School redistricting may impact Medlock

A series of meetings have taken place as the DeKalb County School System (DCSS) considers redistricting options for some elementary schools in the Druid Hills cluster. Decaturish summarizes the landscape leading to that decision here.

Medlock's attendance pattern to elementary school will likely change as a result.

MANA has sent the below letter to DCSS, outlining support for an option that "maximizes elementary school seats in the cluster and keeps the Medlock area together."

Click to enlarge. 
1The Medlock Area Neighborhood Association includes residents within a boundary approximately defined as the following: North: North Druid Hills Road at Willivee Drive and North Druid Hills Road at North Hills Drive; South: North Decatur Road; East: Willivee Drive (both sides) between North Decatur Road & North Druid Hills Road; West: North Hills Drive, Pine Bluff Drive, Harrington Drive & Scott Blvd, Lawrenceville Highway, excluding Tuxworth Springs Condominium .

DCSS's website notes that there is a one remaining public information meeting on November 28, and feedback can also be delivered via survey.

Meeting 3: The third meeting presents one “Staff Recommended ” op on and gives the public one more opportunity to provide feedback. The proposed dates for the third meeting of each process are:

• John Lewis Redistricting: Tuesday, November 27 , 2018 @ Cross Keys HS, 7 PM
• Druid Hills Redistricting: Wednesday, November 28 , 2018 @ Druid Hills MS, 7 PM
• Online Survey: November 27 – December 6, 2018 (midnight)

Board Approval: After the third public meeting , Planning department staff will incorporate all public feedback into a “Superintendent‐Recommended Redistricting Plan ”.

• First Read: January 7th, 2019 Board meeting
• Board Approval: February 4th, 2019 Board meeting.

Congrats, Laurel Ridge!

Laurels, indeed!

Laurel Ridge Elementary School has been recognized for student achievement gains by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement.  The school ranked in the 97th percentile for College and Career Ready Performance Index (based on scores over the last 3 years).

See the AJC for a list of other DeKalb County schools in the achievement list.

Laurel Ridge Elementary Walk&Wheel-A-Thon + Fall Festival & Book Fair [Nov 14]

Our elementary school, Laurel Ridge, has two great events coming up on Saturday, November 14, organized by the Laurel Ridge PTA:

Walk&Wheel-A-Thon
Pledge Drive Schedule:

10:00 am:  Registration Begins - Arrive Early!
10:30 am:  Walk&Wheel-a-Thon Begins
11:30 am:  Walk&Wheel-a-Thon Ends

Fall Festival and Book Fair: 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Crafts and goods for sales, and advertising opportunities for your business
Vendors can register online here.



Beyond these events, Laurel Ridge also receives donations through the AmazonSmile program: just go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/58-6070888 and your purchase will trigger a donation to the school if you shop through the AmazonSmile shopping link. Laurel Ridge also welcomes Box Top donations and

Laurel Ridge: Little Free Library garden launch

from Tanya, our schools liaison

Laurel Ridge Elementary is hosting a community workday the next two Saturdays to prepare the Little Free Library garden, Nov 8 and Nov 15 from 9 am to 1 pm. Come help support the installation of this project as a great resource for school families and neighbors - any time that you can carve out to help would be appreciated!

New ways to support fundraising at Laurel Ridge Elementary

Laurel Ridge Elementary has some new ways you can help support the school's educational mission - both are quick, free, easy, and allow you to turn the shopping that you're already doing into additional dollars to support local public education.

For those who are smartphone users, Shoparoo offers an easy way to scan receipts using the free Shoparoo mobile app that turns pictures of your shopping receipts into cash donations for Laurel Ridge. It doesn't matter where you shop or what you buy - every receipt adds up to funding that can help support your local elementary school.

After testing the app, it seems pretty easy and folks at the school are telling me that the dollars are already starting to add up. Receipts from stores that sell grocery items return instant cash to the school (think Publix, Target, Kroger, convenience stores, dollar stores...) and receipts from other retailers earn entries for cash prizes.

More details are available at the Shoparoo website.

Kroger Community Rewards

Another great opportunity for folks to help Laurel Ridge Elementary with fundraising that is easy and painless.  Kroger will donate a percentage of your purchase to Laurel Ridge through your Kroger Plus card!  Just create an account and choose Laurel Ridge as your community partner. Use the following link to start earning money for Laurel Ridge today!

https://www.kroger.com/account/create

1.     Select your preferred store which may be:

        2205 Lavista Rd Ne, Atlanta, GA 30329 (Toco Hills Store)

        2875 N Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA 30033 (Dekalb Industrial Store)

2.    Enter your Kroger Plus card number.

3.    Scroll to the bottom of the page to “Community Rewards and choose Laurel  Ridge as your school!

 

That’s it!  Laurel Ridge earns money every time you shop at Kroger and use your Kroger Plus Card!

We've mentioned Box Tops for Education and Coke Rewards at several of our past community meetings - these are still a great fundraiser for Laurel Ridge Elementary, so don't stop collecting! You can either bring them to a community meeting or contact Tanya Myers at medlockassoc@gmail.com for pickup.

Back to school, drive safe! [Aug 11]

Just a reminder that DeKalb schools will welcome back students on August 11, and that applies to our Laurel Hill Elementary,  International Community School, Druid Hills Middle School and Druid Hills High. Please be extra vigilant for kids who will be walking or riding to school.

ICS has adjusted its hours. Instruction now starts 9:10am and classes dismissed at 4:10pm. Early arrivals start at 7:30am, and the after-school program runs from 4-6pm.

Laurel Ridge Elementary Open House [Aug 6]

From Laurel Ridge Elementary School

Open House will be on August 6 from 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm. In addition to our school parking lots, parking is also available next door to the school at University Heights UMC.

Families who need to register new students or kindergarten students will need to report to the cafeteria to register first.

For returning students and students who have already registered, teacher assignments will be posted at the front of the school. Please visit your child's class to meet the teacher and fill out the required paperwork. Be sure to bring an updated proof of residency which should be a gas, water, or electric bill dated within the last 60 days. You may also provide a current lease.

After meeting your child's teacher and filling out the paperwork, please visit the cafeteria to:

• Join the PTA,
• Buy agendas (required for 2nd - 5th graders),
• Buy communication folders (required for Pre-K, K, and 1st graders, optional for 2nd - 5th graders),
• Purchase spirit gear (T-shirts, Water Bottles, Magnets, etc),
• Register for the Eagles Landing After School Program,
• Learn your bus route,
• And much more!

5K & 1mi trail races @ Laurel Ridge Elementary [Apr 26]

image via active.com

SATURDAY 26 APRIL
5k and 1-mile Trail Races (and an 1/8-mile Track "Fun Run")
This is one of the only true OFF-ROAD races inside The Perimeter. Come out and support Laurel Ridge Elementary!

Register via active.com

Laurel Ridge Elementary Fall Festival [Nov 16]

Laurel Ridge “Adventure in Wonderland”

Fall Festival

November 16, 2013 11am to 5pm

Laurel Ridge Elementary School

The Annual Laurel Ridge Fall Festival will inspire you to be Curiouser & Curiouser. So don’t Be Late for that Very Important Dateon Saturday November 16th. Game Trucks, Bounce Houses, Crafts, & Great Food will be great fun for the whole family. Contact your friends and relatives and tell them about this terrific community event. Come to enjoy or come to play with us. We want to feature local ‘family- friendly’ performance artists (singers, dancers, jugglers, and comedians) on our community stage. Do you know someone with a family friendly product to promote, crafts to sell, or someone who simply is looking for a place to allow the community to rummage through their treasures? Send the performers and the crafters our way! Vendor space is available. The Registration Form is on the back!

Our theme is Adventures in Wonderland. Join those fabulous fictional characters in a variety of flavor and fun!

Proceeds will benefit the art, music, and drama programs of Laurel Ridge Elementary. Stay tuned for more!

Want a bigger part in the adventure? Volunteers (marketing, preparations, fundraising, & event day activities) are needed for Festival preparations and Event activities.

Contact Melanie Darby at meldarart@bellsouth.net for more information.

For vendor registration see this link.

Romp through the woods 5K [Apr 20]

via Facebook:

Join the 4th Annual Laurel Ridge Elementary School “Romp Thru the Woods” 5K & 1 mile Fun Run & Tot Trot. A true off-road race through the woods between Laurel Ridge & Druid Hills Middle School. Fun for the entire family! All ages and athletic abilities welcome! 

The race is sponsored by the LRES PTA Health & Wellness Committee.

For additional details and registration, see http://www.active.com/running/decatur-ga/romp-thru-the-woods-5k-and-1mile-fun-run-2013

DCSD releases attendance line adjustments and proposes a modified timeline for Fernbank Elementary

Tanya Myers, MANA's education liaison, alerted us that the DeKalb County School District is considering a proposal that would accelerate the construction of the new Fernbank Elementary grounds and shift attendance lines for many young Medlock residents:

Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson presented a draft of her plan to merge some schools and expand others as part of a new five-year school construction program. ... Another proposal also provoked a strong reaction: Atkinson recommended floating $80 million in bonds — borrowing money — to expedite construction of several schools.  Read the whole article @ AJC.

Following up with a Fernbank contact and with Mr. McChesney, Tanya reports that "it looks like the new plan would have our neighborhood (most of or perhaps all) redistricted to Fernbank with the enlarged school re-opening to accept 200 additional students in fall of 2014. This proposal returns Laurel Ridge to its original (2011) attendance zone prior to the addition of Medlock students."

Tanya also clarified that "under the SPLOSTIV timelines that the board has already approved, the new, larger Fernbank Elementary will open January 2016. If the bond were approved, construction timelines would be accelerated and the new, larger school would open January 2015 (see page 53 on the above link for the comparison). It may be worth pointing out that the only difference is one of timelines; redistricting is planned to happen whether the bond is approved or not."

Dr. Atkinson's presentation is posted at the DCSS website, SPLOSTIV section. Below is the Druid Hills Cluster proposal:

Image from from http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/splost-iv/proposed-organization-facilities-presentation-and-binder-%282012-11-12%29.pdf

The image below superimposes the attendance line adjustment on a Google map of the area, using the location of the schools (in both depictions) as anchor points. This image is presented for informational purposes only.

Overlay of proposal, showing Fernbank Elementary as marker "A" and Laurel Ridge Elementary as marker "B".
The purple area highlights Fernbank Elementary's proposed reach.

Below, the same map, with MANA highlighted in yellow. Again, noting that these depictions are not final nor validated by DCSS, it appears that some MANA neighbors who reside in parts of Hunting Valley and Willivee Drive would remain in the Laurel Ridge Elementary attendance zone.

As we know more, additional information will be posted.

ADDENDUM: Battle of the Annexations? The extended Fernbank attendance line overlaps City of Decatur's annexation goals.

Image added to highlight overlap between newly proposed attendance lines for Fernbank [purple highlight] vs. City of Decatur's annexation plan [inset]. The overlapping areas appear in blue and green in the City of Decatur map (the magenta area already attends Fernbank Elementary). 

Kids' Corner: happenings at our elementary schools

+  Kilometer Kid 1 Mile Mid-Week Fun Run

Wednesday, October 24th, 5:30 - 6:00: Coordinated with the International Community School, the Atlanta Track Club is organizing a 1-mile run for kids ages 7-12. Registration ended on October 2, but please come and cheer the runners on! Also, please be mindful of traffic in the area between Medlock Park and Medlock Elementary/ICS school grounds.

+  International Community School's Student Service Project

Ongoing: Fifth graders are collecting and boxing up donated toiletries for homeless individuals and people living with AIDS. You may drop off travel-size toiletry donations at the office. 

+ Laurel Ridge Elementary's Fall Festival

Saturday, November 3rd, 11am to 3pm: Vendors, food, fun!

+  International Community School's United Nations Day Parade

Friday, November 5, 10am:  Students will dress to represent many nations; the route begins at ICS and loops through Medlock Rd., Lancelot Dr., Scott Circle, Desmond Rd. Gaylemont Circle and back to ICS. 

Laurel Ridge Elementary Fall Festival [Nov. 5]

Laurel Ridge Elementary's Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 5.
11am - 3pm
1215 Balsam Drive, Decatur GA 300033

This link has information as well as a registration form for vendors.

GA Natural Gas fundraising program benefits our elementary school (Laurel Ridge)

The closing of Medlock Elementary directed students in our neighborhood to attend Laurel Ridge Elementary. Here is a chance to help Laurel Ridge serve our students, via GA Natural Gas (GNG).

By joining the True Blue Schools Program, GNG customers can direct a $5/month donation to a school of their choice. This $5/month comes from Georgia Natural Gas, not the customer. Additionally, TrueBlue Schools' participants are eligible to receive an up to $0.15 per therm discount off their monthly gas bill.
GNG makes an additional $40 donation to the school for new GNG customers.

If you are a GA Natural Gas customer, go to http://www.trueblueschools.com. Select the "I'm already a customer" option and type in Laurel Ridge (the system will fill in the rest of the school information once you provide a few characters) and continue with the sign-up process. There's an option to look up your account number as well, if you don't have it handy.

Questions? Contact the Laurel Ridge GNG coordinator, Karen O'Leary, at yourpalkaren@hotmail.com

May 4: Laurel Ridge Elementary Open House for New Families

TODAY Wednesday, May 4th, 3:30 to 6:00pm

Laurel Ridge Staff & PTA would like to welcome the Medlock Families to Laurel Ridge! Please come to the Open House on Wednesday, May 4th from 3:30 to 6:00. The agenda for the event includes:

*Greeting and Welcome at 3:30 in the cafeteria!
*School Tours every 15-20 min.
*Light Refreshments will be provided!
*Return to the Cafeteria for Pre-Registration
*Please remember to bring a Proof of Residency.

We all look forward to meeting our newest students and their families!

  

For any questions regarding registration for pre-K or Kindergarten, contact:

  

Teilynn Ivey
Chair-Elect, Laurel Ridge School Council and Co-Director, Preschool At The Heights, 678-230-8741 or email:dallas_teilynnivey@yahoo.com