Upper School Newsletter - September 23, 2020

NEW/UPDATED INFORMATION

 

Interesting Quote

“Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.”

— Charles de Montesquieu

 

Interesting Article

5 ways the COVID-19 pandemic could affect your college application

 

Now Live! Parent Toolkit Resource Board Tile

Parents and guardians received the link to the Parent Toolkit on Monday afternoon. As of Tuesday, September 22, the Preparing for the 2020-21 School Year tile on the Resource Board has been retired. As noted in Monday’s email, the Parent Toolkit will serve as a year-long resource with valuable information to help Flint Hill parents through the remainder of the school year.

 

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.

 

Learning Location Selection for the Second Quarter Launches September 28

The Learning Location Form for the second quarter will launch in Husky Hub on September 28. Parents and guardians will receive an email notification when the link becomes live. Parents who chose to select their student’s learning location on a quarterly basis are required to complete the form by Monday, October 5. Parents who chose their student’s learning location for the year will not need to resubmit the form.

 

Schedule Change for October 6

On Tuesday, October 6, all juniors will remain home as virtual learners to allow the seniors to take the ACT on campus.

 

Yearbook Spring Supplements

The spring supplements to the 2019-20 yearbooks have arrived. We will distribute them to returning on-campus learners in Advisory. We will mail them home to returning virtual learners.

 

School Store Update

With the relaxed dress code this year and more frequent opportunities to wear spiritwear, those items are in hot demand! Orders have been placed to restock the store. Future newsletters will highlight when new stock has arrived (including Flint Hill masks).

 

UPDATES AND REMINDERS FROM LAST WEEK

 

Virtual Back to School Night

Thursday, September 24, 7 p.m.

Please join us at our Virtual Back-to-School Night tomorrow, September 24, at 7 p.m. This virtual platform will provide you with an opportunity to hear from your child’s instructors while being exposed to a snapshot of their daily experience. Course requirements and expectations will be shared during the event. The evening will begin with an email from me and our Headmaster John Thomas welcoming you to the program.

 

2020-21 Senior Portrait Information

As noted in the message families received last week, this year, senior portraits will be taken in phases. The first phase, for casual senior portraits, will cover photos of students that most represent their personalities and interests. For these portrait sessions, which are optional, students may dress in the clothing of their choice. These sessions will take place on Wednesday, September 30, and Wednesday, October 21,  8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Upper School Campus. Portraits are taken by appointment. To schedule an appointment, visit our photographer’s website, select “Flint Hill 2021 Seniors” and follow the prompts, until you arrive at the calendar screen, to schedule your session.

 The second phase, in which students will be photographed in their caps and gowns, will be taken Wednesday, November 4, and Wednesday, November 11, 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., on campus. This year, rather than using a cap and gown provided by the photographer, seniors will be given their formal caps and gowns early and must store them at home for safekeeping, until Commencement in June. This mandatory portrait session will consist entirely of formal cap and gown photos, including poses to be used for the yearbook and senior composite. Families will be able to schedule their cap and gown photos, using the link above, at a later date. An announcement will be made in the Weekly Newsletter when scheduling becomes available for these sessions.

Please note there is a one-time $30 fee that covers both sessions. If your student is a virtual learner, or you are unable to schedule an appointment for one of the above dates, you may contact our photographer directly, to schedule a personal appointment at their studio, at 301.652.5452. Please be sure to complete your cap and gown photos, by no later than December 11, to ensure that your student is included in the 2021 yearbook and senior composite.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Upper School Dean of Students Howard Chang.

 

Portraits for Students in Grades 9-11

Picture day will look a bit different this year but will be offered for both on-campus and virtual learners. Students will be photographed outdoors at the Upper School Campus. Our photographers will be in masks and observing physical distancing.

On-campus learners in 9th and 10th grade will have their portraits taken on Friday, September 25. A make-up day is scheduled for Friday, October 23.

On-campus learners in 11th grade will have their portraits taken on Tuesday, September 22. A make-up day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.

Portraits for virtual learners in JK-11th grade are available by appointment on Wednesday, October 7, and Wednesday, October 28. To make an appointment, visit https://flinthill.timetap.com and follow the prompts. Select “Flint Hill Virtual Learners” and then choose your preferred date and time.

All ordering for school portraits will occur online. You will receive an email alert with a link to your student’s gallery when it becomes available.

 

Homework and Home Learning Policy for Special Circumstances and Religious Observances

Flint Hill School’s core values guide the behaviors and decisions of all members of the Flint Hill community. The School's Homework and Home Learning Policy for Special Circumstances and Religious Observances was created with this in mind.

Over the course of each year, there are a variety of circumstances and events outside of our school calendar that can prevent students from completing evening assignments. When these circumstances or events arise, the School will make every effort to be flexible and support students in completing their work in a timely manner.

Special Circumstances

In the event of a family obligation, illness or unforeseen emergency, Upper School students may request extra help or extensions for work missed during the student’s absence.

In the Lower and Middle Schools, teachers and division directors will work with families, to develop a plan for completing work missed during a student absence, on a case-by-case basis.

In all three divisions, families are encouraged to communicate with your child’s teacher, advisor or division director to inform them of what to expect from your child, so we can work with your family accordingly.

Religious Observances

Flint Hill deeply respects and celebrates the customary rituals, observances and family gatherings associated with religious holidays and those of differing faiths at School. Upper School students who miss school due to a religious observance or celebration can work with their teachers or advisors to make up academic work.

In the Lower and Middle Schools, teachers and division directors will work with families, to develop a plan for completing work missed during a student absence, on a case-by-case basis.

Students are also excused from school, games and practices for religious commitments.

 

An Update from the Athletics Department

The Athletic Department hopes everyone had an amazing orientation week. Although interscholastic competitions in Virginia have been postponed until the second half of the year, our goal is to continue to provide opportunities for students to stay fit and engage with coaches and other students. The purpose of this update is to share our first quarter athletic plans. We are pleased to offer virtual synchronous strength and conditioning workouts, an activity credit opportunity, and virtual workouts, meetings and asynchronous activities for Flint Hill sports.

Virtual Strength and Conditioning Workouts

All students are welcome to participate in virtual strength and conditioning workouts which are offered four times each week. The schedule is posted below, and links to the Google Meets for each workout can be found in the morning report:

 

Day	Time	Coach
Monday	3:15 p.m.	Coach Parente
Wednesday	8 a.m. and 9 a.m.	Coach Verbanic
Friday	3:15 p.m.	Coach DeNure

Activity Credit

This semester, over 100 students are signed up to earn one activity credit toward their graduation requirement of four activity credits. Students seeking an activity credit must complete one virtual strength and conditioning class each week and submit a weekly activity log, every Friday, that demonstrates 30 minutes of daily exercise.

• Students have flexibility in the exercises they choose for their activity logs. The point is for students to stay active and have fun.
• Weekly attendance at one of the four virtual strength and conditioning classes, listed above, is required to earn the activity credit.

Virtual Team Practices and Engagement

Many of our varsity coaches will be providing virtual synchronous workouts, asynchronous workouts, meetings, or other forms of engagement for our student-athletes this quarter. These are open to all students in grades 9-12 who are interested in that sport. To receive information from the varsity coaches about these workouts, please contact Carrol DeNure to have your name added to the coaches’ lists.

• All virtual synchronous workouts or meetings will occur after 4:30 p.m.
• Participation in virtual workouts may be included in the activity log for athletic credit but do not replace the required participation in one of the virtual strength and conditioning workouts.

We are excited about these opportunities for student-athletes in the first quarter. As our school year evolves, I will provide additional updates.

Please reach out to Diana Parente if you have any questions.

 

2020-21 PSAT Update

As the school year gets underway, we want to update you on our plans for the PSAT and PreACT, this year, for our sophomores and juniors. In order to allow us to safely offer these testing experiences to both sophomores and juniors, we will offer the PSAT on October 14 to our juniors, the Class of 2022, and the PSAT 10 and PreACT to our sophomores, the Class of 2023. The PSAT 10 will be given on February 24, and the PreACT will be given on March 31. The PSAT 10 is the same test as the PSAT but is offered on a later test date — a schedule that will allow sophomores more time to learn content and develop test-taking skills.

We ask that all students in the Class of 2022 indicate their intentions regarding the PSAT, by completing this Google form and selecting either “Yes, I will take the PSAT at Flint Hill on Wednesday, October 14,” or “No, I will not take the PSAT at Flint Hill on Wednesday, October 14.” Please complete the form by Friday, October 2, so that we may coordinate the logistics required for the test. We understand that given our current circumstances, some families may not want their junior to test, due to health concerns, therefore, taking the PSAT is optional. As you decide, please consider that the PSAT taken in a student’s third year of high school is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship Program. The National Merit Program has not yet shared how it will determine eligibility for its programs if students are not able to sit for the PSAT this fall. It seems unlikely that a PSAT test score will be required, given that many schools and school districts will not be offering the test this fall, but we have no definitive information about the requirements for consideration at this time. You may stay updated about the National Merit Program’s policies by monitoring their website here if this information is important to your decision-making process. Should you decide that your student will take the PSAT, please note that the School will order all of the exams, registration will take place on the morning of the test and the School covers the cost of each exam. Nothing further is required by families now, other than confirming whether or not their student(s) will test, by completing this form.

The PSAT 10 is the same exam as the PSAT that will be given in October. By offering a PSAT to juniors and sophomores on different dates, we are able to meet our high health and safety standards. More information about the PSAT 10 and PreACT will be shared with the families of the Class of 2023 this winter. The School will order all of the exams, registration will take place on the morning of the test and the School covers the cost of each exam. Nothing further is required by families now, although closer to the test dates, we will ask each family to confirm that their student(s) will test. We imagine that some families will elect not to test.