Upper School Newsletter – December 17, 2025

Virtual: Flint Hill Alumni College Panel — Thursday, January 8

On Thursday, January 8, 7:00-8:00 p.m., Middle and Upper School families are invited to hear directly from recent graduates as they describe their transition to college and respond to questions about what they have learned, how they were prepared, and the challenges they experienced during this pivotal time. We hope you’ll join us to learn about how Flint Hill prepares our students for college life — inside and outside the classroom. Use this Google Meet link to attend the Alumni College Panel.

Driving Spirit Award Nominations

The Driving Spirit Award recognizes current Flint Hill faculty and staff members who lead by example through their dedication to students and ability to energize and inspire the Flint Hill community. Please think about the exceptional current teachers and staff members in the Flint Hill community who you believe fit this description, and complete the nomination form by Friday, January 9.

Parent Education Series (PES) Event: The FH Budget — Tuesday, January 13

Current families are invited to join Head of School Patrick McHonett and Associate Head of School for Finance & Operations Anne Peterson for our annual budget coffee on Tuesday, January 13, at 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Upper School Multipurpose Room, to learn more about your investment in a one-of-a-kind Flint Hill experience for your student(s).

Gifts to Faculty and Staff

As we approach the Winter Break, we wanted to remind you of the School’s recommendations concerning gifts to faculty and staff. Flint Hill encourages simplicity in the giving of gifts. Please note that holiday gift giving is not an expectation, and individual families should decide what is best for them, keeping in mind that a sincere, heartfelt “thank you” often carries the greatest meaning.

The School discourages the collection of money from parents to provide teachers or coaches with gifts. If, however, you choose to provide a holiday gift to a faculty or staff member, please be sensitive to varying cultural/religious backgrounds and avoid gifts exceeding $100 in value, as outlined in the Family Handbook.

Reminders from the Athletics Department

Spring Sport Registrations/Confirmations Due Friday, December 19
Each student will receive an email from the Athletics Department about their spring sport selection. To make a change to the sport selection (add, drop, or switch), respond to the email with the necessary information. This must be done by Friday, December 19.

Lock Your Lockers
All in-season student athletes have been assigned a locker with a code. Please lock your belongings in your lockers to keep them safe. If you don’t know how to use a combination lock, come find a member of the athletic department, and they will be able to help you.

Inclement Weather Classwork Policy

With the onset of inclement winter weather, we want to make sure you’re aware of our classwork policy on inclement weather days. Beginning on the second snow day of the school year, teachers may choose to assign work by sending an email to students alerting them of assignments by 10:00 a.m. Work should be made available on the teacher's course page or through another electronic form. Individual or additional considerations will be made in the event of:

• excessive consecutive inclement weather days,
• a high number of individual inclement weather days, or
• extended time periods without power.

A reminder that delayed openings and closures will be announced to members of the Flint Hill community by 5:45 a.m. on the day of a severe weather event in the following ways:

• Text/email alerts through our emergency notification system
• A banner on our website
• Story posts on Instagram and Facebook

If a change to the school day is required, we will contact you as stated above. If you do not hear from us, know that the school day is scheduled as normal.

2026-27 Re-Enrollment Timeline — Important Dates

As we look ahead to the 2026-27 school year, please review the key dates and deadlines that will guide the upcoming enrollment process. From financial aid applications to contract issuance and the regionally adopted binding date, the timeline below outlines everything families need to stay on track. We encourage you to mark your calendars and reach out with any questions as we move through each step together.

• Thursday, January 8 — 2026-27 Tuition Announcement
• Tuesday, January 13 — Parents are invited to attend the Parent Education Series: The FH Budget, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
• Wednesday, January 28 — 2026-27 Enrollment Contracts are issued to current students, including financial aid decisions.
• Thursday, February 5 — Deadline for current families to submit 2026-27 Enrollment Contracts
• Friday, February 27 — 2026-27 Enrollment Contracts are issued to new students, including financial aid decisions.
• Friday, May 1 — Enrollment Contract Binding Date*

* The Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW), of which Flint Hill is a member, has made the decision to move its strongly encouraged guideline for the contract binding date from June 1 to May 1 for the 2026-27 school year.
Please contact admission@flinthill.org or 703.584.2314 with any questions.

A Resolution You Can Keep: Volunteer in the Igloo!

The Igloo will only be open after winter break if there are volunteers! There’s always an opportunity to sign up for a shift, and we need many volunteers to open each day. It is a great opportunity to connect with other parents while supporting our community. Upper School students can volunteer for basketball games, too!
Volunteer in the Igloo

2026-27 School Year Calendar Highlights

Our 2026-27 Calendar is now available on the Parent Resource Board, including the first and last days of school, breaks, holidays, Conference Days, and Professional Development Days. We will communicate any changes made to the published dates on this calendar in the newsletter.