Eagle Edition
July 30, 2026
Glennwood Elementary ~ Where Learning Takes Flight
Bill Howard, Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach ~ Michelle Reynolds, School Manager
Email: bill.howard@csdecatur.net
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435 * Website * Facebook
Calendar of Events
Friday, October 30
- Book Fair Closes at 10:00 am
- Last Day to Turn in Donations for Socktober
- Wear your favorite sports team gear for Red Ribbon Week
Tuesday, November 3
- Remote Digital Learning Day (No school on campus)
- PTO Percentage Night at Chick-Fil-A North Decatur - 5-7 pm
Friday, November 6
- Walk and Roll
- Community Circle with Ms. Bennett's Class Hosting - Celebrating November Birthdays
Monday, November 9
PTO Board Meeting - 6-7 pm (Details below)
November 9-10
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week
Tuesday, November 10
Thanksgiving Luncheon (Details below)
Friday, November 20
- Community Circle - 2nd Grade Hosting - Winter Performance
- Parent Coffee Chat in Media Center - 9:00 am - Topic: Executive Function in Children with Mr. Blase
November 23-27
Thanksgiving Break
Where Learning Takes Flight
Three Dimensions of Student Achievement
- Mastery of Knowledge and Skills
- Character Building
- High-Quality Work
Hello Glennwood Crew,
What a magnificent, memory-making week we’ve had at Glennwood! Yesterday was our annual Book Character Parade, and it remains truly one of my absolute favorite days of the entire school year. It was magical watching our school come alive with so much creativity as students and staff stepped into the shoes of the characters who make our favorite stories come to life. I loved seeing the incredible variety of books represented - from timeless classics that were popular WAYYYYY BACK when I was a kid to modern favorites like "The Princess in Black." Thank you to all the families who came out to celebrate literacy with us and help build a lifelong love for reading across our school!
That enthusiasm for storytelling doesn't stop at the classroom door! Last week, I stopped by Little Shop of Stories to meet Lizzo as she promoted her new children's book, Lil Lizzo Meets Sasha B. Flootin'. It was wonderful meeting her, but the real highlight was seeing several of our Glennwood kiddos in line with their parents, eager to get their hands on a brand-new book. It's always so cool to see our Eagles celebrating reading out in our community!
A huge thank you goes out to Ms. Rittenhouse, our staff, and all of our wonderful parent volunteers for making this week's Book Fair such a SOARING success. Seeing our students beaming with excitement as they browse the shelves after dismissal completely warms my heart. Beyond sparking a love for reading, shopping at the fair directly helps raise funds to keep our school library media center up-to-date. As a reminder, our Book Fair officially closes out this Friday, October 30, so be sure to stop by before it wraps up!
We also want to extend a massive thank you to our amazing PTO and everyone who came out for Fall Fest last Saturday! The weather was absolute perfection, the turnout was incredible, and it provided such a fantastic morning of fall fun and community connection. That positive energy carried right into this week as our Eagles enthusiastically participated in Red Ribbon Week and Socktober. Thank you to our kiddos and families for participating and helping build excitement around these two initiatives that help shape us to be thoughtful, healthy, and caring people.
Looking ahead to next week, please remember that Tuesday, November 3, is a Remote Digital Learning Day, and students will learn from home. This day is specifically designed to give our community time to participate in the local election. We strongly encourage every eligible adult to take time to vote and let your voice be heard! Consider discussing the voting process with your child at home - it’s a powerful lesson in civics and community involvement.
Students will be bringing home a paper copy of a learning choice board this week, featuring a set of fun, engaging activities to complete on Tuesday. Please have your Eagle return their completed choice board to their homeroom teacher when students return to school on Wednesday, November 4.
Please be sure to check out the information about our upcoming Thanksgiving Lunch that will take place on November 10 here at Glennwood. Tickets must be purchased by November 3. Information for purchasing tickets can be found in this Eagle Edition. In order to accommodate everyone who plans to attend, please remember that each student is allowed to have 2 adults join them.
Thank you for all the ways you continue to support our school community and strengthen our Crew. Whether you were cheering at the parade, volunteering at the Book Fair, or enjoying Fall Fest, your involvement makes Glennwood shine. Let's keep soaring!
In partnership,
Bill Howard
Proud Principal, Glennwood Elementary
Socktober AND Red Ribbon Week are back and BIGGER THAN EVER!!!
Starting the week of October 26th, students can bring in clean, unused men’s, women’s, and children’s socks, as well as toiletries, such as shampoo & conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, soap, and hand sanitizer amongst other things, to donate to Decatur-area Emergency Assistance Ministry or DEAM.
Additionally, throughout the week, we will be doing Red Ribbon Week theme days. This year’s theme is Make A Difference. Be A Hero. Make healthy choices. There will be a list of theme days throughout the week and other fun Red Ribbon Week activities going on at GL!
Let’s make this the best Socktober and Red Ribbon Week ever! If you have any questions, you can reach out to Mr. Blase!
Ordering School Photos
If you haven't viewed your child's photos yet, please use the link below and your child's student ID number as the access code to log in. Retakes are also online now!
https://rogercannonphotography.accessmyevent.com/Glennwood_F26
Creativity and Critical Thinking Update with Ms. Shewan
This first semester, I have been encouraging our Glennwood Eagles to be divergent thinkers; the ability to generate multiple, unique, and original ideas rather than searching for a single "correct" answer. We are also working on fostering a safe learning environment where all student ideas are honored and appreciated.
Kindergarten: Students created their own fun and silly “Creepy Carrots” based upon Aaron Reynolds children’s book, Creepy Carrots.
First Grade: Students have been practicing problem solving. Last week they worked on fixing a pretend hole in a boat with unique and unusual tools and materials.
Second Grade: Students are developing silly multi-step plans for the character, Jasper the Rabbit, to help him get rid of his creepy underwear. This problem is based on Aaron Reynolds’ story, Creepy Pair of Underwear.
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
🍁What a Day of Fall Festival fun at Glennwood Elementary! 🎃
From inflatable slides and soccer to pumpkin painting, donut chomping, carnival games, and cuddly animals, our Glennwood Eagles had a blast! We even got to kick off our wonderful book fair!
A HUGE thank you to our amazing DHS & BHMS volunteers, parent volunteers, community partners, and generous sponsors who helped bring this event to life. We couldn’t do it without you!
Our amazing sponsors: Calo Landscape, LexTechs of Atlanta, Color Wheel Art Studio, Root Wealth Management, Snapology of Atlanta East, Goldfish Swim School - Decatur, & Willys Mexicana Grill
Our event partners: Shipped Coffee Co. & DonutNV
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week: November 9–13
Let’s show our amazing Glennwood Crossing Guards how much we appreciate them!
We are so lucky to have Ms. Joyce (E. Ponce at Sycamore Pl), Ms. Etta (Commerce at Sycamore Pl), Ms. Carla and Ms. V (E. Ponce at Sycamore Dr) serving our community and keeping us all safe!!
This year, we’re collecting funds to give each of our 4 crossing guards a special gift from the Glennwood community. If you’d like to contribute, please Venmo Amanda McMillan (@almcmil) by Monday, November 9.
In addition, we encourage all students to make a homemade thank you card for their crossing guard(s) and deliver it personally during the week of November 9-13th.
If you have any questions, feel free to email Amanda at srts@glennwoodespta.com.
Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who keep our students safe every day!
A Season of Giving!
A Season of Giving, a community initiative that provides holiday gift assistance to local children and seniors. Please consider including this information in your school newsletter or sharing it directly with families who may benefit from this opportunity.
The deadline to apply for gift assistance is October 31.
Make the Season Brighter – Apply, Sponsor, Donate!
A Season of Giving is a neighbor-led effort bringing holiday joy to local children and seniors through personalized gifts.
Apply for Gift Assistance – Deadline: October 31
We're thrilled to support children through 12th grade again this year!
Want to Give Back?
Sponsor – Choose a wish list and shop for a child or senior.
Donate – Let us do the shopping with your contribution.
Volunteer – Lend a hand and help spread the joy!
Questions? Contact School Counselor, Jonathan Blase at jblase@csdecatur.net.
