Middle School Newsletter - October 14, 2020

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

 

Articles for Middle School Parents

In the interest of sharing issues and perspectives relevant to the challenges of parenting young adolescents, here are a few articles that you might find helpful.

When Do Teens Feel Loved by Their Parents?

Children and mental health: How parents shape their kids' well-being

How to Guide Your Kid Through Election Season

 

Movie Screenings from The Parents Council of Washington

The Parents Council of Washington is pleased to present a screening of the films “Miss Representation” and “The Mask You Live In.” These two documentaries by The Representation Project provide insight on how to value people as whole human beings, instead of gendered stereotypes. These documentaries will be available for in-home viewing through October 19. Please use this link to register and for more information about optional follow-up discussions.

2020 Flint Hill Spirit T-shirts are here!

Show your school spirit and order your fall spirit shirt today! Remember we are stronger together!! The shirts come in adult and youth sizes.

Click here to place your order. The online store will close at midnight on Thursday, October 22. After this date, no late orders will be accepted to make sure that all orders are delivered on time. Due to COVID-19 and safety protocols, each individual order will be delivered directly to your home.

We have decided to designate November 10 as our Fall All-Husky School Spirit Day. All three divisions will participate by wearing their t-shirts on this day. Go Huskies!!

Middle School Athletics

A few of you have asked if/when we will resume some form of athletics. At this point, any formal sport-specific activities continue to be on hold. We are offering conditioning as a club option once per week during our flex block. Middle School students are also now on the email distribution lists for varsity coaches and will be receiving information about any optional individual workouts.

 

The first meeting of the virtual Kaleidoscope Book Club is scheduled for Monday, November 2, 9-9:45 a.m. We will discuss “Small Great Things” by Jodi Picoult. 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 first 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

 

Contact Tracing App

Flint Hill is using a contact tracing app developed by Trace Innovations to help us to identify which students and employees need to quarantine if an employee or student tests positive for COVID-19. You can reference the original email or the COVID-19 Health tile on the Resource Board in Husky Hub for the detailed FAQ and download instructions.

 

Husky Spirit is STRONG!

The Upper School Athletic Advisory Council (AAC) is proud to support #huskystrong, an effort to spread the Husky spirit throughout the year! Spirit Week continues through October 16.

Here is the remaining schedule:

• Thursday, October 15 — Throwback Thursday (dress in the style of the decade of your choice)
• Friday, October 16 — Student-Teacher Swap (dress like the other generation)

 

Seventh Grade Wellness

Beginning this week and for the next four Mondays, seventh graders will engage in wellness programming in small groups. Each group will rotate through sessions with John Magner (Middle School Counselor), Ilana Reyes (Director of Counseling), and Mia Burton (Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion).

John’s sessions will focus on substance abuse prevention. Following the model of the Project ALERT program, our approach focuses on:

• Motivating nonuse.
• Identifying pressures to use drugs, learning to resist those pressures, and practicing resistance skills.
• Providing accurate information on substances including tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and other substances.

Ilana’s focus is on building community and connections within the groups as well as getting to know the students and establishing herself as a resource for them. In the initial session, she used a writing prompt of “if you really knew me” to get beneath the surface and begin conversations about showing and accepting our authentic selves.

The goal of Mia’s sessions is for students to make a personal connection to the Flint Hill vision for students to take meaningful risks, be themselves, and make a difference. They will explore how this is experienced in middle school, as well as the challenges that may occur along the way. They will use guided discussion and reflection activities to develop a deeper understanding of visioning and personal responsibilities.

 

 

School Store Updates … New Inventory and tips and tricks for online ordering

We are having a lot of fun stocking the store with NEW INVENTORY. Click here to shop now!

Returns and exchanges are quick and easy, but returned items must sit in quarantine before they are returned to inventory. So, please order only the size you think you need, so we can keep as much inventory in stock as possible. We are happy to change out the size quickly if it doesn’t fit.

Pro tip: Miller House front porch pick up is available now, instead of shipping, for your convenience! If you have questions about the School Store, contact Adrienne Robinson at arobinson@flinthill.org.

 

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.

 

 

Volunteer with the Parents’ Association!

We miss our volunteers! The PA has volunteer opportunities available to help with community- building activities, including teacher appreciation, the Annual Fund, Admission ambassadors, senior engagement and more!

Volunteering is safe and fun! The Parents’ Association is committed to the Flint Hill COVID-19 Health Pledge. If you are interested in volunteering or receiving more information from the Parents’ Association, please contact PA President-Elect Sibel Unsal at necatismom@gmail.com or Advancement Officer Alice Yates at ayates@flinthill.org.