WEEK 37
🐝 The Hawthorne Hive Weekly Buzz
Greetings Hawthorne Hive Families! 🐝
Last week was filled with wonderful moments at Hawthorne! We proudly celebrated our former Hawthorne students during Purple & Gold Day as they returned for their Final Walk before graduating from Lakeside High School. We also cheered on our 5th grade students during the Georgia Milestones Math Retest and celebrated our outstanding student-athletes during the Hawthorne Hornet Sports Banquet. Thank you to our families for your support and participation in our End-of-Year Celebrations on Friday. Your energy, enthusiasm, and partnership helped make each celebration special, memorable, and filled with joy as we honored an incredible school year together!
A special thank you to Mr. Barnes, our Sports Liaison, and our dedicated coaches — Mr. Smith, Ms. Shegog, Ms. Lester, Mrs. Jones, Ms. D. Lewis, Ms. McKandes, Ms. Martin, Ms. Washington, Ms. Massey, and Ms. Culliver — for hosting an amazing Sports Banquet for our student-athletes. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and commitment to supporting and celebrating our students throughout the school year. We appreciate all you do for our Hawthorne Hornets!
In observance of Memorial Day on Monday, May 25th, there will be no school for students and staff. We wish all of our Hawthorne families a safe and restful holiday weekend as we honor and remember those who have served our country. We look forward to welcoming our scholars back on Tuesday, May 26th for the final week of the 2025–2026 school year!
Please also note that the after-school program has officially concluded for the school year. To help ensure a safe and smooth dismissal process during the final week, we kindly ask families to communicate their child’s transportation and dismissal plans with their teacher in advance.
Thank you for your continued partnership, support, and commitment throughout this school year as we finish strong together!
As we enter the final week of the school year, we are excited to celebrate the incredible accomplishments, growth, and hard work of our students during our End-of-Year Awards Programs and Fifth Grade Bridging Ceremony.
These special events provide an opportunity for us to recognize our students’ academic success, character, leadership, perseverance, and the many ways they have grown throughout the 2025–2026 school year. We warmly invite our families to join us as we honor and celebrate our students during the following events: We encourage families of students in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th grades to connect with their child’s teacher to see if their student will be recognized during our upcoming Awards Programs. Students will be celebrated for achievements in Attendance, Principal’s List, Honor Roll, Citizenship Reading, and Math.
Tuesday, May 26
- Pre-K Awards Program — 9:00 a.m.
- Kindergarten Awards Program — 10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, May 27
- 1st & 2nd Grade Awards Programs — 8:30 a.m.
- 3rd & 4th Grade Awards Programs — 9:30 a.m.
Thursday, May 28
- 5th Grade Bridging Ceremony/Awards Day — 6:00 p.m.
- Tucker High School Auditorium
Due to construction at Lakeside, the ceremony has been moved to the auditorium at Tucker High School to provide a more appropriate celebration space for students and families. Our Fifth Grade Bridging Ceremony/Awards Day will serve as a memorable celebration as we recognize our fifth grade students for their achievements and celebrate this important milestone in their educational journey as they complete their elementary school experience and prepare for the exciting opportunities ahead in middle school. We are incredibly proud of all they have accomplished during their time at Hawthorne Elementary and look forward to all they will continue to achieve in the future.
Thank you to our families, staff, and community for your continued partnership and support throughout this school year. Together, we have made this a year filled with learning, growth, celebration, and success. We look forward to finishing the school year strong and celebrating every student who helped make Hawthorne Elementary shine!
📅 This Week
-May 25th - Memorial Day (NO SCHOOL)
-May 26th- Pre-K | 9 am
-May 26th - Kindergarten Awards Day | 10 am
-May 27th -1st & 2nd grade (8:30 am) 3rd & 4th grade (9:30 am) -Awards Day Programs
-May 27th - 5th Grade EOY Event Day
-May 27th- 5th Grade final walk through | 1 pm
-May 28th -Last Day of School
-May 28th- 5th Grade Bridging Ceremony at Tucker High School Auditorium | 6 pm
Go Hornets 🐝
Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
TWITTER
We are excited to share that Hawthorne Elementary School earned 2nd Place in the 2026 DCSD Attendance Contest! This outstanding accomplishment reflects the collective commitment of our students, families, and staff to showing up each day ready to teach, learn, and grow together.
Thank you to our parents, scholars, teachers, and staff for prioritizing attendance and supporting student success throughout the school year. Your dedication, consistency, and teamwork helped make this achievement possible. At Hawthorne, we know that every day counts, and this recognition is a true reflection of our strong school community working together toward excellence.
Congratulations, Hawthorne Hornets! We are proud of this amazing accomplishment!
📣 Hawthorne ES Invites You to Join Our PAC!
Hornet Family, Hawthorne ES welcomes dedicated individuals who are interested in serving on our Principal Advisory Council (PAC) for the upcoming school year. We are currently seeking representatives for the following positions:
We are looking for:
🐝 2 Parent Representatives
🐝 1 Staff Representative
The purpose of PAC is to bring parents, staff, students, and community members together to build understanding, strengthen partnerships, and share ideas that help improve student achievement and school performance.
As PAC members, leaders will:
✅ Maintain a school-wide perspective on issues
✅ Serve as a bridge between the school and community
✅ Encourage family and stakeholder engagement
✅ Provide suggestions and solution-based concerns to help make our school better
✅ Work collaboratively to support student success, positive school culture, and strong community partnerships
PAC provides advice and recommendations to the principal and district leadership on matters related to school climate, student achievement, and community involvement.
We are looking for positive leaders who are willing to share ideas, collaborate, and help us continue making Hawthorne ES an amazing place for students, staff, and families.
If you are interested in serving on PAC, please keep watch for the declarations for the 2026 DeKalb Fall Principal Advisory Council. Together, we can continue building excellence at Hawthorne ES!
🎉 The 2025–2026 Hawthorne ES Yearbook has ARRIVED! 🎉
If you previously ordered a yearbook, your student will be bringing it home TODAY!
We are excited for our students and families to relive the amazing memories, celebrations, and special moments captured throughout this school year. 📚✨
Thank you for supporting Hawthorne ES and helping us celebrate another incredible year together!
📢 Hawthorne ES Yearbooks are still available for purchase!
💲 $27.25 + tax
📦 Orders placed now will be shipped directly to your home (shipping fee applies).
✅ Be sure to select the 2025–2026 SCHOOL YEAR when ordering.
To order, please access the direct link below.
👉 https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1014588341651501
OR
• Visit: www.TREERING.com
• Enter the school passcode: 1014588341651501
📸 Order today and celebrate the memories made this school year!
The DCSD Weekly Digest
Hello, DCSD Community! Click the link below for The DCSD Weekly Digest – May 18, 2026 Newsletter. Stay Connected and Stay Informed: https://bit.ly/4wBFvNH.
- 2026 Commencement Ceremonies
- DCSD Celebrates 22 Schools Recognized on Georgia’s 2025 “Beating the Odds” List
- Graduating Seniors Complete Dual Language Immersion Program
- 2026-2027 School Year Registration
- Cartwheel Summer Availability
- Memorial Day
- Last Day of School
- Literacy Plan Input Survey
- Career Fair
- Photos & Videos of the Week
- Weekly and Monthly Recognitions
Let's continue moving forward together because the strength of our community lies in unity and continuous communication.
🚗✨ 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!
We are excited to announce ASPIRE Aviation Summer Camp 2026 will be held June 15-19 2026 at the DeKalb Peachtree Airport! We teach for the 9-12 year old range, but exceptions can be made on a case by case basis. Camp runs from 8:00-5:00 each day, and lunch is provided. See the attached flyer for these details and a registration QR code, or click HERE to register.
There is no greater joy for an educator than watching a student light up after investing time and focus into understanding a challenging subject. At ASPIRE Camp, students come with different levels of knowledge and interest in aviation, but they all leave with a deeper understanding of the complex physics and operations of flight, and a greater appreciation for the wide variety of careers that support the world of aviation.
This summer, our campers will:
Crack the code on radio calls using the phonetic alphabet
Experience the Bernoulli Principle through hands-on experiments
Conduct a density lab simulating the layers of the atmosphere
Explore aviation weather through interactive demonstrations
Hear from inspiring guest speakers including dispatchers, pilots, mechanics, entrepreneurs, and engineers
Tour the Air Traffic Control tower right here at PDK
Participate in an aerospace physiology demo with flight nurses
Build a mini-wing with KSU’s Aerial Robotic Team
And much much more!
We still have slots open for camp this summer, so be sure to share with your friends for an unforgettable experience they will be talking about all summer! Once your camper is registered, we will be in touch with more information, including what to bring, what to expect each day, and how to prepare for our exciting camp activities. We never want funding to be the reason a student does not get to learn about aviation, so we work hard to help fundraise for scholarships as needed.
Thank you for joining us for an unforgettable week of aviation exploration, discovery, and hands-on fun; we cannot wait to help your camper spread their wings!
Warm regards,
Leadership Team
ASPIRE Aerospace Education 508(c)(3)
ASPIREAeroEd.org
The Globe Building, DeKalb-Peachtree Airport
1954 Airport Road Suite 113, Chamblee, GA 30341
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:
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
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!
🌟 Get Involved at Hawthorne! Foundation Board & Committee Openings 🌟
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 and hope to fill them by April.
✨ 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
Calling Future Vikings
Join the Lakeside High School Baseball Coaches and Players for their Annual Baseball Camp! This is a great opportunity for young athletes to build their baseball skills, learn from experienced players and coaches, and have fun on the field.
📲 Scan the QR code or click the link to register today!
👕 Register by Friday, May 8th to be guaranteed a camp t-shirt.
Come out, sharpen your skills, and be part of the Lakeside baseball tradition! ⚾
📚 Support Our School Through SchoolStore!
Thanks to your efforts, through the School Store program, we are truly grateful!
Your participation takes just minutes and helps provide important resources for our students and teachers. Thank you for your support! Click link to watch video to learn more:
🌸 North Briarcliff Spring Meet & Greet 🌸
You’re invited to a FREE neighborhood party to celebrate spring and connect with your community!
📍 Where: 2741 Overlook Dr Block + Mary Scott Nature Park
🗓️ When: Saturday, JUNE 6
⏰ Time: 12–3 PM
🎶 Music by DJ Stutter
🌮 Sweet Auburn Food Truck (12–2 PM)
🎉 Fun activities for all ages
🚗 Parking: Please park on nearby streets or at the Globe Academy lot on Briarcliff Road
Bring your friends, family, and neighbors—come hang out, meet new faces, and enjoy a great afternoon together. We can’t wait to see you there!
FREE MEALS FOR DEKALB FAMILIES
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
MAY SEL FOCUS
As we wrap up the school year, we want to share a brief update on the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) experiences your children have participated in throughout the year.
Our school counselors have provided students with age-appropriate SEL lessons focused on building important life skills that support both learning and well-being. These lessons included developing positive mindsets, setting goals, understanding and managing emotions, and showing empathy toward others. Students also learned strategies for problem-solving, building healthy friendships, and contributing to a safe and supportive school environment.
In addition, students explored personal safety topics, including understanding boundaries and knowing how to seek help from trusted adults. A strong emphasis was placed on helping students build confidence, recognize their strengths, and develop a positive sense of self. These lessons are designed to support the whole child and help students make thoughtful, responsible decisions both in and out of the classroom. It has been a wonderful year of growth, and our students are looking forward to a well-deserved break.
Thank you for your continued support as we work together to promote emotional well-being and success for every child.
WHAT IS BEANSTACK? HOW DOES IT HELP MY CHILD?
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.
See video from our DCSD Board Chair Mrs. Allyson Gevertz below, together, we can build a powerful culture of reading at HMES, one page at a time! ✨
GA K-12 Standards
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.
Parent ProTech is here!
Parent ProTech is an on-demand library of resources to help you with everything from social media to gaming, artificial intelligence to streaming, to preventing violence in schools with anti-bullying educational awareness. Their resources cover trends and what you need to know to inform and protect students online. They end every series with conversation starters to help you know how to begin conversations with your students around their favorite tech. Their full library is now available so you can stay up to date on the platforms our students are using.
Signing up is easy and FREE! Visit this link https://bit.ly/DCSDParentProtech and create your Parent ProTech account that will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to support your students online. Note: Please use your district email to create your account.
Please take a few minutes to view the introduction and walkthrough videos to learn more about this amazing resource.
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
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