunization Requirements
To maintain the health and wellness of school-aged children and adolescents, the state of Georgia requires that students receive vaccinations for vaccine-preventable diseases before and while attending school.
The CSD School Health Team continuously assesses the immunization status of all CSD students. Parents/guardians of students with expired immunization certificates, Form #3231, or invalid immunization documentation will receive a notification from the school clinic team requesting that the student obtain the required vaccinations for school attendance. A medical exemption on Form #3231 with a current expiration date should be noted, if applicable. See the Georgia Department of Health's child and adolescent vaccination schedule.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, a valid immunization certificate, Form #3231, or a notarized Affidavit of Religious Exemption, Form 2208, is required for school attendance. If a certificate marked with a "Date of Expiration" expires on the date indicated, a current certificate must be submitted within 30 days of expiration.
Adherence to this guidance is crucial. Being adequately vaccinated safeguards the health and well-being of individual students and contributes to the school community's overall safety and vitality. Additionally, ensuring students are immunized creates a protective barrier that minimizes the risks of outbreaks within the school population. Please contact your child’s school clinic team with any questions.
Free Rapid Antigen COVID-19 Self-Tests
To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, support strong school attendance, and encourage safe in-person learning, the U.S. Department of Education, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is offering free, rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests to school districts for distribution to students, staff, and families. Starting this week, free COVID-19 test kits will be available in school clinics for pickup from the school nurse.
Winnona Park PTA
From Our PTA
Stay connected with upcoming events: https://www.wpespta.org/
Find us on:
Join us next week for Walk-N-Roll!
Walk-n-Roll is back at Winnona Park on Wednesday, March 12! Lace up your sneakers, grab your wheels, and join us for a fun and eco-friendly way to get to school. Let’s keep our community green and our kids moving! Bonus for parents: we will provide coffee…so bring your mug and enjoy the warmer weather!
Mark your calendars: Garden Workday!
Join us for our next Garden Workday at Winnona Park on Sunday, March 16! Whether you have a green thumb or just love being outdoors, we’d love your help sprucing up our school garden. Our main project will be setting up our new storage shed. Bring the whole family and let’s dig in together!
WPES Yearbook: Candid Photos
The WPES Yearbook Committee wants to see all you've been doing in school this year! Please email your photos of Winnona Park Wildcats in action to yearbook@wpespta.org. We love photos of school events, field trips, student groups, and school work! Important: Please include student names and teacher/grade in your email if known.
Join the PTA and Support the School with our New Membership Drive
Thank you to everyone that has already joined the PTA this year. As a reminder, joining the PTA is an annual event. We’ve also combined our membership drive with a fundraiser, asking families to make a donation. All contributions from this annual drive will directly benefit our students and teachers by supporting essential programs. The funds will cover:
All field trip costs for the year
Support educational initiatives like the community garden, STEAM materials, Books-in-a-Bag, and DEI programs
Teachers will also receive a stipend for classroom materials at the beginning of the year
Ongoing teacher and staff appreciation activities
Yearbooks for every student
School social events
And so much more!
Your generous donation will ensure that these programs thrive and that our children continue to have enriching educational experiences. And your PTA membership is included in all levels.
Visit our website for more information or select your membership level!
City Schools of Decatur Community Partners
About Us
Email: csikes@csdecatur.net
Website: https://ga02000365.schoolwires.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=13
Location: 510 Avery Street, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4490
Newsletter Archives: Read older issues of the Wildcat Weekly by visiting our school website. Click on the link in the top photo or on the "Newsletter" button in the middle of the page. Older issues of CSD Weekly may be found on CSD's district newsletter webpage.