WEEK 35
Greetings World Class Hawthorne Parents & Guardians,
We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our amazing PTA Board & members as weel as all of the dedicated parents who helped make Teacher Appreciation Week at Hawthorne Elementary such a meaningful and memorable celebration! Our teachers felt truly valued and celebrated thanks to your kindness, generosity, and presence.
A special shout-out goes to all of the parent volunteers who visited our campus and helped support the week’s activities—especially those who managed and kept the lunch and drink bar fully stocked and tidy during lunchtime. Your time and care made a meaningful difference, and our teachers truly felt the love! We’d like to recognize the following incredible volunteers: Erin Frank, Valeria Horner, Lindsey Conway, Tonya Gantt, Kristin Murff, Callie Hudak, Mindy Zeh, Sally Cargo, Deb Thompson, and Twyla Moore. Additionally, a huge thank you to Benito & Kristin Ferro for building the punch board for our spectacular gift card punch game—a favorite highlight among staff members!
GA Milestones Testing Updates: We’re proud of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students for showing up each day and giving their best effort on the Milestones Assessments in ELA, Math, and Science. Your students' hard work and focus did not go unnoticed! Please be on the lookout this week for correspondence regarding retake assessments for select students, scheduled for May 19–21.
We’re #1 in the Attendance Campaign! - We are thrilled to announce that Hawthorne Elementary has earned 1st Place in the inaugural “Attendance is Your Ticket to Success” campaign for the second semester! This award reflects our school’s commitment to promoting regular attendance and fostering a culture where every day counts. We will receive our trophy on May 23 at 1:00 PM. We look forward to celebrating this amazing accomplishment with our entire school community!
Flag Football Update: Due to this weekend’s severe weather, the flag football playoffs and championship games have been postponed. An updated schedule will be shared once finalized. Thank you for your patience and support!
Don’t Miss Out—Order Your Yearbook Today! - Celebrate a year filled with memories, milestones, and magical moments! Our 2024–2025 school yearbook is a keepsake your child will treasure for years to come. Order now at www.treering.com to reserve your copy. Capture the smiles, the friendships, and the fun—before the year slips away!
IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Annual Verification: All parents MUST complete the Annual Verification process in order to register their child for the 2025–2026 school year.
This step is mandatory for ALL returning students. Please access the flyers below for additional information.
Assistance with Annual Verification & Parent Code If you need help with annual verification or your parent code, please see or call Mrs. Elliott, Monday through Friday, between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM.
Spanish-Speaking Families: If you require assistance in Spanish, please visit our front office on Tuesday, as this is the only day our interpreter is available on campus.
Verification Schedule: Please follow the schedule below for your child’s grade level:
Pre-K, 1st, and 2nd Grades: May 5 – May 9
2nd and 3rd Grades: May 12 – May 16
4th and 5th Grades: May 19 – May 23
Spring Planting Days in the STEM Garden- May 15th and 16th: We are looking for parents to volunteer to either supervise or help with gardening for your child's class/grade. We will be planting seeds and seedlings in our STEM garden bed by the gym, and possibly other beautification tasks.
Please sign up via the Sign-Up Genius Linke below to volunteer on your child's scheduled day and time https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FACA72FA2FE3-56694844-hawthorne On your child's scheduled day, please dress your child in clothes and shoes that you don't mind getting dirty.
Lost & Found: Please take a moment to visit our Lost and Found to retrieve any of your child’s missing items—jackets, sweaters, hats, lunchboxes, water bottles, and more. Unclaimed items will be donated to Goodwill at the end of each month, so be sure to check before they’re gone. Thank you for your help in keeping our Lost and Found clear and your student’s belongings where they belong!
As we move forward, I want to emphasize the importance of maintaining a safe and respectful campus environment. Please remind your children that while we are committed to providing enriching opportunities for growth, this can only be achieved when positive behavior is consistently demonstrated. We’ve made great progress, but we must remain vigilant—especially during carpool hours. I kindly ask that everyone continue to follow staff instructions during both AM and PM carpool to ensure the safety of all students and staff.
Additionally, I’d like to highlight the critical role of consistent student attendance in supporting academic success. Our goal is for no student to miss more than 18 days of school, aiming for a 95% attendance rate this year—up from 93% last year. Your support is key to achieving this target, as consistent attendance lays the foundation for providing the best education possible for every student.
Once again, thank you for your support and dedication. It’s truly an honor to collaborate with each of you in educating and nurturing your children. Let’s finish strong and continue the great work we’ve been doing together! Let’s make this week count—on purpose as we continue to Go for G.O.L.D - Growing Our Learners Daily!
Proud to Serve,
-Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream
#Going for the G.O.L.D. (Growing Our Learners Daily)
Please also see important dates that were also posted on Class DOJO, we look forward to seeing you all!
- MAY (National Speech-Language-Hearing Month)
- May 11th to May 15th - National Police Week - DCSD celebrates School Resource Officers SROs- (Office Molnar), Elementary School Associates- (Mr. Cannon), & Crossing Guards - (Ms. Jackson)
- Monday, May 12th- GA MILESTOENS MAKE UP TESTING DAY
- Tuesday, May 13th - GA MILESTONNES MAKE UP DAY
- Wednesday, May 14th - KIDS RULE THE SCHOOL
- Thursday, May 15th- Planting Day during STEM Specials
- Friday, May 16th - Planting Day during STEM Specials
- Friday May 16th - Bike to School Day (Students are encouraged to ride their bikes to school)
- Saturday, May 17th- Area 1 Flag football Championship game location and time TBA
Reading Lexile Support
As we continue to work more on Lexile levels, here are some resources that you can utilize.
Morning Arrival & Afternoon Dismissal
The drop-off times in front of the school are below:
7:00 am - Buses
7:05 am - Car Riders
7:45 am - Tardy bell
Morning announcements begin at 7:45.
Car riders:: When picking students up, parents should have the Hawthorne ES Car Rider Tag visible in their car. If the Car Rider Tag is not visible, parents are required to park, come into the building and provide Identification. Thank you for your patience as we simply want to keep your students' safe.
Early Check Out: should occur prior to 1:50 pm.
The pick-up times for dismissal are below:
Bus riders-2:25:pm; Car riders 2:35 pm (front of building after buses) & walkers (Side door)
BUS ROUTES
DCSD bus routes can be found on the district website: https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/bus-routes/. Hawthorne ES morning bus routes are below along with the district
HES will have free lunch this year however, we still need your support with completing the Meal Application Information 2024-2025. Only 1 Application Needed per family:
Please ALL complete this application process even if you plan to bring lunch for your child daily or believe that you will not qualify. This is very important, this impacts funding for Title 1.
Please click link for English/Spanish application.
https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/featured-news/free-reduced-meal-applications-sy-2024-2025/
Email: kia_henley@dekalbschoolsag.org
Website: https://www.hawthornees.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 2535 Caladium Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: 678-874-2802