Upper School Newsletter – September 4, 2024

Good morning Husky families! I just came from the most amazing opening Town Meeting to start the school year. The theme of the year is about building spirit and joy throughout the community. Flint Hill’s Director of Institutional Equity and Inclusion Mia Burton gave a powerful talk about how we can all play a role in spreading joy and supporting each other. The most amazing moment was when she asked for student volunteers to share their ideas about how to be a part of spreading joy and spirit; more than 20 students stood in the middle of the gym and took the meaningful risk to speak in front of the entire student body! They shared many ideas, including to attend events never attended before, focus on compliments rather than teasing, and find new people to talk to during free times. It was an amazing moment, and I am still feeling the positive vibes from that presentation.

Business Dress Days
On Monday, September 16, we will have our annual All-School Gathering where we bring all students, from JK to the seniors, into the Upper School gym to hear student speakers. For the 2024-2025 school year, this will be one of our two Business Dress Days. Please review the rules below to make sure your student is in the appropriate dress for the day. The other Business Dress Day will be on Thursday, February 13, for our Flint Hill Day program. I’ll be sure to include a reminder in the February 5 newsletter. Please note that on these special occasions, it is a long-standing tradition that seniors wear a specialized “Senior Dress” — white collared shirts and khaki-colored pants.

Business dress includes:

• A collared shirt that has buttons across the entirety of the front. (No polo shirts).
• Dress pants, khaki pants, or skirts. (No jeans, shorts, athletic pants, or sweatpants).
• A belt, if the pants or skirt has visible belt loops.
• Dress shoes are recommended, but any neat/clean shoes with a back may also be worn. Students should not wear casual sandals, flip-flops, Crocs, etc.

Phones at Flint Hill
As you have seen from Mr. McHonett’s messages, we are evaluating how to structure tech usage at school in a way that benefits learning, builds community, and supports mental health. We have already made changes to the school-issued devices, but we are also engaging in the national discussion about how to address cell phone usage in schools. During student orientation, I spoke with each grade level about bringing forward their ideas or concerns through their student leaders, during advisory meetings, or simply by coming to my office. To also create a space where we can talk with parents about this topic, I have dedicated my first parent coffee of the year to the question “What should we do about phones in schools?” I hope you can come by the Upper School on Wednesday, September 11, 8:30-9:30 a.m., to be part of that discussion.