Lower School Newsletter - September 28, 2022
Message From Division Director
Our Back-to-School Night for grades JK-3 was a success! Words cannot express how happy the faculty and staff were to see you. Tomorrow (Thursday), teachers in grades 4-6 will share the ABCs of their grade level, communication expectations, home learning, Seesaw and much more! To prepare for the evening, please review the 2022-2023 Lower School Program Guide. Grades 4-6 Back-to-School Night will take place on Thursday, September 29, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Donna Holaday.
After viewing proofs of the class photos taken by Freed Photography on September 9, we decided that the quality did not meet our expectations. We have asked Freed to retake the class photos on Thursday, October 6, which is the date they were scheduled to do individual makeups and retakes.
The photographers will be sure to digitally include children who may have to be absent on that retake day. Please reply with any questions or concerns you may have.
In partnership,
Robyn
Robyn M. Nichols
Interim Director of the Lower School
Announcements
Classroom Visits & Parent Coffees - October 7 & 14
We hope parents can join us from 8:15 to 9:30 a.m. in the classroom on Friday, October 7 for JK-3rd Grade parents and Friday, October 14 for Grades 4-6 parents. These are informal gatherings with Lower School leadership that offer opportunities to share questions and discuss divisional topics of interest. Parents are welcomed into classrooms where students will share what they are currently learning.
Homecoming 2022 — October 14-15
Celebrate Homecoming and join the Flint Hill community for a weekend filled with athletic events, food and fun for the entire family! The weekend kicks off with athletic games and our traditional bonfire on Friday night and continues with more athletic events, spirit giveaways and activities for all ages on Saturday. On both days, The Den will be open for concessions and the School Store will open a Pop-Up Shop in the Peterson Middle School. Please note that parents should attend events with children rather than drop them off unattended. Visit flinthill.org/homecoming for a full schedule of events. Click here to sign up to volunteer — a great way to make a difference and meet more Huskies!
Homecoming Spirit Dress Days — Week of October 10
Students may show their spirit in the days leading up to Homecoming by dressing up according to themes! As always, clothing should not impede students’ ability to participate in normal school activities or contain inappropriate language or images. Students who choose not to participate in the theme of the day should be in regular school dress.
- Wednesday, October 12 — Pajama Day: Wear your PJs or comfiest clothing.
- Thursday, October 13 — Jersey Day: Wear an athletic shirt or jersey with jeans or regular school dress bottoms.
- Friday, October 14 — Color Day: there is a school-wide spirit day to kick off Homecoming. Students in JK-3 may wear Husky Pride Dress. During the school day, students in Grades 4-6 will attend the Pep Rally where Grades 4-12 are each sporting a featured color. Grade 4 is Gray, Grade 5 is Yellow/Orange and Grade 6 is Red.
Students who previously ordered a Homecoming 2022 t-shirt will receive those in homeroom on Thursday, October 13 and are encouraged to wear them on Saturday, October 15.
K-6 Dance Workshop with Homecoming Performance
Homecoming is right around the corner and we can’t wait to spread some Husky spirit all weekend long! All K-6 students are invited to join the Upper School Dance Team for a free workshop on Thursday, October 13, 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. in the Lower School Gym. Participants will learn a short routine that will be performed with the Upper School Dance Team at the Girls’ Soccer Game during Homecoming!
Check out the schedule and register now! If you have any questions, please contact Head Dance Team Coach Olivia Landrum.
After School Clubs — Coming Soon!
We are thrilled to announce the return of After School Clubs for the first time since the fall of 2019! Available for grades K-6, these clubs will operate October 17 - December 2, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Our club lineup and registration link will be sent via email on Monday, October 3. For any questions, please contact Matt McCoart, director of after school and summer programs.
Day of Play Volunteers Needed — Friday, October 21
The Day of Play is an annual Flint Hill tradition that invites students to work together to plan, build and play using recyclable materials, basic supplies and their imagination! We are so excited for this year’s Day of Play on Friday, October 21, with the theme of Huskies Go Jurassic! Each class will create its own dinosaur experience that they will share with their fellow Huskies. Look out for communications from your classroom teacher with opportunities to donate recyclable materials from home. Please do not send anything to school before October 17.
This year we are thrilled to welcome parent volunteers back for the Day of Play. Please complete this volunteer form if you are interested in helping on Friday, October 21.
Parent Resource Board
You’ll find helpful links and answers to many frequently asked questions on the Parent Resource Board. We’ve retired the “Preparing for the 2022-23 School Year” tile on the resource board and replaced it with a “Parent Toolkit” tile, which includes the following information:
- School policies
- Transportation (Pick-up and Drop-off)
- Extended Day
- Campus Security
- Textbooks & Supplies
Pet Policy Update
Speaking of policies, effective Thursday, September 29, pets are not permitted in campus buildings or athletic fields. While we recognize and value the joy pets bring to our families, our primary concern continues to be the safety and welfare of our community. The School welcomes service animals assisting persons with disabilities.
School Store — Relaunch Tomorrow
The School Store will relaunch tomorrow, Thursday, September 29, at 1:00 p.m. We are excited to provide an improved shopping experience. To contact School Store Manager Kaleena Buckwalter, please call 703.584.2413 or email schoolstore@flinthill.org.
Please be mindful that there are many online stores selling Flint Hill gear illegally and refrain from purchasing items from there. We have no affiliation with those stores other than our official school store and any online store that we point you to, like the one selling our Homecoming t-shirts.
JK-12 Parent Coffee: Equity & Inclusion — Thursday, October 20
All parents, JK-12, are invited to join us on Thursday, October 20, 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Lower School multipurpose room for a parent coffee highlighting our commitment to building inclusive, equitable classrooms in grades JK-12. This meaningful work supports the FH vision for all students to “Take Meaningful Risks. Be Yourself. Make a difference.” Led by Mia Burton, Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, the discussion will also examine how equity practices support student engagement, inquiry and reflection.
Photo Day Portraits Now Available Online
Flint Hill Student portraits are now online for viewing and ordering. Parents should have received an email from Freed Photography with your student's private gallery information. If you have not received that email (check your spam too), please contact Freed at support@freedphoto.com or call 301.652.5452. Photo Retake/Makeup Day is currently scheduled for Thursday, October 6.
Early Admission Process for Siblings
If you have a child who is not currently enrolled at Flint Hill and you are interested in the application process for the 2023-24 school year, please complete this interest form by Saturday, October 1. Alternatively, you can simply complete the admission application. You must complete the full application package by November 1 to receive an admission notification in mid-December. For more information, please schedule an appointment with the admission team member for your division of interest.
Community of Care: Connect and Celebrate — November 12
SAVE THE DATE! Students in grades 7-12, alumni, parents, faculty, staff and leadership are invited to join us on Saturday, November 12, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Peterson Middle School for our Community of Care: Connect and Celebrate event. The Community of Care provides a space for all members of the Flint Hill community to engage in dialogue, create connections, and strengthen relationships. This year we will examine how our core values shape the future of Flint Hill. Our time together will conclude with a festival celebrating our cultural diversity.
Registration details will be provided in the upcoming weeks. If you are interested in serving as a country representative at the festival, please email All-School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson.
Resources
Upcoming Events
Parents' Association Pickleball Social
Thursday, September 29
Country Club of Fairfax, 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Grades 4-6 In-Person Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 29
Olson Theater, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Parent Morning Mixer
Monday, October 3
deCamp Garden, Upper School, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.
Grades JK-8 Picture Make-Up Day
Thursday, October 6
Classroom Visit & Parent Coffee (Grades JK-3)
Friday, October 7
8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Indigenous Peoples' Day
No School
Monday, October 10
Classroom Visit & Parent Coffee (Grades 4-6)
Friday, October 14
8:15 - 9:30 a.m.
Grades K-6 Dance Team Clinic
Thursday, October 13
Lower School Gym, 3:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Homecoming Festivities
Friday, October 14
Saturday, October 15
The full schedule of events is on the Homecoming website.
JK-12 Parent Coffee: Equity & Inclusion
Thursday, October 20
Lower School Multipurpose Room, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Parents’ Association
Message From Our Parents’ Association President
Homecoming is a favorite tradition of the Flint Hill School community, and it’s just a few weeks away. It is one of our family’s favorite events, especially the bonfire! Be sure to mark your calendars and join us. Read More.
Parent Morning Mixer Next Monday
Join us for our next Parent Morning Mixer on Monday, October 3, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m, at the Upper School campus in the deCamp Garden. All JK-12 parents are invited to this informal social after morning drop-off to get together and visit with other parents. Parent Morning Mixers will rotate among locations at the Upper, Middle and Lower Schools throughout the year, but all divisions are welcome to attend regardless of the location.
Programs for Independent School Parents
Flint Hill is a member of the Parents Council of Washington (PCW) — a non-profit organization that fosters communication within the greater Washington, D.C., independent school community. Their goal is to promote excellence in education by building a network among independent schools and their parent communities. Each year they host programs that are open to parents and staff at member schools. Thank you to Jennifer Butler P’24 who serves as Flint Hill’s representative. Please see below for upcoming events; you are invited to attend with other independent school parents in the region.
Tuesday, October 18, 7:00 p.m. — Speaker: Dr. Dalton (virtual via Zoom)
PCW is pleased to welcome Dr. Jonathan Dalton, founder and director of the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change. Dr. Dalton is a licensed psychologist, specializing in the use of evidence-based treatments for children and teens who find their lives impacted by anxiety. He is an expert in his field with over 20 years of experience and speaks frequently on mental health disorders impacting children and teens. All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty and staff are invited. Time for Q&A will be provided after the presentation. Please submit questions to administration@parentscouncil.org by October 11. REGISTER for this speaker event.
October 24-28 — Movie Screening: “Chasing Childhood” (virtual)
PCW is pleased to host an online viewing of “Chasing Childhood,” a feature-length documentary that explores how free play and independence have all but disappeared from kids’ lives, supplanted by relentless perfectionism leading to record rates of anxiety and depression, a situation compounded by the pandemic. Free play, unsupervised by adults, is critical for developing essential life skills: grit, independence and resourcefulness. The film explores how and why helicopter parenting became the norm in many communities across the United States. All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty and staff are invited. REGISTER to receive the link to view the documentary.
Calling All Concessions Volunteers!
Parent volunteers are needed to help sell concessions in both The Igloo and The Den during the day and after school. More opportunities will be added throughout the year for each athletic season. 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
29—Parent Pickleball Social
October
3—Parent Morning Mixer
14-15—Homecoming Weekend
November
10—Parent Morning Mixer
March
2—Parent Morning Mixer
10—Lower School Spring Uniform Exchange
April
15—Parents’ Association Spring Tennis Social
May
25—Flint Hill Golf Invitational
June
1—Volunteer Appreciation Reception
