🐴 MUSTANGS ACROSS AMERICA: ON THE ROAD WITH COACH HAYES! 🐴

This Mustangs Across America adventure is an extra-special one because our beloved Coach Jim Hayes made sure Miles had a seat for his summer travels! 💙

Although Coach Hayes may be retired, once a Mustang, ALWAYS a Mustang! And apparently, retirement just means he has a little more time to help Miles see America! 😂🐴🚗

⛳ FIRST STOP — DENVER, COLORADO! 🏔️

Coach Hayes and his best friend traveled to beautiful Denver, Colorado, where they competed together in a golf tournament. Of course, Miles tagged along for the fun! Between the golf course and those beautiful Rocky Mountain views, we'd say Miles had a pretty great Colorado experience. ⛳🏔️

Then it was time to hit the road...

🚗💨 NEXT STOP — MICHIGAN!

Coach Hayes road-tripped back to his home state of Michigan to spend some time with his mom—and Miles got to come along for that adventure, too! ❤️

⚾ And what would a trip to Michigan be without some Detroit baseball?!

Miles joined Coach Hayes AND Coach Hayes' mom for a Detroit baseball game! ⚾🐴 We think that officially makes Mrs. Hayes part of the Mustang family, too! 💙

There is something pretty special about seeing one of our longtime Mustangs enjoying retirement, spending time with his best friend and his mom, and STILL thinking about the students and families back at Chaffee Trail. He could have left Miles at home...but where's the fun in that?! 😂

Coach Hayes, thank you for taking us along for the ride! We love you, we miss you, and we are so glad that retirement hasn't stopped you from being part of our Mustang adventures. 💙🐴

From Florida ➡️ Colorado ➡️ Michigan, Coach Hayes and Miles are helping us get closer and closer to our goal!

🗺️ 50 STATES BY OCTOBER 1!

🇺🇸🐴 Mustangs Across America — From Sea to Shining Sea! 🐴🇺🇸

#MustangsAcrossAmerica #MilesTheMustang #Colorado #Michigan #CoachHayes #OnceAMustangAlwaysAMustang #FromSeaToShiningSea #MustangPride

Dear Mustang families,

I want to make you aware that a few classrooms at our school are currently experiencing air conditioning issues. We have notified the district’s HVAC team, and they are working to address the issue as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, we are taking steps to keep our students comfortable and maintain a positive learning environment. We are closely monitoring the affected classrooms and will make adjustments as needed.

Please know that the safety and well-being of our students remain our top priorities. We will continue to keep you updated as we work through this issue.

Thank you for your patience and support. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the school.

Chaffee Trail Elementary

Dear families,

I want to make you aware that a few classrooms at our school are currently experiencing air conditioning issues. We have notified the district’s HVAC team, and they are working to address the issue as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, we are taking steps to keep our students comfortable and maintain a positive learning environment. We are closely monitoring the affected classrooms and will make adjustments as needed.

Please know that the safety and well-being of our students remain our top priorities. We will continue to keep you updated as we work through this issue.

Thank you for your patience and support. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at the school.

Best,
Casie Doyle
Principal

Mustang Families — We’re Off to a Great Start!

Dear Mustang Families,

What a GREAT first week of school! In spite of a little Florida weather, a few unexpected bumps in the road, and some very long days, our Mustangs had an incredible start to the 2026–2027 school year!

Our students spent the week learning and practicing the rituals and routines that will help make this a safe, successful, and productive school year. Students attended our Welcome Back assemblies, where we talked about what it means to be a Mustang, reviewed important parts of the Student Code of Conduct, discussed FortifyFL, and introduced the safety drills and procedures we will practice throughout the year. Our goal is always for students to understand not only what we do to stay safe, but why we do it.

We also welcomed our youngest Mustangs to the corral! Our Pre-K and Kindergarten students did an amazing job learning their new routines, meeting new friends, and adjusting to their school days.

And yes…those days were LONG! As you will see in a few of our pictures, some of our littlest travelers simply ran out of gas while waiting for dismissal. They played hard, learned a lot, and apparently decided dismissal was the perfect time for a quick roadside nap!

Throughout this week’s slideshow, you’ll see just a glimpse of the learning, laughter, friendships, and special moments that made our first week so memorable.

We are excited about all the possibilities a new school year brings, and even more excited that we get to take this journey with YOU!

A Few Reminders for the Week Ahead
Arrival
Our instructional day begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. Please help us get students to school with enough time to arrive in their classrooms and be ready to learn.
Please make sure students have their backpacks and dismissal tags with them each day.
A few things will help us keep our car line moving safely and efficiently:

Please have students ready to exit when you enter the unloading area. Backpacks, lunch boxes, and other belongings should be in their laps rather than in the trunk or elsewhere in the vehicle.
Once you have passed the crosswalk, pulled forward, and come to a complete stop in the unloading area, students who can exit independently do not need to wait for a patrol to open their door. They may safely exit the vehicle and head toward the building.
If your younger Mustang needs assistance getting out of the vehicle, we completely understand! Please pull as far forward as possible so one of our team members or patrols can assist.
Please continue to follow the directions of staff members working the arrival line. Having everyone follow the same procedures helps us move hundreds of Mustangs into the building quickly and safely!
Dismissal

Thank you for your patience as we worked through first-week dismissal—and especially through our weather challenges!

Please continue to follow your child’s assigned dismissal procedure and have your school-issued car tag ready and visible when using the car rider line.

If you make a dismissal change in PikMyKid, please also communicate that change directly to your child’s teacher. This extra step helps us avoid confusion and ensures everyone has the same information.

Transportation Changes

Please communicate dismissal or transportation changes as early as possible. This gives our team time to make sure the correct information reaches everyone responsible for getting your child home safely.

Stay Connected

Please continue checking Rooms for classroom updates, important information, and pictures from your child’s teacher. Staying connected helps make sure you don’t miss anything happening along the way!

Saddle Up Assessments Begin This Week!

This week, we will begin assessing the skills included in our Saddle Up Summer Learning information.

These skills will look different depending on your child’s previous grade level. They represent important skills students learned during the previous school year and were encouraged to practice over the summer.

Flag Raising Friday

We will hold our Flag Raising Ceremony this Friday!

We invite all of our Mustangs to show their school spirit by wearing their Mustang Spirit Shirt or patriotic colors as we come together as a school community for this special tradition.

We made it through Mile #1, Mustang families, and we are just getting started!

Thank you for your patience, encouragement, and partnership during our first week. We are looking forward to another wonderful week of learning, growing, and making memories together.

Buckle up, Mustangs…Life is a Highway, and we have a whole country—and an entire school year—ahead of us!

With Mustang P.R.I.D.E.,
Mrs. Doyle
Principal
Chaffee Trail Elementary

Mustangs Across America — Our Journey Continues!

Slide show link: https://youtu.be/d5mv0VuWPpg?feature=shared

Link for how to videos for rooms: https://dcps.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/duval-schools-app

Good Morning Chaffee Trail Elementary School families

I want to make you aware that the school experienced an air conditioning outage prior to student arrival this morning. District maintenance teams responded quickly, and the AC unit has been repaired and is now up and running.

The school is beginning to cool down and should return to normal temperatures soon. Please know that your student’s safety and well-being are our top priorities, and we will always keep you informed about what is happening on our campus.

Thank you for your patience and continued support. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at the school. Thank you, and have a good day.