Dear Potowmack Community,
My name is Mark Hayden and I am both humbled and excited to serve as Principal of Potowmack Elementary School! I thoroughly enjoy working with children and am passionate about meeting the needs of the whole child. I am driven by a core belief that education should provide children with opportunities to discover their dreams and then equip them with the skills necessary to pursue those dreams. I look forward to working with our incredible staff to continue developing dynamic learning experiences for our students that make learning engaging, meaningful, and fun!
Prior to being selected to serve as Principal of Potowmack Elementary School, I was Assistant Principal of Sully Elementary School for 6 years in Loudoun County Public Schools and Associate Principal of Hammond Middle School for 3 years in Alexandria City Public Schools. Before becoming an administrator, I taught 8th Grade English at Metz Middle School for 6 years in Manassas City Public Schools. This is my 19th year as an Educator and I am excited about working with such an amazing group of students, parents, teachers, and staff!
Before joining Public Education, I honorably served 4 years as a United States Marine in Quantico Marine Corps Base where I achieved the rank of Sergeant. Although I mainly worked with Marines while serving in Active Duty, I had a unique opportunity to work with and develop the leadership capacity of students by volunteering at the annual JROTC Leadership Camp in Baltimore, MD. During my time in the Marine Corps, I discovered my own dream of becoming an educator and transforming the lives of students!
The majority of my professional education is from George Mason University, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English, a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and a Master of Education in Education Leadership. Prior to attending George Mason, I attended Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) in Woodbridge, VA, while serving as a United States Marine. As a life-long learner, I would like to return to George Mason within the next few years to pursue doctoral studies in Education Leadership.
As I have personally discovered, education is a key that has the potential to unlock doors of possibility and opportunity for each of our students. It is with great joy and enthusiasm that I look forward to working with all members of Potowmackâs Learning Community to ensure that every student is provided with their own key to unlock these doors, discover their dreams, and receive the education required for our Eagles to transform their dreams into reality! I am glad to be a part of the amazing community here at Potowmack and look forward to working with each of you!
