Weekly Update

December 4, 2025

Dear Winnona Park Families,

Last year, 77% of Winnona Park parents participated in the annual GaDOE School Climate Survey, which is an impressive response rate. Thank you! This year, I ask that we get a similarly robust response. I analyzed your responses over the summer and incorporated the results into my pre-planning presentation to the staff. This data also informed Winnona Park’s School Improvement Plan and helped me tweak a few processes and procedures at school.

Your voice and opinion are important! Please take 5-10 minutes to thoughtfully complete this important survey.

Sincerely,

Greg Wiseman

Principal, Winnona Park Elementary School

Friday, December 5 - Community Circle - Kindergarten Families

Monday, December 8 - PTA Meeting in the Library at 5:30 PM

December 8 - 11 - Spirit Night @ Vine Fine Wine (see details below in PTA Corner)

Wednesday, December 10 - Walk and Roll to School. This will be the last Walk and Roll until March.

Friday, December 12 - Community Circle - First Grade Families

Friday, December 19 - Early Release Day(12:50 PM); No Community Circle

Monday, December 22 - Monday, January 5, 2026 - No School for Students

Notices were sent out today to let you know what books you or your student (first and second grade) has checked out. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Hello, WP Students and Families!

You’re invited to “Be the i in Kind!” by joining our kindness campaign! In my lessons this week, students have started writing kind notes to teachers and a note with a positive affirmation as a kindness to themselves. You’re invited to write a kind note to any WP staff member to add to our display. I plan to distribute notes to the recipients before Winter Break.

To add your messages to our kindness display, please find templates for color printing here and black-and-white printing here. I’m reading The Kindness Snowflake by Jen Brewer with students. If you’d like to read it and talk about it as a family, you can listen here. The main takeaway from the book is that small acts of kindness add up and make a big difference.

It’s been so fun seeing students’ enthusiasm for this effort. I hope you’ll join us!

Lindsey Hicks

The window to complete our mid-year Universal Screeners opens December 1 and closes on December 12. The first week back from break, most students will complete Encoding, Rapid Color Naming, and Passage Oral Reading (for most 1st & 2nd graders only). The week after, all students will complete the STAR Reading/Early Literacy and Math assessments.

Parents will automatically receive CSD Weekly, which includes their child's school newsletter, via the email address they registered in the CSD parent portal. Interested community members, or extended family, may sign up for the CSD Weekly by clicking here.

Please note that when you sign up as a 'community member,' even though the form below asks for your phone number, you will not receive text messages or phone calls.

Camp Details:

• All K-5th-grade students are invited to register for the Bulldog Basketball Cheerleader Mini Camp.
• The camp will take place on Monday, January 12, Wednesday, January 14, and Thursday, January 15, from 4:15 to 6:00 p.m. at Decatur High School.
• The DHS JV and Varsity cheerleaders will teach the mini-campers, cheers, jumps, and dances.
• The camp participants will perform with the DHS cheerleaders during halftime of the basketball games on Friday, January 16.
• Mini-camp registration closes on Wednesday, December 17, at 6:00 p.m. or when the camp reaches 50 registered and paid participants. Please complete one registration form per participant.
• The camp cost is $60 and must be paid through GoFan.com. The payment link is available here and at the end of the registration form.
• All camp proceeds are used to purchase camper t-shirts and support the Decatur High School Cheerleading program.

Questions? Email Coach Courtney Burnett at cburnett@csdecatur.net or Coach Crystal Evans at cevans1@csdecatur.net.

This holiday season, our Decatur Bulldogs are teaming up to support Toys for Tots, and we need your help to make our First Annual Toy Toss a huge success!

Join us at the Basketball Game on December 5 and bring a new plush toy to donate. Every CSD Elementary student who brings a toy will receive FREE admission with a paying adult! The JV game tips off at 5 PM.

Then get ready for the highlight of the night: In between games, fans will toss their donated toys onto the court, where our players and cheerleaders will collect them and prepare them for delivery to Toys for Tots. It’s a fun, festive way to give back and show what Bulldog spirit is all about! Let’s pack the stands, support our teams, and spread holiday cheer across our community. Go Bulldogs!

Read the December 4, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

Please take a moment this week to make your voice heard and participate in the Georgia Department of Education climate survey for your school! Your participation and feedback are greatly appreciated. The data collected will help determine the School Climate Star Ratings for the 2026-27 school year, which will enable schools to improve or build upon their successes.

Winnona Park Elementary School Family Survey

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

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Vine Fine Wine Spirit Night: Dec. 8–11
Raise a glass to supporting Winnona Park! From December 8 through December 11, Vine Fine Wine in Decatur will donate 10% of all sales to the WP PTA when you mention Winnona Park Elementary at checkout. It’s an easy way to support our school while shopping local, whether you’re picking up a gift, restocking for the season, or trying something new. Thank you for supporting the businesses that support our community. Cheers to a successful fundraiser!

📍 Vine Fine Wine
335 W Ponce de Leon Ave, Suite B
Free public tastings every Thursday.

Give Beautifully with Minted and Support Winnona Park
If you’re shopping for holiday gifts, Minted makes it easy to support Winnona Park at the same time. Order personalized gifts, art, and festive décor at Minted.com and use code FUNDRAISEWINNONA at checkout. You’ll get 20 percent off, and 15 percent of your order comes right back to support our school.

A thoughtful gift for someone else becomes real support for our kids.

Shop: Gifts | Art | Décor
Code: FUNDRAISEWINNONA
www.minted.com

Winnona Park Yearbook: Candid Photos

The Winnona Park Yearbook Committee wants to see all you've been doing in school this year! Please email photos of your Wildcats in action to yearbook@wpespta.org. We love photos of school events, field trips, and school work! Important: Please include student names and teacher/grade in your email if known.

Dancing Wildcats Tee — Now in New Colors!

Our popular Dancing Wildcats tee (a playful nod to the Grateful Dead) just got a refresh. We now have white shirts for adults and purple shirts for kids—perfect for Friday Community Circles, field trips, and community events. Limited quantities 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!

Email: csikes@csdecatur.net
Website: https://winnonapark.csdecatur.net/
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.