Middle School Newsletter - September 28, 2022

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Message From Division Director

We have a lot going on in the next few weeks, for students and for families. Please see below for information about:

Our field trips to D.C. this Friday — don’t forget to pack a bag lunch!
Homecoming Spirit Dress Days for the Week of October 10.
Game day procedures for Middle School athletics.
Our first Middle School Division Coffee for parents on October 12.
The #WinAtSocial curriculum for students and families.

Brian Lamont
Director of the Middle School

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Announcements

Seventh Grade Advisory Day — Friday, September 30

With the goals of connecting with each other and exploring key areas of our nation’s capital, advisory groups will engage in teambuilding activities and a scavenger hunt competition around the National Mall. Safety is our top priority, and the level of responsibility for both students and advisors is increased off campus, particularly in navigating busy city streets. As a likely consequence of the pandemic and having fewer opportunities to practice these skills, we’ve noticed that many students struggle with safety instincts, responsiveness to correction, and the ability to follow directions in a group setting. We will be reviewing safety protocols with students — particularly in terms of staying together as a group, paying close attention to instructions about crossing streets, and respecting the thousands of others trying to move about the city. We appreciate your efforts to support these messages at home.

Advisory Day Reminders:

Regular 7:50 a.m. arrival and 3:30 p.m. dismissal times.
There are no academic classes, but we will have athletics depending on our return time.
Students should be in regular school dress with comfortable walking shoes.
Students should leave MacBooks at home.
Students will need a daypack, water bottle, bag lunch, an additional snack, a mask (in case we enter buildings with a requirement), and a hat/sunscreen as needed.
Please contact your child’s advisor or Seventh Grade Team Leader Travis Keatley if you have questions.

Eighth Grade Holocaust Museum Trip — Friday, September 30

As part of our unit on human rights, students will visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to better appreciate and understand the events leading to, during, and after the Holocaust. We will prepare students for the trip using various in-class activities and readings. While the subject matter and images contained within the exhibition are sometimes disturbing, the most graphic footage is protected behind walls that must be looked over in order to see them. Therefore, unless a student so chooses, he/she will not be exposed to extremely graphic images. While we will talk with the students about this, please feel free to also discuss this option with your child. We encourage you to review information on the Permanent Exhibition we will be visiting.

Museum Trip Reminders:

Regular 7:50 a.m. arrival and 3:30 p.m. dismissal times.
There are no academic classes, but we will have athletics depending on our return time.
Students should be in regular school dress with comfortable walking shoes.
Students should leave MacBooks at home.
Students will need a daypack, water bottle, bag lunch, an additional snack, a mask (in case we enter buildings with a requirement), and a hat/sunscreen as needed.
Please contact your child’s advisor or Eighth Grade Team Leader Courtney Anderson if you have questions.

Middle School Division Coffee — Wednesday, October 12

We will have our first of four division coffees in the Middle School Commons at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, October 12. This is an opportunity for parents to connect with each other and meet with me and key members of the Middle School team. We recognize that these in-person sessions might be difficult for some parents to attend. While we will not have a virtual option, I will share any important information in the newsletter as well. For the October 12 coffee, Middle School Counselor John Magner will join me for an open forum discussion.

Homecoming 2022 — October 14-15

Celebrate Homecoming and join the Flint Hill community for a weekend filled with athletic events, food and fun for the entire family! The weekend kicks off with athletic games and our traditional bonfire on Friday night and continues with more athletic events, spirit giveaways and activities for all ages on Saturday. On both days, The Den will be open for concessions and the School Store will open a Pop-Up Shop in the Peterson Middle School. Please note that parents should attend events with children rather than drop them off unattended. Visit flinthill.org/homecoming for a full schedule of events. Click here to sign up to volunteer — a great way to make a difference and meet more Huskies!

Homecoming Spirit Dress Days — Week of October 10

Students may show their spirit in the days leading up to Homecoming by dressing up according to themes! As always, clothing should not impede students’ ability to participate in normal school activities or contain inappropriate language or images. Students who choose not to participate in the theme of the day should be in regular school dress. Please note that we encourage students to wear Homecoming T-shirts on Saturday, October 15.

Monday, October 10 — No School: Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Tuesday, October 11 — Husky Pride: Wear any Flint Hill clothing, including athletic shorts and pants.
Wednesday, October 12 — Pajama Day: Wear your PJs or comfiest clothing.
Thursday, October 13 — Jersey Day: Wear an athletic shirt or jersey with jeans or regular school dress bottoms.
Friday, October 14 — Color Day: Go all out in your class color — seventh graders in PURPLE, eighth graders in PINK.

Middle School Athletics — Game Day Procedures

With games and matches beginning this week, I wanted to remind you to review the information sent by coaches, which is also available here. Please note that students will typically not be ready for regular afternoon carpool or the 4:00 p.m. bus on game days, so pay particular attention to the instructions for pickup.

Parent Resource Board

You’ll find helpful links and answers to many frequently asked questions on the Parent Resource Board. We’ve retired the “Preparing for the 2022-23 School Year” tile on the resource board and replaced it with a “Parent Toolkit” tile, which includes the following information:

School policies
Transportation (Pick-up and Drop-off)
Extended Day
Campus Security
Textbooks & Supplies
Daily Schedules
Lunch Menus

Pet Policy Update

Speaking of policies, effective Thursday, September 29, pets are not permitted in campus buildings or athletic fields. While we recognize and value the joy pets bring to our families, our primary concern continues to be the safety and welfare of our community. The School welcomes service animals assisting persons with disabilities.

School Store — Relaunch Tomorrow

The School Store will relaunch tomorrow, Thursday, September 29, at 1:00 p.m. We are excited to provide an improved shopping experience. To contact School Store Manager Kaleena Buckwalter, please call 703.584.2413 or email schoolstore@flinthill.org.

Please be mindful that there are many online stores selling Flint Hill gear illegally and refrain from purchasing items from there. We have no affiliation with those stores other than our official school store and any online store that we point you to, like the one selling our Homecoming t-shirts.

JK-12 Parent Coffee: Equity & Inclusion — Thursday, October 20

All parents, JK-12, are invited to join us on Thursday, October 20, 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Lower School multipurpose room for a parent coffee highlighting our commitment to building inclusive, equitable classrooms in grades JK-12. This meaningful work supports the FH vision for all students to “Take Meaningful Risks. Be Yourself. Make a difference.” Led by Mia Burton, Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion, the discussion will also examine how equity practices support student engagement, inquiry and reflection.

Social-Emotional Curriculum

As a supplement to our Advisory Program and Wellness curriculum, we partner with The Social Institute and use their #WinAtSocial curriculum with our students. #WinAtSocial is a gamified, student-led curriculum that focuses on navigating social-emotional health, social media and technology in positive, high-character ways. The program also provides resources to parents, providing insight into social media, technology, and student experiences as well as offering family discussion prompts to continue the conversations from lessons at school. Here are ways you can get involved:

Register for the Parent Toolkit by going to the Toolkit, clicking Activate Account, and entering our school code: 0c68D8101A666E.
Continue the conversation at home using the Family Huddles that correspond to our monthly lessons. Earlier this week, our students engaged in the following lessons under the learning standard of “Strike A Balance”:
- Seventh Grade — breaking down when to text vs talk and what celebrities can teach us.
- Eighth Grade — pitching a big idea to help others balance tech — Shark Tank style.

Learn more about how The Social Institute supports families, and contact Middle School Counselor John Magner if you have questions.

Photo Day Portraits Now Available Online

Flint Hill Student portraits are now online for viewing and ordering. Parents should have received an email from Freed Photography with your student's private gallery information. If you have not received that email (check your spam too), please contact Freed at support@freedphoto.com or call 301.652.5452. Photo Retake/Makeup Day is currently scheduled for Thursday, October 6.

Early Admission Process for Siblings

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 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.

Community of Care: Connect and Celebrate — November 12

SAVE THE DATE! Students in grades 7-12, alumni, parents, faculty, staff and leadership are invited to join us on Saturday, November 12, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. in the Peterson Middle School for our Community of Care: Connect and Celebrate event. The Community of Care provides a space for all members of the Flint Hill community to engage in dialogue, create connections, and strengthen relationships. This year we will examine how our core values shape the future of Flint Hill. Our time together will conclude with a festival celebrating our cultural diversity.

Registration details will be provided in the upcoming weeks. If you are interested in serving as a country representative at the festival, please email All-School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson.

Upcoming Events

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

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 dropoff and pickup times apply and students will need to bring a bag lunch.

Parent Morning Mixer
Monday, October 3
deCamp Garden, Upper School, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.

Grades JK-8 Picture Make-Up Day
Thursday, October 6

Indigenous Peoples' Day
No School
Monday, October 10

Middle School Division Coffee
Wednesday, October 12
Middle School Commons, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m.
Please join Middle School Counselor John Magner and me for an open forum discussion and a chance to connect with other Middle School parents.

Homecoming Festivities
Friday, October 14
Saturday, October 15
The full schedule of events is on the Homecoming website.

JK-12 Parent Coffee: Equity & Inclusion
Thursday, October 20
Lower School Multipurpose Room, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Parents’ Association

Message From Our Parents’ Association President

Homecoming is a favorite tradition of the Flint Hill School community, and it’s just a few weeks away. It is one of our family’s favorite events, especially the bonfire! Be sure to mark your calendars and join us. Read More.

Parent Morning Mixer Next Monday

Join us for our next Parent Morning Mixer on Monday, October 3, 8:15 - 9:15 a.m, at the Upper School campus in the deCamp Garden. All JK-12 parents are invited to this informal social after morning drop-off to get together and visit with other parents. Parent Morning Mixers will rotate among locations at the Upper, Middle and Lower Schools throughout the year, but all divisions are welcome to attend regardless of the location.

Programs for Independent School Parents

Flint Hill is a member of the Parents Council of Washington (PCW) — a non-profit organization that fosters communication within the greater Washington, D.C., independent school community. Their goal is to promote excellence in education by building a network among independent schools and their parent communities. Each year they host programs that are open to parents and staff at member schools. Thank you to Jennifer Butler P’24 who serves as Flint Hill’s representative. Please see below for upcoming events; you are invited to attend with other independent school parents in the region.

Tuesday, October 18, 7:00 p.m. — Speaker: Dr. Dalton (virtual via Zoom)
PCW is pleased to welcome Dr. Jonathan Dalton, founder and director of the Center for Anxiety and Behavioral Change. Dr. Dalton is a licensed psychologist, specializing in the use of evidence-based treatments for children and teens who find their lives impacted by anxiety. He is an expert in his field with over 20 years of experience and speaks frequently on mental health disorders impacting children and teens. All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty and staff are invited. Time for Q&A will be provided after the presentation. Please submit questions to administration@parentscouncil.org by October 11. REGISTER for this speaker event.

October 24-28 — Movie Screening: “Chasing Childhood” (virtual)
PCW is pleased to host an online viewing of “Chasing Childhood,” a feature-length documentary that explores how free play and independence have all but disappeared from kids’ lives, supplanted by relentless perfectionism leading to record rates of anxiety and depression, a situation compounded by the pandemic. Free play, unsupervised by adults, is critical for developing essential life skills: grit, independence and resourcefulness. The film explores how and why helicopter parenting became the norm in many communities across the United States. All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty and staff are invited. REGISTER to receive the link to view the documentary.

Calling all Concessions Volunteers!
We need parent volunteers to help sell concessions in both The Igloo and The Den during the day and after school. It’s a great way to meet other parents and get a special glimpse into the Flint Hill experience. Please sign up for as many shifts as you'd like, and feel free to invite a friend to sign up with you too.

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.