Talley Street Update

• House Sorting Day: August 7

• PTO Popsicle Social: August 8, 10:00 am-12:00 pm

• PTO Meeting: August 12, 6 pm, Talley Media Center

• Plastic Film for House Points: August 13

• Walk and Roll: August 14

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

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

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

• September Break: September 21-25

Please be sure you are using Pick Up Patrol for ALL dismissal plans and changes, including afterschool clubs. Contact Jen SanAngelo (jsanangelo@csdsecatur.net) with questions.

To ensure all students in City Schools of Decatur receive the resources and support they need, the Georgia Department of Education requires districts to collect the Migrant Education Program (MEP) Occupational Survey.

• Purpose: This brief survey helps identify students who may qualify for extra educational programs and supplemental support services.

• One Form Per Household: To make this process quick and simple for families, you can list all of your enrolled CSD students on a single form—there is no need to fill out a separate form for each child or school!

Please complete and return your form to your child's school or homeroom teacher. The form went home in your child's folder today. Thank you for partnering with us to support every student in our district!

Guardians must sign up every year to chaperone.

Please sign up for a background check and pay the fee. The earlier, the better!

To continue to qualify for Free/Reduced lunch, you must register online each year.

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.

Composting during lunchtime kicks off next week in the school cafeteria. As we get started, parent volunteers are needed to monitor the line and make sure items are placed in the right bin. Talley’s success with this program will help establish a prototype for other schools in the district to follow. Please help us make this undertaking a success! Sign up at https://bit.ly/GreenTeamParents. Questions? Reach out to Kathryn Roberts at kathryn.roberts@csdecatur.net.

Attention 4th and 5th graders! The time is now to apply to be on one of our FIRST LEGO League robotics teams! Teams of about 8 kids will work together all fall, building and programming a LEGO robot and completing a research project, to prepare for a full-day competition in December.

Spots are limited, so we encourage students to complete the application thoughtfully — it plays an important role in team placement.

Time commitment: One 2-hour practice per week after school (2:15–4:15 PM, weekday TBD), starting (hopefully) before Labor Day, with a full-day competition on a Saturday in early December (and a second in January if the team advances).

Want to learn more? Visit firstlegoleague.org to see what FLL is all about or attend the info session listed below.

🙋 We need coaches! The more parent coaches we have, the more teams we can form and the more kids we can accommodate. No robotics experience required. Interested? Let us know on the application below.

📅 Information Session: Tuesday, 6:00–7:00 PM, Decatur High School Cafeteria — come learn more and ask questions!

📝 Apply here: https://forms.gle/xbDrV4NRS36X1v59A

💰Cost: $140 per student. Scholarships are available — no student will be turned away for financial reasons.

⏰Deadline: 9:00 AM, August 17th

Questions? Email Ms. Reno at areno@csdecatur.net or Mattie Ruth Backman at mattieruth@gmail.com

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.

In 2025-2026, the Talley community diverted an estimated 1,200 pounds of plastic film from our local landfill. We are pleased to report that Talley once again will have FREE plastic film pickup through Ridwell for the entire school year. Our first collection…for House Points…will be Thursday, August 13. Students and staff are encouraged to bring their clean, dry plastic film to school on that morning. Items that fall in this category are: shipping mailers, grocery and produce bags, zipper-top bags, bubble wrap, bread bags and newspaper bags. Rule of thumb: If you can push your finger through the plastic and stretch it, then it’s plastic film. Learn more at Ridwell.com.

The Talley Green Team Store opens next week, 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.

• Sorting Day is tomorrow, Friday, August 7th! Did you want to sign up to volunteer (and attend!), but weren’t able to? Email copresident@talleypto.org to check for last-minute volunteer slots.
• Join us for a Popsicle Social on Saturday, August 8th from 10am-12pm at Talley! We’ll have free popsicles for the kids, coffee for grown-ups, and Talley spirit wear for sale. Come get to know other Talley families and stock up on House gear! We are seeking volunteers to help with this event! Sign up at: bit.ly/popsocial26

• We still have several classrooms in need of Room Parents! Support your student’s homeroom, LINKS, or Specials 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.
• We’re still looking for amazing volunteers for one PTO Co-President and other PTO positions. Interested? Email president@talleypto.org and/or come find out more at the Popsicle Social this Saturday, August 8th! bit.ly/4mhwBPl
• 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!
• Our next PTO meeting is next Wednesday, August 12th at 6pm in the Talley Media Center. All are welcome to attend!
• Our first Walk and Roll of the year is next Friday, August 14th! Come join us to stretch your legs and earn marbles for House points!
• 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. 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
• 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!

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/.