Lower School Newsletter - May 25, 2022
Message From Division Director
On Monday morning, The Lower School went all out to celebrate the one and only John Thomas! It was a fun-filled morning for our head of school, faculty, staff and our students. To culminate the indoor parade, the sixth grade students greeted John on the fourth floor and posed for their last group picture inside the Hazel Lower School before they journey to the Peterson Middle School in the fall.
Although there tends to be so much hustle and bustle at this time of the year, it is an important opportunity for students to learn more about next year. On Wednesday, June 1, 2:20-2:45 p.m., we will have our Move Up Day. Teachers in the rising grade level will visit your child’s classroom to share highlights and answer questions. We are in the final days of the school year; let’s continue to create amazing memories!
Articles:
Robyn M. Nichols
Interim Director of the Lower School
The Latest
Rising K-6 Transition Coffee Recordings
Closing Meeting with Robyn
If you would like to schedule a meeting with Robyn Nichols, interim director of the Lower School, to discuss your child’s year and to ask about placement questions, please reach out to Donna Holaday.
Field Day
We are so excited about Lower School Field Day, which will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. for Grades JK-3 and from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. for Grades 4-6. As your child prepares for the exciting day, please refer to the helpful suggestions:
- Students have free dress for Field Day, but please do not have them wear their favorite t-shirts. Students should expect to be sweaty, wet and possibly muddy.
- All students MUST wear shorts and t-shirts, socks and sneakers (no open toe flip flops, sandals or crocs). No spaghetti-string shirts for the girls.
- Girls can wear a bathing suit under their shorts and t-shirts if they like. There are a lot of water stations.
- Please apply bug spray and sunscreen at home before coming to school. Students can wear a baseball cap if they would like but no sunglasses.
- Finally, remember to send a change of clothes and shoes for after Field Day. Students will be able to change once they are finished.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Chris Brown.
Parent Volunteers for Field Day
As we race to the end of the school year, we are delighted to announce that we are looking for parent volunteers to assist our PE department at our end-of-year Field Day. It is on June 2 and will run from 8:30 a.m to 11:45 a.m.
If you are interested, please reach out to P.E. Department Chair Chris Brown at cbrown@flinthill.org. He will be able to assist you, and I know he will be thrilled to have you as volunteers.
Field Day is a special end of the year event, and it is always incredible to have the parents be on campus to assist that day.
Lower School Closing and Sixth Grade Promotion Ceremony – June 3, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
It is hard to believe we are nearing the end of the school year. Despite many emotions that an end can bring, we are excited about the year’s culminating events — with elements of traditional programming reimagined for our divisional alignment.
Please see below for general information about the Lower School Closing Ceremony and Sixth Grade Promotion, which take place on Friday, June 3. We will provide final details about logistics (parking, arrival time, refreshments, etc.) closer to the event.
- Our closing program will showcase reflections on the year before turning our focus to the sixth graders to be promoted to the Middle School.
- Parents and relatives are invited to attend.
Dress for JK-5 Huskies:
- School uniform.
Dress Options for Grade 6 Huskies:
- School uniform.
- Collared shirt or blouse with khaki-style dress pants; skirt with a blouse; or sundress with a cardigan (no spaghetti straps, please).
- Appropriate footwear for the occasion is required. We recommend black or brown shoes with dark socks, tennis shoes, low-heeled shoes, or flats. (Please be mindful that each student will need to walk across the stage to receive their certificate and shake Mr. Thomas' hand).
After the Ceremony/Promotion:
- Grade 6 Huskies will be escorted out of the Activities Building by Assistant Director of Counseling John Magner to the Miller House lawn for pictures. Director of the Middle School Brian Lamont has a family engagement and will not be able to attend.
- JK-5 Huskies will be escorted back to their classrooms by their teachers to gather items and go home with parents immediately following the ceremony.
We are looking forward to celebrating the Lower School Huskies, promoting the Sixth Grade, and recognizing you for all of your support. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out anytime.
Medication Pick Up
Any medication sent to the School Clinic for this school year must be picked up on or before Friday, June 3, between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., or Monday, June 6, between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Emergency medication (EpiPens, inhalers, diabetic supplies) must be picked up by Monday, June 6.
Medications are not stored at the School over the summer.
All medication not picked up by June 6 will be discarded.
Please call the division clinic to schedule a time for you to pick up your child’s medication.
The phone numbers for the clinics are:
Lower School Clinic
703.584.2399
Middle School Clinic
703.584.2397
Upper School Clinic
703.584.2396
MAKING THE LEARNING VISIBLE
Fifth graders have been reading “Ghost” by Jason Reynolds. The students have been discussing the author’s use of symbolism. For example, students identified running shoes as a symbol from the book and made a personal connection. During Innovation Lab, students used turtle stitch to code their symbol to be cut on the digital embroidery machine.
Students in Grade 6 language arts read the novel “Some Kind of Happiness” by Claire Legrand. They chose one or two settings from the novel and designed a Light Play Box in Innovation class to make the settings come to life. On Tuesday morning, Claire hosted a virtual Q and A session with our oldest Huskies!
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.
Last Husky Pride and Free Dress Day
Friday, May 27
Grade 4 Spring Concert
Friday, May 27, 8:30 a.m.
Olson Theater – Lower School Campus
Memorial Day — Flint Hill Offices Closed
Monday, May 30
Parents’ Association Volunteer Appreciation Social
Wednesday, June 1, 8:15-9:15 a.m., John M. Thomas Terrace, Peterson Middle School
Rising Grades 1-6 Move Up Day
Wednesday, June 1, 2:20-2:45 p.m.
Lower School Field Day
Thursday, June 2, 8:30-11:45 a.m.
Lower School Closing and Sixth Grade Promotion Ceremony
Friday, June 3, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Commencement
Friday, June 10, 10 a.m.
Final Grade Reports Available Online
Wednesday, June 15, 4 p.m.
Summer Programs Begin
Tuesday, June 21
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
Spring Cleaning: Drop Off Uniform Donations
It’s the end of the year and time to clean out any old uniforms. Parents can drop off uniform donations to the Miller House front porch each day, between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Our next uniform exchange will be in August before the start of the year.
Parent Volunteers: You’re Invited!
We want to recognize and thank you for your service to our School community. Join us on June 1, 8:15-9:15 a.m., for a breakfast reception on the John M. Thomas Terrace. Invitations were emailed, but you can also RSVP by emailing Olivia Landrum. We hope to see you there!
Volunteer at the Igloo Snack Bar!
We appreciate parent volunteers helping at the Igloo! Sign up for a morning or afternoon shift here.
All About the Lower School!
The last few days have been all about the Lower School. On Friday, I joined sixth grade parents as they decorated student lounges for a big reveal on Monday. These Huskies will be making the leap to Middle School soon, and I think we all just wanted them to know how proud we are of them. Also, who doesn’t love a celebration? Read more.
NEWS ON THE HILL
