 Welcome to another edition of the Hornet Highlights. Here’s a look at what has been happening in classes, in competition, and in the lives of our students and staff over the last week. We hope reading this makes you feel connected to and informed about the work that we’re doing at Herndon High School. Thanks for reading.
Sincerely, Liz Noto
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Thanks to our Muslim Student Association (MSA), a growing Herndon High School club, our custodians were provided with a delicious lunch to thank them for their hard work. It is wonderful to see our students organize themselves so well to provide for others. Thank you to our MSA and sponsors for making this special event happen!
Congratulations to our very own Vocal Jazz students, under the direction of Mrs. Dana VanSlyke, for their selection as guest performers at the George Mason Music School’s “Mason Vocal Jazz Night”. Students performed there at the very end of November. Our Vocal Jazz group is an especially dedicated group of students because they do not meet during a regular block class. These exceptional singers arrive before school each morning for practice. Congratulations! Your hard work is paying off.
 It has been a season full of eating for our staff as we wrapped up 2018. A pie table was set up for the Thanksgiving Break, followed by a pasta luncheon leading up to Winter Break. We couldn’t have done it without the help of our Herndon High School Cafeteria Staff! A very special thank you to our PTSA for hosting our December cookie table and to Kelli Jordan, Pallavi Surana, and Dannielle La Rosa for manning the table. What a wonderful way to end the calendar year!
 In the spirit of the television cooking competition, the Herndon Foods teachers Mrs. Palm and Mrs. Spector teamed up with Art teachers Mrs. Post and Mrs. Faure to host our first ever Cupcake Wars challenge. In teams, students had to create a cupcake recipe and decorate it according to a selected theme. A team of Art students then constructed a cupcake display based on the bakers’ requests. Special guests, like Region 1 Assistant Superintendent Douglas Tyson (pictured here) helped rate the cupcakes. It was a delicious project!
 Our Naval Junior ROTC students have had a very busy couple of months. Pictured here, students posed for a photo during their trip to Philadelphia and to New York City. The group also passed their annual inspection a couple of weeks ago. This inspection, for those who are not aware, is a very intense, hours long process where students’ uniforms and marching are critiqued and where students are quizzed on their NJROTC knowledge. Congratulations, Cadets! We are so proud of your hard work!
 Congratulations to these National Merit Competition commended students! This honor is based upon the PSAT scores these students earned. These students now qualify to apply for special scholarships sponsored by some outside businesses and corporations. There were over 1.6 million PSAT test-takers, so it is quite an accomplishment for these students to receive recognition. Congratulations!
 New Health/PE department chair, Mrs. Joanna Quirine welcomed a second baby to her home not long ago. Baby Bowen is welcomed by her big sister, who is pictured here, as adorable as ever, with socks on her hands. These girls seem to be getting along just fine. Congratulations, Mrs. Quirine! And welcome, Baby Bowen!
 Did you know that over 21% of Herndon students had absolutely perfect attendance in the first quarter? That’s exceptional! Thanks to the inspiration of our Systems of Support Advisor, Mrs. Kelly Cosgrove, attendance for each grade level was compared to see which class had the best overall attendance in Quarter 1. The winners were the freshmen, who were treated to donuts during TA before the break. Thank you to Mrs. Corsino for posing in this donut delivery photo!
Congratulations to Mrs. Jameela Manraj, our Main Office Assistant, who recently welcomed a new grandson into her family. Zain, pictured here, arrived in November. His mom is a Herndon graduate from long ago – but once a Hornet, always a Hornet! Welcome, Zain.
 Here they are – our first group of interns for the General Dynamics (GDIT) partnership program. These students participated in a badging and orientation process in December, then completed some team-building activities. In this photo, students posed with the stockings they filled for soldiers overseas. Thank you to GDIT for giving us another opportunity to directly prepare our students for the world of work.
 Many of our Herndon families were surprised with a visit from our caroling Madrigals last month. These students also visited the hallways for our listening enjoyment. While carolers typically sing in unison from the same sheet of music, these talented students took caroling to a whole new level with style and harmony. Thank you, Madrigals!
 In Mrs. Hutton’s English 10 Honors class, students were presenting a project just before the break. Here, Tasin justifies his selections for a 10-song playlist or soundtrack based on the 1897 play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. It was a very entertaining way to see students’ interpretation of their reading, mixed with the modern twist of today’s music. Bravo, Mrs. Hutton! What a great idea!
 Congratulations to Mrs. Lauren Spector, pictured here with Assistant Principal Mr. Michael Gillespie, for her selection as Herndon High School’s Beginning Teacher of the Year. We are so impressed with her work and cannot wait to see what else she can do!
Also recognized were:
Mrs. Yasmin Petras: Herndon Teacher of the Year
Mr. Julio Ramirez Rivera: Herndon Operational Employee of the Year
Mrs. Michelle Campiglia: Herndon Leader of the Year
 Winter Break kicked off with some seriously interesting weather. We hope the break has been great for your family and look forward to seeing everyone back here on Monday. It’s too quiet around here without our students and staff! Have a wonderful weekend, Hornets, and Happy New Year!
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