Agenda Item
v. Donation Acceptance of $18,590 from the DeKalb Schools Educational Foundation to Kittredge Magnet School ~ Added 9.30.2025
Summary: Presented by: Mrs. Jennifer Caracciolo, Interim Chief of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships, Division of Community Engagement & Innovative Partnerships
Request: It is requested that the Board of Education accept the donation of $18,590 from the DeKalb Schools Educational Foundation, Inc. to provide support to Kittredge Magnet School (KMS) for the purposes of Environmental Education field trips and hands-on learning.
Why: The DeKalb Schools Education Foundation has donated $18,590 for two environmental field trips for fourth and sixth graders at Kittredge Magnet School (KMS). These funds come through the support of Commissioner Michelle Long Spears and the DeKalb Schools Educational Foundation, Inc. as part of a $50,000 Environmental Education Grant for District 2 schools. These grants allow us to take learning beyond the classroom and into the natural world.
Details: The environmental field trips for fourth and sixth graders at KMS are designed to extend classroom instruction into authentic, real-world learning environments. By engaging in hands-on, inquiry-based activities, students gain deeper understanding of scientific concepts while developing critical skills identified in the DCSD Portrait of a Graduate.
Fourth Grade will travel to the Tennessee Aquarium on October 9, 2025, where students will explore both freshwater and saltwater environments and attend an IMAX film. The trip’s goals include observing aquatic organisms, understanding environmental adaptations, and recognizing the human role in conservation. Students will connect classroom learning to real-world science while practicing observation, critical thinking, and collaboration.
Sixth Grade will participate in the Lake Assessment and Watershed Studies field trip at Rock Eagle on October 21, 2025. Students will use the scientific method to investigate whether certain fish species can thrive in the lake, collect macro-invertebrates, conduct water quality tests, and study the impact of human activity on watersheds. This experience directly aligns with Georgia Standards and supports the DCSD Portrait of a Graduate competencies such as problem-solving, global citizenship, and resilience.
Financial impact: No Financial Impact to DeKalb County School District
Contact: Dr. Laura Neely, Principal of Kittredge Magnet School, Division of Schools & Leadership, 678-874-6602
Effective: October 9 and October 21, 2025
Upon Board Approval
Status: Pending Approval by the Office of Legal Affairs