HENDRICKS AVENUE NEWSLETTER!

Please click the link below to view the supply lists for all classrooms, including Grades K–5. Individual teachers may also share additional “Wish List” items with families during orientation.

Dear Hendricks Avenue Elementary Families,

Since 2012, Southside Methodist Church has partnered with Hendricks Avenue Elementary through the Hendricks Avenue Partnership Initiative (H.A.P.I.) to support the academic success, social development, and emotional well-being of our students. Through this partnership, H.A.P.I. has provided assistance with backpacks and school supplies, clothing, teacher encouragement, and other forms of support for our school community.

As families prepare for the upcoming school year, we understand that Back-to-School expenses can create financial challenges for some households. To help support families who may benefit from additional assistance, Southside Methodist Church is once again offering its H.A.P.I. Back-to-School Supply Drive for the 2026–2027 school year.

Participation in this program is completely optional. If this opportunity would be helpful for your family, please complete the online registration form by Wednesday, August 5, 2026.

For additional information regarding the supply drive, please contact Tracy Langley at (904) 699-1579 or tracylangley40@gmail.com.

This partnership reflects our shared commitment to ensuring that every student has the resources needed for a successful school year. Southside Methodist Church is grateful for the opportunity to serve our school community and looks forward to continuing to make a positive impact through H.A.P.I.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact Becca Hurst in the Hendricks Avenue Elementary front office or Melissa Frankie at Southside Methodist Church at (904) 396-2676.

Sincerely,

Hendricks Avenue Elementary School
Southside Methodist Church

• AUGUST 10 - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! 🎉

• SEPTEMBER 7 - LABOR DAY 🔨

The first day of school for students is Monday, August 10th. Students may begin arriving on campus at 8:00 AM, and instruction will start promptly at 8:30 AM.

On the first day, parents are welcome to walk their child to class. Starting Tuesday, however, we kindly ask that students walk to their classrooms independently. Staff members and patrols will be stationed throughout the building and at arrival/dismissal points to guide and support students as needed.

You will be able to view your child’s teacher assignment in FOCUS during the week of August 3rd. To access your child’s schedule and teacher information, you must have an active parent FOCUS account. The teacher’s name will appear under your child’s schedule. This same account will allow you to monitor your child’s grades throughout the school year and update your contact and emergency pickup information as needed. Please log in before the first day of school and ensure all information is current.

If you need to create a FOCUS account, please use the tutorial below or visit this link:

Get Linked | Duval County Public Schools

Please note: While schedules may be visible before school starts, they are not finalized and may change due to enrollment adjustments and class balancing until the week of August 10th.

All students who will ride a bus to and/or from school this year need to be registered for bus transportation. This can be done following the steps on the link below through your parent FOCUS account. Bus routes will be created based on addresses of students riding so please sign up as early as possible and make sure your address is correct in FOCUS. Once available, you will also be able to view your child's bus stop information in your parent FOCUS account. Make sure to register each child that will be riding.

Kindergarten students must have a bus form completed prior to riding the bus. Please see links below.

Breakfast is served at NO CHARGE for students in all Duval County Public Schools!!

Lunch: All students enrolled in Duval County Public Schools are assigned a meal account through the Food and Nutrition Services Department. Students access their account by using either their student ID card or student ID number when purchasing meals in the cafeteria. To ensure account security, students should memorize their ID number or keep their ID card in a safe place and should never share this information with other students.

Families are encouraged to take advantage of convenient meal prepayment options. Funds may be added to a student's account through the MySchoolBucks website or mobile app, or by sending cash or a check to school for deposit into the student's account. Parents and guardians who use MySchoolBucks can monitor account balances and view transaction history at any time.

Any remaining balance from the previous school year, whether positive or negative, will automatically carry over into the new school year unless a refund has been requested.

Our PTA is ready to soar into another amazing year at HAE! Please join us for our first PTA meeting on Tuesday, August 18th at 8:30am in the cafeteria to hear all about the amazing things we have planned and to get involved!

Use the link below to learn more about Extended Day and to register your child for the HAE Extended Day program. PLEASE NOTE: Submitting an application does not guarantee placement in the program.

As a reminder, students will not be released after 2:15 PM in accordance with DCPS policy. Please limit early checkouts to times when it is absolutely necessary. We understand that appointments and emergencies may arise, but whenever possible, ensure your child remains at school for the full day to support their learning and instructional time.

Duval County Public Schools will continue to use ROOMS as the primary communication platform this school year. Your child's teacher will send more information on how to join their class at the beginning of the school year.

Keeping our students safe is always a top priority and goes hand in hand with providing a high-quality education.

Volunteers who may have unsupervised contact with students will now need to complete a background check that includes fingerprinting, the same level of screening required for employees.

This requirement will apply to all current and future volunteers.

Volunteers will be categorized into two levels:

Level I Volunteers:
These volunteers are always within the direct line of sight of district employees and are never alone with students. Level I volunteers will continue to follow the standard screening process, which includes a check against the Dru Sjodin National Sexual Offender Public Website.

Level II Volunteers:
This group generally includes chaperones for field trips or other activities where they may be responsible for a group of students without direct supervision. Level II volunteers will now be required to complete a fingerprint background check, which screens for felonies and other criminal violations in addition to the sexual offender registry.

All screenings will be managed through our Background Screening Office in Human Resources. Details about implementation and any associated costs are still being finalized. As with current policy, principals will have the final authority to approve volunteers for their schools once background screening is complete.

Please note: These new requirements do not apply to visitors such as guest speakers for events like career days or guest readers. Student volunteers who are minors are also exempt, as they are always under staff supervision.

These changes ensure that our chaperones and other Level II volunteers meet the same safety standards as employees and, as always, volunteers should never be alone with a student except in rare and unavoidable situations.

In addition, all volunteers must schedule in advance with the teacher. Volunteers will be able to assist for up to an hour per day in the classroom as needed. Volunteers cannot bring younger siblings.

Classroom volunteers may return to our classrooms on an as needed basis. If the teacher needs a volunteer, he/she will reach out to families. If you would like to be a volunteer in our school when needed, please make sure you have filled out the volunteer information at Volunteer | Duval County Public Schools or click the icon below.