Najie Kennedy, Principal

About Our School

Rafael Hernández Elementary School is located in the North Ward of the City of Newark. It houses approximately 725 students in grades Pre-K through Grade 8, including six self-contained special education classes, two Resource Rooms, and three Bilingual Classes. The building conforms to 504 building codes and welcomes those students as well as staff members who need this access.

Rafael Hernandez School was one of the Newark Public Schools awarded by the Pediatric/Adult Asthma Coalition of New Jersey and the NJ Arts Education Survey conducted in the spring of 2006 used to categorize arts education in the public schools in NJ, singled out Rafael Hernandez as an elementary school with an exemplary program of arts education offerings.

Community Letter - English | Community Letter - Spanish

RESOURCES & LINKS

Parent Portal

Rafael Hernandez School's parent portal gives parents easy online access to their child's grades, parent handbook, and school information.

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Student Portal

Rafael Hernandez School's student portal gives students easy online access to their academic resources, applications, and school information.

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Mental Health Team

Our dedicated Mental Health Team ensures that our school cultivates a safe learning environment for all students.

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District News

The Newark Public Schools district news page provides up-to-date information and announcements for families, staff, and the community.

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Afterschool Program

Please click on this link to access our Afterschool Program Site!

Afterschool Site

Follow Us on Instagram!

Please click on the link below to enter the Rafael Hernandez Instagram Page. Remember to hit the follow button.

Social-Emotional Learning

This website's purpose is to provide both students and parents with resources and information that may be relevant to their specific social and emotional needs.

You will find information on the programs and supports we provide our students and information on our HIB Specialist, Ms. Evaristo.

SEL Site

Our School in the News

A New Standard of Excellence: Rafael Hernandez School Wins National Honor

December 10, 2025

There’s something electric in the air at Rafael Hernandez School-and for a good reason. The school has just been crowned the #1 school in the entire nation in the Fourth Annual Khanathalon, and the celebration hasn’t stopped since the announcement. Students didn’t just improve-they soared, mastering more than two new math skills on average, a […]

Six New Principals Appointed by Newark Board of Education

June 30, 2025

NEWARK, N.J. – Newark Public Schools today announced the appointment of six new principals who will lead schools across the district beginning in the 2025-2026 academic year. “We are thrilled to welcome these six exceptional leaders into their new roles as principals across Newark Public Schools. Each of them brings a deep commitment to academic […]

Office of Visual and Performing Arts Convenes Arts Administrators for Walkthroughs and Norming

December 17, 2024

NBOE hosts its 2nd Arts Administrator Convening Professional development for arts administrators became a true work of art during a recent session held at Rafael Hernández Elementary School. The session transformed the school into a creative hub where administrators honed their skills in evaluating and supporting arts teachers. At the heart of the session was […]

New and Improved Summer Learning Programs for 2024

May 21, 2024

Registration for the District’s Summer Programs 2024 has begun! This year, the academic program for elementary students, Summer Achieve, will take place at 16 sites across the city (Dr. E. Alma Flagg, Elliott Street, First Avenue, McKinley, Park Elementary, Rafael Hernandez, Belmont Runyon, George Washington Carver, Louise A. Spencer, Mount Vernon, Speedway Avenue, Ann Street, […]

Building Thinking Classrooms

September 6, 2023

Building Thinking Classrooms Video from Newark Board of Education Rafael Hernández students look forward to picking up where they left off last year with Building Thinking Classroom concepts!