Category: School News

Principal Newsletter Oct 2019 (click to view/print)

Happy October, Hayden Peak Families!  Isn’t this a beautiful time of year!  One of our favorite poems has this stanza:

O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October’s bright blue weather;”

We love the richness of Autumn colors and the harvest season.  We are also really happy to be at Hayden Peak.  Thank you for greeting us so warmly and stopping to get acquainted and chat.  We love your children and are grateful to be part of a wonderful learning community.  The teachers here at Hayden Peak care deeply about the well-being and comfort of each family we serve, and it is our purpose to support each child and continue the traditions of celebrating learning and growth for each of our students.

As we transition into our work at Hayden Peak, know that we will continue many great traditions.  We will be holding monthly Leadership Luncheons, with one student chosen each month from each class.  These lunches typically happen on the last Friday of the month at 10:45 a.m.  When your child is chosen, you will be notified well in advance.  We also hold regular drawings for Hawkeyes with small rewards for things students are noticed doing well, such as helping another child, following directions, or doing something extra to help their teacher.  At the end of each month, students with perfect attendance and no tardies or checkouts receive a special recognition.  We remind students that this award is given every single month, so when a dentist appointment or sick day can’t be avoided, they will have many chances to receive the award again.  At the end of a learning cycle (about 3 months) students who master learning goals will be honored with a Benchmark Achievement activity.

We are working hard to support the emotional needs of our students.  We are adjusting emergency drill procedures a little bit, so students have advance notice when we have emergency drills, and we are spending more time explaining the purpose and process of these procedures.  We work closely with our wonderful school psychologist and district specialists to help all children feel safe, respected and loved.  As you know from sources everywhere, anxiety in children is increasing.  Our goal is to help students be strong, prepared, and resilient.  We are always available to help if your child needs additional understanding and support.

Hayden Peak has a terrific PTA.  We are grateful for the work they do to enhance learning.  Thank you, PTA, for providing field trips, birthday table, school activities, and all the extra classroom support.  We also have a wonderful School Community Council, helping shape school goals and keep our students safe.  Thank you for all you do!

Have a healthy, safe, beautiful and purposeful month of October.

Jennifer Fisher, Principal

Cathryn Ford, Assistant Principal