With Sept. 3 less than a week away, the staff at Herndon High is preparing for a slightly higher than projected enrollment of 2,400 students to arrive on the Bennett Street campus next Tuesday.
Starting her fifth year at the helm in Herndon, Principal Janice Leslie presents the demeanor of a battlefield general, politely but firmly barking orders into a walkie-talkie which never leaves her side. Still hiring new teachers and shuffling others around with an outwardly ease, Leslie doesn't look like someone who is worried about failing, but she is.
Every year at this time, there is an air of uncertainty, she says. Not until that first bell rings on Tuesday morning, can Leslie rest. "When that bell rings and all the kids go to class and you know the master schedule worked because everybody is in a classroom then we can sit back and relax, for a minute and laugh," said Leslie, who along with her staff has been working on this year's master schedule since last winter break. We always enjoy seeing it work, that never gets old."
<b>WHEN LESLIE</b> became principal five years ago, she was a little less sure in the position. "Naturally, the biggest change from when I started as principal here is that I have gotten to know my school and I know and understand my community so much better," she said. "Now, I don't have to be told when things are scheduled. No one has to tell me when the band showcase is because I know when it is. I know it's the third weekend in September."
But just because she is more comfortable in her position doesn't mean Leslie has the time or inclination to keep an eye on the other schools in the area. She says her focus is trained on her 120 teachers, 20 of whom are new to the school, and her more than 2,000 students. "I rate just about zero on the competition scale. I am not sitting here saying, 'South Lakes scored da-da-da on their standardized tests, so we have to score da-da-da.' That is not on my radar at all," the principal said. "I don't believe that is the way you do things. I believe you do the best you can do each day."
Besides, Leslie says she wouldn't change places with anyone. She loves the cohesive family atmosphere at Herndon. "It starts with the teachers," she said. "The number of teachers that go the extra mile here is incredible. They take kids home with them for dinner. They take their students to visit colleges when nobody else can. They give out their home numbers and encourage them to call if they need anything."
<b>BECAUSE OF BUDGETARY </b>woes this year, Herndon will not be instituting any new programs for the 2002-2003 school year. The dwindling bottom-line also forced cancellation of Saturday school classes. In the last two years, Herndon has offered weekend classes in subjects like chemistry and algebra from January to March to help students who are struggling to keep up with their classmates. "I wish we had the money back for our Saturday school classes," Leslie said. "It hurts me a lot that we don't have that because they helped every student."
In this time of shrinking revenue and budgetary cutbacks, Herndon High will unveil its new all-weather running track and new bleachers this year. In addition, the Herndon community, including the PTA, student government and football boosters, came together to purchase a new stadium sound-system, a renovation that, according to Leslie, "was sorely needed."
While improvements to the football stadium progressed despite the economic downturn, Leslie has other pressing sports facility needs: "I'd love to see a better gym. It's one of the smallest in Fairfax County even though we are one of the largest schools. It's horrendous to manage games in there. That is the bane of our existence."
Herndon High will continue its relationships with the school's three major business and community partners this year, Leslie said. "The Herndon-Dulles Chamber of Commerce will continue to help us put on our Ethics Forum every spring. The Dulles Hyatt provides jobs and training opportunities for our students and speakers for our career day festivities." The Herndon United Methodist Church will continue its "apples for the teachers" campaign, providing everything from making copies to after-school tutors.
Herndon will, however, be re-focusing its attention towards a new broad-based school-wide character building initiative. "We are going to have a year-long emphasis on building lives of integrity and honesty," Leslie said. "This came to us as a suggestion from our SGA as an initiative to try and deter cheating among students. We will be launching the program and all of its details on Sept. 11."
Leslie said she is constantly surprised at the various ways in which kids will reach out to one another. The school's reaction after Sept. 11 was no different. "I was so very proud after Sept. 11," she said. "We have a large number of students who come from a Middle Eastern background and everyone — I mean everyone — got along so great and supported one another. There was none of the ugliness. That's the Herndon High spirit."