The Annual Newsletter of Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool 2014 - 2015
Letter From OCP Director
Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool will be ten years old in
August and celebrating its fifth year in the Oakhurst location
on West College Avenue.
To what can one attribute OCP’s successful operation for
almost ten years? I suspect that each teacher and parent
has his or her own list. These are my top five:
Founding a new preschool and ensuring its continued
growth in a city with an abundance of traditional preschools
can be quite challenging. OCP’s founding families rose to
that challenge and mentored successive boards to hold true
to the school’s mission and values. Each new family receives
all the rights and benefits of membership in the cooperative
and responsibly pays it forward to the following year’s new
families. Almost every parent will have served on the board
during their time at Oakhurst Cooperative Preschool. While
the children receive an enriched preschool education,
parents become better educated in how to cooperatively
manage the business operation of the school.
• A clear mission and values statement that attracts
families with common life goals and a desire to be
recognized as an integral member in the school
community
• Professional staff dedicated to the cooperative model
of respecting and educating children and parents in
the vital connection between home, family, school, and
community
• A play- and nature-based curriculum that is grounded
in traditional child-development theory while embracing
current research and parenting trends
• A Child Guidance Policy that respects the child and
the parent in learning how to live and work together
peacefully
• A commitment to living sustainably
and teaching children how to
respect the environment while
becoming good stewards of the
earth
By Betty R. Wood, M.S.
Letter From the OCP President
Serving as the president of the board at OCP in the school’s 9th year has been an honor
and a privilege, and it’s truly amazing to witness the cooperative spirit at work every day.
There is no doubt in my mind that OCP is well positioned to prosper in its tenth year, and
that our son will benefit from this beautiful environment just as our daughter did.
This year we welcomed several new families and three new teachers, and we started
what we hope will become long-lasting and anticipated traditions for the school and its
members. By all accounts, OCP has stayed true to its mission and continues to offer families
a wonderful opportunity to engage in the early education of their children.
Staying true to the mission is the board’s basic responsibility, and this year OCP has taken effective steps to engage the
community, embrace emerging technologies, and energize our commitment to a green curriculum and to the environment.
How have we done this?
• In December, OCP organized its first lantern parade, called “Illumination.” Inspired by other area lantern parades, we
invited school and community members to enjoy hot chocolate and light snacks while decorating lanterns for a march
through the Oakhurst neighborhood, culminating in Oakhurst Village. The parade was a huge success.
• At the start of the year, teachers were asked to test a new documentation servicecalled Kaymbu. Essentially, Kaymbu
allows teachers to photograph their kids and attach captions in the moment, using classroom iPads, and then easily
send tagged photos to parents and family members. It was an immediate hit with both teachers and parents, and OCP
entered into a long-term contract to continue the service for years to come..
• The Green Committee hit the ground running this year. Not only was the play garden given extra attention, but new
plants began to bloom at the school’s front entrance. With an understanding of which plants would thrive in different
parts of our green space, the Green Committee beautified our school and inspired more curiosity among members
about how to bring that beauty home every day.
Every good organization faces challenges in a year, and I’m proud that our school has handled each one
with grace, dignity, and a focus on making sure our children learn in the most nurturing and inspired space in
Decatur. None of our accomplishments would have been possible without the dedication and commitment
of our director, staff, board and committee members. As we said at the start of the year, the children and the
school get out of OCP what we all put into it, and it’s evident that we all put a lot into OCP this year!
Thank you for a wonderful year, and I look forward to seeing many returning and new families in August.
By Anna Berry
Our Mission amd Values
We create a nurturing community that gives children
and their families the opportunity to learn, communicate,
play, and grow together. In this positive, family-centered
educational environment, we strive to develop each
child’s curiosity, empathy, confidence, self-discipline, and
an enthusiasm for learning. By encouraging children to
be active and creative explorers of art, music, literature,
nature, and the community, we provide a foundation
for acquiring the skills children need to succeed both
now and in the future. We model sustainable practices
through our curriculum, daily operations, and community
events.
The Chickadee classroom is a very social place—it has to
be! Even with a parent teacher in the classroom, it is a
big step in a two-year-old’s life to come to school for the
first time and say goodbye at the door of the classroom
routinely.
The school year inevitably starts with a few tears, but
loads of hugs, bonding, conversation, laughter, and making
friends creates a warm, social environment. This environment
is known as the nido (nest) in the OCP curriculum, and it is
what our youngest learners need in order to thrive in the
school setting.
Did I mention singing? The Chickadee classroom
is a place that rings every morning with singing
with our new friends. And soon
enough, we become a band
in our own right! With an
array of instruments to play,
the Chickadees sing and make
music throughout the school
day—and I accompany
them on guitar.
The learning themes we explore follow the seasons, with
discoveries made in the natural world during play garden
time. Class art projects reveal this love for the natural world
and fill our classroom walls, making a bright and creative
environment for learning.
With a strong bond in place among students,
teacher, and friends, and the natural world
to inspire us, learning flows with the abundant
conversation that makes the Chickadee classroom
a very relational, intelligent, and special place to
be!
By Tova Johnson
“Tova’s warmth, creativity, and enthusiasm make the Chickadees classroom such a fun and
happy place, and she encourages them to explore and grow in their own special ways. Her love
for the Chickadees is genuine and reciprocal, and it’s a joy to see them sing and dance and
make music together!”
- A Chickadee parent
The children in the Wrens class grow and change so much during the year. It is an
exciting time to be with them and see them become more independent and confident.
Several times each day, they proudly exclaim, “I did it!” when they are able to zip
their own zippers, open their lunch containers, or put on their shoes by themselves.
They grow so much in their social skills, too, learning to communicate what they need
and want to their classmates and also asserting themselves when something happens
that they don’t like. We talk about kindness often, and the children are learning to care
for one another. When one of them is hurt, a classmate will say, “Are you okay?” or ”Do
you need an ice pack?” and immediately find an ice pack from the lunch bags to help their
friend feel better. They comfort each other, saying, “Your mom will come back soon” or “It will
be okay.” I have loved watching them grow in empathy and compassion as the year goes on.
The Wrens love books, and sometimes we sit and read most of the morning. Their favorites are Snip
Snap, Smitten, The Mitten, and The Big Hungry Bear. We also love to build things together, making long,
winding roads for the cars to drive along or giant castles to play with and then knock over. The gears and
MagnaTiles are other class favorites, and I am often amazed at the things they are able to create.
By CJ Evans
“CJ interacts with the children with a calm energy that
makes them feel safe and at home and draws them into
play. With bottomless patience, she channels the high
energy of the ‘threenagers’ into appropriate outlets and
teaches them constructive and positive ways to express
themselves and interact with each other. She cultivates
a spirit of cooperation and kindness among the children
that is beautiful to see.”
- A Wren parent
“Michelle creates a safe, fun environment allowing our little Owls
to thrive. In response to the nurturing tone Michelle sets, they
care for each other—as demonstrated by how much they love
to play with the doctor’s kit. Every day the Owls engage in
hands-on learning—science experiments, handwriting, counting
with manipulatives, and other table activities that lay a great
foundation for further learning.”
The Owls have taken their dramatic play roles very
seriously this year. The mail center has been a favorite
in our class, and the children have added and asked for
props they see in their local post office. Each child has their
own mailbox in the class and will often find letters from their
friends. We have added a world map to our mail center,
and the children often ask about where to send their letters.
The children have also enjoyed having a “real” doctor’s kit
in the classroom, thanks to the generous donations from our
parents. The real medical materials have helped
us introduce more advanced language in the
classroom. It has been so sweet to watch
them give each other shots and gingerly
press the gauze on their patient’s skin. It has
been a really wonderful teaching tool in
showing how we care for each other and
what to do when one of us is hurt.
In our classroom, repetition is an
important key to learning. Just as we
always learn more when we reread
a great book, children will absorb
and internalize information with
greater understanding the
more they are exposed to a
concept. In our classroom, it’s
the key to mastery. We know
- An Owl parent
that they have mastered the concept at hand when the
child shows refined movement with the materials and good
concentration. Frequently, there is a joyful outburst or simply
a very satisfied smile when a child learns a new concept
from an activity. You can often hear the Owls say, “WOW,
that was the first time you did it by yourself!”
I enjoy teaching in an environment where process over
product is truly appreciated and welcomed. It
is hard to love something if you are always
told you are doing it wrong. This allows
for each child to find their natural path of
development, and you see the children take
chances when they try something new. They
know they are in a safe environment that
welcomes mistakes, and this creates lifelong
learners for all of our children at OCP.
By Michelle Bennett
My Sparrows are wonderful storytellers. Their jokes and
tales make snack and lunch times very entertaining. And this
year the Sparrows love to build. The block area is always
the busiest place in our classroom. When we go outside
to the play garden, the children head for the sandbox or
collect some outdoor blocks for more building. After a rain,
the Sparrows get to work engineering methods for diverting
water from one area to another. They have become such
a tight team, working really
well together on their various
projects.
We focus a lot on building community. For many three-yearolds, preschool is their first step into the wide, wide world
outside of family. It seems right that parents should be here
with them as they take these steps. The children know their
parents are not just here, but they are one of the most
important parts of creating this nurturing place. The Sparrow
families have formed an exceptional community that cares
for each other and where each child feels secure and
cherished. I strive to create a warm and welcoming space,
where the Sparrows feel safe to explore and learn.
By Susan Diamond
“Susan is such a calm, loving presence in the classroom, and she
really takes the time to get to know each child and what they
need and enjoy. But to me, what is most special about Susan’s
class is that she truly understands the wonder and magic of this
age. Every activity is infused with that awareness, making the
Sparrows classroom an incredibly fun place to learn and grow.”
- A Sparrow parent
At the beginning of the school year, the Larks received a
mysterious package, along with a letter from Professor
Higgins, a marine biologist. Inside the package was a
“pretend for real” sea turtle who had been injured at sea
after mistaking a plastic grocery bag for his jellyfish dinner.
Professor Higgins asked the Larks to take good care of the
turtle until he is healthy enough to be released, and so began our inquiry into sea turtles.
After reading a story entitled Limu the Blue Turtle, the Larks voted to name our turtle Limu, though Starlight
came in a close second. We learned about the life cycle of sea turtles, researched their habitat and diet, and learned
about the many dangers they face as an endangered species. Throughout the year, Limu has had countless sleepovers and
adventures with the Larks outside of school, and he has his very own scrapbook to prove it.
By December, the Larks were ready to begin a read-aloud of their first chapter book, My Father’s Dragon, which led us
to an exploration of maps. After studying the map of Wild Island in the story, the Larks started creating maps of their own.
Through mapping the classroom and our routes to school, we learned about symbols, directions, scale, and measurement.
Though the Larks were sad for My Father’s Dragon to end, they created their own dragon out of boxes and colorful tape
so we will never forget Boris, the dragon. In our next chapter book, the Larks will learn about a new, exciting, unfamiliar land
known as Kindergarten!
By Margie Ashe
Ann Macdonald
“Margie and Ann are extremely talented educators and bring a
warmth and passion to learning that was beyond my expectations. Their
classroom is a welcoming space full of creative and challenging areas
for the children. They respect and encourage the children to learn and
explore at their own pace, and, as a result, teach the children to respect
and encourage each other. My daughter’s next teacher has a hard act
to follow!”
- A Lark parent
Fall Bonfire
Welcome Picnic
We celebrate our community with
s’mores at the Wylde Center
The new school year starts with a
picnic in the play garden
Harvest
Festivus
The children prepare soups to share
from our garden vegetables
We gather to enjoy the holiday season
with a potluck and auction
Illumination
OCP hosts a lantern parade through
our Oakhurst neighborhood
Lunar New Year
Grandparents & Special Friends Day
International Foods Day
The children share OCP with
their extended family
The kids make decorations and
try traditional foods
Holi
Beat the Street for Little Feet 5k
Families provide foods from around
the world for kids to sample
Transportation Day
Our annual race brings the
wider community together
We celebrate the coming of spring
by “throwing” colors
Spring Fling
We have an annual spring meeting
and picnic in the play garden
The kids bring their trikes, bikes,
and scooters to school
Fiesta
We gather at Glenlake Park
to send off the graduating Larks
In January, OCP recognized the variety of cultures
and family backgrounds at our school by celebrating
International Foods Day. We set up stations in the
Community Room, and parents provided food tastings—
along with textiles, flags, and native dress—from their
countries of origin or heritage, including India, Germany,
Thailand, Guatemala, Burma, and Mexico. The feast
included Polish pierogi and vegan kielbasa, Indian
mango lassi, English scones, Irish soda bread, Russian
dumplings, Italian mini pizzas, Norwegian lefse, southern
peach cobbler, and German quark cheese and
compote—just to name a few items. The most popular
was the sushi-rolling station! The kids got to stamp their
own passports at each station and hear facts about the
countries and foods represented.
OCP’s members bring to our co-op a dynamic set of skills
and a true passion for our curriculum and our school. As
members of the Membership committee, we have the
privilege of getting to know each family within the co-op,
guiding them through orientation, parent-teacher days,
workdays, and re-enrollment for the next year.
This year started off with a bang, as our committee
collected all the necessary documents from more than
fifty families and prepared our members for the first day
of school and their first parent-teacher days. Throughout
the year, we scheduled and tracked PT days and
volunteer hours and welcomed new students. Working
together with our Technology committee this spring, we
streamlined our enrollment process for the 2015-16 school
year. We welcomed many prospective families to OCP
through phone calls, emails, and in-person tours and
worked with the director to prepare our class rosters for
next year.
In February, the Curriculum committee hosted our
second parent education night. The evening began with
teacher presentations. Margie gave an overview of
the Larks’ daily and yearly goals to help them prepare
for kindergarten. Susan, who teaches the three-yearold Sparrows, spoke about Responsive Classroom at
OCP, an inclusive practice that helps children develop
social skills and fosters community in the classroom.
Our director, Betty, rounded out the curriculum primer
by explaining how the educational philosophies
Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, and Creative
Curriculum and the Child Development
Checklist are incorporated into OCP’s
classroom practices.
Our school’s strong reputation attracts families from all
over the country, and the Membership committee stands
ready to welcome and guide them through another
wonderful year at OCP.
The main speaker at the event was
Erynn Mathews-Davis—OCP parent,
Personnel chair, and certified Early
Childhood Educator—who explained
the scientific basis behind Conscious
Discipline. She discussed techniques
parents and teachers can use to respond
to our children that facilitate learning and
cooperation. This event was offered to all
members and alumni of OCP and spurred some
wonderful conversations and reflections.
By Anne Hearn Huff
By Devanie CP Schilpp
Because OCP is a nonprofit, every cent we make goes
back into our school. OCP’s tuition and fees historically
bring in around 90 percent of the revenue necessary to
run the school, and fundraising makes up the additional
10 percent of the budget. Our major costs come from
operating expenses, which include rent, utilities, and
paying our amazing staff.
Two important yearly fundraising efforts, the annual
fund drive and the Beat the Street for Little Feet 5k,
allow OCP to grow and improve. These fundraisers help
build the tuition assistance program, support committee
budgets, and bring new advancements to OCP, such as
the Kaymbu picture-sharing program we launched this
year. A high rate of participation in the annual fund drive
helps significantly when we are approaching foundations
for grants.
The Beat the Street for Little Feet 5k takes place each
May. It is not only a fantastic way to raise funds for the
school, but also a great way to bring the community
together. Typically the race draws about 500-600
runners and their families per year. We encourage even
the youngest members to stay active and run in the Tot
Trot! Our 5k is also one of Decatur’s greenest races. The
entire school pulls together to make race day a success,
and the event unites local businesses and families in
support of the community, OCP, and its young students.
By Sarah Toth
This year we were excited to welcome Tova Johnson,
CJ Evans, and Michelle Bennett to the OCP staff! They
are each perfect additions to our OCP community. We
are thankful that Betty Wood, Susan Diamond, Margie
Ashe, and Ann Macdonald returned for another year
at the nest.
The Personnel committee has worked closely with the
staff to support their efforts in implementing Conscious
Discipline, a comprehensive classroom management
and social-emotional curriculum based on current brain
research, child development, and developmentally
appropriate practices. The teachers also spent a
professional development day
at a Reggio Emilia Educator
Exchange. Teachers were
able to tour a local Reggio
Emilia-inspired school and
collaborate and share ideas
with teachers from all over the
Atlanta area. Our teachers
have been busy building our
nest this year!
By Erynn Mathews-Davis
“There’s no way that we can help children to learn to love and
preserve this planet if we don’t give them direct experiences
with the miracles and blessings of nature.”
- Dr. Anita Olds
At OCP, the environment is treasured and therefore
integrated into many aspects of each child’s school
experience. We believe that nature helps children
develop powers of observation and creativity and instills
a sense of peace and being at one with the world. These
early experiences with the natural world have also been
positively linked with the development of imagination and
the sense of wonder, which is an important motivator for
lifelong learning.
An extensive body of literature and research supports
these guiding principles, and they have been the
foundation from which the Green committee has worked
throughout the 2014-15 school year. This year’s Green
committee has worked in all aspects of the school to
facilitate a healthy, environmentally responsible space and
nature-based curriculum that reflect the green ethos of
the school. Children have been educated about gardens
and how they grow through hands-on instruction in
OCP’s school gardens and through regular field trips to
the Wylde Center’s Oakhurst Community Garden Project.
The committee has continued to support our school’s
routines of rain harvesting, composting, and recycling.
This year, the Green committee has put a special
emphasis on rejuvenating the play garden at OCP. We
believe that an affinity for and love of nature, along
with a positive environmental ethic, grow out of
regular contact with and play in the natural world
during early childhood.
By Joanna Duke
At OCP the Facilities
committee is responsible
for many of the things
that keep our building
and operations running
smoothly day after day.
These are some of the
hardest-working folks
at OCP, tackling
everything from
providing the
school with clean
linens, keeping the
cabinets well stocked with supplies, and fixing...
well...everything. Okay, just about everything—kids
are hard on a school, you know! Some highlights
of this year were installing a new dual-flush toilet,
repairing the playhouse, and hanging new
curtains in the Community Room. Each month our
committee also organizes and leads a workday to
tackle the bigger projects, like keeping the play
garden looking good—landscaping, repairing
play equipment, and the like.
Believe me, it is rewarding to know that after a
long weekend of shoveling sand and moving
mulch, your child will come home with the same
sand between their toes, that mulch in their shoes,
and a smile on their face!
By Steve Ferrin
Co-op Community organizes and hosts a number of community celebrations during
the school year. We start the year with the annual Welcome Picnic, when our families
gather to enjoy the play garden together, and continue to celebrate our community
and the seasons with the Fall Bonfire at the Wylde Center. At this year’s event, we
enjoyed the storytelling of Andy Offutt Irwin and made s’mores. In November, parents
and guests join their children at lunchtime to celebrate Harvest, enjoying delicious soups
made from vegetables grown in our school garden plots. December brings the annual
Festivus party and auction. We all let loose in the gymnasium of the Friends School
with a great potluck dinner—OCP families can really cook!
During the spring semester, we have three main events. In February, we host Grandparents and Special Friends Day, an
opportunity to share OCP with our extended family. We celebrate the arrival of spring with our Spring Fling at the annual
membership meeting in April, and we round out the year with our annual Fiesta in Glenlake Park, where we give our Larks a
great send-off.
Throughout the year, Co-op Community oversees several outreach programs for the OCP community and the community at
large. We set up meal trains for our families in need of support. These are especially popular with parents of new babies, but
also help in times of bereavement or illness. Once a month, we have Family Nights at local restaurants—an opportunity to get
together and not have to cook is always welcome, and many of the restaurants (Lawrence’s Cafe, Willy’s, Souper Jenny’s)
contribute a portion of the evening’s proceeds to OCP.
We also partner with Thankful Baptist Missionary Church to stock their food bank.
Every month, one class collects nonperishable goods to contribute. At the end of the
month, the children take their collections to the food bank and help stock the shelves. In
December, we partner with Thankful Baptist on a Thankful Tree—each leaf of the tree,
decorated by OCP kids, bears the name and wish of a person in
need. OCP families may then choose a leaf and fulfill a holiday
wish.
By Nancy Rinehart
This year, our committee strived to streamline internal
communications for our members, creatively expand
external marketing strategies, and raise OCP’s profile in
the community.
We focused on new and better ways to record and
share classroom moments and special events, and we
continued to maintain OCP’s online and social media
presence through our school website, Facebook page,
and “From the Nest” blog.
As always, OCP enjoyed
participating in local events,
including the Decatur
Beach Party, AJC
Decatur Book Festival,
Oakhurst Arts & Music
Festival, and Decatur
Earth Day Festival, where
we provide fun earth-friendly
activities for kids and connect with
interested families. This December, Communications
hosted OCP’s first annual “Illumination” lantern parade,
a successful community event featured in the March
issue of the Decatur Focus. OCP families, alumni, friends,
and neighbors gathered in the play garden to enjoy hot
cocoa, baked goods, and lantern making followed by
a beautiful parade down Mead Avenue to Oakhurst
Village.
By Amanda Hallauer
The Advisory Council provides historical perspective to
the current board, helping to guide the development
and maintenance of OCP’s community within the
framework of our original mission and values. We also
answer questions about how to maintain a connection
with the broader OCP community even after your
youngest is no longer at the school.
A fun and casual cocktail hour, “Leaving the Nest,” is
hosted by the Advisory Council for OCP families that
are leaving our nido to fly off to their next educational
adventure in pre-k or kindergarten. OCP alumni parents
are available to answer any questions outgoing parents
have about attending a new school, including what to
expect in their transition and how to best advocate for
their families in this new environment.
2014-2015 members featured left to right: Kimberly
Head Amos, Denessa Munsterman, Lisa Morris, and
Pam Bee-Lindgren. Paul McClendon not pictured.
By Denessa Munsterman
This fall each class decorated a pumpkin, which the Communications committee
assembled into a beautiful OCP caterpillar that was displayed on the Wylde Center’s grounds!
OCP Board of Directors for 2014 - 2015
• President: Anna Berry
• Vice President: Kimberly Monroe
OCP offers enrichment classes after school for
three- and four-year-olds. These classes run
for six weeks a session and are often taught
by OCP alumni, like this year’s Spanish (led
by Rina Guerrero-Kesler), yoga (led by Leili
Besharat), and music (led by Julie Vasquez).
We seek enrichment offerings that provide
a wide range of after-school opportunities
for learning and movement. This past year, in
addition to the classes led by alumni, OCP
offered soccer, playball, dance, and storytelling.
We also experimented with two three-week
mini-sessions that enabled parents to try out
enrichment classes at a reduced rate and
commitment. Enrichment continues to be a fun
and engaging program at OCP. We look
forward to hosting even more new programs
next year!
• Secretary: Camella Duerr
• Treasurer: Caroline Evans
• Co-op Community: Nancy Rinehart
• Communications: Amanda Hallauer
• Curriculum: Carey Rieber & Devanie CP Schilpp
• Facilities: Steve Ferrin
• Fundraising: Lacey McKeown & Sarah Toth
• Green: Joanna Duke
• Membership: Anne Huff & Emily Valdes
• Personnel: Jeremy Corcoran & Erynn Mathews-Davis
By Kavita Rajanna
OCP offers summer camp for eight weeks each summer
for children ages 3-6. Families can choose how many
weeks they want their child to attend, and the program
is open to the community, so OCP kids have a chance
to share their experiences with friends from outside the
school. Summer camp offers a more relaxed environment
than the regular school year but stays true to our green
values and curriculum—while sneaking some learning into
the fun.
Each week’s activities are built around a different theme;
this year, we have themes like camping, art, science,
and recycling, among others. The teachers are given
the freedom to use their own creativity to find activities
in which the children can learn about and express
themselves through each theme.
Summer camp allows our cooperative community to stay
connected in a fun and playful way outside of the school
year. Invite your friends to play in the dirt at OCP!
By Kimberly Monroe
OCP 2014 - 2015 Board
UP NEXT for 2015 - 2016: OCP Board-Elect
•
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•
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•
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•
•
•
•
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President: Amanda Hallauer
Vice President: Nancy Rinehart
Secretary: Elena Baldanova
Treasurer: Anne Huff
Co-op Community: Anna Berry & Kimberly Monroe
Communications: Kelly Miller
Curriculum: Carey Rieber
Facilities: Amy & Mike Wirshing
Fundraising: Lacey McKeown
Green: Annie Rimbey & Krista Forsgren
Membership: Candace Hogan & Saranell Hartman
Personnel: Heidi Hill & Abby Marateck
Technology: Kiril Staikov
MarkYour
Your Calendars
Mark
Calendars
2015
- 2016
OCP
School
Year
2015
- 2016
School
Year
August 29. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parent Orientation
August 31. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Day of School
November 5-6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Harvest Celebration
November 23-27. . . . . . NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Break
December 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Festivus
December 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Illumination
December 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . First Semester Ends
January 5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Second Semester Begins
January 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NO SCHOOL, MLK Day
February 4-5. . . . . . . . Grandparents & Special Friends Day
March 9-10. . . NO SCHOOL, Parent-Teacher Conferences
April 4-8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NO SCHOOL, Spring Break
May 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beat the Street for Little Feet 5K
May 14. . . . . . . . . . . End-of-the-Year Fiesta (current members)
May 30. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day
May 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day of School
P.O. Box 2583
Decatur, GA 30031-2583
October 7-8. . . . . . . NO SCHOOL, Goal-Setting Meetings
The Buzz
October 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall Bonfire & Hootenanny