Weekly Update

August 7, 2025

The goal of our morning carpool drop-off routine is to get each child from the car to the classroom as safely and efficiently as possible. Please remember the following points when dropping off your child:

1. Watch the crosswalk in front of the school for pedestrians. We have no City of Decatur crossing guard here, so it is up to drivers to make sure they are watching for kids and parents crossing Avery in front of the school. Watching your child walk to the school door as you are drifting forward in your car is dangerous.

2. Pull up to the furthest cone to unload your child. We have four staff members at four cones in front of the school to assist your child out of the car and into the school. Please do not let your child out of the car before you get to the cones.

3. Don’t pull around the car in front of you. The kiddo in front of you may be taking a bit longer to get out of the car than your child. It will only take 4-5 more seconds for them to get out. Please follow that car out of the carpool lane instead of pulling out into Avery and passing. Relax, have another sip of coffee, and take your time.

4. Click here for more about our arrival routine.

One last thing about our morning arrival routine. Since Decatur High School has new safety measures in place for their arrival procedures, DHS teachers need to be on duty earlier than before. The reason I bring this up is that the DHS teachers who have students at WP need to drop off their students at 7:50 am, so they can be at work on time. This is why you may see me or another WP staff member bringing 5-6 kiddos in the school earlier than the rest of the students. Thanks for your understanding.

Winnona Park is committed to ensuring every classroom is stocked and ready for students and teachers to have what they need to be engaged and successful. We do this by using our allocated state and local funding to fulfill classroom needs. Funding covers essential classroom supplies, any specialized materials needed for educational programming in different grade levels/subjects, individual or team requests for specific supplies, professional learning and general operating costs.

In addition to this, some staff at Winnona Park have customarily shared supply wish lists with families via email or online. Please know that these are optional and individualized by the staff member. Wish lists should not be interpreted as an indication that classrooms at Winnona Park or our programming lack supplies or funding. Instead, the lists reflect individual preferences for extra items. Any purchases made from these lists are considered gifts to staff and must follow state guidance and Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) rules around gift-giving to public employees, including monetary limits.

If you have any questions about how supplies are funded or how you can support our classrooms, please contact principal Greg Wiseman.

Visit the Winnona Park library's website to learn about our library, see plans for the new school year, and more.

First and second grade students checked out books from the library this week. If your student brought their book home, I have listed your student's library day, as well as suggestions for helping your student learn to be responsible for their books on the library's website.

The nutrition department offers breakfast and lunch daily. For menu information and much more, see: CSD Nutrition. Continue checking back for more updated information. Click here for payment information and instructions on how to apply for free and reduced lunch. Families can also come to the front office for more Free and Reduced lunch information during the Meet & Greet.

For students who eat breakfast at school, please have your child arrive at 8:00 AM so they have plenty of time to get to the cafeteria, eat, and then get to their classroom by 8:15 for Morning Crew. Bus riders usually arrive around 8:05 AM and have time to eat. Please tell your child to go to the cafeteria first, before entering their classroom. Students needing breakfast who arrive after 8:05 miss valuable Crew time with their classmates.

A big “Thank-You” to the 43% of families who completed the Annual Data Update (ADU). Not that I’m competitive or anything, but WP families are almost in last place compared to the other CSD schools. Come on, we got this!

The ADU is how families verify or update critical communication and health information, and do sign-offs for the handbook and code of conduct. Please click here for more information or log in directly to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Help make WP the first to reach 100% completion.

Applications for the 25-26 Superintendent's Student Advisory Councils will open on Wednesday, August 5. Students & Parents may access the application through Launchpad. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 22, at 5 p.m. Selected students will be notified by Friday, August 29, 2025. Let's get the students excited about applying for this student leadership opportunity!

A school wide weekly newsletter will be emailed to families each Thursday afternoon. This newsletter is sent to the email addresses in the Parent Portal. Please ensure all data in your portal account is updated and correct. Our brand new website is live and is a great place to get information about our school. Here is a direct link to our school's calendar of events.

Stay connected with upcoming events: https://www.wpespta.org/

Find us on:

Facebook

Instagram

Back-to-School Food Truck Fundraiser – Friday, Aug 15 (5:30–7:30 PM)
Kick off the school year with dinner, fun, and community! Join us for our Back-to-School Food Truck Fundraiser featuring Mix’d UP Burgers and Tex’s Tacos. A portion of the proceeds goes back to the Winnona Park PTA, directly supporting programs our students and teachers love. We’ll also host a raffle with some amazing prizes—so come hungry and ready to win! It’s the perfect way to unwind from the week and connect with fellow Winnona Park Wildcats.

Support the Wildcats: Join the PTA

Help us kick off a strong year at Winnona Park! The PTA Family Donation Program fuels classroom resources, enrichment opportunities, teacher support, and the community events our families love. Whether it’s a one-time gift or a recurring monthly donation, every amount makes a difference. Many employers also offer matching gifts—a simple way to double your impact.

Give today: wpespta.org/familydonation. Thank you for supporting our Wildcats! 💜🐾

New Spirit Wear: Dancing Wildcats Tee (Online Only!)

Meet our newest Winnona Park spirit wear: a super-soft heather tee featuring a row of dancing Wildcats—a playful nod to the Grateful Dead. It’s perfect for Friday spirit days, field trips, and community events. Available in youth and adult sizes while supplies last.

Shop now: https://www.wpespta.org/spirit-wear

Proceeds support WP PTA programs—thank you for showing your Wildcat pride!

Read the August 7, 2025, issue of the district-wide newsletter, CSD Weekly here.

CSD is pleased to continue offering credit card payments as a convenient payment method for school-related fees. In line with standard industry practices, CSD imposes a transaction fee to cover the processing costs charged by credit card companies for accepting these payments. During the 2024-25 school year, CSD capitalized on the increase in electronic check transactions ($0.35 per transaction) to reduce the Infinite Campus credit card processing fee from a flat rate of $4.00 to $2.50 per transaction.

However, credit card companies impose a fee of 3.5% or more on the total transaction amount for credit card payments rather than a flat fee. The difference has created a gap between the fees charged by CSD and the actual credit card processing costs incurred by the district, leaving the district to cover the additional expenses for each credit card transaction.

Effective July 1, CSD will shift to a retail merchant model for credit card processing. This change will involve moving from a $2.50 flat fee to a 3.5% percentage-based fee for all CSD credit card transactions. The transition means there will be a charge of $3.50 for every $100 credit card transaction. We encourage electronic checks, as these fees will remain $0.35.

The transition to a percentage-based fee supports the district's financial sustainability and aligns the fee structure with actual processing costs. It also allows CSD to maintain credit card payment options without diverting funds from other educational priorities.

Email: csikes@csdecatur.net
Website: https://ga02000365.schoolwires.net/site/Default.aspx?PageID=13
Location: 510 Avery Street, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4490

Newsletter Archives: Read older issues of the Wildcat Weekly by visiting our school website. Click on the link in the top photo or on the "Newsletter" button in the middle of the page. Older issues of CSD Weekly may be found on CSD's district newsletter webpage.