After watching John Thomas’ newsletter video last week about the flooding of memories, and the power some objects have to bring us back to places and times in our life, it made me think of something that has become very special to me — the Flint Hill yearbook. I love it! There are so many things I love about the Flint Hill culture and one of them is that every student, JK-12, brings home a yearbook each spring. I love that it is not just a Middle or Upper School publication. The Upper School yearbook students work hard to capture every division and glimpse at the Flint Hill experience. For me, even when my son was in the Lower School, and to this day, I immediately jump to the senior pages. I love that seniors have an opportunity to reflect and share through an ad, AND their families do too. It’s another glimpse into their world and what has been meaningful to them over the years.

So, as someone who has been an avid reader of the yearbook for the last 12 years, I thought I would be ready with photos and my own stories and memories when it came time to submit my senior ad. Wow, was I wrong. I also waited until the very last deadline! I didn’t know where to begin! A few years ago, Tiffany Parry P ’32, ’35 encouraged me to store my photos in Google, and I’m so glad I did that. As I scrolled through thousands of photos from over the years, a common thread emerged. Almost all of our photos connected back to Flint Hill in some way — from the very first day of Kindergarten to field trips, the awkward Middle School years, the first time our children stepped on stage to present, to the birthday parties, get-togethers off campus, and the friends that have become family. Flint Hill has been the catalyst for the personal connections in our lives, and these relationships, whether formed in Kindergarten or later on, continue to have a profound impact on me and my family. We are forever grateful for these connections.

Why am I sharing this with you? Yes, I hope you will love and enjoy the yearbook as much as I do. However, and most importantly, I hope you choose to make the most of this year and every moment you have. Flint Hill brought us together and taught us the power of relationships, but it’s up to us, outside of school hours, to nourish them. Whether it’s staying at the birthday party and meeting some parents you didn’t know before or taking the time to call or schedule a meet-up with a parent, this is how we find common ground and make relationships of our own. And, maybe, when it’s our turn to write those yearbook ads, we will look back with a sense of gratitude and pride for our years at Flint Hill.

Go Huskies!
Sibel Unsal P’22
President, Parents’ Association