WEEK 8
Greetings Hawthorne Elementary Families,
🐝 We are now entering Week 8, and what an incredible journey it has been so far! You all truly ROCK, and I am so grateful for your continued partnership and support.
🎉 Welcome Our New School Nurse
We are thrilled to introduce Ms. Sharon Thomas, our permanent school nurse! We are ecstatic that she has joined our Hawthorne family and will be here to support the health and well-being of our students each day.
💙 Parent Partnership
Thank you, parents, for staying so engaged in our school community. Your involvement makes a tremendous difference in the lives of our students. If you haven’t already, please consider joining our PTO—the link is included below. Together, we can continue building the strong family-school connection that makes Hawthorne so special.
🏅 Kudos & Celebrations
Our Track and Field Team shined this past Saturday, and we are so proud of their hard work and accomplishments! A heartfelt thank-you to the families who came out to cheer, encourage, and support our student-athletes.
📌 Attendance Awareness Month
September is Attendance Awareness Month, and we are reminding families that every day counts! Daily attendance and arriving on time are essential for student success.
To make it fun, each Friday in September, students are invited to dress up as their favorite Avenger or Superhero. Thank you for helping us reinforce the importance of being present and engaged every day.
🔎 Enrollment & Staffing Update
We are excited to share that student enrollment is currently above projection this year! Because of this growth, the District is supporting us in exploring the possibility of adding an additional class. Please know that we are working carefully to minimize disruption for both students and teachers, and I will keep you informed every step of the way. More details will be sent home soon.
✨ Looking Ahead
We are proud to continue moving forward in partnership with you—focused on academic excellence, student well-being, and family engagement.
Be sure to check out the HIVE for additional updates and resources.
Here’s to another wonderful week of teaching, learning, and growing together!
📌 Upcoming Dates: 📌
--Attendance Superhero Avenger Dress Up Friday & PBIS Celebration Jersey Day - September 26th
-DCSD School Expo - September 27th -9:00 am - 1:00 pm | See Flyer Below
-DCSD Benchmark Assessment Window Opens - September 29th
-Fall Teacher Conferences - Starting September 29th | Times will vary
-Hawthorne ES Spirt Night at Napoleon’s Grill - September 30th⏰ Time: 5:00–8:00 PM | Address: 2836 Lavista Rd, Decatur, GA 30033
-National Custodian Appreciation Day - October 2nd
-Hawthorne Foundation Blood Drive October 3rd | 3:00 pm -8:00 pm
-Hispanic Heritage Spirit Week - October 6th-10th | See Flyer Below
-International Night - October 9th | See Flyer Below
-GA PRE-K WEEK - October 6th-11th
-Walk/Bike to School Day - October 8th | 6:30 am - 7:45 am
-Hawthorne Foundation Fundraiser - October 25th | 6:00 pm -10: 00 pm | See Flyer Below
Go Hornets 🐝
Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
School Calendar Input
DCSD’s Calendar Committee is convening this fall to develop the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school calendars. We want to hear from you. Click link below.
DCSD SCHOOL EXPO SAVE THE DATE
The DCSD School Expo is coming up on Saturday, September 27th from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM!
This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase all the amazing things happening at our school. 🌟 Come out, bring your Hornets pride, and help us REP OUR SCHOOL at this exciting district-wide event!
Let’s show the community why our school is the best place for students to learn, grow, and thrive. 💙💛
#DCSDExpo #WeRepOurSchool #TeamHornets
STEM ATL is a dynamic partnership between the Georgia Tech College of Engineering and STEM Global Action with a mission to bring interactive, hands-on STEM experiences to youth in Atlanta and surrounding areas.
We are excited to invite you and your family to the upcoming STEM FEST—a FREE event designed to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, creators, and innovators!
👩🔬 Students will explore more than 60+ interactive STEM activities and demonstrations, discovering opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math while having fun with family and friends.
📅 Date: Saturday, September 27, 2025
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Location: Georgia Tech McCamish Pavilion, 965 Fowler St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
💲 Cost: FREE
👨👩👧 Who Can Attend: K–12 students and their families
✨ Don’t miss this incredible opportunity for family fun and STEM learning
Join us on Wednesday, October 8th, from 6:30 AM – 7:45 AM for Walk/Bike to School Day! Let’s celebrate healthy habits, reduce traffic, and start the day with wellness, energy, and fun.
A big thank you to the Safety & Wellness Committee for spearheading this wonderful initiative for our school community!
We look forward to seeing our students and families walking or biking together!
Do you have a 4th- or 5th-grade student who loves to dance? Don’t miss the chance to be part of our Elementary Competitive Dance Team!
📝 Registration is open now through November 18.
💃 Season kicks off December 1.
This is a great opportunity for students to showcase their talent, build teamwork skills, and represent our school with pride.
Key Dates:
- December 1st - First Day of Practice
- January 17th - First Match
- January 24th - Second Match
- January 31st - Area Championship
- February 7th - County Championship
This form includes critical information regarding your child’s dismissal plans and any medical needs, both of which are essential to ensuring your child’s safety and well-being on the first day and every day after.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter, we appreciate your partnership in keeping our Hawks safe and supported!
Please complete 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/
The drop-off times in front of the school are below:
7:00 am
Tardy bell 7:45
Morning announcements begin at 7:40
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.
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)
Walker Dismissal Protocol Update
The dismissal process for the Walker group is being slightly adjusted to ensure a smoother and more secure experience. Students will continue to dismiss from the side door; however, we will now be implementing a numbered tag system.
Each walker will be assigned a unique number. Parents or guardians must walk to the designated walker door and visibly display their child’s assigned number. This number will correspond to the student’s walker tag, which will be attached to their backpack.
For safety and accountability, students will only be released once the matching number is presented at the door.
Attendance & Dismissal Procedures Update
To ensure accurate attendance records and to maintain a safe and orderly school environment, we are updating our arrival and dismissal procedures:
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Late Arrival: Students arriving after 7:45 AM must be checked in by a parent/guardian inside the school office.
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Early Check-Out: If a student needs to leave school early, parents/guardians must come into the building to sign the student out prior to the start of dismissal.
These updates are in place to support accurate attendance documentation. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to helping us ensure that your students are safe during arrival and dismissal from school. 😊Thank you!
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
🚗✨ Arrival & Dismissal Reminders ✨🚶♀️
Reminder: As we kick off a successful school year, please review and follow our arrival and dismissal expectations to ensure a smooth and safe day for all students:
🌅 Morning Arrival:
🕖 7:00 AM – School doors open and breakfast begins.
🍽️ After breakfast – Intervention & Enrichment starts. This is a critical time for academic support and acceleration—please ensure your child arrives on time.
⏰ 7:40 AM – Breakfast service ends.
📣 7:40 AM – Morning announcements begin.
📘 7:45 AM – Instruction begins promptly.
🏁 Afternoon Dismissal:
🕝 2:15 PM – Dismissal begins & typically follows this order:
➡️bus riders
➡️ van riders
➡️ car riders
➡️ walkers
➡️ aftercare
Please remember that our buses must be in line first.
🕝 2:35 PM-2:40 PM – All students should be fully dismissed from classrooms.
🕒 2:45 PM – Students not picked up by this time will be sent to aftercare, and a drop-in fee will apply. Communication is key!
Late Pick-Up Procedures
In order to ensure the safety and supervision of all students, Hawthorne Elementary has established the following late pick-up procedures:
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Dismissal ends at 2:45 PM.
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Any student not picked up by 2:45 PM, upon arrival -parents will need to complete the Late Pick-Up Roster.
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Three (3) late pick-ups may result in a referral to the school’s social worker for additional support and follow-up.
Your partnership helps us create a safe and focused environment for all hornets. Thank you for your attention and cooperation!
After School Activities Are Back! 🎉
Afterschool Clubs that still have spots available!!!
Opportunities include:
EIM Dance (Various grade levels)
Use the link below to explore and sign up today, spots may fill quickly!
Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer for the DeKalb County School District! By signing on as a volunteer, you become a member of our team of professionals that proudly provides educational services to more than 93,000 students in our DeKalb County School District.
Steps to Complete the Volunteer Process:
Complete the Volunteer Application and Release Form:
Review and Complete the DCSD Volunteer Code of Conduct:
Complete the Mandated Reporter Training:
- Watch the Mandated Reporter Video and complete the quiz before attending a training session.
- Steps to complete the training:
- Create a free account
- Select State: GA
- Click on Child Abuse and Neglect Course: Mandated Reporter
- Start the course and complete the quiz
- Save or print your certificate and email a copy to DCSDvolunteer@dekalbschoolsga.org
- Training link: Mandated Reporter Course
Upcoming DCSD Volunteer Training (via Zoom):
Join a Zoom Session That Fits Your Schedule
Fall 2025 Volunteer Training Dates
Please select the Zoom session that works best for you from the options below:
September 24 – 12:00 PM
October 1 – 12:00 PM
October 8 – 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM
October 22 – 12:00 PM
October 29 – 12:00 PM
November 5 – 12:00 PM
November 12 – 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM
December 3 – 12:00 PM
December 10 – 12:00 PM
Join the DCSD Volunteer Training Zoom Meeting:
🔗 Join Zoom Meeting
📌 Meeting ID: 857 5784 5773
🔑 Passcode: 598219
Thank you for your dedication to supporting our schools! We look forward to your participation!
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