Purpose – Drew Charter School serves as a key component of the cradle-to-college pipeline within the holistic East Lake neighborhood revitalization. Appreciating our unique status as a mixed-income school, Drew Charter School’s primary purpose is to provide an excellent education to all children living in the Villages of East Lake so that each student reaches his or her full potential and is launched on a pathway to health, impact and prosperity.

Vision – Drew Charter School students are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and passion to create positive change in the world.

Mission – Drew Charter School is an exemplary, innovative education community that empowers all students to achieve their full potential.

• Maddox Gates was awarded the Distinguished Debate Award at Michigan State University worth $20,000 per year. Only one award is given each year, this is the top Debate award at MSU.
• The Drew Charter Debate Team for several speaker awards and for being awarded 1st place Sweepstakes winner in the January Tournament!

• To Miriam Denard for joining the Senior Academy as Interim Early College/Persistence Counselor!
• To students Alex Sweeny, Miles Selles, Jayda Howard, Tyra Jones, Pryce Freeman, Sayj Harris, and Ms. McKenzie for their participation in the Academic Decathlon!
• To the Book Buddies and Ms. Ricks for their support and leadership to the Elementary Academy students! 
• Mr. Richardson for his support of our students and families and continuous communication!
• Ms. Davis for being courageous and demonstrating perseverance as she continues to advocate for students and teachers!

• To Mr. Parker for putting together this great visual recap of the first semester!

Lottery Application Window for New Students Opens February 1^st

If your student has a sibling who is interested in attending Drew for the 2020-2021 school year, the lottery application window for potential new students is from February 1, 2020 – April 30, 2020.

The online application will be available on Drew’s website beginning February 1, and all qualifying applications will be included in the lottery on May 7^th. Drew is not participating in Atlanta Public Schools’ pilot “Enroll APS Charter” project for the 2020-2021 school year. All Drew lottery applications must be submitted via Drew’s online process.

• Please note that the lottery is for potential new students only; all current Drew students will have the opportunity to re-enroll in March (more details to come).
• Additional lottery information can be found at www.drewcharterschool.org/enrollment. Please contact Mary Hartigan at 404-450-0567 or enrollment@drewcharterschool.org with any questions.

Drew Opportunity Fund: First Initiative  

Last school year, Drew Charter launched its inaugural annual fund campaign, the Drew Opportunity Fund, in honor of our retiring Head of School Don Doran.  Under Mr. Doran’s leadership Drew students had myriad opportunities to innovate, achieve, travel and compete, all of which help to close the opportunity gap and make Drew an exemplary learning community. 

As this is a new initiative for Drew, I ask you to please encourage others to participate, feel free to share ideas for support, and join me in making a donation to this year’s campaign if you haven’t already.  The more we raise, the more we can do!

PTA UPDATES
 CLICK HERE TO JOIN PTA TODAY! 

• No Announcements

Week of 01/20 – 01/26

Senior Academy Beta Convention [1/22/20 – 1/24/20]
Applerouth Class [Ends 02/07]

 01/20| Monday 

• MLK HOLIDAY – School will be CLOSED in observance of this holiday
  • 9:00am- SA Varsity Basketball (Boys ONLY) @ Atlanta Dream Classic
  • 1:00pm- SA Varsity Basketball (Girls ONLY) va Lithonia HS [HOME]

 01/21| Tuesday | “A” Day

•  3:00- Flex Time – Extended Learning: Math, Social Studies, Spanish
  • 09th /10th – Extended Learning or Main Gym
  • 11th/12th- Extended Learning or Cafeteria
• 4:00- SA JV Boys Basketball @ OLM
• 5:30- SA Varsity Basketball @ Our Lady of Mercy

01/22| Wednesday | “B” Day

• SA BETA Convention in Savannah
• 3:00 – Flex Time: Study Hall, Pathways, EL
  • 10th/11th Extended Learning or Main Gym
  • 9th Extended Learning or Cafeteria
  • Community Forum[Seniors]
• 4:00- SPEAK WHAT MUST BE SPOKEN EXHIBITION 
• 4:30- 6:00: Sports Physicals [Cost $30]
  • Please see sports section below for more information

• 6pm- PTA Meeting 

01/23| Thursday | “A” Day

• SA BETA Convention in Savannah
• 3:00- Flex Time – ELA, Science, Pathways
  • 09th /10th – Extended Learning or Cafeteria
  • 11th/12th- Extended Learning or Practice Gym
• 3:45 – 5:45: Farm Stand [EA]
• 5:30 SA JV Boys Basketball @ Therrell
• 6pm- PTA General Body Meeting [Theater]
• 6:30pm- Drew’s Got Talent [Theater]

01/24| Friday |  “B” Day

• SA BETA Convention in Savannah
• FAMILY ID CLOSES\
  • [This portal is used to enroll all Athletes or Interested Athletes of Drew]
• 1:30 – 2:20 Flex Time: Advisory 
• 5:30-SA Varsity Basketball @ Elite Scholars
• 6:30pm- Drew’s Got Talent [Theater]

 01/25| Saturday

• 8:30- Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Competition  [Therrell]
• 2:00pm- SA JV Boys Basketball vs Wesleyan 
• 2:00pm- SA Varsity Basketball (Girls ONLY) @ Morrow HS
• 3:30pm- SA Varsity Basketball (Boys ONLY) vs Wesleyan 

 01/26| Sunday

• N/A

Upcoming Events:

• “Speak What Must Be Spoken” Art Tour at Drew

  

• Senior Academy’s

  Black History Program

   “Intergenerational Conversations on Student Activism with Civil Rights Leader, Charles Black”

  • Date: Friday, February 21^st
  • Time: 1:30 to 2:20 pm
  • Location: Theater

  Sponsored by: Young Black Excellence and the Black History Program Staff Committee

Future Events

• 1/28
  • 5:30pm- SA Varsity Basketball vs Trinity Christian

• 1/31
  • 6:00pm- SA Varsity Basketball (Senior Night) vs Landmark

• 02/01
  • 9:00am- Decatur City Dance

• 02/02
  • 9:30 – PTA Summer Expo
  • 12:00pm- Decatur City Dance

• 02/21- YBE: Black History Program
• 02/28- 2:30 – Spring Pep Rally [GYM]

• 05/16- Graduation

• January 22nd, 2020:

  Speak What Must Be Spoken

  Traveling art exhibit funded by Emory University

  An amazing honor has been bestowed upon Senior Academy through a traveling art exhibit funded by Emory University.

  Check out the traveling exhibit recently installed at Drew. The exhibit is called Speak What Must Be Spoken.

  • The theme of the exhibit is activism through the lens of art.
  • The message to be received spotlights the importance of speaking truth which can correlate to power. A shared belief is that when injustice exists, it must be called out.
  • The exhibit hopes to empower students to recognize that they have a voice and to learn to use it in a manner that will be effective to bring about positive change.
    • The vision for the exhibit will be for students to learn about African American artists and others who spoke out against injustice in the United States and how that led to progress towards equal rights. 
    • We all know that injustice is alive in the US and the world at large. There is still a long way to go to address issues of racism, sexism, ageism, and poverty. Even though some progress has occurred over the years, concerned citizens must continue to speak up, just as those who came before us have done.
    • Speak What Must Be Spoken  uses materials from the Billops-Hatch: Still Raising Hell exhibit that was installed at Emory.

   The exhibit is sponsored by Emory University's:
  -Graduation Generation in the Center for Civic and Community Engagement, the Rose Library, and Woodruff Library 

Sports

• Please Note

  Spring Sports Registration is NOW OPEN!!!

  If your student is interested in participating in winter sports at Drew, online registration, through a new system known as FamilyID, is required to try-out for and/or to play on the following winter sports team(s):

  • Senior Academy E-Sports
  • Senior Academy Golf (Girls & Boys)
  • Senior Academy Track (Girls & Boys)
  • Senior Academy Golf (Girls & Boys)
  • Senior Academy Tennis (Girls & Boys)
  • Senior Academy Soccer (Girls & Boys)
  • Senior Academy Baseball  (Boys)
  • Middle School Track & Field (Girls & Boys)
  • Middle School Golf (Girls & Boys)
  • Middle School Soccer (Girls & Boys)
  • Middle School Baseball ( Boys)

  Online registration through FamilyID is open now through Friday, January 24th. (Please note, if you completed registration for Fall Sports, your information have been saved in your FamilyID account and will auto-populated when you register for Winter Sports.

  To complete the online registration process, you will need the following:

  • A copy of your student’s current sports physical that was completed by a medical professional. 

  Note:  You will need to upload the completed sports physical form during the registration process.  Instructions for how to upload the form will be provided when you register. (If you do not have a current Sports Physical, please obtain one from a medical professional prior to registering.  The sports physical is valid for one year.)

  • Doctor’s Information (name, address, phone number)
  • Health Insurance information
  • Emergency Contact Information

  For step-by-step instructions and to complete the registration process, click the link here.

  Thank you.  Please be sure to register your student by the Friday, January 24^th deadline. 

  For any questions or concerns contact: Tracy Edwards,Director of Athletics

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Opportunities

Adult Opportunity

Want a RECAP of Homecoming?? Click here

PTA UPDATES

CLICK HERE TO JOIN PTA TODAY!

• Avoid Charges to Student Accounts.

  Continued Afterschool Protocol [Effective 09/02/19]

  – To see letter click here

  This expectation is fully enforced and can result in the withholding of student records. Please read to be well informed

• Running Late?

  ATTENTION: JA/SA parents, if students arrive to school at 8am, then they should proceed to the cafeteria to get a late pass up until 8:30.

  After 8:30 students will receive a late pass from the main office secretary- Ms. Edwards.

• Need to Visit a student/teacher?

  • Parents/Guardians, Atlanta Public Schools has introduced a new way to record movement throughout the school on a daily basis. The new protocol is in effort to enhance Atlanta Public School’s student, staff and campus security. Once the system is installed parents/guardians will need to bring in their state ID, regardless of how long they have been a parent/guardian at Drew, to conduct any school business.
• Dropping off Food?

  REMINDER: If you bring a meal to the school for your student before your student’s lunch period, then the lunch is required to be placed inside the cafeteria in the designated lunch cubbies.

  Instructional time cannot be interrupted. Moving forward administration will reinforce this policy as noted in the student/parent handbook.

• Bring the lunch prior to the designated lunch period to the main office to sign in (students will not be called out of class)
  • 9th/10th grade lunch is 11:10-11:40 and 11th/12th grade lunch 12:50-1:25.
  • Meal drop off will not be permitted after the student’s scheduled lunch time.
• Pack and label lunch in a closed container (sack or lunch box/bag)
• Bring lunch only for students for which you are a contact
  • Please do not send unauthorized individuals with food for your student. They will not be permitted to drop it off.
• Lunches must be placed in cubby in cafeteria
• Parents/guardians are not permitted to meet their student in front of the school to deliver food, but must park, enter the building and sign in
• Please note that the lunch cubbies are not secure and we are not responsible for any lost items. Students should do their best to bring their lunches to school with them as the lunch cubbies should be used in emergency situations only.

Uniform Concerns!

Families who still have not received their orders:

– Please forward a copy or screenshot of the confirmation information to Kendrick.Myers@drewcharterschool.org and Tameka.Allen@drewcharterschool.org with the students’ name in the subject line.

Note: Students are still expected to be in uniform: Khakis, white button-down and tie are required.

– Khakis and button downs can be purchased outside of the Tommy Hilfiger.
– Ties will be onsite and for sell at the school store tomorrow morning!

• Parents looking for uniform options can visit our online store with Tommy Hilfiger.
  • Parents be sure to order as soon as possible; the estimated time of delivery is 2-3 weeks from the day you order.
  • Ordering Instructions for Tommy Hilfiger
  • To reference the dress code for the Senior Academy, click here.

NOTE:
The School Store
Hours are 9:00 – 3:00 pm daily. 
The School Store is located in the Theater Box Office at the Yates/Upper Campus. 

- Stop by and get your Drew gear! 

Portal for Paying for Nutrition/Lunch Fees

Portal for Paying for Drew Events, Dues, Field Trips, etc..

Update for Students: