Greetings Hawks! 

I hope this letter finds everyone doing well as we endure the cold winter months. Spring is right around the corner and yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Hey, at least it’s been a bit milder than last year right? Below, please find some Hawk current events along with important date information for your calendars. 

First, on February 9, we had a very successful staff development day for our staff. We began the morning with a presentation from Dr. Ivory Toldson who shared research from his book, Breaking Barriers: Plotting the Path to Academic Success for School-age Black Males. Our staff then transitioned into one-hour breakout sessions including: Data Driven Dialogue, Avoiding Power Struggles, Bullying Behaviors, Tools for Collaborative Teams, and Unwrapping Best Practices. Presenters included county-level specialists, as well as our own staff experts. We’ve all gained from the experiences and will continue dialogue and practice through our collaborative teams. We know it’s difficult to manage a half-school day schedule on the home front. However, staff development is vital to us and we are certainly making the most of this valuable gift of time. We appreciate your flexibility. Thank you! 

Our final staff development day is scheduled for Thursday, April 7. This will be an early release day for students. Specifically, students will leave school at 11:05 a.m. Our teachers will be observing other teachers throughout Fairfax County Public Schools that afternoon as we gather “best instructional practices” to add to our tool kit at Hayfield Secondary. We’re excited about this opportunity. I’ll remind everyone with a Keep in Touch message as the date approaches. 

Finally, I want everyone to know that your views and opinions are important to us! This spring a random sample of Hayfield Secondary parents will receive the Parent Opinion Survey. This survey is part of the Principal Performance Evaluation Program and offers parents an opportunity to provide anonymous input about various issues related to our school. These include safety, parent involvement, curriculum, communications, and expectations for student achievement and behavior. The survey will arrive in the mail in early March 2011 and will be returned directly to the Fairfax County Public Schools Office of Student Testing for processing. If you receive a copy of the Parent Opinion Survey, please take a few minutes to complete and return the survey. Your information is strictly confidential and again, your opinions do matter. 

I hope to see you at a spring event as we cheer on our beloved Hawks. We’ll soon be entering the spring testing season. With all of the stress and work involved, I feel that it is very important to celebrate together and focus on the positives. We have the greatest students in Fairfax County Public Schools and I am honored to serve as your principal. 

For your calendar, please note the following important events and activities. 

• March 8:  PTSA Meeting, Library – 6:30 p.m. 
• March 31:  Hayfield Faculty vs. Falls Church HS Faculty, HSS Field House – 7:30 p.m. 
• April 1:  Third Grading Period Ends 
• April 4:  Student Holiday – Teacher Workday 
• April 5:  Fourth Grading Period Begins 
• April 7:  Student Early Release – 11:05 a.m. 
• April 18-22:  Spring Break 

Go HAWKS!