WEEK 6
Greetings Hawthorne Elementary Families,
Our school year is off to an amazing start, and we are so grateful for the support of our school community!
🌟 Celebrating Excellence 🌟
We are proud to announce that Hawthorne Elementary School has been named a 2024–2025 National Beta School of Distinction! 🎉
This honor was awarded for increasing our club’s membership by at least 10% from last year. We are so proud of our students, Dr. Woods (Sponsor), and families who make this possible.
A heartfelt thank you to our PTA Board for supporting our staff in meaningful ways and to the Hawthorne Foundation Board for engaging with our team during the recent faculty meeting to introduce themselves and share how they support our school. With this kind of partnership, we are truly becoming the Professional Learning Community (PLC) we strive to be.
We would also like to extend a special note of gratitude to Kate Alpin for taking the initiative to coordinate playground repairs. With her proactive outreach to Playworx and the support of Coach Adrine, our students will continue to enjoy a safe and welcoming play space. Parents like Mrs. Alpin remind us of the power of teamwork in keeping our campus vibrant and student-centered.
We are also grateful to our parents who step up to help—whether it’s assisting with campus needs, coordinating repairs, or lending a hand at school events. Your dedication makes a real difference for our students and staff.
We have a busy and exciting week ahead at Hawthorne:
📅 Grandparents Day Breakfast – Monday, September 8 | 7:00–7:45 a.m.
📚 International Literacy Day (Pajama Day) – Monday, September 8 | Parents are invited to serve as guest readers! Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you’d like to participate.
📸 Fall Picture Day – Thursday, September 11
⚽️ 4th/5th Grade Soccer Team Parent Meeting - Thursday, September 11th 4:00 PM after soccer practice
🎯 Attendance Awareness Month – Every Friday in September | Celebrate with us in your Superhero/Avenger gear under our theme: “Your Presence Is Power!”
💜💛 Viking Day – Friday, September 12 | In honor of Lakeside High School’s Homecoming, wear purple and gold to show your cluster pride!
Thank you for being an active and supportive part of the Hawthorne Elementary community. Together, we create the strong foundation our students need to thrive.
📌 Upcoming Dates: 📌
-International DOT Day - September 15th | Staff & Students wear dots in celebration of Dot Day
-Attendance Superhero Avenger Dress Up Friday - September 19th
--Attendance Superhero Avenger Dress Up Friday - September 26th
-DCSD School Expo - September 27th -9:00 am - 1:00 pm
-DCSD Benchmark Assessment Window Opens - September 29th
-Fall Teacher Conferences - Starting September 29th
Go Hornets 🐝
Proud to Serve,
Principal Henley
#OneTeamOneDream #WeAreALLIN
September is Attendance Awareness Month, and this year our theme is “Attendance Avengers!” We are excited to celebrate students who show up to school every day and on time.
As part of the celebration, EVERY Friday in September, (September 12th, 19th, 26th) students are invited to dress up as their favorite Superhero Avenger! This is a fun way to recognize consistent attendance and remind our students that showing up is a superpower.
📌 Reminder: At the end of the semester, we will host our NBA (Never Been Absent) Party to celebrate students who have maintained perfect attendance.
Let’s work together to build strong attendance habits and make this month a success. We can’t wait to see our students in their superhero attire!
We are excited to invite all grandparents to Hawthorne ES tomorrow Monday, September 8th
as we celebrate Grandparents Day! Our wonderful PTA is sponsoring sweet breakfast treats just for you. Breakfast treats will be served from 7:00 am–7:45 am in the cafeteria. Your grandchild will pick up their regular school breakfast from the breakfast line and join you to enjoy this special time together.
We look forward to celebrating our grandparents and hope to see you there!
The Instructional Advisory Committee Presents Literacy and Family Day/DEAR Day
We are excited to announce that tomorrow Monday, September 8th will be our Literacy and Family Day/DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) Day at Hawthorne ES!!! 📚✨
This special day is dedicated to celebrating the joy of reading with our students and families. Throughout the day, students will participate in reading activities, enjoy shared stories, and have the opportunity to “drop everything and read” together as a school community. To make the day even more fun, students are invited to wear their pajamas while we cozy up with our books! In addition, parents are welcome to sign up with their child’s classroom teacher to come in and read aloud to the class.
We encourage you to also continue the celebration at home that evening by setting aside time for family reading.
"Thank you for your partnership in building strong readers! Together, we are creating a buzz and helping our students STING with success like true Hornets!"
We are excited to share that on Friday, September 12th, we will continue a special tradition!
Athletes and Cheerleaders from Lakeside High School will join us here at Hawthorne ES to help with morning car duty and to read with our students.
To show our school spirit and celebrate the Lakeside Vikings, we encourage students to wear purple and gold along with their Avenger outfits on Friday, September 12th.
Thank you for your support in making this a fun and memorable day for our students!
SOCCER SEASON COMING SOON
⚽ Ready to KICK OFF the season? ⚽
Attention #DCSD parents! Registration is OPEN for the 2025 Elementary Soccer season!
All 4th and 5th graders can join this FREE program, perfect for building teamwork, skills, and fun with friends on the field.
🗓️ Season: September 22 – December 13, 2025
✅ Requirements: Sports Physical
📲 Registration is open NOW through this FRIDAY, September 12, 2025. Don’t miss out! Sign up today below
Dear Parents and Families,
We invite you to join a parent informative session on Lexile and the importance of Lexile scores in supporting your child’s reading growth. This is a great opportunity to learn how to use Lexile measures to help your child select books, track progress, and strengthen reading skills. The session will be facilitated at Allgood Elementary School
Address: 659 Allgood Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30083
When: Saturday, September 13th (10:00 - 12:00 pm)
📌 Please see the flyer for full details.
We look forward to supporting your child’s reading journey together!
International Dot Day 2025 will be celebrated on Monday, September 15th! This annual event encourages creativity, courage, and collaboration, inspired by the beloved children’s book The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. The story highlights the journey of a girl who “makes her mark” with a single dot, showing that even small efforts can lead to big accomplishments.
Millions of people around the world—including students, teachers, and families—participate by creating their own marks and sharing them with others.
Here’s how your family can participate:
Learn – Read The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds to discover the story behind the celebration.
Register – Visit the official International Dot Day website to access free resources and a downloadable educator’s handbook.
Create – Make your own mark! Share your creations online using #InternationalDotDay and #MakeYourMark.
Join – Become part of a global community celebrating creativity and positivity.
We hope your child will join us in celebrating International Dot Day and making their mark on the world by wearing dots on Monday, September 15th.
DCSD SCHOOL EXPO SAVE THE DATE
The DCSD School Expo is coming up on Saturday, September 27th from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM!
This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase all the amazing things happening at our school. 🌟 Come out, bring your Hornets pride, and help us REP OUR SCHOOL at this exciting district-wide event!
Let’s show the community why our school is the best place for students to learn, grow, and thrive. 💙💛
#DCSDExpo #WeRepOurSchool #TeamHornets
This form includes critical information regarding your child’s dismissal plans and any medical needs, both of which are essential to ensuring your child’s safety and well-being on the first day and every day after.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this important matter, we appreciate your partnership in keeping our Hawks safe and supported!
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
Tardy bell 7:45
Morning announcements begin at 7:40
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:
September 10 – 12:00 PM
September 17 – 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM
September 24 – 12:00 PM
October 1 – 12:00 PM
October 8 – 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM
October 22 – 12:00 PM
October 29 – 12:00 PM
November 5 – 12:00 PM
November 12 – 12:00 PM & 6:00 PM
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!
As a Title I, Part A school, Hawthorne Elementary—together with our students and families—shares a commitment to student success. The School Parent and Family Engagement Policy, School-Parent Compact, and the DeKalb County School District’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan outline how parents, students, and school staff will work in partnership to support and strengthen student learning. These documents also highlight how we will continue building meaningful family school relationships that help every child meet and exceed Georgia’s challenging academic standards.
We ask that you please take time to carefully review the attached documents for this school year. A copy of the School-Parent Compact was provided at Curriculum Night, and all documents will be available below for your reference.
To acknowledge that you have received, reviewed, and agree to the School Parent and Family Engagement Policy, School-Parent Compact, and the District’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan, please sign and date below. This commitment serves as a reminder of the vital role we each play in your child’s education. We will revisit this agreement together during school-family events throughout the year as we work to ensure your child’s success.
Attached below:
-Hawthorne ES School-Parent Compact (hard copy at Curriculum Night)
-Parent Family Engagement Plan for the current school year (hard copy at Curriculum Night)
-DeKalb County School District’s Parent and Family Engagement Plan:
District Parent & Family Engagement Plan-https://www.dekalbschoolsga.org/parent-family-engagement/
Email: kia_henley@dekalbschoolsga.org
Website: https://www.hawthornees.dekalb.k12.ga.us/
Location: 2535 Caladium Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: 678-874-2802