Falcon Flyer
Important Events & Dates from F.AVE

April 24, 2025
In this Issue
Ms. Hanson's Notes
- Coffee Chat - May 2 - Summer Reading
- Rising 6th Grade Information
- Upcoming Events Calendar
F.AVE News
- Grace Lin Pre-Orders DUE TOMORROW!
- Field Day Volunteers Needed
- F.AVE Game Hawkers Podcast S2, Ep21 - 4th Grader Colin
- Lauren Tarshis's response to our podcast!
- Purchase Yearbooks NOW!
- FAVEorite Things Yearbook Survey!
- PTO Volunteers Needed for Next Year
- Upcoming Dine-Outs - Wheelhouse & Smiley's
- Enrollment Information for Kindergarten and new students
Community Partner News
- DHS Performs Peter and the Starcatcher
- Rise City Dance Performance
Scroll down to learn more!
Ms. Hanson's Notes
Thank you all for making sure your student was here this week for testing. The students have done an amazing job. We do have one more day of testing for 3rd & 4th grades and two more days for 5th grade. We then have a break before administering the STAR test beginning May 5.
The final 4 weeks are full of celebrations of learning as well as our FAVE Finale on May 21. We look forward to celebrating the 5th grade but are treasuring these last few weeks of elementary school.
CSD is asking families to complete this survey on changes in the grading policy. Please take a few minutes to complete. We value your feedback..
Upcoming Events At a Glance
April
Arab-American Heritage Month
National School Library Month
Autism Awareness Month
April 21 - April 25: PTO Spring Fundraising Week
Monday, April 21- Monday, April 28- GMAS Testing
- Friday, April 25: Math Section 2
- Monday, April 28: Science Section 1 & 2 (5th grade only)
Wednesday, April 30: Early Release Day - dismissal at 12:15
May
Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish Heritage Month
Thursday, May 1: School Principal's Day
Friday, May 2, 7:45 - 8:30am: Coffee Chat in F.AVE Cafeteria
Friday, May 2: School Lunch Hero Day
Wednesday, May 7: School Nurse Day
Wednesday, May 7: Walk & Roll To School
May 7 & 8: 5th Grade to Atlanta History Center
Tuesday, May 13: Rising 6th grade visit to Beacon Hill
Tuesday, May 13, 6:00pm: Chorus Concert
Friday, May 16: Field Day
Wednesday, May 21: 5th Grade Finale & Exhibition
- 8:30 - 10:15: CWilliams/O'Keefe, Terry, Wise, HStewart/Sanchez
- 11:30 - 1:15: DiGiacomo, RStewart, Vickery/Johnson, Miller
Friday, May 23: Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
Friday, May 23: Last Day of School for students
F.AVE News
Autographed Book Orders DUE TOMORROW!
F.AVE is very excited to host one more author visit for the year in partnership with Little Shop of Stories for our 3rd & 4th grade students. Grace Lin, Newbery & Caldecott honor winning author of numerous novels and picture books will be at F.AVE on May 9th. Ms. Lin is also the recipient of the ALA’s 2022 Children’s Literature Legacy Award.
Students may pre-order her newest book, The Gate, the Girl & the Dragon, a painted edge hardback book or a paperback copy of her Newbery honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. Books will signed with a personalized autograph. Order forms are in your child’s folder or you may click here to download the order form. All orders are due to your child’s teacher by Friday, April 25 (deadline extended). 20% of all proceeds are donated back to F.AVE.
Any F.AVE student is welcome to order a book to be signed. However, only 3rd & 4th graders will be able to attend our author visit assembly.
FIELD DAY PARENT VOLUNTEERS
FAVE Field Day is Friday, May 16, 2025. FAVE parents are cordially invited to join us again this year for a great day filled with fun games & laughter! Coach Hallman is looking for volunteers to help run stations. You can view the list of volunteer positions using this Sign-Up Genius link:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4BAEA72FAA8-55724984-2025
It is a long-standing tradition for FAVE students to design their own Field Day T-shirts. Please send a plain white t-shirt to school with your child beginning next week. If you are able to donate extra t-shirts for students in need, 3-packs of Hanes white undershirts can be purchased rather inexpensively and the extras will be distributed. *Donations of fabric paint or permanent markers are also greatly appreciated! Room parents can arrange this with homeroom teachers or drop off at the front desk for Coach Hallman to distribute.
Please check Coach Hallman’s website for up to the minute details and additional information including FAQs: https://hallmanfavepe.weebly.com/field-day.html
F.AVE Game Hawker Podcast S2, Ep 21
4th Grader Colin has a double episode of our Game Hawker podcast. He earned both his balanced and communicator badges and talks about Stuart Gibb's Spy Camp and the classic Beverly Cleary Newbery winner, Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Click the podcast logo below to listen!
We had a special response to one of our podcasts. 4th graders Audrey & Heath in Ms. Beckwith's class recorded a balanced badge podcasts a few weeks ago about Lauren Tarshis's I Survived: Attack of the Grizzlies. The I Survived series is one of our top circulating series, both graphic novels and chapter books. Ms. Tarshis listened to their podcast and loved it so much that she sent them a copy of her newest graphic novel autographed to them! If you didn't get a chance to listen, click here!
If you'd like to see other author responses to our podcast, click here!
F.AVE PTO News
Spring Fundraiser is Here!!
It's that time of year where we ask for YOUR support, so that we can continue OUR support!!! If you didn't catch Monday's email with all of the details, you can read it HERE.
If you already know the drill and haven't had a chance yet: plase DONATE today. No amount is too small - we appreciate every single penny and invest it right back into the FAVE community. We want to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to the Orkin Family for being our first Large Tailfeather Family Sponsor!
Purchase Yearbooks!
It's Yearbook Time!!! Click HERE to order your yearbook!! Special pricing through May 9th
*The PTO will purchase a yearbook for any student who has not ordered one*
2024-2025 FAVE Yearbook Survey
Tell us about your F.AVEorite things this school year! Please take a minute with your student to fill out this short survey about their past year at F.AVE. Results will be shared in this year's yearbook! Survey will close on 4/25.
F.AVE Favorites Survey: https://forms.gle/oCXk8WwrRWVKfSV57
PTO Volunteers Needed!
We are looking for a few board positions and quite a few committee chairs for the 2025-2026 school year. The good news? *Every single one* will be partnered with a seasoned veteran who knows the ropes! If you've been thinking about getting involved, now is the perfect time to do so! Click HERE to let us know about your interest.
Upcoming Dine-Outs
We have two wonderful opportunities to support local restaurants AND support FAVE! You don't want to miss these two dine outs:
- May 8th: Wheelhouse
- May 15th: Smiley's Burger Club
District News
Share Your Feedback on the First Year of New Grading Policies
Last school year, our school board approved and implemented a new grading policy to create greater consistency, transparency, and alignment with student learning. As we complete the first full year under this policy, we are engaging families and staff to gather feedback on the experiences following the changes across our schools.
Your input is significant in helping us understand what aspects of the policy are working well and where adjustments may be needed. Please take a few moments to complete the brief survey(s) below and share your feedback with us.
K-5 survey (four questions)
6-12 survey (six questions)
Enrollment Begins for New Students and All Rising Kindergarteners
2025-2026 CSD enrollment is now open for rising Kindergarten students or students new to CSD. Registration may be completed entirely online. Find more registration information here.
New Families: See CSD's Key Contacts & Resources for Families, available in multiple languages.
REMINDER: If your currently enrolled student has a sibling who will be new to CSD for the 2025-2026 school year, you must register this new sibling via the Parent Portal.
1. Select "More" from the menu in the Parent Portal.
2. Select "Annual Data Update."
3. Select "2025-2026 New Student Registration."
As part of the enrollment process, you will also need to email residency documentation to CSD's district enrollment specialist, Patrice Moore, at pmoore@csdecatur.net, as the Parent Portal will not allow you to change or upload this field. Information about required residency proof documents is available on the CSD website. Please contact pmoore@csdecatur.net or 404-371-3601 x1063 for assistance.
Families Invited to Provide Feedback on Future Readiness Skills
The Student Support Services division invites families and community members to a virtual, collaborative discussion on the proposed CSD K-5 standards for Future Readiness Skills (FRS).
FRS encompasses a wide range of knowledge, attitudes, and skills integral to student success. The skills are based on the core competencies as defined by the Collaborative for Academics, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). CASEL identifies how children and adults understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. The five core areas include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. CSD is committed to integrating the teaching of these skills into all classrooms.
These standards are designed to help students develop critical life skills such as managing emotions, making responsible decisions, building positive relationships, and setting and achieving goals—skills that support their success in school and beyond.
During this meeting, we will share the proposed CSD FRS K-5 standards, discuss the importance of these skills for student development and invite your feedback to ensure the standards reflect the needs and values of our community. Your voice is essential as we work to finalize these standards before they are implemented in the 2026-2027 school year.
Virtual FRS Discussion: Tuesday, April 29, 3:30 p.m., join via Google Meet
Community Partners News
DHS Production
Come and see Decatur High’s production of Peter and the Starcatcher! This show is fun and family-friendly with pirates, mermaids, a wave machine and life-sized puppets plus a little music, dance and a lot of comedy!
Discover how a boy became the Boy Who Never Grew Up in this magical, madcap prequel to Peter Pan with singing, dancing and puppets!
- Show Dates: April 24-27
- Snag your tickets before they fly away! → DecaturPerforms.org
Fun for all ages! Pirates, lost boys, mermaids and a sprinkle of starstuff await—don’t miss this enchanting theatrical adventure! #DHSStarcatcher #PeterAndTheStarcatcher #DecaturPerforms
Rise City Dance3
Rise City Dance - Spring Concert
Saturday, April 26 | 1:00 PM & 4:30 PM
Drew Charter Theater
Rise City Dance proudly presents Spring Concert 2025—a dazzling celebration of movement, music, and imagination! This year’s production features over 80 talented dancers, ages 6–18, in a high-energy program that promises to captivate audiences of all ages.
We’re especially proud to spotlight seven students from F.AVE, performing in the world premiere of The Magical Museum! The concert also includes enchanting excerpts from the classic ballet Coppélia, along with a vibrant blend of contemporary, hip hop, and jazz in The Sum of Its Parts.
Tickets are $20 (general admission), and all proceeds support our nonprofit arts organization: risecity.dance.
Spring Concert Ticket Link: https://auctria.events/RiseCityDance
About Us
Principal
Lynn Hanson
Assistant Principal
Meagan Ferguson
Assistant Principal
Shannon Stewart
School Manager
Malik Morrow
Bookkeeper
Shronda Edwards
Email: fave@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/FAVE
Location: 101 5th Avenue, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: (404) 371-6680
Please do not reply to this newsletter. See the Who Do I Contact link above and direct your inquiries to the correct individual.