Middle School Newsletter - September 30, 2020

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

 

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

I want to share a few updates regarding the fall schedule with you. The first is that — 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. The second is that we 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 Events Coordinator Alice Yates at ayates@flinthill.org.

 

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

 

Our Core Values and the Middle School Social Contract

A key part of the start to each school year involves orienting students to Flint Hill’s Core Values and developing our Middle School Social Contract. As previously noted, the Core Values have been updated this year, from single-word virtues to a set of action-oriented statements.

• Respect and value all equally
• Lead and support with compassion
• Act with integrity
• Imagine what’s possible
• Blaze the trail

During our orientation week, we reviewed these ideals in a video presentation and discussed ways in which they connect to our Health Pledge. We then had students create video clips demonstrating what our Core Values might look like in action on a daily basis.

As part of following the principles of Developmental Designs, we involve students in creating the essential agreements for our division — our Social Contract. Using their video clips and the Core Values as a basis, students drafted statements about community norms and ultimately selected the aspirational ground rules for every member of our Middle School community:

• Be your best self … the one you want people to remember you by.
• Listen to and support others’ ideas, even if they are different from your own.
• Treat others the way you want to be treated, in person and online.
• Avoid assumptions and stereotypes.
• Be creative, be innovative, and keep an open mind.
• Do what inspires you and try your best in everything you do.

 

An Update Regarding Links in Old Pushpages (Emails Sent through the School email system)

Due to an update that was recently made by the software vendor for our email system, links shared in emails sent before July 21 will no longer be available after October 20. If you attempt to access a link in an old pushpage sent before July 21, after October 20, you will receive an error. Fortunately the most up-to-date information regarding School operations is available in the Weekly Newsletter and on the Resource Board in Husky Hub.

This update does not affect links sent through Gmail.

 

Upcoming Deadline: Learning Location Selection for the Second Quarter

The Learning Location Form for the second quarter launched in Husky Hub on September 28. Parents and guardians who chose to make their selections on a quarterly basis received an email notification on Monday and are required to complete the form by Monday, October 5.