Talley Street Update

Reminder: Wednesday (8/27) is an early release day! don't forget to pick up your child at 12:15!

Save the Date!

Author Visit Orders Due: TOMORROW, August 22
Curriculum Night: August 26, 6-7:30 PM (LINKS Curriculum Night @ 5:30)
Early Release: August 27 @ 12:15 PM
Labor Day - NO SCHOOL: September 1
Family Trivia Night: September 4, 5-7 PM
PTO Meeting: September 10, 6-7 PM
3rd Grade Movie Night: September 12 @ 5:30 PM
Family Math Festival: September 18, 5-7 PM
Fall Break - NO SCHOOL: September 22-26
Walk n Roll: October 3
Field Day: October 10

Other Front Office Announcements

Arrival Procedures

Students may enter the building as early as 7:20 AM.
Breakfast is served 7:20-7:40 AM.
Students need to arrive in their classroom with their homeroom teacher (NOT walking in the door) by 7:45 AM.
Attendance will be taken by the classroom teacher at 7:45 AM.
Please send all absence and tardy excuses to Ms. SanAngelo (jsanangelo@csdecatur.net).

PickUp Patrol: Dismissal and Absences

Teachers use parent-entered Pick Up Patrol data to dismiss students. Please be sure your child's plan is accurate each day. The cut off time to change information is 1 PM (M-Th) and 12 PM (F).
Afterschool clubs must be entered in Pick Up Patrol as well ( GENTS, Chorus, Leader Meetings etc...)

Dismissal After Special Events

There will be no checkouts after Talley Rally or 1:45pm. The office will not be able to enter last minute dismissals.
If you would like to change your child to walkup pick up in Pick Up Patrol, please enter that information in advance anytime before noon on the day of Talley Rally. As a walkup pick up, your child will meet you when walkers are dismissed on the sidewalk on the parking lot side.

Field Trip Background Checks

Below are the steps that are needed for parents to chaperone field trips:

Checks (for BACKGROUND Checks) are to be brought to Talley prior to going for the actual background check.
Checks for Background checks are to be made out to: City Schools of Decatur. Memo - Field Trip Background Check; Fee - $40
Please pay the field trip chaperone fee AFTER you have clearance of the background check, and are confirmed a chaperone.
3rd and 4th grade parents will pay admission fees as deemed at each venue. The chaperone fee for Tybee is $350.
The check or money order for the chaperone fee will be made out to Talley Street Upper Elementary.

Please contact our bookkeeper, Ms. Johnson (ejohnson1@csdecatur.net), with any further questions.

STEM Needs

Please bring paper towel and toilet paper rolls to school! Ms. Reno needs them for STEM. Thank you in advance!

Music Reminder

The week of Labor Day, 4th and 5th grade students will begin recorder lessons in music. Students should have their recorders in their backpacks or lockers ready to bring to music class.

Talley Robotics Challenge Teams (4th and 5th Grade): Now Accepting Student Applications

Are you passionate about STEM? Do you enjoy problem-solving, teamwork, and creativity? Are you in 4th or 5th grade? Then the Talley First Lego League (FLL) Robotics Challenge Team may be for you! Discover the thrill of engineering, problem-solving, and teamwork. Design and program LEGO robots, research real-world challenges, and present innovative solutions in exciting team competitions. For more information, visit: FIRST | For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (firstinspires.org).

Talley Robotics is currently seeking students who want to be on a team that uses creativity, collaboration, and design skills to solve problems. Please note, this is a competitive team, not a club. Teams generally practice once a week for two hours after school and will compete in at least one FLL regional competition in December (more if teams advance past regionals). Participants are expected to regularly attend practices and competitions (barring emergencies/illness) and actively participate and engage. The cost to participate is $125 per season (needs-based scholarships are available).

Applications are available here. The deadline to submit an application is Thursday, August 21st at 11:59pm. For questions please contact Talley STEM teacher Ms. Reno at (areno@csdecatur.net)

Girls on the Run Participant Information

Thank you to all the coaches who signed up to volunteer this season! We will be able to have two teams at Talley for Fall 2025!

Girls on the Run is so much more than running. Our tested curriculum blends physical activity with skill development that enables girls to adapt to whatever comes their way. Girls on the Run understands the important connection between physical activity and overall emotional health. Trained volunteer coaches guide girls through research-based lessons which creatively integrate movement in a fun and motivating way. By signing your child up for Girls on the Run, you are giving them the opportunity to connect, grow and learn how to navigate difficult situations.

The upcoming season registration lottery is open through 11:59 pm on Thursday, August 21. Placement day is Friday, August 22, with the last day for refunds on September 11.

Our meeting team’s days and times are: Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday from 2:30-4:00 beginning the week of September 1. The program is for girls in 3rd through 5th grade. The end of season 5k event will be on December 6, and the last week of practice will be December 8. There is no practice on Early Release days or when there is no school.

The Girls on the Run program fee starts at $0 and is on a sliding scale based on household income so that every child who wants to participate can.

For more information about Girls on the Run as a program and to register, visit girlsontherunatlanta.org/programs, check out the FAQs document, or email programs@girlsontherunga.org.

For questions about GOTR at Talley, email nbundschu@csdecatur.net

Author Visit: Emily Bowen Cohen

Our first author visit of the school year will take place on Monday, September 15! Author Emily Bowen Cohen will be visiting all Talley students to talk about her graphic novel, Two Tribes. In this book inspired by her life, the author explores her experiences growing up in the Jewish and Muscogee cultures. Book order forms went home in communication folders today. It is also linked below. Students should turn in their money and completed forms to their teacher by TOMORROW, August 22!

Book Order Form

Orchestra Registration Open

Orchestra classes begin in September. Open to all rising 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. Click here to register your child for class.

2025-2026 Reading Bowl Team

Calling all 5th graders. Are you an avid reader? Do you like competition? If so, please consider becoming part of this competitive reading club. There will be an information meeting on September 4th, 2:30-3:30. If you are interested, you may take a look at the titles that we will be reading this school year here. You do NOT need to read them prior to our first meeting. All reading will begin after our first meeting in September and should be completed by October 30th.

Parents, please change student transportation in Pick Up Patrol to reflect that they are attending Reading Bowl for this day and include the transportation home from Reading Bowl as well.

Hope to see you there! Please complete this form if you are interested.

Reading Bowl Interest Form

5th Graders: Middle School Tennis Interest Survey for 26-27 SY!

Calling all aspiring tennis players! The tennis team is exploring the possibility of starting a Beacon Hill Middle School tennis team for the next school year (2026-2027). If your student is currently a 5th grader and might be interested in joining a team next year at Beacon Hill, please fill out this quick survey to help us gauge interest.

Save the Date - Talley Fall Field Day

Talley's field day is Friday, October 10! Volunteer sign-ups and more details are coming soon.

Send Us Your Old Socks!

The Talley Green Team continues to collect old socks for textile recycling. Socks may be any brand in any condition. Single socks, socks with holes…send them in! But all donations MUST be clean. This program is for used socks only, not donations of new pairs. Nor are stockings, tights or pantyhose accepted. Bring your donations to Mrs. Roberts in the Talley Media Center. This is a continuous collection.

Join the Green Team

Are you passionate about sustainability? Would you like to help make Talley a zero-waste school? Then the Talley Green Team may be the perfect activity for you!

The Green Team meets after school (from roughly 2:15 pm to 3:15 pm) on Tuesdays for participation in various sustainability projects and Fridays for our schoolwide recycling collection. Can't commit to staying after school? Then join our lunchtime recycling crew in the cafeteria. Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles are welcome to join us. Complete our Sign-up Form.

Attendance is NOT mandatory. Parents should select "Green Team" in Pick Up Patrol on the days their child plans to attend and include how their child will get home afterward. Please direct questions to Mrs. Roberts at kathryn.roberts@csdecatur.net. Thank you!

Green Team Sign-Up Form

Happening now – please give to our PTO Annual Donation drive to support the Talley community! Make one up-front donation and support our plans and events for the whole year! Choose your contribution level and receive Talley swag as a thank-you gift: bit.ly/3ygCwRt
Do you or your student bike to Talley? The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Committee, in collaboration with Atlanta Bike Bus, is looking for a few bike enthusiast parent volunteers to help us launch a Talley Bike Bus! If you love biking and are interested in helping us get this exciting project rolling, please reach out to srts@talleypto.org!
Mark your calendars for Talley Family Trivia Night on Thursday, September 4th from 5pm-7pm at Talley. More details to follow!
Our next Walk & Roll is coming up on Friday, September 5th. Save the date and get ready to join us!
Join the Talley PTO Parents Group on Facebook (bit.ly/Parentgroup) and follow us on Instagram (@TalleyPTO) to stay connected and receive PTO updates throughout the year!

Read the August 21, 2025, issue of the district-wide newsletter, CSD Weekly here.

Students Invited to Apply for Superintendent's Student Advisory Council

Superintendent Dr. Whitaker invites student leaders and interested students to apply for the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council. Councils are divided into age groups and invite student members to share their perspectives and experiences with the Superintendent on a variety of issues, offering a two-way system of communication between students and the Office of the Superintendent.

Students are also asked to attend each meeting (see dates below) at the Wilson Center after school in the Superintendent's Office. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 22, at 5 p.m. Selected students will be notified by Friday, August 29, 2025. Apply for the Superintendent's Student Advisory Council here.