LET'S STAY CONNECTED!

Dear HAE Families,

Thank you for helping make our Open House such a wonderful success! It was so exciting to see our families throughout the school and to celebrate the start of a new school year together. We are grateful for the incredible support and enthusiasm you continue to show our HAE Eagles!

Kindergarten through second grade students are wrapping up state testing, and grades 3-5 are beginning their state testing this week. We are so proud of our students for giving their best effort and showing what it means to be a leader in learning!

Next week brings two very special opportunities for our HAE community:

Our first Flag Raising and Deal Day

We would love for our families to join us as we celebrate our first DEAL (Drop Everything and Lead) Day of the year on Friday, September 4 at 8:45 a.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community and recognize our students for demonstrating leadership.

Kindergarten Donuts with Dads

We also invite our kindergarten families to join us for Donuts with Dads on the morning of September 4th! We look forward to welcoming our kindergarten students and their special guests for a sweet start to the day.

Thank you for partnering with us as we build a school where every child feels empowered to lead. We are off to a fantastic start, and we can't wait to see all that our HAE Eagles will accomplish this year!

At Hendricks Avenue Elementary, we are proud to be a Leader in Me Lighthouse Honor Roll School, where leadership is woven into everything we do. We believe every child has unique gifts and the potential to lead. Through the 8 Habits, we learn to be proactive, set meaningful goals, prioritize what matters most, work together effectively, listen with empathy, value the strengths of others, maintain balance, and discover our unique talents. These habits guide our decisions, shape our relationships, and inspire us to make a positive impact in our school, our community, and beyond. Together, we are growing as leaders, learners, and compassionate citizens who are ready to soar in learning and in life.

• 8/31 SAC Meeting @ 7:30
• 9/4 Kindergarten Donuts with Dads @ 7:30
• 9/4 DEAL Day @ 8:45
• 9/7 No School - LABOR DAY 🔨
• 9/15 PTA Meeting @ 8:30
• 9/18 Kindergarten Muffins with Moms @ 7:30
• 9/22 Family Fitness Night @ 6
• 9/31 SAC Meeting @ 7:30

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

Hello Hendricks Eagles!

My name is Michael Gasparino, and I'm excited to join Hendricks Avenue Elementary as your new PE teacher. As the parent of a returning Hendricks Avenue student, I've already seen firsthand what makes this school such a special place, and I'm grateful to now be part of the community as both a parent and educator.

Hendricks has a strong tradition of helping students stay active, make memories, and build healthy habits through programs like Running Club, the Walkathon, and other special events. I look forward to continuing those traditions while building on the strong foundation already in place.

My goal is to create a positive environment where every student feels seen, valued, and encouraged to grow. In PE, we'll focus on building confidence, supporting one another, celebrating effort, and learning that success looks different for everyone. I want our Eagles to leave class not only stronger physically, but also believing in themselves and lifting up those around them.

As we begin the school year, we'll also focus on our August PBIS Character Trait: Being Proactive. Being proactive means taking responsibility for our actions, making positive choices, being prepared, and showing leadership in everything we do. Whether we're learning a new skill, working as a team, or facing a challenge, I encourage our Eagles to take initiative and be their best every day.

I can't wait to meet our students and begin an amazing year together.

Go Eagles! 🦅

Coach G

For the month of September, we have a few different special activities going on in music! Fourth and Fifth grade are about to start a month-long project on music inspired by literature, with singing, movements, rhythmic improvisation, and Orff instrumental arrangements. Third grade students will begin their preparations for their Veterans Day celebration in November. Kindergarten, First, and Second grade will continue on with activities on instrumental and rhythmic exploration, including some songs for Hispanic Heritage Month. Looking forward to it.

A taste of great books! 3rd graders enjoyed a fun Book Tasting, sampling different books and playing a game to explore a variety of literary genres.

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.

This year, we will be using PikMyKid to manage student dismissal. If you need a hanging car tag, please let the front office know.

Thank you for your support in helping us ensure a safe and efficient dismissal process for all students.