Upper School Newsletter - March 30, 2022
Message From Division Director
Welcome to course selection week! The course selection portal is open on Husky Hub through Friday, April 1. I want to take this time to reiterate some of the best practices when it comes to choosing courses for your student. Your student’s advisor is always here and ready to answer any questions that you might have about the process or the schedule that best meets the needs of your student.
- Think beyond this year. What are you planning to take in future years? Do they have pre-requisite courses? Have you completed all of the graduation requirements? You don’t want to be in a tough spot in your junior or senior year where you need to take a graduation requirement that fills the slot of another class you wanted to take.
- Each teacher will give you a specific class recommendation based on their experience and observations. However, each teacher is just making a recommendation for one particular class, not the totality of your schedule. In other words, just because a student was recommended for five honors classes doesn’t mean they should take five honors classes. Each higher level of curriculum requires more time from the student which can add up if you take too many higher level courses.
- Along the same lines, incorporate sports and other activities into your scheduled workload. Being in the musical or playing a sport in a particular season will also add to that workload and should be a consideration.
- The best source of information for the demands and structure of a particular course is the instructor of that course. All too often I hear students say that they “asked their friends” about a course and the information they receive is often incorrect. If a student wants to know more about a course, the teacher of that course is available during office hours or via email to answer any questions.
Don Paige
Director of the Upper School
THE LATEST
3rd Quarter Grades and Comments
Final Grades and Comments for the 3rd quarter will be released on Wednesday, April 6 at 4 p.m.
Springfest Updates
It’s almost time for Springfest — our annual weekend featuring spring season athletic contests and alumni reunion. Everyone is invited to come together to cheer our Huskies on to victory! Some games will feature recognition of alumni athletes who have returned to celebrate milestone reunions.
As we gear up for another great Springfest event, please take a moment to note the following.
Springfest Store
Want to show your Husky spirit for Springfest 2022? Don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your very own 2022 Springfest shirt! This year’s shirts can be ordered in white or blue. The deadline to order is tomorrow, Thursday, March 31.
Stay and Play, Husky Clinics:
Location: Upper School Grass Field (near the baseball field) and Peterson Family Turf Field
Time: 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m.
All JK-6 Flint Hill students and children of alumni are invited to join our Upper School baseball, softball and lacrosse student-athletes and coaches for an exciting clinic filled with fun drills, group activities and structured games. This clinic is free and will conclude with a pizza social for all participants.
Register your child for this fun opportunity. You will need to submit a form for each participating student. The deadline to register is Wednesday, April 20.
Please contact Christel Brooks at the Athletic Shop if you have any Springfest Store questions. For questions about Springfest activities, contact Director of Athletics Dewayne Robinson.
Rescheduled: Virtual Athletics and College Admissions Workshop — Monday, April 4, at 7 p.m.
Flint Hill families are invited to join Associate Director of College Counseling Andrew Kane and Director of Athletics Dewayne Robinson to learn about athletic recruitment and the NCAA initial eligibility process. The program will feature an overview of the NCAA Eligibility process, the different NCAA divisions and recommendations regarding the college admission process for student-athletes. There will be a panel of current Flint Hill student-athletes who have experienced the recruitment process to answer questions and share their insights. If you are interested in learning more about the collegiate athletic recruitment process, please join us at 7 p.m. on April 4; the link for the event is posted on the All-School Calendar in Husky Hub. The program is for students and/or parents. There is no need to register.
The next meeting of the Kaleidoscope Book Club is scheduled for Monday, April 4, 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Peterson Middle School Conference Room. We will discuss "Fast Forward to Hope: Choosing to Build the Power of Self" by Flint Hill Parent Indira Ahluwalia. 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. Contact All-School Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Miles Henderson if you have any questions.
Save the Date, April 13! Arts Jam Is Back
Mark your calendars for the most exciting performing arts event of the year. Join us for the annual Arts Jam concert featuring Upper School band, choir, orchestra, percussion, dance, and musical theater. The concert will be held on April 13 at 7 p.m. at the Center for the Arts on the Fairfax Campus of George Mason University. Visit the webpage here.
Friendly Reminders
- Refer a Husky and the Admission team will reach out to them.
Upcoming events
To help protect the integrity and privacy of virtual events, we have placed all the links to Google Meet virtual events in Husky Hub via the All-School Calendar.
Founder’s Day
Thursday, March 31, Upper School Campus Gym
Middle and Upper School students will gather in the gym for this traditional program to celebrate the founding members of Flint Hill School and Driving Spirit Award recipients.
Special Olympics Track and Field Event
Saturday, April 2, 8 a.m.-2 p.m.
Virtual Athletics and College Admissions Workshop
Monday, April 4
Kaleidoscope Book Club
Monday, April 4, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
College Conference Panel for Junior Parents
Wednesday, April 6, 8:15 a.m.
Grades 11 and 12 Virtual Parent Education Series: Sexual Health and Wellness — Jenna Beckwith
April 6, 7-8 p.m.
Grade 11 Parent Dinner — Sponsored by Parent Association
Thursday, April 7, 5:30 p.m. (Use Evite to RSVP)
Arts Jam
April 13, 7 p.m.
Upper School Coffee: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Friday, April 15, 8:45 a.m.
Health Services
Helpful Links
Flint Hill Positive Case and Close Contact Exposure Protocols
COVID-19 Vaccination Status Dashboard
All of these links can be found on the COVID-19 Health Information tile on the Resource Board.
Reminder: Keep Everyone Healthy by Staying Home if Sick
If your student has fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea you should keep them home to recover. They must be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.
Parents' Association
There’s Still Time to Join Us for a Fun Day on the Links!
The Tournament and Skills Clinic is for everyone! It’s not about skill or just playing a great round of golf; it’s about the people and building community. Connect with parents, alumni and friends to benefit the Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel.
While there’s plenty of fun to be had in the tourney, perhaps what’s even more fun is the Clinic. It’s for the once-a-year, once-in-a-lifetime golfer, or those just not up for a full round. Enjoy an hour-and-a-half of casual conversation and skills taught by pros, and then join us for lunch in the Clubhouse to connect with golfers arriving for the tourney!
There are very limited foursomes open for the tournament, but there are still some individual spaces available. Register as an individual, and we will pair you with fellow parents!
All abilities are welcome, so sign up at flinthill.org/golf.
Volunteer Opportunity: The Den Is Reopening for the Spring!
Spring athletic games are here, and concessions will return in the Den, located on the Terrace of the Peterson Middle School. There are multiple concession opportunities available at both the Den and the Igloo! In addition to the Igloo, parent volunteers are also needed to help sell concessions in the Den during athletic games and during Springfest.
Sign up for a shift in the Den here.
Sign up for a morning or afternoon shift at the Igloo here.
Founder's Day
I have been lucky to attend almost every Founder’s Day since my son began at Flint Hill. At first, I didn’t really understand what it was or even think that I could attend, but, one year, I decided to take a chance and go. The entire school comes together to celebrate our founders, acknowledge our faculty and staff for milestone years at Flint Hill and to surprise the year’s Driving Spirit Award winners. Read more.
NEWS ON THE HILL
