Talley Street Update
This week's news from Talley Street Upper Elementary
3rd Grade CogAT Testing Starts September 2
From September 2-4, all 3rd-grade students will be taking the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). Unlike traditional achievement tests, which measure how well a student has learned the curriculum, the CogAT assesses a child’s ability to reason abstractly and recognize patterns and relationships in the world around them. Teachers can use CogAT scores to better understand a child’s pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Our school district also uses CogAT scores to screen for cognitively gifted students.
Principal Coffee Chat - Ed Tech
Join our principal for a morning of coffee and conversation about technology use at Talley Street and how we're balancing learning and well-being!
When: September 18, 8 am
Location: Talley Cafeteria
Topics will include an overview of technology use at Talley Street, including:
- BEAST Academy
- Freckle
- Google Classroom
- Screen time parameters
Join the Girls on the Run Coaching Team at Talley Street!
Girls on the Run (GOTR) is recruiting coaches for the Fall 2026 season at Talley Street Upper Elementary! GOTR is an after-school program for grades 3–8 that empowers participants by building confidence, life skills, and strong connections through fun, movement-based lessons.
No Running or Experience Needed: Full training, tools, and materials are provided, and you will always coach alongside a co-coach. Role models of all genders (including dads!) are welcome.
Time Commitment: Practices run Mondays and Thursdays from 2:30–4:00 PM for 10 weeks (September 14 – December 8). Commit to joining us for 1 or 2 days each week.
Coach Application Deadline: Apply by August 21st by visiting https://www.girlsontherunga.org/coach.
Participant Registration is Also Open! Participant registration lottery closes on August 27th. Spots are limited, so register your child today to join a team! https://www.girlsontherunga.org/3rd-5th-grade-program-details.
Visit girlsontherunga.org or email programs@girlsontherunga.org for more details.
Attendance Awareness Month
Talley, in partnership with Communities In Schools, will celebrate Attendance Awareness Month this September by acknowledging three classes on each grade level with the highest rates of attendance for the month. This means EVERY MINUTE COUNTS! Getting to school each day, arriving on time, and staying until the final bell will help your class win. We want every student to know: your presence here matters. The competition begins 9/1 and ends 9/30, with the winners announced at the Talley Rally on 10/2.
Crecycling at CHaRM
This past weekend, we made our first drop-off of school recyclables to the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM). In the first three weeks of school, we diverted from the landfill:
65 pounds of plastic
9 pounds of utensils and straws
11 pounds of aluminum cans
4 pounds of Styrofoam
Many thanks to Green Team member Claire A. and her dad for helping with sorting at CHaRM!
News You Can Use: Greenwashing
If you’re trying to cut back on your plastic consumption and looking to buy “eco-friendly” products, then it’s important to pay close attention to product labels. A lot of products on the market claim to be “green,” “natural” and even “eco-friendly,” but these tend to be marketing words without scientific backup. Similarly, items labeled as “biodegradable” are not the same as items labeled “compostable,” as all compostable items are biodegradable, but not all biodegradable items are compostable. (“Biodegradable” simply means that it breaks down naturally over an unspecified amount of time. “Compostable” items are made to break down quickly and safely into a nutrient-rich soil additive.)
If you’re purchasing compostable items to be placed in our school composting bins at lunchtime (or in the compost bin as part of Decatur’s curbside program), make sure the items are labeled BPI certified, which means that they have been tested to ensure that they do not contain harmful chemicals that will break down during the composting process. Also, if you’re purchasing compostable items and putting them in trash designated for landfill, be aware that they will not compost as designed because of a lack of oxygen in landfills, and they will release planet-warming methane gas.
Bottle Cap Music
Many thanks to all who attended the first of our Green Team guest speaker sessions. Atlanta-based musician Chris Childs, who designs musical shakers composed of recycled plastic bottle caps (thousands of which were donated by Talley students) demonstrated the instruments he created and led us in playing music.
New State Law: Personal Electronic Devices
Students will not be allowed to use personal electronic devices during school, such as cell phones and smart watches, starting this school year. Devices brought to school must be kept in backpacks.
- Final days to donate to the PTO Annual Donation drive – contribute by Monday, August 31st! Instead of a membership fee, we ask that families who are able donate to the PTO during our Annual Donation drive. Give once up-front to support our plans and events for the whole year! Choose your contribution level and receive Talley swag as a thank-you gift: talleypto.org/annual-donation
Social Media and Contact Information
You can find more information on the following Facebook pages:
Talley Street Upper Elementary School Parents
And these Instagram pages:
For more about the Talley Street PTO, visit their website here: https://talleypto.org/.