LET'S STAY CONNECTED!

Dear HAE Families,

Thank you for helping make our Veterans Day program such a meaningful and memorable event. We are incredibly grateful for your participation, support, and presence as we came together to honor those who have served our country.

A special and heartfelt thank you to all of our veterans. Your courage, sacrifice, and dedication have protected the freedoms we enjoy every day. It was our privilege to celebrate and recognize you.

We also want to thank our students, staff, families, and community members who contributed to making the program so special. The pride, respect, and gratitude shown throughout the ceremony reflected the very best of our HAE Eagle community. As a reminder, there is no school on Wednesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

We had a wonderful week of learning and a great Drop Everything and Lead day today! Thank you for ensuring your children come to school ready to learn, lead, and give their best effort. We encourage all students to read at home each night, practice math skills and arrive at school prepared for a great day of learning each. Together, let's work hard and continue soaring to new heights as HAE Eagles!

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns. We truly appreciate your support and partnership.

Sincerely,

Principal Rose-Hamann

Our F.A.S.T Progress Monitoring 2 (PM2) State Testing for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade will begin on Monday, November 30, 2026!

Families will receive additional communication outlining specific testing dates.

Attendance Matters! We kindly ask that families make every effort to ensure students are present and arrive at school on time during these important testing weeks. Our goal is to provide a positive, supportive, and distraction-free testing environment where every Eagle can demonstrate the academic growth they have made since the first progress monitoring window.

Save the date! Third quarter registration opens on 12/1 with classes beginning in January.

What a wonderful Veteran's Day program we shared with our school community! It was a pleasure to host and recognize so many men and women that have served our country.

November is Habit 4: Think Win-Win

How many times have we heard someone say ' that's unfair'? Chances are it is a lot. Instead of thinking only of ME you should think of the WE. When it is a ME activity, it is alright to work independently and focus on yourself. When it is a WE activity, taking everyone's ideas and creating a plan together helps everyone to feel included. That's what we call ' THINK WIN-WIN'!

⭐Leader Line of the Week⭐

Everyone can win with a compromise!

• 11/11 Veterans Day - No School
• 11/18 Spirit Night @ Chipotle
• 11/20 Muffins with Moms for Grade 2 @ 7:30
• 11/23-11/27 Thanksgiving Break
• 11/30 SAC Meeting @ 7:30

Regular attendance is an important part of student success! When students come to school each day and arrive on time, they have more opportunities to learn, build relationships, develop important skills, and stay connected to their classroom community. Even a few missed days can add up and make it more difficult for students to keep up with new learning.

Attendance matters. Every day counts. Every minute matters.

It’s almost time for our November "Hugs from Henry" Birthday party!

Date: Friday 11/13

Time: drop in any time between 8:00 - 8:20 AM

Place: HAE Auditorium

Sign up for this Friday’s November birthday celebration by the end of the day Thursday, 11/12.

We’ve revamped our celebrations to kick off your student's special day with maximum fun. Instead of an afternoon gathering, we are moving the party to the morning (before school starts) so our birthday stars can start the day off with some fun!

What is Hugs from Henry?

Before-School Birthday Bash: Join us in the HAE Auditorium from 8:00 AM – 8:20 AM on your student's celebration date. We’re bringing high energy with music, hula hoops, photo ops, and lots of birthday fun!

Photo op with Henry the Eagle: Photo op for each student with Henry is delivered electronically via email or text.

Special Birthday Treats: Per updated district guidelines, we will be providing a sweet bagged treat from Henry to replace the traditional cupcakes.

Flexible Attendance: We know mornings can be busy! If your child happens to miss their designated birthday month celebration, don't worry—they are always welcome to join in on a future month's party.

Giving back: for every student who registers, a book is donated to an HAE classroom library, dedicated in honor of your student with a "Hugs from Henry" bookplate inside!

We will send out a quick text reminder to enrolled parents the day befofe each event so you remember to drop your student off on time for the party.

Sign Up Early! Registration is open for the whole school year, so you can sign up today for any upcoming celebration! Don’t wait until your student’s birthday month approaches—enroll now so it doesn't fall through the cracks later in the year.

Register your student (all grades are welcome!) today at FriendsOfHendricks.com/Hugs-From-Henry!

If you have any questions, email us at fohHugsFromHenry@gmail.com. Thank you for supporting our school and helping build our classroom libraries!

Why is the 1 mill back on the ballot this November?

The current 1-mill was approved by Duval County voters in 2022, and under Florida law, voters must consider its continuation every four years.

The 1 mill has helped support teacher compensation and efforts to recruit and retain qualified, certified educators. Since 2022, teacher vacancies have declined, teacher retention has increased, and Duval County Public Schools has become an A-rated district for two consecutive years.

As we approach the November election, we’ll be sharing factual information to help our school community understand what the 1 mill is, how the funding is used, and what voters will be asked to consider.

For more FAQs visit the DCPS website - https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/vote-faqs

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.

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.

Parents and guardians, please ensure that you have your car tag readily available during dismissal. Car tags should be clearly displayed when going through the car line and in hand when picking up your child as a walk-up.

Having your car tag ready helps us verify dismissal information and keeps the process safe, organized, and moving as efficiently as possible.

If you are in need of a car tag, please stop by the Main Office to pick one up as soon as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal process for all of our students!

Parents and guardians, please ensure that you have a valid photo ID with you when attending events or visiting our campus. Having your identification readily available helps us maintain a safe and secure environment for our students, staff, and families.

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

As we wrapped up our basketball dribbling unit in PE, students demonstrated great growth in their ball-handling skills, control, and confidence. Throughout the unit, they practiced dribbling with both hands, changing speeds, and moving safely while maintaining control of the basketball. We finished with fun skill challenges and games that allowed students to apply what they learned while showing teamwork, perseverance, and good sportsmanship.

Kindergarten and First Grade students will work on melodic contour and musical form through listening maps, scarves, and instruments. Second and Third Grade students will begin combining pitched and unpitched instruments with songs. Third Grade will also continue polishing their Veterans Day program as they prepare for their upcoming performance. Fourth and Fifth Grade students will return to Orff arrangements while exploring more complex rhythmic values. They will combine pitched and unpitched instruments with song and movement to strengthen their musical skills and creativity.

We are looking forward to a wonderful month of music, movement, and learning at HAE!

HAE Votes!

Election Day came to life at HAE! After learning about the importance of voting and participating in election-themed activities, students had the opportunity to step into the voting booth and cast their ballots. Each student completed a ballot featuring three questions and even experienced electronic voting as they selected their favorite storybook character. It was a fun and engaging way for students to learn about the voting process and the importance of making their voices heard. A big thank you to PTA and Mrs. Halil for creating our ballots and super cute ballot box.

5th grade students are getting creative with sculptures. 4th graders are finishing their contest submissions for the FOH Walkathon while K-3 are focusing on the art principle Unity.

Art Wish List: Hand Sanitizer

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.