Lower School Newsletter - January 13, 2021

NEW AND UPDATED INFORMATION

 

Request for Virtual Learners from Yearbook Staff

In an effort to capture the 2020-21 school year, the yearbook staff needs photos of virtual learning for their "school at home" section of the yearbook. If you have pictures showing your student working on a project or in their learning space at home, the yearbook staff would love for you to share them, for possible inclusion in this year's yearbook. Photos can be emailed as attachments to yearbook@flinthill.org.

The original photo is needed. Screenshots and photos downloaded from Instagram or Facebook will not work. Please name your photo using the student's name and grade (Example: klondike_husky_5).

Keeping Track of Head of School Search Updates

The search for Flint Hill’s next head of school is underway. Members of the community will receive regular email updates, which will also be archived here. Have questions or comments? Email searchcommittee@flinthill.org.

Save the Date for the Nutcracker Act II

Act II of our reimagined Nutcracker will launch as a premiere on our YouTube channel next Tuesday, January 19, at 7 p.m., followed by a live Q&A with our student filmmakers via Google Meet. You can access the Meet here.

 

New Parents Council of Washington Event: Speaker Series — Ron Lieber, The Price You Pay for College

The Parents Council of Washington (PCW) invites you to attend its upcoming virtual speaker series event on Wednesday, February 10, at 7 p.m. Ron Lieber, author, journalist, and New York Times’ Your Money columnist will discuss his new book, “The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make.”

All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty, and staff are invited. Please use this link to register.

Creativity Corner

As we make our way through winter, our Department Chair for Innovation Joey Starnes will have weekly suggestions for fun and creative activities for families to try at home.

Jellybean Engineering

You can use any candy for this project, though jellybeans, marshmallows, or gumdrops might be the most successful. In addition to the candy, all you need are toothpicks to build amazing creations. You can build a structure by first building blocks, as shown in the picture, or build one structure on its own. See which shapes hold together well, which shapes stack well and which shapes are most interesting to look at.

https://lemonlimeadventures.com/engineering-for-kids-building-with-jelly-beans/

Baking is Making!

Baking is the best type of making … because you get to eat your work! Here’s an easy recipe kids can help with to make your own bread!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups all-purpose flour (separated into 1 cup and 2 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine 1 cup of the flour plus all the sugar and yeast in a bowl.
2. Add warm water. (It should be about the temperature of your bath water.)
3. Set on a warm counter for 10 minutes.
4. When the yeast mixture looks puffy, add 1 cup of flour plus the teaspoon of salt and melted butter. Stir.
5. Add last cup of flour and stir again.
6. Your dough will be VERY STICKY. Pour 1/4 cup of extra flour on a cutting board or clean countertop then put the dough on top.
7. Knead the dough with your hands for 10 minutes. Press down with the heel of your hand, then fold the dough in half. Press down again, fold. Repeat.
8. When the dough changes from sticky to silky, place it in a greased loaf pan.
9. Lay a clean towel over the loaf pan and set it in a warm spot. Allow the dough 45 minutes to rise.
10. Punch it down and let it rise for 10 more minutes. While it’s rising again, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
11. Bake at 375 degrees F for 25 minutes.

Build a Straw Rocket

Follow NASA’s tutorial on how to make a quick and easy straw rocket! Here’s the list of what you need to make this rocket! https://youtu.be/mQblbX9YccM

• Paper
• Marker
• Scissors
• Tape
• One straw
• Yarn or string

Articles

11 Simple Self-Care Habits for Kids
Talking to Kids About the Violence at the U.S. Capitol
How to Talk to your Kids about the Chaos at the Capitol from National Geographic
Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers from the National Association of School Psychologists
An Age-by-Age Guide on How to Talk about Difficult Topics with your Children from Motherly and Common Sense Media This book, “The Breaking News,” by Sara Lynne Reul, came out in 2018, so you may be familiar with it. If not, I wanted to share it now in light of the week's events. The link has a video reading of the book by the author, and the site has some additional information and resources.

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM THE LAST NEWSLETTER

Lower School Division Coffee, Thursday, January 21, 9 a.m.

The upcoming Lower School Coffee on Thursday, January 21, will focus on our divisional goal of utilizing best practices to build inclusive and equitable classroom communities. Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion Mia Burton will join us, as we examine how these practices cultivate empathy and awareness while allowing students to feel unique yet part of a group. We will also highlight how our ongoing JEDI (justice, equity, diversity, inclusion) professional development enriches student engagement, inquiry, and reflection. Here is a link to the Meet.

Shopping made easy with the online School Store!

• Check out the new Last Chance Spirit Wear section of the School Store website. With extremely limited quantities left, these sale items won’t last long. Shop now before they are gone!
• Wondering what’s new? Click here for the Winter Preview.

School Store FAQs

How long will it take to receive my order?

Processing time is 3-5 business days.

I’m not sure what size to purchase.

We recommend ordering the size that you or your child currently wear. If the item you purchased does not fit, we are happy to exchange the item, when stock is available, or issue a refund.

I ordered a youth item and would like to exchange it for an adult size. 

If you need to exchange between youth and adult sizes, we can issue a refund and find an item to best suit your needs.

How do I make an exchange or return?

Please contact Adrienne Robinson within 30 days of your original purchase.

Exchanges may be made for the same item in a different size or for an item of equal value.

We are happy to issue a refund for items that do not work for you.

 

Discussion Sponsored by The Parents Council of Washington

The Parents Council of Washington (PCW) invites you to attend Talking to Kids About Racism on Thursday, January 14, at 7 p.m. Panelists from three PCW member schools will discuss productive ways to talk about racism, with kids of all ages, addressing both conversations between parents and their kids and conversations between schools and their students. The panelist presentations will be followed by a question and answer period with the audience.

All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty, and staff are invited. Please use this link to register.

 

The third meeting of the virtual Kaleidoscope Book Club is scheduled for Monday, February 1, 9-9:45 a.m. We will discuss “How to be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi. 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. Please submit your name and email address, in this form, to RSVP for the meeting and/or be added to our email list. Please contact All-School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson if you have any questions.