WEEK 15
🐝 The Hawthorne Hive Weekly Buzz
Greetings Hawthorne ES Community,
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Kerri Spitz and her incredible team of volunteers for their hard work in setting up the Scholastic Book Fair and supporting our students during the book preview sessions. Your dedication, time, and enthusiasm are truly appreciated and helped make this event a wonderful success for our Hive. We also want to thank all the parents who attended our 2nd Edition of Coffee in the Garden on Thursday, November 13th. Your presence, engagement, and support continue to strengthen our school community, and we are grateful for your partnership.
As we glide into Week 15—the final stretch before our Thanksgiving Break—I want to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the support of our incredible school community. Your partnership, encouragement, and engagement are truly what make Hawthorne ES such a special place for our students to learn and grow.
👨👩👧👦 November is Parent Engagement Month! We invite all families to join our school and district events. Your involvement is essential and deeply felt in our students’ success, and we are grateful for every moment you spend connecting, participating, and supporting our Hive.
🍂 Upcoming Events at Hawthorne Elementary!
This week is a busy and exciting one for our Hive as we celebrate Literacy Week, host our Scholastic Book Fair, welcome families for our Family Ties Luncheon, and come together for our much-anticipated Literacy Night. We look forward to seeing you at these events and celebrating the joy of reading, learning, and community together.
📖 Scholastic Book Fair — November 17th–21st
Our annual Book Fair will run all week long! Students and families will have the opportunity to explore and purchase books that inspire a love for reading. It’s a great way to support our school while stocking up on engaging books for home.
📅 DCSD Recognizes November 20, 2025 as Parent & Family Engagement Day
DeKalb County School District proudly recognizes Thursday, November 20, 2025 as Parent and Family Engagement Day—a day dedicated to celebrating the vital role families play in student success. At Hawthorne, we invite you to join us in celebrating by attending our Family Ties Thanksgiving Luncheon during the school day and our Literacy Night at 6:00 PM. Your presence and partnership make a meaningful difference in our students’ learning and growth.
🦃 Family Ties Thanksgiving Lunch — Thursday, November 20th (times will vary)
Families are invited to join us for a special Thanksgiving lunch celebration. This cherished Hawthorne tradition is a wonderful opportunity to share gratitude, enjoy a delicious meal, and celebrate the season together as a school family. Thank you for
🏕️ Literacy Night — “Hawthorne’s Camp Read-A-Lot”- Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 PM
We’re thrilled to host our unbelievably successful Literacy Night once again! Families are invited to join us for an evening of reading adventures, interactive literacy stations, and themed activities designed to spark a love for reading in every child. Come ready to “camp out” with a sleeping bag or blanket and enjoy the magic of literacy, Hawthorne-style! Mark your calendars and join us for this fun-filled week celebrating reading, family, and community. 🐝
⚽ Hawthorne Soccer Highlights
Our Hawthorne Hornets Soccer Teams continues to make us proud with their teamwork, effort, and school spirit!
- Our Red Team Hornets claimed their fourth consecutive victory with an impressive 8–1 win over Dresden ES and are now headed to the Area 1 playoffs!
- Our Gray Team Hornets put on an exciting performance, narrowly falling 5–4 to Sagamore ES in a hard-fought match decided by a final penalty kick.
- A huge thank-you to Mr. Barnes and Ms. McKandes for their dedication, encouragement, and support of our student-athletes. Your leadership continues to make a tremendous impact on our Hornet teams!
- Next Match: (Playoffs-Tournament Style) Saturday, December 6th at Adams Stadium 2415 N Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329 ( Time: TBD)
Let’s keep the energy high and cheer our Hornets on to another victory! 🎉
📅 Dates to Remember: (A Peek at the Week)
Scholastic Book Fair | Monday, November 17th - 21st -Media Center
- Beta Club Induction Ceremony - Wednesday, November 19th - cafeteria (5th grade) -9:00 am
- Thanksgiving Luncheon (K-5) |Thursday, November 20th (times will vary per class - a schedule is forthcoming
- HES Literacy Night Thursday, November 20th - 6:00 pm
- PBIS Celebration, Friday, November 21st
- Student Attendance Incentive, Friday, November 21st
📅 UPCOMING DATES
-Thanksgiving Break (No School)-November 24th – 28th
-Benchmark 2 Window Opens - December 1st-5th
-2nd PAC Meeting - December 3rd - 5:00 pm
-HES Spelling Bee - December 4th - cafeteria | 9:00 am
-Next Match: (Playoffs-Tournament Style) Saturday, December 6th at Adams Stadium 2415 N Druid Hills Rd, Atlanta, GA 30329 ( Time: TBD)
-Winter MAP administration - December 8th -12th
-4th/5th Grade Winter Wonderland Concert - December 11th (6 pm)
-Winter Class parties various times December 19th
-Winter Break, No School -December 22nd-January 2nd
Go Hornets 🐝
Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
TWITTER
"I Belong" Reflections Competition Update
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sarah Davis for spearheading this year’s Reflections competition and to Ms. Breier for supporting and guiding students as they brought their artwork to life. Thank you as well to our judges for generously donating their time, and to the parents who encouraged and supported their children throughout the creative process.
We are thrilled to share that Hawthorne ES has several outstanding submissions advancing to the state competition for consideration!
Below are the selected pieces that will be forwarded for state review.
DCSD 2026–2028 school calendars
The DeKalb County School District has officially approved the 2026–2028 school calendars.
Both years continue our commitment to balance instructional excellence with family time, planning, and professional growth. Key features include:
• 190 teacher contract days with four evening conference nights
• 180 days of instruction for scholars
• Dedicated teacher workdays and professional development opportunities
• Fall Break in October, Winter Break in February, and Spring Break the first full week of April
• Thanksgiving Break and a Winter Break that begins after all final exams are completed
• Independent Learner Day for remote learning and teacher PD
• Two inclement weather days each semester
• The last day of school for students before Memorial Day, with post-planning for teachers
These calendars reflect thoughtful planning to support teaching, learning, and wellness for our educators and families across DeKalb County.
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! ✨
Tech Café
Did you know that Instructional Technology hosts monthly Tech Cafés for parents?
These virtual sessions provide a fantastic opportunity for parents to learn about the digital resources used in DCSD classrooms.
The next Tech Café will be held on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at 6:00 pm. Please spread the word to your parents, students, and teachers.
For more information, visit the Tech Cafe Website at https://bit.ly/DCSDTechCafe
A huge thank-you to our parents and families for making daily attendance a priority. Your commitment to ensuring students are at school each day truly makes a difference! Consistent attendance helps students stay on track academically, build positive habits, and remain connected to their peers and teachers. Every day in class is an opportunity for growth, discovery, and success.
Attendance also impacts our school’s CCRPI (College and Career Ready Performance Index) — a measure of how well schools prepare students for future success. Strong attendance rates not only reflect student engagement but also strengthen our overall school performance. Let’s keep the momentum going, Hawthorne! Everyday counts, and every student matters!
Please see our grade-level attendance percentages for the month of October below. Our overall school attendance goal rate is 95%!
Parents and families, come out and show your support for our HES soccer team. Let’s fill the stands with Hawthorne Swarm, wear your HES spirit wear and cheer loud for our athletes as they compete each week.
📅 Date: Saturday, December 6th
🕘 GAME Time: (TBD)
📍 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
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
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 2nd - 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!
📊 CCRPI Scores Released – November 12, 2025
On November 12, 2025, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) will release the College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) scores for all schools across the state of Georgia.
These scores provide valuable information about how schools are performing in key areas such as academic achievement, progress, and readiness for the next level of learning. Shortly after the release, detailed data files will also begin to populate on the GaDOE website.
You can view the results through the public CCRPI portal here:
🔗 https://ccrpireportspublic.gadoe.org/ccrpireportspublicweb/Views/Shared/_Layout.html
We encourage families and staff to review the data as part of our shared commitment to continuous growth and excellence in education.
Why the Winter NWEA MAP Test Matters 🌸
The winter MAP test shows how much your child has grown academically over the school year. Teachers use the results to:
Measure progress from fall to winter
Plan lessons and support for next year
See how students compare to national goals
Parents can help by making sure their child gets plenty of rest and encouraging them to do their best, the test helps guide learning, not assign grades!
Georgia Milestones Assessment
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).
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:
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Late Arrival: Students arriving after 7:45 AM must be checked in by a parent/guardian inside the school office.
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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:
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Dismissal ends at 2:45 PM.
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Any student not picked up by 2:45 PM, upon arrival -parents will need to complete the Late Pick-Up Roster.
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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:
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@dekalbschoolsag.org
Website: https://www.hawthornees.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 2535 Caladium Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: 678-874-2802