Talley Street Update

• Curriculum Night: August 25, 6:00-7:30 pm

• Author Visit Orders Due: August 31 (4th and 5th only)

• CogAT: September 2-4 (3rd grade only)

• PTO Meeting: September 9, 6 pm

• 3rd Grade Family Movie Night: September 11, 5:30 pm

• Family Math Festival: September 17, 5-7:30 pm

• EdTech Principal's Coffee Chat: September 18, 8 am

• September Break: September 21-25

• Family Trivia Night: October 1, 5-7 pm

It is time for our School Leadership Team (SLT) elections! Voting will be open from Monday, August 24, through Wednesday, August 26, 2026. A QR code will be sent out on the morning of the 24th for voting.

Talley parents and guardians will elect one parent representative to the SLT, and the winner will be announced on Thursday, August 27, 2026, via the Talley Street Update.

A huge thank you to Rosemary Gray and Amber Womble for stepping up to run. Please read their candidate statements below before casting your vote.

Talley Street School Leadership Team Candidate Statements

Rosemary Gray

My name is Rosemary Gray, and I am the parent of a Talley Street student. I am excited to be considered for a position on the Talley Street School Leadership Team because I believe parents play an important role in shaping a school environment where every student and family can thrive.

I have worked at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta for the past 12 years as a nurse, with a particular focus on quality improvement and patient and family experience. I recently completed my Master of Science in Nursing in Health Systems Leadership. Much of my professional work involves bringing families, staff, and leaders together to understand what is working, identify opportunities for improvement, and use both data and lived experience to make meaningful changes.

I would bring the same collaborative, improvement-focused perspective to the SLT. I am particularly interested in contributing to conversations about student achievement, family engagement, continuous school improvement, and the thoughtful use of data to guide decisions. At the same time, I believe effective leadership starts with listening. I would want to hear from students, families, teachers, and staff and help ensure that a variety of perspectives are considered when decisions are made.

As Bonnie's parent, I have a personal investment in Talley Street, but my goal in serving on the SLT would be bigger than my own child's experience. I want to help create an environment where all students feel supported, families feel heard and welcomed, and staff have the resources and partnership they need to help students succeed.

I would be honored to serve on the Talley Street School Leadership Team and contribute my time, experience, and perspective to the continued growth of our school community.

Amber Womble

This is our first year at Talley Street Upper Elementary. My oldest child, Remy, is in Mrs. Ellspermann's 3rd-grade class.

I am a native of the Atlanta area and moved to Decatur in 2022. I graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor's in sociology. I worked at Emory Clinic in Patient Access and Cardiothoracic Surgery before deciding to become a stay-at-home parent. Like so many other families, we moved to Decatur so our kids could enjoy the exceptional school system here. I have four children; three are currently enrolled in CSD. I enjoy watching baseball, collecting books and comics, and gardening. I love to cook, but I am a mediocre baker. I am currently on the PTO Executive Board at College Heights, a volunteer Room Parent Coordinator with the Winnona Park PTA, and I previously served a two-year term as Secretary with the WP SLT. Our family is also involved in supporting the Decatur Education Foundation.

I'd like to join the School Leadership Team to be involved in my kids' educational experiences and to get to know more neighbors in the Talley community. I am so grateful for the educators in our district; it would be an honor to volunteer in any capacity that supports them. Thanks for any consideration in including me in this election.

From September 2-4, all 3rd-grade students will be taking the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Unlike traditional achievement tests, which measure how well a student has learned the curriculum, the CogAT assesses a child’s ability to reason abstractly and recognize patterns and relationships in the world around them. Teachers can use CogAT scores to better understand a child’s pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Our school district also uses CogAT scores to screen for cognitively gifted students.

Join our principal for a morning of coffee and conversation about technology use at Talley Street and how we're balancing learning and well-being!

When: September 18, 8 am

Location: Talley Cafeteria

Topics will include an overview of technology use at Talley Street, including:

• BEAST Academy
• Freckle
• Google Classroom
• Screen time parameters

When your child’s House leads a Talley Rally, you are invited to attend! Save the Date! Students will participate in House Meetings or Talley Rally most Friday afternoons. House-led Talley Rallies will begin in October – one per month from October through March, 1:35pm-2:10pm.

If your 4th or 5th grader is interested in participating in Talley's chorus, please fill out the form to register them. Rehearsals are mandatory every Wednesday from 2:15-3:30. This is a September through April commitment where students enhance intellectual skills, improve social skills, increase confidence and emotional expression. It also fosters a sense of community and belonging. Through music, children develop teamwork, discipline, and a lifelong appreciation for the arts. The form will close when 80 registrations are submitted.

3rd Graders! Step up for Robotics EXPLORERS! This year we are introducing the Lego League EXPLORERS for 3rd graders as a beginner's introduction to the world of robotics! Teams of around 8 will be working together this semester with building robots, solving problems and programming solutions! Parents, the more coaches we have, the better. If you can help coach, let us know on the same form linked below.

Spots are limited and curiosity is encouraged!

• Practice time: 2:15-4:15 on Fridays, starting soon!
• Apply here: https://forms.gle/xkLrXzjjSS2DUQeu9
• Cost: TBD, maximum of $140
• Deadline: August 31st, 9am

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is recruiting coaches for the Fall 2026 season at Talley Street Upper Elementary! GOTR is an after-school program for grades 3–8 that empowers participants by building confidence, life skills, and strong connections through fun, movement-based lessons.

• No Running or Experience Needed: Full training, tools, and materials are provided, and you will always coach alongside a co-coach. Role models of all genders (including dads!) are welcome.

• Time Commitment: Practices run Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30–4:00 PM for 10 weeks (September 14 – December 8). Commit to joining us for 1 or 2 days each week.

• Coach Application Deadline: Apply by August 21st by visiting https://www.girlsontherunga.org/coach.

Participant Registration is Also Open! Participant registration lottery closes on August 27th. Spots are limited, so register your child today to join a team! https://www.girlsontherunga.org/3rd-5th-grade-program-details.

Visit girlsontherunga.org or email programs@girlsontherunga.org for more details.

The Talley library is SO excited to welcome Tony DiTerlizzi (the artist behind The Spiderwick Chronicles) on September 28! He will be talking to 4th and 5th graders about his new book The Wump, which he both authored and illustrated. This book is creepy, with an incredible story and dazzling illustrations, so it sure to be beloved by all! Orders for autographed copies of the book are due Monday, August 31.

Talley, in partnership with Communities In Schools, will celebrate Attendance Awareness Month this September by acknowledging three classes on each grade level with the highest rates of attendance for the month. This means EVERY MINUTE COUNTS! Getting to school each day, arriving on time, and staying until the final bell will help your class win. We want every student to know: your presence here matters. The competition begins 9/1 and ends 9/30, with the winners announced at the Talley Rally on 10/2.

Calling all 4th and 5th graders. Are you an avid reader? Do you like competition? If so, please consider becoming part of this competitive reading club. There will be an information meeting on September 3rd, 2:30-3:30 in room 260 (Mrs. Friedrich's room). If you are interested, you may take a look at the titles that we will be reading this school year here. You do NOT need to read them prior to our first meeting. All reading will begin after our first meeting in September and should be completed by October 29th.

Parents, please change student transportation in Pick Up Patrol to reflect that they are attending Reading Bowl for this day and include the transportation home from Reading Bowl as well.

Hope to see you there! Please complete this form if you are interested.

Please join us for a 3rd grade family movie night on Friday, September 8 at 5:30 pm. The movie is Minions and Monsters and the price is $5 per person. Please bring extra cash for the concession stand!

According to our weekly CompostNow report, we diverted 431 pounds of food and avoided 40 pounds of methane during our first full week of composting. Also, because of all that we have accomplished at Talley, composting soon will begin at F.AVE. The work that we’re doing is having an effect on a District level, and we really appreciate all your support in making it happen. Parents, interested in helping us out before school (during breakfast service) or during any of our lunch periods? Sign up at https://bit.ly/GreenTeamParents. Questions? Reach out to Kathryn Roberts at kathryn.roberts@csdecatur.net

All Talley students and parents are invited to the first Green Team Guest Speaker session of the year on Tuesday, August 25 from 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm. Back by popular demand is Atlanta-based musician Chris Childs, who makes musical shakers that incorporate recycled plastic bottle caps…thousands of which were donated by Talley students. Come see what he has created, and join in on some music making! There is no charge for this event. Parents are invited to attend.

The Talley Green Team Store is officially open for the school year,, and our first special collection item of the school year is all types of Takis-brand packaging (flexible plastic bags and canisters). We will recycle these through TerraCycle for points to help fund our program. Earn one house point for five items, three house points for 10 items and five house points for 15 items. Packaging should be emptied of all food and dropped off to Mrs. Roberts in the Media Center.

Are you a student (or parent) who is passionate about the environment and wants to make our school a more sustainable place? Then come join the Green Team! We meet after school (from roughly 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm) on Tuesdays for participation in various sustainability projects and Fridays for our schoolwide recycling collection. Can’t help after school? Become part of our morning crew!

NOTE: Attendance is NOT mandatory. Parents, select “Green Team” in Pick Up Patrol on the days your child plans to attend and include how your child will get home afterward. (Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles also are all welcome to assist us.)

Please direct questions to Mrs. Roberts at kathryn.roberts@csdecatur.net.

Read this week's CSD Weekly for district-wide news and information.

Students will not be allowed to use personal electronic devices during school, such as cell phones and smart watches, starting this school year. Devices brought to school must be kept in backpacks.

• There’s still time to donate to the PTO Annual Donation drive! At Talley, all adults associated with the school are PTO members – Welcome! Instead of a membership fee, we ask that families who are able donate to the PTO during our Annual Donation drive, happening now through August 31st. Give once up-front to support our plans and events for the whole year! Choose your contribution level and receive Talley swag as a thank-you gift: bit.ly/3ygCwRt
• If your student is in Ms. Canty’s class, we need your help! Sign up to be a Room Parent! Support their awesome teacher with celebrations, communication, and classroom needs. This is a great way to stay connected and make a difference for Talley students, staff, and families! Sign up here.
• Mark your calendars for our next Walk & Roll on Friday, September 4th! We are looking for a couple volunteers to help with Walk & Roll. Do you love coffee? Sign up to be our coffee hero by picking up our free Banjo Coffee on your way to Talley on Walk & Roll days! We also need someone to set up the marble collection table and pass out marbles – it’s a great way to connect with Talley families! Interested? Contact srts@talleypto.org.
• We’re still looking for amazing volunteers for one PTO Co-President and other PTO positions. More info available at bit.ly/4mhwBPl. Interested? Email president@talleypto.org. We need a 3rd or 4th grade parent/guardian to fill the Co-President position. We will continue searching for a candidate until this position is filled.
• Join the Talley Street Bike Bus! We bike to Talley every Friday morning! More details at: https://www.talleypto.org/bike-bus. We’re always looking for more adult volunteers to help with routes! Express interest or sign up (for yourself and/or your student) at: https://tinyurl.com/talleybikebus. For questions, contact talleystreetbikebus@gmail.com.
• Please label your student’s water bottles, lunch box, jackets, and any other items coming to school with their first AND last name. This will ensure these items are returned to your student if they are lost and found! Need labels? Consider Mabel’s Labels – Talley earns 20% of every purchase! Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for “Talley Upper Elementary Parent-Teacher Organization (Decatur)” before shopping!
  The Lost and Found is located by the hallway entrance to the cafeteria. Unclaimed items will be donated on the last Thursday of each month.

• Join the Talley PTO Parents Group on Facebook (bit.ly/Parentgroup) and follow us on Instagram (@TalleyPTO) to stay connected and receive PTO updates throughout the year! bit.ly/m/talleyonline

Talley Street Website

You can find more information on the following Facebook pages:

Talley Street Principal

Talley Street Upper Elementary School Parents

Talley Street Artists

And these Instagram pages:

@talleytigergram

@talleystemstagram

@talleystreetgarden

@TalleyPTO

For more about the Talley Street PTO, visit their website here: https://talleypto.org/.