Middle School Newsletter - December 9, 2020

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

 

Giving Tree 2020

In the spirit of tradition and service to the community, our Giving Tree initiative will continue this year. We will not do collections at school, but rather encourage families to independently select an organization to donate items of support. The middle school has identified four partner organizations — Women Giving Back, Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Inova Children’s Hospital, and Cornerstones. If you have any questions, please contact our service coordinator DeShauna Curry.  

Thank you for all that you do to support the Flint Hill community!

• Women Giving Back — The organization supports women and children in crisis by providing quality clothing at no cost. If you would like to donate any of the listed items, they can be dropped off, or mailed, at any time in the large, blue donation bin, directly behind their warehouse or any of the additional donation locations. For more information about the organization, please visit their website.

Items they are currently accepting:

• • Winter coats (all sizes) for kids and teen boys.
  • Winter gloves and hats for kids, teen boys, and women.
  • New and unwrapped gifts for kids (infant-teen) (until Friday, December 11).
  • Girls clothing, sizes 6-18.
  • Boys clothing, sizes 6-18.
  • Infant boys clothing.
  • Teen boys clothing.
  • Snack packs (guide available upon request).
  • Unopened toiletries and toiletry kits (guide available upon request).
  • New underwear for kids, teen boys, and women.

• Fairfax County Department of Family Services Adopt-A-Family Holiday Program — The Adopt-a-Family Program works to help children and families who are in need of

clothing, food, and toys for the holidays. For more information, please visit the Department of Family Services Adopt-a family Holiday Program website.

• Inova Children’s Hospital Holiday Toy Donations — Toy donations are currently being accepted for children who will spend the holidays in the hospital. For a list of items please use this wishlist. All the items will be sent directly to the hospital and then dispersed to the patients if you proceed with the purchase and select “Gift Registry Address” as the shipping address. When you donate an item, there is an option to leave a message with the donation. In that message box, please include your email, name, and that you are a part of the Flint Hill community so that we are able to send you a thank you for your donation.

• Cornerstones Food Pantry — Cornerstones is a nonprofit organization that promotes self-sufficiency by providing support and advocacy for those in need of food, shelter, affordable housing, quality childcare, and other human services. Currently, the items of most need include the following:

• • Laundry detergent.
  • Shampoo and conditioner.
  • All donations can be delivered to: 11484 Washington Plaza W, Suite 120, Reston, VA 20190; if you have reservations about entering the public building, call 571-323-1410 and a staff member may be able to assist you outside.
  • For more information, please visit their website.

 

Dress Code for Virtual Learning

For those who are learning virtually, consistently or on occasion, I wanted to (belatedly) clarify the expectations for dress. Students may generally wear “free dress” with the following guidelines — no tank tops, pajamas, hats, or hoods; no references to political affiliations, drugs, alcohol, weapons, sexually explicit or offensive content.

 

Financial Aid Deadline Approaching

The financial aid application deadline is Monday, January 11, for families planning to apply for financial aid for the 2021-22 school year. Flint Hill’s financial aid application is available on the Financial Aid for Student Tuition (FAST) website. Families who complete the application process by January 11 will receive a notification of their financial aid award on Thursday, January 28, when re-enrollment contracts are issued to current families.

 

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.

 

 

Annual Fund — December Giving Days

Thank you to the many parents, alumni, faculty, staff, grandparents, parents of alumni and friends of our School who supported this year’s Annual Fund during our December Giving Days, which kicked off on #GivingTuesday! Your gifts support what matters most here at our School — our students and teachers — and give us the ability to be flexible and adapt in our ever-changing world.

You’ve still got time to go all in for Flint Hill. You can make your gift online, learn more about the Annual Fund or call Director of the Annual Fund Christine Kitzmiller, at 703.584.2349, to make a pledge or ask questions about The Flint Hill Annual Fund.

Thank you for your support!

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.

 

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

 

Dressing for Cold Weather and Preparing for Cancellations

As the temperatures drop, please be aware that we will generally have students go outside for break and lunch unless the real-feel temperature drops below 30 degrees. While early adolescents believe that a sweatshirt is all they need to fend off the elements, please send your child to school with appropriate clothing (jacket, hat, gloves).

As noted in previous newsletters, Flint Hill’s Inclement Weather Policy provides details on how we make decisions and notify the community about delays and school closures.

 

Gifts to Faculty and Staff

As we approach the Winter Break, I wanted to remind you of the School’s recommendations concerning gifts to faculty and staff. Flint Hill encourages simplicity in the giving of gifts. Please note that holiday gift giving is not an expectation, and individual families should decide what is best for them, keeping in mind that a sincere, heartfelt “thank you” often carries the greatest meaning. The School discourages the collection of money from parents to provide teachers or coaches with gifts, and for safety reasons, students may not bring gifts from home to distribute at school.

 

School Store Winter Preview

Holiday shopping made easy! Click here to view the School Store Winter Preview.

To receive your items in time for the holidays, please place your order no later than noon on Thursday, December 17. 

Please contact Adrienne Robinson with any questions regarding sizing and returns/exchanges.

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.