The Head of School – January 8, 2025

Flint Hill Community, 

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone enjoyed the two snow days for the start of the second semester. I also appreciate everyone’s flexibility, given the impact of unexpectedly having kids home for one, let alone two, days isn’t easy for families.  

When I came to Flint Hill a couple of years ago, it was my first time living in an area with even the possibility of snow days (in California, I did have to a call a “fire day” once, when wildfires and smoke impacted the safety of students, though…).  So, it has been fun for me, at least, to learn and understand the many factors at play when “making the call” for a snow day.  Our priority is always going to be the safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and families, so assessing whether or not we can safely run a given school day always comes back to that basic goal.  

We factor in the fact that we proudly enroll students and employ faculty and staff from a wide variety of areas, sometimes over an hour away from campus. Whether those folks drive themselves or their children to campus, or take one of our many bus routes, it’s not uncommon for Huskies to be on the road early each day to be here. So, we connect with local municipalities to better understand plans for plowing a given area, safety of the roads, what their local school districts may be doing, and – ultimately – make the best decision we can with that information in hand, ideally with as much advance notice for families as possible.  

But, when school is closed, campus is definitely not quiet. It’s during those long, cold days that our facilities team does incredible work – plowing parking lots, clearing sidewalks, salting, and making sure that we can reopen to students and employees as quickly and safely as possible. I am so grateful to that facilities team for its work, not only on these snow days, but every day to keep our campus beautiful and safe for our community. 

So, maybe our Huskies were able to sleep in a bit, go sledding, or simply enjoy a longer winter break. I will count that as a win for their overall well-being, and am grateful now to be able to have our classrooms and hallways filled with amazing students, teachers, and staff eager to do some great work this semester.  

Again, thanks for your flexibility and understanding; here’s hoping we’re able to remain consistently open for the coming weeks and months!