Week 00 202'6-27 School Year

Greetings Hawthorne Hive Families! 🐝

Welcome Back to the 2026–2027 School Year! We are excited to begin another year of learning, growth, and innovation at Hawthorne Elementary School. Whether you are returning or joining our Hornet family for the first time, we're thrilled to have you with us!

A special thank you to our amazing PTA, Hawthorne Foundation, community partners, and volunteers for your continued support. Your partnership helps make our school stronger.

This year's theme, "Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM," reflects our commitment to working together to ensure every student and staff member thrives. This year, we are placing a renewed focus on student and staff safety, health, and wellness because a safe, healthy, and supported school community is the foundation for success. We are committed to creating a positive culture where everyone feels safe, valued, and inspired. Last year, our innovative learning experiences were outstanding.

At Hawthorne Elementary School, we are taking our commitment to Innovation and STEM to new heights by strengthening our instructional program through innovative, hands-on, real-world learning opportunities. Our commitment is to create engaging experiences that inspire curiosity, foster critical thinking, and prepare students to become the problem-solvers, innovators, and leaders of tomorrow. Together, as a school community, we are setting the standard for what an exceptional Innovation and STEM education should look like.

We encourage every family to stay connected, get involved, and partner with us throughout the year.

Let's move Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM!

Here's to an incredible 2026–2027 school year.

Go Hornets!

Go Hornets!🐝

Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
TWITTER

Please join us in giving a warm Hornet welcome to the newest members of the Hawthorne Elementary School family!

As with every new school year, we unfortunately had to say goodbye to some cherished members of our Hornet family. While we will certainly miss them, we are excited to welcome an incredible group of new staff members who are eager to become part of our school community and make a positive impact on our students.

We are thrilled to have these talented educators and support staff join our team as we continue our journey "Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM!"

New Hires

•Tiffany Hines – Pre-Kindergarten Paraprofessional

•Dominique Ridgeway – Special Education Paraprofessional

•Kaitlin Cherry – Kindergarten Teacher

•Queen Onifade – Special Education Teacher

•Jontanna Greene – Third Grade Teacher

•Katie Mino – Third Grade Teacher

•Mel Bush – Discovery/Gifted Teacher

•Subeidaliz Goggins – Kindergarten Paraprofessional

New Staff, New to Hawthorne ES, but not new to DCSD:

•Fatmeh Farokhi – Special Education Teacher

•Earl Chapman – Elementary Safety Associate

Former Staff with new positions this year

•Latangela Irons - 5th Grade Teacher

•Courtney Edenfield - 4th Grade Teacher

•Toyka Mingo - Kindergarten Paraprofessional

•Gamira Sprauve - ESOL Teacher

•Natasha Liu - Academic Coach

•Lakeisha Winston – EIP Teacher

•Latisha White – Special Education Resource 4th & 5th

•Tiffani Taylor - Special Education 3rd

•Chiquita Calhoun – Special Education 1st

•Karen King – Special Education 3rd

•Keshawnda Hutchinson - 1st Grade Teacher

The first day of school is Monday, August 3! Make sure your student is Day One Ready by visiting the 2026-27 DCSD Back-to-School website.

You'll find everything you need for a successful start to the school year, including:

• Important dates

• Student registration information

• School supply lists

• Transportation resources

• Health requirements

• And more

Visit the 2026-27 DCSD Back-to-School website today: https://bit.ly/4eQCylz.Please review the Hawthorne Elementary School Student Handbook attached below. Within the handbook, you will find a link to the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Student Code of Conduct Handbook, which outlines the district's expectations for student behavior, rights, and responsibilities.

Thank you for partnering with us as we're All In for the 2026-27 school year.

🌍 Did Your Family Travel This Summer? 🐝 Upload your Photos

We hope you had an amazing summer filled with fun, adventure, and unforgettable memories!

If you traveled this summer, we'd love to see where our Hornets explored!

📸 Here's how to participate:

• Start a new photo album on your phone titled 2026–2027 HES Yearbook to easily keep track of your favorite school-year memories.
• Upload your travel photos through TreeRing so your student can be featured in the 2026–2027 Hawthorne Elementary School Yearbook.

Whether you traveled across the country, visited family, explored a new city, or enjoyed a staycation, we can't wait to celebrate your summer adventures with our Hawthorne community!

Thank you for sharing your memories, and we look forward to an incredible school year as we move Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM! 🐝

Join us virtually on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. for our Parent Orientation & Annual Title I Meeting! Families will receive important information and resources to help ensure a successful school year.

💻 Meeting Link: Parent Orientation & Annual Title 1 Meeting

We look forward to connecting with our Hawthorne families! ❤️🖤

We can't wait to welcome our Hornets back! Join us for Open House on Thursday, July 30, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. as we kick off an exciting new school year at Hawthorne Elementary School!
To help ensure a smooth and comfortable experience for all families, we ask that you attend during the following time based on your student's last name:

A–L: 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
M–Z: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Open House is a wonderful opportunity for families to:

• 🦅 Meet your child's teacher and tour the classroom.
• 📝 Complete important back-to-school forms.
• 🚌 Receive bus route, class assignment, and lunch information.
• 💙 Join our outstanding PTA and Hawthorne Foundation and learn how you can make a difference in our school community.
• ⚽ Explore our student clubs, activities, and extracurricular opportunities.
• 🤝 Reconnect with friends, neighbors, and members of the Hawthorne family.

We look forward to partnering with our families as we begin another year of excellence. Together, we will move Forward Together for Results with Innovation & STEM and ensure every Hornet has a successful school year.

We look forward to seeing you, Thursday, July 30! 🐝📚🍎

Please mark your calendar for Saturday, August 1, at 9:00 AM and join us for a campus beautification day!

We’ll be working together to:
• Weed the STEM garden beds and flower beds
• Pick up trash around campus
• Help prepare our school grounds for a beautiful start to the new school year

Whether you can stay for an hour or the entire morning, your time and support will make a meaningful difference. We would love to have families, friends, and community members join us.

Please feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested.

Thank you for helping us create a welcoming environment for our students and staff. We look forward to seeing you there!

📢 Mark Your Calendars, Hawthorne Families! 📢

We are excited to welcome our Hornets back for another amazing school year!

🎓 Curriculum Night

🗓️ Wednesday, August 26, 2026
⏰ 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Curriculum Night provides a more in-depth look at what your child will be learning this year. Families will have the opportunity to learn about grade-level curriculum, academic expectations, grading practices, homework, communication, and much more.

This event is another opportunity to partner with us in your child's success. We look forward to seeing all of our Hawthorne Elementary School families there as we prepare for an incredible year of learning!

Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM! 🐝

Please review your child's bus route information. If you have any questions regarding bus stops, pickup/drop-off times, or transportation services, please contact the DeKalb County School District Transportation Dispatch Office at 678-676-1333 or 678-676-1305. Please have your child's name, school, and bus route number available when you call.

Please see email below for more information. https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/divisions/operations/transportation/dispatch

Please complete Meal Application Information 2024-2025. Only 1 Application Needed per Family: https://www.schoolcafe.com/

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.

Free and Reduced Meal Applications - Dekalb County School District

We are excited that our PTA is bringing back our Innovation & STEM-themed after-school clubs for the 2026–2027 school year! We are incredibly grateful to our PTA for sponsoring these amazing opportunities once again and investing in experiences that allow our students to explore their creativity, curiosity, and love of learning beyond the school day. This is what makes Hawthorne Elementary School so unique.

Our Innovation & STEM clubs are led by Hawthorne Elementary School staff, providing students with engaging, hands-on opportunities to learn, create, collaborate, and grow with teachers and staff they know and trust.

Visit the PTA table at Open House to learn more about the clubs being offered and how to register your child.

Club Details

• Mondays & Fridays
• 2:20 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
• Open to Pre-K through 5th grade students
• Students may be able to participate in more than one club
• PTA will work hard to place students in their first or second choice club selections.

We are excited to continue building a strong Innovation & STEM culture at Hawthorne Elementary School and can't wait to see our Hornets learning, creating, collaborating, and innovating together!

Please note that there are additional clubs offered throughout the school day—including Jr. Beta, Safety Patrol, Mentoring Clubs, Student Advisory, and more. Information about these opportunities will be shared soon, so be sure to look for updates in the SMORE newsletter.

Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM! 🐝

Registration is now open for 4th and 5th grade students interested in joining the Hawthorne Track & Field team this fall!

The registration window will remain open through August 14, 2026. Please see the attached flyer for registration information, meet dates, and season details.

If your child plans to participate, we encourage families to complete their sports physical over the summer so they are ready when the season begins.

We are excited for another great season and look forward to seeing our student-athletes represent Hawthorne with pride.

Please review the 2026–2027 DeKalb County School District Code of Student Conduct, which outlines students' responsibilities in helping to maintain a safe, respectful, and orderly learning environment.

• The Code of Student Conduct is available here:
  https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1784819613/dekalbschoolsgaorg/texavyab7ldnwczh6trp/2026-2027StudentCodeofConduct.pdf

The handbook includes important information regarding student records, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), reporting concerns such as bullying and harassment, the rights of students with disabilities, and other student rights and responsibilities.

• After reviewing the Code of Student Conduct, please sign, date, and return the
  2026–2027 Parent/Guardian Signature Page, available here:
  https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1784039413/dekalbschoolsgaorg/judxxd374x0gowgodgse/2026-2027SCOCConfirmationofReceipt.pdf

Please return the completed form to your child's homeroom teacher by Friday, August 7, 2026.

ALL returning DCSD students must complete online verification before the school year begins.

✅ If you already have a Parent Portal account:

• Review and update your information.

• Upload current proof of address and photo ID. How-to Video

✅ If you do NOT have a Parent Portal account:

• Create an account to complete verification. How-to Video

Questions? Email: registration@dekalbschoolsga.org

Our Hawthorne Elementary School PTA plays a vital role in making our school an incredible place for students, staff, and families. From supporting classrooms and organizing family events to providing resources that enrich learning, our PTA makes a lasting impact on our entire school community.

Research consistently shows that students achieve more academically when parents are actively involved in their education. That's why we encourage every Hawthorne Elementary School family to become a PTA member and stay engaged throughout the school year.

Together, we strive to strengthen the connection between home and school, support our teachers, enrich student experiences, and create opportunities that help every Hornet thrive. Our PTA proudly welcomes and values all families, ensuring every member of our school community feels included, respected, and empowered to make a difference.

Our PTA School Calendar is coming soon! Please click below to join our Hawthorne Elementary School PTA and view a copy of our First Semester PTA Events Calendar below. Join today, get involved, and help us make the 2026–2027 school year our best yet! Together, we are stronger as we move Forward Together for Results with Innovation and STEM! 🐝

2026–2027 Principal Advisory Council (PAC)

Know someone passionate about education and leadership? Encourage them to declare candidacy now. Hawthorne Elementary urgently needs one more parent to serve on our 2026–2027 Principal Advisory Council (PAC). This is a wonderful opportunity to have your voice heard, help make important decisions for our school, and support the success of all students. There are only 4 meetings per year. We can vote on the dates and times. The first meeting has to take place before October 31st.

PAC members:

• Promote transparency & shared decision-making
• Review the Continuous School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
• Help shape the school’s vision
• Serve as liaisons between school and community

If you are interested in serving, please complete the declaration form by Friday, September 4, 2026:

👉 Declare candidacy here:

https://form.jotform.com/electionbuddy/2026-dekalb-fall-pac-declarations

Questions? Contact schoolgovernance@dekalbschoolsga.org or (678) 676-0718.

Let’s build strong parent and staff leaders across DeKalb!

The Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation is looking for engaged parents and caregivers to help lead and support our work during the 2026–2028 school years. We have several two-year term positions.

✨ Open Leadership Positions

• Foundation Executive Board: Vice President, Secretary

• Committee Chairs: Communications, Care, Grants

The Hawthorne Elementary School Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to support a superior academic experience for every Hawthorne student through short- and long-term initiatives that directly benefit our school community.

💛 Recent Foundation Wins Include:

• Raising critical donations to support school priorities

• Partnering with school leadership to launch the Alliance Theatre Artist-in-Residence program, bringing professional teaching artists into classrooms through theatre-based learning

• Helping deliver the new outdoor classroom

• Supporting the Hawthorne mural, STEM garden, and campus-wide beautification and planting projects

If you’re interested in giving back, building community, and helping shape the future of Hawthorne, we’d love to have you involved!

👉 Learn more about the open positions and committee roles here:
Hawthorne Foundation - Committees

Questions? Curious but not sure where you fit? Reach out — we’re happy to talk!

Deanna Murphy and Elisha Smith, Co-Presidents: president@dcsd-hawthornefoundation.org

Sally Cargo, Treasurer: treasurer@dcsd-hawthornefoundation.org

Interested in helping shape the future of Hawthorne Elementary? Consider serving on the Principal Advisory Council (PAC)!

The candidate declaration window is open now through September 4, 2026.

Complete the declaration form here:
https://form.jotform.com/electionbuddy/2026-dekalb-fall-pac-declarations

For questions about the election process, contact schoolgovernance@dekalbschoolsga.org or (678) 676-0718.

Raising a Reader is a new animated literacy series created through a partnership between the Georgia Department of Education and Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB). Hosted by Emmy Award-winning Ashlyn Süpper, the series provides parents, families, and educators with practical strategies and engaging resources to support children's literacy development and foster a lifelong love of reading. Families are encouraged to check out the "Raising a Reader" videos available under the Resources section.

We love our volunteers! To volunteer at school or chaperone field trips, you must meet DeKalb County School District (DCSD) volunteer requirements below:

• Level I: Front Office Support, Cafeteria Support, Recess Support, Classroom helpers, Mystery Readers, class parties, Career Day, cafeteria, library, and other supervised school activities.
• Level II: Required for daytime field trip chaperones.
• Level III: Required for overnight field trip chaperones and volunteers who may work with students without direct supervision. Includes fingerprinting and is valid for 5 years (annual badge renewal required).

Please click link below to begin the volunteer registration process. If you need assistance, please send an email to: DCSDvolunteer@dekalbschoolsga.org or Demone_Gunter@dekalbschoolsga.org

We look forward to partnering with you this school year!

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