Middle School Newsletter - October 7, 2020

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

 

Contact Tracing App

As noted in the message to families on Tuesday, 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! Spirit week and much more...

The Upper School Athletic Advisory Council (AAC) is proud to support #huskystrong, an effort to spread the Husky spirit throughout the year! Despite not having Homecoming this year, the AAC would like to move forward with Spirit Week 2020. We are excited for the Middle School to participate and build community spirit.

Next week, students are encouraged to dress in the theme of each day:

• Tuesday, October 13 — Pajama Day (wear your PJs and comfy clothes)
• Wednesday, October 14 — Movie Character Day (dress as a movie character)
• 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)

 

Coming Soon: Fall Spirit T-Shirt for All-Husky Spirit Day!

The design is almost complete for the 2020 fall spirit t-shirt. We will provide a link to order yours soon, so we can all show our Husky spirit! Stay tuned to the weekly newsletters for more information.

 

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.

 

 

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

 

Student Clubs

After students generated club ideas and we ran a trial last week, we have now solidified our club options for this quarter. On-campus and virtual learners made their selections earlier this week,  choosing a club for Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, and we will start a new process next quarter. Here are the clubs that are running for the next four weeks:

• Tuesdays — art, Certamen, creative writing, book club, debate, film, nature, pilates, sports talk, student council (SCA), study hall.
• Thursdays — book club, Certamen, conditioning, film, gaming, sports talk, student council (SCA), study hall.

 

Fall Schedule Updates

To minimize disruptions to the schedule for that day — November 3 — Election Day, will be a School holiday; there will be no classes held that day and administrative offices will be closed. We also are adding a second day to the schedule for fall parent conferences in all three divisions. Conferences will now be held on Friday, November 6, and Wednesday, November 11. Additional details regarding fall parent conferences will be shared soon.

 

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.