LET'S STAY CONNECTED!

Dear HAE Families,

We have officially reached the end of our first week, and we hope everyone is enjoying the start of a wonderful school year! Our students and staff have been working hard to establish routines, build relationships, and create a positive learning environment. It has been exciting to see our school community coming together to establish strong rituals and routines.

Next week, we will begin state testing for our primary (KG-2) students. These assessments give our teachers a snapshot of what students know and are able to do at the start of the school year and help us determine how best to support each child through differentiated instruction. Reports will be shared with families once testing is completed.

We would love for you to stop by on Thursday morning or evening to learn more about how you can get involved at HAE through our PTA and Friends of Hendricks. We have wonderful opportunities for families to become part of our school community, and this is a great chance to get connected. Please see the flyers below for additional information.

Please mark your calendars for Open House the following week-- Fifth Grade families will be invited to join us on Tuesday, August 25th, and KG-4th Grade Families will be invited to join us on Thursday, August 27th. This will be an opportunity for you to visit your child's classroom and receive important information about the school year.

As we continue setting into our school routines, please remember to have your child read each night and get plenty of rest. These habits make a tremendous difference in a child's ability to learn and be successful at school.

Thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and partnership. We are so excited for the year ahead!

With Appreciation,

Principal Rose-Hamann

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.

• 8/18 PTA Meeting at 8:30 a.m.

• 8/20 Scout Night
• 8/20 PTA and Friends of Hendricks Information Night at 6:00 p.m.
• 8/25 Grade 5 Open House
• 8/27 Grades KG-4 Open House; Hearing and Vision Screenings
• 8/28 Fall Portrait Day
• 9/4 Kindergarten Donuts with Dads
• 9/7 No School - LABOR DAY 🔨
• 9/15 PTA Meeting @ 8:30
• 9/18 Kindergarten Muffins with Moms
• 9/22 Family Fitness Night

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.

As we continue working together to ensure a safe arrival and dismissal for everyone, our crossing

guard has asked us to remind families of the following:

• Please do not turn left into the car line or enter ahead of vehicles already waiting in line. All vehicles should enter the car line by turning right and following the established traffic pattern. Cutting into the line can create unsafe conditions, particularly for students and families using the crosswalk.

• Please reduce your speed when exiting campus and traveling through the designated school crossing zones. These areas are especially busy during arrival and dismissal, and we want to ensure the safety of our students, families, staff, and crossing guards.

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

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.