Lower School Newsletter - April 20, 2022
Message From Division Director
Amid the changes in outside temperatures, the Lower School is experiencing a few changes to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, families and teachers. Due to the impact on some grades, please note the following updates which will be reflected in the All-School Calendar:
Grades JK-3 Classroom Visits
Friday, May 13, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Rising Grades K-3 Transition Coffee
Monday, May 16, 9-10 a.m.
On Friday, April 29, Grades 4-6 Classroom Visits will continue as planned. Megan and I will have the table set up in front of the Lower School office so you can find your name tag. I would love to have a moment with you, so be sure to wait in the Commons before heading to your child’s classroom. The Rising Grades 4-6 Transition Coffee will also continue as planned on Wednesday, May 4, from 9-10 am.
Lastly, I imagine that many of you are experiencing a myriad of emotions regarding the next iteration of mask-wearing for your child. Please know that every decision is made based on the safety and well-being of our Huskies. The ultimate goal is for all students to be on campus and in their classrooms. Research and the 2020-2021 school year have shown educators that remote learning is not the best way for Lower School students to learn. There is no way we can replicate the inquiry, collaboration and deep thinking that our Huskies are exposed to on a daily basis on a virtual platform. However, there is a way for them to continue to receive the support and care on campus — by wearing their masks as a grade level as an extra precaution. I appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this next chapter.
Articles:
How to Raise a Good Problem-Solver
How to Talk to Kids About Honesty
Videos:
Video: What Is Compassion?
Story Time: Respect and Responsibility
"What if I do this, what could happen?" — Thinking ahead can help kids avoid all sorts of trouble. This friendly Mulberry tree offers kids a helpful technique to remember to think BEFORE they act in a way that could hurt themselves or someone else.
Robyn M. Nichols
Interim Director of the Lower School
The Latest
Lower School Closing Ceremony/Sixth Grade Promotion
We are in the final stages of solidifying plans for the 2022 Ceremony and Sixth Grade Promotion. Information, such as attire for our oldest Huskies, will be available very soon. Stay tuned for details.
Fifth and Sixth Grade Play Practice
The fifth and sixth graders are rehearsing for the Fifth and Sixth Grade Play. Also, note that some students will rehearse on Mondays and Wednesdays only, and others rehearse on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. These rehearsals will continue until the performance on May 19. If you have additional questions, please reach out to Director of Fine Arts James Venhaus.
Virtual Event: Taking Meaningful Risks Coffee and Conversations
A big part of Flint Hill’s vision for students is to encourage them to take “meaningful risks.” But what does that actually mean? On Tuesday, April 26, at 9 a.m., faculty members across divisions will elaborate on what taking meaningful risks means at Flint Hill, including how they encourage students to create their own definitions of success and explore ideas creatively and critically. While this event is designed for prospective families, newly enrolled and current families interested in this topic are welcome to join! Register for the event or share it with a friend who’s interested in Flint Hill.
Upcoming Local Field Trips
Friday, April 22: Forest Friday at Nottoway Park, 9 -11:20 a.m. (JK)
Tuesday, April 26: Chesapeake Bay Field Trip, 8:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. (Grade 4)
Tuesday, May 10: Difficult Run Stream Field Trip, 9 a.m. - noon (Grade 4)
Join Us for Springfest!
We hope to see you at Springfest this weekend as we celebrate spring athletes and welcome back alumni. Everyone is invited to come together to cheer our Huskies on to victory! Some games will feature recognition of alumni athletes who have returned to celebrate milestone reunions.
Home Game and Activity Schedule:
Friday, April 22
4:15 p.m. — Varsity Softball vs. Georgetown Visitation, Lower School Softball Field
Saturday, April 23
Noon — Boys Tennis vs. Seton School, Upper School Tennis Courts
Noon — Girls Lacrosse vs. Wilson High School, Peterson Family Turf Field
2 p.m. — Boys Varsity Lacrosse vs.Wilson High School, Peterson Family Turf Field
Register your child for this fun opportunity. You will need to submit a form for each participating student. The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 20.
For questions about Springfest activities, contact Director of Athletics Dewayne Robinson.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day May 6, 2022
Invitations have been mailed to grandparents and special friends, but parents can help us by spreading the word and registering for them. Visit flinthill.org/grandparents for registration and more information about the day.
All registrants will receive an email with their Husky’s homeroom classroom number(s) and helpful information, the week of the event. We will continue sharing updates to parents in the newsletter. Please contact Olivia Landrum with any questions.
MAKING THE LEARNING VISIBLE
JiJi Visits the Lower School to Congratulate Huskies
Now that the building is open for visitors, a special guest stopped by the Lower School to congratulate two classes on their fantastic achievement of reaching a class average of 100% in ST MATH! That’s right, JiJi the Penguin paid a visit to Ms. Pescatore’s first grade class and Mrs. Henry’s Pre-Algebra class. The first graders and JiJi closed out the day with a dance party, while our Pre-Algebra students enjoyed being taught by JiJi for a full class period. Who will be the next class to reach 100% average and receive a visit from our favorite Penguin?
Fourth Graders Visit the National Colonial Farm
The National Colonial Farm is a living history museum that depicts a Maryland middle-class family farm on the eve of the American Revolution. The Foundation's organic Ecosystem Farm emphasizes the future of agriculture as farmers learn the tools of new trade and practice sustainable use of natural resources. Check out a few pictures from the field trip!
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
- Use this form to request additional RFID tags for carpool.
- Refer a Husky and the Admission team will reach out to them.
PARENT TO-DO'S
Please Complete the Annual Parent Survey
On April 5 every Flint Hill parent should have received an email from Measuring Success, the company that administers our annual parent survey, with a personalized link to this year’s survey. Please take a moment now to open that email and take the survey. Your feedback is very important to the school. If you did not receive an email from Measuring Success, please reach out to them at schools@measuring-success.com for help or to have the link resent.
PARENT RESOURCES
Parents Council of Washington Virtual Event April 28
The Parents Council of Washington is pleased to host a virtual event on Thursday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. with Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson, national bestselling authors of “The Self-Driven Child,” to discuss their new book, “What Do You Say?: Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home.”
William R. Stixrud, Ph.D. is a clinical neuropsychologist and founder of The Stixrud Group, as well as a faculty member at Children's National Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine.
Ned Johnson is an author, speaker, and founder of PrepMatters, an educational company providing academic tutoring, educational planning, and standardized test preparation. He hosts the PrepTalks podcast and is a sought-after speaker and teen coach on study skills, sleep deprivation, parent-teen dynamics, and test anxiety.
In this PCW Speaker Series event, Stixrud and Johnson will focus on how to communicate with kids in a way that supports the autonomy and self-drive that are important for healthy development. They will emphasize practical communication strategies for building a strong emotional connection with our kids, communicating healthy (versus toxic) expectations, fostering intrinsic motivation, and helping kids find their own reasons to change when they are struggling. Because communication is hardest when things are not going well, the presentation will emphasize how to get "buy in" before we share our experience and advice, how to change the energy when it feels like we are trying to force our kids, and how to manage conversations when emotions run high.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A period. Please submit in advance any questions you may have to administration@parentscouncil.org.
All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty, and staff are invited. Register Here
Upcoming Events
To help protect the integrity and privacy of virtual events, we have placed all the links to Google Meet virtual events in Husky Hub via the All-School Calendar.
Grades 5 and 6 Play Practice
Mondays/Tuesdays (Group 1) and Wednesdays/Thursdays (Group 2)
JK Forest Friday to Nottoway Park
Friday, April 22, 9-11:20 a.m.
A Toast to John (Thomas)
Friday, April 22, 8 p.m., Peterson Middle School
Springfest
Saturday, April 23
Grade 4 Chesapeake Bay Field Field Trip
Tuesday, April 26, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Grades JK-12 Admission Virtual Coffee and Conversation: Taking Meaningful Risks
Tuesday, April 26, 9-10 a.m.
Classroom Visits 2.0
Friday, April 29 (Grades 4-6), 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Grades 5-8 Spring Orchestra Concert
Tuesday, May 3, 7-8:30 p.m., Olson Theater
Rising Grades 4-6 Transition Coffee
Wednesday, May 4, 9-10 a.m.
Grades JK-12 Admission New Parent Information Night
Wednesday, May 4, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Grades 5-8 Spring Band Concert
Thursday, May 5, 7-8:30 p.m.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day
Friday, May 6
Grades JK-12 Parent Education Series: Kaleidoscope Book Club
Monday, May 9, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Author Claire Legrand Grade 6 Virtual Presentation
Monday, May 9, 10-11 a.m.
Grade 4 Difficult Run Stream Field Trip
Tuesday, May 10, 9 a.m.-noon
Grades 5-8 Spring Percussion Concert
Tuesday, May 10, 7-8:30 p.m.
Grades 5-8 Spring Choral Concert
Thursday, May 12, 7-8:30 p.m.
Classroom Visits 2.0
Friday, May 13 (Grades JK-3), 8:15-8:45 a.m. (new date)
JK Family Picnic Sponsored by the Parents’ Association
Saturday, May 14, 5-7 p.m.
Rising Grades K-3 Transition Coffee
Monday, May 16, 9-10 a.m. (new date)
Two-Hour Delayed Opening, Faculty/Staff In-Service
Tuesday, May 17
Health Services
Helpful Links
Flint Hill Positive Case and Close Contact Exposure Protocols
COVID-19 Vaccination Status Dashboard
All of these links can be found on the COVID-19 Health Information tile on the Resource Board.
Reminder: Keep Everyone Healthy by Staying Home if Sick
If your student has fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea you should keep them home to recover. They must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.
Parents' Association
Don’t Forget to Register! Golf Invitational and Skills Clinic
Very few foursomes remain for the tournament, but there are still some individual spaces open and plenty of spots available for the Skills Clinic, presented by AutoScandia. Join Clinic Co-Chairs Mica Howard P’19 and Sibel Unsal P’22 for an hour-and-a-half of casual conversation and golf skills taught by pros. Afterward, enjoy lunch together and get a chance to win some great raffle prizes including a Kendra Scott necklace or two tickets to Signature Theater. Thank you to parents Sherri and Mark Bredesen P’22 of AutoScandia for their generous sponsorship of the clinic!
All abilities are welcome, so grab your spot here!
Oh What a Night!
This year’s Arts Jam was pure joy! After a two year break, I truly didn’t know what to expect. Most of these students and some of their teachers had never even seen an Arts Jam let alone perform in one. It blew me away! Read more.
NEWS ON THE HILL
