Dear Flint Hill School Families,

At Thanksgiving, there is a tremendous focus on gratitude. But in the weeks that have followed, I have continued to think about gratitude and its importance at all times of the year. I’ve been thinking about the generosity and gifts of time, spirit, and support that we see so often here at school. We are a school that thrives on engagement. We value and appreciate people stepping up to make a real difference on so many levels. As I attend different events and hear stories about all that people are doing in our community, I can’t help but feel grateful to you for trusting us with your children, for the teachers who have chosen education for their careers, and for our students who rise to the occasion each and every day with energy, enthusiasm and heart.

Every day, I see evidence of all there is to be thankful for at Flint Hill, with some of the most visible examples coming from our very full school calendar. A lot is happening in the weeks leading up to Winter Break. Last week, we celebrated a successful Giving Tuesday, on the heels of a Monday night phonathon with eight parent volunteers. Between Monday and Tuesday’s events, we received 50 gifts and pledges totaling more than $23,000. We are grateful to the parents who gave their time to make calls on behalf of The Flint Hill Annual Fund and are most grateful to the members of our community who stepped forward to generously support us on Giving Tuesday.

Last Sunday, we held an Upper School program that had more than 30 students and faculty and staff engaged in sharing our great school with prospective families. Our Admission Open Houses have been running at capacity all year, and last Sunday’s program was no exception. The large turnouts we have seen at Admission events across divisions have been very exciting. As you know, word of mouth is one of our most effective marketing tools, and your help in this annual effort is very evident. Thank you.

There have been a number of activities and events that have allowed our students to shine. For example, November’s Nutcracker performances were remarkable. It was exciting to see students and faculty alike on the stage and to hear the outstanding orchestra playing alongside them. They were all working together, as a team, to provide a great performance for all of us. You could also see that same drive and excitement during last week’s Choral Concert, with 123 students singing, 11 of whom are Honor Choir singers. All of them put on an incredible show, for a standing room only crowd, in the Lower and Middle School Campus gym.

And last weekend’s Tip-Off Classic was another success. On Friday night, Middle School students were bussed to the Upper School Campus to cheer, for our Husky-athletes, with their Upper School counterparts. Parent volunteers were running the Hospitality Suite, and the Igloo was opened nonstop. It was exciting to hear the cheers of our students and families as we supported our Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball teams, starting on Friday night and into the championship games on Saturday. Looking around and realizing what a privilege it is to be a part of this great school filled my heart with gratitude, and I can imagine that the parents, students and faculty in attendance shared that feeling.

Monday night’s Percussion Concert was another amazing event, and I am certain tonight’s Band Concert will be as exciting and outstanding as the other concerts that I attended last week. All of these events showcase our students’ talent and dedication. Each and every one of us should be thankful that these wonderful children are sharing their talents with all of us, both in and outside of the classroom.

As we rapidly approach the holiday season, I hope you will join me in continuing to take advantage of this sense of gratitude. I hope you experience it as I do. We are in a place where people bring their passion to learn and grow, where the purpose is clear and succinct, and where all children have the opportunity to find their sense of who they are. Enjoy this next week! I even suggest that you enjoy the change in weather that makes us fully realize that we are moving into winter. Take a step back and think about the generosity of everyone who has made all of this possible, and enjoy the warm feeling of gratitude.

Best wishes to you!

Sincerely

 

John M. Thomas
Headmaster