Susan Leonard of Guidance and School Counseling

YAY SUSAN LEONARD! Susan Leonard, an HCPS technology support technician, is today’s “Yay of the Day” honoree. Superintendent Amy Cashwell honored her recently.

YAYWORTHY: Nominator Janet Smith said: “I want to take a moment to praise an outstanding member of the HCPS team — Susan Leonard. Susan spent many years as the registrar at Deep Run High School and currently works in HCPS Records Management. She spent the start of the school year assisting us in the school counseling office at Douglas Freeman H.S.

Last summer we found ourselves without a school registrar or counseling secretary. We were so pleased to see our colleagues move into new positions with the county, but their absence left a great strain on our school. The job of school registrar is one of the most specific and nuanced jobs in education, and can’t easily be covered by another staff member in the building. The institutional knowledge required to be successful is vast. Registrars ensure compliance every day. They are the first point of contact for new families, for families in unstable housing, or when courts have made rulings about child custody. They must balance the reality of enforcing policies, procedures and laws with showing families empathy and compassion.

In August we were still without a trained registrar, and stress was running high. Susan Leonard saved the day. She began spending half-days with us in mid-August and got us through one of the most difficult seasons in a high school counseling office. She traveled to Douglas Freeman from her office on Nine Mile Road before finishing each day back at her office. She patiently helped us work through complicated enrollments, transfers, withdrawals and state reporting. She did it all with a smile and reassurance that we would make it through this difficult season. She even chose to stay on for an extra week to assist with training our new registrar. We would not have made it through the start to the school year without her.”

Thank you for all you do, Susan Leonard, to make a positive difference and move HCPS forward!