College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

I hope you are having a wonderful week and enjoying the cooler temperatures. Just a reminder that tomorrow is our first Parent Coffee Chat. Our Instructional Coach, Ms. Mathews-Davis, will be providing an overview on the student assessment process, goals, and outcomes. The session will begin at 8:00 a.m. in the school library. Hope to see you there!

Have a great weekend,

Principal Garland

September 12 - Coffee Chat on Curriculum and Assessment (8:00 a.m.)

September 22-26 - Fall Break (no school for Pre-K and Preschool Special Education students)

October 1 - Fall School Tour (prospective families only)

October 6-10 - School Pictures (individual)

October 24 - PTO Trunk or Treat and Movie Night

October 27-31 - College Heights Literacy Week

Join us TOMORROW, Friday, September 12, at 8:00 a.m. in the library for a casual conversation about your child's learning journey here at College Heights. Coffee and pastries will be provided.

• Learn how our intentional instruction and assessment practices support your child's growth and learning.

• Discover the role of oral language skills in building a strong foundation for reading.

• Understand the importance of play in fostering cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Let's come together to share thoughts, ask questions, and connect with other parents in our College Heights school community. We hope to see you there!

A few spaces remain for Pre-K Fall Break camp. Applications are available at the front desk, on the school website, and here. Payment is due at the time of registration. Deadline to register is TOMORROW (September 12). For families in need of financial assistance, please contact Principal Garland. For questions or concerns, please email Elecia Fulton, After School Manager. Your child does not need to be enrolled in the After School Program to participate in camp.

Tuition is $250/week (includes breakfast, lunch, and snack).
Camp hours: 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Dates: September 22-26

The amazing Preschool team in 157 is made up of Candace Jones-Boynton, Taylor Tate, and Aaliyah Sabir. There's never a dull moment in this room! Walk by at any time of the day and watch them creating art, moving their bodies, engaging in project-based learning, performing community service projects, and so much more.

Candace Jones-Boynton (Ms. B) is the lead teacher in 157. She is originally from Radcliff, Kentucky, and in her spare time she likes to create content for her YouTube channel Mz.B Read to Me and also loves to act and sing. You might be surprised to learn that she is actually shy and gets VERY NERVOUS in front of a crowd!

Taylor Tate assists in 157 and has worked with Ms. B for four years. Taylor hails from right here in Decatur and when she's away from school, she likes to read and binge watch It’s a Different World. She also loves playing Sims 4 and says "IYKYK"!

Aaliyah Sabir is in her second year as the afternoon assistant in 157. Also a Decatur native, Aaliyah enjoys shopping, sleeping, reading, spending time with family, and hanging with her best friend, and her fun fact is that she collects rubber ducks.

Stop by and say hello to these wonderful teachers the next time you're at College Heights.

Pre-K students began learning about how to care for library books as we prepare to start student checkout in a few weeks. We read the very funny books Read it, Don't Eat It and Just a Story, and we saw several examples of library books damaged by water, pets, markers, and baby siblings.

This week's 0-3 books:

Natterjack Toad Makes a Mighty Crunch by Sean Taylor, illustrated by Kathryn Durst

Split! Splat! by Amy Gibson, illustrated by Steve Bjorkman

Driving My Tractor by Jan Dobbins, illustrated by David Sim

One-osaurus, Two-osaurus by Kim Norman, illustrated by Pierre Collet-Derby

Author visit reminder

Book orders for Dan Gemeinhart's newest book are due next Friday! Don't miss out on your chance to receive a signed copy of The Gingerbread Monster. Dan will sign books after he talks to Pre-K students on October 10, and books will be sent home the same day. Click here to download the order form. A portion of book sales will benefit College Heights. All students are welcome to order a copy of the book, not just Pre-K!

Library learning begins early

Logan's ready to return Ms. Asia's library book. Thanks for being such a responsible library patron, Logan!

Ms. Ramirez's class enjoys some post-lunch playground time on a beautiful September morning.

Ms. B's Preschool class also enjoys some post-lunch playtime on the front playground.

Read the September 11, 2025, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

Spirit Week is just around the corner, and now’s the perfect time to grab your College Heights spirit wear! Whether you or your little one is rocking it at school events or out in the community, you'll be ready to shine in style.

🧢 Bonus Perk: $5 from every purchase goes directly to support our amazing PTO — so you’re not just showing school spirit, you’re giving back too! 👕

👉Don’t wait — snag your gear now and let’s make this year the most spirited one yet!

Link: https://checlc.ptboard.com/school/cm?mid=6422

All recent issues of the College Heights Connection are available here.

Older issues of CSD Weekly may be found on CSD's district newsletter webpage.

College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center cultivates an atmosphere where children take their first steps in building an authentic love of learning through developmentally appropriate practices in an environment that fosters family and community involvement.