Hawkins Elementary School

Attendance in early grades builds a foundation for students in later grades. Students gain positive habits, strong academic foundations, and confidence to succeed throughout school. Research shows a direct correlation to chronic absenteeism and reading levels in 3rd grade!

Congratulations to Hawkins Elementary School for being named a Reward School by the Tennessee Department of Education!

Each year, schools and districts receive designations based on key indicators of student success. These measures include how well students perform academically, how much they improve from year to year, student attendance, high school graduation rates and college/career readiness, and how effectively English learners make progress in language development. Together, these indicators provide a comprehensive picture of how well schools are meeting the needs of all learners.

To encourage attendance during the month of December, HES is hosting a 12 Days of Christmas Challenge. Students who have perfect attendance beginning December 3 through December 18 will be entered into a drawing to win one of three special prizes, located outside of the school lobby!!

The countdown to Winter Break has officially began! The next 12 days at HES will include special dress up days so that students and staff members can show their holiday spirit! The fun begins tomorrow with Candy Cane Day! Students are encouraged to wear red and white!

Wow! Time flies! We've already completed half of the school year with 90 days! Congratulations to students who have missed fewer than 4 days – that’s less than 5% of the school year! You're setting yourself up for success! Positive attendance builds strong academic foundations, boosts confidence, and develops valuable habits that will benefit you throughout life.

HCS December Calendar
December 2: HCS Board Meeting
December 17: Second Harvest Distribution
December 19: Abbreviated Day 11:30 Dismissal
December 22-January 2: Winter Break (Teachers return 1/5/26, Students return 1/6/26)

Friendly reminder that bus 90 will not be running routes this week. Students who ride this bus will need to be car riders to and from school.

Please be advised that bus #90 will not be running a.m. and p.m. route on Monday and Tuesday 11-24-25 - 11-25-25. Students will need to be car riders to and from school.

Hawkins Elementary was just notified that bus 61 will not be running this afternoon, Thursday, November 20th. Students who ride this bus will need to be car riders. We apologize for the short notice.

Attention Bus 46 and Bus 55 Families!! Good Afternoon! Please be advised that Bus Route 46 and Bus Route 55 will not be running their scheduled PM routes on Tuesday, November 25th. Students will need alternate transportation home. An all call will go out for both routes prior to this date. Thanks in Advance!

The school store will be open this week!

Good Evening, Please accept our sincere apologies for this extremely late notice. Bus 4 will not be running its morning (AM) or afternoon (PM) routes tomorrow, Tuesday, November 18, 2025. All students who typically ride Bus 4 will require alternate transportation to and from school tomorrow.

Happy Appreciation Day to Director Hixson. We appreciate his leadership and commitment to HES and our Bearcats! We collected food for the HCS Family Resource Center in his honor.

Today we're giving a huge shout-out to our very own superintendent, Matt Hixson! He's a true superhero for our schools, leading with dedication and a clear vision for our students' futures. We're so grateful for his incredible leadership! #HCS #SuperheroSuperintendent

Due to tomorrow's two hour delay, Hawkins Elementary's annual Veteran's Day Program will be moved to 1:00 pm. We invite our 4th grade families, as well as our Veterans, to join us. Doors will open at 12:15. Please keep a close watch on your local news sources as well as our website for any further weather related changes.

Hawkins Elementary is hosting a canned food drive. Students may donate non perishable food items now through November 12th.

There will be no school for students, Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4th due to Election Day.

What is the difference in truancy and chronically absent?
Chronically absent counts all absences: excused, unexcused, and suspensions and has a high negative impact on school success. Students who miss more than 10% of the school year are considered chronically absent.
Truancy is unexcused absences only. Families who continue to be truant will be required to attend a meeting with school officials and possibly a court appearance.