Lower School Newsletter - September 9, 2020

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

Husky Pride Day, Friday, September 11

Our first Husky Pride Day is on Friday, September 11; every Friday after that will be Husky Pride Day! Your child may wear:

• Flint Hill t-shirt or sweatshirt with jeans.
• Flint Hill t-shirt or sweatshirt with uniform bottoms.
• Flint Hill uniform.

Both virtual and on-campus students are invited to participate.

 

Back-to-School Night, Tuesday, September 22

We are looking forward to welcoming parents to our virtual Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, September 22. The evening will start at 7:00 p.m., with a brief video welcome from Headmaster John Thomas and me, and then parents will meet with teachers, via Google Meet, who will be presenting as grade-level teams in grades JK-5. Parents with students in grade 6 will first meet with advisors and then with the Language Arts, Math, Social Studies and Math Department Chairs. To familiarize yourself with the curriculum in advance, please read the information in the Lower School Program Guide that pertains to your child(ren). While faculty will be prepared to answer questions about the curriculum, the focus of the time will be: building the partnership between home and School; communication, including how teachers will share your child’s growth and progress; and how to support your child at home so he/she is ready and available to learn. Our hope is to continue the conversation we began at our Hopes and Dreams Conferences this week.

 

Labeling Clothing/Personal Items

Each quarter of the school year, a remarkable amount of clothing and other personal items are left unclaimed in our lost and found bins, despite our best efforts to reunite them with their owners. We are asking for your help to ensure that all personal items or articles of clothing brought to school are clearly labeled with your child’s name, either by writing it on the label or by sewing a nametag into the back of the item. We would also appreciate your help in encouraging your child(ren) to take responsibility for their belongings and to check the Lost and Found regularly if something they own is missing.

 

School Portrait Information for Lower School Students

Picture day will look a bit different this year but will be offered for both on-campus and virtual learners. Students will be photographed outdoors at the Lower School Campus. Our photographers will be in masks and will observe physical distancing.

On-campus learners in the Lower School will have their portraits taken on Friday, October 2. A make-up day is scheduled for Thursday, October 29. The Husky Pride Day for the week of September 28 will be moved to Thursday, October 1, so on-campus students can wear their uniforms for portraits.

Portraits for virtual learners in JK-11th grade are available by appointment on Wednesday, October 7, and Wednesday, October 28. To make an appointment, visit https://flinthill.timetap.com and follow the prompts. Select “Flint Hill Virtual Learners” and then choose your preferred date and time.

All ordering for school portraits will occur online. You will receive an email alert with a link to your student’s gallery when it becomes available.

 

Articles

Managing Your Own Anxiety During School Reopening

Setting a Routine for Success at School

Breathing Exercises to Help Calm Young Children

 

Homework and Home Learning Policy for Special Circumstances and Religious Observances

Flint Hill School’s core values guide the behaviors and decisions of all members of the Flint Hill community. The School's Homework and Home Learning Policy for Special Circumstances and Religious Observances was created with this in mind.

Over the course of each year, there are a variety of circumstances and events outside of our school calendar that can prevent students from completing evening assignments. When these circumstances or events arise, the School will make every effort to be flexible and support students in completing their work in a timely manner.

Special Circumstances

In the event of a family obligation, illness or unforeseen emergency, Upper School students may request extra help or extensions for work missed during the student’s absence.

In the Lower and Middle Schools, teachers and division directors will work with families to develop a plan for completing work missed during a student absence on a case-by-case basis.

In all three divisions, families are encouraged to communicate with your child’s teacher, advisor or division director to inform them of what to expect from your child, so we can work with your family accordingly.

Religious Observances

Flint Hill deeply respects and celebrates the customary rituals, observances and family gatherings associated with religious holidays and those of differing faiths at School. Upper School students who miss school due to a religious observance or celebration can work with their teachers or advisors to make up academic work.

In the Lower and Middle Schools, teachers and division directors will work with families to develop a plan for completing work missed during a student absence on a case-by-case basis.

Students are also excused from school, games and practices for religious commitments.

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM THE LAST NEWSLETTER

To prepare for reopening, we created Social Stories for our Lower School students and their families. The stories walk through things that will be different, as well as things that will be the same.

The Social Story also talks about the emotions that might come and how it is possible to hold simultaneous conflicting emotions.

Here is the Social Story for our students Grades JK-3

Here is the Social Story for our students in Grades 4-6

 

Snacks, Lunch and Birthday Treats

Here is information for snacks, lunch, and birthday treats. This year, Lower School students will need to bring their own lunches to campus. Parents are encouraged to provide students with a nutritional lunch with a minimum of packaging that requires no refrigeration or additional preparation. Students should be able to independently open items in their snack and lunch.  Each student needs to have their own lunch, as sharing food is not permitted. Please note that there will be no additional food stored at school to give to children if they forget their snack or lunch at home. Parents and guardians may drop off lunch with a staff member at the security desk, who will notify the divisional office which will handle it from there.

 

Mask Guidelines for Students

As noted in the Campus Reopening Plan, face masks are required to be worn on campus. While individual expression is encouraged, Lower School students should wear face masks with age-appropriate imagery. Please note that gaiters, bandanas and masks with vents or exhalation valves are not permitted.

 

Email Communication Information for New Families

We’d like to share some information regarding school email communications with new families, who may be accustomed to different processes from their previous schools.

• As a Flint Hill parent, you are automatically opted in to receive school emails; there is no specific action to take to receive emails from the School. However, unsubscribing from a single school email will unsubscribe you from all school communications, so please do not unsubscribe!
• Over time we’ve observed that some businesses have a higher tendency than others to mark bulk emails as spam and/or block access to Google documents. If you have a business email address on file with us, please also make sure we have a personal email address on file so there are no interruptions to your ability to receive communications from the School.
• If you received tonight's newsletter, great news! That means you are subscribed to receive communications from Flint Hill.

 

Outdoor Lunch, Mindfulness, Reading and Learning

To mitigate risk, our hope is to spend as much time outdoors as possible this year. All Lower School students who will be on-campus, in grades K-6, are asked to bring in a small towel to use for outdoor lunch, mindfulness, reading, and learning. Towels should be in a bag marked with the child’s name. The towel will be sent home, at the end of each week, to be washed and should be returned to school the following Monday.

 

First Week of School — For Both Virtual and On-Campus Learners

Information regarding the first week of school is available on the Preparing for the 2020-2021 School Year Resource Board tile here.

 

Morning Arrival and Afternoon Dismissal

Detailed information about arrival and dismissal is available on the Preparing for the 2020-2021 School Year Resource Board tile here. You can also watch a detailed video about carpool here. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant to the Director of the Lower School Donna Holaday at 703.584.2360. In addition, every family was mailed carpool signs. Families with multiple households were mailed signs to each address. Signs should be displayed on the passenger side of the car, for the duration of pick-up.

 

Lower School Dress Code

Please be sure to consult the Dress Code, on the Resource Board, for information about uniforms. Please note that the dress code applies to both on-campus and virtual learners. Students may bring a hat/cap of any style or color to school, which may be worn outside for sun protection. To mitigate risk, all students are required to wear a mask. Gaiters, bandanas and vented masks are not permitted. Please note that there is no need for fifth and sixth grade on-campus students to purchase P.E. uniforms for the first semester.