College Heights Connection

Dear Families,

I hope you are having a good week. Last week's field day was a huge success! We had great parent turnout. Thank you to all the parents who volunteered (we couldn't have done it without you!) and to all those families who donated snacks and bottled water. At the end of the day, the children (and staff) were exhausted, but it was a perfect day and fun was had by all. A huge shout out to the PTO for organizing a wonderful Staff Appreciation Week. Our buckets were filled and our hearts were warmed. I am truly so grateful for all of our College Heights families. You have made this an incredible year.

We are looking forward to celebrating our Pre-K students on Tuesday, May 19 at 9:00 a.m. Pre-K families, we are reserving the front sidewalk for our 0-3 staff and students who will be cheering on our "graduates." We will kick off the parade at 8:50 a.m. with some quick announcements. We are looking forward to a wonderful week as we head into our last few days of the academic school year.

Have a great weekend,

Principal Garland

May 4-15 - Parent Conference Window

May 19 - Pre-K parade, 9:00 a.m.

May 22 - Last day of school (Pre-K)

May 31 - Garden Clean Up Day, 1-3:30 p.m. (NOTE NEW DATE)

August 3 - First day of school for 0-3 and Pre-K (2026-2027 school year)

We are thrilled to report an outstanding completion rate for this year’s Parent Climate Survey. Thank you for taking the time to provide such thoughtful feedback; your voice is the most valuable tool we have for improvement.

What happens next?

During the upcoming months, the 2026-2027 Parent Advisory Council and our Instructional Leadership Teams will dive deep into the data. We look forward to celebrating our collective strengths and, more importantly, prioritizing our key areas for growth. We are committed to entering the new school year with a clear, data-driven action plan rooted in your suggestions.

Congratulations to Ms. Ballard and Ms. O'Callaghan's Pre-K classroom for achieving a survey completion rate of 80 percent. Their classroom will have a popsicle party.

This summer, all current infant through preschool families will receive a comprehensive update including:

• Classroom placement assignments
• "Meet and Greet" dates
• Parent Orientation details

A Note on Aftercare: If you have registered your preschooler for the College Heights Aftercare program and paid the registration fee, your spot is guaranteed. You will receive a separate communication this summer containing specific aftercare details and schedules.

Retirement is on the horizon for two of our beloved teachers and friends, Carolyn Edwards and Elecia Fulton. These two dedicated educators have touched countless lives - students, families, and teachers - and it is hard to imagine College Heights without them. For 11 years, Carolyn has guided our youngest learners to first steps, first words, and the comfort of being a trusted adults for little ones and their families. Elecia has led the Pre-K afterschool program for the last 15 years with love, creativity, and boundless energy. Both women are leaving huge shoes to fill.

Cards are available at the front desk for staff, students, and families to share well wishes and retirement advice

Huge props to Ms. B and Ms. Denys for reimagining Field Day to make it more student-focused and flexible this year. It was a beautiful day, and we are grateful to all the families who volunteered their time and contributed water and snacks for our students. Thanks also for the constructive feedback; we will definitely have more face painters next year, since this was wildly popular. Ms. Speers and Ms. McGeough, you are rockstars for painting so many sweet faces! See photos below.

Congratulations to Frankie Rasheed for representing College Heights through her winning entry into the Decatur Education Foundation's recent mascot contest. She created an original drawing of the College Heights logo. Frankie (pictured below with her teachers, Ms. Stacey Jones and Ms. Anna Grace Rittenhouse) was spotlighted at the May 12 CSD board meeting. Way to go, Frankie!

On our last day of Pre-K library, we read two books, including Planet Kindergarten, which imagines a Kindergarten student's first day of Kindergarten - in space! My First Day takes place in Vietnam and features a boy paddling a boat to his first day of school. We ended our time together by selecting bookmarks to take home.

All books checked out by students and families are now due back to the library for inventory. This includes Bunny Bags and DEI cart books. Overdue book notices are being sent home with students. The library will be closed for checkout beginning Monday, May 18. Thank you for your support. We will reopen August 1.

Some fun statistics for the year (as of 5/12/2026):

Number of checkouts: 5,740

Number of checkouts to families: 936

Number of read alouds (all classes): 714

Number of books added during 2025-26 school year: 366

Most circulated book: David Goes to School by David Shannon

Teacher who checked out the most books: Erika Sanders (403!)

Look for summer reading resources in next week's newsletter.

Tuesday was the last day of library classes for one-, two-, and three-year-olds. It's amazing how much these students have grown and changed in just one year. Children who could not sit through one story are now asking to hear more, more, more! It has been a wonderful year of reading and learning.

This week's books:

100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Lian Cho

Pop! Goes the Nursery Rhyme words by Betsy Bird, pictures by Andrea Tsurumi

Don’t Blow Your Top! written by Ame Dyckman, illustrated by Abhi Alwar

Well Done, Mommy Penguin by Chris Haughton

Little Houses by Kevin Henkes, illustrated by Laura Dronzek

Read the May 14, 2026, issue of CSD Weekly, the district-wide newsletter.

Please pick up your child's medication from the school clinic by the last day of school, Friday, May 22. To adhere to safety guidelines, schools are unable to store any medications during the summer break. Therefore, any medication left behind will be discarded. Kindly remember that students are not permitted to carry their own medication home.

Garden day has been rescheduled to Sunday, May 31 at 1 p.m.

We are still seeking volunteers to help clean up the garden beds for the summer classes to continue their visits throughout June and July. Please sign up here if you’re available to help. Bring garden gloves!

Click HERE to sign up.

Editor's note: JKG is a longtime partner of College Heights and provides afterschool services for Pre-K students.

Connect with Jewish friends and culture when the school day ends at three Atlanta locations.

JKG’s weekday afternoon program delivers Jewish connection, learning, and fun when the school day ends. Your child will develop friendships, learn Hebrew words, and celebrate Jewish art, music, food, and culture all throughout the school year!

Why choose JKG Afternoon Community?

• Three convenient Atlanta locations: Morningside, Brookhaven, and Decatur
• Transportation from nearby schools
• Attend 1-5 days a week. You pick the days!
• Fun Hebrew and Jewish learning
• Full-day camps when schools are closed
• Low student-to-teacher ratio
• Generous tuition assistance

Registration for the 2026-2027 school year is now open. Learn more and sign up for JKG Afternoon Community

Decatur Soccer invites youth ages 5-13 (rising K-8th grade) to register for its 3v3 Soccer Tournament, powered by Decatur WatchFest 26, a fun, flexible, and community-focused event led by DHS soccer players and coaches. Join us Saturday, June 20, 8:30 a.m.-noon at the Decatur High School Stadium with plenty of parking and just a short walk from the Decatur MARTA Station and Decatur WatchFest.

Kids can form a team of up to five players and sign up at the link below for just $75 per team (payable separately via GoFan). With no uniforms required (pennies provided) and small-sided 3v3 match play run by our DHS players, this format keeps things simple while maximizing touches, engagement, and fun for every player.

The tournament is open to girls, boys, and co-ed teams (co-ed teams will play in the boys bracket), with divisions based on rising school year: K-1, 2-3, 4-5, and 6-8. This is a great way to celebrate Decatur WatchFest and FIFA World Cup 26™ while supporting the Decatur Soccer program, and giving your child a fun soccer experience without a big time commitment. Just gather a group, register here, and show up ready to play!

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.