A Note from Principal Mahon-Belton:
Dear E.L. Haynes Middle School Families,
To all of our new families, welcome to our community, and to all of our returning families, welcome back! Thank you for choosing E.L. Haynes for your student. We are excited to partner with you so that we can prepare your child to thrive in college, career, and life. As you prepare for the 2024 – 2025 School Year, I want to share some important information. See below.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is any additional information I can provide as you prepare for the new school year. I can be reached at zmahon@elhaynes.org.
Sincerely,
Zenada Mahon-Belton
Principal
E.L. Haynes Middle School
NEW THIS SCHOOL YEAR
Updated Daily Schedule and Early Dismissal Wednesdays
To increase learning time for students, we will implement a new bell schedule for the 2024-2025 School Year. This adjustment provides more focused learning opportunities, allowing students to delve deeper into key academic areas essential for their growth and success. Research shows that this approach can significantly enhance student achievement and understanding. This change will better support our students’ academic journey and overall development. For next year:
- Students should arrive at school no later than 8:15 a.m. as homeroom begins promptly at 8:20 a.m.
- The day will end for students at 3:55 p.m. daily, except on Wednesdays.
- Wednesday will remain an early release day, with all students dismissed at 1:15 p.m.
- All class lengths will increase from 57 minutes to 80 minutes.
- Students will continue to participate in Homeroom, WIN (What I Need Intervention or Acceleration), Advisory, and Recess.
Changes to Extended-Day Programming (EDP)
Extended-day programming (EDP) will look different this year. We will continue to offer clubs and sports to students who are interested. After-school activities will begin on Tuesday, September 3rd, and will take place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4:00-6:00 p.m.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Health and Immunization Requirements
DC law requires all students to provide up-to-date immunization, health, and dental records, or proof of medical or religious exemption. Visit osse.dc.gov/immunization for additional guidance from the DC Department of Health and the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education. If you have any questions about your child’s health requirements, contact Health and Wellness Director Melissa Beasley at mbeasley@elhaynes.org.
Class Materials
The majority of class materials will be provided to all students. Closer to the start of the school year, you will hear directly from one of your student’s teachers with additional information and materials lists. We strongly advise and recommend students have their own combination lock for their assigned locker.
Register Now for Fall Sports
Registration for Fall sports is now open. Students must complete registration via elhaynes-dc.finalforms.com and submit an up-to-date medical physical form in order to participate. This fall we will offer Cross Country (CoEd), Soccer (Girls, Boys), and Volleyball (Girls).
Download the ParentSquare App
E.L. Haynes uses a family communication system called ParentSquare. This platform helps streamline communications between you and the school, provides automatically translated messages, has Family-Teacher Conference sign-ups, and more. We strongly encourage families and students to download the free app so you can message staff and other families directly. See below for download links.
- Apple / iOS: bit.ly/parentsquare_apple
- Google / Android: bit.ly/parentsquare_android
Leadership Team
The Middle School Leadership Team looks forward to working with you and our teachers to support your student’s success. See below for important names, roles, and contact information, and visit bit.ly/elhms_team to view our entire staff team.
- Zenada Mahon-Belton, Principal: zmahon@elhaynes.org
- Rohey Mbenga, Assistant Principal: rmbenga@elhaynes.org
- Ciarra Elias, Dean of Culture: cneal@elhaynes.org
- Gordon Craig, EDP Program Manager: gcraig@elhaynes.org