Henrietta Lacks Elementary opened its doors on the first day of school – Thursday, Aug. 22 – as Loudoun County Public Schools’ first and only primary school. Serving more than 800 preschool through 2nd-grade students, the school has six sections of specialized preschool classes, 12 sections of kindergarten, 11 sections of 1st grade and 12 sections of 2nd grade. Along with principal Leigh Boyd, nearly 120 educators and support staff will instruct and guide these young learners.
While some may feel overwhelmed at the thought of being surrounded by so many young students, Boyd says that she is excited for the start of school and eager to engage with Henrietta Lacks Elementary School’s new students.
“The energy, curiosity and love of learning that young students bring will just naturally create a vibrant school atmosphere,” said principal Boyd. “It will energize the whole school. Young students are so excited for school, and they just love their teachers, so I think I have the best job in the county right now.”
In addition to being uniquely designed for younger students, Henrietta Lacks Elementary School shares a campus and a community with Hovatter Elementary School, which houses grades 3 through 5. Boyd said that Henrietta Lacks and Hovatter Elementary Schools will operate as one school community in two buildings. The two schools have many shared families with children in both schools. As a result, Henrietta Lacks and Hovatter Elementary Schools will have a joint PTA. The schools also share playing fields, and they have scheduled a few community events for the coming school year. Lightridge High School is also very nearby, and Boyd hopes to arrange opportunities for Lightridge students to engage with Henrietta Lacks Elementary students.
As Boyd begins her first year as principal, her goal is to make Henrietta Lacks Elementary School a model school for high-quality instruction at the K-2 level. “The county has so many wonderful resources, such as professional learning around rigor, around personalized learning and deeper learning. My goal is that we will be the school that takes all of these resources and lessons and makes them work – and work well – for the primary school student.”
Some of Henrietta Lacks Elementary School’s students – particularly the 2nd-grade students who had their kindergarten year at Pinebook Elementary – will remember Boyd from that school where she was the assistant principal for five years. Before that, she was a 3rd-grade teacher for eight years at Meadowland, where she says her love of leadership grew. “I had a fantastic administrative team at Meadowland that really helped support others as they stepped into leadership roles.”
This past year, Boyd has focused on hiring staff for the new school, selecting educators and staff who are passionate about their work. “I just want the school to have a good energy. I want to create a school where staff and students are excited to come to school every morning,” she said. “This is the coolest time to be an educator. We have so many resources at our fingertips. My hope is that this passion, this knowledge and this know-how will shine through all we do at Henrietta Lacks Elementary.”