Upper School Newsletter - October 6, 2021
Message From Division Director
I am using my message this week to discuss a significant change to the weekly schedule. Normally, this type of change would just be located under “The Latest,” but I wanted to spend a little extra time discussing the rationale behind this change. When we began the year, we decided to have students eat with their classroom teachers or advisors (depending upon the day). With the increased spread of the Delta variant, even among vaccinated individuals, we wanted to be sure that we did not create a situation where many students became infected thus creating a massive impediment to their education. The spread of the Delta variant also led the governing bodies of our sports leagues to require that athletes be tested weekly to insure student safety on the courts and the fields.
This weekly testing has created a very useful sample of how much COVID-19 is in our community. Roughly half of the entire Upper School is tested weekly. For those of you closely following the COVID-19 dashboard, you have probably noticed that we haven’t had a single positive test in 4 weeks. I can’t tell you how ecstatic I am about that situation.
Due to these test results, we have decided to pilot “open lunch” on Tuesdays. By “open lunch,” I mean allowing students to eat wherever they would like on campus (provided that the location doesn’t prohibit food, like in the Learning Commons or the computer labs). We chose Tuesdays because it is also club day, so it won’t really be the entire school eating together during that time but a much larger subset of students than are currently eating together. Our plan is to see if this change is feasible and to continue to use the Monday testing as a guideline to whether we need to pull back from this policy or if it can continue.
As you can imagine, the students are ecstatic about the change, and it feels like another small step along the road to normalcy. As I told the students at Town Meeting on Monday, this is possible because of all of the safety precautions that they take on a regular basis to keep themselves, their families, and their fellow Huskies safe.
Best,
Don Paige
Director of the Upper School
THE LATEST
PSAT Day
On Wednesday, October 13, the 10th and 11th graders will be taking the PSAT. As is tradition during that day, we have arranged a “late sleep in” for the seniors. They are expected to be on campus by 12:05 p.m., rather than the normal 8:10 a.m. With all of the seniors getting much needed rest after finishing up college essays, and the 10th/11th graders quietly testing across campus, we will utilize that time to engage in some key advisory work for 9th graders. It is a continuation of our orientation program that helps 9th graders acclimate, grow, and thrive now that they are in the upper school.
Senior Prearranged College Visit Form
This is a friendly reminder to parents to have your senior fill out the “Prearranged College Visit Form” when they go on a college visit and miss school. Many families are taking our recommendation to use the long weekend for their college visits, but we need students to inform teachers if they will be missing on Tuesday, October 12, or Wednesday, October 13, by completing the form. Students can find the form in the College Counseling Office.
The Return of Senior Breakfast!
We are bringing back the tradition of senior breakfast, an event hosted by parents and run by parent volunteers. Parents’ Association President Sibel Unsal will help coordinate donations and volunteers to bring breakfast to the Class of 2022 on Friday, October 15. We chose that day because it is the Friday before Homecoming Week, as well as the first major college application deadline for many of our students. What better way to appreciate our seniors than to feed them on that day! Look for more details from Sibel.
Drug and Alcohol Education
The Upper School Counseling department will be sponsoring two programs this week to promote awareness and smart decision making among students when it comes to drugs and alcohol. All grades will have the opportunity to hear from renowned speaker and Certified Prevention Consultant Ty Sells.
Additionally, the 12th grade will also receive a special presentation from the Fairfax County Police Department, regarding driving under the influence and how issues related to drugs and alcohol are addressed by law enforcement.
Homecoming 2021 — October 22-23
Fun is coming Home! Celebrate the return of Homecoming, and join the Flint Hill community for a weekend filled with athletic events, food and fun for the entire family! The weekend kicks off with athletic games and our traditional bonfire on Friday night and continues with more athletic events, spirit giveaways and activities for all ages on Saturday. On both days, the Den will be open for concessions and the School Store will open a Pop-Up Shop in the Peterson Middle School Commons. Find activities for Upper School families below and visit flinthill.org/homecoming for a full schedule of events.
Upper School Homecoming Schedule:
Friday, October 22
1:40–2:30 p.m. Middle School and Upper School Pep Rally — Peterson Family Field
6:30 p.m. Bonfire starts at the conclusion of the soccer game
7:15 p.m. School activities conclude, students must depart campus
Saturday, October 23
Spend the day cheering on your fellow Huskies with all your friends. Stop by the Den for lunch, and get all the latest gear at the School Store Pop-Up Shop in the Peterson Middle School Commons.
8:30–10 p.m.
Upper School Homecoming Dance — Learning Commons and Courtyard
Homecoming Dance
The SCA is excited to bring back the Homecoming Dance for this school year. We will be hosting the dance on campus, using both the Learning Commons and the outdoor area behind that space. This will allow for people at the dance to be inside or outside, depending upon their comfort level. Students are allowed to bring guests from other schools, but those guests will need to follow the current Flint Hill guest policy, which requires all guests to be fully vaccinated. Students who want to bring a guest to Homecoming should see Mr. Howard Chang, dean of students.
Homecoming Dance Logistics
The dance will be held on Saturday, October 23, 8:30–10 p.m., in the Upper School building on campus. Students are required to be at the dance by 9 p.m. and may not leave until 10 p.m. All grade levels are invited to attend the dance. In terms of dress, the SCA will release a theme for the dance that can guide student attire.
Refer-a-Husky Today
Nearly every family who enrolls at Flint Hill was either referred by or talked with a current family during the admission process. Your perspective is critically important. You are in the best position to identify potential Huskies who are a great fit for our school.
Click here to refer a Husky and the Admission team will reach out to invite them to learn more about Flint Hill. As a token of our appreciation, we’ll send you a Flint Hill cell phone wallet. We’ll even send one for every student referral you make.
Early Admission Process for Siblings — Application Due November 1
As a reminder, we are offering members of our Husky family an early start to the admission process for siblings who do not currently attend Flint Hill and are interested in applying for the 2022-23 school year.
If you have a child who is not currently enrolled at Flint Hill and you are interested in the application process for the 2022-23 school year, please complete the admission process by the November 1 deadline. Applications completed by November 1 will receive an admission notification at the end of January. For more information, please schedule a 15-minute admission consultation with Jennifer Webb, director of enrollment management and financial aid or Dawn Hopke, associate director of admission.
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
Student Portraits Available to Order
Student portraits are now online for viewing and ordering! If you did not receive your unique link via email, please send a message to support@freedphoto.com.
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.
Upper School Picture Makeup Day
Friday, October 8, 11:15 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Fall Break — No Classes
Monday, October 11
PSAT Testing Day
Wednesday, October 13
Senior Breakfast
Friday, October 15, 7:30 a.m.
Upper School Division Coffee, In-Person and Virtual
Topic: Community Service
Friday, October 15, 8:45 a.m.
Parent Social — Grade 11
Sunday, October 17, 5–7 p.m.
Homecoming 2021
Friday and Saturday, October 22-23
Homecoming Bonfire
Friday, October 22, 6:30 p.m.
Homecoming Dance
Saturday, October 23, 8:30–10 p.m.
Health Services
Stay Up To Date: Review This Year’s COVID-19 Protocols and Procedures
The COVID-19 Health Information tile on the Resource Board has this year’s protocols and procedures.
Flint Hill strongly encourages everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated.
The COVID-19 Case Dashboard has been updated.
Parents' Association
Welcome, Fall!
Seasons of transition are all around us. The leaves are changing, there’s a crisp feeling in the air. Senior families are on college tours and visiting young alumni at parents’ weekends. Middle Schoolers are enjoying the return of sports. The Lower School continues to be bustling with energy — there is so much life all around! Read more.
School Store
School Store Open During Homecoming!
Mark your calendars, Homecoming will feature a pop-up School Store in the Peterson Middle School Commons. We’ll be open Friday, October 22, 4–6:30 p.m. and Saturday, October 23, 10 a.m. until the end of the football game’s second quarter. All shoppers and volunteers are required to wear a mask.
Restocking and New Inventory
More P.E. uniforms and athletic practice clothing are now available. Please continue to check the New Stock and Restock Alert tabs on the website. Check out our Last Chance Spiritwear. All items have limited quantities and most have been discounted. Not sure what size to purchase? Purchase the size your student currently wears. If these items do not work for your student, please contact Adrienne Robinson to start the return/exchange process.
How Do I Make an Exchange or Return?
Please email Adrienne Robinson within 30 days of your original purchase. Include your order number, the item(s) that didn’t work, and if you would like to return your items or exchange them. Exchanges may be made for the same item in a different size or for an item of equal value. We are happy to issue a refund for items that did not work for you.
