Lower School Newsletter - March 30, 2022
Message From Division Director
Welcome back! I hope each of you had a wonderful Spring Break. It was so nice to reunite with the Huskies. The building was so quiet last week; Megan and I counted the days until the students returned.
On Thursday, March 31, the Flint Hill School community will celebrate Founder’s Day. It is such a wonderful time to honor the School and to bring Huskies and employees together. In previous years, the Lower School was in attendance for the All-School event. Seniors, who were identified as “Lifers,” escorted our littlest Huskies into the gymnasium and sat with them throughout the gathering. As we continue to reimagine how students in Grades JK-6 participate in All-School events, John Thomas, Megan Dhar and I have had intentional conversations about the challenge for Lower School students to remain attentive for an hour with limited movement.
As the division continues to keep the wide range of developmental needs in the forefront of our minds, Lower School students will not attend this year. Teachers will livestream the event in their classrooms. This year’s Founder’s Day is extra special for the division, as we are recognizing Fifth Grade Teacher Lori Emerick, and Sixth Grade Teacher Christine Dwyer for their 20 years of service. To add a personal touch, John Thomas and I will honor them in the Lower School Olson Theater in a few weeks during the school day. We will livestream the event, so JK-4 students can view it from their classrooms. Fifth and sixth grade students will serve as audience members in the Olson Theater to support their grade level teachers.
All of the Lower School teachers are in a class by themselves, and it never ceases to amaze me how much they truly give their all on a daily basis.
Robyn M. Nichols
Interim Director of the Lower School
The Latest
Fifth and Sixth Grade Play Practice
On Monday, March 28, the fifth and sixth-graders started rehearsals 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 the Director of Fine Arts James Venhaus.
Rising Sixth Grade Events
Math Placement — Virtual
Math Department Chair Jess Henry will host our next virtual math placement meeting, “The Student-Centered Approach,” for Rising Sixth Grade parents on Wednesday, April 13, from 9 to 9:30 a.m.
Middle School Tour — March 31 and April 1
The sixth grade students will take a tour of the Middle School on Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, during the school day.
Rising Seventh Grade Learning Center Meeting — Tuesday, April 5
On Tuesday, April 5, 2:30-3:30 p.m., sixth grade students who access the Learning Center will meet with Dr. Harper and Middle School learning specialists in the Olson Theater to learn more about the Learning Center coaching model. Students’ parents will also attend. If you have additional questions, please reach out to the Director of the Learning Center Dr. Ben Harper.
Course Selection Reminder from Brian Lamont — Monday, April 11
Mr. Lamont, director of the Middle School, will share math, English, and language placement recommendations directly to sixth grade students and parents on Monday, April 11, to begin the course selection process.
Middle School Course Selection / Q and A Session — Tuesday, April 12
Sixth graders will have the opportunity to hear from Brian Lamont about the 2022-2023 courses and ask current seventh graders questions about Middle School life and what to expect on Tuesday, April 12, 8:05-8:40 a.m.
March Reading Madness Challenge
Lower School Huskies are invited to participate in the Annual March Reading Madness Challenge. In an effort to encourage our students to be voracious readers throughout the month of March, Mrs. Plaut is challenging the Lower School to reach a goal to read 2,000 books by March 31. Each student will be given a tally chart to track their progress and a basketball bookmark, during Library class, to kick off the challenge this week. As a class, homerooms will monitor their progress before and after Spring Break. Sixth-grade student leaders will collect and tabulate the data from each homeroom to present the grand total. Let’s get busy reading!
Local Field Trips Are Back!
Please refer to the upcoming events for Grade 4:
Wednesday, April 13: National Colonial Farm Tour, 8:25 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
Tuesday, April 26: Chesapeake Bay Field, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Springfest Updates
It’s almost time for Springfest — our annual weekend featuring spring season athletic contests and alumni reunion. 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.
As we gear up for another great Springfest event, please take a moment to note the following.
Springfest Store
Want to show your Husky spirit for Springfest 2022? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your very own 2022 Springfest shirt! This year’s shirts can be ordered in white or blue. The deadline to order is tomorrow, Thursday, March 31.
Stay and Play, Husky Clinics:
Location: Upper School Grass Field (near the baseball field) and Peterson Family Turf Field
Time: 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.
All JK-6 Flint Hill students and children of alumni are invited to join our Upper School baseball, softball and lacrosse student-athletes and coaches for an exciting clinic filled with fun drills, group activities and structured games. This clinic is free and will conclude with a pizza social for all participants.
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.
Please contact Christel Brooks at the Athletic Shop if you have any Springfest Store questions. For questions about Springfest activities, contact Director of Athletics Dewayne Robinson.
The next meeting of the Kaleidoscope Book Club is scheduled for Monday, April 4, 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Peterson Middle School Conference Room. We will discuss "Fast Forward to Hope: Choosing to Build the Power of Self" by Flint Hill Parent Indira Ahluwalia. We look forward to building and deepening relationships through this shared learning opportunity. All parents are welcome to attend regardless of your familiarity with the book selection. Contact All-School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson if you have any questions.
Save the Date, April 13! Arts Jam Is Back
Mark your calendars for the most exciting performing arts event of the year. Join us for the annual Arts Jam concert featuring Upper School band, choir, orchestra, percussion, dance, and musical theater. The concert will be held on April 13 at 7 p.m. at the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University. Visit the webpage here.
Save the Date! Grandparents and Special Friends Day
May 6, 2022
We are excited to welcome Grandparents and Special Friends to spend the morning with their Husky! This special morning is devoted to experiencing Flint Hill through the eyes of their grandchild or special friend. Guests will follow the student’s regular schedule throughout the morning including classes, specials and recess. This event is for grandparents and special friends of Lower School students in grades JK-6. We politely request parents visit during open classroom days throughout the school year in order to accommodate grandparents and special friends on May 6.
Invitations will be mailed to grandparents and special friends soon. Below is preliminary information for your convenience. To help us provide a special surprise for grandparents and special friends, please complete this form by April 15.
Event Schedule
7:45-8:10 a.m. – Arrival and classroom check-in. Guests will start the morning in their Husky’s first class of the day.
If possible, guests are asked to travel to school with their Husky and be dropped off in morning carpool.
8:10 a.m. – Classroom visits begin
11:30 a.m.-noon – Event concludes
FAQs:
Q: Who is invited to Grandparents and Special Friends Day?
A: Grandparents and special friends of students in grades JK-6, for whom Flint Hill has a mailing address, will receive an invitation in the mail. They can RSVP by returning the reply card, registering online or contacting Olivia Landrum at rsvp@flinthill.org.
Q: How will I know my students’ grandparents will be invited?
A: If you shared grandparent contact information with the school at the beginning of the school year, they will receive an invitation in the mail. If you would like to provide or update contact information, please email grandparents or special friends’ names, addresses, emails and phone numbers to Olivia Landrum.
Q: Where can I find more information?
A: A website with registration and event details will be launching soon! We will continue to update parents in the weekly newsletter.
Q: Are students allowed to leave school early with their grandparent or special friend that day?
A: Yes, with parent permission. Parents, please use the SchoolPass system to notify the school if your student will be leaving early that day.
Q: What if my student won’t have a visitor that day?
A: Not to worry, students will follow their normal schedule that day and can attend their classes as usual with or without guests.
Parent Toolkit Resource Board Tile
The Parent Toolkit tile on the Husky Hub Resource Board is available. It is a resource with valuable information to help Flint Hill parents throughout the rest of the school year.
FRIENDly REMINDERS
- Use this form to request additional RFID tags for carpool.
- Refer a Husky and the Admission team will reach out to them.
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.
Founder’s Day
Thursday, March 31, 9:15 a.m.
Grade 5 and 6 Play Practice
Mondays/Tuesdays (Group 1) and Wednesdays/Thursdays (Group 2)
Grade 6 Tour the Middle School
Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, 2 p.m.
Special Olympics Track and Field Event
Saturday, April 2, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Kaleidoscope Book Club
Monday, April 4, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Rising 7 Grade Course Selection with Mr. Lamont / Q&A Session
Monday, April 12, 8:05-8:45 a.m.
Grade 4 National Colonial Farm Tour
Tuesday, April 13, 8:25 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
Rising Grade 6 Parent Virtual Meeting: Math Placement:
Part II — The Student-Centered Approach
Tuesday, April 13, 9-9:30 a.m.
Arts Jam
April 13, 7 p.m.
Classroom Visits 2.0
April 22 and April 29, 8:15-8:45 a.m.
Stay tuned for additional details!
Grade 4 Chesapeake Bay Field Field Trip
Tuesday, April 26, 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Grandparents and Special Friends Day
Friday, May 6
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
There’s Still Time to Join Us for a Fun Day on the Links!
The Tournament and Skills Clinic is for everyone! It’s not about skill or just playing a great round of golf; it’s about the people and building community. Connect with parents, alumni and friends to benefit the Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel.
While there’s plenty of fun to be had in the tourney, perhaps what’s even more fun is the Clinic. It’s for the once-a-year, once-in-a-lifetime golfer, or those just not up for a full round. Enjoy an hour-and-a-half of casual conversation and skills taught by pros, and then join us for lunch in the Clubhouse to connect with golfers arriving for the tourney!
There are very limited foursomes open for the tournament, but there are still some individual spaces available. Register as an individual, and we will pair you with fellow parents!
All abilities are welcome, so sign up at flinthill.org/golf.
Volunteer Opportunity: The Den Is Reopening for the Spring!
Spring athletic games are here, and concessions will return in the Den, located on the Terrace of the Peterson Middle School. There are multiple concession opportunities available at both the Den and the Igloo! In addition to the Igloo, parent volunteers are also needed to help sell concessions in the Den during athletic games and during Springfest.
Sign up for a shift in the Den here.
Sign up for a morning or afternoon shift at the Igloo here.
Founder's Day
I have been lucky to attend almost every Founder’s Day since my son began at Flint Hill. At first, I didn’t really understand what it was or even think that I could attend, but, one year, I decided to take a chance and go. The entire school comes together to celebrate our founders, acknowledge our faculty and staff for milestone years at Flint Hill and to surprise the year’s Driving Spirit Award winners. Read more.
NEWS ON THE HILL
