Middle School Newsletter - January 20, 2021

Athletics — Conditioning Option During the School Day

As previously noted, we recognize how important our Athletics program is for students at this level — in terms of physical activity, sport-specific training, being part of a team, and social connections. While we are not able to replicate our regular program, we will begin offering more formal conditioning workouts during the school day. Considering the parameters dictated by schedule, space, and staff, our initial plan will be as follows:

• Participation will be optional and students will sign up in advance; the first session will be three weeks (January 26 - February 11)
• Seventh graders will have conditioning workouts on Tuesdays during the flex period (January 26, February 2, and February 9 from 2:15-3 p.m.) and eighth graders will have workouts on Thursdays (January 28, February 4, and February 11 from 2:15-3 p.m.)
• The sessions will consist of:
  • Warmup and stretching on the turf field
  • Rotate stations between the track (running/walking) and turf field (fitness and agility drills)
  • Adjustments will be made based on numbers
• Students and adults will keep masks on and be at least 10 feet apart at all times
• In the event of inclement weather or temperatures below 30 degrees, conditioning will be canceled.
• We expect to run a second four-week session prior to spring break and then reassess the plan for the spring.

Please contact Middle School Athletic Director Adam Rice or me with questions.

Speakers Needed for Upper School Discovery of Engineering Class

Our Upper School Discovery of Engineering elective would like to include members of the Flint Hill community in its roster of guest speakers. If you have a background in engineering (or know someone who does), please reach out to Gary Smilowitz.

School Store Update

• Outerwear, sweatshirts and beanies are now available!
• Check out the new Last Chance Spirit Wear section of the School Store Website. With extremely limited quantities left these sale items won’t last long. Shop now before they are gone!

How do I make an exchange or return?

• Please contact Adrienne Robinson within 30 days of your original purchase.
• Exchanges may be made for the same item in a different size or for an item of equal value.
• We are happy to issue a refund for items that did not work for you.

The Nutcracker with Act II

The full film for our reimagined Nutcracker launched on our YouTube channel on Tuesday night. If you missed it, you can enjoy it here.

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

How to Speak with Your Child About the Events at the Capitol on January 6

How to Talk to Your Kids about the Chaos at the Capitol from National Geographic

Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers from the National Association of School Psychologists

An Age-by-Age Guide on How to Talk about Difficult Topics with your Children from Motherly and Common Sense Media

Upcoming Middle School Virtual Division Coffee

Join Director of Counseling Ilana Reyes and Middle School Counselor John Magner on Thursday, January 28, 9-10 a.m., for a discussion on adolescent wellness. Google Meet code — meet.google.com/xfh-updd-zvr

The Trace App is Now in the Apple App Store

Trace, the contact tracing app used at Flint Hill, is now available in the Apple App Store. To update your app to the newest version, students with iPhones should delete the current version from their phones. Then, they can click here or search “Trace Innovations” to download the app from the app store. The old version of the app will stop working on January 14. This update applies to iOS users only.

Keeping Track of Head of School Search Updates

The search for Flint Hill’s next head of school is underway. Members of the community will receive regular email updates, which will also be archived here. Have questions or comments? Email searchcommittee@flinthill.org.

Parents Council of Washington Event: Speaker Series — Ron Lieber, The Price You Pay for College

The Parents Council of Washington (PCW) invites you to attend its upcoming virtual speaker series event on Wednesday, February 10, at 7 p.m. Ron Lieber, author, journalist, and New York Times’ Your Money columnist will discuss his new book, “The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Road Map for the Biggest Financial Decision Your Family Will Ever Make.”

All PCW member school parents, administrators, faculty, and staff are invited. Please use this link to register.

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.

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.