Middle School Newsletter - September 14, 2022

Table of Contents

Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

Message From Division Director

We are thrilled to welcome you to our Back-to-School Night tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. As so many of you noted in last year’s parent survey by expressing your preference for returning to an in-person program, there is something special about walking the path of your child’s schedule and sitting in their classrooms with their teachers. Here are a few updates and final reminders to make sure your night goes smoothly.

Earlier today, your child emailed or texted you a picture of your schedule for the night — class times, room locations, etc. We will also have a hard copy of your schedule available in the advisory room.
You may park in either the Middle School lot or the Upper School lot, according to this map. Please keep in mind that, while the Middle School lot is closer to the building, it has limited spots. Please also review the parking reminders in the newsletter below.
You should report to your child’s Advisory by 7:00 p.m., and the program will conclude at 8:50 p.m. The advisory location is the same room you went to for your advisor conference.
We will provide water but not food.
We will run a condensed schedule with Advisory, 10-minute class periods, and 2-minute passing time; each teacher will present an overview of their class.
If your child takes two part-time electives (e.g. two classes in the same period), you will choose one session to attend during that particular period.

In an effort to streamline the evening, teachers will not focus on the platforms being used for posting assignments and sharing class materials. We encourage you to review these short videos about Husky Hub and Google Classroom.
Feel free to engage in the adolescent challenge of socializing while also making it to class on time!

Brian Lamont
Director of the Middle School

Announcements

Middle School Students Attending Upper School Games After School

We encourage students and parents to attend games and events. We also must dismiss students to an authorized adult at the end of each school day, so Middle School students may not stay after school on their own or walk over to meet you at the field/court. Here is how to make it work:

If your child is attending the game with you — Either pick up your child in the regular carpool line or park first and meet your child on foot at the Middle School entrance.
If your child is attending the game with another parent — Let us know about the dismissal change in SchoolPass; the other parent will then pick up your child in carpool or on foot and assumes supervision responsibility during the game.
If the event is later in the afternoon/evening and your child will go to Extended Day first — Your child will go to Extended Day at 4:00 p.m. Please contact Director of After School and Summer Programs Matt McCoart in advance, and let us know about the dismissal change in SchoolPass; you will pick up from Extended Day by 6:00 p.m. using the door by the Middle School playground.

Important Campus Driving/Parking Reminders

In order to keep safety as our highest priority, please follow all traffic directions and signage including the following:

Flint Hill community members are never permitted to park in the local neighborhoods. If you arrive for an event and the campus lots are full, please check in with a traffic officer on duty for alternative parking options.
When driving to the Middle School, remember that the Oakton Road entrance may only be accessed from the right-hand turn lane on Oakton Road. Left-hand turns are not permitted from Oakton Road into the Peterson Middle School parking lot.

Student Absence: Classwork Policy

Informed by the experiences of the previous years working within the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the learning outcomes and impact on our students, faculty, and staff of hybrid and asynchronous learning during that time, the following represent guidelines for continued learning when a student is absent from school.

The goals of this policy are two-fold:

to support individual and community health and wellbeing, and
to maintain the integrity of a one-of-a-kind Flint Hill educational experience.

To that end, students and families should treat absences for illness as a necessary time to recuperate, and academic work is NOT an expectation during this time.

Read More

Displaying Carpool Signs for Afternoon Dismissal

Until we are ready to transition to the license plate scanner for afternoon dismissal, I will continue to call names on the walkie talkie. Please make sure that you display a sign with your child’s name on the driver’s side dashboard. For those of you with Lower School children, this does mean moving the sign from the passenger’s side (for Lower School) to the driver’s side. Between the sun, windshield glare, and my age, I can’t always read the signs unless they are on the driver’s side.

Early Admission Process for Siblings

As members of our Husky family, we are offering an early start to the admission process for siblings who do not currently attend Flint Hill and are interested in applying for the 2023-24 school year.

If you have a child who is not currently enrolled at Flint Hill and you are interested in the application process for the 2023-24 school year, please complete this interest form by Saturday, October 1. Alternatively, you can simply complete the admission application. You must complete the application by Tuesday, November 1 to receive an admission notification in mid-December. For more information, please schedule an appointment with the admission team member for your division of interest.

School Store — Temporary Closure for Improvements

The School Store will be closed from Wednesday, September 14, through Wednesday, September 28, to move to a new platform. During this time, the store will not be taking any orders online or in person. We are excited to provide an improved shopping experience for everyone when we relaunch on Thursday, September 29. Please get your returns in by Wednesday, September 21. To contact School Store Manager Kaleena Buckwalter, please call 703.584.2413 or email schoolstore@flinthill.org.

Upcoming Events

Middle School Back-to-School Night
Thursday, September 15
7:00 - 9:00 p.m., Peterson Middle School
Please join us to walk through your child’s schedule and hear about each course from their teachers. Please note that this is not an evening for students.

All-School Gathering
Wednesday, September 21
1:15 - 2:15 p.m., Upper School Gym
All students will gather in the gym for this traditional program to celebrate the start of the school year and the journey ahead.

Parents' Association Pickleball Social
Thursday, September 29
9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., Country Club of Fairfax

Washington, D.C. Field Trip
Friday, September 30
8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
After two years of limited opportunities, we are bringing back our curricular and community-building field trips. On September 30, we will bus all students to Washington, D.C. for the day. Seventh graders will have their Advisory Day, participating in a scavenger hunt around the National Mall. Eighth graders will visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum as part of their history curriculum. Regular school drop-off and pickup times apply and will need to bring a bag lunch.

Parents’ Association

Parents’ Association Pickleball Social — Waitlist Available

The Parents’ Association Pickleball Social registration filled up fast and is full, but you can join the waitlist and we will let you know if space becomes available. Questions? Contact Advancement Officer Olivia Landrum ’11.

Calling All Concessions Volunteers!

Parent volunteers are needed to help sell concessions in both The Igloo and The Den during the day and after school. More opportunities will be added throughout the year for each athletic season. Please sign up for as many shifts as you'd like, and feel free to invite a friend to sign up with you too.