Welcome to Pre-K

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year at College Heights. The first day of school will be

August 3. I understand parents have many questions about what the school year will look like. We will hold a virtual parent orientation on July 17 from 12:00–1:00 p.m. (login instructions below). If you are unable to attend the orientation, you can view a recording of the session on our school website. The recording will be posted on July 23. Attached to this newsletter are the Parent Handbook and the 2026-2027 academic calendar. Please review both attachments. Please note the district's early release days to plan accordingly. The College Heights afterschool program is open on early release days. If your student is enrolled in a community afterschool program, you should contact the program directly for early release plans.

I am looking forward to meeting you and your student.

Sarah Garland,

Principal, College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center

First Few Days...

As we kick off the new school year, we want to assure you that it is going to be okay.

The first few days of a new routine can bring up a whole rollercoaster of emotions—not just for your little ones, but for you, too. If there are tears at drop-off (from them or you), please know that is completely normal.

Here is what we want you to keep in mind during this transition:

Goodbyes are hard, but temporary: A short, confident goodbye ritual tells your child that you are secure, which helps them feel secure. Even if they cry when you walk away, our team is right there with open arms, ready to soothe them. (Most tears dry up within five minutes of you leaving!)
The "Afterschool Rest-Collapse" is real: When your child comes home, they might be extra tired, clingy, or a bit grumpy. They’ve been working hard all day to learn new rules and process a new environment. A little extra grace, early bedtime, and cozy snuggles go a long way this week.
We are a team: We don't just care for your children; we are here to support your whole family. If you ever feel anxious, please reach out. We are happy to send a quick midday photo or update to put your mind at ease.

Change is a process, and adjustment takes time. Thank you for trusting us with your precious cargo. Before you know it, those morning tears will turn into eager waves as they run off to play with their new friends. We’ve got this, parents! Welcome to a wonderful new year.

Classroom Placement

Pre-K students are placed in our eight classrooms through a blind process. The classrooms are balanced using age/birthday, gender, prior preschool experience, and other information from the Prek Parent questionnaire. Twins are placed in separate classrooms unless the parent requests otherwise. The goal of blind placements is to ensure an equitable process to provide balanced classrooms (to the best of our ability). Once classrooms are sorted, the class is assigned to a Pre-K teacher via a lottery.

Class lists will not be posted at the school. Parents will be asked to log in to their Infinite Campus parent portal. Infinite Campus is a district database that houses student records. The parent portal is used to register for transportation, pay for school lunches, view absences and tardies, etc. If you are new to College Heights, your Parent Portal ID and instructions will be emailed to you in the upcoming weeks. If you are a current College Heights family and need help with your password, please contact Cynthia Andrews for assistance: candrews@csdecatur.net. The Parent Portal will have your child’s teacher posted on July 22 after 4:00 p.m.

First Day Arrival

On the first day of school, parents are welcome to walk their student to the classroom. If your student is registered for breakfast, you are welcome to walk your student to the cafeteria. Starting August 4, all pre-K students will independently walk to their classroom locations. Staff will be posted along the hallways to supervise student transitions. So that we can support student independence and program safety we kindly ask our pre-K parents to refrain from entering the building during arrival periods. Teachers are supporting student routines and are unable to engage in parent conversations during arrival periods. Teachers will share their dedicated planning time when they are able to respond to parent communications.

Arrival and dismissal procedures will be covered in our parent orientation, as well as in the parent handbook.

What to bring...

Students should bring the following. Items should be labeled with student's first and last name.

At least one change of clothing, labeled in a bag, to be kept at school
Water bottle
Tote bag/backpack to go back and forth daily from school to home
Sunscreen, bug spray
Blanket for rest time
Any other classroom specific items requested by your teacher

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Erynn Mathews-Davis is the Instructional Coach at College Heights. Ms. Mathews-Davis facilitates planning, professional learning, and individual coaching with teachers. If you have questions regarding curriculum, instruction, and assessment, please feel free to contact her at

emathews-davis@csdecatur.net

Field Trip Fees

As part of our curriculum, pre-K teachers plan several off-site field trip opportunities for our pre-K students. In order to cover the transportation and vendor costs, we are requesting each family pay a one-time $25 field trip fee. There will be a table set up in the front lobby during Meet and Greet for parents to pay their fees. Payments can be made with a check or cash only. We will have limited cash on site to make change.

Meet and Greet

Students and parents will have an opportunity to see their classroom and meet their teachers at our Meet and Greet on July 31 from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Families will sign up for a 15-minute time slot. Classroom teachers will send out a sign-up on July 23 when they return from summer break.

Breakfast

If you would like your student to eat breakfast at school this year, please sign them up before the first day of school. Pre-registration helps our nutrition team plan meals accurately and ensures we have enough staff to safely monitor the cafeteria.

When to Register: You can sign up starting July 23, once you receive your student’s teacher assignment.
Breakfast Time: Served daily in the cafeteria from 7:30 AM – 7:45 AM. Students arriving after 7:45 AM will be directed to their classroom.
Backpack Tags: Registered students will receive a colored tag for their backpack so staff can easily identify them as breakfast eaters.
Payments & Pricing: You can view meal prices and load funds onto your student’s account via Infinite Campus here.
How to Register: You may use this link to register.
Deadline to Register: July 30 at 3:00 PM

Health Forms

In order for you to comply with the City Schools of Decatur and Bright from the Start policies, please submit your student’s required Georgia health forms by the deadlines below:

GA Form 3231 (Immunization Certificate): Due within 30 days of school entry (Deadline: September 11)
GA Form 3300 (Hearing, Vision, Dental, & Nutrition Screening): Due within 60 days of school entry (Deadline: October 23)

How to Submit: Find the health forms here. Please bring a copy of the relevant filled out forms to the front desk, or email them directly to our School Manager, Caretha Hall, at cahall@csdecatur.net.

Important Note: State law and district policy require all students to be up to date on these forms. To ensure your student's enrollment is not interrupted, please submit these documents by the dates listed above.

District Transportation

Parents must register their students for transportation services to and from school. To ensure your child is scheduled for school bus transportation for the upcoming school year, please complete the registration. To register and view bus routes, please visit the City Schools of Decatur transportation page here.

The transportation department will communicate bus route information and details directly to registered families. For any transportation questions, please contact LoWanda Bowman-Brown for assistance: lbowman@csdecatur.net.

Afterschool Programs

Our afterschool program is managed by Mr. Justin Hellstrom. The College Heights afterschool program is full with a waitlist. Please email Mr. Hellstrom with any questions. Registered families will receive an afterschool parent handbook prior to the start date. If your child needs afterschool care or is enrolled in a community-based afterschool program, please contact the program directly for program-specific information.

Note: some of the programs have age requirements.

The Phoenix School, contact Bobbie Dent 404-687-9010
Jewish Kids Groups Afterschool Program, 404 913 9554 info@jewishkidsgroups.com
First Baptist Church, 404-373-1653 (age restrictions, please call the school for information).

Advisory Council

Our Advisory Council is an important group that operates as a governing body with the purpose of maximizing school-level decisions. Virtual meetings are typically held in the early evenings every other month. We are looking for no more than two Pre-K parents to volunteer to sit on the Advisory Council. Please contact Principal Garland if you are interested.

PTO

The PTO is dedicated to supporting our school’s instructional programs and building a strong, connected community. Joining the PTO is a fantastic way to get involved and meet other College Heights families!

We are currently looking for a volunteer to fill the Board position of Assistant Treasurer.

If you're interested in learning more about the position, please reach out to our PTO President, Jackie Hatch, at collegeheightsptopresident@gmail.com.

Stay Informed: Check out the PTO Website for information on upcoming events, membership, volunteer opportunities, and ways to connect with other parents.

Show Your School Spirit: Grab your school gear through our Spirit Wear Store.