Husky Herald Newsletter
Husky Herald Newsletter
October 10, Volume 24
Happy October!
I am excited to announce that HAW CREEK MET OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL OF $30,000!!! I am also a little apprehensive that I will be announcing my plan to sleep on the roof soon...I have to find some camping equipment first! In all seriousness, thank you so very much for your support and participation in our fundraiser. We can't wait to showcase the ways your generosity will continue to impact our kids!
This month is full of events, dress up days, conferences, and so much happening! Make sure to check our calendar and keep up with all the days - it's a busy one, folks!
October brings Parent/Teacher Conferences, an important opportunity for families to connect directly with teachers about their child’s progress. As you prepare for those conversations, be sure to check out our Tips for Conferences below to help you maximize your time together. And, please take a moment to either participate in our online SWOT Analysis (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) either in person when you come in for conferences - directions and resources will be provided when you check in - OR take a moment to share your feedback virtually through the link below.
Beginning October 20th-October 31st, Haw Creek will host our FIRST eBOOK FAIR! Information and the link are below where you can browse and shop from home - or share the link with family and friends to build your libraries! Teacher Wish Lists will also be posted if you would like to share the gift of reading with your child's class. Don't worry - an in person book fair will be later this year, but with OCTOBER having ALL THE THINGS, we hoped a virtual opportunity to get some new books would be great!
Mark your calendar to come out for PTO's FREE Family Painting Event! On Friday, October 24th from 5:30-7:30pm, Haw Creek will transform from a school to an art studio! We hope to see you there!
Later in the month, we’ll celebrate Red Ribbon Week (October 27-31) and Book Character Dress-Up Day on October 31st. So many great things ahead—stay connected with our newsletters and messenger updates!
Thank you for being such an important part of our Husky family—we couldn’t do it without you!
The HCES Admin Team
Ashley Johnessee, Principal ajohnessee@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Berkley Fain, Assistant Principal 3-5 f39283@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Davis Barlow, Assistant Principal K-2 dbarlow@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Traci Avery, Assistant Administrator tavery@forsyth.k12.ga.us
Seen Around Haw Creek
PreK: Meeting their WIG!
Celebrating our Custodians!
Your Words Matter Week Display
Battle of the Books: Readers are Leaders!
We Love seeing our Leaders and Staff share kind words for Your Words Matter Week!
Spooky "Boo"ks on Display
Class Mission Statements
Plan Ahead: October 2025 Dates
This Month's Happenings
Here's a PREVIEW of the next two weeks! Click here to go to our Events Page and see the month at a glance!
Spirit Wear Fridays - Husky Tradition has our pack dressing up in spirit wear and showing of our school colors on Fridays! One less decision to make each week: on Fridays, we wear Haw Creek Blue!
No School - October 17th October 24th/Cape Day
National School Lunch Week, October 13th-17th: Learn more about our School Lunch program through our social media posts and by checking out the lunch options offered in our cafeteria!
Parent Conference Day - No School: Friday, October 17th: Teachers will share more about how you can sign up for conferences with them both in the days surrounding and the day of our school conferences. Stay tuned to your classroom newsletters!
Monday, October 20th: Student Holiday - No School
Friday, October 24th: Cape Day!
Friday, October 24th: PTO FREE Family Paint Night 5:30-7:30pm
Monday October 27th -Friday October 31st: Red Ribbon Dress up Week!
eSPLOST Updates
There is A LOT of misinformation about the eSPLOST, so I wanted to make sure that our families know what this would mean for our district and our school. You can CLICK HERE for the FCSS website with all of the details but I also summarized the top Q&A points here:
This is not a new tax—it is a continuation of the one-penny sales tax that has long supported our schools.
A significant portion of ESPLOST is paid by non-residents who shop, dine, and do business in Forsyth County, helping reduce the burden on local property owners.
If approved, ESPLOST VII will fund safety upgrades, new schools and expansions, technology, and transportation improvements that directly benefit students and staff while keeping pace with our community’s growth.
Here at Haw Creek, we are looking forward to the possibilty of additional PLAYGROUND TURF as one of the proposed projects. Click here for the full list of proposed projects throughout the district.
Ready to learn more? CLICK HERE for the district's eSPLOST resource page - including links to voter registration and FAQs about eSPLOST.
South Community Food Fight Is Going On NOW!
Yearbook Cover Contest Winners-
A huge congratulations go to the following students:
Front Cover: Aarya K.-5th Grade (Blanck) - image to the left
Back Cover: Ashvi R.-4th Grade (Tatum) , Claire K.-5th Grade (Parker), Viraj D-4th Grade (Peer), Alice P.-5th Grade (Parker)
Thank you to everyone that entered.
Need to purchase a yearbook still: order here
5th Grade Recognition ads are due in November, so be proactive and order today.
Ashvi R (4th)
Claire K (5th)
Viraj D (4th)
Alice P (5th)
A BOOK eFAIR IS COMING!
Fall is for change and this year we are changing how we do our Fall book fair! Seems like the camping theme has moved from "Dr J on the Roof" to our Book Fair this month! Happy reading!
CLICK HERE to go to the online book fair directly. Questions?
Email Mrs. Bagwell, the Haw Creek Library Lady at: f38780@forsyth.k12.ga.us
This year, Forsyth County Schools has created a Partner Connect webpage that allows families, business partners, and community support to connect directly with the needs of the schools. Haw Creek is excited to start with offering Lunchroom Volunteer and Carline Volunteer opportunities to familes. If you would like to participate in one (or both) of these options, the QR codes in the fliers will take you to the sign up pages or you can click on the links below:
Car Line Hype Team Cafeteria Volunteers
Thanks for partnering with us!
JOIN us on Saturday, November 15, 2025 @ 9:00am for the SECOND Husky Pack Mutt Strut 5K Run/Walk
The Husky Pack Mutt Strut 5K isn't just a race-it's a chance to give back. Funds raised will help us update our sensory room, providing a calm and supportive space for students, and expand opportunities in our music program, inspiring creativity, and joy across our school community. This year we are collaborating to include our vertical community in hopes that by workign together we can further our impact on our specialized instruction classrooms AND Music Programs within the South Forsyth vertical team.
CLICK HERE to register - we can't wait to see you there!
Haw Creek looks forward to celebrating our veterans and our active duty military personnel on Tuesday, October 11th.
Haw Creek is currently working on a Veterans Day video project, and we would love to honor all of the veterans in our extended Husky family.
If your student has a connection to a veteran (parent, grandparent, sibling, aunt, uncle, etc.), please let us know by filling out THIS FORM. Submission Deadline is Nov. 4th.
Don't Forget: Husky Hangout
CLOSES EARLY on 10/31!
Please make plans to pick up your students on Friday, October 31st by 5pm as Husky Hangout will close early that afternoon. We appreciate your help in getting everyone home safely and on time!
Looking for a way to connect your student with a little extra math help? Mrs. Watkins is opening her door for 3rd - 5th grade students who may need just a little extra help. Teachers have this information but we hoped families who would like to find a little extra math support can also reach out to Mrs. Watkins directly.
FLU SHOT DAY
This year, Haw Creek's LSC is working to keep our families updated on the work of the council and sharing ways for families to connect.
On Thursday, October 9th, Haw Creek's LSC met with our School Safety office to learn more about school safety plans and procedures, district supports, behavior/discipline practices, and even the power of Positive Behavior Intervention Systems (PBIS). This was a "field trip" experience and our team will compile their take aways to share with our families during our next LSC Meeting on Monday, October 13th. Click here to see our agenda.
All meetings are open to our community and everyone is welcome! We meet on Mondays at 2:45pm in the Media Center. This year we will post our minutes from our meetings in the Herald so you have them directly.
Want to learn more about LSC? Email Dr. Johnessee directly. Want to see what we've done in the past? You can find our minutes in the FCSS Board of Education website - click Meetings at the top - click Meeting Title Search, and enter Haw Creek. That will show all previous and upcoming Haw Creek LSC meetings.
Thanks for participating with us!
Parent/Teacher Conference Tips
YOUR VOICE MATTERS
In May 2025, Haw Creek shared a survey with families asking for insight on our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities for Improvement and Threats to Success. After analyzing this information, themes and top ideas emerged showcasing the major ideas received from the 214 families who responded.
Now that we have some good data, we are asking you to participate in prioritizing our next steps. During Conferences in October, there will be physical opportunities in the building to share your feedback. Every family who arrives on campus will be provided with 8 stickers to highlight the 2 responses in each area that most represent their experience, ideas, and concerns. In addition, we will have some open feedback opportunities for you to share current issues and ideas - especially for our families who may not have been a part of our school family last May.
This digital version is an opportunity for families who may participate in online conferencing, or not be able to attend this month, to be included in sharing their feedback. We appreciate your taking the time to participate in building Haw Creek into the school that best serves our students and families!
Instructions are included in each section. Thank you for taking the time to partner with us!
The HCES Admin Team
Red Ribbon Week - Dress Up Days Coming Soon!
October 27th-October 31st, we’re celebrating Red Ribbon Week—a week full of fun, school spirit, and reminders to make healthy, positive choices! Each day has a special theme, and students are encouraged to join in by dressing up:
Monday: Every piece of the puzzle matters. Raise drug awareness and wear RED!
Tuesday: Crazy hats and wacky hair fit, just like making smart choices! Wear your craziest hat or wackiest hair style!
Wednesday: Exercise is a puzzle piece that keeps us strong and healthy! Wear your favorite sweats!
Thursday: Teamwork makes healthy choices a puzzle we can all solve. Wear your favorite sports gear!
Friday: Every good choice is a piece of the puzzle. Dress up as a book character who makes good choices!
It's OCTOBER and our counselors are hard at work supporting our students and cultivating student leadership skills!
Thanks for the tremendous support for our Your Words Matter week! It was great to see so many of our students wearing their shirts and promoting kind words throughout the week. Let's keep that spirit alive as we continue throughout the year!
CLICK HERE for the full view of our Counselors' Corner Newsletter.
This month we have Red Ribbon Week as we promote life-long healthy habits and dress up throughout the week. Get those outfits ready - and see the Red Ribbon Week details as a part of the calendar information above.
Cookies for a Cause!
Looking for a way to make a difference? Looking for a sweet treat? Consider partnering with one of our Haw Creek children's family to meet both of these goals! Our very own family has created a Cottage Bakery to support the ongoing medical needs of their students. Their story and information are a part of what makes our Haw Creek community incredible - and something we see as a school each day - we wrap our arms around our community to make a positive impact. Whether you decide to order cookies for your own family, or decide to send a sweet treat to a staff member or teacher in a special delivery, know that your order is making a difference in the lives of one of our families. What a sweet treat!
CLICK HERE and make sure to bookmark the site for easy ordering in the future! Deliveries will be made directly to Haw Creek.
Leader in Me: 7 Habits at Haw Creek
Have you heard about our STUDENT LEADERSHIP NOTEBOOKS this year?
On Friday, October 3rd, three of our fifth grade leaders had the opportunity to share what our leadership notebooks do with a group of visitors from another elementary school in a different county. These leaders shared what their notebooks track, how they use them "pretty much daily", what their favorite pages are in their individual notebooks, their personal mission statements, and that they feel that their notebooks will continue to be a great way to reflect on theri success this school year. This completely extemporaneous example of students sharing their leadership was inspiring - not only for our visitors, but as a reminder of the power of their learning of our 7 Habits.
YOUR student, in every grade and every class, has a Leadership Notebook this year! We started this process in August by completing pages that capture their passions, strengths, goals, and favorites. We continue to capture leadership experiences, learning data, and interests/challenges as they expand in different areas this year. Your students are learning to LEAD themselves well and these notebooks capture their stories. We are so proud of them!
This October, your teacher will meet with you for parent/teacher conferences - capturing your child's individual progress and strengths. As we continue to grow their own understanding of their learning, know that we will encourage them to share WITH YOU how they are doing, what support you can provide at home, and what they can do to meet their individual goals!
Way to go leaders - we are so extremely excited to see your growth!
Plan Ahead for PTO!
Special events at Haw Creek are possible from partnership with our PTO! Make Plans to join our PTO, order your monthly sweet treats during recess AND order your monthly Chick Fil A biscuits. Money raised from these fundraisers not only impacts our academics and opportunities on campus, but truly help us make Haw Creek special. CLICK HERE for our PTO Website and join today!
Stay connected with HCES PTO by following them on Facebook at Haw Creek PTO!
Click on the button above to go directly to the PTO Website.
This Month's Partners in Education
Let's Stay Connected!
National Arts in Education Week!