LET'S STAY CONNECTED!

Dear HAE Families,

What an amazing DEAL (Drop Everything and Lead) Day we had! Thank you to all of the families who joined us. It was so much fun to see everyone together as we celebrated leadership, teamwork, and all of the wonderful things happening at HAE.

We also greatly appreciate everyone who attended our first Donuts with Dads event. It was a fantastic opportunity for kindergarten students and their special guests to spend time together and build connections within our school community.

A special thank you goes to our PTA for getting our fundraiser up and running. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication in supporting our students and staff.

It is hard to believe we are already in the middle of the first nine weeks! We are wrapping up our first round of state testing and students are fully engaged in learning. Teachers will soon begin preparing progress reports. This is a great time to check in on your child's progress and schedule a parent conference if you would like to discuss academic goals, growth, or any questions you may have. Strong communication between home and school is one of the best ways to support student success.

As we head into the Labor Day weekend, I encourage all students to continue building strong reading habits by reading for 20-30 minutes each day. Consistent reading makes a tremendous difference in student achievement and helps foster a lifelong love of learning.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. Have a safe, relaxing, and wonderful weekend!

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

Save the date! Second quarter class registration open 9/7 and closes 10/5. Stay tuned for our schedule including several new classes!

Here at Hendricks Avenue Elementary, we don’t just talk about the 8 Habits, we LIVE them!

On Friday, we celebrated our very first DEAL Day (Drop Everything and Lead)! It was an incredible opportunity for our students to demonstrate leadership in their classrooms, throughout our school community, and within our neighborhood community.

We are so proud of our students for putting the 8 Habits into action and showing what it truly means to be a leader! A huge THANK YOU to our families and community members who came out to support our first DEAL Day. Your presence and encouragement helped make the day extra special!

At Hendricks Avenue, leadership isn’t just something we learn. It’s who we are!

• 9/7 No School - LABOR DAY 🔨
• 9/14 FOH Chick-Fil-A @7 Lakewood
• 9/15 PTA Meeting @ 8:30
• 9/18 Kindergarten Muffins with Moms @ 7:30
• 9/22 Family Fitness Night @ 6
• 9/28 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.

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

We’re kicking off the 2026–2027 school year with our annual PTA fundraiser—and it’s our one and only online fundraiser of the year! This year, we’re setting our sights HIGH with a goal of $60,000+ in sales! 🎯

Why does $60,000 matter? Because every purchase and every donation helps our PTA provide the programs, events, enrichment, and memorable experiences that make Hendricks Avenue Elementary such a special place for our students.

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP

FIRST THINGS FIRST: Check out the attached Fundraiser Details

Take a few minutes to review the attached flyer for all the important details, including how to shop, register, share, earn prizes, and help us reach our $60,000+ goal!

SHOP. Browse amazing products from top brands through ShopFund.com, with 40–70% of every purchase coming directly back to our PTA.

SUPPORT. You can also make an online cash donation! Every $30 online donation counts as one item sold toward student prizes.

SHARE. Register and share your personal fundraising link with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. You never know who might be looking for a great product—or simply want to support our Eagles!

SPREAD THE WORD. The more our community shares, the closer we get to our $60K goal—and the more opportunities we can create for our students.

🎉 AND YES… THERE ARE PRIZES!

Students can earn daily prizes, bonus prizes, Believe Kids prizes, and exciting PTA incentive parties along the way!

📅 FUNDRAISER DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2026

Ready to take flight? Scan the QR code on the attached flyer to shop, register, or make an online donation.

If you’d like to donate directly to the Hendricks Avenue Elementary PTA by cash or check, please use the envelope provided or visit the front office for more information. Please note that cash/check donations do not qualify for daily prizes or Believe Kids student prizes. Online cash donations do qualify, with each $30 donation counting as one item sold toward prizes.

Questions? Please contact Carlie Peyton at carliepeyton@gmail.com.

Thank you for showing up for our students, teachers, and school community. Your support truly makes a difference—and together, we can make this our biggest and best fundraiser yet!

🦅 SHOP. SUPPORT. SOAR TOGETHER. LET’S GET OUR EAGLES FLOCKING & SOARING TOWARD $60,000+!

Hello HAE Families,

I am excited to announce that HAE Running Club registration is now open.

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

Running Club is open to all students in grades K-5. Whether your child enjoys running, jogging, or walking, everyone is welcome. The goal is to stay active, set personal goals, and build healthy habits through movement. Sometimes the biggest benefits come from simple daily activity, and Running Club is a fantastic way for students to discover how small steps can make a big difference in their overall health and well-being.

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.)

Registration

Please complete the registration form below if your child would like to participate:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/iZBRc39sG3

Registration Deadline

To allow time for planning, organizing group lists, and coordinating volunteers, all registrations must be submitted by Friday, October 9, 2026.

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.

For the month of September, we have a few different special activities going on in music! Fourth and Fifth grade are about to start a month-long project on music inspired by literature, with singing, movements, rhythmic improvisation, and Orff instrumental arrangements. Third grade students will begin their preparations for their Veterans Day celebration in November. Kindergarten, First, and Second grade will continue on with activities on instrumental and rhythmic exploration, including some songs for Hispanic Heritage Month. Looking forward to it.

Did you have a toy you just couldn't live without? Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students have been learning about the elements of fiction through Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.

Ask your student to retell the story of Knuffle Bunny and share what happened to Trixie and her favorite bunny.

Continue the adventure with the third book in the series, Knuffle Bunny Free: An Unexpected Diversion, and discover where Trixie and Knuffle Bunny’s journey takes them next!

5th graders working on their Lighthouse collages!

3rd graders creating landscapes with watercolor!

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.

This year, we will be using PikMyKid to manage student dismissal. If you need a hanging car tag, please let the front office know.

Thank you for your support in helping us ensure a safe and efficient dismissal process for all students.