WEEK 11
Greetings Hawthorne ES Community,
We hope you had a relaxing and joyful fall break! As we return to our routines, we want to take a moment to thank you for an incredible week leading into the break. Your engagement and support are what make Hawthorne such a special place for our students. A heartfelt thank you to the Hawthorne PTA for their ongoing commitment to wellness and for generously providing a catered lunch for our faculty and staff on October 10th. Your thoughtful support helps nourish and uplift our entire school community, and we truly appreciate all that you do to make Hawthorne a wonderful place to learn and work.
Thank you for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month/Spirit Week with us, for attending Fall/Parent-Teacher Conferences, for braving the weather during our Walk/Bike to School Day, and for showing up in full force at International Night. We’re also grateful to those who joined us for the Hawthorne Foundation’s very first Coffee in the Garden event in our STEM garden—it was a lovely way to build community in a beautiful space.
As we continue through the month of October, we want to recognize and support two important causes that impact many in our communities and beyond. 💗 Breast Cancer Awareness Month - October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month—a time dedicated to raising awareness, honoring survivors, and remembering those we've lost. In support of this cause, we invite all students, staff, and families to participate in Pink Out Day on Monday, October 20th. 👉 Wear pink 💗💓🎀from head to toe to show your support for breast cancer awareness, early detection, and research efforts.
🟠 Bullying Prevention Month
October is also National Bullying Prevention Month, a time to come together to promote kindness, inclusion, and respect for all. Wednesday, October 22nd is Unity Day – Wear Orange! 🧡 On Unity Day, we invite all staff and students to wear orange to show their support for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. This national event, created by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, is part of National Bullying Prevention Month and serves as a powerful reminder that we are stronger together.
Now, we're looking ahead to one of the most important events of the year—the Hawthorne Foundation’s Annual Fall Fundraiser, happening on Saturday, October 25th. This is our biggest fundraising event of the year, and we need all hands on deck from our amazing school community!
Funds raised during this event directly support essential programs, classroom resources, and enrichment opportunities that benefit every Hawthorne student. It’s an Adult only celebration—and a chance for all of us to come together in support of our school.
We truly hope to see you there. Your attendance and participation make a real difference. Please see the flyer below for full event details and ways to get involved.
DATES TO REMEMBER: (A PEAK AT THE WEEK)
-PINK OUT DAY- WEAR PINK in SUPPORT OF BREAST CANCER - October 20th
-Wear Orange - UNITY DAY in SUPPORT of Bullying Prevention month - October 22
-The 1st Soccer game of the year, Saturday October 25th | 2:00 pm -Adams Stadium
2415 N Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329 (GRAY team plays at 2:00 pm and RED team plays at 3:00 pm)
-Hawthorne Foundation Fundraiser - October 25th | 6:00 pm -10: 00 pm | See Flyer Below
-UPCOMING DATES
-Red Ribbon Week October 23 to October 31 | See Flyer Below
-PAC Meeting October 29 | 5:30 - 6:30 pm - Microsoft Teams link will be forthcoming
-Book Character Parade October 31st | 8:00 am
-Independent Learner/Prof Development Day-Tuesday, November 4th
-National STEM Day-Friday, November 7th
-Movie Night- Friday, November 7th (6pm)
-Thanksgiving Luncheon (K-5)-Thursday, November 20th (times vary per class)
-HES Literacy Night Thursday, November 20th - 6:00 pm
-Thanksgiving Break (No School)-November 24th – 28th
Go Hornets 🐝
Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
TWITTER
📚 Let’s Grow Our Reading Together!
As part of our literacy push for the month of October, we’re excited to RE-introduce to some Beanstack, a fun and engaging way for students to track their reading and participate in school-wide challenges!
Students will soon begin weekly reading challenges, and we need your support to help make this initiative a success. Parents can use Beanstack to encourage daily reading habits and celebrate milestones right alongside their children.
📖 Check out our library checkouts just from last week! Our students are already showing amazing excitement for reading, let’s keep the momentum going!
🎥 Learn more about Beanstack here:
Watch the video
Together, we can build a strong culture of reading at HES, one page at a time! ✨
Parents and families, come out and show your support for our HES soccer team at their first game of the season! Let’s fill the stands with Hawthorne Swarm, wear your HES spirit wear and cheer loud for our athletes as they kick off an exciting season!
📅 Date: Saturday, October 25th
🕘 Time: 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM - (GRAY team plays at 2:00 pm and RED team plays at 3:00 pm)
📍 Place: Adams Stadium
2415 N Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329
Let’s show our Hornets some love and school spirit as they represent Hawthorne ES!
🎟️ Purchase Tickets: https://gofan.co/app/school/GA3487
📹 Review DCSD Stadium Policies: https://youtu.be/0Ompg6SPArc
#GoHornets #HESSoccer #FeartheSwarm
Registration is open for the 2025-2026 Elementary Basketball season!
All 4th and 5th-graders can join this FREE program, designed to keep students active and engaged while having fun with their classmates.
Season: January 26 – April 18, 2026
Requirements: Sports Physical
Registration is open now through October 30, 2025. Don’t miss out!
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
i9 Sports
We are now registering for our Winter 2025 sports season. For this season, i9 Sports offers flag football (ages 4-13), soccer (ages 3-8), basketball (ages 4-12) and Girls Only Volleyball Instructional Clinic (ages 9-14). We have locations in Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Chamblee, Tucker & More!
All this information is on our digital flyer (attached below) for you to distribute to your school community through your website, social media, eblasts, etc. Please post it now through October and send it out to your school community asap for early registration savings.
We look forward to working with you again this season and providing another opportunity for $10 per registration.
Thank you for your partnership with i9 Sports!
Action Required: Complete Student Information Form
If you have not yet completed this form in the link below, please do so as soon as possible. Having this information on file is essential for your child’s safety and participation it ensures we are prepared for field trips, medical needs, and other important school activities.
👉 Your timely response helps us take the best care of your child. Thank you for your cooperation!
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
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
🚗✨ 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:
-
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!
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:
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@dekalbschoolsga.org
Website: https://www.hawthornees.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 2535 Caladium Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: 678-874-2802