Middle School Newsletter - May 19, 2021

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

Last Day of School

Thursday, June 3, is the last day of school for grades JK-12. Please plan accordingly!

Grades JK-12 Virtual Parent Education Series: Supporting Grieving Children and Teens

Thursday, May 27, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Over the past year, we have been surrounded by loss: loss of routine, loss of physical connection, and the loss of rituals. And for many the death of beloved family members or friends. People are having varied reactions and responses including increased anxiety, isolation, anger and sadness as we learn to exist within this new context and grieve these many losses. The uncertainty of the intensity and duration of this crisis can exacerbate underlying conditions or unhealthy coping techniques. For parents and caregivers, the challenge is how to support your children while navigating this yourself. It is kind of like building the plane while flying it. The Wendt Center for Loss and Healing will be facilitating a one-hour conversation about grief for parents. During this time, the Wendt Center will share about grief in the context of developmental stage, and ways that you can engage your child in a continued conversation about grief and support them as they navigate the uncertain time. Additionally, the Wendt Center will share about the impact on adults and provide realistic strategies to sustain yourself in the face of grief.

Google Meet link

Spring Virtual Visual Arts Show Now Open

In concert with Arts Jam, the annual Visual Arts Spring Show opened on May 13. Upper School students present highlights of their work in painting, drawing, ceramics, and digital arts in an exciting virtual gallery format. Links to these virtual art galleries as well as our Arts Jam concert are available here.

Date Change for Middle/Upper School Musical

The release date for the Middle and Upper School musical has been changed from Friday, May 21, to Thursday, May 27. The YouTube premiere link will be included in next week’s newsletter.

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

Virtual Arts Jam

Our annual Arts Jam concert is back! This year, we present an exciting collection of performances from our band, choir, percussion ensemble, orchestra, dancers, and our a cappella group, Major Minors. These performances, recorded by students in their homes, or in small groups outside at a safe physical distance, premiered on our YouTube channel last week. Please enjoy these performances from the comfort of your home, and celebrate the amazing talent and hard work of our student artists. You can access the video here.

Middle School End-of-Year Exams

All students will have final assessments in English, math, history, language, and science. We believe it is important for students to:

• Learn to prepare for a cumulative assessment — note that most of this will happen during class time, with teachers guiding students through review activities and study strategies in the days leading up to the exam.
• Practice taking assessments on consecutive days — which they will do in the Upper School.
• Destigmatize the word “exam” during our low-stakes training ground — the assessments themselves are actually about the same length (one hour) and weight as a test during the year.

Each exam or project counts as 10% of the semester grade in a particular course and our focus is on the review process and long-term study skills. Please contact me if you have any questions or to make arrangements for any absence.

• Week of May 24 — History projects due (specific date varies by class).
• Monday, May 31 — Memorial Day; no classes.
• Tuesday, June 1 — Review Day: all classes meet.
• Wednesday, June 2 — English and Science
  • English 8:15-9:15 a.m. (extra time as needed).
  • Science 12:45-1:45 p.m. (extra time as needed).

• Thursday, June 3 — Math and Language
  • Math 8:15-9:15 a.m. (extra time as needed).
  • Language 12:45-1:45 p.m. (extra time as needed).

Final Uniform Exchange Donation Opportunity

The last uniform donation opportunity for the 20.21 school year will be May 24 through May 28. 

Donations should be dropped off on the Miller House front porch, between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., and adhere to the following guidelines.

We are only collecting the following uniform items for future distribution:

• Flint Hill polo shirts
• Khaki and navy skirts, shorts, skorts, pants, and jumpers
• Spirit Wear
• P.E. Shirts and Shorts 

All items should be washed and sorted to minimize contact when they arrive. Pants in one bag. Shirts in one bag.

School Store Update