A Note from Principal Alex Baron:
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 2025 – 2026 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 abaron@elhaynes.org.
Sincerely,
Alex Baron
Principal
E.L. Haynes Middle School
New This Year
Updated Daily Schedule and Early Dismissal Wednesdays
We are updating our school schedule for the 2025–2026 school year to give students more focused time to learn. The new schedule includes longer class periods, which means students will have more time to dive deeper into important subjects. Research shows that schedules like this help students build stronger skills, better understand what they’re learning, and do better in school overall.
Here’s what to expect:
- Students should arrive by 8:15 a.m. to get to homeroom and drop off their materials by 8:20 a.m.
- School will end at 3:55 p.m. every day except Wednesdays.
- On Wednesdays, students will be dismissed early at 1:15 p.m.
- Each class will last 60 minutes, giving students more time to learn without feeling rushed.
- Students will still take part in Homeroom, WIN (What I Need), Advisory, and Recess as part of their day.
We’re excited to make this research-backed change that will help your student grow, succeed, and feel more confident in their learning.
Arrival, Safety, and Cell Phone Collection
To help keep our school safe and focused on learning, we will continue using metal detectors when students arrive each morning. We will also keep collecting cell phones at the start of the day. Phones will be returned at dismissal, which is at 3:55 p.m.
These steps are important for keeping our school safe and helping everyone stay focused. We appreciate your student’s cooperation.
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 Monday, August 18, and will take place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4 – 6 p.m. On Wednesdays, after-school activities are available from 1 pm – 6 pm.
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
Most school supplies will be given to all students. As we get closer to the start of the school year, one of your student’s teachers will share more details and any extra materials they might need. We strongly recommend that students bring their own combination lock for their 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 an app called ParentSquare to help families and the school stay connected. You can use it to:
- Get messages from the school (in your language)
- Sign up for Family-Teacher Conferences
- Send messages to teachers and other families
We strongly encourage all families and students to download the free app. Use the links below:
- Apple / iOS: bit.ly/parentsquare_apple
- Google / Android: bit.ly/parentsquare_android
School 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.
- Alex Baron, Principal: abaron@elhaynes.org
- Rohey Mbenga, Assistant Principal: rmbenga@elhaynes.org
- Monique Watson, Assistant Principal: mwatson@elhaynes.org
- Ciarra Elias, Dean of Culture: cneal@elhaynes.org
- Camelia McCandies, Assistant Director of Student Support Services: cmccandies@elhaynes.org
- Gordon Craig, EDP Manager: gcraig@elhaynes.org