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Volume 4, Issue 5; September 27, 2020
Dear Flint Hill Families,
October is right around the corner, and fall is most definitely here! As with the introduction of this season, the vibrant colors of the leaves signal change and the start of something new. Similarly, Flint Hill students and staff are all about change and adapting to our new learning environment!
Therefore, to support change, self-reflection, and executive function, students in grades 2-6 will be engaged in conversations with our counselors about goal development. These goals, otherwise known as SMARTR goals, will support academic and personal aims. The acronym SMARTR is defined as:
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Specific
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Measurable
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Attainable
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Realistic
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Time-bound
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Rigorous
To support your goal directed and resilient learner, you may want to consider having a conversation with your child about setting goals and achieving short and long-term objectives. Consider sharing how you evaluate your progress at work and at home. Discussing your personal journey will help your child decide what is most important for them to pursue this year, as well the ways in which they will hold themselves accountable. It is never too early to begin these conversations and emphasize the importance of having goals!
We will continue to keep you apprised of these efforts. Developing executive function and Portrait of a Graduate skills will serve your child well beyond their years at Flint Hill.
Thank you for joining school staff, and your student, on their reflective journey this year!
Warmly,
Dr. Hertzberg, Principal
Tech Talk
Caring for Your Computer
The tech team has received a large number of requests for replacement laptops due to overheating. Please be mindful that FCPS laptops cannot be left on 24 hours a day. Our computers need rest, just like our students. Make sure to turn the laptop off at night. This will allow the battery to fully recharge and prevent the hard drive from overheating.
Our FCPS laptops will run updates throughout the week and on the weekends. To ensure that your laptop will not auto-run an update in the middle of class, please restart your laptop in the morning.
Specials Recordings
We have re-evaluated and streamlined our approach across grade levels starting tomorrow, Monday, September 28th.
All classroom and specials recordings will be posted in the Homeroom teacher’s Google Classroom by week. This change positively impacts organization and ease of navigation. The graphic below demonstrates how to locate recordings in your child's Google Classroom.
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Assessment at Home:
Preparing for October 5th (Math)
Your child will soon be taking the iReady, a formative assessment that provides school staff deeper knowledge of your child's needs in language arts and in math. Administration dates have been shared with families in the Friday Falcon Five emails from your child's teacher. Please review this checklist for helpful tips for "at home administration." We ask that you refrain from supporting your child with answering questions as this will invalidate the data. We know this request may be difficult, and we ask that you embrace productive struggle and allow your child to navigate the diagnostic as independently as possible.
Beyond the video in the checklist document, FCPS has a video and additional resources that will provide you further insight into the assessment. Please see this site for more iReady information!
Once again, parent assistance on the iReady, or on any county or classroom assessment, may lead to your child having to retake an assessment. We ask that you provide space and a quiet environment in which your child can concentrate and do their best. Thank you for helping us gain access to all the information we need to know to support your child's learning this year!
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Electives and More!
Video: How to Put Books on Hold
Monday Electives
These are optional and are in addition to the asynchronous learning opportunities!
K-2 Sessions: 12:30-1:00
3-6 Sessions 1:15-1:45
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Grading and Reporting for Elementary Music Instruction
In order to maximize synchronous instructional time in the full-time online schedule, many elementary schools are allowing 5th and 6th grade students to take band or strings instead of general music. The 5th and 6th grade students taking general music will only have a grade for general music on the progress report.
The 5th and 6th grade students taking band or strings will only have grades for band or strings on the progress report. They will not have grades for general music.
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DedicatED
Please check out this streamlined handout that links to important family information and resources!
 We continue to highlight learning experiences that support the acquisition of Portrait of a Graduate attributes and skills across our community and Google classrooms.
Another goal associated with our School Innovation and Improvement Plan (SIIP) supports student academic progress in writing!
We are focused on developing our skills as reflective practitioners, as well as using editing checklists and participating in cycles of feedback.
Communication and collaboration are critically important to developing our writing skills!
For more information on Portrait of a Graduate, ask your child how they are a communicator, collaborator, critical and creative thinker, goal-directed and resilient individual, or ethical and global citizen. Or, click here!
Do you spy Lucy Calkins Units for Teaching Phonics?
Handwriting Without Tears is on its way, kindergarten and first grade families! We will update you as soon as the resources arrive!
Beyond using a variety of resources like Jamboard, sixth grade is incorporating an online program, NoRedInk, which elicits real-time feedback for our budding writers!
Please click on our hashtag, #FHESfamily, for more awesome highlights from Flint Hill! There are just too many to highlight them all!
Tweet, tweet, Flint Hill family!
 Family Science Night! Coming virtually to you on October 8th!
Please Mark Your Calendars!
Great news! Flint Hill Elementary School's events are now easily added to your own personal calendar. To find out how to download our calendar feed, please go here.
September 29th: Virtual Parent Coffee, 10 am (Link provided by the PTA.)
October 8th: Family Science Night, Courtesy of Children's Science Center (BBCU link will be provided.)
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FCPS Cares Program
Recognizing employees who go above and beyond
FCPS Cares is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize those who go above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story so we can all acknowledge the outstanding work of FCPS, and more specifically, Flint Hill employees.
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Falcon Feedback
To provide feedback directly to Ms. Hertzberg, please use the QR code, or click on this link. Thank you, in advance, for sharing your thinking!
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