Upper School Newsletter - April 26, 2023

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Message From Division Director

Good evening Husky families,

The end of year exams will arrive in a little less than a month from today. Here is some useful information for our families to help students prepare for the large assessments. The daily schedule is included below, under “Upcoming Events.”

There will be no new homework assignments given to students, starting Thursday, May 18. This is done in recognition of the research indicating that studying the material in small chunks over a longer period of time yields far better results then trying to study in a large chunk right before the exam.
Because the Modern Language Department includes speaking and listening as part of their final exam, some of those assessments will occur earlier in May, so they can schedule all of the one-to-one assessment windows.
Wednesday, May 24, is called Reading Day at Flint Hill. It is a required day for all Grade 9 students, but it is optional for Grade 10 and 11 students. The day is designed so that students can prepare for their exams while also having teachers available to respond to questions.
In the rare circumstance where a student has two exams scheduled at the same time, the student should report this to their teacher who will work with their department chair to create a makeup schedule for the exam conflict.
Exams are worth 20% of the students’ second semester grade. Each quarter grade makes up 40% of the second semester final grade.
Students are not permitted to take exams early. The exam makeup days are from Monday, June 5, to Wednesday, June 7.

Each student’s advisor is a great resource for strategies on how to prepare for the exam period. A great step at this point of the process would be for a student to sit with their advisor and plan out a preparation schedule based on their own particular needs.

Go Huskies,

Don Paige
Director of the Upper School

Announcements

SOLD OUT / Waiting List Available: “Mamma Mia!" — April 28-30

All three performances of the Upper School musical production of “Mamma Mia!” are sold out! If you would like to be put on the waiting list, please email Director of Fine Arts James Venhaus.

"Mamma Mia!" is a jukebox-musical based on the songs of ABBA, following the story of a young bride-to-be trying to uncover the identity of her father before her wedding on a Greek island, leading to hilarious and heartwarming hijinks. Performances will be held on Friday, April 28, Saturday, April 29, 7:00-9:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 30, 2:00-4:30 p.m. in the Olson Theater, in the Activity Center of the Hazel Lower School. The address is 10409 Academic Drive, Oakton, VA 22124.

Kaleidoscope Parent Book Club Discussion, "Words We Don't Say" — Monday, May 1

The Kaleidoscope Book Club provides an opportunity for parents to connect and discuss a variety of topics through books. The group will discuss the book "Words We Don't Say" by K.J. Reilly on Monday, May 1, 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Hazel Lower School. You are welcome to attend even if you haven't read the book. We look forward to building and deepening relationships through this shared learning opportunity. Please contact Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson if you have any questions.

Tickets Now Being Sold for Prom 2023

Juniors and Seniors have been invited to purchase their tickets for Prom 2023. Tickets must be purchased by Tuesday, May 30.

Who: Juniors and Seniors and guests
Date: Tuesday, June 6
Time: 8:30-11:00 p.m.
Where: Sweeney Barn, Manassas, VA

Any student that is bringing a non-Flint Hill guest must submit the Prom Guest Form to Mr. Chang by Tuesday, May 30 at 3:30 p.m. Your guest will not be permitted to attend the prom if a form has not been submitted.

Catch Up with Us on Flickr and Vimeo

A friendly reminder that we’ve been documenting the 2023-24 school year in photos and videos. Our Flickr page includes photos of community events like Arts Jam and Night on the Hill as well as school events and classroom activities across all divisions. Our Vimeo page features short videos from the year that have also been shared on our social media channels.

Upcoming Events

An Evening with Alum Author Caralena Peterson ’10
Wednesday, April 26
Upper School Learning Commons, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Divisional Ambassador 2023-2024 Q&A Session
Friday, April 28
Upper School Multipurpose Room, 1:45-2:30 p.m.

Upper School Musical: “Mamma Mia!”
Friday, April 28
Olson Theater, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
SOLD OUT — to be added to the waiting list, please email Director of Fine Arts James Venhaus.

Upper School Musical: “Mamma Mia!”
Saturday, April 29
Olson Theater, 7:00-9:30 p.m.
SOLD OUT — to be added to the waiting list, please email Director of Fine Arts James Venhaus.

Upper School Musical: “Mamma Mia!”
Sunday, April 30
Olson Theater, 2:00-4:30 p.m.
SOLD OUT — to be added to the waiting list, please email Director of Fine Arts James Venhaus.

Kaleidoscope Book Club
Monday, May 1
Hazel Lower School, Room 201, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

Divisional Ambassador 2023-2024 Q&A Session
Monday, May 1
7:30-8:00 p.m. (virtual)

AP Exams
May 1-May 12

Reading Day
Wednesday, May 24

Upper School End-of-Year Exams
Thursday, May 25 – Science
Friday, May 26 – Modern and Classical Languages
Tuesday, May 30 – English
Wednesday, May 31 – Math
Thursday, June 1 – History
9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Daily

Parents’ Association

A Night on the Hill Photos

A Night on the Hill was a night to remember! Look back on the evening through these event photos and photo booth images.

Spring Concessions Volunteers Needed

Volunteering in concessions is a fun way to make new connections with other parents across divisions. Check out the schedules and invite a friend to join you!

Serve as a Parents’ Association Divisional Ambassador for 2023-2024 — Sign Up by Wednesday, May 10

You are invited to serve as a Parents’ Association Divisional Ambassador next year. A sign-up form is open through Wednesday, May 10.

If you have any questions or want to learn more about the Divisional Ambassador role, the Parents’ Association will be hosting Q&A sessions along with Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement Meredith VanDuyne.

Friday, April 28, 1:45-2:30 p.m. Upper School Multipurpose Room (in person)
Monday, May 1, 7:30-8:00 p.m. (virtual)

You can also reach out to one of this year’s Divisional Ambassadors to hear about their experience. Please see below for more information:

Divisional Ambassador Description — Duties and Responsibilities
Divisional Ambassador FAQ

Don’t Forget to Register! Golf Invitational and Skills Clinic

Space is limited for the 18-hole tournament on Thursday, May 25, but there are plenty of spots available in the Skills Clinic. Join the Clinic co-chairs, KayAnn Schoeneman P’28 and Rachel Murdock P’25, ’27, for an hour-and-a-half of casual conversation and golf skills taught by pros. Afterward, enjoy lunch together and get a chance to win some great raffle prizes. All abilities are welcome, so grab your spot!

What do marshmallows and golf have in common? Volunteer and find out! No experience necessary, and it’s a fun way to support the community and enjoy the beautiful scenery!

Uniform Donation Drop-Off: May 30 - June 9

Start cleaning out your closets because we will have another uniform donation drop-off at the end of the school year. Parents may drop off gently-used uniforms and spirit wear items on the Miller House front porch, from Tuesday, May 30, to Friday, June 9.