Talley Street Update

Save the Date!

Fall STAR Assessments: August 4th-15th
House Sorting Day: August 8
Walk n Roll: August 8
PTO Popsicle Social: August 9, 10:00-11:00 (3rd Grade), 11:00-12:00 (4th/5th Grade)
PTO Meeting: August 13, 6-7 PM
Curriculum Night: August 26, 6-7:30 PM
Early Release: August 27 @ 12:15 PM

Dear Talley Street Community,

What a fantastic first day of school! It was a pleasure to welcome our students back into the building, full of smiles, energy, and excitement. Our hallways and classrooms came alive again, and we are thrilled to begin another year of learning, growth, and community.

Throughout the day, I had the opportunity to visit many classrooms and witness the incredible care and preparation our teachers have put into creating welcoming, safe, and engaging spaces. We are committed to working with you to ensure every child feels supported, challenged, and celebrated. This year, we look forward to continuing strong family connections, promoting academic success, and nurturing each student's social and emotional growth.

For the 25-26 school year, students are not allowed to wear hats in the school building except on Fridays when they can wear hats that celebrate their House. We will also have several hat days throughout the school year. We are making this change to align with CSD's Student Dress Code.

Below are some important reminders to review:

STAR testing will be administered from August 4th to August 15th.
SLT candidate statements are due by August 15th. Interested parents/guardians should email their biological information and a paragraph explaining why they would like to be a SLT member to bheaton@csdecatur.net.
We encourage families to review the newly released CSD Grading Handbook and Quick Facts Sheet for Grades 3–5. If you have any questions, please reach out—we're here to help.
If you haven't already done so, please complete the Annual Data Update. The update is essential at the start of each school year. Help make Talley Street the first school to hit 100% completion!
During morning arrival, cars should pull into the parking lot and go as far along the curb as possible. Once you have stopped along the curb, students should leave the cars. This will help us have a fast and smooth carpool line.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. We're here to support you and your child every step of the way. Here's to a wonderful year ahead!

With appreciation,

Billy

Other Front Office Announcements

Arrival Procedures

Students may enter the building as early as 7:20 AM.
Breakfast is served 7:20- 7:40 AM.
Students need to arrive in their classroom with their homeroom teacher (NOT walking in the door) by 7:45 AM.
Attendance will be taken by the classroom teacher at 7:45 AM.

PickUp Patrol: Dismissal and Absences

Our school uses PickUp Patrol to help us keep track of dismissal information. Please use PickUp Patrol to report ALL changes to your child's dismissal plans. PickUp Patrol saves us a lot of time in the front office and reduces classroom interruptions. Most importantly, it helps us ensure all our students are safely dismissed to their correct after-school destinations. Notes, emails, or phone calls are not accepted for changes, except in emergencies.

RETURNING PARENTS: Please enter and confirm your child's default plan here: https://app.pickuppatrol.net/parents by 7/30/25. We must know your student's regular daily dismissal plans before the first day of school.
NEW PARENTS: You were sent a registration email with a link to set up your account. Please register and enter your child's Default Dismissal Plans (what your child usually does after school) by 7/30/25.

The PUP web app is free, and you can use it from your smartphone or computer.
Instructions for how to add the app to your phone are included in the registration email.

Dismissal Changes: We use PickUp Patrol to communicate dismissal information to teachers. If you need to change how your child should be dismissed, you should submit that information via PickUp Patrol, and our staff will be notified of the changes. Changes can be entered via PickUp Patrol from a phone or computer at any time up until 1:00 PM M-Th and noon on Fridays on the day of the change. After the cut-off times, changes will not be accepted except in the case of an emergency. The end of the school day is a busy time. Please make every effort to avoid last-minute changes after 1 PM! To ensure all students' safety, please plan accordingly and limit these exceptions to emergencies only.
Attendance Reporting: If your child will be absent from school, report the absence using PickUp Patrol before 8:00 a.m. on the day of the absence. You can also email jsanangelo@csdecatur.net and copy the classroom teacher for maximum communication. Email or turn in any absence or tardy excuses to jsanangelo@csdecatur.net or the front desk. Thank you for using PickUp Patrol to prioritize safety and ensure our dismissal process is efficient for all our students.

If you have any questions, please check the PUP Parent Guide. If you still need help, contact jsanangelo@csdecatur.net or PickUp Patrol at support@pickuppatrol.net.

School Supplies

The school supply list for all grades is linked here!

Talley Robotics: Call for Coaches

The Talley Robotics First Lego League (FLL) Program for the 2025-2026 season will be kicking off soon. The competitive team (FLL Challenge) is for 4th and 5th graders. We hope to have more than one team again this year at Talley, but parent coaches are critical for this to happen. Each team needs at least two parent coaches. No experience necessary. Teams generally practice once a week for two hours after school and will compete in at least one day long FLL regional competition in December (more if teams advance past regionals). If you are interested in coaching a team at Talley, please complete this Google Form to let us know your interest and availability by Monday, August 11th. Once coaches are secured, an application will be shared for interested team members.

There is a Decatur Robotics information session for those interested in learning how to get involved on Thursday, August 7th from 6-7pm in the Decatur High School Cafeteria. More information and pre-registration is available here.

Beginning-of-Year Music Notes

Welcome back Talley musicians! Below are a few important notes from Ms. Jessup.

4th & 5th graders will bring recorders to school by Monday August 25th. Use link to purchase if recorder is lost or damaged
Professional/Amateur adult Musicians: If you or a family member sings or plays an instrument and would like to share and/or support the Talley Music Program, please contact Tanya Jessup at tjessup@csdecatur.net. You may play for a class, make music alongside students, we’d love to have you any time of the year!
Chorus registration is for 4th & 5th grade only. Registration window closes August 15th! (https://forms.gle/FLwN5Yaa1H7Uagf29).

The first chorus rehearsal is August 20th. Chorus information page

Orchestra Overview: Tiffany Ryce is the director (tryce@csdecatur.net). Please contact Ms. Ryce for more information (This is a before or after school extra curricular activity for grades 3rd-5th)

Happy first day of the school year! Join the Talley PTO Parents Group on Facebook (bit.ly/parentsgroup) and follow us on Instagram (@TalleyPTO) to stay connected and receive PTO updates throughout the year!
As you settle into your school routines, here are four ways you can support our community:

Donate to the PTO: Our Annual Donation drive is happening now! Give up-front to the PTO and support our plans for the whole year! bit.ly/3ygCwRt
Become a Room Parent: Support your teacher with celebrations, communication, and classroom needs! bit.ly/3H6Zy1A
Set Up Passive Donations: The easiest way to support our school! Link your (and grandparents’ and neighbors’) Kroger cards to our school to fundraise every time you shop. New this year: Sign up for donation matching through your employer/payroll and double your impact! bit.ly/3yfmtn1
Help Us Out on the PTO: Help make the magic happen! We’re still looking for amazing volunteers for Secretary, Room Parent Coordinators, Staff Appreciation, and more. bit.ly/4mhwBPl

Our first Walk and Roll of the year is next Friday, August 8th! Mark your calendars and get ready to join us!
Come help out with Sorting Day, Friday, August 8th! Parents can only attend Sorting Day if they volunteer. Check PTO socials for volunteer sign-ups!
Join us for a Popsicle Social on Saturday, August 9th! We’ll have free popsicles for the kids, and lemonade and Talley spirit wear for sale. Come get to know other Talley families and stock up on House gear!

Taking photos at Talley events? Got a great group shot on the first day? Please share them with us to include in the yearbook! Send photos to yearbook@talleypto.org all year long.