Lower School Newsletter - October 21, 2020

NEW AND UPDATED INFORMATION

 

Candy Bar Election

During the next two weeks, Lower School students will be studying the election process by participating in a Candy Bar Election organized and led by sixth grade students. Each grade level will nominate a “bar,” and our primary election will be held on Thursday, October, 22. We will then hold a general election for the top three winners, with our virtual friends voting by mail for each election. Each student will be required to fill out a voter registration card in order to vote. The goals for this mini unit are for students:

• To understand that all citizens of a community have civic responsibilities.
• To understand that voting is both a freedom and a right.
• To participate in a community decision-making process.

We are looking forward to the many “sweet” learning experiences this simulation is going to provide for our students!

 

Halloween

Instead of Husky Pride, to celebrate Halloween on Friday, October 30, students may wear Halloween colors to school. They should wear sneakers. Students may also wear their uniforms if they would prefer.

 

Save the Date: Parent Teacher Conferences on Friday, November 6, and Wednesday, November 11

Parent-Teacher Conferences are a great opportunity for us to further our partnership with you, celebrate your children's successes and discuss strategies for enhancing their progress. Parent-Teacher Conferences in the Lower School will be held on Friday, November 6, and Wednesday, November 11. To facilitate scheduling conferences, we will use an electronic system, called Calendly, that allows you to schedule all of your meeting times in advance. The link to Calendly will be sent via email to parents on Wednesday, October 28.

 

Follow @flinthillfinearts on Instagram!

The Fine Arts department is now on Instagram! Be sure to give them a follow for exclusive content from our Fine Arts program.

 

Online Ordering for Student Portraits

Flint Hill student portraits are now online for viewing and ordering! If your child had a school portrait taken, you should have received an email from Freed Photography with your student's private gallery information. If you have not received this (check your spam folder too), please contact them at support@freedphoto.com or call 301.652.5452. A make-up day for on-campus Lower School students is scheduled for next Thursday, October 29. Virtual learners may still have their pictures taken on Wednesday, October 28.

 

Articles

Help! My Kids Don’t Want to Go Outside

9 Picture Books About Voting and Elections

 

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM THE LAST NEWSLETTER

 

Save the Date — “Education Through a Different Lens: Opportunities vs. Obstacles” on Wednesday, October 28 at 7 p.m.

Nationally-known behavioral consultant and author Sharon Weiss will be doing a virtual presentation for Lower School parents on Wednesday, October 28, 7-8 p.m.

Parenting, while never easy, is incredibly stressful in the current climate. Stuck at home with  limitations on community activities, socializing with social distancing, missing activities that were taken for granted, staying on top of the household, your job and your emotions. That’s just a part of parenting during a pandemic.

Join this conversation on, believe it or not, potential opportunities and ways to reduce stress and the things you can do that don’t just ease the burden but capitalize on the hand you’ve been dealt. Lots of family time can mean new activities and experiences, an increased opportunity to teach independence and ways to support kids taking greater responsibility.

Sharon will do a short presentation followed by a Q&A for parents. Parents are asked to submit their questions here ahead of time. Here is the link to the Google meet.

 

Upcoming Deadline: 2020 Flint Hill Spirit T-shirts

Show your school spirit and order your fall spirit shirt today! Remember, we are stronger together!! The shirts come in adult and youth sizes.

Click here to place your order. The online store will close at midnight on Thursday, October 22. After this date, no late orders will be accepted, to make sure that all orders are delivered on time. Due to COVID-19 and safety protocols, each individual order will be delivered directly to your home.

We have decided to designate Tuesday, November 10, as our Fall All-Husky School Spirit Day. All three divisions will participate by wearing their t-shirts on this day. Go Huskies!!

 

The first meeting of the virtual Kaleidoscope Book Club is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 9-9:45 a.m. We will discuss “Small Great Things” by Jodi Picoult. 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 first meeting and/or be added to our email list. Please contact All-School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson if you have any questions.

 

A Few Reminders — Lower School Morning Arrival and Afternoon Dismissal

General Guidelines

Cell phone use is not permitted by drivers during morning or afternoon carpool. Parking in the neighborhood adjacent to the Lower School Campus and walking onto campus are not permitted during morning or afternoon carpools. If you drive through the Oak Marr neighborhood, please be respectful of the neighborhood speed limit.

If there is a change in your child’s afternoon pick-up routine, at any time during the school year, please coordinate with Assistant to the Director of the Lower School Donna Holaday and your child’s teacher.

Late Arrivals

Families must arrive on time in order to facilitate the temperature screening process and limit the disruption to the start of the school day. Students arriving after 8:10 a.m. will need to remain in their car with an adult. The adult should stop their car in front of the Activity Center. A sign will direct them to call the Lower School Health Clinic, and a member of the health staff will go directly to the car to take the student’s temperature. Adults should remain in their vehicles at all times. Students arriving after 8:10 a.m. will be marked late in the attendance system.

Afternoon Dismissal

The Lower School academic day will end at 3 p.m. Students will remain in their homerooms with their teachers until their name is called for pick up. As a reminder, there is no AfterCare for the 2020-21 school year. All Lower School students must be picked up by 3:15 p.m.

Afternoon Carpool

Afternoon carpool for Lower School students begins at 3 p.m. The Lower School Campus will open for afternoon carpool at 2:45 p.m. every day. Cars will be directed by our security and facilities staff onto Academic Drive, past the Miller House, and to the right onto Husky Drive. Cars will then be stacked around our upper parking lot and down Husky Drive to the stop sign. We anticipate being able to queue more than 70 cars on campus before the start of carpool at 3 p.m. Your cooperation, understanding and patience are essential, as we work together to make carpool both safe and efficient for our students and community.

Early Pick-Up from School

If students need to be picked up early from school, parents should notify Lower School Attendance or Assistant to the Director of the Lower School Donna Holaday. Children should be picked up by 2:30 p.m. to avoid disruption during the start of carpool. Parents should go to the front entrance of the Hazel Academic Building to pick up their student. Visitor parking is available adjacent to the Hazel Academic Building.

 

School Store Updates … New Inventory and tips and tricks for online ordering

We are having a lot of fun stocking the store with NEW INVENTORY. Click here to shop now!

Returns and exchanges are quick and easy, but returned items must sit in quarantine before they are returned to inventory. So, please order only the size you think you need, so we can keep as much inventory in stock as possible. We are happy to change out the size quickly if your item doesn’t fit.

Pro tip: Miller House front porch pick up is available now, instead of shipping, for your convenience! If you have questions about the School Store, contact Adrienne Robinson at arobinson@flinthill.org.

 

Driving Spirit Award Nominations Due December 11

Send your nominations to Ana Yarbrough.

The Driving Spirit Award recognizes current Flint Hill teachers and staff who have demonstrated ethical leadership, diligent intellectual scholarship and a commitment to teaching, coaching and mentoring students. Recipients are recognized for their contributions to the “Driving Spirit,” which makes our School the special and unique place we all value — a place that honors excellence while emphasizing the importance of our core values: respect and value all equally, lead and support with compassion, act with integrity, imagine what’s possible and blaze the trail. These teachers and staff members lead by example through their dedication and ability to energize and inspire Flint Hill’s community to new heights of learning and leadership, both inside and outside the classroom.

Please think about the great current teachers and staff members in the Flint Hill community whom you believe fit this description. Emails and letters should be sent to Ana Yarbrough by Friday, December 11.