Lower School Newsletter - August 24, 2022
Message From Division Director
As we continue to prepare for an amazing school year, your child’s Hopes and Dreams Conference is a wonderful opportunity for you and the homeroom teacher to establish a partnership between school and home. On Monday, August 29, and Tuesday, August 30, the one-on-one time ensures that we know all of the layers of your child and gives us pertinent information to provide the best support throughout the school year.
Megan Dhar, assistant director of Lower School, and I look forward to spending time with you during the New Parent Orientation on Wednesday, August 31. Our time together will focus on the nuts and bolts of the division along with opportunities for you to answer questions to support your parent transition. The orientation is also for current parents, so please feel free to join us!
Although the start of the school year is an exciting time, your child may be experiencing a myriad of emotions. Two articles in the Resources section, below, will assist in easing your child’s summer-to-school transition and offer ways to beat the back-to-school jitters.
If you have questions, please reach out anytime!
In partnership,
Robyn
Robyn M. Nichols
Interim Director of the Lower School
Back to School
Preparing for the 2022-2023 School Year
How often is Lower School Husky Pride Day? What’s the traffic pattern for dropping off Middle School students? What’s the earliest I can drive onto campus to pick up an Upper School student? The answers to these questions and many more can be found in the content on the Preparing for the 2022-2023 School Year tile on the Resource Board of Husky Hub.
To access the Resource Board, visit www.flinthill.org/app, and log in with your username and password. Once logged in, click Resources on the top navigation bar, and then click on the Preparing for the 2022-2023 School Year tile. The tile will remain accessible through the start of the new school year. We recommend bookmarking it!
Class Placements for the 2022-2023 School Year
To access your child’s class placement, log in to Husky Hub, click “Children” and select your child’s name. From the “Progress” page, scroll down to view your child’s classes and teachers. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant to the Director and the Assistant Director of the Lower School Donna Holaday at 703.584.2360.
Dress Guidelines
Please be sure to consult the Dress Guidelines on the resource board for information about uniforms. Please note that students may bring a hat/cap of any style or color to school, which may be worn outside for sun protection. Every Friday is Husky Pride Day. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant to the Director and the Assistant Director of the Lower School Donna Holaday at 703.584.2360.
SchoolPass Steps To Complete Before School Starts
Flint Hill School uses SchoolPass, a user-friendly and real-time system that allows parents to easily notify the school of student absences, late arrivals or appointments; helps students and teachers with daily attendance; and assists the school with efficient and secure dismissal to direct students to Lower School carpool, buses and AfterCare.
Textbooks and Supplies
Please refer to the Preparing for the School Year tile to purchase textbooks and resources through our Virtual Book Store. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Young.
Health Information
Updated Health Information Tile
Please review the new Health Information tile on the Resource Board. This is where you’ll find information about protocols for general illness, flu, seasonal allergies and COVID, as well as contact information for all three health clinics.
Medication Drop-Off
For students who will need to keep medication on campus during the school year, we will have a medication drop-off day on Thursday, August 25, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. at the Upper School circle.
Families will pull into the circle, and a nurse will come to your car to collect the medication and the appropriate forms. As a reminder, all prescription medication must be accompanied by the physician's order on the Medication Authorization Form, which must be completed and signed by the prescribing physician.
All medication must have the pharmacy label on it. You can access the forms from your Magnus account /Husky Hub resource board under the Preparing for the School Year tile. All over-the-counter medication must be accompanied by the Medication Authorization Form and must be completed and signed by a parent or guardian. The medication must be in the original packaging and must be administered according to the package instructions, including the time and route to be administered.
If you are unable to come to the School on the medication drop-off day, please call to schedule an appointment with your division’s nurse prior to the start of school.
Upper School 703.584.2396
Middle School 703.584.2397
Lower School 703.584.2399
To drop off medication refills throughout the school year, please call and schedule an appointment with your division’s nurse.
Uploading Your Child’s Health Forms — New and Returning Students
Completed health forms must be uploaded to the Magnus Health system and approved by the first day of classes, or your child may not attend school. If you have any questions regarding the health forms, please contact Director of Health Services Mary Hart at 571.926.2818.
Announcements
All-School Calendar Now Available
Did you know that you can have the electronic All-School Calendar feed directly into your iCal or Google calendars? The electronic All-School Calendar is where you can find when and where upcoming school events will be held.
To get to the All-School Calendar, log in to Husky Hub and click on the Calendar icon in the top menu bar. Scroll down and on the bottom left you can toggle on and off to select which calendars you’d like to display. We strongly recommend displaying the All-School Calendar.
In less than one minute you can watch this video on how to feed the All-School Calendar into your personal calendar. Fast forward to the 1:20 mark for the calendar tip. Watch the full video if you’d like a general refresher on Husky Hub.
And remember, the School’s IT department isn’t just for students, it’s a parent resource too! Just email helpdesk@flinthill.org to ask a question or set up a time for a private tutorial.
Parent-Teacher Hopes and Dreams Conferences
Using the Responsive Classroom and Developmental Design approaches, homeroom teachers and advisors build their classroom communities with intention and care, so that each child feels safe, respected and that they belong. To gain a better understanding of each child and facilitate a strong partnership with parents for the school year ahead, homeroom teachers and advisors will host a 20-minute, in-person Hopes and Dreams Conference for parents on Monday, August 29, and Tuesday, August 30. These conferences give parents the opportunity to share their hopes, dreams and goals for their child for the new year. Parents are also encouraged to share any other information that would be helpful for the teacher to know about their child. If you have any questions, please contact Donna Holaday via email or at 703.584.2360.
Lower School New Parent Orientation — Wednesday, August 31
To help new parents, as we prepare for the school year, Assistant Director of the Lower School Megan Dhar and Director of the Lower School Robyn Nichols will host a meeting on Wednesday, August 31, at 8:15 a.m. in the Olson Theater. Returning parents are also welcome to attend.
School Store — New Items and Shop by Appointment
The School Store is now open at the Hazel Lower School in Room 112 for in-person shopping by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Take a look at the new items that have recently been stocked! More will be added through the fall. To contact School Store Manager Kaleena Buckwalter, please call 703.584.2413 or email schoolstore@flinthill.org.
Resources
Upcoming Events
Parent-Teacher “Hopes and Dreams” Conferences
Monday, August 29, and Tuesday, August 30
Lower School First Day of Classes
Wednesday, August 31
New Parent Orientation
Returning parents are also welcome to attend
Wednesday, August 31, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.
Labor Day — Grades JK-12, No Classes
Monday, September 5
Lower School Student and Class Picture Day
Friday, September 9
Parents’ Association
Gently Used Uniforms Available — By Appointment
If you missed a chance to browse and take home gently used uniforms at last week’s Uniform Exchange, there is one more day left to shop by appointment in the Hazel Lower School, Room 101. We look forward to meeting you on campus and helping you find what you need. If you have any questions, please contact Melissa Riley.
Calling All Concessions Volunteers!
The Igloo, a concessions stand located in the Upper School building, will open for the new school year on August 29. Parent volunteers are needed to help sell concessions to hungry students during the day and after school. Details are on the Igloo Sign Up Form. Please sign up for as many shifts as you'd like, and feel free to invite a friend to sign up with you too.
September
12—Parent Morning Mixer
23—Senior Breakfast
29—Parent Pickleball Social
October
3— Parent Morning Mixer
14-15—Homecoming Weekend
November
7—Parent Morning Mixer
March
6—Morning Mixer
10—Lower School Spring Uniform Exchange
April
3—Parent Morning Mixer
15—Parents’ Association Spring Tennis Social
May
1—Parent Morning Mixer
25—Flint Hill Golf Invitational
June
1—Volunteer Appreciation Reception
