Meet your Attendance Officer

If you sign in late or have early dismissal you’ve probably run into Leona “Leigh” Haden, the attendance office at Fluvanna County High School.

Haden grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C, in a town named Bladensburg. She went to our local community college, Prince George’s Community College, (PGCC) and also attended Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC). “I have two Associate degrees from PGCC in Law Enforcement Technology and Paralegal Law Studies. I earned a Surgical Tech certificate from PVCC,” Haden said.

What exactly does Haden do? “I keep track of students’ attendance, their late arrivals and early departures, and produce reports that reflect the same. I also help in the front office when assistance is needed there,” she explained.

Outside of school, Haden likes to spend time with her husband and children. She enjoys caring for their chickens and making things such as a T-shirt quilt she made for her oldest daughter.

If Haden’s name sounds familiar, it’s because her family has a long history in Fluvanna. “The property that the school is built on (the Pleasant Grove acreage) was originally owned by my husband’s family who came to Fluvanna in the 1700’s,” she said. Haden herself moved to Fluvanna in 1992.

When she moved here, Haden first worked at a law firm in Charlottesville. “I have also worked for The University of Virginia as a secretary and then as a medical transcriptionist. Before I started substituting here in Fluvanna I was a stay-at-home mom while my children were growing up,” she said.

What are some things Haden wishes students knew about attendance here at FCHS? “One, when they come in late it makes extra work for me and counts against them. Basically, they are not getting the education they deserve and they are depriving their fellow students of a quality education because of the interruption of coming in late,” she said.

Another thing, she says, is that notes for early dismissal make the process of leaving early much simpler and result in less interruption of class time. Overall, she says, “I truly enjoy my job and the interaction that I have with the students.”