LET'S STAY CONNECTED!

Dear Hendricks Avenue Families,

It was another wonderful week of learning at HAE! Our students have been engaged, working hard, and making great progress in their classrooms. Thank you for your continued support in helping make our school such a special place to learn and grow.

As you plan for next week, please remember that there will be no school for students on Monday, October 12, and Tuesday, October 13 due to a Teacher Planning Day and Professional Development Day.

We are also looking forward to Muffins with Moms on Friday, October 16, for our first-grade families. We hope our first-grade students and their special guests enjoy this fun opportunity to connect and celebrate together.

Thank you for being an important part of the Hendricks community. We wish all of our families a fantastic weekend, and we look forward to welcoming students back on Wednesday ready for another great week of learning!

Thank you for a great first quarter of classes! We look forward to welcoming ANA Martial Arts into our program. We are thrilled that Wize Computing and JCA Dance are in their second quarter of classes with us. With our family partnership, we can continue to grow our program and add the classes that you want.

🌟 Habit 3: Put First Things First

Work first, then play!

This week, we are focusing on Habit 3: Put First Things First. Leaders learn to take care of important responsibilities before moving on to things they want to do. At home, encourage your child to practice Habit 3 by completing homework, chores, or bedtime routines before screen time or play.

💬 Leader Line of the Week:
“I do the important things first!”

🏠 Try it at home: Ask your child, “What do you need to do first?” This simple question helps children practice responsibility, independence, and making good choices.

• 10/12 Teacher Planning Day - No School for Students
• 10/13 Teacher Planning Day - No School for Students
• 10/16 Muffins with Mom (Grade 1) @ 7:30
• 10/20 PTA Meeting @ 8:30
• 10/26 SAC Meeting @ 7:30
• 10/26-10/30 Red Ribbon Week (National Drug-Prevention Campaign)
• 10/30 Character Book Day Parade

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.

Hugs from Henry is new and improved! This year we’re celebrating before school so come to the auditorium between 8:00 - 8:20 for your birthday celebration and a picture with Henry! 🦅

Sign up today to attend our August & September birthday celebration next week!

Email: fohHugsFromHenry@gmail.com with any questions.

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

In PE, we have been practicing basic warm up stretches, cardiovascular exercise, and recovery activities while learning how our bodies respond to physical activity. Students are also working on their throwing and catching skills through partner activities and cooperative games. These lessons help build coordination, confidence, and healthy habits that support lifelong fitness.

We will be keeping the same schedule, meeting times, and overall structure that families have been familiar with in previous years.

Running Club Schedule

Beginning Tuesday October 27th, 2026

Grades K-5

• Tuesdays & Thursdays

• 8:00-8:25 AM

5th Grade Ambassadors

• Thursdays

• 3:15-3:45 PM

Students will be released directly to class following morning practice.

Parent Volunteers Needed

Running Club relies on parent volunteers to help supervise and support students during training sessions. (All volunteers must be registered DCPS volunteers.)

If you have any questions, or are interested in volunteering, please feel free to contact me at gasparinom@duvalschools.org

I look forward to helping our Eagles stay active, build healthy habits, and learn more about keeping their hearts healthy this year.

The music classroom is catching up with the seasons this October!

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!

Kindergarten: Students enjoyed reading The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything. After reading they practiced identifying story elements, including characters, setting, and events. They also created their own scarecrows inspired by the book.

Grades 1–2: Uh-oh! Another mystery! Why is Bonaparte falling apart, and how can his friends help him stay together? After reading Bonaparte Falls Apart by Margery Cuyler, students identified the problem and solution. They also made connections to Bonaparte Plays Ball to discover whether Bonaparte faces a similar challenge in another adventure.

Grades 3-5: The candy has gone missing and there's a mystery to solve! After reading The Stranger by Chris Van Allsburg, students worked collaboratively to complete seven grammar challenges and uncover clues to solve the mystery.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!

Students have been learning about the cultures and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries around the world. Throughout our lessons, students have explored flags, languages, foods, celebrations, animals, games and sports, art, and famous landmarks. It's been a great week of learning and discovery!

This week in art, Kindergarteners are using scissors and glue to create collages, 1st and 2nd graders are finishing their free form shapes, 3rd grade is starting their dragon eye project (featured) while 4th and 5th are creating forms and adding texture. Art Wish List: Hand sanitizer, baby wipes, kleenex.

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.