Dear Flint Hill School Families,

I trust that everyone had a tremendous Labor Day weekend and that you were able to rest and spend time with family and friends. At the same time, I hope that our students are ready for this week and looking forward to starting to get a rhythm for another great school year. A sense of momentum is always important as the year really starts to commence.

And while momentum is important, let’s always remember that the success of every school year always comes down to people. The people in our lives make all the difference in the world. We see it in our families, in our careers, and in everyday life. It is the people we come in contact with, who either lift us up, get us to laugh, make us feel loved and cared for, and/or occasionally upset or frustrate us. Those interactions and the ongoing relationships we create, short- or long-term, are what give life its flavor and power. People challenge us and inspire us. They motivate us to work on building that momentum.

The people in our children’s lives have a huge impact on their developing sense of confidence, poise, enthusiasm and growth. The most important people, other than you, are their teachers. Here at Flint Hill, our teachers are dedicated educators, artists, coaches and mentors. They are individuals who have made educating people their life calling and their mission; that is what they want to do with their professional lives. They want to educate, support, inspire, encourage, guide and lead our great children to push themselves further than they have ever been pushed before, in the most age-appropriate and balanced way possible. They help their students find the joy that comes from learning new and exciting things. They are the ones pushing our children out of their comfort zones to take meaningful risks in all that they do, as they go about the process of  becoming themselves, and as they truly get on the path to make a difference in the world. Teachers are key partners for you as well since, in many cases, they spend more one-on-one time with our children than we may even do.

As parents, what is our role in this process? What can we do? The most important thing is to get to know these wonderful partners, hear what they plan to do during the school year, and find ways to engage in the learning they are proposing as well. Back-to-School Nights begin this week:

Middle School — Thursday, September 10, at 7:00 pm
Lower School — Thursday, September 17, at 7:00 pm
Upper School — Thursday, September 24, at 7:00 pm

Each of those evenings provide us an opportunity to hear about the adventures the faculty have in place in their various classes. This a chance to see who the teachers are and to hear their hopes and dreams for your children as this year gets underway. Every school year is an adventure. Each one will be filled with moments of joy and success, and sometimes, moments of great difficulty and struggle. The beauty, however, is that our children are surrounded by people who really care for them and love them. Together, parents and teachers, can make that difference.

Please make every effort to join us at the Back-to-School Nights. Sit in those classrooms, hear what the faculty have to say and get a sense of what that experience is going to be like for the children. This will prove helpful as the year goes on, especially when our kids talk about their classes, share a discussion on a key topic, or comment on a specific teacher. You will know who is working so closely with your child that you will be able to visualize exactly what they are talking about.

It will be an exciting year! There is a tremendous sense of energy in all three divisions. Join us in getting to know the people in our community and engaging in that process of building these important relationships. Hearing about our balance, learn about the innovation at each level of the educational journey, and most importantly, hear the passion that will come from our great faculty and staff. Enjoy these evenings. Get prepared for an outstanding school year ahead!

Best wishes to you!

 

Sincerely,

John M. Thomas
Headmaster