Lower School Newsletter - April 28, 2021

Student Virtual Trivia Night for Rising Grades 5-12
Wednesday, May 19, at 7 p.m.

Students currently in grades 4 through 11 are invited to a Trivia Night! Similar to the parent event yesterday, the event will be hosted by Trivia Hub and will feature a live host. Students new to Flint Hill next year are also joining in on the fun. To help students make new connections, we will randomly create grade level teams that include both new and current students. Teams will huddle in breakout rooms, as they discuss their answers, so the evening will be a combination of time with all participants and small group fun.

Sign Up here to participate. The registration deadline is Wednesday, May 12.

Rising Grade 7 Virtual Division Coffee: Parent Orientation

For those of you who were unable to attend our division coffee last week, you are welcome to view a recording of the presentation. Transition to Seventh Grade

For the latest webinar recordings, please be sure to check out the 2020-21 Webinars tile in Husky Hub!

Making the Learning Visible

In the Lower School, our teachers provide a learning environment where students are actively involved and encouraged to inquire, and the activities are interactive, hands-on and student-centered. Teachers also provide authentic learning opportunities that are relevant to the child’s life experiences. Choice is a great motivator for our students, and very frequently, the inquiry that ensues is based on the students’ interests and passions as a class. Teachers are also intentional about providing field trip opportunities that enhance the learning experience.

Fourth grade students were asked to use at least 10 of their current Word Study words to write a poem, descriptive paragraph, story or letter. They were encouraged to share their love, value, appreciation, respect or concern for some aspect of our planet — plants, animals, water, air. Here is their tribute to Earth Day 2021.

As a culminating investigation to their ecosystems unit in science, fifth graders dissected owl pellets. Owls are consumers, and consumers eat other organisms within their biomes to get energy. Owls are unable to digest all of their prey, and the indigestible parts are regurgitated as pellets. What treasures were found! Mice and shrew skulls, jaw bones with teeth, leg bones, and rat skulls (which were really big!!).

For the Legends of Shark Tank project, students were given a list of around ten inventions from Ancient Greece. After exploring the different options, students were asked to give me their top three inventions of interest before doing a deep dive. Once the students were in five groups with their different inventions of choice, they were tasked with researching their invention and its contribution to society. From there, we watched videos of Shark Tank, analyzed pitches, and talked about how to write their own. The three requirements for pitching their inventions to a panel of sharks were a detailed (and memorized) persuasive script, a 3D model that had to be used during their presentations, and a poster board with visuals highlighting their invention.  Students were also instructed to pretend they were in Ancient Greece to show how that invention changed the lives of the Greeks (instead of how these inventions would hold up in today's society). They had a lot of fun and worked extremely independently.

Creativity Corner

As we enjoy spring, here are this week’s suggestions for fun and creative activities, for families to try at home, from our Department Chair for Innovation Joey Starnes.

The Path to $15,000 Annual Fund Challenge

You’ve put us on our way to meet our challenge: raise $15,000 for the Annual Fund, and a trustee will match it with an additional gift of $15,000!

Your support of the Annual Fund ensures that our students and teachers have the necessary tools and resources to solve any problem that comes their way, and that they can find multiple paths to a solution.

Will you be part of our solution to this challenge? Be counted with your gift to the Annual Fund and help our students reach their full potential. Make your gift today!

Virtual Robotics Exploration

Campers will experience the basics of turning a machine into a robot. Using Parallax’s Cyber:bot, students will use the built-in breadboard to create sensors including touch sensors and light sensors. Campers will be exposed to basic programming, in Python, to code a plan for their robot to follow. At the end of camp, students will have created a robot that will navigate a room looking for the darkest area while avoiding physical obstacles.

Campers will need access to a computer with a USB Type-A port. Each camper will need to purchase a Cyber:bot kit. Information about ordering supplies will be provided with enrollment information.

Session:    June 28-July 2

Time:        9 a.m.–noon

Grades:    Rising grades 5-8

Cost:        $250 (Does not include Cyber:bot kit, approximately $250)

Virtual iMovie/Film

Come be a part of the ultimate collaborative art form – filmmaking! Film camp is a hands-on introduction to movie making. Students will explore the way that movies are crafted and will have the opportunity to explore the various roles involved in creating a film. Students will develop their own stories, learn to work in iMovie, and edit their footage for a final screening. Writers, actors, photographers, and fans are invited to be a part of our team in this hands-on exploration of what it takes to make a movie. No experience is necessary, just enthusiasm

Note: Campers must have access to a device with iMovie and internet.

Session: June 14-18

Time:      9 –10 a.m. Presentation and directions

10 a.m.-1 p.m Students have work time

1- 2 p.m. Optional Help time

2 –3 p.m. Show Time

Grades:  Rising grades 6-9

Cost:      $250

Virtual Clay Camp: CLAY-ZY Days of Summer

This camp will get you hooked on CLAY! So, get fired up! Come explore the exciting world of ceramics in this two-week virtual program. Live instructor demonstrations, practice and group discussions will occur in our Google Hangout Meets. Clay campers will have an opportunity to work both independently and collaboratively throughout each meeting with both peers and instructors. This camp offers exposure to a wide range of techniques and projects while developing good relationships throughout our studio community. Clay Camp is designed to offer opportunities for all skill levels to develop their technical ability with clay while finding their unique voice as a maker. Individual instruction will promote creative expression and skill development. Each camper will complete a body of work they can both use and admire for many years to come.

No experience is necessary and all levels are welcome. Our session will end with a celebratory online exhibition of selected works.

Materials:

All clay, glaze materials and firings are included in the camp fee. Each camper will need to pick up a 50-pound box of clay prior to the first day of camp (included in camp). Participants will also be supplied with a beginner tool kit and supplies.

Session:    June 14-25

Time:        9-11 a.m.

Grades:    Rising grades 5-12

Cost:        $500

Articles

Children’s Books by Arab American Authors and Illustrators

Will My Child Bounce Back From the Coronavirus Crisis

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

Transportation

Bus service to and from Flint Hill is an important logistical component for many of our families.  We are working toward providing bus service for the 2021-22 school year for Middle and Upper School students only.

If you are interested in bus service for the 2021-22 school year, please complete the bus service interest form by Friday, May 7. Information on cost, possible routes, stops and pick-up/drop-off times is included on the bus service interest form.

The final list of available bus routes will be determined by ridership demand and is subject to change.