Welcome Back F.Ave Falcons!

F.Ave Families,

Welcome back! I am beyond excited to kick off what is sure to be an incredible school year with each of you. To our returning families, thank you for being such an important part of the F.Ave community. To those joining us for the first time, welcome to what we proudly believe is the best school in the world! We are thrilled to have you as part of our family.

Our faculty and staff have been working tirelessly throughout the summer to prepare our school for the return of our students. There is nothing quite like the excitement and energy of the first day of school, and we cannot wait to welcome your children through our doors on August 3, 2026.

This newsletter contains several important updates and reminders to help your family prepare for a successful start to the school year, so please take a few moments to read through it carefully. We are looking forward to an amazing year of learning, growth, and unforgettable experiences. See you soon!

Derrick L. Thomas, Principal

Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School

Monday, August 3 - First Day of School!

Tuesday, August 25 - Fifth Avenue Curriculum Night, 6-7:30 p.m.

At F.Ave, student safety is our top priority. To ensure a smooth and secure arrival and dismissal process, we kindly ask that all families follow the procedures outlined below:

• Doors open at 7:20 a.m., and instruction begins promptly at 7:45 a.m. Arrivals after 7:45 a.m. will be marked unexcused unless accompanied by an appropriate excuse as outlined in our student handbook.

• Dismissal begins at 2:15 p.m. Please note: No student checkouts after 1:45 p.m.

• Car riders must be dropped off and picked up only on the Oakview Road side of the school.
  

• Crossing guards are positioned to help students cross safely, but please note that they do not manage traffic flow.
  

• Walkers may enter the building through the exterior doors on Oakview Road (4th/5th Grade), and at the front entrance (3rd Grade).
  

• Bus riders will enter through the designated bus loop "horseshoe" entrance.
  

We use PickUp Patrol to track pickup plan changes, absences, early dismissals, late arrivals, and daily dismissal plans (default plans). ALL pickup changes should be submitted through PickUp Patrol. When making changes, please do not send notes, emails, or call the office, except in an emergency.​

Important Action Needed: Please take a few minutes to set up your account so that we can accurately dismiss your child(ren).

• New parents will receive a welcome email and a link to register. Returning parents do not need to re-register. Read these instructions for how to access PickUp Patrol and add it to your home screen.

• Log into your account and enter your child’s regular daily dismissal plan or confirm your children’s default dismissal plan.

• Learn more about PickUp Patrol by reading the PickUp Patrol Parent Guide and watching the Getting Started w/ PickUp Patrol video.

If you have questions, please contact F.Ave at masika.nyaku@csdecatur.net or support@pickuppatrol.net.

Accessing the Parent Portal

Parents new to CSD will need to set up an account in the Parent Portal, which is in our information system, Infinite Campus. Please click here to learn more about how to set up an account. Please reach out to Patrice Moore, district registrar and enrollment specialist, with any questions.

Annual Data Update in Infinite Campus

All families, including returning families, must complete the annual data update before the first day of school. Directions for completing the annual update are available on the CSD website. It is important for all parents to update/confirm each child's enrollment information. If you run into any issues completing the annual data update, please call the office at 404-370-4400.

The STAR testing administration window is from August 3 - August 14.

In compliance with House Bill 307, the Georgia Early Literacy Dyslexia Act, all third-grade students will complete the Early Literacy, Encoding, and Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) assessments. Additionally, all students in grades 3-5 will take both reading and mathematics assessments.

These diagnostic screenings will be administered three times during the academic year: Fall (August), Winter (December), and Spring (May). As a diagnostic tool, the STAR assessment adapts to your child's knowledge and progress.

Please refer to the school's Fall testing schedule below:

Tuesday, August 4 -3rd- Early Literacy and 4th and 5th STAR Reading

Wednesday, August 5 - 3rd-5th STAR Math

Thursday, August 6 - 3rd STAR Reading

Friday, August 7 - 3rd STAR CBM (Encoding and RAN)

Week of August 10- Makeups for all assessments

If you have any questions, please contact the testing coordinator, Shannon Stewart at sstewart@csdecatur.net

Click here for CSD back-to-school information for all ages.

The F.Ave PTO plays a vital role in strengthening the connection between our school and our community. Through their dedication and service, they support F.Ave in countless ways, including coordinating classroom volunteers, assisting with field trips, promoting staff wellness, organizing teacher and staff appreciation events, leading fundraising efforts, and enhancing the overall school experience for our students and families.

We encourage every F.Ave family to get involved by joining or supporting our PTO. Your partnership makes a meaningful difference and helps ensure that our students and staff continue to thrive. To learn more about the F.Ave PTO and how you can get involved, please visit https://www.favepto.org/.

The Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School Leadership Team (SLT) is an elected committee of Fifth Avenue's parents/guardians, staff members, and other personnel. The SLT focuses on school governance, student achievement, and family engagement. Some of the responsibilities of this team are:

● Serve on interview teams

● Develop, approve, and monitor the continuous school improvement planning process

● Review assessment data and use it for decision-making purposes

● Review and approve changes to its bylaws

● Recommend school needs to the CSD Board of Education during the annual budget process

SLT members are elected to their positions, except for appointed positions. Parents may attend to present an idea/concern at SLT work sessions. SLT meetings are open, and stakeholders are welcome to attend (look for dates on the school's web page).

To vote in the SLT election, you must be a parent/guardian of a F.Ave student. If you are interested in joining the SLT, please submit a candidate statement with biographical information and a paragraph explaining why you want to be an SLT member to Mr. Thomas (dthomas@csdecatur.net) by Sunday, August 9, 2026. Each family will receive one vote per enrolled student. Remember that the most essential requirement of an SLT member is to have an honest desire to contribute to the educational experience and learning of all children at Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary School.

Details:

● All candidate statements are due August 9 to Mr. Thomas.

● All candidate statements will be published on the F.Ave webpage and the school's social media.

● Elections will take place during the week of August 16-19. The school will send a Google form on the morning of August 11.

Fifth Avenue Upper Elementary has openings for two parent representatives for the 26-27 school year. The first meeting of the year with the new representatives will be in September.

Email: masika.nyaku@csdecatur.net

Website: https://fave.csdecatur.net/
Location: 101 5th Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030
Phone: (404) 371-6680