About

School Schedule

Office Hours:
7:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
Bell Schedule:

First Bell: 8:55 a.m.
Tardy Bell: 9:10 a.m.
School Ends: 3:21 p.m.

School Beliefs

At Don E. Hayden Elementary School we hold these beliefs:

  • Every child can learn!
  • Each child should feel valued and respected!
  • Teachers truly make a difference!

We must prepare our students for a global society where they will be able to compete in the private, government, and non-profit sectors.

 

 

Our Namesake

dr-_haydenDr. Don E. Hayden was a native of Palmyra, Missouri. Upon graduation from Palmyra High School in 1942, he served three and half years in the Navy as a torpedo man aboard a destroyer in the South Pacific. When the war ended, he enrolled at Weber College in Ogden, Utah. Dr. Hayden taught in McGill, Nevada for five years and then in Payette, Idaho where he met and married his wife, Eldine. He continued his education at Colorado State College of Education where he received both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education Degrees. He earned his Doctorate Degree in 1965 from the University of Southern Mississippi.

The Haydens moved to Las Vegas in 1955 when Dr. Hayden accepted the Principalship at John C. Fremont, which was an elementary school at that time. After three years at Fremont Elementary, Dr. Hayden was assigned to Hyde Park Junior High School as an Assistant Principal. He served one year at Hyde Park Junior High School before being appointed as the Principal of Roy Martin Junior High School, a post he held for three years. During his professional career with the Clark County School District, Dr. Hayden opened four new middle schools. Following a leave of absence to earn his Doctorate Degree, he was appointed principal of J. D. Smith Junior High School. Dr. Hayden retired from the Clark County School District in 1992 after 37 years of service.

Dr. Hayden’s philosophy as an educator revolved around his belief that a school’s basic responsibility is to give every boy and girl the fundamental skills they will need to become an active, economically independent member of our democratic society. He believed that schools must provide the opportunity for each student to pursue a course of study that would go beyond the basic skills into the many professions and vocations available today and in the future. Furthermore, he felt that education must be a shared responsibility among educators, parents, citizens of the community, and governmental agencies.

Dr. Hayden held positions in many professional organizations. He served as a member of the Parent-Teacher Association, a member of the Board of Managers for the Nevada Congress of PTA, and also served as treasurer of the Las Vegas Council. He was a board member of the Nevada State Education Agency, Treasurer of the Secondary Principals’ Association, and President of the Las Vegas Masters Club. Dr. Hayden was also a member of the honorary education fraternity Phi Delta Kappa for many years.

Realizing the importance of community service, Mr. Hayden has devoted countless hours of duty to many organizations. He was a member of the Juvenile Conference Committee for Clark County Juvenile Homes and served on the Education Committee for the Heart Fund Campaign. He was Chairman of the Clark County Teachers Credit Union and a member of the Board of Trustees of First Baptist Church. In 1963, Dr. Hayden was elected Sunrise Optimist Club’s “Man of the Year” for his outstanding contribution to the community.

Dr. Hayden and his wife Eldine were preceded in death by their son Patrick. Their daughter Dawn is still blessing lives today. Patrick Hayden and his wife Vickie have three sons and Dawn Hayden has two daughters. The Hayden family has also been blessed with their unofficially adopted and extended family from Ethiopia, Yohannes and Mebrat Hagos and their two children.

Dr. Hayden, his wife Eldine, and their son Patrick committed many, many years of their lives to education and the students of the Clark County School District. In their final years, until their passing in January 2016 and September 2015, respectively, Dr. and Mrs. Hayden gave their time and resources to the students of Don E. Hayden Elementary School. Both of them will forever remain in the loving memory of the staff and students of Hayden ES. Both of them will forever be our Hayden Heroes.