WEEK 21

Greetings Hawthorne Hive families!

We are thrilled to see our school community coming together to start the semester strong! Thank you to everyone who joined us on Tuesday for Spirit Night at Bell Street Tacos and on Thursday for our Amazing STEM Night. Your presence and support make these events truly special and inspiring for our students.

A huge congratulations to our dance team for their outstanding performance on Saturday! We are so grateful to Ms. Massey and Ms. Culliver for their exceptional leadership as our dance coaches—their energy, creativity, and dedication truly brought out the best in our students. A heartfelt thank you also goes to all the HES staff members and families who came out to support and cheer on our dancers. Your encouragement and presence made the event even more special and helped create unforgettable memories for our students.

Reminder: There will be no school on tommorow Monday, January 19th, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This day celebrates Dr. King’s tireless work as a leader for nonviolent activism and equality. His vision of fairness, compassion, and justice continues to inspire us to build a caring and inclusive school community.

As we continue welcoming families on campus, please be mindful of speed limits and practice safe driving when entering and exiting the neighborhood. Together, we keep our students, families, and community safe.

We also want to recognize our amazing parents, whose dedication, feedback, and participation are essential to our students’ success. Your involvement shapes our school and empowers our learners. Please take a moment to complete our GA Parent Climate Survey—your voice matters!

Thank you again for your support. Together, we are creating a semester full of growth, achievement, and inspiration!

We look forward to seeing parents on January 26th, 27th, and 28th:

• Parents of students in grades 3–5 for data talks

• Parents of students in grades K–5 who were individually invited for Parent/Teacher Conferences

Don’t forget to reserve your time via the links below. We appreciate your continued partnership in supporting our students’ growth and success!

📅 Parent/Teacher Conferences & Data Talks
During the week of January 26th Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held for students who did not meet their projected RIT growth on the Winter MAP assessment. Teachers will contact families to determine which parent/teacher conferences are mandatory. Once parents are informed, they can sign up via the links below!

Additionally, we will host a GA Milestones Parent Presentations in conjunction with Student Data Talks for ALL students in grades 3–5. The Georgia Milestones assessment has been revised, and it is essential that parents attend to learn how the assessment will be administered and how to best support their scholars.

📅 THIS WEEK

-January 19th -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Day (NO School)

-January 20th - Amira Dyslexia Screener (K-3) Window Opens

-January 21st- 100th Day of School

-January 21st- Pre-K3 & K4 Virtual Application Session - Register: https://bit.ly/prek34infonight

-January 23rd - Coffee in the Garden (7:30 -8:30 am)

-January 24th - DCSD Dance Team Competition | Redan HS (9:30 am)

📅 UPCOMING DATES

-January 26th - 3rd Grade Data Talks (8:30-9:30 am) /Parent Teacher Conferences

-January 27th - 4th Grade Data Talks (8:30 -9:30 am)/Parent Teacher Conferences

-January 28th - 5th Grade Data Talks (8:30-9:30 am)/Parent Teacher Conferences

📅 FEBRUARY

-February 11th - PAC Meeting PAC Meeting (5:00 pm)

-February 16th-20th - DCSD February Break

-February 23rd-February 27th - Scholastic Book Fair

-February 25th -(K/1st Grade Round Up & Interest Tour - (8:30 am)

-February 25th - HES Talent Show Auditions - 2:30 pm

-February 26th - HES Talent Show Auditions - 2:30 pm

-February 27th - African American History Month Program (9 am – in-person)

Go Hornets 🐝
Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
TWITTER

This week, we are kicking off our SchoolStore program as a school fundraiser! Parents, please take a moment to watch the short video below to learn how you can participate.

Students who return their filled-out Student Lanyard to school will receive a special participation prize. They can also earn even more great prizes as family and friends support the program. Don’t forget to send the Book Buddy Lanyard back to school—thank you for helping us make this fundraiser a success!

Please join us in welcoming Ms. Mingo, our new Pre-KK paraprofessional, and Ms. Jefferson, our new Special Education teacher! Both bring dedication, care, and a love of learning to Hawthorne, and we are excited to have them as part of our school family.

Welcome Ms. Mingo to Hawthorne!

We are thrilled to welcome Ms. Mingo, our new Pre-KK paraprofessional! A graduate of Berkeley College and Clayton State University and currently pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW), Ms. Mingo was born in New Jersey and raised in Barbados, bringing a rich blend of culture, care, and dedication to supporting our youngest learners. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, hiking, gardening, traveling, and reading. We are so excited to have her as part of the Hawthorne family!

Welcome Ms. Jefferson to Hawthorne!
Ms. Jefferson is delighted to join the Hawthorne Elementary family as a Special Education teacher! A Florida native who recently relocated from Jacksonville, she brings two years of teaching experience and over six years of working with children. Ms. Jefferson is passionate about helping students grow both academically and personally, with a special love for Science and Reading. She values family, enjoys football, and looks forward to building strong, positive connections with our students and families.

We are excited to share that two of our students have advanced to the state level of the Reflections competition! Congratulations to Varsha Mugunthan (5th Grade) and Vivian Hughes (3rd Grade) on this wonderful achievement. We are so proud of their creativity and hard work and wish them the best as they continue to the state level.

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) will administer the Amira Assessment to students in grades K–3 three times during the school year: Fall, Winter, and Spring.

Your child will take the Winter Amira Assessment during the testing window from January 20 to January 30, 2026. Amira is a digital reading platform designed to support early reading development. During the assessment, students will read aloud to Amira; Amira listens and analyzes their reading in real time. The assessment measures key early literacy skills, such as letter and word recognition, as well as oral reading fluency for students who are ready.

Amira provides immediate and accurate insights into your child's reading abilities. These results help teachers better understand each student’s strengths and areas for growth, allowing them to tailor instruction to meet individual needs. As a parent or guardian, you will also gain valuable information to support your child’s reading progress at home.

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child become a confident, successful reader.

As we move through the school year, it is important to remember that flu season is among us. Schools can expect that both children and staff may get sick during this time. In a recent survey and according to the CDC, more than two-thirds of children missed at least one day of school due to illness or injury in the previous year, with about half of those absences lasting 1–3 days.

We encourage families and staff to remain vigilant by practicing good hygiene, staying home when sick, and seeking medical guidance when needed. To help keep our school community healthy, please review the CDC resources linked below for up-to-date information on flu symptoms, prevention, and care.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our students, staff, and families safe and healthy this flu season.

🚗✨ Arrival & Dismissal Reminders ✨🚶‍♀️

As we continue a successful school year, please review and follow our arrival and dismissal expectations to ensure a smooth and safe day for all students. Our late student arrivals are starting to become a huge disruption to our classrooms and are impacting teaching and learning. Please make it a daily priority to have your child arrive to school on time, please see below.:

🌅 Morning Arrival:
🕖 7:00 AM – School doors open and breakfast begins.
🍽️ 7:15 AM –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:

• Dismissal ends at 2:45 PM.

• Any student not picked up by 2:45 PM, upon arrival -parents will need to complete the Late Pick-Up Roster.

• 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!

🌟 Thank you for your participation in our important surveys. So far we have 25 mid-year parent surveys and 126 Georgia Climate Surveys completed. Your feedback matters! (Please see links below to complete these surveys if you have not already.)

SAVE THE DATE - Wednesday, January 21, we will celebrate our 100th day of school with fun, hands-on activities! Students are invited to get creative and dress up as if they are 100 years old.

Not into dressing up? No problem! You can also participate by adding 100 buttons, stickers, or other items to a t-shirt be creative! Don’t miss this exciting day of learning, creativity, and celebration!

To support our school-wide attendance initiative, we are excited to announce a special prize opportunity for students!

Here’s how it works:

• Doors open at 7:00 AM.
• The first 100 students who arrive at school will receive a special prize!

We know that students with great attendance do better in school, and this is a fun way to celebrate your dedication to showing up and being on time. Make sure to be early and join us in building a school culture of success and strong attendance!

We are excited to invite our families and community to cheer on our students as they compete in our very first dance team competition!

📅 Saturday, January 24th
🕛 Doors open for spectators: 8:30 am
🕐 Performances begin: 9:30 AM
📍 Location: Redan High School- Address: 5247 Redan Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30088

This is a special moment for our dancers as they showcase their hard work, talent, and school pride. We would love to see our families in attendance to help encourage, celebrate, and support our students. Come out and be part of this exciting milestone, we hope to see you there!

Hawthorne Elementary will host Parent/Teacher Conferences, Student-Parent Data Talks, and Georgia Milestones Presentation. These events are designed to inform parents about their child’s academic progress on NWEA MAP and provide strategies to support learning at home.

Georgia Milestones Presentation and Student-Parent Data Talks

No need to sign up—just join us at one of the times below with your child:

• January 26th @ 8:30 - 9:30 AM - 3rd Grade Session w/ students and parents

• January 27th @ 8:30 - 9:30 AM- 4th Grade Session w/ students and parents

• January 28th @ 8:30 - 9:30 AM -5th Grade Session w/ students and parents

Parent Teacher Conferences at the times in the links below:

• Monday, January 26th

• Tuesday, January 27th

• Wednesday, January 28th

Important: Please sign up using the links below to reserve your spot for Parent Teacher Conferences. If you need a virtual conference, please notate that when you sign up and your child's teacher will send you a Microsoft Teams Meeting link.

This is a valuable opportunity to gain insight into your child’s learning, celebrate progress, and work together to support their success on the Georgia Milestones.

To learn more about Georgia Milestones, please see the Parent Resources section below.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Greetings Parents,
🎭 Hawthorne Talent Show Auditions — Sign Up Now! Is your child ready to shine on stage? Auditions for the Hawthorne Talent Show are coming up on February 25th & 26th @ 2:30 pm.

Dear Fifth Grade Families,

You are invited to attend a Rising 6th Grade Parent Tour sponsored by the Henderson Middle School PTSA. These tours provide a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the middle school experience and ask questions as your child prepares for the transition to 6th grade.

Tour Dates:

• Tuesday, January 27 at 9:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, February 11 at 9:30 a.m.

• Wednesday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m.

All tours will begin in the school’s media center. Please see the flyers below created by the HMS PTSA for additional details. We encourage all 5th grade parents to attend if possible.

La Amistad is continuing services for Hawthorne Elementary students and currently serves 18 enrolled scholars. The program provides free academic support, including homework assistance, reading and math support, and engaging educational activities designed to support Latino students.

Enrolled students are conveniently picked up by La Amistad on Mondays and Wednesdays, making participation accessible for families.

If you are interested in enrolling your child or would like additional information, please refer to the contact information located on the enclosed flyer.

Afterschool Clubs that still have spots available for second semester!!!

Opportunities include:

• EIM Dance (Various grade levels)

Use the links below to explore all options and sign up today, spots may fill quickly!

Hawthorne Elementary School is excited to share that i9 Sports spring sign-ups are now available! Registration must be completed by Friday, January 26th. i9 Sports is the nation’s largest youth sports provider, offering high-quality, community-based programs for kids ages 3 and up. Popular sports include flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, lacrosse, and tennis. i9 Sports is committed to age-appropriate instruction, fun, and teaching valuable life skills, including good sportsmanship, teamwork, and confidence. See flyer for details on how to sign your child up.

Pre-K3 & Pre-K4 Virtual Application Support Session designed to help families understand the process and prepare required materials ahead of time.

Date: January 21, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Location: Virtual
Register: https://bit.ly/prek34infonight

Join us for the last Parent Tech Café for the 1st semester! Parent Tech Cafe' is a virtual series designed to empower parents, guardians, and stakeholders with insights into the digital tools supporting teaching and learning across DeKalb County School District. See flyer to learn when sessions takes place. This is a great opportunity for families to explore the resources that enhance student success. Please help us spread the word to your school communities. Click here for more information: https://its.dekalb.k12.ga.us/TechCafe_202581813581964.aspx

The FY27 Budget Survey is now open, and we invite you to share your input as we begin planning for the upcoming fiscal year. Your feedback will directly contribute to enhancing the school experience for students and families.

Please take a moment to complete the survey by February 13, 2026. The survey is available in 16 languages to support all members of our community. Survey Link: https://survey.sogolytics.com/r/NJ7MYV

Thank you for your participation and continued partnership as we work together to support student learning

Please see the flyers below for more opportunities to engage with your child and support family learning at home. These resources are designed to provide additional support, activities, and tips for parents to help students succeed both in and out of the classroom. We encourage you to explore these opportunities and get involved your participation makes a meaningful difference!

Join us for upcoming sessions of our Parent & School Partnership Series! These sessions are designed to provide parents with strategies to support their child’s academic growth, well-being, and success.

Upcoming Sessions:

• Mental Health Awareness & Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences
  Sunday, February 2nd | 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.

• Vision Planning for Lifelong Learning, Including Creating Testing Affirmations & Celebrations
  Monday, March 2nd | 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
  Wednesday, March 4th | 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.

Location (ALL sessions): Pleasantdale Elementary School

We encourage all parents to attend and engage in these meaningful sessions to strengthen learning, celebrate growth and support student success!

🌅 Join us in January for #ForwardTogether Forums with Interim Superintendent Dr. Sauce. Hear themes from his entry survey and share your voice as we shape the path ahead for DCSD.

• Cross Keys 1/21 🕕 6–7:30 PM

• MLK Jr. 1/27 🕕 6–7:30 PM

#IStandWithDCSD #TheDeKalbDifference💙🧡

The Division of Information and Instructional Technology is excited to announce the upcoming 2026 DeKalb County School District Technology Competition, themed “Dare to Dream: The Future is Now.” This inspiring event will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Dr. Ronald E. McNair Middle School (2190 Wallingford Dr., Decatur, GA 30032)

Thank you for supporting Dekalb County's Digital Dreamers!

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. Click on link below, this document was created by the District and is designed to assist you in registering to be a volunteer with the DeKalb County School District. Please complete the following steps to become a DCSD Volunteer. The process for volunteering takes about 30 minutes total and includes about 20 minutes of online mandatory child abuse reporting training required by the State of Georgia for all volunteers.

Steps to Complete the Volunteer Process:

1. Complete the Volunteer Application and Release Form:

• English Application
• Spanish Application

2. Review and Complete the DCSD Volunteer Code of Conduct:

• English Code of Conduct
• Spanish Code of Conduct

3. 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

2026 Volunteer Training Dates (COMING SOON)

Please select the Zoom session that works best for you from the options below:

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!

Families in DeKalb County can access free meals at eight convenient distribution centers across the district. Meals are available to anyone in the community, and each site offers pick-up on scheduled dates each month. See below for the full list of locations, dates, and times.- Click for details:https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/divisions/wrap-around-services/food-distribution

We know that parents and family members play an essential role in students’ educational success. When schools and families work in partnership, children will succeed at new levels.

The link below, parents and family members of students in Georgia’s K-12 public schools can explore the wealth of resources and services offered through GaDOE. Discover important information on Georgia’s K-12 standards, programming to support your student, ways to get involved, and more.

Let’s keep the momentum going! Just 5 minutes a day of logging your child’s reading on Beanstack can help us climb even higher on the county-wide leaderboard!

📚 Here’s how you can help as a parent:

• Encourage your child to read daily and log their minutes in Beanstack, every minute counts!
• Parents can track progress and celebrate milestones together with their children.

Together, we can build a powerful culture of reading at HES, one page at a time! ✨

The ACCESS for ELLs test is an annual assessment for students learning English in grades K–12. It measures progress in listening, speaking, reading, and writing to help teachers support students’ language growth. Testing will take place in January, and results help determine students’ English proficiency and placement for the next school year. Please check out overview video below. You can learn more about the ACCESS test here: https://wida.wisc.edu

In April, students in grades 3, 4, and 5 are required to take the Georgia Milestones Assessment. This test will include Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science (5th grade only). A practice test is available online, with questions set up and structured just like the actual assessment.

Please log on to see what will be expected of your child in April. See video below for more support. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher. We look forward to partnering with you.

https://www.gaexperienceonline.com/

1. Click "Test Practice, Guides, Samples"
2. Click "Online Testing Tools"
3. Click "End of Grade EOG"
4. Click "Test Practice"
5. Click "Online Standard Tools"
6. Click"3rd, 4th, or 5th Grade"
7. Click "Continue"
8. Click "Test Practice for 3rd, 4th, or 5th"

9. Click "Play Audio"
10. If your sound is working, click "Sound is Working"
11. Read the directions. Use the blue arrows to navigate through the directions.
12. Click "Begin Test"
(There is a tool bar at the top to assist while testing).

The drop-off times in front of the school are below:

7:00 am

MORNING INTERVENTIONS & EXTENTIONS TIME DAILY - 7:15 am

Tardy bell - 7:45 am

Morning announcements begin at 7:45 am

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:

• Late Arrival: Students arriving after 7:45 AM must be checked in by a parent/guardian inside the school office.

• 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

**** DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE ****

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