LET'S STAY CONNECTED!

Dear HAE Families,

Thank you so much for the incredible participation during our Book Character Parade! It was such a wonderful day, and it was a joy to see the creativity, excitement, and enthusiasm from our students and families. We are so grateful for your support in making it such a special event!

This week, we will hit the ground running, as we have lots of learning ahead of us! We will wrap up the week with Friday’s Drop Everything and Lead Day, which will also include our Veterans Day program. It’s going to be another exciting week at HAE!

As always, don’t forget to read, read, read each day! If you need book ideas, recommendations, or suggestions to keep your readers excited, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are always happy to help!

Wishing everyone a safe and wonderful weekend!

Principal Rose-Hamann

As part of our District Social Studies curriculum, students at Hendricks Avenue Elementary will have an exciting opportunity to participate in a Mock Election this week!

Our wonderful HAE PTA has partnered with Mrs. DeJesus, our Media Specialist, and Mrs. Halil, one of our 5th ELA teachers, to create a fun and engaging experience that introduces students to the voting process.

Students will cast their votes on grade-level appropriate topics, such as favorite books and other fun choices, while learning about decision-making, making informed choices, and the importance of having their voices heard.

We are excited to provide our Eagles with this meaningful, hands-on learning experience that brings Social Studies to life in a fun and interactive way!

A special thank-you to our HAE PTA, Mrs. DeJesus, and Mrs. Halil for working together to make this experience possible for our students!

Our F.A.S.T Progress Monitoring 2 (PM2) State Testing for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade will begin on Monday, November 30, 2026!

Families will receive additional communication outlining specific testing dates.

Attendance Matters! We kindly ask that families make every effort to ensure students are present and arrive at school on time during these important testing weeks. Our goal is to provide a positive, supportive, and distraction-free testing environment where every Eagle can demonstrate the academic growth they have made since the first progress monitoring window.

🗳️ What does the 1-mill continuation look like on the ballot?

Take a look at the graphic to see the official ballot language highlighted so you know what to look for when reviewing your November 3 ballot.

📅 Early voting: Oct. 20–Nov. 1
🗳️ Election Day: Nov. 3, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For early voting locations and more information about the 1 mill, visit https://www.duvalelections.gov/ and https://www.duvalschools.org/vote

Classes are underway, look out for third quarter registration to open in December for classes beginning in January. If you missed out this time, jump on board the after -school enrichment train! 🚂

This November, Hendricks Avenue Elementary's 5th Grade Community Service Project is sponsoring a *Flag Retirement Drive* to honor our nation's flag with the respect it deserves. If you have an old, worn, or damaged American flag, please bring it to the collection box in the front office by **November 5th**. All collected flags will be delivered to the American Legion for proper retirement.

We also encourage families to spread the word by checking with neighbors, local businesses, churches, and community organizations that may have flags ready for retirement. Thank you for helping our students give back to the community while honoring an important American tradition!

• 11/1 Daylight Saving Time (End)
• 11/6 Donuts with Dads for Grade 2 @ 7:30
• 11/6 DEAL Day @ 8:45
• 11/11 Veterans Day - No School
• 11/18 Spirit Night @ Chipotle
• 11/20 Muffins with Moms for Grade 2 @ 7:30
• 11/30 SAC Meeting @ 7:30

Regular attendance is an important part of student success! When students come to school each day and arrive on time, they have more opportunities to learn, build relationships, develop important skills, and stay connected to their classroom community. Even a few missed days can add up and make it more difficult for students to keep up with new learning.

Attendance matters. Every day counts. Every minute matters.

Hugs from Henry is new and improved! This year we’re celebrating before school so come to the auditorium between 8:00 - 8:20 for your birthday celebration and a picture with Henry! 🦅

Sign up today to attend our August & September birthday celebration next week!

Email: fohHugsFromHenry@gmail.com with any questions.

Why is the 1 mill back on the ballot this November?

The current 1-mill was approved by Duval County voters in 2022, and under Florida law, voters must consider its continuation every four years.

The 1 mill has helped support teacher compensation and efforts to recruit and retain qualified, certified educators. Since 2022, teacher vacancies have declined, teacher retention has increased, and Duval County Public Schools has become an A-rated district for two consecutive years.

As we approach the November election, we’ll be sharing factual information to help our school community understand what the 1 mill is, how the funding is used, and what voters will be asked to consider.

For more FAQs visit the DCPS website - https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/vote-faqs

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.

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.

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

Get Linked | Duval County Public Schools

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.

We also want to make families aware of an important update regarding school meals. Hendricks Avenue Elementary is a non-CEP school. Unlike last school year, there is no grace period this year for students who do not have funds available in their meal accounts, including newly enrolled or transferring students.
Students without available meal funds will receive the district's designated Non-Reimbursable Meal Option, which consists of a sun butter and jelly sandwich and a 4 oz. juice.

We encourage families to check their child's meal account and ensure funds are available for school meals. If you believe your child may qualify for free or reduced-price meals, please complete the appropriate meal application as soon as possible.

To ensure that students are safe and in accordance with DCPS health services policies, any foods that are brought to school for birthdays, class events or other applicable occasions must be store-bought with a nutritional label. Call the front office with any questions at (904)346-5610.

The Student Code of Conduct is linked here for your reference. Contact HAE administration with any questions. Thank you for your support with this policy.

Parents and guardians, please ensure that you have your car tag readily available during dismissal. Car tags should be clearly displayed when going through the car line and in hand when picking up your child as a walk-up.

Having your car tag ready helps us verify dismissal information and keeps the process safe, organized, and moving as efficiently as possible.

If you are in need of a car tag, please stop by the Main Office to pick one up as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal process for all of our students!

Parents and guardians, please ensure that you have a valid photo ID with you when attending events or visiting our campus. Having your identification readily available helps us maintain a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and families.

HAE Eagles will participate in fire drills, active assailant drills, and weather drills. We want to assure you the trainings have been developed in coordination with law enforcement and district teams. The trainings and drills are age appropriate and will be conducted under the guidance of your child's teacher and other caring staff members. You can learn more by visiting: Safety And Security | Duval County Public Schools

As we wrapped up our basketball dribbling unit in PE, students demonstrated great growth in their ball-handling skills, control, and confidence. Throughout the unit, they practiced dribbling with both hands, changing speeds, and moving safely while maintaining control of the basketball. We finished with fun skill challenges and games that allowed students to apply what they learned while showing teamwork, perseverance, and good sportsmanship.

Kindergarten and First Grade students will work on melodic contour and musical form through listening maps, scarves, and instruments. Second and Third Grade students will begin combining pitched and unpitched instruments with songs. Third Grade will also continue polishing their Veterans Day program as they prepare for their upcoming performance. Fourth and Fifth Grade students will return to Orff arrangements while exploring more complex rhythmic values. They will combine pitched and unpitched instruments with song and movement to strengthen their musical skills and creativity.

We are looking forward to a wonderful month of music, movement, and learning at HAE!

STEAM in the Library

After incorporating art and engineering to design a house, store, or business, students in grades 3-5 put their coding skills to the test as they guided Ozobots through their spooky town. Students programmed their robots to zoom past scary houses in turbo mode, slow down to admire the decorations, make U-turns for more candy, and even spin into tornado mode after eating too many treats. Some Ozobots even wore costumes!

From monsters with eight arms to monsters with three eyes, students in grades K-1 showed off their creativity as they used Play-Doh to create their own creature after reading and discussing I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll.

K and 1st are pictured using texture in their artwork. 2nd and 3rd are creating unity with elements of art and 4th and 5th are working on thumbnail sketches for upcoming projects. Thank you for your support! Ms. Wojciak Wish list: Kleenex, hand sanitizer.

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.