See our top 22 highlights from the past year!

1) Every elementary school student received individualized “What I Need” sessions. These small-group time blocks boosted learning by allowing students to work on different independent and teacher-led activities.

2) During our middle school Art Haus event, students reflected on what they have in common with our namesake, Dr. Euphemia Lofton Haynes. 

3) Our College Office hosted the second Annual Sophomore Career Exploration Day, featuring career panels based on student interest, mock interviews, and more.

4) Our Middle School Soccer team competed under the lights of Audi Field in the DC SCORES Capitol Cup. 

5) Our Girls Varsity Volleyball team hosted and won the first-ever E.L. Haynes Invitational Tournament. 

6) Our Boys Varsity Soccer team won the 8th Annual Petworth Cup.

8) High school student leaders worked with English Teacher Topher Kandik to host a “Speak Truth” event. Leaders facilitated discussions for more than 35 students about language in the LGBTQIA+ community, food service at E.L. Haynes, and appropriation in the fashion industry.

8) Elementary school students helped create their classrooms’ guiding principles by sharing their hopes and dreams, including what they would need to do in order to achieve them this school year.

9) Middle school grade-level restorative circles provided a brave space for students and adults to talk through shared challenges, strengthen relationships, and create a system of accountability.

10) Staff from all three campuses reconnected after the summer break to prepare for SY22-23 during our All-Staff Institute. 

11) Hundreds of families enjoyed a day of play, great food, vaccines, and free school supplies at our Back-To-School Kickback and Cookout in August. 

12) Our annual Mutual Aid Drive, hosted by our Wellness Team, gave families an opportunity to get and give support for the holiday season.

13) During last year’s middle school Art Haus / Wellness Day, students explored different interests and hobbies—including art projects, music lessons, movements and exercise!

14) Last spring, students in our League of Latin American Citizens (LULAC) chapter participated in Say Yes to the Prom, a program that blends mentoring with a free shopping spree that provides a dress or tuxedo, shoes, accessories, and make-up.

15) Our elementary school launched its in-house Saturday Soccer Program, which served 140 students as they learned dribbling, passing, and kicking skills through coaching and cooperative play.

16) The E.L. Haynes Class of 2022 achieved the highest graduation rate in our school’s history.

17) Our elementary school relaunched the Student Government Association and elected a President, Vice President, Sergeant-At-Arms, Chief of Staff, Treasurer, Secretary, and Speaker of the House.

18) Our high school resumed after-school clubs and activities including sports, Photography Club, Nail Tech Club, Crowned, Boys to Men, Cooking Club, and many more.

19) This year, our College Office coordinated student visits at Albright College, Winston Salem State University, Rutgers University, Millersville University, Ramapo College, Montclair State, Wake Forest University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Guilford College, Muhlenberg College, and more. 

20) E.L. Haynes alumni DiAnté, Eddie, Herson, Isaiah, and Jimmy all rejoined our community as staff members. These alumni actively work across all three campuses helping build true and long-lasting school culture.

21) Members of our High School AP Translator Club provided interpretation services for all three campuses and served as tutors across all of our high school content areas.

22) Middle school students competed at the One World Challenge, where they delivered presentations on topics like racism in schools, reducing plastic waste, protecting refugees, cyberbullying, and more.

As we move forward, we hold our values.

Though in many ways our lives have returned to “a new normal,” what is happening inside E.L. Haynes’ walls is anything but business as usual. We look forward to a 2023 full of being kind, working hard, and getting smart. Make a donation today to support our work in the year to come.

We invite all prospective families to join an upcoming Open House to learn more about our Pre-K – 12th grade community. Attendees will connect with school leaders, explore our academic and student wellness programs, and meet other school staff.

To keep everyone in our community healthy and well, we will host both in person, and virtual Open Houses this year.

Please sign up to attend an Elementary School, Middle School, or High School Open House on one of the dates shared on our events calendar.

• Elementary School (grades 3 – 4 only): May 9 – May 13
• Middle School (grades 5 – 8): May 3 – 20
• High School (some students in grades 9 – 11): May 12 – 19

Every day during their testing period, your student will need to bring their fully charged Chromebook with them to school. Preparing for PARCC testing is easy as 1-2-3:

1. Check your tech. Turn on your student’s Chromebook with them to make sure there are no issues with the device. 
2. Report problems to our Tech Team. If it is not working, or you are having problems with it, contact our Tech Team immediately by emailing techsupport@elhaynes.org, calling our helpdesk at 202-888-5066 (English) or 202-644-9274 (Spanish), or having your student talk with their teacher about the issue.
3. Make a plan to charge and bring your device every day. Students will need their school-issued Chromebook to complete testing. Make a plan to charge the device every night, and double-check that it’s packed in the morning. 

Students and families can support their testing experience by taking the following steps:

• Attend school every day, on time, until the end of the school day.
• Set and stick to a consistent sleeping schedule that provides a good night’s rest.
• Eat a nourishing breakfast or enjoy a school-provided breakfast after getting to campus.
• Provide a pair of headphones if you don’t want to use school-issued ones.
• Charge your Chromebook every night and double-check that it is packed in your backpack every morning. Let us know if you need a replacement charger.

Please contact your school principal with any questions.

Testing Schedule and Details

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we conduct COVID-19 tests of our entire community. We believe this, along with our virtual learning strategy, will help us ensure we can return to in-person learning as quickly and safely as possible. 

All families should arrive via the Kansas Avenue Parking lot. On Monday, January 10, when elementary school students arrive, all Pre-K3, Pre-K4, and Kindergarten students should proceed to the elementary school doors. All students grades 1 – 4 should follow signage to the modulars for testing. On Tuesday, January 11, all students will be tested in the modulars in the Kansas Avenue parking lot. Please remember to dress warmly. You may need to wait in line outside.

REMINDER: If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are currently quarantining, you should NOT come in for testing. Please be sure to report your positive COVID-19 diagnosis HERE. If you are quarantining because you were identified as a close contact, you must report that HERE.

We know that some individuals will continue to test positive for COVID-19 for sometimes weeks following a positive diagnosis. If your student has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has completed the necessary isolation, AND is not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms, we will need a letter from their doctor stating they can return to in-person learning in the event they test positive for COVID-19. 

Staggered Return to In-Person Learning

As a reminder, we will stagger our return to in-person learning next week in order to test all students and staff.  For our full schedule, click here. 

Extended Day, Athletic, and Extracurricular Programming

Before- and after-care, athletics, and in-person extracurricular activities are CANCELED from January 10 – January 14. There will be NO extended-day programs (before-care or after-care) at the elementary or middle schools from January 10 through January 14, 2022. During this time, all clubs and extracurricular activities at the middle school and high school should meet virtually. Additionally, all athletic activities, including games and practices, will be canceled until January 14. 

Get Vaccinated and Boosted

If you have not done so, get your COVID-19 vaccine today, vaccinate your children, or receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster if you are eligible. Vaccines remain the best defense against COVID-19, and the more individuals who are able to be vaccinated in our community, the better. If you are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (ages 5+) or the COVID-19 booster, you should receive it as soon as possible. The city continues to host walk-up vaccine clinics, and you can also contact local pharmacies (including CVS, Walgreens, and Safeway) to find a location and appointment near you.

Thank you for your support and cooperation. 

To keep everyone in our community healthy and well, we have converted all of our middle school’s in-person Open Houses to virtual sessions.

Please sign up here to attend any of the open house events listed below.

• Saturday, December 18, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Saturday, January 22, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Saturday, February 12, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (Virtual)

We believe this is the best public health decision — for our staff, for our students, and for our families. We also know that vaccines save lives, and that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective.  We will support our current unvaccinated staff members and our student athletes through their next steps. We believe this decision brings an important additional layer of protection to our community and will continue to review the best strategies to keep us all safe. As always, we will keep you posted as we update our processes.

All student-athletes over the age of 12, must be fully vaccinated by December 13, 2021 to be eligible to practice or compete in school-based extracurricular athletics.  And though Mayor Bowser mandated the vaccine for staff and student-athletes over the age of 12, we strongly encourage all eligible individuals receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. 

Next Steps for Students Who are Eligible to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine (12+):

• Sign up to receive the COVID-19 Vaccine. To continue to support our staff, students, and families in becoming vaccinated against COVID-19, we will host our next vaccine clinic on Friday, October 1, from 4 – 6 p.m. At the clinic, participants will receive the FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine. You can sign up here. For students who attend, they will receive a $25 gift card for each dose, and be entered in a raffle to win an Apple watch or an Oculus VR system. You can also find a full list of free, walk-up vaccination sites here. 
• Submit your student’s vaccination card to your school’s front office staff. If your student has received the COVID-19 vaccine, be sure to contact a member of your campus office staff to submit the proof of vaccination. If you or your student have already shared a copy of their vaccination card, please confirm with the front office that the card has been logged appropriately.

Vaccines are critical to protecting ourselves and each other, and together with our other practices, we are successfully minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Thank you to everyone — students, staff, and families — for their commitment and participation. From arrival procedures, health screenings,  to mask-wearing and more, these practices keep us all safe, and provide students full access to our educational program. 

High School Sports

All high school students taking part in high-risk sports must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, or they must take part in E.L. Haynes’ school-based weekly asymptomatic testing program.

• HIGH-RISK sports involve close, sustained contact between players with a high probability that respiratory particles will be transmitted. At E.L. Haynes these sports include basketball, cheerleading, lacrosse, and soccer. A mask must be worn at all times.
• MODERATE-RISK sports also feature close, sustained contact between players but include the use of protective equipment to reduce the spread of respiratory particles between participants. Moderate-risk sports at E.L. Haynes are volleyball and eSports. Since these sports are indoors, players must wear masks at all times.
• LOW-CONTACT/LOWER-RISK sports can be played individually or while social distancing without sharing equipment. At E.L. Haynes these sports include cross country, tennis, and track and field. Players must always have access to a mask and must wear one when they are within six feet of another player.

Middle School Sports

All middle school students playing high- or moderate-risk sports must be at least 12 years old and either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or take part in E.L. Haynes’ school-based weekly asymptomatic testing program.

• HIGH-RISK sports involve close, sustained contact between players with a high probability that respiratory particles will be transmitted. At E.L. Haynes these sports include basketball, flag football, cheerleading, lacrosse (girls club), and soccer. A mask must be worn at all times.
• MODERATE-RISK sports also feature close, sustained contact between players but include the use of protective equipment to reduce the spread of respiratory particles between participants. The only moderate-risk sport at E.L. Haynes is volleyball. Since this is an indoor sport, players must wear masks at all times.
• LOW-CONTACT/LOWER-RISK sports can be played individually or while social distancing without sharing equipment. At E.L. Haynes these sports include cross country, tennis, and track and field. Players must always have access to a mask and must wear one when they are within six feet of another player.

To register for a sport please visit www.gohaynes.org.

You can view the guidelines in English HERE.

You can view the guidelines in Spanish HERE.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to keep our entire community safe.

We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of our entire community. Testing is just one of the many strategies we will use to combat the spread of COVID-19. Paired with daily health screenings, mandatory mask wearing, social distancing, air filtration, and deep cleaning, we are ready to welcome our students back. If you have any questions regarding COVID-19 testing, or any of the health and safety measures at our schools, you should contact Kristin Yochum, Senior Director of Operations (kyochum@elhaynes.org or 202-667-4446).

To learn more, click here.