Fall Magazine 2015

MAGAZINE | FALL 2015 FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 1

Fourth-Graders Fight Hunger See p. 14 2 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

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CONTENTS Board of Trustees 2015-2016 Mr. Otis D. Coston Jr., Chairman Mr. Richard J. Hendrix, Vice Chairman Mr. Gary D. Rappaport, Treasurer Mr. John M. Thomas, Secretary Board Members Gen. John R. Allen, USMC (Ret.) ‘71 Mr. Steven C. Anderson Mr. John M. Beatty Sr. Mr. Randall W. Byrnes Mrs. Charlotte S. Chess Mrs. Jacqueline M. Copeland Mr. James J. Fitzpatrick ‘95 Mrs. Linnie M. Haynesworth Mrs. Sarah D. Hazel Mr. Edward H. Kennedy Mr. John M. Kudless Ms. Lilian Kan Li Mrs. Lisa R. Lisker Ms. Lucia Anna Trigiani Trustees Emeriti Mr. John T. Hazel Jr., Founding Chairman Emeritus Sister Martha Carpenter, O.S.F. Mr. Edward R. Carr Mr. John M. Dowd The Honorable Johanna L. Fitzpatrick Mr. Paul C. Kincheloe Jr. Mr. Michael C. McCarey Mr. William N. Melton Mr. Norris E. Mitchell The Reverend Edwin M. Ward Editorial Team Angela Brown, ambrown@flinthill.org Jackie Viteri, jviteri@flinthill.org Magazine Design Eve Shade, eshade@flinthill.org Photo Contributors James Kegley Photography Susan Spencer, Perfect Shot Photos, LLC Victor O’Neill Studios FLINT HILL SCHOOL 3320 Jermantown Road Oakton, VA 22124 www.flinthill.org Flint Hill School is a Junior Kindergarten through 12th Grade independent school.

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4

THE HILL

22

ARTS ON THE HILL

26

HIGHLIGHTS BY GRADE

28

ATHLETICS

34

FACULTY/STAFF NEWS

48

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

50

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

FEATURES 38

The next five years for Flint Hill School are certain to be extraordinary in a positively impactful and newly transformative way.

STRATEGIC VISION

42

CURIOSITY MEETS A CLUB

Finding what they love to do, meeting lifelong friends and participating in meaningful activities are all life-changing experiences that Flint Hill students gain from their involvement with a School club.

Dear Flint Hill School Family, Each year, the fall issue of our magazine allows us the opportunity to both look back and look ahead. Life is filled with these opportunities. It may be why I love history so much—you understand the stories of the past as you prepare for the future. At Flint Hill we do a great deal of that, but with an entrepreneurial edge that has us constantly learning so we get stronger and better. We are constantly building on our foundation of experiences, but always with an eye toward the future.

As you enjoy this issue, you will note that it is filled with stories and activities from the end of last year. Last year was an amazing year led by an outstanding Senior Class and we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our reorganization.

There were exciting things taking place in our classrooms, art studios and athletic fields and courts. It was a year of enormous accomplishment by students at every single grade level. And the Commencement Ceremony at the end of the year brought it all together as we celebrated the leadership, confidence and drive of the Class of 2015.

Throughout the year, we also had the opportunity to learn more and more about our alumni. Every time I attend an alumni event, I hear about our faculty and the impact that they have had on preparing our alumni for the journey that each of our graduates now travels. As a testament to this type of influence, more than 130 alumni returned to last year to celebrate former Flint Hill Prep Head of School Frances Casey. Her portrait now hangs proudly right outside my office. More and more, alumni are giving us information and stories about all that they are accomplishing, and we are introducing new alumni profiles in this very issue.

Last year also was packed with activities and gatherings focused around creating a new Strategic Vision. More than 235 people took part in various coffees, discussion groups, task forces and planning sessions. As you have now seen, the Strategic Vision that emerged is dynamic and exciting. Our Board of Trustees worked hard to lead the way and ultimately frame our mission and vision as a school. The mission is what we are living each and every day and is what is going to bring us success. The Strategic Vision marks our vision and our eye toward the future. The vision represents where we are going, and I love the fact that it is a direct and simple statement, “Take meaningful risks. Be yourself. Make a difference.”

It is clear that our students and faculty are making a difference every day.

They are Huskies through-and-through and the risks they take are the healthy kind, pushing themselves out of their comfort zones, and becoming active and engaged participants in their education and in the development of their lifelong passions.

Enjoy this glimpse into all that has happened and all that will happen. I look forward to seeing you all on campus at various events this year as our Strategic Vision gets under way. Together, as we celebrate our 60th year, we will keep the “Driving Spirit” of our great School alive and well.

Best wishes to you!

Sincerely, John M. Thomas Headmaster

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The Hill

Learning Takes Flight See p. 16 4 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

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Summer on the Hill

The Hill

Academic classes, creative arts, sports camps, day camps, trips and much more was offered through the 2015 summer programs. www.flinthill.org/summer-on-the-hill/

Flint Hill Hosts Technology Forum for Educators On Monday, April 27, Flint Hill welcomed approximately 35 educators from the Washington metropolitan area to learn about our 1:1 technology program, which has become nationally recognized since its implementation in the fall of 2010. In 2011, Flint Hill was named an Apple Virginia Site School and, in 2013, an Apple Distinguished School as “an exemplary learning environment for innovation, leadership and educational excellence.”

The visiting educators attended the forum to learn about Flint Hill’s journey with technology integration in the classroom and to explore the possibility of venturing into or expanding 1:1 programs at their own schools. They visited classes on both campuses, spoke with several teachers, observed the use of various applications, asked “how to”

questions, and participated in small-group sessions on topics such as curriculum, professional development and infrastructure.

Resources, tips and techniques that Flint Hill teachers shared from their experiences included a Digital Journal for Science; Blogging and Goal Setting in Middle School English; iMovie Vlogging in Spanish; the Paperless Quiz; Digital Writing Practice; Augmented Reality Geometry; Virtual History Tours; 1:1 Classroom Management; Digitally Communicating in Spanish; Open Library: Accessing Digital Books; Road Trip and Mobile Learning (used on field trips); Learning Menu for Research; Digital Imaging: Portrait of an Artist; Fourth Grade—Math Alive!; and Blogging about Economics in Third Grade.

Worlds Imagined at TEDx Youth Day On March 7, Flint Hill hosted TEDx Youth Day. Fourteen students from the Middle and Upper Schools gave presentations on various topics, including: the importance of optimism, the power of music, the integration of sports and medicine, false celebrity worship and going after your dreams.

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EDUCATORS FROM ASIA VISIT FLINT HILL Headmaster Menglin Li and a music instructor from the Baotou Hualin Foreign Language Training Academy in China visited Flint Hill on February 25. Students from the academy had Skyped and exchanged emails with Flint Hill students studying Mandarin Chinese.

Flint Hill’s Middle and Upper School Chinese teacher Meng Tao said, “Our students are learning Chinese in this process, and their students are learning English.

In the meantime, they made new friends. It is a rewarding experience for both schools.”

On February 9, in conjunction with a program through Virginia Tech, 20 Malaysian High School teachers spent time at the Upper School to observe math and science classes.

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Winning First Place in their respective tournament levels: • Priya Gill ’16 • Sara Khan ’19 • Merritt Schwartz ’18 • Simon Van Der Weide ’20

In early August, when the four-person Virginia state certamen team won first place on the novice level at the National Junior Classical League convention, in San Antonio, three of the students were from Flint Hill: Tiam AzabDaftari ’19, Calvin Lucido ’20 and Simon Van Der Weide ’20. The team was coached by Middle School Latin teacher Brandy Henricks with assistance from alumnus Woojin Kim ’11, who starts his first job teaching Latin in Texas this fall. “We played other top ranked state teams from around the U.S. and came out of the semis as the highest ranked novice team by at least 100 points,” said Henricks. “The finals pitted us against Massachusetts and Florida, whose certamen teams have dominated the past few years on all levels, and the match was close, with us winning on the last question.”

behind victory in dramatic fashion on the last question will make this a tournament to remember,” said Grades 7–12 Classics Department Chair Howard Chang.

The last time Virginia won a national championship was in the year 2010. “Winning in a closely-fought, come-from-

• Priya Gill ’16 won the “best in show” award on the Latin vocabulary contest.

Cash Award Winners

For placing in the Top Three at least three or more times over their school careers, the following students were recognized by the CAV as honorary Tournament Legends.

• Mitchell Arnold ’17 • Merritt Schwartz ’18

• Mitch Arnold ’17 • Priya Gill ’16 • Merritt Schwartz ’18

• Reza Akhtar ’15 • Priya Gill ’16 • Trinidad Kechkian ’17 • Joey Lindsay ’17

In the Classical Essay contest, students also placed in the Top Three on six out of seven possible levels of competition.

Winning First Place in their respective essay levels:

Latin Students Represent Virginia; Wins National Certamen Championship

Flint Hill students also won several awards for their high-scoring performances on a Latin translation exam given

by The Classical Association of the Middle West and South, which encompasses the entire eastern half of the country.

• Martin Haynesworth ’17 • Rosamund Mitchell ’16 • Neeta Singh ’15 In the Latin Essay contest, Simon Van der Weide ’20 won first place on the first-year level for his work, composed entirely in Latin, on a cultural or historical topic.

Book Award Winners

Letter of Commendation • Alimatou Demba ’17 • Kendyll Hicks ’16 • Jack Lovelace ’17 • Hailey McDonnell ’17 • Emily Park ’17 • Deondre Wooden ’16

Paris in the Springtime

Other convention highlights: • Simon Van Der Weide ’20 was chosen as MVP for the novice level.

During Spring Break in March, seven Upper School

• Virginia won first place in the state spirit contest under the leadership of the Virginia Junior Classical League (VJCL) 2nd Vice President Trini Kechkian ’17.

trip. The sights included the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame,

French students traveled to Paris on a 10-day school the Louvre, the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur, Luxembourg Palace, Opéra National de Paris, Saint-Michel, and a

• Megan Milner ’16 was elected to become the new VJCL historian.

boat ride on the Seine. The group also spent time at two different schools, where they spoke with students and

• The Flint Hill Classics Club scrapbook won first place for traditional scrapbook among large delegation.

teachers to learn about their school life and culture.

LATIN PROGRAM WINS BETA AWARD FOR 24TH YEAR

Washington Post Publishes Student’s Theatre Review

For the 24th year, Flint Hill’s Latin program won the Beta “We had students earn awards on all five levels and at least Prize, a top honor based on our students’ performances in one or more students in the top three on all levels but one,” the Classical Association of Virginia’s (CAV) Latin Tournasaid Grades 7-12 Classics Department Chair Howard Chang. ment. Flint Hill also earned special recognition for having at “By earning this honor, our program holds a special place of least one student compete in and earn an award in each of distinction among private schools and home schools in the the CAV’s three contests: the Latin Tournament, the Classical Commonwealth.”

Essay contest and the Latin essay contest.

On March 25, The Washington Post published a theatre

shows at other schools and wrote reviews during the year.

review written by Hailey Scherer ’16. As a member of the

Her published article was written about the musical “How

Cappies, a program for high school students involved in

to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying” at the Albert

theatre and journalism to train as critics, Scherer attended

Einstein High School.

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Student Donates 3,000-Plus Books to Charity Michelle Corinaldi ’16 turned an idea for a service project into an ongoing effort to donate books. She collected more than 3,200 books from individuals, organizations, a book drive, and School contributions. “The Flint Hill School community has been extremely generous,” she said. Corinaldi established a library for middle and high school students at the Patrick Henry Family Shelter and enhanced their existing library for young children.

She also created book collections for 34 homeless families living in transitional single-family units. Additionally, she partnered with Doorways for Women and Children, a domestic violence shelter, to establish book collections for women and for middle

school students living in a safe house. She is continuing her efforts by contacting other programs with residential facilities for displaced families.

PI DAY CELEBRATION DELIGHTS March 14, 2015, (3.14.15) was Pi Day. To highlight the importance of Pi (3.14159), Middle School teachers and the Math Department celebrated by giving students the opportunity to pie a teacher.

TRIUMPHANT ROBOTICS TEAMS Students in the Robotics III class and an ambitious Freshman, from the Computer Science I class, participated in the 13th Annual Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Student Unmanned Aerial System (SUAS) Competition, which took place June 17–21 at Webster Field, Md. Flint Hill was 1 of only 6 high schools to compete among 57 teams, which were mainly from colleges and included competitors from other countries.

The team performed well and problem solved quickly through various challenges.

Although their vehicle hit a snag, making it unable to complete the entire mission, the team learned a great deal from the experience and looks forward to retooling the vehicle for next year’s competition.

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Robotics Team Participates in University-Level Competition

A Celebration of Writing

In February, several of our Robotics teams had very successful outcomes at the FIRST Tech Challenge/Virginia North Central Qualifying Tournament, competing against 52 other teams from across Virginia.

Francis Slakey, author of “To the Last Breath,” was the featured speaker for the English Department’s Writer’s Day ceremony on April 7. Slakey spoke to the entire Upper School student body about the inspirations behind his book and his experiences as an author. He also participated in a question and answer session with a small group of students and faculty.

From a possible 36 award nominations, our teams received an unprecedented 12.

Four of Flint Hill’s five teams made it into the semifinal rounds.

The Freshmen/Sophomore team, #7983, took third place.

Team #5904 received the Connect Award for their efforts connecting the community with STEM education.

Team #6341 received the Think Award for outstanding documentation of their work.

A Senior team, #6652, won their division and advanced, along with an all-girls’ team, #6341, to the state competition in Richmond.

NATIONAL ESSAY FINALIST PICKED FROM NEARLY 1,000 Min Seong Kim ’16, was named a national finalist in the 2014-2015 First Freedom Student Competition and received an honorable mention for his essay, “Native American’s Forgotten First Freedom.” Kim was selected from 973 participants—students in Grades 9-12 from public, private, parochial schools and home-schooling regions nationwide, including American students living abroad.

During the ceremony, students were recognized for their writing achievements in the 2014–15 school year.

Danielle Wallace ’15 was named the Richard Rouse Prize winner—given to a Junior or Senior for the best non-fictional essay—for “The Necessity of Universal Ethical Principles for the Existence of Society.” Two Creative Writing prizes were also awarded to: Mary Wan ’15 for best creative writing entry, among the Junior and Senior classes, for “Robert: A Continuation of Home,” and Nala Duma ’17 for best entry, among the Freshmen and Sophomore classes, for “Seven Square Inches.”

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Storyteller Reinforces Core Value of Respect In April, Storyteller Linda Gorham entertained Lower School students and faculty, engaging them with several short stories that focused on the theme of respect—a core value at Flint Hill.

Entrepreneurs Advise Business Startup Students Lower School Field Day Students were unfazed by a few raindrops on Lower School Field Day and had a great time!

Class Project Published on UK Museum Website

VILLAGE VISIT INCREASES GLOBAL AWARENESS On a day trip to the Heifer International Global Village, in Sharpsburg, Md., Sixth Grade students spent time in one of many different styles of housing from various regions of the world.

They were grouped into families and given several challenges to overcome, such as not having water or firewood and having to trade for food or materials. Other challenging situations included: the responsibility of taking care of a baby, for which they used a water balloon; having a family member become ill; and having a toddler wander away from home into the woods. Teachers had the opportunity to turn the tables on their students by playing the role of children—a rambunctious toddler or a crying infant—and the students learned to lead and work together with their mock families to manage the situations that arose. The trip coincided with the students’ classroom lessons about global awareness and issues such as the distribution of resources, access to water, 12 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

education, health, hunger/malnutrition, and climate change.

The Lyme Regis Museum, in the United Kingdom, published artwork on its website by our fourth-graders from their Chesapeake Bay studies’ assignment about the life and discoveries of English paleontologist Mary Anning, who they learned was the famous subject of the tongue twister, “She sells sea shells on the sea shore.”

The Small Business Startup class at the Upper School welcomed three Flint Hill parents with entrepreneurial backgrounds—Curtis Anderson, Ed Kennedy and Thomas Schuler—to discuss their experiences and answer students’ questions. The experts gave the budding entrepreneurs advice and recommendations about products and services the students created for a class project, which included: a snack bar for healthy foods; an all-natural, homemade lip balm; a store for school supplies; and a marketing/communications agency specializing in video production and graphic design. Earlier in the semester, the students pitched business proposals for those products to a “Shark Tank”-style panel of Flint Hill faculty and administration, including Headmaster John Thomas. At that time, they were given feedback for proceeding with their overall business models, market research efforts, and strategies for marketing, product/ service pricing, and distribution.

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The Hill

GRADE 8 SERVICE FAIR At the Eighth Grade Service Fair, students displayed information about the various places where they volunteered during the school year and how they helped to make a difference. They answered questions from students, teachers and parents and provided resources for others with an interest in volunteering.

Fourth-Graders Fight Hunger In May, students from all Fourth Grade classes gathered in the gym to package 10,000 nutritious meals for hungry children around the world. The students had made the meal-packaging event possible by planning and hosting a Family Fun Fair—held earlier in the month—that raised $2,300. Those funds went to the international relief

Bringing Products to Market For six weeks, Third Grade students learned about economics: the role of money, needs and wants, goods and services, producers and consumers, specialized jobs, supply and demand, and advertising techniques. To apply those concepts, they were taught how to set up a business.

Each student conducted researched to determine a product to make and sell; applied for a business license; calculated expenses, losses and profits; and learned about the meaning of taxes. In May, they opened for business, first for a trial run, to sell their homemade products—muffins, fruit kebabs, sushi, comics, bookmarks, pillows and snow globes were just a few of the items. After analyzing their sales, the student took the time to make improvements to their products. Several days later, they re-opened officially for Market Day to sell and buy from one another. Parents and members of the School community were invited to window shop.

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organization Stop Hunger Now, which provided the nutritional components, facilitated the packaging event, and delivered the meals globally. Jack Simmons ’23 captured the thoughts of all his classmates with his comment, “I hope this event made a difference.”

Innovation Showcase At the Innovation Showcase in May, Fifth Grade students demonstrated a life-sized shaduf, wheelbarrow, rickshaw and catapult that they built, along with prototypes and descriptions of how those simple machines originated in ancient civilizations and were innovative for their time. For several weeks prior to building the machines, they worked collaboratively in groups to research and merge concepts from their science, humanities and math studies.

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The Hill

Enrichment Program: Exploring Areas of Interest Enrichment Clusters are small group classes offered for six weeks each April to Lower School students, giving them the opportunity to explore and gain knowledge in a variety of topics, including: creative writing; math tessellations; gardening and sustainability; computer coding; puppet-making; engineering; dance and creative movement; entrepreneurship; poetry; local history; acting; iPad images; and community service.

Learning Takes Flight with Aeronautics Lessons On May 27, Sixth Grade students launched rockets that they built in science class while learning the principles of aeronautics. Their preparation for the launch began weeks before, using paper planes to investigate the many factors involved in flight.

COLOR GAMES Middle School students enjoyed an afternoon of camaraderie and fun during the annual Color Games.

Modern Language Program Achievements Several Middle and Upper School students in the Modern Language Program received awards for their outstanding achievements in 2014–15.

National Spanish Examination winners: Marie Berthiaux ’17, Avishka Boppudi ’20, Giovanna Brucker ’18, Adam Callan ’19, Maddie Chiarolanzio ’19,

Medal winners of the Grand Concours, sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French:

Ananya Chowla ’18, David DePasquale ’19, Megan Dungan

Tiam AzabDaftari ‘19, Maja Birgisdottir ‘18, Madison Brandt

’19, Isabel Fernandez ’19, Sarah Fulton ’19, Jeremy Goldberg

‘18, Claire Briggs ‘17, Belle Ditthavong ‘19, Samantha Giuntini

’18, Sara Gotter ’19, Rachel Hall ’19, Jack Harrington ’17,

‘18, Marali Harikar ‘19, Elie Hutchinson ‘19, Hannah Khan

Jasmine Hellmer ’18, Nic Kamali ’17, Sara Khan ’19, Lily

‘19, Sarah Lang ‘15, Nicholas Magdits ‘17, Alexandra Magdits

Lindquist ’19, Jason Malone ’19, Catherine Martcheck ’17,

‘17, Lillie Peck ‘18, Anna Ruffle ‘16, Khadeeja Shive ‘18, Adam

Tyler McDermott ’19, Hailey McDonnell ’17, John Moxley

Starr ‘18, and Cecily Wolfe ‘17.

’18, Connor Nassetta ’19, John Negron ’18, Henry Nester ’20, Annabelle Patton ’18, Harper Peterson ’19, Varsha Rana ’18, Sonia Schmidt ’17, Lissa Silk ’19, Jacob Testwuide ’19, and Courtney Trimble ’19.

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The Hill

2014–15 CLOSING CEREMONIES Fourth Grade students received promotion certificates and shared their thoughts about leaving the Lower School to become Middle Schoolers.

“Thank you teachers for teaching me to love reading the way I do now. I also would like to thank my friends for always being by my side.” Anna Hemmer

“It is an unmistakable fact that Flint Hill works together as one. We all pull the sled together.” Yasmeen Mogharbel

“In the Lower School I have learned to treat people the way you would want to be treated.” Alex Veillette

“I will always remember how my teachers have given me confidence and courage that I will always have no matter where life takes me.” Evan Vaughn

“When I thought I couldn’t do something, my teachers helped me believe that I could.” Julian Amankwah

Teachers’ impressions of each rising Freshman were included in the Eighth Grade Promotion Ceremony program. Here are a few: Balin is a true original with a vivid, creative imagination. He loves everything from Latin to video games and always has an innovative solution to any problem. We have loved seeing Balin grow and flourish on the stage in plays and in Orchestra, as well. His inclination towards hard work and creativity is the key to Balin’s success.

Lindsay is optimism personified. She possesses a seemingly limitless imagination and her willingness to take risks will make her a leader in whatever she chooses to do, but her kind heart will always keep her grounded and win the welldeserved admiration of her peers.

John has proven himself to be inquisitive, kind and intelligent.

His leadership role as Middle School Student Council Association president has given him the foundation for future opportunities to help his classmates. John’s competitive spirit in sports, natural curiosity and love for debate on any subject ensure his future adventures wherever he decides to go.

Isabel is a remarkably kind and warm individual. She has amazing talents that one would never know about because she is so humble. Isabel is diligent, respectful and impressively responsible. She also possesses an honesty and reliability

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that is rare for someone of her age. This makes Isabel a model student and an absolute joy to work with.

Sebastian exudes a genuine eagerness to not only learn in his classes but also become a better person in the process.

Whether bounding through the halls, managing the play or offering an often hilarious one-liner, Sebastian has positively impacted every member of his class—teacher and student alike.

Quietly determined, Hannah never takes the easy path if the difficult one is more interesting. She personifies “challenge by choice,” and makes continually larger and more complicated goals both in the classroom and on the stage. Talented, poised and caring, Hannah is the Husky that we are happy to share with the world.

Intelligent, funny and inquisitive, Jacob truly enjoys learning new things and being with his classmates. The competitive spirit he’s shown on the swim team is also demonstrated during his classes as he always tries his best. Jacob is well on his way to doing great things.

Courtney is one of a kind: driven, determined and someone for whom ethics and hard work mean a lot. Courtney knows what she wants, what it takes to achieve her goals, and is excited to put the work in to be successful. Not stopping at herself, Courtney is also a great friend who is happy to hang out, laugh with friends or help someone in need.

During the Upper School Closing Ceremony, awards were presented and recognition given for leadership and excellence in academics, the arts, athletics and service to others. Special awards included the Senior Prize, given by the Senior class to one Junior, Joshua Lisker ’16, and the Flint Hill Medal, awarded by a vote of the faculty to a Senior whose achievements and contributions to the School have been exceptional.

The 2015 Flint Hill Medal winners were: Michelle Abt and Dani Wallace. A representative from the United States Naval Academy also attended the ceremony to present Elizabeth Schwien ’15 with a United States Naval Academy Foundation Scholarship.

Colleges and Universities Coast-to-Coast Harvard, UCLA, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and Carnegie Mellon are only a few destinations for the 2015 graduates. See a complete list online: www.flinthill.org/ college-counseling/acceptance

On College Day, during Senior Spirit Week, soonto-be graduates wore shirts with the names of the colleges they selected to attend.

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About the 2015 Commencement Speaker Major Andrew H. Mills, USMC Flint Hill School was pleased to welcome back Major Andrew H. Mills, a graduate from the Class of 1995, as the 2015 Commencement Speaker. During his speech, he reminisced about his years at Flint Hill when the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools were housed in one building. “Seniors helped in the Kindergarten during free periods or study halls. And all of the grade levels interacted with each other and shared the facilities: the fields, the gym, the library, the art rooms…everything, right down to the bathrooms at the end of the halls. In fact, it was not unusual to walk into the bathroom and see a first-grader trying to reach the sink.” He encouraged the Class of 2015 to continue thinking, planning and learning after their graduation and throughout their lives. His final words to the graduates, “If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it.”

137 Graduates Awarded Diplomas at 55th Commencement The 2015 Commencement Ceremony, on June 12, was a celebration filled with joyful musical performances, reflective student speeches and an inspirational commencement address given by Flint Hill alumnus Major Andrew H. Mills, USMC ’95. “I’ve found good use for thinking, planning and learning since I sat where you are sitting.

I believe these skills will serve you well as you move forward with your lives,” said Major Mills. “It’s absolutely imperative that you take the time to pause, reflect and think. Figure out where you want to go, determine the steps you need to take to get there, and then attack each step individually and ruthlessly. I guarantee you will learn a tremendous amount about life and yourself along the way.”

Valedictorian Neeta Singh, who is attending the University of Virginia, offered a realistic view of the future and encouragement for facing challenges, “We are in the middle of a transitional time

in our lives. We are going to continue to evolve, to change, to grow.

We’re going to be overwhelmed with decisions: classes, majors and roommates. When making those decisions, trust in the courage you have within.”

To prepare for their new adventures, Salutatorian Dani Wallace had a thoughtful reminder for her classmates, “I don’t know a lot about the world we are heading into, but I do know something about each of you. You have value beyond comprehension. You are loved more than you know.

You have a worth that no one can take from you.

Don’t let anyone steer you off the path on which you’ve been placed.” Wallace’s path led her to The College of William and Mary.

OUR 2015 GRADUATES – QUICK FACTS • 137 Seniors—largest class in Flint Hill School history • They were accepted by 213 different schools from 34 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

• Attending schools in 26 States and the District of Columbia • Born in 8 countries, 11 States • Most were the youngest children in their families

Major Mills attended the Naval War College in Newport, R.I., and earned a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies with a specialty in irregular warfare, prior to his current assignment as a speechwriter to the Commandant of the Marine Corps. He and his wife Moira are the proud parents of two children: an 11-year old son, Braeden, and a 9-year old daughter, Emerson.

• A student who performed with the National Choral Ensemble at Carnegie Hall

Carolyn and Milt Peterson—8 grandchildren for a combined total of 78 years.

• 22 committed to play sports in college

Sam Lisker, USA Today

Chuck and Alix Fellows—6 grandchildren for a combined total of 58 years.

• A Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year, volleyball

• 2 sets of grandparents watched multiple grandchildren grow and develop as Huskies over the past several years; this year, their youngest grandchild graduated:

• 5 attended the Virginia Governor’s Schools in summer 2014

• 2 children of Flint Hill alumni; 1 with both alumni parents

• 2 graduates of Emerging Scholars program • 1 Jack Kent Cook Scholar • 1 National Merit Scholar • 7 Commended Scholars • 1 National Achievement Program Scholar • A finalist, from 17,000 entries, in Photography Forum Magazine competition for high school and college artists • Writers with published articles in USA Today and The Washington Post

Carolyn and Milt Peterson

His operational flight experience includes combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I through IV, Operation Enduring Freedom in the Helmand River Valley of Afghanistan, and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief operations during the evacuation of the Beirut Embassy and following Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans and Gulfport-Biloxi, Miss. region. He has also served as an instructor pilot in the CH-53E Super Stallion and on the ground in the Marine Corps’ Air/Naval Gunfire Liaison Company.

and how much she accomplished. Charlotte described this project as ‘the highlight of her Senior year’ and an ‘opportunity to explore the world.’ The committee is pleased to have been part of the ride!”

• 7 children of faculty, staff and coaches

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As a Flint Hill student, Andrew was president of the Student Government, co-captain of the Boys’ Varsity Soccer team, co-captain of the 1995 Virginia State Champion Boys’ Varsity Basketball team, and a prodigy in Mrs. Maddie Krug’s English class. In 1999, he graduated cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and a specialty in advertising and public relations.

He was an active member of the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, where he earned his Marine Option as a Sophomore, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. Following training in Quantico, he attended flight school in Pensacola, Fla., and was designated a Naval Aviator in October of 2001.

• A Grand Prize winner of the Virginia Film Festival High School Director Competition

• A Member of Team USA’s National Triathlon Team • 16 received honors for their Senior Projects.

Comments from Senior Project Committee faculty members about those outstanding projects included: Charlotte Sadar, Jacobs Architecture “Charlotte showed initiative in finding an internship without any assistance and then made it an incredible experience for herself by creating building plans for the Arlington Arts Center. Her online designs, her freehand drawings, her staff interviews, her video presentation, and the fact that she was offered a job by the architectural firm all contributed to the committee’s appreciation for how hard she worked

“We all know Sam as an expert producer of highquality videos, but it turns out his journalistic talent extends to the written word as well. At the College section of USA Today, Sam worked long hours cheerfully and helped write multiple articles that were published on the website, including a profile on NFL Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. The USA Today College section set multiple records for views during Sam’s time there, and we don’t believe it is a stretch to suggest that he was a key reason why! Sam’s work at USA Today extended into the summer, when he was welcomed back by the staff to share his talent and enthusiasm on a more formal basis.”

Charlotte Sadar

For a full list of awards and recognitions: www.flinthill.org/commencement FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 21

Sam Lisker

Bye Bye Birdie Upper School Dessert Theater, May 1–2 and 8–9 See p. 25 22 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 23

ARTS on the HILL

The Visual Arts program set a new benchmark in the spring for high achievements, creativity and for display of student work. The Lower and Middle School Art Show, April 6-30, featured more than 400 works of student art, including a display of Chinese calligraphy, sculptural masks, photography and our first display of Seventh and Eighth Grade ceramic art.

At the Upper School, 186 students exhibited work in three outstanding art shows: Portfolio, Digital Art and Photography, and Ceramics. The Portfolio Art Show, April 27-May 8, is an annual event that highlights Senior student-artists, each of whom displayed 20 of the best pieces from their bodies of work. The show included Jack McCaffrey ’15, Grand Prize winner of the 2014 Virginia Film Festival’s High School Director Competition, and Danielle Wallace ‘15, who won the Portfolio Purchased Art Award.

The spring events in Performing Arts were nothing short of spectacular! The 5th anniversary of the annual Arts Jam concerts at George Mason University was held on April 15.

The concerts, themed Arts Jam Anniversaries, involved 158 students in 8 ensembles, who performed for an audience of more than 725 people. Among the featured performers was Sarah Al Qatou ’15, who—in the spring—was accepted into, and performed with, the National Choral Ensemble at Carnegie Hall. Of the Arts Jam experience, many audience members said it was so professional they “would have paid” for a ticket to the free event.

On two weekends, May 1-2 and May 8-9, “Bye Bye Birdie,” exceeded all expectations and sold out every one of its performances for a total of 1,125 seats filled at Flint Hill’s Olson Theater. In the Middle School, on April 17, students in Grades 5-6 charmed the audience with their presentation of the play, “Three by Three.” And, on March 11 and 12, students in Grades 7-8 had viewers captivated and guessing about which of three possible endings would be performed by audience vote in the mystery play, “Whodunnit?”

At the Nashville Music Festival, April 9-12, 100 students competed with independent and public schools from 8 states. Both the Upper School Concert Choir and the Upper School Percussion Ensemble achieved the Gold rating—the highest awarded, while the Symphonic Band, Jazz Band and Orchestra all earned the Silver. For his solo performance with the Jazz Band, saxophone player Min Park ‘16 won the festival’s prestigious “Maestro Award.”

At the Kings Dominion Festival of Music, on May 9, the Middle School Choir and Middle School Percussion both won Superior ratings. The band earned First Place and the orchestra, First Place-Excellent. Simon Van Der Weide ‘20 won the only individual award given at the entire festival, which he received for his choir solo.

Throughout the month of May, music students entertained the School community with several performances that were part of the Lower and Middle School Spring Concert Series, where they had the opportunity to showcase the progress of their skills.

The Digital Art and Photography Show, April 20-May 1, transformed the library space with large-sized, colorful pieces of art—giant banners and wrap displays—and included work by Brittany deCamp ’15, a finalist in the Photographer’s Forum Magazine competition. The Ceramic Art Show, May 11-22, rounded out the season with a beautiful display of creative work, including pieces that students wood fired—a process that they had been learning for months and that culminated with a trip to the Baltimore Clayworks’ art center, where they used a unique, outdoor kiln built to burn wood planks.

24 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 25

Highlights

JK. Students celebrated the birthday of a favorite author, Dr. Seuss.

BY GRADE

K. For their study of water, students participated in a conservation activity to determine how to most efficiently distribute a large amount of water from one location to another, using only a cup and spilling as little as possible.

JK

K

1. In their Writer’s Workshop non-fiction unit, students wrote “How To” books and learned the importance of writing clearly, using specific vocabulary words, spelling, editing and punctuation. During an Author’s Tea, some read their books aloud, like this student who described “How To” sing a song.

2. To celebrate the 100th day of school, students took on an engineering challenge to build structures with 100 paper cups.

3. Students wrote and produced minidocumentaries, applying the information they learned in class about different animals around the world—how they survive in the wild and live either independently or in groups.

1

2

4. In a presentation to the entire Lower School, students showed a video about their “Think Differently” non-fiction writing project, in which they researched and wrote about the lives and contributions of men and women who have changed the world.

They asked their audience to consider, “How will YOU change the world?”

5. On an overnight field studies trip, students participated in hands-on learning experiences that demonstrated how early settlers lived from the land and how their villages were transformed into civilizations.

6. In a group science project, students applied the engineering principles they learned toward a challenge to design and build functional chairs using only newspaper and masking tape.

7. While studying genetics in science class, students learned about polygenic inheritance and participated in an activity in which they were given background information to determine the genotype of two sibling dogs—which they met in person—and to predict the shared genotype of the dogs’ parents.

6

7

8. In a geometry class, students learned to calculate the height of objects out of reach—without measuring them directly— by setting up the correct proportions.

They used proportions in similar triangles, mirrors to see the reflection of the object out of reach, and the height of a classmate.

8

9. Physics I students pushed a bowling ball with a broom through an obstacle course to investigate how forces affect motions and how inertia plays a role in motion.

9

9-10. French II students learned how to translate economics terms by staging a mock situation in which they conducted transactions at stores using European currency.

11. For a food photography assignment, a student in the digital photography class got creative with the equipment available in the studio—a light table and large light boxes—to make cut fruit appear to suspend in air.

9-10

10

12. On Senior Day—the last day of their regular classes—twelfth-graders gave speeches to thank their teachers, friends and family.

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5 26 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

4

12

11 FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 27

ATHLETICS

O

ur Huskies enjoyed a successful end to the spring sports season as five of our Varsity teams qualified for their respective state tournaments. The Varsity Baseball team captured the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) regular season championship, its seventh title in the last eight years. The Varsity Track and Field team broke five school records, while the Varsity Softball and Boys’ Lacrosse teams competed strongly, finishing second in their respective conferences. Seventeen student-athletes received All-Conference honors, and nine were selected to the All-State and All-Met teams.

BASEBALL The Varsity Baseball team began the season by winning five of their first six games. During the team’s spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Huskies went undefeated to beat three teams from Pennsylvania.

With an overall record of 18 wins and 6 losses, the team enjoyed a successful season despite key injuries to some of their starters. The Huskies’ season included wins over Freedom High School, St. Albans, and two victories over rival Potomac School. Finishing 10-1 in conference play, Flint Hill won the regular season MAC Championship. Led

by Jason Police ’15, Jack Swart ’15, Christian Tailor ’15 and Khalil Lee ’16, the team qualified for the state tournament where they lost, 2-0, to eventual state champion Liberty Christian Academy.

28 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

SOFTBALL

BOYS’ LACROSSE

The Varsity Softball team began the season with a spring break trip to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they scrimmaged with several strong out-of-state teams. This tough competition helped prepare them for the season ahead. The Huskies enjoyed victories over Bishop Ireton and Maret, and defeated The Potomac School by a score of 11-0. With additional state wins over St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes and Pope John Paul the Great, they were awarded the sixth seed in the state tournament. The Huskies lost a hard fought battle to Paul VI High School and ended their season with an 8-6 overall record.

The team was led by Michelle Abt ’15 and Brittany deCamp ’15, with strong contributions from Sarah Davisson ’18 and Cami Lamont ’18 in their starting roles.

The Varsity Boys’ Lacrosse team improved greatly as the season progressed. Despite a tough start, they won four of their last five games to complete their season with an 11-11 overall record and a second place finish in the MAC. The rigorous non-conference schedule helped prepare them for their strong regular season conference finish. Aaron Cargas ’16 and Grant Jenkins ’16, along with a host of Senior class teammates, led the team to the MAC Tournament Championship game, where they fell short to The Potomac School.

MVPs Khalil Lee ’16 Christian Tailor ’15

Husky Awards Varsity: Taylor Curtis ’15 JV: Jayna Patel ’17

MVP Aaron Cargas ’16

All-State First Team: Khalil Lee ’16, Christian Tailor ’15

MVP Brittany deCamp ’15

All-Conference Khalil Lee ’16 Jason Police ’15 Jack Swart ’15 Christian Tailor ’15

All-State First Team: Brittany deCamp ’15 Second Team: Michelle Abt ’15

Husky Awards Varsity: All players from the Class of 2015 JV: Thomas Burr ’17, Garrett Canterbury ’18

All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Khalil Lee ’16, Christian Tailor ’15

All-Conference Michelle Abt ’15 Brittany deCamp ’15

Husky Awards Varsity: Nick Fouty ’16 JV: Chris Altreuter ’16

All-Conference Aaron Cargas ’16 Grant Jenkins ’16 Tommy Peterson ’15 All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Aaron Cargas ’16

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 29

Husky Awards Varsity: Marissa Magnani ’15, Annie Montagne ’15 JV: Caroline Shevlin ’17 MVPs Kate Hogan ’15 Lizzy Schwien ’15 All-State First Team: Lizzy Schwien ’15 All-Conference Becky Harrington ’16 Lizzie Schwien ’15 All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Lizzy Schwien ’15 All-USA Virginia Girls Lacrosse Team Lizzy Schwien ’15 Husky Awards Varsity: Logan Cunningham ’15, Christophe Simpson ‘15

GIRLS’ LACROSSE Competing in one of the top conferences in the country, the Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse team completed their season with an overall record of 19 wins and 12 losses. During Spring Break, they traveled to Florida to face top-level competition and to bond as a team. Their regular season record earned them a #5 seed in the state tournament, where they lost a heartbreaker to #4 seed Collegiate School in a 13-12 overtime.

The team’s nine Seniors provided steady leadership over the course of the season. Lizzy Schwien ’15, who began playing on the Naval Academy team in fall 2015, led the team in almost every offensive category, while Kate Hogan ’15 played outstanding defense from the goalie position.

MVPs Darron Coley ’15 Gabrielle Turner ’15 All-Conference Bryan Calhoun ’16 Darron Coley ’15 Will VanOrden ’16 Deondre Wooden ’16

BOYS’ TENNIS The Varsity Boys’ Tennis team began their season with a four-match winning streak, which included victories over Bishop Ireton, Paul VI High School and St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes. With only two Seniors, the Huskies finished the season with a respectable 11-6 record and qualified for the state tournament as the #8 seed. Arnav Boppudi ’17 and Devan Geib ’17 led the team as the top seeds, while Hooks Johnston ’15 and Sujay Garlanka ’15 provided the young squad with experienced leadership. The future looks bright; the Huskies have returned to the court this year with several key members from the spring of 2015.

Husky Awards Varsity: Sujay Garlanka ’15 JV: Griffin Scarborough ’18

All-Conference Arnav Boppudi ’17 Devan Geib ’17

TRACK AND FIELD During the season, the Varsity Track and Field team broke

of boys also earned All-MAC honors by winning the

several School records. Simuel Jamison ’15 broke the long

4x400-meter relay at the MAC Championships. At the

jump record by jumping 20’4” and Christophe Simpson ’15

state championship meet, Darron Coley, who joined

set the 110-meter high hurdles at 17.15 seconds. Darron

Clemson University’s Track and Field team in fall of 2015,

Coley ’15 now holds the 800-meter race at 1:56.22 and

finished his high school career by placing second in the

Gabrielle Turner ’15, Logan Cunningham ’15, Natalie

400-meter dash and third in the 200-meter race.

Johnson ’18, and Camille Rieber ’15 broke the record in the

Gabrielle Turner ’15 placed 8th in the 800-meter race,

girls’ 4x800-meter relay. The boys’ 4x400-meter relay

and the 4x400-meter relay team of Deondre Wooden ’16,

record was set by Deondre Wooden ’16, Bryan Calhoun ’16,

Bryan Calhoun ’16, Will Van Orden ’16 and Darron Coley ’15

Will VanOrden ’16, and Darron­Coley ’15. That same group

finished in 6th place.

MVP Zack Shane ’16 30 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 31

WINTER

SPORTS ACCOLADES BOYS’ BASKETBALL Husky Awards Freshmen: Ben Ayanian ’18 JV: David Akinyemi ’17 Varsity: Greg Harris ’15 MVPs Tyler Femi ’15 Sam Worman ’15 All-Conference Tyler Femi ’15 Sam Worman ’15 All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Sam Worman ’15

DANCE

SWIMMING

Husky Awards Zoe Alles ’15 Sarah Al-Qatou ’15

Husky Awards Michelle Cole ’16 Sam Lisker ’15

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

MVPs Charlie Dalgleish ’16 Jasmine Hellmer ’16 Lachlan Suter ’16

Husky Awards JV: Lauren Hayler ’18 Varsity: Katie Corrigan ’15 MVPs Lauren Foley ’15 Marissa Magnani ’15 All-Conference Taryn Corey ’15 Marissa Magnani ’15 Lyndsey Wiley ’16

ICE HOCKEY Husky Award Jack Jenet ’15

2014-2015 College Athletic Commitments

All-State Lauren Freeman ’16 Jasmine Hellmer ’18 Mimi Baker ‘17 Sisi Baker ‘18 All-Conference Lauren Freeman ’16 Jasmine Hellmer ’18 All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Jasmine Hellmer ’18

MVP Justin Cho ’16

Congratulations to the following student-athletes who are contributing their talents and skills to various academic institutions across the country:

32 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Madison Crowe | Soccer | Villanova University

Cameron Vaughn | Football | Santa Barbara City College

Lizzie Schwien | Lacrosse | Naval Academy

Katie Reilly | Golf | Elon University

Cris Abrigo | Lacrosse | Randolph-Macon College

Will Snyder | Golf | Hampden-Sydney College

Tommy Peterson | Lacrosse | College of Wooster

Sean Garrett | Soccer | Sarah Lawrence College

Alex Burns | Lacrosse | University of Mary Washington

Tyler Femi | Basketball | Christopher Newport University

Michelle Abt | Volleyball | Johns Hopkins University

Davis Luethke | Basketball | Penn State-Harrisburg

Allie Fellows | Volleyball | University of San Diego

Austin Jones | Basketball | Sarah Lawrence College

Allison Ford | Volleyball | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Darron Coley | Track & Field | Clemson University

Kierston Forney | Volleyball | Widener University

Logan Cunningham | Track & Field | University of California, Santa Barbara

Christian Martey | Football | Bryant University

Christian Tailor | Baseball | Bucknell University

Matt Robinson | Football | Bucknell University

Chris Farrell | Baseball | College of William & Mary FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 33

FACULTY/ STAFF NEWS

Chair Jill Moore attended the “semaine universitaire” (University Week) organized by the French Embassy. They were among 24 teachers who attended courses given

by French University professors. The event was hosted by the Lycée Rochambeau in Bethesda, Md. During Spring Break in March, Lower School Music teacher Alecia Cardell was asked to lead a three-day, West African drumming workshop for Third Grade students at the Wakefield School in The Plains, Va. She taught the students about Ghanian music and dance to coincide with their unit study about Ghana.

Upper School Spanish teacher Jackie Carroll earned a Master of Education from the University of Virginia in May. Grades 7-12 Classics Department Chair and Upper School Classics teacher Howard Chang was named recipient of the 2015 Dr. Elizabeth Watkins Latin Teacher Award

by The American Classical League.

In June, Upper School Classics teachers Ken Andino and Howard Chang, and Middle School Latin teacher Sherry Jankowski presented at the American Classical League Institute, at the University of Connecticut. Andino was a presenter in the workshop, “Who Wants to Buzz In? The Value of Teaching Certamen and Agon.” Chang was a panelist for the presentation, “Latin Outside the Latin Classroom,” and was the presider for the workshop, “Bridge the Chasm: From Synthetic to Authentic Latin.” Jankowski was a co-presenter of “Investing in the Future: From Tots to Teens and Those in Between,” and was the presider for the workshop, “Who Wants to Buzz in? The Value of Teaching Certamen and Agon.”

Upper School French teacher Annie Broche and Grades JK-12 Modern Language Department

34 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Director of the Lower School Sheena Hall served on the 2014-2015 Advisory Board for the Emerging Lower School Leaders Institute for Independent Education.

In June, Upper School Math teacher and Coordinator of Summer Academic Programs Jessica Henry completed more than 30 hours of training in virtual education learning platforms for Peak Office, Peak Classroom and Blackboard Collaborate. That training led to the first completely virtual course offered at Flint Hill, in which eight Summer on the Hill students completed Honors Precalculus and Trigonometry online.

In June, Manager of Technical Support Services Tracy Hill was invited by Apple, Inc. to participate as one of three expert panelists at an Apple Leadership Forum, in Reston, Va., where she answered questions about how Flint Hill implements and manages Apple devices within the school environment.

Upper School Art teacher Cianne Fragione presented her exhibition, “Pocket Full of Promises,” at the Anne Wright Wilson Fine Arts Gallery in Georgetown College, Kentucky, where she was a visiting artist for a week. The show ran from April 17 to May 29. She was also a featured artist in a group exhibition, “Art Educators: In Practice,” at the Greater Reston Arts Center, July 16-August 22.

IT Support Associate and Head Outdoor Sports Coach Lynda Hoag was invited to be on the Virginia Association of Independent Schools’ (VAIS) Professional Development Advisory Committee. In April, she led the 3rd annual Outdoor Programs Workshop, organized in partnership with VAIS. Forty outdoor and experiential educators from 24 schools attended—including Upper School Science and Robotics teacher Alex Lester—to exchange programming information on co-curricular and after-school experiential education programs. Flint Hill initiated the workshop in 2012, and it is hosted by different schools annually—this year, at Woodberry Forest. In June, Hoag became a certified L3 Whitewater Canoe Instructor after attending a four-day course with the American Canoe Association.

Upper School Science teacher Zack Krug co-authored a manuscript, “Phylogenetic Revision of the Strophomenida, a Diverse and Ecologically Important Palaeozoic Brachiopod Order,” which was published in the journal Paleontology. He also presented two posters at the NASA Astrobiology Conference in Chicago in June: a research poster, “The Impact of the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction on the Tree of Life” and an education/outreach poster, “Astrobiology in a High School Curriculum: Selecting and Evaluating Useful Skills While Maintaining Student Interest.” The latter described the Evolution of the Biosphere course that he teaches at Flint Hill’s Upper School.

Upper School Science teacher Fred Atwood continues to volunteer his time to conduct bird surveys for various organizations to study the status and distribution of birds in Virginia. In June, he conducted breeding-bird surveys for the United States Geological Survey, the Virginia Society of Ornithology and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia, a Henslow’s Sparrow survey for the Manassas Battlefield National Monument, and Nightjar surveys for the Center for Conservation Biology. He also continues in his role of regional editor and compiler for the East Region of Virginia Society of Ornithology’s Virginia Birds journal.

In July, Assistant Director of the Upper School Debbie Ayers and Director of the Upper School Rico Reed attended “Leading the Effective Upper School,” a professional development workshop sponsored by Independent School Management in Denver.

use of film in advanced-level courses to help students increase their proficiency and higher-level thinking skills through writing assignments, projects, cultural comparisons, theme exploration and dialogues.

Dance teacher Jenelle Mrykalo performed with Karen Reedy Dance on April 11-12 at Dance Place, in Washington, in conjunction with San Francisco-based contemporary dance company Project. B. Director of Parent Relations Tiffany Parry attended the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Special Events for Advancement conference in Boston in June.

In July, Middle and Upper School French teacher Robin Goldstein presented “Teaching Proficiency Through Films” at the American Association of Teachers of French Convention in Saguenay, Quebec, Canada. The topic centered on the

Head Varsity Girls’ Basketball coach and PE teacher Jody Patrick was a guest commentator with Comcast SportsNet/NBC Universal (CSN) for the 2015 Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Championship quarterfinal game and preview of the semifinal matchup, March 13-15, at the Show Place Arena, in Upper Marlboro, Md. Since 2000, she has served as a CSN game analyst during the women’s college basketball regular season. “Having been a college basketball coach for ten years in the mid-80s and 90s, I developed many wonderful contacts in the game that I maintain through these TV opportunities.

I love analyzing the game and feel fortunate that Flint Hill helps make it possible.”

Also, as a member of the USAB U16 Girls’ Basketball National Team committee, Coach Patrick attended the National Team Trials at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, in May. Upper School Learning Specialist Matt Philipp earned a Master of Education in Special Education from George Mason University in May.

In March, Grades JK-6 Language Arts Department Chair Joey Starnes visited The Children’s School, in Atlanta, to support its K-6 teachers in the implementation of a writing workshop. During her twoday visit, she met with each grade level team twice to review the foundation of the workshop program, establish team goals and create action plans.

The Board of Directors of the Virginia Association of Independent Schools presented Headmaster John Thomas with an award recognizing five years of service and the completion of his term.

He remains on the Board of Emerging Scholars, Folio-Collaborative and the Advisory Board of The Auburn School. Also, as a member of INMAX, a select group of 12 large independent schools, he meets twice a year with the Heads of those schools to perform benchmarking and to focus on emerging school trends. In addition, he takes members of Flint Hill’s leadership team to collaborate and build relationships with colleagues from those peer schools.

Lower School Technology Integration Specialist Lisa Waters authored a chapter, “Using Virtual Learning Environments to Personalize Learning in the UK” in the book, “Online, Blended and Distance Education: Building Successful School Programs.” In March, she attended the Google Apps for Education Summit in Charlottesville, Va. She also presented “Parental Involvement in K-12 Online and Blended Learning” for the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 35

FACULTY/ STAFF NEWS (continued) On April 18 and 19, several teachers participated in a Google Apps for Education Summit in Baltimore, including: Kindergarten teachers Emma Barnes and Danielle Muller; Middle School Latin teacher Brandy Henricks; Kindergarten assistant Lisa Hoff; Middle School Spanish teacher Jose Luis Mora Carbajo; Lower School Spanish teacher Noemi Villalta Li; Middle School Technology Integration Specialist Sam Moser; Instructional Coach and Middle School English teacher Jennifer McKain; Middle School Learning Specialist Katherine O’Donnell; and Junior Kindergarten teacher Julie Thomas.

The teachers attended a variety of hands-on workshops to learn more about integrating Google applications into their classrooms.

In June, after the school year ended, Lower School faculty and staff sorted through their classrooms and packaged boxes of gently used school supplies, books and other educational resources to send to communities in need— nationally and internationally—via the nonprofit organization Gleaning for the World.

Tommy McFly, 94.7 FRESH FM radio host and WUSA-TV/Channel 9 correspondent is an active proponent of teacher appreciation, and, in April, he visited with cupcakes to thank Flint Hill teachers for their dedication to educating our students.

Legacy Recognition

Rick Clark, former Upper School English teacher Naa-Adei Kotey, Third Grade teacher Bridget Linzmeyer, First Grade teacher Michelle Milner, Director of the Upper School Rico Reed, Dean of Faculty Emily Sanderson, Upper School English teacher Maia Schmidt, and Headmaster John Thomas

In June, 30 faculty and staff were thanked for their dedication, commitment and professionalism as they reached milestone anniversaries with Flint Hill.

5 years of service: former Director of Alumni Relations Kavon Akhtar, Upper School Learning Specialist Sonya Atkinson, Assistant to the Building Engineer Geoff Barnwell, Middle School Science teacher Kim Dewar, Director of Development Katie Evans, Middle/Upper School French teacher Robin Goldstein, Middle School Latin teacher Brandy Henricks, IT Support Associate Lynda Hoag, Upper School Math teacher Barbara Joost, Upper School Science and Robotics teacher Alex Lester, Upper School Learning Specialist Matt Philipp, Lower School Learning Specialist Shannon Titmas, and Assistant to the Head of School for Academics Julie Young

25 years of service: Upper School Science teacher Fred Atwood and Lower School Art teacher Abigail McKenzie 20 years of service: Former Middle School Science teacher Lincoln Dewar 15 years of service: Facilities Engineer Larry Brooks and Upper School English teacher Tracy Peterson 10 years of service: Assistant Director of the Upper School Debbie Ayers, Controller 36 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Retirees were specially thanked and received standing ovations from their colleagues and the Flint Hill community: Tim Callard—9 years, and Shyh Jy Chu and Wen Hsu Chu—14 years.

Fred Atwood and Larry Brooks

Mr. and Mrs. Chu

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 37

Strategic Vision Invigorates School Community

and a steering committee oversaw their work and also reviewed Flint Hill’s mission and vision statements.

In February 2015, more than 80 parents, alumni, faculty, trustees, and members of the administration attended a two-day retreat, where they examined the findings of the task forces, refined the six focus areas to five priorities—later evolving into the five key strategic goals—and identified objectives and initiatives. By the spring of 2015, a draft of Strategic Vision was created and approved by the Board.

After the completion, publication and distribution of “Making a Difference: The Strategic Vision for Flint Hill School 2015– 2020,” in September, the conversations with the various school community groups have continued, with a Town Hall meeting and Strategic Vision Discussion Sessions, and are scheduled to continue through the fall of 2015. “This has been an amazing step for Flint Hill and a true community effort,” said Headmaster Thomas. “Everyone has had the opportunity, at some point, to speak up, share thoughts, ideas, suggestions, impressions, and ultimately show their love for the School by helping us plan the next phase in our history.

It also has allowed us the chance to reflect on the huge responsibility that we all carry to educate our children in the best way possible.

Everyone needed to participate to make it successful and that is exactly what happened.”

T

he next five years for Flint Hill School are certain to be extraordinary in a positively impactful and newly transformative way. In September 2015, a strategic roadmap, “Making a Difference: The Strategic Vision for Flint Hill School 2015-2020,” was completed and shared with the School community, outlining a plan that is focused on five key strategic goals: a dynamic academic program; a transformative student experience; an engaged community; a strong model of governance; and a sustainable future. “Our new strategic vision outlines key initiatives that build on our successes, and charts a course that will take us to new levels of excellence in education,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Otis Coston.

More than just words on paper, Flint Hill’s strategic vision is an action plan for every student who enters one of our campuses—an action plan that has already begun. “Let’s never lose sight of the fact that the true beneficiaries of this entire process are the children,” said Headmaster John Thomas. “Your children—the children who are here right now and the children who will follow them in the years to come.

To use a favorite word of students’ today, constructing the strategic plan is an ‘awesome’ responsibility and one of the most important, valuable and exciting things we will ever do.”

38 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

A Collaboratively Created Plan The creation of the comprehensive plan began in the spring of 2014. The yearlong process involved Flint Hill parents, alumni, faculty, staff, the Board of Trustees, and the School’s administrative leadership team in many ways, starting with surveys of each group. Focus groups and open forums followed to encourage dialogue and collect feedback. The Board then gathered for a daylong retreat to review the comments from the various School community groups, and they identified six areas to be further explored, reviewed and researched: academic excellence; student life; community and constituent relations; signature programs; governance and leadership; and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). A task force was formed for each of the six areas of focus,

Renewing Our Vision and Mission “Take meaningful risks. Be yourself. Make a difference.”—that is Flint Hill School’s renewed vision for every student. Inspired by the experiences of our current students and alumni and with future students in mind, the previous vision and mission statements were updated to reflect the school that Flint Hill has become and our ambitions for the generations of learners to follow.

To support the renewed vision, Flint Hill’s adapted mission now affirms: “A Flint Hill education focuses on the learner.

Within a context of strong relationships, we create developmental experiences that embrace the best practices of traditional and contemporary education. Through continuous growth, we actively and thoughtfully implement the ideas and resources that help each student investigate, create, and communicate collaboratively and effectively in a rapidly changing, interconnected world.”

In every issue of this magazine, our alumni demonstrate the vision and mission through the lives they now lead. This issue alone includes: an author who has published her second novel; a military officer who has served in rescue missions in

the midst of natural disasters and combat; an aspiring public servant campaigning for a county school board position; an architect who has designed for airports, restaurants and even a turnpike service plaza; a doctor who passed pediatric board exams; a runner who completed her sixth 100-mile race, a mountain climber who summited the highest mountain in the Alps; and a third-year university student, majoring in political science with a minor in entrepreneurship, who—as a freshman—founded a chapter of a nonprofit organization to provide mentorship and financial education courses to urban high school students with the goal of improving the economic well being of the country through financial literacy.

At Commencement—when students step out confidently to follow their dreams—and as the calendar cycles again to the start of a new school year, the importance of what we do here at Flint Hill can be simply understood through the words shared by parent Nora Heffernan about her second-grade daughter on the first day of this 2015-16 school year, “As we drove through the carpool line this morning, my sweet Aisling said, ‘I am so happy to be back at school. This is the best school in the whole world.’ And I’m inclined to agree.”

“Making a Difference: The Strategic Vision for Flint Hill School 2015–2020” is available online: www.flinthill.org/ strategic-plan.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 39

The Path to the Strategic Vision

Strategic Goals

A Timeline of Events: 2014–2015

I. A Dynamic Academic Program

IV. A Strong Model of Governance

Vibrant independent schools are able to build on their program strengths and innovate in ways that keep education relevant and dynamic. The world is changing rapidly and the questions we face in our society are becoming more complex. We must be aware of the capabilities our students will need to face in such a world and the kind of education we need to offer.

Flint Hill is governed by a Board of Trustees who, working collectively and collaboratively, ensures the strength and sustainability of our School.

JUNE 14: Parent and alumni surveys were administered by Ingrid Healy, an external consultant.

Task Force reports, and February retreat—was presented to the Board for discussion.

OCTOBER 15–17: Roundtable discussions were held for parents, alumni and faculty; more than 120 attended.

MAY 20: Board of Trustees ratified The Strategic Vision for Flint Hill, 2015–2020.

OCTOBER 24: Board of Trustees Retreat – Board members discussed strategic visioning, reviewed feedback from roundtable discussions and identified the following focus areas for task forces: academic excellence, community and constituent relations, signature programs, STEM, governance and leadership, and student life.

JUNE–AUGUST: Faculty and staff worked on action plans for strategic initiatives.

NOVEMBER 10–JANUARY 20: Steering Committee and task forces met to identify key initiatives for Flint Hill; more than 70 participants attended.

SEPTEMBER 29: Town Hall meeting for all members of the Flint Hill School community, hosted by the Headmaster and Board of Trustees to officially roll out the strategic vision.

FEBRUARY 19–20: Retreat for parents, alumni, faculty, trustees, and administration; more than 80 attended.

SEPTEMBER 30: Strategic Vision discussion session was held at a Past Parent Luncheon.

APRIL 22: Draft of Strategic Vision—based on feedback and concepts from roundtable discussions, faculty meetings,

OCTOBER 7: Strategic Vision discussion session was open to the entire Flint Hill School community.

SEPTEMBER 21: Strategic Vision document, “Making A Difference: The Strategic Vision for Flint Hill 2015–2020,” mailed to the Flint Hill School community.

To achieve the Strategic Vision, five key goals have been identified:

II. A Transformative Student Experience At Flint Hill, we recognize the need to ensure that students feel both free and safe to take meaningful risks. Intellectual independence, a knowledge of and belief in oneself, perseverance and passion are all elements we seek to encourage, inspire and foster in our students—providing each with the confidence, courage and skills they will need to succeed in college, and in life.

V. A Sustainable Future Flint Hill operates with a prudent and long-range financial plan in order to ensure the School’s fiscal health, including— but not limited to—its ability to support institutional objectives and strategic initiatives, to steward its resources wisely, and to handle unanticipated challenges.

Read more about the goals, including the specific commitment to each, on our website: www.flinthill.org/strategic-plan.

III. An Engaged Community Flint Hill is a community in which all constituents can contribute to the fulfillment of our mission, each benefitting from the full and enthusiastic participation of the others.

Building and sustaining connections and philanthropic support with and among our students, faculty and staff, families, alumni, and our local and global community enriches and improves the learning environment and experience of our students.

Discussion Sessions: The Conversation Continues

All in the Flint Hill School community are invited to discuss and provide input on “Making a Difference: The Strategic Vision for Flint Hill School 2015–2020,” at these upcoming discussion sessions:

Friday, October 23, 2015, 8:15–9:15 a.m., in the Upper School’s Large Conference Room Wednesday, October 28, 2015, 8:15–9:15 a.m., in the Upper School’s Large Conference Room Thursday, October 29, 2015, 6:30 p.m.— Reception, Great Falls, Va. Contact Bridget Montagne for details: bmontagne@finthill.org 40 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

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WHEN CURIOSITY MEETS A CLUB

Finding what they love to do, meeting lifelong friends, and participating in meaningful activities are all life- changing experiences that Flint Hill students gain from their involvement with a School club.

“Our students collaborate beyond the classroom through a variety of clubs and organizations that meet before, after and sometimes during the school day,” said the Assistant Director of the Upper School Debbie Ayers.

United by Differences Caira Blackwell ’15, who is attending New York University, on being a member of the Black Student Union.

There are all sorts of differences in the world. Different hair At the start of each school year, Upper School students have colors, preferences in music, quality of eyesight. These are all an opportunity to attend a Club Fair to explore numerous divergences that people encounter every day. But, at some topics of interest that might pique their curiosity. Students point, the varieties can build to where they are no longer small are also encouraged to take the lead and initiate new clubs. differences that make people unique, but major differences “While a few groups are longstanding on campus, such as that set people apart. Freshman year, I became involved in the Student Council Association, Honor Council, and the Flint Hill’s Black Student Union—more commonly known as Student Ambassadors, any student may form a new club,” “the BSU”—because the club used dissimilarities as prime said Ayers. “Once they establish an interest, they simply reasons to celebrate humanity’s diversification and bring invite a faculty sponsor, secure a meeting space, publicize people together. their club, and begin holding meetings. Sweet Compassion originated with two bakers who donated proceeds to selected The more meetings I attended, the more people I talked charities from their ‘in the Commons’ sales to the School to, the better I understood that the BSU was not only a community of homemade muffins and cupcakes. The group safe place to celebrate my own diversity but it was also a began their second year of operation in the fall of 2015, and supportive group that would stand behind me for the entirety is already one of our most popular and well-attended student of my high school career. I could go to individuals, or the organizations.” group as a whole, and talk about an array of topics with the many bright and caring people who were part of the club.

It was not only students; teachers would also file into our meeting room and contribute to the conversation as often and as passionately as the students. Junior year, I became Two students share their perspectives of joining a club as Freshmen—how their roles within the clubs evolved and how the BSU co-president and remained so through Senior year. they have grown personally from the experience over the years. Four incredible years passed, and I realized that I had found my home away from home.

Perspectives Beyond the Classroom

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There are so many students and faculty members with whom I have formed strong, long-lasting relationships, simply through our profound, often extremely long, exchanges. While discussions and casual talking are a major part of BSU happenings, the club also organizes events as a means to inform, inspire and celebrate diversity. From group dinners, to in-school movie watching, to all-school guest speakers, members of the BSU are active in their efforts to remain relevant in the lives of each other and in the School as a whole. For example, in my first year as co-president, BSU hosted a visit to the Upper School by the Tuskegee Airmen, powerful symbols of African-American contributions to U.S. history—the kind of history that may not often be highlighted in textbooks. That day, past and future met, and the result was a deep new understanding. They gave us all a broader perspective of the momentous steps that our predecessors took to give us the opportunity to live the way we do today.

Last year, the BSU invited Jay Harris, a news anchor for ESPN, to be a guest speaker. He was the polar opposite of the Airmen, with his casual demeanor, yet his impact was as substantial. He addressed the entire Upper School student body and talked about social media’s affect on young people’s lives, from its consequences to its benefits. Mr. Harris is a longtime friend of my father, and when I reached out to him, I thought it was unlikely that he would have time in his schedule to travel here to speak. To my surprise, he said, “As long as you ask, the answer might just be ‘yes,’ but if you don’t, the answer is automatically ‘no.’” At that moment, I knew he would be the perfect speaker. The stories he told of his professional and personal experiences may have been instrumental to inspiring someone in the audience in a life-changing way, which is more than I could have ever hoped in facilitating his visit.

Caira Blackwell with ESPN’s Jay Harris

Being part of the BSU for four years taught me so much. I learned how to depend on and trust a tight-knit group of driven individuals. I learned that my perspective can be broadened or entirely changed through long discussions

about controversial topics. Most importantly, I learned how to be a leader, and how that means leading as much as it does sitting back to patiently listen and follow. It was very hard for me to leave this group of fellow students who constantly brightened my days with their comical banter and intelligent discourse. I know I will carry the lessons I’ve learned from each and every student, teacher and staff member with me to college. Looking ahead, I hope to form new relationships reminiscent of those I have built with my amazing friends, peers and mentors at BSU.

A View of The View Arman Azad ’16 on being a member of The View student newspaper.

I’ll readily admit that it was outside urging, not personal ambition, that led the timid Freshman within me to attend my first student newspaper brainstorming meeting with The View. It was the gentle invitation from my French teacher, Robin Goldstein—who also served as the club’s faculty advisor —that drove me to sit in the back row of a room packed with talented, experienced writers for whom journalism was more than a hobby: it was a passion. To say I was intimidated would be an understatement; I was hardly a writer and much preferred factoring polynomials to analyzing literature and prose.

When I received my first assignment, I delved into the task with a positive attitude. Despite my sincere effort, I would soon discover that my story was far from perfect. It lacked all the basic tenets of journalistic writing. The senior editors and Mrs. Goldstein didn’t criticize or reprimand me for my inexperience. Instead, they worked with me step-by-step, on every line of my writing, explaining the grammatical mechanics and journalistic style needed for news stories.

Their support gave me the confidence I needed to continue writing for the paper, publishing story after story. I soon enrolled in a semester-long journalism course at the Upper School and participated in numerous out-of-school journalism programs with the Washington Post and other studentfocused organizations.

During Sophomore year, I worked with the editors-in-chief to completely redesign The View’s website. We unveiled a new color and logo and began expanding our outreach efforts to new writers and photographers to cover stories that concentrate on student life. No matter the topic, The View staff has always had the support of the School administration, and that taught me and other students the importance of delving deep into our community—both for its positive aspects and its shortfalls—and the value of not only living as a Husky, but sharing the experiences, struggles and joys of our experience.

A good friend and classmate of mine had always seen herself as a creative writer, and I—and everyone who knew her—had FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 43

never seen her as being anything but an author one day.

After discovering Flint Hill’s Robotics program, she fell in love with it and now spends her afternoons in the robotics studio.

I had always imagined myself in a similar scenario, surrounded

by math and science. Yet in much the same way that she discovered her passion for engineering, I discovered mine for journalism and public policy through The View.

The decision to attend that first meeting my Freshman year led me to rediscover myself in a way that I had never thought possible, and every morning, as I sit and read the Washington Post or New York Times, mulling over American health care policy or the most recent government unemployment statistics, I’m reminded of the influence that The View—and Flint Hill as a whole—has had on me.

I believe that Relay for Life makes Flint Hill a closer community.

Through the course of the event, you realize how many people have been powerfully impacted by cancer just within Flint Hill—it is a real bonding and eye-opening experience for everyone involved. I have always been so proud of what we have accomplished. Last year’s experience was different for me personally, because I was one of the team leaders, and I felt even prouder of our successes. Last year, Flint Hill raised roughly $22,000. That’s a lot of money! It makes me proud to know how much of an impact Flint Hill is making—we are contributing so much to the cause!

As Faculty Sponsor:

As Faculty Sponsor:

“Advising The View has been an extremely memorable and exhilarating experience. Working with students, like Arman, who are talented writers and editors and to see the fruits of their labors in a published online newspaper is rewarding for both them and for me. They not only improve their writing skills, but they also gain an appreciation for the necessity of deadlines. They learn invaluable skills, while contributing to the School community as well.”—Upper School French and Journalism teacher Robin Goldstein

“I lead the Relay for Life event at School because I am blown away by the number of young people who have been affected by cancer. It is rare to find a student who hasn’t known somebody who has been impacted by cancer, and sadly, some have had more than their fair share of cancer already in their young lives. I lost my father to Pancreatic Cancer five years ago. This event allows all of us to honor/remember loved ones and to make a difference in the fight against cancer.”

—Grades 7-12 Science Department Chair Cyndi Hoffman CLASSICS CLUB, Priya Gill ’16

Being Part of Something Significant What does it mean to you to be a member of...

DEBATE CLUB, Will Van Orden ’16 To be a member of the Debate Club is to be a member of something nascent; the club restarted last year, after a brief hiatus. Debate Club is designed to allow every student to participate; our new focus is geared toward removing all barriers from joining. No special knowledge of debate vernacular is necessary, and, with a new year, we spent time focusing on establishing a new framework. I am proud to be a Debate Club member because every member in the club has helped form and shape it in some way. We have created a very close-knit community that ultimately revolves around debating important societal issues.

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Our club is an opportunity to engage Flint Hill youth in their knowledge of current topics in our global society. We create an environment that facilitates political and social awareness, and further enables students to consider different opinions among peers. In our loosely-structured debate form, students can determine if they would be interested in future engagements in formal debate settings, such as college or university debate activities. All in all, being a member allows for participation in the creation of a great, intellectual community where ideas can be discussed and contested in a civil high school setting.

RELAY FOR LIFE, Becky Harrington ’16 Being part of Relay for Life means being a part of a something big, something important, and something bigger than just myself. Relay for Life consists of people who are passionate about doing something to conquer cancer. Initially, I was compelled to join because my dad had skin cancer, and I wanted to help others in similar conditions. As I continued with the program, I realized how everyone around me was in a similar position, and it was great to be surrounded by people who were working hard toward the same goal.

Being a member of the Classics Club means having a family at school. Our shared interest in the classics and frequent meetings allow for us to know one another really well.

The Classics Club offers a unique opportunity to students.

It enriches the experience of students who either take a classics course (e.g. Latin, Greek, Mythology) or simply have an interest in the classics. I’ve always been very passionate about the classics, and Classics Club has only furthered that passion through school events like the annual Rome’s birthday cake-cutting and outings to watch classics-related films or to see classics-related art exhibits.

making for a local charitable organization, helping to run the pumpkin-decorating booth at Homecoming, traveling to Italy on an overseas educational tour, or studying to earn a medal in one of the classical contests that are offered by the National Junior Classical League. Deep and meaningful friendships are also forged and furthered by a calendar of experiences and opportunities. Classics Club becomes a tradition in the lives of quite a few students who have gone through our program. Many look back and remember, not only the warm atmosphere of our classrooms, but working on props for the spirit contest at the state convention, the experience of an officers’ trip to downtown Washington, gathering at school in the summer to prepare for the national convention, and many other such memories made with friends.” —Grades 7-12 Classics Department Chair Howard Chang STEMBASSADORS, Brady Culman ‘16 Being a member of STEMbassadors means making a direct impact on elementary and middle school students’ lives by introducing, mentoring and getting them excited about the world of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

As a proud member of STEMbassadors, I have helped kids with hands-on science and technology activities that introduced fundamental concepts in a fun and engaging way.

Some of the activities we do involve building with legos and making paper airplanes. As a club, STEMbassadors also has represented Flint Hill at the annual STEM Symposium, where prominent presenters, including Top Gun pilot Eric Schierling and astronaut Kenneth Cameron, spoke to 2,500 attendees about how to engage students in STEM at an early age.

I’m really proud to be a member of the Classics Club because of how active and involved we are in our community. We can be found at Homecoming with our pumpkin-decorating booth or at Winterfest with our delicious candy mosaic table. Most of all, I love being a member of the Classics Club because of the warm and welcoming environment created by the faculty advisors and students. I would recommend that anyone with even the least bit of interest in the classical world check out our club!

As Faculty Sponsor: “I think students obtain a variety of benefits from being a part of the Classics Club. The students who get the most, however, are the ones who take advantage of the opportunity to lead, serve the community, and enrich what they’re doing academically in the classroom. At various times, that may take the form of playing certamen, participating in sandwich-

MODEL UN, Zane Homsi ’15, began his studies at the University of Virginia in the fall of 2015.

Model UN was the single most effective and meaningful academic pursuit that was not quantified by a report card.

My first encounter with the “sport” was at a conference at which I had not the slightest bit of understanding of the

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proceedings. Thankfully, some kind upperclassmen took care of me, and I walked out of that conference with my first award—second place—and knew that Model UN was something I never wanted to give up. The next year, I ran for office and was appointed to the position of Undersecretary General of Communications. After a few months, I moved up to Undersecretary General of Internal Affairs and the following year to Co-Secretary General (president), assuming full leadership of the club for my Senior year. Through Model UN, I made some of my greatest friends and learned volumes about the art of effective language, rhetoric, and global awareness, and those skills are ones that are applicable to all fields in college and beyond.

SWEET COMPASSION, Michelle Cole ’16 Being a member of Sweet Compassion means that I am able to do something that I love—baking and decorating—for a purpose.

It gives me an outlet to

make dozens of baked goods and use my gifts for the purpose of serving others and of making a small difference in someone else’s life. I would encourage others to join Sweet Compassion, because it’s a way to volunteer time and effort toward something important, see amazing results in the bake sales, and know the joy of serving someone else without expecting something in return—just for the joy of giving to others.

Anime Club Watch and discuss various anime cinema productions.

Asian Student Union Provides opportunities for Asian students and others to come together in community and foster cultural awareness.

Athletic Advisory Council Best Buddies Promoter Chapter Works with the National Best Buddies Organization to empower youth to become advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Bird Club Black Student Union Provides opportunities for students of color to come together in 46 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

community, discuss current events and educational opportunities, and foster cultural awareness.

Broadcasting Club Broadcasts weekly sports events.

Certamen Gathers students interested in the game and strategy of certamen.

Chess Club Gathers students interested in the game and strategy of chess.

Classics Club Promotes Classics in the modern world through service, social, and scholastic opportunities.

Clay Club/Empty Bowls Creates ceramic arts and sponsor the Empty Bowls Service event.

Creative Writing Club Provides students opportunities to explore creative writing.

CyberPatriot club is a great place to meet like-minded people and explore the complicated world of computer security. The club focuses on securing different operating systems against cyber threats in preparation for a national competition.

Participants study Command Line use and other methods of securing computer systems. This knowledge enhances the way students use their computers and their knowledge of the fast-growing field of cyber security. Participating in CyberPatriot is also a great thing to put on a college application.

It is a unique opportunity to gain experience with the devices that have become central to our lives. The expertise gained in CyberPatriot can be applied to other fields as well. I am keeping my home computers more secure by using simple tools that most people don’t even know exist.

CLAY CLUB / EMPTY BOWLS, Olivia Ferrer ’16 Being a member of the Clay Club is important to me because it is a club that brings so many people together. Working throughout the year, I know that the ceramic bowls we make for the Empty Bowls fundraising event, in February, are going to help others. In the months leading up to Empty Bowls, the Clay Club hosts workshops with parents, faculty, the Classics Club, and many other groups throughout the school to create and glaze bowls. This makes the experience of being in the Clay Club very distinctive. On the day of Empty Bowls, I feel very proud to see our efforts come together and pay off through the joy of everyone at the event as well as those we help through donations. Approximately $10,000 was raised to fight hunger; all the proceeds benefited DC Central Kitchen. I am very passionate about ceramics, and being a member of something that combines helping others with ceramics is meaningful to me.

What’s Your Interest? In 2014-2015, more than 50 clubs were available for Upper School students to join, including: All Cultures All People An inclusive affinity group that celebrates and promotes cultural diversity.

CYBERPATRIOT CLUB, Vale Tolpegin ’18

Debate/Oration Provides opportunities for students to develop public speaking and oratory skills.

Environmental Club An advocacy group to promote active interest in environmental issues, influence policy within the school and organize actions to support sustainability.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Encourages athletes to participate in Christian fellowship, bond over food, games, and Bible studies.

Fellowship of Fandoms Students with shared interests gather to watch and review popular films.

Film Club Watches and reviews popular films for the student newspaper, The View.

Filming Club Shares filming, production and editing best practices.

Finance Club Provides opportunities for emerging entrepreneurs and innovators to explore areas of finance, marketing and new business development.

Flint Hill Democrats Works closely with local campaigns to elect Democratic candidates to public office, advocate for issues important to the party, follow, live up to, and model the principles of the party while remaining respectful of others’ views.

Flint Hill Teenage Republicans Engages young Republicans in political awareness and activism.

A Forever Home Provides volunteer opportunities to help dogs through the non-profit organization A Forever Home.

As Faculty Sponsor: “I am honored to coach the CyberPatriot teams at Flint Hill.

The CyberPatriot Club teaches students useful skills and responsible digital citizenship. The 2015-2016 season will be the first time Flint Hill competes in this national competition.

Cyber security is a fast growing and lucrative field and I encourage all students to learn more about it.”—Upper School Computer Science and Robotics teacher Mike Snyder

Games Club Gathers for video games and camaraderie.

GVHD Club Raises awareness and support for this rare form of cancer.

Haiti Club Raises awareness and support for communities in Haiti.

Honor Council Hosts and Ambassadors Welcomes prospective students and families to Flint Hill School, host prospective students for their half-day visits and give tours of the upper school campus.

Huskies for the Homeless Provides volunteer opportunities to support the Katherine Hanley Homeless Shelter in Fairfax County.

Literary Magazine Creates and produces a magazine comprised of student literary work.

Model UN Engages in research, public speaking and debate in preparation for Model UN Conferences.

Multi Faith Club Provides opportunities for students of different faiths to come together in community.

Newton’s Little Helpers Open Mic Setup Coordinates monthly Open Mic student performances during break or long advisory.

Operation Smile Provides awareness and support of the worldwide charitable organization Operation Smile.

Outdoor Sports Peer Counselors Rainbow Alliance Provides a supportive environment for LGBT youth and allies in a community of inclusion.

Relay for Life Coordinates all efforts related to the Flint Hill Relay for Life Team in preparation for the annual event held at George Mason University.

SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Local affiliation for Students

Against Destructive Decisions.

Students for Social Justice

SAGE (Students Advocating for Guatemalan Equality) Spreads awareness of and raise support for Guatemalan equity.

Students Opposing Slavery Raises awareness of human trafficking.

Save the Children Fundraises and raise awareness to save a child in need.

Save the Tigers Raises money for the Panthera fund to benefit endangered tigers in the wild.

Service Club Supports Flint Hill all-school service events, including Husky Dress Fundraisers, Week of Thankful Giving, and Giving Tree.

Ski and Snowboard Club Gathers students with a common interest in skiing and snowboarding.

Stembassadors Volunteers and mentors youth in the community at events related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Sweet Compassion Researches and supports various philanthropic causes by raising funds through bake sales.

Table Tennis Organizes table tennis tournaments.

The View The student-run newspaper that publishes six-times per year. Staff is comprised of writers, editors, photographers, and videographers.

Truss Club Builds bridges and structures, following the Truss engineering design, out of a variety of materials.

World Water Raises funds and awareness to support the Development of Humane Action (DHAN) Foundation and Charity-Water.

Yearbook

Student Council Association FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 47

Parents’ Association News

Grandparents and Special Friends Day Nearly 300 guests attended Grandparents and Special Friends Day on Friday, May 8, at the Lower and Middle School Campus. The festivities began with a breakfast reception and musical performances by Lower and Middle School students. Guests then spent time in the classrooms to get a glimpse into the students’ daily studies and activities, and shared lunch before saying goodbye. Special thanks to Tina Rafalovich, who served as volunteer coordinator, and to all of the wonderful volunteers who made the day a memorable experience!

Golf Invitational

A Night in Oz was the theme for the Gala, held on March 7. The Westfields Marriott was transformed into the mythical Oz, complete with actors playing the parts of Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man! The evening was celebratory, with a live band, dinner, silent auction, live auction and a “Paws Up for Financial Aid” paddle raiser, which inspired our generous community to donate $115,000 for the Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel. Thank you to our dedicated Gala Cochairs Katie Helmer and Kristen Shiveley, and the team of more than 80 parent volunteers responsible for decorating, securing auction items, sponsors and entertainment!

SPRINGFEST On April 25, Springfest 2015 was a festive day filled with Husky pride. The day began with a brisk Fun Run and 5K. Parent and student volunteers oversaw activities, including a moonbounce, face-painting and more. Students, parents and faculty gathered throughout the day to cheer on our Baseball and Lacrosse teams. Special thanks to our event Co-chairs Brooke Johnson and Sarah Talley for organizing a fun-filled day!

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On May 28, more than 120 golfers—parents, trustees and alumni—supported Flint Hill by playing in last year’s Golf Invitational at the Westfields Golf Club. The event was made possible through the generosity of our 28 sponsors. Parent volunteers Pam Snyder and Abbey Ayanian added to the festive atmosphere by decorating the clubhouse and making snack bags for all the golfers. Thank you to our dedicated event Co-chairs Jon Peterson, Taylor Chess, Mike Shevlin and Andy Helmer for the leadership they provided toward making the day such a big success.

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L- R: Claire ’11, Tommy ’14, father George, and Matt ’09 See p. 59 50 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

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Alumni

PROFILES Randolph Childress Many who saw Randolph Childress ’90 play basketball at Flint Hill in the late 80s probably still recall the pure talent and hustle that he displayed on the court. He went on to play at Wake Forest University, where he was named Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Male Athlete of the Year, after he led the team to an ACC Tournament Championship, with one of the most impressive collegiate performances in recent history. He was selected 19th overall in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft and spent 16 seasons playing both in the NBA and overseas. After his retirement in 2011, he returned to the sidelines of Wake Forest, where he is now Coach Childress.

He attributes part of his stellar career to his experience at Flint Hill, where he excelled in the classroom and shined on the court. He recalls developing discipline as a student in part because of the athletic program and the lessons he learned while playing for Coach Stu Vetter ’70. “Attending Flint Hill had a tremendous impact on me,” he said.

“My grades shot up. The small class size and the individual attention I received from teachers at Flint Hill were the most important factors in me deciding to attend Wake Forest.”

As a high school student, the long commute from his home in Southeast Washington to Flint Hill was a challenge, and he remembers the help that his school friends and teachers gave him with rides and places to stay during the week that were closer to school. Teachers Maddie and Andy Krug, along with their children, were part of that caring support system. Of the time he spent with the Krug family, he said, “I was like a big brother in that house.” And of his Flint Hill experience as a whole, he expressed that he would not be where he is today without it.

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Alexandra Norcott Medical resident Alexandra Norcott ’05 credits much of her initial interest in medicine to the senior project she completed at Flint Hill. As an Upper School student, she had planned for a career in research to study viruses and the hot zone. While searching for a lab in which to work for her senior project, she discovered an opportunity to spend a month rotating with different pediatricians. By the end of the month, she was convinced that one day she would become a doctor.

Alexandra attended the University of Virginia (UVA), where she was an active member of Alpha Delta Pi and UVA’s medical volunteer services. She also became an avid supporter of all things blue and orange. In 2009, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and celebrated by going on a six­-week backpacking trip through Europe with Sarah Ferguson ’05. The semester after graduation, Alexandra started medical school at Marshall University, where she became an active member of the American Medical Association and served on the governing council of the Medical Student Section. During medical school, Alexandra developed a love for internal medicine and received placement with Yale­New Haven Hospital to complete residency training. On her first day there, she saw two other Flint Hill Alumni—Kenny Morford ’02 and Ali Khan ’01. Ali finished the program, and Alexandra continues with Kenny, with whom she regularly cares for patients in a specialized outpatient­-training clinic, the Center of Excellence for Primary Care Education at the West Haven VA. The two occasionally reminisce about bird watching with Flint Hill Science teacher Fred Atwood. At Yale, Alexandra also serves on the National Resident and Fellow Council of Representatives for the American College of Physicians and chairs the resident Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Interest Group.

Alexandra plans to pursue fellowships in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, all while trying to cross off more places from her growing list of travel destinations.

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Alumni Class Notes FALCONS 1965 John Hesse H ’65 writes in to remark on all of the good memories from his time at Flint Hill. He went on to the College of William & Mary and then into the Navy. Later, he lived in California. He spent 27 years with Johnson Controls, Inc., in various East Coast locations.

He retired in 2006 and relocated to his family home in Kitzmiller, Md., where he teaches a course at Garrett College and works part time for the US Postal Service. He is eager to reconnect with his fellow alumni.

1985

1988

1995

2004

David Coghlan ’85 announced his campaign for an At-Large seat on the Fairfax County School Board. In 2012, he retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of service and clearly still feels the call to public service. David welcomes you to visit his campaign website at www.David4SchoolBoard.com and encourages you to vote on November 3.

Tim Hughes ’88 became executive managing shareholder of Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. in April. In July, he also became chair of the Board of Regents of Leadership Arlington.

Author Whitney Lawrence Grady ’95 announces the release of her second book, “Pass of the Crow,” a sequel to “I Am Currency.”

The books are young-adult fiction and are available anywhere books are sold. Whitney will spend this year promoting her books on tour. Some stops on the tour include: The Glass Eye Gallery in St. Joseph, Mo., in August 2015, as well as Book ‘Em North Carolina in February 2016. She is still adding dates/locations to her tour and is happy to visit book stores, schools, libraries, book clubs and more. Contact her to request an author event near you: whitneygrady@aol. com.

Elena Plionis ’04 completed a fantastic trip to Greece, including a hike up Mount Olympus.

She is back in the area, has purchased a condo and will be starting a new job as a federal employee.

1970 John Burdick ’70 graduated from Kansas State University’s School of Architecture in 1975. He worked with a small architectural firm, in Arlington, Va., until joining Marriott Corporation in 1980. John has worked on several types of designs for the hospitality industry: restaurants, turnpike service plazas, the Smithsonian, both domestic and overseas hotels, and airports. After a brief stay in California, he is now vice president of design and construction for Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, based in Cleveland.

Cheryl Fitzgerald ’70 enjoys being a part of the Nation’s Capital Jaguar Owners Club. She is also a member of the 1950’s Classic Car Club of NOVA with her 1957 Chevy. Both are trophy winners and fun cars to drive. Cheryl brought her 1969 Jaguar XK-E roadster to the Class of 1970’s 45-year Reunion; several classmates posed with it, recreating a photo they took with a 1968 Austin-Healy roadster during their Senior year.

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Send your class notes for the next magazine to alumni@flinthill.org.

HUSKIES 1992 Steve Johnson ’92 passed pediatric board exams, making him the only dually-licensed pediatrician and child psychologist in the state of Kentucky. He also joined a group practice where 75 percent of the time is devoted to general pediatrics and the other 25 percent is dedicated to behavioral/ emotional concerns.

1994

2006 Derek Anderson ’06 married Nadia Zahran on July 18 in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. Their beautiful wedding was attended by several Flint Hill alumni, including Evan Anderson ’09, Michael Freedman ’06, Anders Fredericksen H ’06, David Kay ’06, Mike Marcinek ’06, and Mark Samra ’06. The happy newlyweds now live in Charlottesville, Va. Derek is a graduate student in the Systems and Information Engineering Department at the University of Virginia (UVA), and Nadia works as a Donor Relations Coordinator at UVA.

1998 Branko Hodzic ’98 and his wife, Jennifer, are proud to announce the arrival of triplets!

Katherine Guevara ’94 completed her sixth 100-mile race, the Massanutten Mountain Trail Run, in May, which is held in the George Washington National Forest, near Front Royal, Va. Categorized as a technical race, the course was rocky and challenging. Due to her very strict training regimen, Katherine was able to finish the grueling race in very tough conditions that included a thunderstorm and terrible humidity. Her final time was 31 hours and 12 minutes, placing her as the sixth female to finish. She has completed this race five times, making her a member of the fivetime finisher circle. She has also participated in a 100-mile race in San Diego. However, she absolutely loves and recommends trail running in Virginia. “I highly encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy our beautiful state in any capacity!”

2000 Jonathan Miller ’00 is now living in Ohio with his wife Stephanie and their two wonderful children, Jax and Zoe. Aside from spending time with his family, he has picked up a new passion for Crossfit.

Michael Freedman ’06 and his father, Bruce, climbed to the summit of Mont Blanc, which is the highest mountain in the Alps, at 15,780 feet, and the deadliest in the world, averaging nearly 100 fatalities annually. Their team of five climbers ascended the Voie Royale route, which consisted of a three-day itinerary: Day 1: Climb to the Tête Rousse Hut (10,390 feet) and spend the night Day 2: Climb to the Goûter Hut (12,582 feet) and spend the night Day 3: Climb to the summit (15,780 feet) and return to the base of Mont Blanc Due to inclement weather, the team pushed to the summit from the Tête Rousse Hut, increasing the difficulty and challenge of the climb.

2007 On July 11, Tal Covington ’07 married Kelsey Smith at The Boathouse at Rockett’s Landing in Richmond, Va. Mac Hazel ‘07 served as the best man and Rodger Nayak ‘07, Johnny Black ‘07, Steven Lenz ‘07, Sam McVane ‘07, and Catherine Rivest ‘07 were also in attendance. Kelsey and Tal are both teachers in the Virginia Beach area, where they are currently living with their dog, Zeus.

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Erin Doppelheuer ’07 graduated from the George Washington University School of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in nursing, in May. She is excited to announce that she has passed her nursing boards, is officially an R.N., and has accepted a job at the George Washington University Hospital in the Emergency Department.

treatment was over, and we are getting married in the spring of 2016.”

is available. The album’s positive reviews have made Chris a popular music act in the Washington area; he is booked for shows almost every weekend. In August, he played at the IOTA Club and Cafe, a prominent venue where many professional musicians have gotten their start. Look for his Facebook page to find showtimes and locations.

2010 On July 25, Mac Hazel ’07 married Katelyn Elizabeth Voorhees. The ceremony took place at Legare Waring House in Charleston, S.C. Tal Covington ’07 served as best man and Steven Lenz ’07 was a groomsman. Also in attendance were Rodger Nayak ’07, Sam McVane ’07 and Johnny Black ’07.

Emani Fenton ’07 and Shane Savage ’08 checked off another goal on their growing, competitive bucket list—a sprint triathlon.

The friends participated in the Mack Cycle Triathlon Trilogy in Florida, on July 19, with approximately 300 other participants. The race consisted of a quarter-mile ocean swim, 10-mile bike ride, and 5k run. Emani had to learn how to swim for the event, accomplishing a 2015 New Year’s resolution to conquer a fear and turn it into a strength. Overall, they both finished the race in under 1 hour and 20 minutes, with Shane placing in the top 10 in their group. They have already planned to participate in the Key West Sprint Triathlon, on December 5, and welcome anyone interested to join the them.

2008 Ankit Sethi ‘08 spent the last three years teaching high school math in the Greater Boston area through Teach For America. At the end of August 2015, he moved to New York to begin working for Google Inc.

Brady Johnson ’09 visited Italy in May, where her longtime boyfriend, Trey Compton, proposed in Venice, on a gondola ride in the Grand Canal.

2009 Doug Howard ’09 spent the past two years as an assistant basketball coach at Salisbury University and recently started his role as the director of player development at Evolution Basketball. Evolution is a basketball-specialized training company in the Northern Virginia 56 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

area. Doug works as a full-time basketball trainer, helping middle school, high school and college athletes improve their skill and game. He continues to do what he loves every day.

Kristy Parnell ’09 has been through many remissions and relapses, and after a very long year of chemotherapy and radiation, she is happy to announce that she is now cancer free. “I am very blessed to have an amazing human by my side for it all, Matthew Turner.

He asked me to marry him when my last

Chris Cassaday ’10 has continued to play the guitar with the same enthusiasm as when he left Flint Hill. He attended James Madison University (JMU) and played regularly around campus and the surrounding town of Harrisonburg, Va. He also joined a cover band during college that gained a significant following on campus. Chris graduated from JMU last May and now resides in Arlington, Va. He works at an investment management firm and continues playing music. Recently, he released his first professionally-recorded album, “The Savannah Sessions,” which is available on iTunes, Spotify, Rhapsody, YouTube and many other platforms where music

2011 Eli Chajet ’11 graduated from Hofstra University in May. He moved to Jackson, Miss., to begin an education fellowship with the Goldring/ Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, where he is responsible for seven different Jewish communities throughout the South.

He travels to each one of the communities three times per year and works with each community towards providing an excellent Jewish education for anyone who desires one.

While on the job, he can be called upon to write curriculum, educational programming

for youth and adults, teacher trainings, and provide other necessary services that the communities require.

Audrey Dotson ’11 received the Robert A. Latour Service Award, which is presented to one male and one female student-athlete for extraordinary service to Bucknell University and local communities. It was a great way to conclude her time as a student at Bucknell and as an athlete in its Women’s Basketball program.

Meaghan Stertzer ’11 and Tim Peterson ’10 are pictured on graduation day from the University of Colorado (CU), Boulder.

Meaghan earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, and Tim earned a bachelor’s degree in communication.

Meaghan spent five weeks during the summer of 2015 traveling in Southeast Asia through Vietnam, Cambodia and Bali, and she has returned to Boulder to pursue a career in environmental sustainability. She will also begin coaching lacrosse at CU in the fall. Tim has moved to Jackson Hole, Wyo., where he is working as a fly fishing guide.

Meghan Herlihy ’10 married Jon Pfotenhauer ’08 on June 13, at the Salamander Resort, in Middleburg, Va. The wedding party included Chris Herlihy ‘09, Drew Norris ‘07, Brian Feldmann ‘07, Sean Herlihy ‘18, and Katie Herlihy ‘16. The couple met at Flint Hill and attended four proms together. After Flint Hill, Meghan graduated from the College of William & Mary with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing, and Jon graduated from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce with a degree in finance. The happy newlyweds are now living in Reston, Va. FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 57

Jesse Anderson ’13 received the Unsung Hero Award, given by a group of studentathletes at the College of William & Mary who voted for him and recognized his contributions during the 2014-2015 football season.

Jesse was also named to the All-Capital Athletic Conference Academic team, along with his teammate, Hunter Windmuller ’12.

2013

Will Chanania ’12 and his father, former Flint Hill Science teacher Fred Chanania, joined together with several alumni at Bucknell University, during Parents’ Weekend 2015.

Greg Lobel ’13 is in his third year at the University of Michigan, majoring in political science with a minor in entrepreneurship.

During his Freshman year, Greg founded a chapter of a nonprofit organization, Moneythink, which provides peer mentorship and financial education courses to urban high school students with the goal of improving the economic well being of the country through financial literacy. Greg was inspired to create the chapter by fellow alumnus Michael Kliska ‘12, who was involved at his own school, Babson College. After just one year, the chapter recruited 30 members and is currently ranked as the # 5 chapter in the country. During his Senior year, Greg hopes to begin teaching in inner-city Detroit.

(L-R: Kristen Bishof H ’11, Fred Chanania, Audrey Dotson ’11, Will Chanania ’12, Claire Doyle ’11, Katherine Doyle ’14, Britton Anderson ’14)

Anthony Lynch ’12 is a Senior at Vanderbilt University, majoring in economics with minors in Spanish and psychology. This past summer, Anthony volunteered with TeenSmart International, a nonprofit organization that gives teens in Central America the tools to live healthy lifestyles and broaden their horizons to pursue more ambitious career paths. His specific objective as a volunteer was to create several promotional videos that TeenSmart could use to create more awareness and receive more donations. In his travels to Costa Rica and Nicaragua, he interviewed and filmed young people who are in the TeenSmart program. He was given complete autonomy in planning, filming and editing the videos. ”My trip ended up being very successful,” Anthony wrote, “and I would like to thank Flint Hill for giving me the confidence and worldview, as well as proficiency in Spanish, to take on this project as a volunteer for TeenSmart International.”

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this past spring. She is enjoying the start of her second year at Georgetown and wishes all the best to her fellow alumni and current Flint Hill students.

MAY 20–21:

REUNION WEEKEND (Details on back cover)

Olivia Landrum ’11 graduated from James Madison University with a double major in corporate communications and dance. She spent the summer of 2015 interning at Dance Place, a theater in Washington, working in marketing and the box office. She is excited to be returning to Flint Hill School as the new assistant dance team coach. While working, she hopes to pursue her dream of dancing professionally in a company.

2012

defensive stat line; she started all 17 games while recording 27 ground balls, which was the second most on the team, and proved herself to be a pillar of the Bucknell defense.

Hannah Donegan ’13 started all 15 games for the Connecticut College Women’s Lacrosse team. The midfielder finished the season as the third leading scorer with 13 goals and also chipped in 14 assists, a team high.

Caroline Shaw ’13 is a member of the Crew Team at The University of Miami. The highlight of her Sophomore season was finishing first in an 8+ race at the Head of the Indian Creek, with a time of 20:26.

2014 Catie Chess ’14 had a fantastic season with the Christopher Newport Women’s Lacrosse team. During her Freshman year, playing the attack position, she scored the second most goals for the team with 46 goals in 17 games.

She scored in 15 of those games, 10 of which were hat tricks. Her stellar offensive performance earned her Second Team All-Capital Athletic Conference honors.

Katherine Doyle ’14 started her Freshman season strong for the Bucknell Women’s Lacrosse team; in her first start—the Bison’s February 10 season opener—the team won, 9-7. In that game, she made an immediate impact with her great defensive play, allowing the opponent a mere 17 shots on goal. Katherine finished the season with an impressive

Tommy Doyle ’14 pitched for the University of Virginia (UVA) Baseball team, contributing to their first NCAA College World Series win.

The accomplishment was an impressive one for a Freshman and for a team with a roster that was riddled with injuries throughout the season. Tommy commented, “Since we faced all of those obstacles during the season, we were able to play calm and collected for [the Series-deciding] Game 3 of the Championship.” The 6’6” right-handed pitcher took to the mound for 16 games, beginning with his debut against Old Dominion University, in March, and concluding with appearances in the NCAA Regionals against Southern California and College World Series against the Florida Gators, where he pitched a combined 3.2 scoreless innings. “Being able to pitch in the College World Series was very surreal, and winning the National Championship my Freshman year is incredibly memorable. It will be something I can tell my kids one day.”

Many of Tommy’s family members traveled to Omaha, Neb. to witness history for UVA baseball. (Photo on page 50).

IN MEMORIAM

Nick Peterson ’14 played midfielder for the Middlebury Men’s Lacrosse team, finishing his debut season with an impressive stat line.

He netted five goals and an assist, helping the Panthers advance to the second round of the NCAA Championship.

Steven von Shenck ’66 died on July 19 at his home in England.

Allein White Ward, wife of former Flint Hill President, The Reverend Edwin Michael Ward, passed away peacefully on September 4. Married to Ed for 61 years, Allein provided unwavering support to the success and the mission of Flint Hill during their time at the School from 1990 to 1992. She warmly embraced parents, staff and students, and her home was always open to the Flint Hill community.

Sebastian Landy ’14 was interviewed for an article published in Forbes magazine about being selected by Audi Motorsport as one of 18 drivers—out of 165 applicants from 30 nations—for their competitive Sport TT Cup. He is the only American in the series.

Although the commitment requires frequent international travel, he will continue his studies at Babson College in Massachusetts.

Elise McDonnell ’14 made the Georgetown University cheerleading team and cheered at all the football and men’s basketball games.

She traveled to New York and Portland, Ore., to cheer for the basketball team in the Big East and NCAA tournaments. She was also appointed to the 1634 Society, a student-run philanthropic organization, and is now the executive chairman of alumni relations. Most of all, she loves being a premedical student and is proud to have made the Dean’s List

Former Assistant Headmaster John Schreck died on August 3, at the age of 80. John was a beloved administrator in the early days of Flint Hill. He served as the faculty advisor for many groups including the honor council, student government, the yearbook staff, and he was also Flint Hill’s first Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach.

2015 Matt Middleton ’15 spent much of the summer, prior to his college Freshman year, performing with the Sterling Playmakers in a production of “The Music Man,” playing the role of Tommy Dijlas.

Allein White Ward

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REUNION WEEKEND—APRIL 24–25, 2015 Many thanks to the following alumni volunteers who helped to organize milestone reunion events for their individual classes: 2010: Monica Akhtar and Lauryn Harris 2005: Melissa Bosco and Alexandra Norcott

1970

Alumni Events

1995: Zack Krug and Tim Csontos 1970: Gary Niklason and John Burdick

1970

1970

Photo by Lonnie D. Tague

REUNIONS & GATHERINGS FORMER HEAD OF SCHOOL FRAN CASEY HONORED On April 11, more than 100 alumni, friends and former faculty from the Classes of 1979 to 1996 gathered to honor former Headmistress Fran Casey. The evening was filled with great memories, stories and highlights of her tenure at Flint Hill. To recognize Casey’s leadership, positive impact on so many lives and her remaining legacy at Flint Hill, remarks were shared

by David Price ’79, who served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies; by Headmaster John Thomas; and by Patti Rounsevell, daughter of the late Glenn Rounsevell, who at one time was the sole proprietor of Flint Hill Preparatory School.

2005

1995

1995 2010

Members of the Hilltop Singers, a group of former student musicians, replaced the lyrics of “My Favorite Things” with words to honor Casey. A group of generous alumni also surprised her with a beautiful portrait, which hangs in the administrative wing of the Upper School in homage to her dedicated service. A special thank you to Chuck Papas ’81, who diligently worked for months to make this event a reality; “An Evening with Fran Casey” was truly a memorable night for all.

COLLEGE CAMPUS VISITS In February, John Thomas visited Christopher Newport University’s campus to host a luncheon for several alumni. He then traveled to the College of William & Mary to host a dinner for a dozen alumni.

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Alumni Back-to-School Night FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 61

THE HOLIDAY SHOPPES at Flint Hill School ... Save the Date ...

Saturday, November 14 10:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m.

One day only!

Upper School Campus - 3320 Jermantown Road, Oakton, VA 22124 Free admission | Open to the public Kids’ Space with festive activities Shop 30+ boutique vendors offering clothing, jewelry, accessories, menswear, home décor, holiday decorations and more! www.flinthill.org/holiday-shoppes Proceeds benefit the Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel

2015-16 FLINT HILL FUND Our Vision for Every Student: Take meaningful risks. Be yourself. Make a difference.

At Flint Hill School, we encourage our students to challenge themselves in these ways every day.

We strive to create an educational experience both inside and outside the classroom that allows our students to live out that vision.

You can be part of each student’s journey through your participation in the Flint Hill Fund.

Winterfest 2016: Saturday, January 23, 2016 Join other members of the Flint Hill community for face painting, raffles, giveaways, inflatables, sports challenges, arts and crafts and more! There will be festive events for Huskies of all ages and the Igloo will be open for refreshments.

Cheer on the Flint Hill Basketball teams as they take on Potomac!

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MAKE A GIFT. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

To make your gift, please contact the Development Office at 703.584.2349 or visit www.flinthill.org/support.

Thank you for your continued support of Flint Hill!

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 63

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

3320 Jermantown Road Oakton, VA 22124

2016 REUNION atWEEKEND

Flint Hill

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Permit No. 643 Oakton, VA

Save the Date for reunion weekend: May 20足-21, 2016 Please save the date for the weekend of May 20-21 for Reunion Weekend 2016, celebrating milestone reunions for the classes ending in 1 or 6. If you are interested in volunteering to help plan your upcoming reunion, please contact alumni@flinthill.org.