Lower School Newsletter - august 10, 2022

Congratulations to the following returning faculty and staff who have taken on new roles this year.

Andrew Basti — Technology Systems Analyst

Jean Marí Hernández López — Lower School, Middle School and Upper School Modern Language Department Chair and Middle School and Upper School French and Spanish Teacher

Jody Patrick — Lower School P.E. Department Chair and P.E. Teacher

Melissa Riley — Advancement Officer and Advancement Data Specialist

Emily Sanderson — Upper School History and Social Sciences Teacher

Melissa Turner — Director of Systems Operations and Systems Training

Ana Yarbrough — Executive Administrative Assistant to the Head of School

Julie Young — Human Resources Coordinator

We are delighted to welcome new Lower School faculty/staff and members of the Senior Leadership Team to the Flint Hill family.

Patrick McHonett — Head of School — Patrick joins us from St. John’s Episcopal School in Orange County, California. He previously served as associate head of school at Phoenix Country Day School in Phoenix, Arizona, and has an expansive independent school background that includes admission, marketing and communications, and college counseling. We welcome Patrick along with his wife, Jessica, and their children, Charlotte (fourth grade) and Jack (Kindergarten), as well as their dog, Archie, to the Flint Hill community.

Carmen Scott — Director of Marketing and Communications — Carmen comes to us with 15 years of experience working in independent schools, including at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City, The Berkeley School in Berkeley, California, and The Field School in Washington, D.C. She earned her B. A. in journalism and mass communication from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kaleena Buckwalter — School Store Manager — Kaleena subbed at Flint Hill for a year and a half and was also a dental assistant for eight and a half years. She has an A.S. in science from Northern Virginia Community College. One fun fact about Kaleena is that she is dog and water obsessed!

Stefan Borowski — Lower School P.E. Teacher — Stefan has recently relocated from Connecticut, where he worked at New Canaan Country School since 2011 as an assistant athletic director, P.E. teacher and coach. He has a B.A. in educational studies from Denison University. 

Phoebe Chess ’18 — Kindergarten Assistant Teacher — Phoebe has worked as a yoga and gymnastics instructor. She just completed her degree at Virginia Tech in 2022 with a B.S. in human development. One fun fact about Phoebe is that she is a graduate of Flint Hill School, Class of 2018, and won the Husky Pride Award in her senior year.

Caitlin DeNure — Fifth Grade Teacher — Caitlin was previously a fifth grade teacher in Fairfax County. She has a B.S. in interdisciplinary liberal studies from James Madison University and a M.A.T in elementary education from James Madison University. One interesting fact about Caitlin is that she got married this summer!

Jen Fiske — Fifth Grade Teacher — Jen worked at Georgetown Day School for over 10 years as a fifth grade science and humanities teacher, 1 year at the Lab School of Washington as a science teacher for ages 7-12, and 6 years for Fairfax County Schools, most recently as a math support specialist. She has a B.A. in psychology and French from Hamilton College and M.Ed. in elementary education from Vanderbilt University. Jen loves being a mom of two wonderful pre-teen/teenage daughters.

Deanna Knox — Sixth Grade Teacher — Deanna has four years of experience in education including with KIPP DC KEY Academy as a social studies teacher and cheer coach. She has a B.A. in history from the University of Virginia and a M.A.T. in secondary education with a concentration in ELA from Relay Graduate School of Education. Some fun facts about Deanna are that she spent a month in Havana, Cuba; her fiancé is an actual African prince; and she was a gymnast for 16 years.

Molly Lyons — Fourth Grade Teacher — Molly has been an elementary school teacher for 11 years, teaching in both public and private schools. She has a B.A. in art history from American University and an M.Ed. in elementary education from George Washington University. Though Molly has completed 13 half marathons, she still isn't convinced she enjoys running.

Susan Yennerell — Fifth and Sixth Grade Art Teacher — Susan has 13 years of experience in art education in Texas and Virginia and a B.A. in art from Long Beach State. Our lower school community may recognize her as one of our regular substitutes last year!