The 13-year principal veteran’s high-energy style inspired teachers, school parents and the school’s surrounding Fairfield Twp. community, said Billy Smith, superintendent of Fairfield Schools, which also enrolls students from the city of Fairfield.
“North Elementary Principal Denise Hayes has done an outstanding job leading her school to this incredible milestone,” said Smith.
“Her strong instructional leadership and unwavering focus on teaching and learning set the tone, but this achievement is truly the result of a total team effort. Denise launched the “Strive for 5” theme as a rallying cry for excellence, and every member of the North Elementary staff embraced it with enthusiasm and purpose.”
Smith added: “Their shared commitment and collaboration led North to become the first school in the Fairfield City School district to earn a 5-star rating—a remarkable accomplishment that makes us all proud.”
Hayes recently paused during a typically busy school day and looked back on a series of initiatives launched at the school on Morris Road, which enrolls kindergarten through 5th grade with a student population of 630 students.
Her ties with Fairfield North Elementary are personal.
Both her children attended the school and she describes it as “my neighborhood school and I love it. And I am truly honored to work and serve in this community.”
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Winning top honors from the state “means everything to me and the staff.”
“We set this goal … the previous school year, we had a 4.5-star rating and immediately we said ‘we’re shooting for five’ and our mantra became strive for five.”
“And we did it. And we did it for all our students,” Hayes said.
Jennifer Morningstar, a long-term intervention specialist at the school, has worked with Hayes for more than a decade and praised the principal’s support for staff.
“She absolutely supports everyone in this building … and she gives 110% all the time,” said Morningstar.
Hayes “puts forth the effort no matter what time it is, after school, before school, on her lunch break or anytime. She makes sure that the kids are put first,” said Morningstar.
Teamwork toward a shared mission is each school year’s focus, said Hayes.
“We maximize every adult in this building and we make sure every person in every role knows their importance in working toward our goals. Every single role is just as important as the other in terms of helping our kids succeed.”
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