We asked current parents about their families' time at Flint Hill. They talked about what motivated them to choose us as partners in education, some standout moments that benefited their students, and what advice they'd give to new parents.

TRANSCRIPT:

Why did you choose Flint Hill?

"Actually, we went and looked at a lot of different schools, and as soon as we walked on campus and the very first time we had a parent get-together, it was for an admissions event. And I just felt that welcoming feeling like it was a family, it was just one of those where I went, 'OK, I found our place.' This is exactly where my student needs to be."

"So it was the amazing reputation in the community, a beautiful campus. The interactions we had with teachers, the interactions we had with the admissions office just felt very pleasant, very engaging, very embracing. Just as we were walking the campus and meeting folks, it became pretty obvious the kind of the community spirit was alive and well."

"I can remember coming in with my first daughter and we walked into the Lower School and it just felt like such a warm and inviting place that you wanted to be a part of."

"In eighth grade, my daughter asked me, 'Where is Flint Hill?' Because we live in Alexandria, Virginia. And I said, 'I don't know, why?' She said, 'Because when we play them in sports, all of the girls are so friendly. We play them in our middle school sports and the girls are really friendly, but they're really supportive of their own teammates.' And I thought, 'Wow, that's great.' So at that point it became, I don't care how far away it is. That's the school we should look at, because she could sense how a sense of community they were and what nice people they were."

How has Flint Hill supported your child?

"All three of my children have been in the Learning Center and the support that they've been given has been so important to their success, especially with my last one who, with the pandemic, really had a lot of different struggles than my other two, specifically in the Learning Center and also Mr. Shepherd in college counseling just helped her see all the amazing things that she was capable of. And I don't think that without them and Ms. Fomengia in the counseling department, they just have been an incredible support throughout her time here."

"Very thoughtful about how they put together groups, especially in the beginning of the year, so that new students would feel part of part of everything and welcomed. So I think that Flint Hill really made sure that new students were thoughtfully incorporated into the existing student body, and it was just a really good experience for both of my kids."

"So after taking geometry in ninth grade, her math teacher suggested that she and one of her other friends, who was in a similar position, who had gone to a very small middle school, said, 'You girls are really strong in STEM. We have a program where over the summer you can take, it's very rigorous, but you can take your Algebra II/Trig class over the summer so that by sophomore year, you can be in pre calc with all of the other really strong STEM kids. And that will help you in your STEM career here at Flint Hill if you'd like to move into something like engineering.' And I think that's been invaluable, because my daughter is going to Vanderbilt and the other girl's going to Duke. So it really helped both of them."

What's your advice for parents of new Flint Hill students?

"One of the most important pieces of advice I received was to to trust the process of getting acclimated to a new environment both for you and your child and taking the time to check in with your son or daughter. Check in with their teachers. Understand how they are adjusting. Understand what the challenges are. Understand where they're doing really well. And understand how you can best support and celebrate them as they get adjusted to their new environment."

"I would highly recommend to become engaged with the teachers. They make themselves available. But from an academic perspective, but also just from a personal growth perspective. I found the advisory to be very impactful in their happiness and success. Even though it's not an academic class per se, it really sets the tone for the rest of the day. So just really, truly engagement with the teachers, especially the advisory teacher."

"Get involved, get involved, volunteer, become a part of the community. There are so many events that happen on campus. Attend them, support your fellow classmates and their students. Just really become involved. It's a great family feel."

"We have really enjoyed being a Flint Hill family and we look forward to the year ahead. We welcome you and wish you the best of luck in the coming year."