Talley Street Update
This week's news from Talley Street Upper Elementary
October 24, 2024
Important Upcoming Dates
- Plastic Film Recycling Drive: October 15-November 6
Author Visit Orders Due: October 25
Communities in Schools' Literacy Trunk or Treat: October 29 @ 5:30 p.m.
Early Release Day: October 30 @ 12:15 p.m.
CSD Digital Learning Day: November 5
Walk n Roll: November 8
PTO Meeting: November 13 @ 6 p.m.
Little Shop of Stories Spirit Night for the Library: November 15
Early Release Day: November 22 @ 12:15 p.m.
Thanksgiving Break: November 25-29
Author Visit - Orders Due TOMORROW, October 25
Talley is so excited to host acclaimed author, Nicole D. Collier, on November 11! She will be doing a session with all grades that day. If you would like to order an autographed copy of her book, The Best Friend Bracelet, forms and payment are due back to Mrs. Long by TOMORROW, Friday, October 25! Paper copies went home in folders a few weeks ago and a digital form is linked below.
Third Grade Recorders - Forms Due October 28
Hello parents, here is a link to the information letter that is coming home in your child's backpack.
In January, we will begin recorder playing in music! The students are already excited.
Onraka Hosts Unity Week - October 28–November 1
Onraka is excited to host its first Unity Week, and ALL students are invited to join the fun! Here’s a look at the exciting activities planned for the week:
Monday, Oct. 28 – UNITY WEEK BEGINS!
Students will kick off the week by completing activities from the Unity Week Bingo Board at home with their families. Bingo boards will go home in your student's weekly folder this week, and extras will be available in the media center.
- Parents: Email pictures of your family participating in Unity Bingo activities to email@example.com to be featured on the Talley TVs around the school!
- Homeroom teachers will collect the completed boards on Friday, Nov. 1.
- Students will earn 1 House Point for every 3 activities crossed off, even if the board isn’t completely filled!
Tuesday, Oct. 29 – UNI-TIE DYE DAY!
Students can show unity by wearing their favorite tie-dye or House shirt to represent their House spirit.
Wednesday, Oct. 30 – CLASS UNITY DAY!
Each HR class will pick its own unique way to show unity! Ideas could include Pajama Day, Hat Day, or Crazy Hair Day—get creative! Be sure to decide on your class theme by Tuesday.
Thursday, Oct. 31 – NATIONAL UNITY DAY!
Students will wear a special NATIONAL UNITY DAY sticker to spread the message of kindness and inclusion.
Friday, Nov. 1 – UNI-TEA AND COOKIES!
During lunch, Onraka students will celebrate the end of Unity Week with a cup of tea and a cookie.
Join us on Friday as Onraka hosts the Talley Rally—all Onraka parents are invited! Wear your best orange outfit, and let's wrap up Unity Week with a celebration to remember!
Plastic Film Drive Going Strong
The reaction from our students regarding the Plastic Film Drive has been amazing. All materials that already have been brought to school are being separated by house. Remember: The house that recycles the most will earn 20 house points. If you haven’t started collecting items, don’t worry...It’s not too late to begin! The last day to bring items to school is Wednesday, November 6.
Also, we offer a huge “thank you” to all families who have signed up for Ridwell’s home pick-up service. We’re so close to reaching our initial goal that will allow us to earn ongoing plastic pick-ups for the entire school. Learn more at https://get.ridwell.com/talley.
Library Fundraiser - November 15
Please join us for our second annual Little Shop of Stories spirit day to raise money for our Talley library's programs and collection development! The Talley library does NOT host a traditional book fair, so this is our big fundraiser for the year. We appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you on November 15! Please contact Mrs. Long with any questions!
Reading Rally Results: Way to go, Talley Tigers, on an out-of-this-world week of reading!! Together, we raised $15,485 and completed 6000 bingo squares! Congrats to our grade level winners: Ms. Bundschu’s 3rd graders, Mr. Holliday’s 4th graders, and Ms. Farley’s 5th graders.
The 1st annual Talley Trunk-or-Treat brought to you by Communities in Schools Atlanta is next Tuesday, 10/29 from 5:30pm-7:30pm! Register to attend (it’s free!) or to host a trunk (we can still use more, and there’s a contest with prizes!): bit.ly/talleytrunkortreat24. Students will receive house points for donating a book, attending the event, and decorating a trunk!
Join the district PTA/PTO DEI committees to celebrate the Indian festival of Diwali at Oakhurst Elementary this Saturday, 10/26, from 5-7 pm. Food, drinks, crafts, music, performances, and more! This is a great opportunity for older students to volunteer for a fun community event.
- Cheer on the Decatur High School Bulldogs Football team tomorrow, 10/25 at 8pm as they host the 2024 Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame Game against Woodward! https://bit.ly/4dXyhcj
The next Talley Garden workday will be on Sunday, November 3rd from 8am-11am. Come help out and earn house points.
Join us at NaanStop for a fundraising pop-up event on Thursday, 11/7! Talley PTO will receive 20% of proceeds thanks to Greg Kodesh Realty. Pre-order by scanning the QR code here: https://bit.ly/naanstoppreorder
Talley ‘24-’25 yearbooks are now on pre-sale! Yearbooks are $23 through 12/31/24. Order one for your student(s) today!: bit.ly/talleyyearbooks24. If you are able, please consider donating a yearbook to help us reach our goal of ensuring every student and staff receive a yearbook. Contact firstname.lastname@example.org with any questions.
Decatur Education Foundation News
Supper & Sips Returns!
Grab your friends and neighbors and help us celebrate the return of Decatur Education Foundation's highly-anticipated fall FUNdraiser - Supper & Sips! Join us on Thursday, Nov. 14th, from 6-10 pm at The Chapel on Sycamore for an evening of food, fun, and fellowship - all for a good cause. The Supper provides crucial support for DEF, allowing us to continue our work addressing unmet needs, providing enriching opportunities, and supporting our educators.
STEP UP for Decatur Youth!
DEF was founded more than 20 years ago by a group of residents who wanted to ensure that EVERY student in CSD had what they needed to learn and thrive. Today, DEF's mission remains focused on Decatur's kids and educators, and we are still 100% reliant on the support of the Decatur community. DEF puts the community's contributions where they will have the biggest impact on our students, and DEF's Step Up Circle is a special group of supporters that allows us to operate programs like Lighten the Load, Teacher Innovation Grants, behavioral health support, arts programming, and so much more. There are also benefits - for both businesses and individuals - to joining DEF's Step Up Circle (beyond the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from supporting Decatur's kids!). Visit https://decatureducationfoundation.org/step-up-circle/ to learn more about the different giving levels.
UPDATE: 2024-25 Fit Georgia Assessment Waived
We previously communicated that all students enrolled in a PE class in CSD would be taking part in the state’s new Fit GA fitness assessment this year. However, due to continued, unresolved technical issues with the state’s new Fit GA platform, CSD has decided to waive participation in the Fit GA assessment for the 2024-25 school year. While some classes and students already participated in a pre-test, no classes or students will be post-tested this year.
Social Media and Contact Information
You can find more information on the following Facebook pages:
Talley Street PE
And these Instagrams:
For news from our counselors, check out their website:
For more about the Talley Street PTO, visit their website here: https://talleypto.org/.