CSD Weekly: November 6, 2025

• Did You Know?: Resources are available to support families facing changes or loss of household income, including assistance with school meals, medical, and other benefits.
• Mark Your Calendars: K-5 Thanksgiving Luncheons, November 12-14
• K-2 School Consolidation and Redistricting Process Update
• Around CSD: DHS Marching Band Wins Grand Champion at Competition, Varsity Girls Cross Country Team Wins Region 4-5A, BHMS 8th-Graders Spend Digital Learning Day Outside
• All In Around CSD: Decatur Performs and BHMS Present "Anastasia," November 7-9
• Information and Resources: Applications Open for Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefits
• Community Partner News: City of Decatur Thanksgiving Camps

Find out what's happening in CSD schools by clicking on your school's newsletter name.

College Heights Connection

Clairemont Bulldog

Glennwood Eagle Edition

Oakhurst Weekly

Westchester Weekly

Winnona Park Wildcat Weekly

F.Ave Falcon Flyer

Talley Street Update

BHMS Weekly Update

DHS Weekly Update

• FindHelpGA.org: For financial assistance, medical care, child care, job training, food pantries, or other free or reduced-cost services specific to your area.
• FoodFinder.us: FoodFinder's website and app serve as food pantry locators, showing you when and where to access free food assistance in your area. The interactive map shows food pantries nearby – every red pin you see is a food assistance program nearby. Tap on one to see when they distribute food.
• HopeMapGeorgia.org: Managed by the GaDOE, this map provides an interactive resource for family support, allowing you to view available services, their offerings, hours of operation, and information on whether stores accept SNAP, WIC, and other benefits.

* Applications Open Year-Round for Free/Reduced-Price Meal Benefits

City Schools of Decatur recognizes that many families within our school community may be facing changes or a loss of household income. We're here to help. CSD is dedicated to ensuring that every child has access to nutritious meals every day.

If a family's financial situation changes for any reason, we encourage them to apply or reapply for free and reduced meal benefits throughout the school year. Applications are accepted year-round through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and the application and approval process remains confidential.

For instructions on how to apply or reapply, please visit this link. Currently, CSD has not received any notifications regarding delays or disruptions to the NSLP. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide timely updates as needed.

• Assistive Technology Meeting for Students with IEPs, November 6, 6 p.m., Virtual, RSVP here

• City of Decatur Crossing Guard Appreciation Week, November 9-15

• Board of Education Meeting, November 11

• K-5 Thanksgiving Luncheons, November 12-14, check school newsletters for details
• Special Needs Trusts Presentation, November 13, 6 p.m., Virtual, RSVP here
• Second Public Hearing for Feedback on K-2 School Consolidation and Redistricting Process, November 13, 6:30-8 p.m., BHMS Cafeteria
• Board of Education Retreat, November 18
• Thanksgiving Break, November 24-28

Thanksgiving Luncheon Schedule:

• Oakhurst and Talley St.: Wednesday, November 12
• Clairemont and Westchester: Thursday, November 13
• Glennwood, Winnona Park, and F.AVE: Friday, November 14
• Thanksgiving luncheons at ECLC, BHMS and DHS are not open to guests. Please refer questions to CSD's nutrition department.

Payment Instructions in Parent Portal:

1. Shop: Select “School Store,” then select "Nutrition," and then "Products."
2. Choose item: Click on the Thanksgiving icon, then select the parent's name and the number of guests. (Only two tickets per household). Add the item to your cart.
3. Review and pay: Confirm the quantity, add any payment options if needed, and enter your email address for the receipt. Click "My cart" and then "Submit payment" to complete the transaction.
4. Remember: Your receipt will be your ticket, so make sure to provide a valid email address.

On October 30, Education Planners sent an update about the K-2 School Consolidation and Redistricting Process to the community. The letter is copied below:

"Based on the input received, Education Planners recommends that the City Schools of Decatur proceed with a community-based process to explore additional solutions before the Board of Education makes a final decision. This updated approach will be presented to the school board at the November 11 meeting.

Our recommendation is that four committees guide this next phase:

• Facilities & Finance – enrollment, costs, and capital planning
• Student Experience – instructional programs, transitions, and early-learning access
• Safety & Operations – traffic, walkability, and daily operations
• Culture & Communication – transparency and ongoing engagement

Community members are invited to participate in one of the committees by clicking this link: K-2 School Consolidation Committee Sign Up."

Upcoming Board Meeting and Public Hearing:

• The next Board of Education Meeting is Tuesday, November 11, at the Wilson Center. Here is the BOE meeting schedule: Pre-work Session: 2:40-3:05 p.m., Work Session: 3:05-4:40 p.m.,
• Regular Meeting: 4:50-6:30 p.m., and Public Comment: 6:30 p.m.
• The next public hearing will be Thursday, November 13, 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Beacon Hill Middle School Cafeteria. The community is invited to provide input and offer considerations to Education Planners regarding a potential school consolidation.

Please continue to visit the City Schools of Decatur website at csdecatur.net for the latest information.

A grand round of applause for the DHS Marching Band for finishing this year's competitive season as Grand Champion at the White Columns Invitational Marching Band Competition (when and where). The marching band made DHS history by outscoring all bands in the entire competition, regardless of class. Job well done to the band and to the DHS director of bands, Dr. Ira Jenkins. This win was the tip of the iceberg during an impressive season, which also included:

• Kennesaw Mountain Marching Invitational (Kennesaw Mountain HS): #1 Overall Percussion, #1 AAA Class Percussion, #2 AAA Class Overall Band, #2 AAA Class General Effect, Music Performance, Visual Performance, and Color Guard, #3 Overall Band
• Bands of America at East Tennessee State University: #7 AAA Class, #15 overall in national competition
• White Columns Invitational, Milton HS: #1 Overall Band Silver Division (A, AA, & AAA Classes), #1 Overall AAA Class, #1 Overall Color Guard, #1 AAA Class Visual Performance, General Effect, Percussion, and Color Guard, #2 AAA Class Music Performance. Watch a video of this performance here.

More about the DHS marching band:

The DHS marching band is a competitive corps-style marching band that emphasizes artistic design and intricate visual routines, drawing significant influence from Drum Corps International (DCI). Marching band productions follow a concept and incorporate a variety of musical genres, sets, props, and costuming.

The 2025 DHS Marching Band production, "Glassworks!", features the music of Philip Glass, as well as Stained Glass by David Gillingham, Sia's Chandelier, and Annie Lennox's Walking on Broken Glass. The show takes audiences on a journey from the sharp edges of jagged glass to the elegance of chandeliers, culminating in a dynamic, shattered-glass percussion finale.

The DHS Cross Country Bulldogs came in ahead of the pack at the 5A Sectional Meet last weekend, with the girls' team finishing as region 4-5A champions, and the boys' team finishing in third place in the region standings. Both teams will travel to Carrollton tomorrow for the State Meet, entering as the fifth seed from Section Two.

Varsity girls cross country team:

Ellie Adams, Sage Chatham-Stephens, Cate Durbin, Laura Durbin, Katelyn Frank, Ily Herman, Tatum Herman, Charlotte Kemper, Anna Lothridge, Sydney Powers, Monserrat Romberg, Olivia Sawyer, Amelia Stoner, and Summer Swierenga

Varsity boys cross country team:

Will Bartlett, Eli Chalberg, Alex Clement, Victor Dahlquist, Ian Kang, Grady Lothridge, Walker Madsen, Busayo Oguneye, Jihoon Park, Munawar Sharif, James Henry Sharp, Alex Short, Jay Stanley, and Orrin Trulock Jihoon Park, Munawar Sharif James Henry Sharp, Alex Short, Jay Stanley, and Orrin Trulock

A group of BHMS eighth-graders and their parents spent their Digital Learning Day at Legacy Park participating in an impactful service-learning project with Trees Atlanta. The group explored the park's ecosystem and connected their findings to their curriculum on stream chemistry, water quality, and habitat preservation. Then they got their hands dirty removing invasive species to make room for new native trees. Thank you to this group for being environmental stewards, and thank you to BHMS teacher Mr. Bauer and Interim Principal Ms. Glenn for their support.

Mr. Batlle’s fourth grade class at F.Ave worked together for over a month to raise $588 to benefit the World Wildlife Fund, an amount that surpassed their initial goal. They hosted bake sales, a booth at Porchfest and requested donations. Well done to these students and thank you to Mr. Batlle for helping to organize this and to everyone who donated to this cause.

The Oakhurst Owls were flying high when 2020 DHS and Oakhurst graduate Jaylen Paden and player on the Atlanta Braves minor league team returned to team up with P.E. Coach Stacey Kenner to share his skills and love for the game. Paden gave an engaging lesson on throwing and catching techniques, inspiring the next generation of baseball stars.

Vote now! CSD's own Dr. Charlie McAdoo, One Goal program director at DHS and former CTAE teacher, was named the Atlanta Falcons Fan of the Year for 2025! Now he's heading to Super Bowl LX and is competing for the NFL Fan of the Year award!

CSD: Rise up and vote here for Dr. McAdoo for the 2025 NFL Fan of the Year! Vote as many times as you want, and let's get Dr. McAdoo and Atlanta some well-deserved national recognition! Dr. McAdoo has been an educator for over 20 years and has been with CSD for 15 years, mentoring and coaching students and working to make a positive impact in the community.

Watch Dr. McAdoo on FOX 5 Atlanta.

CSD's Special Education Department will host a workshop for families of K-2 students on "Sounding Success: Phonological Awareness and Phonics Made Easy" on November 19, 2025, from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. at the Glennwood Elementary Gym. K-2 families and kids are invited to learn about the development of phonological awareness and phonics through hands-on activities, resources, and games that support the development of these skills. Register here for this session.

Waterford is a research-based early learning platform designed to build strong foundational skills in phonics, reading, and language for young learners. Waterford will engage in a phonics curriculum lesson, facilitated by trained facilitators and guided by a classroom teacher, which is targeted to support CSD goals for early literacy, equitable access, and data-driven outcomes for all learners.

The Young Georgia Authors Writing Competition is a yearly state-wide writing competition open to any student enrolled in a Georgia public school, grades K-12. Please contact jbroman-fulks@csdecatur.net with any questions.

Here are a few guidelines:

• any genre is allowed (short story, poetry, essay/literary criticism/analysis, journalism, academic/research reports, personal narratives, any other original student writing)

• writing piece must be created by the student without the help of others

• entries do not have to be work completed for a class assignment

• 1900-word maximum length

• individuals only, no group entries

• can be typed or legibly hand-written on only one side of the paper

• writing pieces should be turned in to homeroom teachers or shared with jbroman-fulks@csdecatur.net by Wednesday, November 12. Be sure student's name and homeroom teacher are clearly written or typed on writing piece.

• one winner will be chosen per grade level by a team of scorers to represent FAVE in the district competition

• District winners will represent CSD in the regional competition

CSD is in the process of building the 2027 Fiscal Year budget. We are interested in input from the community and all stakeholders about their suggestions, concerns, or questions about the budget. Please review the 2027 Budget Calendar and share your feedback via the FY27 Budget Feedback Survey.

Families interested in enrolling their student in the Decatur Virtual Academy (DVA) by choice for the Spring 2026 semester are encouraged to complete the DVA Online Interest and Contract Form by December 5, 2025. Please note that this contract is either for students new to DVA or for those who did not enroll by choice for the Fall 2025 semester, but wish to continue in DVA.

DVA will schedule an intake meeting upon receipt of the completed form. For more information, please review these frequently asked questions and/or email Ms. Arlethea Williams, Director of Decatur Virtual Academy, at awilliams@csdecatur.net.

• National Native American Heritage Month

• National Homeless Youth Awareness Month

• National School Psychology Awareness Week, November 3-7

• Veterans’ Day, November 11

• National Parent/Guardian Involvement Day, November 16

• American Education Week, November 17-21

• Education Support Professionals Day, November 19

• Thanksgiving, November 23

Supper & Sips

Supper & Sips, DEF’s annual dinner and auction, is tonight, Thursday, November 6, 6-10 p.m. at the Chapel on Sycamore. Join us for this fun evening of entertainment and fundraising for our schools. Tickets are available here. If you can’t attend, you can still participate by purchasing a golden raffle ticket or bidding in the silent auction.

DEF and Decatur Prevention Initiative Speaker Series

The next installment of DEF's monthly speaker series with Decatur Prevention Initiative, "Social Media: Our Kids and the Impact on Mental Health," will be Monday, November 17, 6:30-8 p.m. in the BHMS media center. This presentation will cover the link between online use and mental health, cyberbullying, and online safety tips. Parents and caregivers will hear from Dr. Jessica McCain, a local subject matter expert. Find more information and register here.

Help DEF Lighten the Load for Decatur Families

Decatur Education Foundation provides food assistance to families in Decatur. Schools across CSD have donation bins where you can donate shelf-stable food. You can also order directly from their Amazon wish list, or click here to donate funds they will use to purchase grocery gift cards. If you have any questions, please email info@decatureducationfoundation.org.

City of Decatur Parks and Recreation commits to providing exceptional experiences that foster healthy living and meaningful community connections. Please visit the DPRD programs website for information about after-school programs, school holiday programs, and summer camps. Follow Decatur Parks and Recreation on Facebook and Instagram or sign up for their monthly newsletter here.

Thanksgiving Camps

• Backyard Sports Camp
• Kids Yoga & Mindful Art Camp
• Small Fry Sports Clinic

Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, November 14

This event celebrates the courage of Ruby Bridges, who made history as one of the first Black students to integrate an elementary school in the south. As part of Decatur’s Safe Routes to School program, the event promotes walking and biking to school while honoring the fight for equity in education.

Santa on the Square, Saturday, November 29, 10 a.m-2 p.m.

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