Dear J-HHS Tiger:  

Greetings Tiger Family. It is hard to believe that I am starting my 22nd year as an educator, and my fifth year as a principal in my birthplace. In 1982, I was an excited freshman ready to start my high school journey. I never imagined that 40 years later, I would be here serving as the principal of my beloved Alma Mater. I do not take this position lightly.   

We are excited about the 2022-2023 school year.  At Jonesboro-Hodge High School we strive for Excellence, One Step Beyond. Faculty, staff, students, and parents, we do not have room for complacency. We all need to be on one accord in ensuring that our students have the best educational experience possible. We are all held accountable. We may agree to disagree, but we must operate on the premise that we must make decisions based on what is best for our students. Teachers are expected to teach, students are expected to learn and to be active participants in their learning process. Parents, please check parent connect so that you may monitor your child’s progress. Make sure that you have the teacher’s email address, and conference hours. Please be proactive in your student’s education.   

Social media has its advantages, but it can also be our worst enemy. Oftentimes, it is the first method used for negative publicity about our school,  faculty and staff.  I ask you to consider the  following: “Before you speak or post, ask yourself if what you are going to say is true, is kind, is necessary, is helpful, or is vindictive. At Jonesboro-Hodge, ACADEMICS come first. If a student is involved in a sport, they are a STUDENT/athlete. Remember athletics is considered an extracurricular activity. That means it is an activity at a school  pursued in addition to the normal course of study. It is not a requirement.  Please be mindful of the uniform policy. We have sent out detailed correspondence to explain the uniform policy.  

Parents, we are working to support you. We will continue to answer your questions via the office phone number, respond to emails, and keep the lines of communication open. We are working diligently to keep our school community safe. Due to the continued outbreak of worldwide diseases, we must be cautious of our surroundings. We emphasize to everyone the importance of washing hands thoroughly and consistently after using restrooms and before and after eating meals. We have a number of hand-sanitizing stations located throughout campus. Our buildings will be routinely disinfected, and will follow specific guidelines during class exchanges.  We will continue to approach these unprecedented times with Tiger Tenacity.  Remember, Together-Everyone-Achieves More!

Tigerly yours,

Chevonda W. Leonard

Principal