Middle School Newsletter - September 8, 2021
Message From Division Director
Congratulations to all of us for a successful start to the year! You and your children brought an incredible amount of positivity, and our teachers and advisors have worked thoughtfully and tirelessly to create a warm, welcoming environment. We’ve also had plenty of imperfections and stumbles during these first few days, and we’ve made some adjustments based on a commitment to growth and the safety of a supportive community. This looked a little different depending on our role (student, teacher, administrator, and maybe even parent) but will be an important theme throughout the journey of middle school. Very little of what students experience this year (and any year) will be perfect, and we focus our work with them on building resilience, flexible thinking and a growth mindset. As we settle into our second week of school, we will also model the importance of careful planning to establish routines and instructional momentum while introducing the aspects of academic training (e.g. time management and study skills) that are essential at this level. Let’s enjoy the short week and get ready for the full five-day week coming up!
Brian Lamont
Director of the Middle School
THE LATEST
Two-Hour Delayed Openings
As part of our commitment to professional development for our faculty and staff, we open school two hours late, six times during the year, to run in-service training. On these days, morning buses run two hours late, and we run a modified class schedule from 9:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Please note that students may not come to school prior to 9:20 a.m. due to supervision. For your planning purposes, below are the dates of our two-hour delayed openings. They are also posted in the electronic All School Calendar.
- October 28, 2021
- December 8, 2021
- January 11, 2022
- February 10, 2022
- April 20, 2022
- May 17, 2022
Middle and Upper School Picture Day
Thursday, September 9
Students may wear regular school dress, and we will schedule time for each student to get their picture taken during the day. One image will be used for the yearbook and Husky Hub. As noted in this flyer, families will receive an email from Freed Photography when pictures are available for viewing/purchase.
Dance Academy Registration Is Now Open
Flint Hill’s popular after-school dance program is back! Registration is now open for classes for children in K-12. Classes begin on September 15 and fill up fast. This document includes more information, including registration, prices, class schedules, and more.
Making Our Attendance More Efficient and Safer with SchoolPass
We have invested in an innovative, user-friendly system, called SchoolPass, to help manage school attendance in real-time and make carpool and dismissal more efficient. If you did not receive a welcome email from SchoolPass, please email helpdesk@flinthill.org. It’s important for parents to download the SchoolPass app.
Parents should become familiar with:
NEW THIS WEEK — How to use School Pass to add approved drivers to your SchoolPass profile. Approved drivers are people who are allowed to pick students up. This feature gives both the School and parents assurance that students are going home with a trusted adult. The School can quickly verify that adults who are picking up students are authorized and don’t have to waste time validating authorization through extra calls or communication.
How to use SchoolPass to notify the School about absences, late arrivals and early dismissals. Click on the Attendance Policy and Procedure tile, on the Resource tab in Husky Hub, for directions.
How to use School Pass to notify the School if there is a change in your student's afternoon dismissal routine at any time during the school year. This can include situations such as: your student will go home with another Flint Hill family in afternoon carpool; your student normally rides the bus but will be picked up in carpool; your student normally attends AfterCare but will be picked up in carpool. For directions, click on the Middle School Morning Arrival and Dismissal link on the Preparing tile on the Resource tab in Husky Hub.
Click here for the School's Attendance Policy.
Stay in the Know! All School Calendar Is Available
Did you know that you can have the electronic All-School Calendar feed directly into your iCal or Google calendars? The electronic All-School Calendar is where you can find when and where upcoming school events will be held — and starting this year, it’s where you’ll find all the Google Meet codes for virtual events. No more having to pull up the Weekly Newsletter to search for Meet links.
To get to the All-School Calendar, log in to Husky Hub and click on the Calendar icon in the top menu bar. Scroll down and, on the bottom left, you can toggle on and off to select which calendars you’d like to display. We strongly recommend displaying the All-School Calendar.
In less than one minute, you can watch this video on how to feed the All-School Calendar into your personal calendar. Fast forward to the 3:49 mark for the calendar tip. Watch the full video if you’d like a general refresher about navigating Husky Hub.
And remember, the School’s IT department isn’t just for students; it’s a parent resource too! Just email helpdesk@flinthill.org to ask a question or set up a time for a private tutorial.
PARENT RESOURCES
Best Practices for Middle School Parents — Supporting Homework
The Middle School years provide an incredible opportunity for your children to take meaningful risks and gradually develop lifelong skills of resilience and independence. While the stakes are low, children can try new strategies and figure out what works for them and what does not. They can practice ways to achieve balance while tackling increasingly complex academic work and a heavier workload. It is not about the grades and the points at this level; it is about learning skills, working through struggles and developing confidence. To ensure that these years can be the training ground our students need them to be, all of the adults around them play an important role — providing the right amount of structure and guidance while leaving room for stumbles. This “coaching” role is difficult for both educators and parents, and we have found these tips to be the most helpful for guiding daily homework for the majority of students.
Open Gradebook in Grades 7-12
In addition to quarterly grade reports, with narrative comments from teachers after the second and fourth quarters, we use an open gradebook. Viewable via our Husky Hub, under “Progress,” and consistent with the model in the Upper School, students (and you) will be able to see all of the grades that have been entered into the gradebook, in a particular course, on an ongoing basis. This provides students (and you) with more timely information, greater transparency, and a move toward greater student ownership of learning. Please note that, like most aspects of our Middle School program, our focus is on growth and process rather than grades. Please help us keep grades in perspective during these critical formative years, using this resource for more complete information about what you will see, when you will see it, and how your use of this access will impact its success.
Upcoming Events
To help protect the integrity and privacy of virtual events, we have placed all the links to Google Meet virtual events in Husky Hub via the All-School Calendar.
Middle and Upper School Picture Day
Thursday, September 9
Students may wear regular school dress. We will schedule time for each student to get their picture taken during the day. As noted in this flyer, families will receive an email from Freed Photography when pictures are available for viewing/purchase.
Middle School Virtual Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 9, 7 p.m.
We will send a pushpage email, with an introductory video and instructions, for viewing the teacher presentations for each of your child’s classes. Please note that because this is not a live event, you may view these presentations asynchronously any time you wish.
Middle School Headmaster’s Virtual Discussion Series
Wednesday, September 15, 9 a.m.
Join Headmaster John Thomas for a discussion about early adolescence. Please see the All-School Calendar for the Google Meet link.
Health Services
Stay Up To Date: Review This Year’s COVID-19 Protocols and Procedures
The COVID-19 Health Information tile on the Resource Board has been updated to include information on remote learning. Please review it closely to ensure you are familiar with this year’s protocols and procedures.
Flint Hill strongly encourages everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated. In the event of a positive case on campus, vaccinated individuals who do not have symptoms are able to continue to come to school.
The COVID-19 Case Dashboard has been updated.
Parents' Association
Reunited and It Feels So Good!
It is absolutely wonderful seeing Flint Hill come completely alive with all three divisions in session! I took a trip down memory lane last week. Read more.
Join Us! Parents’ Association Tennis Social
Friday, September 17
Upper School Tennis Courts
8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
The Parents’ Association is excited to welcome families back on campus for a Tennis Social! Whether you are advanced or new to the game, this is a wonderful opportunity to meet other families and enjoy a day of tennis on the beautiful Upper School Tennis Courts. Players of all levels are welcome. New to tennis and want to join the fun? Register for the Skills and Drills Clinic to improve or develop your game with the help of tennis professionals from the community. The event is free, but we do ask that you register in advance. Masks are encouraged but optional while outdoors on the Middle and Upper School campus.
Visit flinthill.org/tennis-social to register and learn more. Questions? Contact Advancement Officer Olivia Landrum at 703.584.2315.
Upcoming Events
To help protect the integrity and privacy of virtual events, we have placed all the links to Google Meet virtual events in Husky Hub via the All-School Calendar.
Middle and Upper School Picture Day
Thursday, September 9
Students may wear regular school dress. We will schedule time for each student to get their picture taken during the day. As noted in this flyer, families will receive an email from Freed Photography when pictures are available for viewing/purchase.
Middle School Virtual Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 9, 7 p.m.
We will send a pushpage email, with an introductory video and instructions, for viewing the teacher presentations for each of your child’s classes. Please note that because this is not a live event, you may view these presentations asynchronously any time you wish.
Middle School Headmaster’s Virtual Discussion Series
Wednesday, September 15, 9 a.m.
Join Headmaster John Thomas for a discussion about early adolescence. Please see the All-School Calendar for the Google Meet link.