WEEK 17
HOLIDAY CELBERATIONS
Our Classroom Winter Holiday Parties will take place on Friday, December 19th at various times throughout the day. Please contact your child’s teacher directly for your class’s specific schedule. Parties should last no longer than 45 minutes. While you are not required to send in gifts, if you choose to do so, we kindly ask that all students are included so that no child feels left out.
In the spirit of giving, we will also be giving away gift cards to teachers throughout the entire month of December. If you would like to donate a gift card of any amount, please drop it off at the front desk. Your generosity is truly appreciated.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to a joyful celebration!
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%!
1st Semester N.B.A. Party – Celebrating Perfect Attendance! 🏀
We are excited to announce our second 1st Semester Never Been Absent (N.B.A.) Party for all students who have maintained perfect attendance this semester! This celebration recognizes the dedication of our students who have never been absent, highlighting the importance of consistent attendance as a key factor in academic success and our CCRPI goals. Our counselors plan to pull lists of students the week of December 15th to notify participants.
Thank you for supporting your child in being present and engaged every day. We can’t wait to celebrate their achievement and dedication at this special event!
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
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! ✨
📊 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