Eagle Edition

Bill Howard, Principal ~ Jill Tolsma, Instructional Coach ~ Michelle Reynolds, School Manager

Email: bill.howard@csdecatur.net
Location: 440 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404.370.4435 * Website * Facebook

As we head into our final days before Fall Break, there is an incredible sense of excitement in our hallways! We have accomplished so much together as a Crew since the start of the school year, and our students and staff have truly earned a well-deserved week to rest and recharge.

Here are a few important updates, team celebrations, and reminders for our community:

Welcome to the CREW, Ms. Prentice!

We are thrilled to officially welcome our newest staff member, Ms. Afiya Prentice, who joined us this past Monday as a special education teacher! We are so excited to have her join our Glennwood CREW and look forward to the wonderful support, care, and dedication she brings in helping our youngest learners get off to a great start.

Front Office & Drop-Off Procedures

To help keep our school morning running safely and smoothly for everyone, please keep these two front office guidelines in mind:

• Late Drop-Offs & Arrival Sign-In: If you drop your child off after morning arrival (after 8:18 AM), please buzz at the front doors to enter the building and sign your student in using the computer in the office. To foster student independence and keep morning instruction running without interruption, all students should walk to their classrooms on their own without being accompanied by a parent or guardian.

• Item Drop-Offs: If you are dropping off a forgotten lunchbox, water bottle, jacket, or school item during the day, please fill out the short form available in the front office with your child's full name and homeroom teacher so our team can make sure items quickly find their proper owner.

Celebrating Arts in Education Week & "Making Our Mark"!

This week is Arts in Education Week, and we want to highlight the tremendous impact creative learning has on our students every single day. We are incredibly fortunate to have our extraordinary art teacher, Ms. Karp, and our dynamic music teacher, Mr. Crabb, guiding our Eagles! In art class, our students have been busy creating stunning artwork inspired by Peter H. Reynolds' beloved book, The Dot. In honor of International Dot Day on September 15, students explored the story's powerful message: that creativity starts with a single mark and the courage to try. Our Eagles "make their mark" on Glennwood every day when they show up ready to SOAR!

Our students' Dot-inspired creations will soon be featured in a beautiful artwork installation in our Garden Gnomies area. The big unveiling will take place in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for photos!

Parent-Teacher Conferences (Window Opens Sept. 28)

Looking ahead, our Fall parent-teacher conference window officially opens on Monday, September 28. Teachers sent out scheduling information and sign-up links via email earlier this week. If you have not had a chance to reserve your time slot yet, please check your inbox and sign up as soon as possible. These conferences are an essential part of our partnership, providing a dedicated space to celebrate your child's growth and align on goals for the rest of the year.

Upcoming Fall Break – See You September 28!

As a reminder, our schools will be closed next week for Fall Break. Students will return to school on Monday, September 28. On behalf of our entire Glennwood staff, I wish all of our families a restful, refreshing, and joyful week off. Whether you are traveling or enjoying a quiet staycation at home, I hope you get to disconnect, enjoy quality time together, and soak up the start of autumn. Thank you for your continuous energy, dedication, and partnership. Rest up, enjoy the break, and we look forward to seeing our Eagles back in the building ready to SOAR on September 28!

PLEASE NOTE: I will be hosting a Principal Coffee Chat immediately following Community Circle tomorrow if you are interested in attending. I will be updating you on our academic progress and how we balance EdTech at Glennwood.

Wishing you all a wonderful Fall Break,

Bill Howard

bill.howard@csdecatur.net
Proud Principal, Glennwood Elementary

The elementary years are a critical time for developing strong reading habits and foundational literacy skills. In this episode of Raising a Reader, explore practical strategies and resources that help kindergarten through third-grade students grow into confident, capable readers!

This is all part of the activities CSD is doing for Decatur Reads and Dyslexia Awareness weeks coming in late September/October!

Starting last week, I began teaching a lesson on finding your voice and being who you are. This coincides with the month of September when we address wellness, emotional awareness, and healthy coping skills. We began the lesson with a freeze dance mindful moment. Then students with partners shared times when they maybe felt like they weren't good enough and how they felt. We then read a book about finding your voice and being who you are. We concluded the lesson with a virtual board game and questions about how to cope with difficult emotions. Additionally, students received an activity sheet where they could draw and/or write about ways they can share their voice. I hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe fall break! I look forward to seeing all the students again when they return.

Boys In Action is an after-school program designed to provide our boys with opportunities to build leadership, friendships, confidence, goal-setting skills, and a strong sense of belonging while having fun and growing together.

The program will meet every other Thursday from 2:50–3:50 PM, beginning Thursday, October 8, 2026. We will meet in the Media Center.

Our theme for Boys In Action this year will be “Our Boys Will Be SEEN.”

SEEN represents our commitment to making sure every boy feels Seen, Encouraged, Empowered, and Noticed. We want our boys to know that they matter, their voices are important, their strengths are recognized, and that they have a place where they can be themselves, build meaningful relationships, and grow into confident young men.

ttps://forms.gle/CUHUmuhyHB2JPvWU7

The City Schools of Decatur will administer the BASC-BESS Universal Screener from October 1–30, 2026. This brief screener helps schools identify students who may benefit from additional behavioral, social-emotional, or wellness support. The BASC- BESS is not a diagnostic assessment; it is one tool used to help us identify needs early and provide appropriate support. Families who do not want their child to participate may complete an Opt-Out Form by Friday, September 18, 2026.

Each fall semester, the gifted review team reviews existing student data to discuss students’ needs and to determine whether further evaluation for gifted identification is needed. If you are interested in having the team discuss your child’s needs, please complete this Recommendation for Review Form by Wednesday, September 30. No additional information is needed. For more detailed information about the review process, please contact the Gifted & Talented Specialist for your school, Susanna Shewan, at sshewan@csdecatur.net or visit our website’s FAQ page.

The East DeKalb Health Center staff are scheduled to visit your school to administer flu vaccines. On Wednesday, October 14th from 10:00-12:00 PM in Room 229.

Accepted Insurance:
We accept Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, United Healthcare, Georgia Medicaid, Cigna, and Humana.

Insurance not accepted:
Kaiser, Tricare, and Oscar are not accepted.

If you have questions regarding insurance coverage or payment while on site, please check with Nurse Alta.

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

Every donation helps the PTO invest in our students, teachers, and school community. We help fund many offerings and programs such as teacher grants, field studies, facility improvements, and classroom needs.

Sign up here https://www.glennwoodelementarypto.org/membershi

Glennwood’s Eagle Bucks School Store is up and running! Students have been hard at work earning Eagle Bucks, and now we could use some parent volunteers to run the sales. Our school counselor, Mr. Blase, will oversee and make sure the store is stocked, handle logistics, etc.

The school store is open monthly. Kindergarten and 1st grade are first thing in the morning from 8:00-8:30 and 2nd grade is in the afternoon from 2:10-2:40. This is a great way to help the school, interact positively with the students, and help them learn the values of good money management and character education.

Please check out the sign up schedule to see if there are dates and times that work for you to volunteer. Feel free to sign-up for multiple dates and times if it works for you: https://www.signupgenius.com/.../10C0849ADAC2CA4F8C43...

Contact Mr. Blase with any questions -- jblase@csdecatur.net

Order here: https://www.glennwoodelementarypto.org/spiritwear

As you capture those precious Glennwood moments throughout the year, don’t forget to share them with us! Send your photos to yearbook@glennwoodespta.com along with your student's name, grade & class, and your child might be featured in this year’s Glennwood Yearbook!

We need parent volunteers to make this program possible! No gardening experience is required! Just a willingness to have fun, encourage students and enjoy time outdoors. Whether you can stay the full two hours or just part of a session, we will be excited to have you! Please sign in at the front office with your ID before joining us in the garden.

Sign Up to Volunteer Here

Your contributions help cover the cost of seedlings, tools, garden maintenance supplies, and other materials we need to make the program a success.

When donating, simply select “Garden Gnomies” in the category dropdown.

Donate Here

Join the Decatur High School Varsity and JV Cheerleaders during the 2026 Homecoming Week for a mini-camp for all students in grades K-5.

• Camp Dates: Monday, October 19 - Wednesday, October 21, from 4:15 - 6:00 p.m. at DHS

• Performance Date: DHS Homecoming Parade and Game on Friday, October 23

• Cost: $65 (fee includes a t-shirt and fundraising support for the DHS Cheerleaders)

All camp proceeds support the DHS cheerleading program.

Use this link to register and pay for the camp: https://bit.ly/2026MiniCheerCamp.

Registration closes on Thursday, October 8, at 6 p.m. or when the camp reaches capacity at 75 registered and paid participants.

Questions? Contact the coaches:

Coach Courtney Burnett

cburnett@csdecatur.net

Coach Crystal Evans

cevans1@csdecatur.net

decaturbulldogsathletics.com