Spring Magazine 2016

MAGAZINE | SPRING 2016

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

2

THE HILL

10

ARTS ON THE HILL

14

HIGHLIGHTS BY GRADE

16

ATHLETICS

22

FACULTY/STAFF NEWS

30

PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

34

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

FEATURE 26

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.

INTRIGUING NEW COURSES, UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCES One student loves solving math problems, another is drawn to literature and creative writing. Another is fascinated by discovering clues about the existence of humankind, and another enjoys the outdoors and the skills acquired through experiential learning. For those and other students, Flint Hill offers a multitude of courses to meet their interests and help them to discover new ones.

LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER The search for outcomes is rapidly increasing within the independent school world. More and more, parents want to know what the tremendous investment in time, effort and money will bring to their children. For some people, it is a search for more tangible items: test scores, a college list, and grades, among others. However, outcomes can extend far beyond what is easily quantified, listed or measured. The fact is, outcomes are really about the quality of learning and the experience that students have at school with teachers, coaches, counselors and mentors. They are a reflection of the opportunity to be educated in an environment that promotes balance and individual growth.

At Flint Hill, we talk constantly about our vision as a school—we want each student to take meaningful risks, be themselves and make a difference. I see that being modeled by our students each and every day, and as you read this issue of our magazine, you are going to see it as well. Each year, our Curriculum Committee develops new course offerings that expand and enhance our program.

I often joke with people that the quality of the courses that we now offer in the Upper School far exceeds what I experienced in college. In fact, I wish there was a way for us to consider offering a bachelor’s degree along with a diploma!

The concept of taking meaningful risks is a driving force behind all that we do.

We want our students to try something different, push themselves out of their comfort zones, and grow as scholars and leaders. Through these deliberate, intentional and strategic efforts, we know that they will ultimately become “themselves.” They will find those passions and talents that will set the path for the rest of their lives. This is what we call the “Driving Spirit.” And from those experiences, they will be in a position to make a difference in all that they do.

I have been fortunate to attend several recent alumni events where I have been able to see and hear firsthand how our amazing graduates have dealt with college, careers, families, and the future of our country. After each event, I come away confident that they represent the outcomes we all hope for for our students. Their stories are not defined by test scores or the “right” professions, colleges or universities, but after spending a few moments with each of them, I felt tremendous pride and admiration for these young people. As you read about some of our alumni in this magazine, I hope you will see what I am talking about. They have clearly taken meaningful risks. They have developed a sense of self without question and they are making a difference.

Please enjoy getting another glimpse into life at Flint Hill and celebrate that Flint Hill pride that you will feel as families, friends or as alumni. People frequently describe experiencing a different “feel” here at Flint Hill and that we have a culture that is quite unique. Bask in it! Enjoy it! And please know that you are very much a part of it!

- John M. Thomas, Headmaster

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 1

The Hill

2 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

In December, fifth-graders made scarves for individuals in need and donated them to a community organization for distribution.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 3

The Hill

PARENT EDUCATION DISCUSSION REVOLVES AROUND HELICOPTER PARENTING On October 7, author Julie Lythcott-Haims gave a presentation children to make mistakes and problem solve on their to parents, in the Olson Theater, based on her acclaimed book, own in order to develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and “How to Raise an Adult.” Drawing on her background as dean inner-determination necessary for success in adulthood.” of freshmen and undergraduate advising at Stanford University, Doreen Kramer, parent of Ninth Grade twin girls, commented, she spoke about overly-involved parenting—commonly “It certainly opened our eyes into the trials of our children and referred to as “helicopter parenting”—a topic that she has getting them into college. In this highly competitive environaddressed in TEDx talks and in articles she has written for ment, it was refreshing to hear words of encouragement. I The New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. often worry that my children are not doing enough or are The event was the first in a Parent Education Series, sponsored being left behind, but I realize that they are, in fact, doing quite

by Flint Hill’s Counseling Office, to take place during the 2015-16 well. We, as parents, often forget that it is the children who school year. “Our parent education program is designed to have to do the work. We do not wish them to fail but often support our parents by providing them with insightful inforforget that failure is frequently the best teacher. It seemed mation on current best practices in the area of parenting,” that one of her main points was that parents simply need to said Director of Counseling Barbara Benoit. “Julie shared find that right balance between letting their children fail in with our parents practical strategies for how to allow their order to learn and helping them when they truly need it.”

Flint Hill Receives Second Apple Distinguished School Recognition The Apple Education Recognition Program has again named Flint Hill School an Apple Distinguished School. The new designation, for 2015-2017, recognizes Flint Hill for being “an exemplary learning environment for innovation, leadership and educational excellence.” “I am thrilled that Flint Hill is continuing to receive recognition for our faculty and staff’s dedication to integrate technology into the curriculum,” said Headmaster John Thomas. “Through our 1-to-1 technology program, our students participate in an extraordinary learning environment.”

4 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Exploring the World through Virtual Expeditions Versailles in France with their history class, Shakespeare’s Globe Theater in London with an English class, the Roman ruins with a Latin class, and Barcelona during Spanish class—all in one day—students went on those and many other teacher-guided virtual field trips through the Google Expeditions Pioneer Program. The adventures took place on January 11. Lower, Middle and Upper School students and teachers participated in a pilot test, in partnership with Google for Education, to provide feedback to the company about the Expeditions software, a virtual reality educational application. A representative from Google spent the day on campus to observe the use of the product, which is expected to be available to schools globally in the next school year.

The virtual trips, which provided 360-degree views, were carefully selected to relate to topics the students were in the midst of studying—a tour of Virginia landmarks was chosen to connect to a social studies lesson; in a science class, students studied various land forms; and in a maker education class, they watched the inner workings of a product engineer lab. Other expedition topics included: Life of a Robot, CERN Hadron Collider, Coder Design Studio, Founding Fathers, Sackler Galleries, Sites along the Thames River, Ocean Safari, Iceland, Angkor, the Grand Canyon, and the Galapagos. The response from both students and teachers was enthusiastic and positive.

Flint Hill’s Technology Integration Specialists Sam Moser, Melissa Turner and Lisa Waters facilitated the pilot testing process. Dr. Waters, as lead coordinator, summarized, “Opening our doors to pilot the new Google Expeditions tool was an invaluable experience for our teachers and students. This experience provided us with an opportunity to explore how these beta-stage technologies might benefit our teaching and learning practices.

Understanding the implications of technological innovations is important, because it allows us to wisely choose those technologies that we believe will benefit our students, rather than acquiring new technologies simply because they are the latest and greatest.

Additionally, as a pilot site, we were able to provide valuable feedback from our teachers and students directly to Google.

That means, we might have some influence in how the product eventually evolves.”

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 5

The Hill

Middle School Girls Stand Together In October, girls in the Seventh Grade participated in the Sister Soldier empowerment program, led by its founder Trish Ottaviano, the author of “Girl World: How to Ditch the Drama and Find Your Inner Amazing.” Ottaviano conducted discussions and activities with the students to address their relationships with other girls and to help them empower one another.

The self-reflective activities struck a chord with the students. “As an acknowledgement that everyone makes mistakes, each student filled out an apology card to give to a classmate she wished she had treated differently,” explained Director of the Middle School Brian Lamont. “They also created compliment cards to offer kind words to classmates and wrote pledge cards, to themselves, of what they will do to be kinder to one another.” After reading their pledges aloud, the students signed a poster making a commitment to “have each other’s backs.” The poster is displayed in a hallway at the Middle School.

PHOTOGRAPHERS’ VISIT FOCUSES ON WILDLIFE CONSERVATION World-renowned wildlife photographers and conservationists, Pete Oxford and Renee Bish, visited with Lower, Middle and Upper School students to show their work and talk about their interest in helping to preserve the environment. In addition to giving town-meeting presentations to large groups of students, they also spoke in three separate classes—field natural history, biology and digital photography—about specific parts of their work. Oxford’s photography has appeared in major magazines including National Geographic, Smithsonian and The Economist. He was named by Outdoor 6 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Photographer magazine as one of the top 40 most influential nature photographers in the world. In 2014, he was awarded Ecuadorian Photojournalist of the Year as well as the Ranger Rick Photographer of the Year. “Pete and Renee have shared their photographic and natural history skills and love for wildlife with Flint Hill students on three of our ecological study trips to Ecuador in the past,” said Science teacher Fred Atwood. “They are wonderful, caring people and fantastic photographers with a deep passion to conserve wildlife and their ecosystems.”

Student Accolades— Congratulations!

Caroline Katzman ’18 is an ice skater who performs with Team Ashburn Intermediate, a nationally-ranked synchronized team. In January, the team won the gold medal from a field of 16 at the Colonial Classic Synchronized Skating Competition, in Lowell, Mass. Later in the month, the team won the Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships in Richmond, Va., and qualified to compete at the national championships in February.

Caroline Katzman Mark Kim ’16 was recognized for his outreach with the Korean-American community by Virginia Delegate David Bulova. As an intern for the delegate, he coordinated a Korean-American business roundtable; translated a website and other campaign materials to the Korean language; conducted policy research; and helped to coordinate, recruit, and train student volunteers. “It was an absolute pleasure getting to know Mark and I know he will be successful in whatever he pursues,” wrote Del. Bulova on his Facebook page. “I was honored,” said Kim, “to work alongside multiple state legislators to coordinate the business roundtable and help them engage with minority communities in Fairfax County. I sincerely believe that I would not have been able to accomplish so much had I not received such warm encouragement from my Flint Hill teachers.”

Ally Trimble ’22 won the Building the Future Award for Ages 11-13 from an international competition challenging students to design an implement to help Garfield, the cartoon cat, eat spaghetti and meatballs without making a mess. More than 350 students submitted an entry. “This competition is a way for our students to apply the Computer-Aided Design (CAD) modeling skills we have learned this semester,” said Technology Integration Specialist Sam Moser. Ally received a Makeree Arduino Inventions Kit as a prize. The competition was sponsored in part by Makers Empire, a 3D printing software company; the New York Institute of Technology; and Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield.

Mark Kim

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 7

The Hill

Upper and Lower School Students Partner for Poetry Five Upper School students who participated in the Poetry Out Loud (POL) contest in the fall, shared recitation tips with fourth-graders in December. Each Upper School student was assigned a small group to coach, and the younger students, who had been studying poetry in class, eagerly listened to the wisdom of their older schoolmates. The fourth-graders read aloud the poems they had written, and their mentors encouraged them by focusing on the positive things they had observed and by giving them helpful suggestions. From their POL experience—reciting on a stage in front of a large audience of their peers—the Upper School students explained that standing tall, enunciating, projecting the voice, and presenting the poem with emotion are ways to effectively deliver the message to the audience. Appreciative and more confident with their recitation skills, the fourth-graders thanked the older students, who equally enjoyed sharing the time together.

8 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

SAVE THE DATE:

Springfest SATURDAY, APRIL 16

Mark your calendar and plan to come out for a fun-filled day cheering on our athletes and celebrating spring with the Flint Hill community. This event is similar to Homecoming and Winterfest, a day filled with sporting events, food and fun activities for kids of all ages. Start the day with a free 5K and fun run for the community.

Volunteers are needed to work in the Husky Hut and the activity booths. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.flinthill.org/springfest. Go Huskies!

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 9

The new Lower/Middle School Campus percussion classroom See p. 15 10 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 11

ARTS on the HILL

A record-breaking number of students participated in the arts during the fall and winter seasons.

Beyond the numbers, it was one of the most creative semesters with new artistic visions for old favorites as well as original and innovative designs for new endeavors.

Music at Flint Hill is rocking the competitions—18 students were selected for District Honor Choirs; 2 students for the Senior Regional Orchestra; 2 students for Junior District Honors Orchestra; and, 1 student for the All-District Honor Band.

Upper School Honor Choir: Arman Azad ’16 Tara Izadi ’17 Henry Jeanneret ’18 Jack Lovelace ’17, perfect sight-reading score Conner McBride ’16 Michelle Pawlow ’16 Sonia Schmidt ’17, perfect sight reading score Kamryn Olds ’18, alternate Middle School Honor Choir: Alicia Brooks ’20 Julianne Cuevo ’20 Nicole Facchina ’20 Maya Jaffe ’20 Alexi Hamilton ’21 Ian McDuffie ’20 Natalie Naylor ’21 12 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

C.J. Nkenchor ’20 Molly Paulsen ’20 Simon Van Der Weide ’20 Senior Regional Orchestra: Sydney Ebersohl ’17 Patrick Lovelace ’18 Junior District Honors Orchestra: Alex Bae ’21 Grace McKay ’20 All-District Honor Band: Priya Gill ’16 The Flint Hill Major Minors had their annual tour in New York this year. They worked with a cappella groups from Hofstra University and saw a performance of “Aladdin,” on Broadway, before returning home. The group is currently recording the first half of a new album that will be released on iTunes and other online sites next year.

In September, Middle School students became the first to use a newly-built percussion classroom in the Activity Center Building on the Lower and Middle School Campus. The

room is nearly 1,600 square feet and features soundproofing insulation, more than a foot thick between the walls, to mute sound from filtering into other learning spaces. The new location brought together all the components of the Middle School Fine Arts program into the same building and created improvements for scheduling and logistics. “The students are very comfortable in their spacious new environment and enjoy using it to practice during breaks and free time, in addition to their scheduled practices and class time,” said Percussion teacher Greg Holloway, who initiated the percussion program in 2001 and developed the curriculum used today.

The Winter Concert series got off to a great start with the Grades 5-12 Winter Percussion Concert, on December 3, during which fifth-graders demonstrated various cymbals and eighth-graders recreated the sounds of a circus. At the Grades 5-12 Winter Choral Concert on December 9, more than 125 students performed in the largest choral concert in Flint Hill history, which included songs that highlighted their numerous voices: two medleys from Broadway musicals and, for the finale, the traditional “Carol of the Bells.” Studentmusicians delighted audiences into January and February with the Grades 5-12 Winter Band Concert and Grades 5-12 Winter Orchestra Concert.

In the Theatre program, a new student-led interest group formed at the Upper School; more than 25 students now meet weekly with the Student Theater Advisory Group (STAG). One of their first assignments was to pick a play for the fall Dessert Theater, one that would also represent Flint Hill for review through the Cappies, a local critics program for

high school students. The selected play was “The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon,” a comedy billed as an “attempt to recreate all 209 of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza.” For the spring of 2016, the STAG group plans to launch the first mainstage production featuring Flint Hill student directors.

In yet another record-breaking performance, 110 dancers, musicians and crew performed in the sixth annual “Nutcracker.”

The production had a new set design, newly-added dances, and live music set in the 1920s era. Resident Performing Guest Artist Amr Farouk, formerly of the Cairo Opera House Ballet Company, appeared as the Nutcracker.

Seventh and Eighth Grade art students had a notable field trip to the African American Art Museum and the Sackler Gallery in Washington. Students spent as much time drawing works from observation as they did touring the exhibits.

Ceramics students participated in a new exciting workshop series from which they gained experience with the Soda and Cone 10 Reduction firing techniques. The series was taught

by Guest Potter Bradley Birkhimer, who, earlier in the fall, spent time teaching the students about the process at the Upper School studio. In January, they traveled to a special outdoor kiln nearby and had the opportunity to explore historic celadon and copper red glazes, as well as the process of introducing sodium bicarbonate/soda ash into a kiln to create a soda vapor that produces beautiful flashes of reds, blush and carbon trapping.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 13

Highlights

BY GRADE

JK. Safety goggles were essential for Takeit-Apart days, an investigation period during which students learned about the inner working of various objects—including a printer and vintage record player—and the different tools used to disassemble them.

K. Wearing new science lab coats, students experimented with how many drops of water could fit on a penny and hypothesized about the reasons why so many drops were able to bind together.

JK

K

1. In Wellness class, students learned about active listening and put their lessons into practice by looking at the person speaking, giving both verbal and non-verbal feedback, and repeating back to the speaker what he or she said.

2. During a scavenger hunt at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, students learned about various artifacts.

They also visited several exhibits including “The Great Inka Road.”

1

3. Studying the physics of forces and motion in science class, students observed and measured the pattern of an object’s movement to predict its future motion.

2

3

4. Students put their knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System into practice during a visit to the Oakton Library.

5. On Team Building Day, students worked together problem solving various challenges, including an activity in which only rubber bands could be used to move and stack cups.

4 14 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

5

6. New York Times bestselling author and 2015 John Newbery Medal winner Kwame Alexander surprised students with a visit to discuss his book, “The Crossover,” which they had recently read. Alexander also shared previews of future projects and read a passage from his newest work, “Booked.”

7. As part of a Spanish vocabulary and grammar lesson, students reviewed a series of adjectives through a hands-on activity.

7

6

8. In a computer programming class, students coded drones and took them outside to launch.

9. At the start of the school year, Freshman got to know each other during an orientation and a field games competition, which included a ski race. They also enjoyed a picnic and open mic entertainment.

10. Students examined blue Copper (II) Sulfate crystals grown in their chemistry lab.

8

11. Juniors attended their first seminar about the college search, hosted by the College Counseling Office, and were introduced to resources and tools to begin using.

12. AP Psychology students participated in a Sensation and Perception Lab to better understand their studies of the brain and how it adapts to and processes sensory information. At 10 lab stations, the students put their taste buds, hearing, and vestibular and kinesthetic sensory systems to the test.

10

11

9

12 FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 15

ATHLETICS

F

lint Hill enjoyed a very successful fall sports season—four teams brought home championships! The Football team won the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAC) championship, its third in the last four years. For the first time in school history, the Boys’ Soccer team captured both the MAC regular season and tournament championships in the same year.

The Girls’ Tennis team also won both the regular season and tournament championships in the Independent School League (ISL) A Division. And for the fourth straight year, the Volleyball team won the ISL AA Division regular season and tournament championships, the Metro City Championship, and the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) Division I State Championship.

CROSS-COUNTRY The varsity team had a successful season with top performances by Genna Landy ’16, Alec Singer ’16 and Will VanOrden ’16, as well as strong showings from John Moxley ’16 and Macy Oliver ’17. At the ISL/MAC Championship meet in Derwood, Md., a majority of runners on the team had seasonal or personal bests. The boys’ team placed fourth overall, led by Moxley’s tenth place finish; Singer placed 18th, followed to the line by Van Orden, Austin Jones ’17, and Stephen Moxley ’16. The girls’ team was led by Landy’s 19th place finish, and rounding out Flint Hill’s top five were Oliver, Mackenzie Sidor ’17, Kate Nelson ’19, and Mahima Chaudhary ’16. The Huskies then went on to compete in the VISAA State Cross-Country Championships, held at Fork Union Military Academy, where the team 16 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

placed tenth overall. John Moxley led the Huskies—as he had all season—and placed 22nd out of more than 200 runners. Landy ended her cross-country high school career with an eighth-place finish, her best at the state meet.

Husky Awards Boys: Will VanOrden ’16 | Girls: Macy Oliver ’17 MVP Boys: John Moxley ’16 | Girls: Genna Landy ’16 All-State Genna Landy ’16 All-Conference John Moxley ’16

FIELD HOCKEY In its second year with the Flint Hill Athletics program, the varsity team showed much improvement, winning seven games.

The team won its first ISL regular season game on Homecoming Day against HoltonArms School by a score of 2-1. Within the season, they also notched victories against The Madeira School, Middleburg Academy and Wilson High School. Throughout the fall, Hayden Garrett ’16 and Kate Zecca ’16 led Flint Hill in offense with multiple goals and assists, and Tori Herman ’17, Anna Krisko ’17 and Caroline Shevlin ’17 contributed regularly. Carolyn Holran ’17, Nina Jenkins ’18, Sara Paulsen ’17, Isabel Rice-Martorell ’17, and Bella Stork ’18 anchored the defense.

FOOTBALL Husky Awards Varsity: Isabel Rice-Martorell ’17 JV: Avery Mengenhauser ’18 MVPs Sara Paulsen ’17 and Kate Zecca ’16 All-Conference Kate Zecca ’16

The Huskies finished undefeated in conference play and won the MAC Championship title—the team’s third during the last four years—by defeating the defending champion Sidwell Friends. They qualified for the state playoffs as the number three seed by finishing the regular season with a 7-2 record. The season began with two nonconference wins, beating Blue Ridge School and cross-town rival Paul VI. A highlight of the regular season was defeating The Potomac School, 42-0, on Homecoming Day. The team’s 12 Seniors did an outstanding job providing the leadership needed to guide them, particularly through the conference games in their schedule. Justin Saleh ’16 played exceptionally well all season running the offense at quarterback; Jordan Houston ’19 led the team in rushing with more than 1,700 yards for the season; and Gage Herdman ’17 was the Huskies’ top receiver with seven passes caught for touchdowns.

Husky Awards Ben Cross ’16 and Nick Fouty ’16 MVPs Gage Herdman ’17 Offense: Justin Saleh ’16 and Jordan Houston ’19 Defense: Grant Jenkins ’16 All-State Second Team: Gage Herdman ’17, Jordan Houston ’19 and Grant Jenkins ’16 All-Conference Josh Cohen ’16 Ben Cross ’16 Nick Fouty ’16 Gage Herdman ’17 Jordan Houston ’19 Grant Jenkins ’16 FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 17

GOLF The team won a third place finish at the MAC Championship, held at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, after a strong regular season that included key victories against McLean High School, Maret School and Georgetown Day School. Justin Ayanian ’16, Will Dolin ’16, and Cameron Stork ’16 led this year’s squad at the championship event—Ayanian placed second with a score of 74, and Stork and Jack Hoel ’18 also finished in the top ten and earned All-League honors.

Husky Awards Varsity: Brian Riggione ’17 JV: Olivia Ferrer ’16 MVP Justin Ayanian ’18

All-Conference Justin Ayanian ’18 Jack Hoel ’18 Cameron Stork ’16

OUTDOOR SPORTS This year marked the biggest number of participants that the team has had, and the enthusiasm level for outdoor adventure matched that growth. The team spent the season climbing, biking and canoeing and added hiking and orienteering toward the end. To accommodate the larger team, additional climbing gear, bikes, helmets and canoes were acquired. The season offered opportunities to learn new paddling skills, river reading in tandem canoes, and climbing techniques such as belaying and setting climbing anchors.

The team also took trips that included kayaking down the Shenandoah River, rock climbing at area crags, and mountain biking at local double­and single­tracks.

GIRLS’ TENNIS Finishing the season with a 16-2 overall record—including an eight-game winning streak at the outset—the Girls’ Varsity Tennis team had a banner season. Led by Christina Harris ’16,

Isabelle Ditthavong ’19 and a tremendous group of Seniors, who provided depth, leadership and experience, the Huskies won both the regular season and tournament championships in the ISL A Division. They defeated Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in the ISL Tournament championship and qualified for the state tournament as the fourth seed. Other highlights in the season included key nonconference victories over Paul VI, Bishop Ireton and Trinity Episcopal.

Husky Awards All-State Varsity: Christina Harris ’16 First Team: Christina Harris ’16 JV: Finleigh Fitton ’19 Second Team: Isabelle Ditthavong ’19 MVPs Caitlin Hadjis ’16 Becky Harrington ’16

18 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

All-Conference Isabelle Ditthavong ’19 Christina Harris ’16

SOCCER The Varsity Boys’ Soccer team began the season with three ties against tough nonconference opponents and then went 8-3 through league play before earning the MAC regular season championship. Despite battling through some injuries throughout the season, the team came together in the playoffs to earn its second straight MAC Tournament Championship by defeating The Potomac School, 3-2. Tate Rusby-Wood ’18 netted the game winner in the title game. In addition to winning the MAC Tournament, the team finished the regular season as the MAC Champions—a first for the soccer program to win both conference titles in one season.

The Huskies were named the sixth seed in the state tournament and won the first round matchup against Collegiate School on a golden goal by Jack Wyant ’17. Their successful season ended in a close 1-2 state quarterfinals game against Episcopal School.

Husky Awards Varsity: Omar Ahmed ’16 and Jake Walsh ’16 JV: David Buchanan ’17 MVP Aaron Cargas ’16 All-State First Team: Aaron Cargas ’16 All-Conference Aaron Cargas ’16 Ethan Lloyd ’17 Tate Rusby-Wood ’18 Alex Shahmirzadi ’18 Jake Walsh ’16 All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Aaron Cargas ’16

The Varsity Girls’ Soccer team enjoyed a stellar season, winning ten games and finishing second in the ISL AA Division. Led by sisters Lindsey ’16 and Whitney Wiley ’19, the Huskies battled through a tough conference schedule and made it to the ISL Tournament Championship game.

Whitney led the team with 17 goals while Lindsey tallied 7.

Rachel Kim’s ’18 offense was also important to the Huskies’ success. During the ISL Tournament, the team defeated Georgetown Day School, 2-0, in the first round, and in the semifinal game, the team avenged an earlier season loss by outscoring Georgetown Visitation, 2-1. Whitney scored the two goals, and Lindsey added an assist. In the championship game, the Huskies came up short against Bullis, but with a young group of very talented players, the future looks extremely bright for the Girls’ Soccer program.

Husky Awards Varsity: Ramsey Johnson ’16 JV: Samantha Giuntini ’18 and Emily Park ’17 MVP Lindsey Wiley ’16

All-Conference Whitney Wiley ’19 All-Met Washington Post Honorable Mention: Lindsey Wiley ’16

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 19

VOLLEYBALL In what was to be a rebuilding year, the varsity team overcame inexperience, injuries and a 4-5 start. Led by Morgan McKnight ’16 and Lauren Simons ’16, the Huskies showed true determination and outstanding team chemistry to achieve their goals: defending their conference and state titles. After finishing the regular season with victories over Good Counsel, Sidwell Friends and Episcopal, the team went on an exciting post-season run, winning six matches in nine days. They defeated Maret in the ISL AA Tournament Championship match and then, on the following day, outplayed a very talented Holy Cross team to win the Metro City Championship match. The Huskies defeated Paul VI in the VISAA Division I State Championship to win the program’s seventh state title in eight years. Simons became the first student-athlete in Flint Hill history to win four state championships, and McKnight was named the VISAA Division I Player of the Year. Both Simons and McKnight have committed to play volleyball next fall at Emory University.

Husky Awards Varsity: Kendyll Hicks ’16 JV1: Lauren Curtis ’17 JV2: Kathleen Boyce ’19 MVP Morgan McKnight ’16

WINTER

SPORTS AT MIDSEASON BASKETBALL The Varsity Girls’ Basketball team won the 12th Annual Flint Hill Tip-Off Tournament championship by defeating Middleburg Academy, 75-26, in the opener and a competitive Stone Ridge team in the finals, 41-30. Tori Herman ’17 was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and teammates Paige Rucks ’16 and Claire Miller ’19 were selected to the All-Tournament team. The 20 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

All-State, Division I Player of the Year: Morgan McKnight ’16 First Team: Krissy O’Malley ’19 Second Team: Jordyn Park ’17 Coach of the Year: Carrol DeNure All-Conference Hana Lee ’18

Morgan McKnight ’16 Krissy O’Malley ’19 Lauren Simons ’16 All-Met Washington Post Second Team: Morgan McKnight ’16 Honorable Mention: Krissy O’Malley ’19

team also placed third in the Fairfax Holiday Tournament with wins over Chantilly High School and South County. Head Coach Jody Patrick was honored by her players during the season in celebration of her 250th victory with the Huskies.

The Varsity Boys’ Basketball team fought hard at the Tip-Off Tournament, finishing just short against Liberty Christian Academy. Jared Levin ’16, Connor McBride ’16, Jordan Taylor ’16, and Ben Stern ’16 have shown valuable leadership this season. Ethan Jones ’19 sank two clutch free throws with four seconds left in their victory over Archbishop Curley High School; Jordan Taylor ’16 posted a career high 23 points; and Gage Herdman ’17 had a strong defensive effort and 13 points to lead the Huskies over conference opponent Georgetown Day School. The young team continues to improve and develop as they gear up for a strong post-season run.

ICE HOCKEY At mid-season, the team is exceeding expectations at 3-3-1 in the varsity level of the Northern Virginia Scholastic Hockey League, and they are just one point from second place in the Norris Division, with seven points. The Huskies’ defensive zone play has frustrated opponents, who are having difficulty scoring goals. Leading the team on defense is Aidan Wheeler ’18, who has played nearly every minute of every game; Tom Burr ’17 adds the grit in the defensive zone by blocking a tremendous amount of shots; and Shane Ross ’18 rounds out the “D” corps. Sami Morse ’16 has been solid in goal as well. Offensively, Thomas Eberhardt ’18 leads the team with 12 goals; the “Rookie of the Year” is Tyler McDermott ’19, who is second in scoring with six goals and two assists; and twins Aidan and Robert Fitzgerald ’17—who both have five points through seven games and have added key goals at important junctures—are providing strong goal support. The team is in great position for a playoff bid.

SWIMMING In dual meets this season, the Varsity Swimming team has been competitive.

The Girls’ Swim team members qualified in all three relays for States and racked up an impressive total of 35 State cuts in individual events so far this season: Lauren Freeman ’16 (7), Mimi Baker ’17 (6), Elli Hausamann ’17 (6), Jasmine Hellmer ’18 (6), Sisi Baker ’18 (5), Bridget Kennedy ’17 (4), and Dana Bishop ’19 (1). Boys’ Swim teammates Charlie Dalgleish ’16, Lachlan Suter ’16, and John Knieriem ’19 have each made the State bonus cut in 50 freestyle.

At the ISL Championships, the girls’ team placed second, and every team member swam season best times to earn a combined 226 points—the highest total achieved at that meet in the school’s history. Highlights included: Hellmer, Freeman, Mimi and Sisi Baker won the 200 medley relay (1:50.25); Freeman earned an individual gold medal in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.86) and a bronze in the 200 individual medley (2:14.35); Sisi Baker earned a pair of silver medals in the 200 freestyle (1:57.20) and 500 freestyle (5:15.98); Hellmer earned a pair of silver medals in the 200 individual medley (2:06.83) and 100 butterfly (55.56); and Mimi Baker took bronze in the 100 butterfly (1:01.03). In the 400 freestyle relay, the team of Hellmer, Mimi and Sisi Baker, and Bridget Kennedy ’17 took silver with a time of 3:37.09. And, in the 200 freestyle relay, Elli Hausamann ’17, Dana Bishop ’19, Freeman, and Kennedy placed third with a time of 1:43.19.

Later this season, the boys will have their chance to shine at the Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swim Dive League Championship meet.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 21

FACULTY/ STAFF NEWS

Arts and Humanities. He also launched a new crime fiction column, called “Blacklight,” for the Lambda Literary website (www.lambdaliterary.org) and worked on a new novel while in writing residencies at Ragdale, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and Vermont Studio Center.

Upper School Science teacher Fred Atwood volunteered to organize two Christmas Bird Counts for the National Audubon Society, one in Pendleton County, W.Va., and the other in the Middle Peninsula of Virginia.

Upper School Ceramics teacher Julia Cardone gave a presentation about Flint Hill’s Empty Bowls project at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts conference in Kansas City, Mo., in March.

She was invited back to score the AP Studio Arts Exams in Salt Lake City. She also took a glass fusing class at Lorton Workhouse Arts Center, where she displayed a piece of her work in their student/faculty show.

Author Alice McDermott, John Copenhaver, and Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Kay Kendall.

Upper School Art teacher Cianne Fragione had her work selected to be in the 10th Mid-Atlantic New Painting biennial exhibition, on view in January and February, at the University of Mary Washington Galleries, in Fredericksburg, Va. Director of the Lower School Sheena Hall and Fourth Grade teacher Rachel Hinnant presented, “Empathy, Action, Nourishment: Fourth Grade Students Making a Difference” at the Virginia Association of Independent Schools’ 2015 Leading Learning Conference: The World as Your Classroom, in November, in Richmond, Va.

Acting Upper School Dean of Students Howard Chang was awarded the title of Summa Cum Laude Junior Classical League Sponsor by the National Junior Classical League.

Upper School English teacher Jonathan Chang completed the Praxis II: Physics Content Knowledge test, which added a physics endorsement to his Virginia state teaching license.

Grades 7-12 English Department Chair John Copenhaver won the Larry Neal Writers’ Award for fiction, judged by author Alice McDermott, and was awarded a 2015 Artist Fellowship from the DC Commission on the 22 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Sheena Hall is also serving another term on the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington advisory board for the Emerging Lower and Middle School Leaders Institute.

Upper School Classics teacher Kate Hattemer’s second novel, “The Land of Ten Thousand Madonnas,” is scheduled to be published by Random House (Knopf) in April.

IT Support Associate and Head Outdoor Sports Coach Lynda Hoag developed the Outdoor and Experiential Educators Network website in partnership with the Virginia Association of Independent Schools. The purpose of the

site is to be a collaborative resource for educators in Virginia, Maryland and Washington schools—to share program ideas; a directory of outdoor educators; listings of local camps, outfitters and guides; and general information that promotes the benefit of students learning experientially outdoors.

Upper School English teacher Maddie Krug earned certificates for online classes, including “Shakespeare’s Hamlet” via the University of Birmingham, “Shakespeare and His World” via the University of Warwick, “Mindfulness” via Monash University, and “Exploring English: Shakespeare” with the British Council. She also completed a Master Class in “Hamlet” from the Folger Library.

Upper School Science teacher Zack Krug co-authored the manuscript, “Phylogenetic Clustering of Origination and Extinction across the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction,” which was published in the January 2016 issue of Public Library of Science (PLOS) One. He also presented, “Differential Recovery from Clustered Originations in the Recovery from the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction,” at the Geological Society of America’s annual conference in Baltimore, in November, to which he took a group of students from the Evolution of the Biosphere course that he teaches. “I took them,” said Krug, “because, during the course, I make them research and present in ways that mimic what goes on at these meetings.

Lower School Technology Integration Specialist Lisa Waters co-authored ”The Nature of Parental Engagement at an Online Charter High School,” published in the October 2015 issue of the Online Learning Journal.

Google Apps for Education Summit Northern Virginia — November 2015 • Fourth Grade teachers Rachel Hinnant and Rob Taylor and Lower School Technology Integration Specialist Lisa Waters presented, “Building a Community of Learners with Google Sites.”

• Third Grade teacher Bridget Kleintank, Kindergarten teacher Danielle Muller and Lisa Waters presented, “Giving Young Learners Choice with Digital Learning Menus.”

Upper School Learning Specialist Silvia Moore presented, “Predicting Mathematics Achievement in High School: The Role of Self-Regulatory Beliefs,” at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention in Toronto, Canada, in August.

Middle and Upper School Band teacher Dereck Scott performed in a trumpet recital of American and Soviet music written during the Cold War era. The performance was held at St. Mark Catholic Church, in Vienna, Va., in November as as part of their 50th Anniversary Concert Series.

Headmaster John Thomas presented “Parents Today: Understanding, Inspiring, and Motivating Them” at the CASE-NAIS Independent Schools Conference in New York in January.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 23

FACULTY/STAFF NEWS (continued) Online Education Strategies for Independent Schools (OESIS) Boston — October 2015 • Assistant Director of the Upper School Debbie Ayers presented, “Blended Learning in AP European History.” She also participated in a Think Tank Panel Discussion on the topic of scheduling blended classes.

Additionally, she presented—along with a small group of OESIS leaders—at on-site mini conferences at Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore, in November, and at Indian Creek School in Annapolis, in February. There she provided instruction and ideas for teachers who are innovating and adding blended learning to their programs.

Assistant Director of the Upper School Debbie Ayers

• Fifth and Sixth Grade teacher Chris Cook presented, “Middle School Rocket Science and Project-Based Learning.”

• Chris Cook, Fifth and Sixth Grade teacher Lori Emerick, Fourth Grade teacher Rachel Hinnant, and Technology Integration Specialists Sam Moser and Lisa Waters presented, “Fourth-Sixth Grade StudentDriven Assessments through Multimedia.”

• Middle School Social Studies teachers Beth Gryczewski and Katie Knicely presented, “Middle School Digital History.”

• Upper School Math teacher Harrell Rentz presented, “Paperless Algebra 2 and Trigonometry.”

From left: Teacher Chris Cook, Technology Integration Specialist Lisa Waters and teacher Rachel Hinnant

Teachers Beth Gryczewski and Katie Knicely 24 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Longtime Employees Honored At Founder’s Day On January 7, during the annual Founder’s Day celebration, 17 individuals—who have been part of Flint Hill School for 20 years or more—were honored; 10 of those employees are still working at Flint Hill today. Framed photographs of the longtime faculty and staff, labeled with their length of employment and roles at the School, will be permanently displayed on both campuses, marking the start of a new tradition.

Founding Chairman Emeritus Til Hazel and Board Chairman Skip Coston

• Fred Atwood, Science teacher, 26 years • Abigail McKenzie, Art teacher, 26 years • Don Niklason, original Owner and Founder, 26 years • Pat Birkholz, retired First Grade teacher, 24 years • Carlo Grossman, Drama teacher, 24 years • Dennis Giuliani, Director of Facilities and Coach, 24 years

Chairman of the Board of Trustees Skip Coston, who will complete his work with the Board at the end of this school year, was recognized for his 13 years of leadership at Flint Hill, including 6 years as Chairman.

This year’s Driving Spirit Award recipients—nominated by students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni—were announced at Founder’s Day: Physical Education teacher and Head Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach Jody Patrick; Head Athletic Trainer and Director of Internal Transportation Derek Ross; and Upper School Math Teacher and Advisor Molly Tanner.

The Driving Spirit Award “recognizes current Flint Hill faculty and staff members who have excelled in ethical leadership, diligent intellectual scholarship, and a commitment to teach, coach or mentor others. Someone who is cooperative, leads by example, and inspires all of us to new heights of learning. They embrace our four core values and exemplify the Driving Spirit, which is the passion that is such a part of our School family.”

• Maddie Krug, English teacher, 23 years • Andy Krug, Science teacher, 22 years • Lincoln Dewar, former Science Teacher, 20 years • Taylor Johnson, History teacher, 20 years • Earl Kibler, retired Engineer, 20 years • Amy McMurrer, Director of Aftercare, 20 years • Brenda Medvid, Math teacher, 20 years • Sandy Parker, retired Lower School Teacher, 20 years • Susie Ramirez, former Kindergarten Teacher and Coach, 20 years • Sherri Seeger, former Kindergarten teacher, 20 years • Bill VanLear, Math teacher, 20 years FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 25

Intriguing New Courses, Unique Learning Experiences

O

ne student loves solving math problems, another is drawn to literature and creative writing. Another is fascinated by discovering clues about the existence of humankind, and another enjoys the outdoors and the skills acquired through experiential learning. For those and other students, Flint Hill offers a multitude of courses to meet their interests and help them to discover new ones. In the past two years alone, nearly 50 new courses—8 in the Middle School and the remainder in the Upper School—were introduced to students.

There are two main criteria for a new course to be included into the curriculum. Assistant Head of School for Academics Bill Ennist explained, “Is the course consistent with the mission of the School; that is, does it help us to achieve the goals that are in our mission statement? And, what need does the course satisfy in the development of our students that our current course offerings do not? Essentially, what is the value added of the new course to our existing range of courses in that department?”

A new course begins primarily as an idea from a teacher. For the formal process, the teacher creates a course proposal

26 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

under the guidance of a Department Chair, who presents it to a group comprised of Department Chairs for Grades 7-12.

The group discusses it, addresses any unanswered questions, and votes on whether or not to include the course in the next school year. “I currently take Civil Rights/Human Rights and Financial Math, electives that I never thought I would be able to take in high school,” said Tamika Alexander ’16. “My Sophomore year, I took Journalism. The variety of dynamic classes that Flint Hill offers allows students to become more versatile in different topics.” Andi Kamyab ’16 concurs, “I have already taken a breadth of elective classes, ranging from Anthropology/ Archaeology to Biotechnology. I really appreciate the scope of courses offered here, which allows the student to explore his/her interests, possibly paving a path for future careers in a wide variety of fields.”

COURSE SAMPLERS Dreaming of America, Financial Mathematics, Outdoor Leadership, and Physical Anthropology and Archaeology are among the new courses introduced since 2014.

Dreaming of America In this English course, students take a deeper look into the role that literature has played in the development of American identity. Predominantly designed for intensive writing, students are given weekly writing assignments. The course also involves reading assignments covering a variety of genres, including short stories, poetry, essays, novels and film.

In the fall of 2015, there were three core reading assignments: “Blasphemy” by Sherman Alexie, about the legacy of indigenous people in America; “The Whip” by Karen Kondazian, historical fiction about the American West in the 1800s; and “The New Colossus” by Marshall Goldberg, historical fiction set in 1890s New York. The students explored key questions, such as: What promise did America hold and for whom?

To what extent (and for whom) did America deliver on its promise? What motivated individuals and groups to come to America and at what cost? How does courage factor into the American identify? What role did American journalists (muckrakers) play in our thirst for the truth?

While reading “The New Colossus,” Lexy Eccles ’16 was inspired to contact the author. For Upper School English teacher Tracy Peterson, it was a standout moment. “When we began the book, we read Marshall Goldberg’s statement of introduction about the difficulty of writing historical fiction. He writes that if you want to know what’s fiction and what’s real, contact him. So, on her own, Lexy Eccles did.

He responded within the hour, and as a result, we had the opportunity to interview him. It was a really cool experience for all of us, and it happened because a student took the initiative.” Through Skype, the students asked the author about his book, how he got his start as a writer after working as an attorney for many years, what kind of student he was in high school, and the differences between being a novelist and a scriptwriter for television—a career he held for several years. He shared that he was in the midst of pitching an idea for a documentary and was also contemplating his next novel, a possible follow up to “The New Colossus.”

“This class exceeded my expectations by miles,” Eccles said, summing up her experience. “It was the highlight of my morning and sometimes the best part of my day. It has rewired my thinking by teaching me that I can write analytically to prove or disprove a theory or statement, but I can also write passionately in that same essay. It taught me how to actually absorb what I am reading and then apply it to conversation and my writing.”

Financial Mathematics Stock market investments, successes and failures of a business, banking services, consumer credit, auto and home ownership, employment, income taxes, retirement planning, and preparing a budget are the main topics in Financial Mathematics. Students apply math principles to real world financial issues that they will one day experience in their own adult lives. “My favorite thing we did in the class was the budgeting project,” said Tamika Alexander ’16. During this, we made a grocery list and then, as a class, took a ‘field trip’ to Giant to ‘buy’ the things on our list. We were given information about a city we lived in and a salary that we made, were told whether or not we were paying off student loans, and were given money for certain things. I now think twice before just plopping something in my mother’s cart.”

In this one-semester course, many specific aspects of a person’s financial life were studied—rent, loan payments, utilities, car payments, various insurances, groceries, entertainment, clothing, charitable giving, savings, and retirement plans. “Everything was relevant to the students; the material always had their interests piqued. They really didn’t have much of a personal finance foundation and were eager to learn,” said Upper School Math teacher Molly Tanner. “One of the things that was most valuable to my students was when speakers visited. Flint HIll alumna Jessica Doll ’01, a wealth management advisor with TIAA-CREF, spoke to the class about different strategies for retirement planning and the importance and value of starting to save early. Next year, I’ll be looking for other alumni or parents to speak to the class.”

Outdoor Leadership Its title, Outdoor Leadership, along with it being part of the Innovation Department, distinguish this course’s uniqueness from the start. Designed to equip students with leadership skills through an experiential environment, students learn about group dynamics and leadership concepts while gaining emergency preparedness and technical outdoor skills. “I am a strong believer that given the chance for real responsibility, where others depend on them and they are creating a real product, students will step up to the challenge,” said coFLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 27

instructor and Science teacher Alex Lester. “In this course, students learn that leadership requires a combination of expertise—in this case, outdoors skills—interpersonal skills, and judgment. As they develop those skills, they apply them to an outdoor trip that they plan and lead for others: a trip for Upper Schoolers or one for Middle Schoolers. Planning and leading a safe and enjoyable trip requires considerable planning, thought and action. That experience helps them develop leadership skills that they can continue to apply wherever their lives lead them next.”

discussion, and for the scenarios we deliver as mock examples.

And then getting outdoors and putting it all together, which is what our students do when they lead their peers on a final expedition, is the best training,” said co-instructor and Head Outdoor Sports Coach Lynda Hoag. “They must consider things like the elements, alternate routes, their surroundings, group mood, and personal health while in the field. Making sharp decisions is key. That comes with good training and experience. That is true for any profession.”

Physical Anthropology and Archaeology In their quest to learn about how anthropologists and archaeologists work and make their discoveries, students in this class gain an understanding of techniques from both of those fields, and they also become part biologist, sociologist, historian, researcher, and detective. Last fall, one particular experience—flintknapping instruction day—made a lasting impression on Sam Achtermann ’16. On that day, students learned how prehistoric stone tools were made and had the opportunity to try it themselves. “We all thought that it would be easy. We quickly discovered how hard it really is. Many grunts and blunders later, we produced mediocre stone tools, but we all learned a bit of what is was like to live millions of years ago.”

The semester started with a three-day/two-night backpacking trip to Shenandoah National Park and, throughout the fall, the class went on several afternoon outdoor excursions. For their final expedition, the class was divided into two groups— one group planned and led a camping trip for Middle School students to the Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area in George Washington National Forest, and the other group took Upper School students on a two-day/two-night backpacking trip to the Appalachian Trail, from Bluemont, Va., to Harpers Ferry, W.Va. “This class has helped me to learn in a more out of the box way than any other class that I have taken,” said Lauren Craige ’18.

Prior to taking those trips, indoor lessons paved the way.

“The classroom portion supports what we do out there. It is great for thinking through the processes, for group 28 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Studying artifacts was one way the students dug into the past.

They also reviewed journal articles, used online tools and engaged in class discussion. “We had debates about serious issues affecting society and how those issues blend into the course of anthropology and archaeology. The debates consisted of some background research about a topic and then a full day when the class was divided into two and the topic was discussed. It was interesting to see how passionate students were in defending their sides of the argument. Those activities were extremely interactive and informative, and I learned a lot in that sort of environment,” said Andi Kamyab ’16, who, as top student in the class was awarded the “golden trowel”—the trowel being a field archaeologist’s main tool of the trade.

“I have truly enjoyed bringing this course to Flint Hill,” said Upper School History and Social Sciences teacher Rob Horne, who previously was a field archaeologist. “The students made the semester special, as they only added to the excitement and passion I have for the subject. Each new class, students presented fantastic, thought-provoking questions, thus allowing us to examine theories and controversial ideas in greater detail. As a further gift, one of my students mentioned that he may pursue anthropology further at the collegiate level next year.”

Courses Added, 2014–2016 MIDDLE SCHOOL Coding with Scratch Coding with Python Makers Medals Robotics Themes in U.S. History Makers Foundations of Making World Cultures and Geography

UPPER SCHOOL Classics Latin IV Honors English Banned Books Dreaming of America Ethics - Honors Harlem Renaissance Literature for the Inquiring Mind - Honors Literature of Social Change Literature of Social Change - Honors Living Deliberately

Fine Arts Acting III Advanced Topics in Ceramics Advanced Topics in New Media American Popular Music Digital Design for the Theater Digital Photography II Graphic Design II Interactive Design Motion Design History and Social Science AP Comparative Government Contemporary World History - Honors Physical Anthropology and Archaeology Innovation Computer Science II Independent Study Intro to Public Relations Outdoor Leadership Robotics III Small Business Management Small Business Start-Up

Math Accelerated Algebra II - Online Cryptography Financial Mathematics Integrated Algebra - Physics Logic Mathematical Modeling Mathematics and Art Modern Languages French V - Business French Latin American Culture and Perspectives Spanish V - Latinas in the U.S. Science AP Physics I - Algebra Based Biology Honors Integrated Algebra - Physics

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 29

Parents’ Association News My sincere thanks to our faithful community of parent volunteers.

Whether you served on the Parents’ Association (PA) Board, as a volunteer event coordinator, hosted a class dinner, or signed up for a shift at one of our many events, volunteerism has been tremendous this year! It is inspiring to work alongside you and see so many wonderful connections made in the process.

That is the heart of what the PA strives to achieve. Your involvement makes such a positive impact on our community, especially in the lives of our students.

What a pleasure it is to be part of such a supportive, generous School family. As we near the end of another school year, there are still great opportunities to be involved. I encourage you to find an opportunity and plug in. Visit the PA website for more information at www.flinthill.org/parents.

All the best, Charlotte Chess P ’13, P ’14, P ’18, P ’21 2015-2016 PA President

TENNIS SOCIAL On Friday, September 25, more than 30 Flint Hill parents converged upon the Upper School tennis courts for the annual Parents’ Association Tennis Social. Representatives from the Fairfax Racquet Club ran drills and advised players at a beginner skill level. Players of all skill sets enjoyed four

30 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

rounds of mixed doubles tennis. Following the matches, everyone enjoyed a luncheon, raffles and conversation. Special thanks to Flint Hill Tennis Coach Steve Spratt for his support and to parents Teri Dungan and Gina Wasson for serving as volunteer coordinators and for organizing this wonderful event!

Homecoming Homecoming 2015 was filled with excitement on both campuses. A pep rally, Powder Puff game, and bonfire kicked off the celebration on Friday, October 16. On Saturday, the Field Hockey teams brought an audience to the Lower and Middle School Campus, where they cheered the varsity team to a 2-1 victory and the junior varsity to a 0-0 tie, both against Holton-Arms. Families and students of all ages enjoyed the many games and activities on Spirit Alley, including a cake walk, face painting, pumpkin decorating, candy raffles, and much more. Several alumni reunited and participated in

a tailgate. And the festivities concluded with the Football team shutting out Potomac School, 42-0. Thank you to the parent volunteer coordinators, Mike McClements and Mica Howard! More than 65 parents and students volunteered in many ways at various activities throughout the weekend, including the Friday night festivities—food sales, decorating, helping at School Store—and Saturday’s concessions, food distribution, decorating, and hosting booths on Spirit Alley.

Go Huskies!

Holiday Shoppes On Saturday, November 14, the Upper School was transformed into a bustling candy land-inspired holiday market. We are grateful to our parent co-chairs, Venus Britt and Lauryn Pomeroy, for their months of planning to make this both a successful fundraiser for the Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel and an enjoyable community-building event for our School. Thank you to all who attended, and to the many parents and Upper School students who volunteered to help with decorating, greeting, hospitality, the kids’ space, the bake sale, parent tables, and vendor support—the combined efforts made the day a sweet success!

WINTERFEST Although Winterfest was cancelled due to the historic Blizzard of 2016, the Parents’ Association would like to extend a special thank you to the event’s volunteer coordinator, Rebecca Jenkins, for all of her efforts in organizing a team of more than 50 parents and students who were ready to help with games, activities and concessions.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 31

Alumni Profile

ROBIN SHIRLEY ’06

Health is a hot topic, and technology brings the latest research and information to our fingertips.

With just a swipe, tap or keystroke, you can find recipes, the class schedule for the latest fitness hot spot or monitor your heart rate. In 2016, the wellness movement is impossible to ignore.

But for holistic health entrepreneur Robin Shirley ’06, the concept of wellness is especially personal. Diagnosed at a young age with systemic juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and chronic lyme disease, Robin spent most of her middle, high school and college years managing the effects of her weakened immune system. It was her personal health struggle that brought her to Flint Hill after she encountered obstacles from her previous school in accommodating her health needs. True to form, Flint Hill faculty and administration rallied around Robin with a focus on her individual needs as a student, and helped her to thrive at the School despite ongoing complications from her illness.

After graduating from Flint Hill, Robin followed a nonlinear path to the holistic health field. She attended Virginia Tech, where her father’s background designing hotels and resorts as an architect led her to the school’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program.

But her symptoms made it difficult to keep up with the demands of college life, and during her Junior year, Robin returned home to take some time off. It was then that she began researching the impact of food on overall health, prompting her to study at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she earned her Integrative Nutrition Health Coach certification.

Armed with new knowledge and the confidence to try her hand at entrepreneurship, Robin started out by hosting cooking classes at her parents’ home in Northern Virginia. She taught her first class to 12 of her mother’s friends and, through the support of family and friends and word of mouth, a business venture was born.

“I literally printed out invitations and mailed them,” Robin says of marketing her first class. “I ended up having 12 women come to that class and it was really fun. I got everyone’s email address and [sent] an email out to all of them with a schedule of upcoming classes, and I started asking them to share it with their friends.”

Robin expanded her exposure by connecting with the operator of an online resource for events and neighborhood activities in Maryland and Virginia. “From there it was really word of mouth in the beginning. I was really lucky because I had a lot of people who enjoyed my classes and were telling their friends.” Robin continued to grow her business by performing one-on-one consultations with individual clients and, later, leading a nutrition session during a yoga retreat. A health conference in California inspired her further to host an event with a similar format in Washington, which she

32 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

did just one year later. “I met so many wonderful people and I thought, ‘Why isn’t there anything like this in DC?’” Today, Robin is based in Los Angeles, and is the Founding President of Take Back Your Health Int’l, a company that hosts internationallyattended health conferences and retreats across the U.S. She speaks, consults and writes about the Take Back Your Health Lifestyle and educates others on reducing the symptoms of chronic illness. Her own story is one of her best case studies.

“I have been able to get off of 80% of my medication since being in high school,” Robin says of her recovery. “I was at the point of applying for disability in 2012 and quitting my business, but I finally found the right nutrition, herbal and detox protocols to relieve my symptoms to the point where I was really able to go out on my own, move across the country, start exercising, and really take care of myself. Now, I can squat, run, skip, sit down on the floor and get up without trouble. These are simple things most people take for granted, but now that I can do them, I feel grateful for even the smallest movements.”

Robin’s signature event, the “Take Back Your Health Conference,” has evolved as much as its founder—the conference that Robin started in Washington is now bi-coastal, with annual events in both Washington and Los Angeles, and has a growing roster of speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. The list of speakers for the 2016 Los Angeles conference, scheduled for April, includes a New York Times bestselling author, an expert in restorative and sustainable farming, and a number of holistic health entrepreneurs.

Her website, www.clubtbyh.com, allows Robin to channel the skills she learned in former teacher Cathy Steg’s English class at Flint Hill. “When I came to Ms. Steg’s class I felt like I was challenged further with my writing,” Robin says. “Right now it’s really benefitting me because I do have to do so much writing. I am constantly writing copy for my websites and for press materials. It would be much harder without that background.” The website is a hub for multimedia content, recipes and tips for living a healthy lifestyle.

With growing conference attendance and readership for her website, for Robin, Take Back Your Health is all about community.

“While I do maintain a private practice for consulting, what excites me most are the people who come to the conference and learn from that because I get to see them year after year and see the changes,” Robin says. “They’re happier, they’re standing taller, they’re connecting with one another, and there is such a profound change. Seeing the community grow around Take Back Your Health has been really rewarding.”

Despite her successes, Robin admits that entrepreneurship has its challenges. According to a 2012 report by McKinsey & Company, health and wellness is emerging as a trillion-dollar market, and there is a lot of competition. The web is becoming crowded with celebrity food bloggers and aspiring health and wellness experts, but Robin has grand plans for the future and is taking it all in stride.

“It’s easy to become distracted by competitors but it can be damaging,” Robin says. “It can lead you in the wrong direction because it isn’t authentic. I believe that I have to look at my company as a reflection of myself. It’s something I was able to bring to life because of who I am and I need to stay true to that. If I want to keep my

From Robin’s Kitchen

followers engaged, I have to write about what I’m passionate about rather than following someone else.”

Looking ahead, Robin sees the current iteration of Take Back Your Health as a springboard for leaving an even bigger footprint in holistic health, noting, “My whole business is based on a mission to help people enjoy life more, and that requires a well-rounded approach. Take Back Your Health is not just about what you eat, it has to be about movement, exercise, spirituality, meditation, relationships, even financial health.”

To that end, Robin’s long term goals include a full-service wellness center and a skin-care line made with non-toxic ingredients. And she has the confidence and drive to make both a reality.

“Everything I have experienced, no matter how challenging, has been a gift because it’s pushed me to become the business woman I need to be to make this successful.”

Connect with Robin: clubtbyh.com facebook.com/TBYHConference twitter.com/robin_shirley

youtube.com/robinshirley instagram.com/robinshirley

Strawberry Blender Ice Cream . Serves 1 Ingredients:

Directions:

• 8 large frozen strawberries • 2 T of canned coconut milk (the white portion that rises to the top of the can) • 2 T filtered water • pinch sea salt • 1 tsp vanilla extract • Sweetener of choice: - 2-3 T of raw local honey OR - 2 pitted dates OR - 1 dropperful liquid stevia extract OR - 1-2 packets stevia powder

Add all ingredients to a high power blender, liquid first, then strawberries on top.

Blend until creamy. For a food processor or blender, you will have to add more water and stir as you go. For high power blender, you can put on high speed and use the “tamper” to push the berries into the blades.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 33

Alumni Class Notes 1965

1998

Doug Milliken is retired after a 35-year career in automotive engineering, which began with a mechanical engineering degree from California State University, Los Angeles. He lives in Orange, Calif., with his wife, Candia. For 15 years, he worked as motorsports engineering manager for Honeywell Turbo Technologies, manufacturers of the Garrett™ brand of turbochargers. His group developed custom racing turbochargers for the major automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers that had major racing programs in Indy Car, LeMans, World Rally and other forms of global racing. In 1975, he won the Enduro Grand National Championship of the International Kart Federation. He had started racing go-karts in Herndon, Lake Jackson and Woodbridge, Va. while attending Flint Hill.

In 2015, he wrote a book, “Testimony of the Protected”—available on Amazon.com—about his military career and Christian testimony. He writes of his experience in Vietnam —for which he was awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Air Medal, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross—of returning to civilian life, and of the peace he found through his religious experience.

He has fond memories of Flint Hill, including his time as a student in English teacher Col. Allan Ferguson-Warren’s class. Doug’s father, Col. Charles Burnham Milliken, was the chairman of the Mathematics Department at Flint Hill in the 1960-61 and 1962-63 school years.

In December 2014, Branko Hodzic and his wife, Jennifer, welcomed Jasmine, Scarlett and Vaughn. They were eight weeks early but had very little complications. They are growing fast and are very healthy. In addition to duties as a father, Branko also expanded his design/ build construction business, Hodzic Contracting, Inc., to offer heating and air conditioning services for residential and commercial projects in Virginia and Maryland.

1999 Vandna (Vanu) Gill, who is both a Flint Hill alumna and former Upper School English teacher (2006-2010), married Gagandeep Bindra in a traditional Sikh ceremony on September 12, 2015.

1974 As of February, Eve Trow Turek is the new owner of SeaDragon Gallery, in the Waterfront Shops, in Duck, N.C. She and her husband already own Yellowhouse Gallery in Nags Head, N.C., which he will manage for the 2016 season while Eve takes over SeaDragon.

SeaDragon showcases fine American crafts and local art, including her award-winning photography. Eve is excited to expand her role in the local arts scene on the Outer Banks. If you vacation there, and a number of our alumni do, please stop in and introduce yourself as a fellow Falcon or Husky!

34 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

An evening view along the boardwalk outside of Eve Turek’s gallery.

Good times were had by all who attended, including English Department members, past and present: Naomi Frandsen Sloan, Naa-Adei Kotey, Maddie Krug, and Cathy Steg. Several Flint Hill alumni attended,

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

including V.J. Bajwa ’05, Vikas Bajwa ’07, and Vanu’s siblings Sonia Gill ’06 and Kurren Gill ’08.

Katie Pluebell married Brian Lord in June 2015. They live in Rockville, Md.

Khalan Boyer will serve in the Peace Corps in Nicaragua from 2016-2018. “I will be working in the Entrepreneurship Education/Small Business Development program serving as a business educator and advisor. I’m so excited!” Khalan’s sister, Tess Boyer ‘08, will also serve in the Peace Corps. She will be in Mexico from 2016–2018, working as an environmental educator and community outreach volunteer in the Environmental Awareness and Resource Management to Address Climate Change program. The siblings are in the process of creating a blog to document their journeys.

Jessie Doll is working as a wealth management advisor with TIAA-CREF, where she advises families and institutions about their financial decisions. She returned to campus and gave a presentation about retirement planning to students taking the Upper School Financial Math class. “It was wonderful to be back on campus and connect with students.”

2003 Will Fleeson married Rachel Shelbourne on May 16, 2015. His brother, George Fleeson ’00 served as the best man. The couple honeymooned in Croatia.

2004 Andrew Sensi was interviewed several times last fall, on local radio station WTOP, to discuss several legal issues in the sports world.

He discussed the Redskins’ trademark battle, Pierre Garçon’s lawsuit against FanDuel and, most recently, Ryan Zimmerman’s lawsuit against Al Jazeera America. Those interviews can be heard on The Sports Esquires website, a sports law website that Andrew and several of his Tulane University Law School classmates founded two years ago. They have steadily built a following, with more than 2,500 Twitter followers, and look forward to continuing to discuss the intersection of sports and law.

2005 Dana Vetter is engaged to Austin Wilkinson after dating for seven and a half years. The wedding is scheduled to take place in October 2016, at Airlie House, in Warrenton, Va. Dana is finishing a Physician Assistant program at George Washington University and expects to graduate in May 2016. Austin works for Freddie Mac. They live in Arlington with their dogs Zoey and Tucker.

2001 Lt. Keven Schreiber moved back to Norfolk, Va., in June 2015, for his third tour with the U.S. Navy JAG Corps. He currently serves as the Assistant Force Judge Advocate for Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic.

Recently selected as a specialist in the Military Justice Litigation Career Track, he also continues to be involved with court-martial prosecution and defense work. In his spare time, Keven performs with Plan B, a sketch and improv comedy group.

2006 Kavon Akhtar started a new job at St. Albans School as the Associate Director of Annual Giving and lives in Washington.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 35

to the Middle East in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. On New Year’s Eve 2011, she married her best friend and love of her life, Eric Koepp.

She writes, “It seems like only yesterday that the class of ‘06 was graduating from Flint Hill—every one of the new alumni full of anticipation for what was to come.” She has made amazing friends and travelled around the world several times but will never forget the lessons learned and truly amazing friends from Flint Hill.

Lindsay Bowling married Greg Krajci on May 9, 2015. Four Flint Hill alumnae were her bridesmaids: Heather Bowling ’02, Sonia Gill ’06, Julia Korzeniewski ’06, and Tierney (Sarah) Manning ’06 David Caplan graduated from Emory University in 2010, with a Bachelor of Science in business administration with concentrations in consulting and real estate finance. He played on the Men’s Varsity Tennis team, was a four-year letter winner, starter and captain, and he was also a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity.

In 2013, he received a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is the founding president of HyTech Racing Team and built a hybrid-electric open-wheel car for international race competitions. In 2012-2013, he worked as an engineering consultant at MPR Associates (Washington/Atlanta) and he now works in global project management at ExxonMobil Development Company in Houston.

Michael Freedman recently started working for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) at the Washington Navy Yard as an IT manager. Concurrently, he is pursuing a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Sarah Ball Gonyo graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a Ph.D. in environmental economics, in the spring of 2014, and started working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a natural resource economist. She got married in September 2014, and lives in Reston, where she and her husband bought their first home together.

KC Gordon Koepp graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., with a degree in chemistry and a commission in the United States Marine Corps. She is a KC-130J Super Hercules pilot and has been deployed twice 36 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

After graduating cum laude from Boston College with a double major in history and philosophy, William Lacy received his master’s degree in political science from James Madison University’s European Union Policy Studies program, in Florence, Italy. Thereafter, he relocated to Brussels, where he worked in the Cabinet of the President of the European Parliament, doing research and writing speeches on foreign affairs issues. Will then returned to Washington, where he worked for a time as the senior political fellow for a Syrian-American expat group, liaising with congressional and State Department officials on the Syrian crisis. For the last three years, he has been working for an international telecommunications consulting firm. His responsibilities regularly take him to the company’s international offices in London; Singapore; and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and he recently returned from spending seven months in Sydney.

Ben Nadeau lives in Charleston, S.C., and works as a front end web designer for The Design Group.

Katie Neal graduated from the University of Virginia, in 2010, with a political science degree. She now serves as an education policy advisor in the United States Senate and hopes to one day work for a school system.

She also does improv in Washington and hopes to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro sometime in the next few years.

of Business. Upon graduating, in May, he will begin his new career as a private wealth management associate at Goldman Sachs in Washington.

Tony Rivera-Silva works for Hampton Roads Sanitation District operating a Class 1 wastewater facility. He plans to graduate from an apprenticeship school in 2017, from Hampton Roads Sanitation District and is pursuing a Class 1 wastewater license. He sends his thanks to Science teacher Fred Atwood for instilling in him a passion for science. Tony and his wife, Crystal, are celebrating the birth of their third child, Clare. He reports that life is pretty hectic right now with a newborn in the house, but her two older brothers, eightyear-old Cory and two-year-old Noah, do their best to help.

Daniel Sensi graduated from Old Dominion University (ODU), in May 2010, with a Bachelor of Science in biological oceanography and a minor in biology. At ODU, Tony Rivera-Silva was his roommate during their Freshman year, and they joined the same fraternity, Sigma Nu. A serious health issue set Daniel back from some of his plans for a time but, when his condition improved, he pursued a Master of Science in marine science at the University of South Florida and graduated in 2013. After working with a consulting company, he is now employed with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee, Fla., as the mangrove and deadhead logging coordinator. Daniel and his wife, Stephanie, an orthopedic medical assistant, celebrated their fifth wedding anniversary last summer. They live in Tallahassee, Fla., and enjoy spending time with their friends and playing with their dogs, Tucker and Scooter.

2007 Lizz O’Connor has been living in Boston for the past five years and recently started a new career with Intuit in Cambridge, Mass.

She loves living in close proximity to the mountains, for skiing and hiking, and near Cape Cod for weekend trips during the summer months. She cherishes maintaining friendships with Flint Hill classmates and has had many mini-reunions along the East Coast over the years.

Katie Rosenthal is pursuing a Master of Social Work at Boston University and finds it fulfilling to practice in the community mental health field. She spends much of her time reading and writing papers these days but continues to sing with a local choir and take improv classes on the weekends. She has a two-year-old pug, and has yet to meet a dog she didn’t like. Katie is thankful for the lifelong friendships Flint Hill has given her and is looking forward to the next 10 years.

Lydia Russo is a realtor for Lydia Real Estate LLC, where her brother, Sean Sharifi ‘00, serves as principal broker. The company has had quite a busy year conducting transactions throughout the Washington metropolitan area. She invites the Flint Hill community to contact her with any renting, buying or selling needs.

Andrew Pacala is in the final semester of the Master of Business Administration program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School

Kristin Staffo married Stephen Randall on June 6, 2015, at Lee Chapel, on the campus of Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Va. The reception was held in Charlottesville, Va. The celebration included Trisha Guillen ’07 and Rebecca Morris ’07, who was the maid of honor. The happy couple live in Baltimore, where Kristin is studying at Johns Hopkins University in the Master of Arts in Teaching program.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 37

Trisha Guillen lives in midtown New York and is the owner and design director of Trisha Elena Designs, LLC. Since transitioning from a career in advertising and graduating from the New York School of Interior Design, she has designed, decorated and staged residential homes, commercial spaces and private events throughout the New York, Los Angeles and Washington metropolitan areas.

Her most recent commercial redesign project includes a Columbia University brownstone.

She is also an active member of the New York Junior League and enjoys planning philanthropic events as well as traveling.

University, in May 2012, with a Bachelor of Arts in theater and a minor in communications. Colin graduated from Florida Institute of Technology, in May 2013, with a Bachelor of Science in construction management and minors in business and sustainability. They both work for Kiewit Energy, Colin as a field engineer and Alexis in the Human Resources department. They live in Lusby, Md., and have two adorable puppies, Benji and Bella.

County. He shares that “marriage has brought us so much joy—some of which includes nerf gun fights around our apartment, a trip to ESPN’s College Gameday at JMU, and binge watching Harry Potter/Disney Pixar movies.

We’re loving life and can’t wait for the years to come!”

Colby Miller and wife Lauren are proud to announce the birth of their first child. Weston Joseph Miller was born on October 18, 2015.

Mac Hazel has worked with Royall & Company, a higher education direct marketing firm, in Richmond, Va., since November 2011.

As an account coordinator, he manages 5-10 accounts for various colleges. He previously worked at Hampden-Sydney College in the Admissions Office.

2008

2011 Christopher Heyer graduated cum laude with a degree in computer engineering from the University of Michigan in May 2015, and started a new job in Minneapolis. He works for Open Systems International, a utilities automation solutions provider. In his department, the team develops and builds industrial computers used to monitor and control the smart grid. The company as a whole develops supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, generation management systems, energy management systems, and distribution management systems. They serve many customers across the world.

Chris is very happy with his job and looks forward to a long and successful career.

2012 Hunter Windmuller wrapped up another terrific football season at the College of William & Mary. He was selected as the punter for the 2015 All-CAA Football First Team with a conference leading 43.7 yards per punt.

2010 Alexis Abbey and Colin Barbalace were married on September 6, 2015, at a beautiful ceremony and reception at Riverside on the Potomac, near Leesburg, Va. They dated during their Freshman and Sophomore years at Flint Hill, then went their separate ways for a few years, reuniting in 2011.

Alexis graduated from Christopher Newport 38 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Zack Ayers married Margaret Coyle on August 15, 2015, and they live in Ashburn, Va. Zack works as a UI/UX developer in the Northern Virginia area. Margaret is finishing her master’s degree in elementary education from James Madison University (JMU) and is student-teaching this spring in Loudoun

2013 Connor Chess is in his Junior year at Washington and Lee University’s Williams School of Commerce, Economics and Politics, where he is majoring in politics and Spanish with a minor in Latin America and Caribbean studies. He was awarded the Woolley Fellowship and traveled to Costa Rica to study at the Academia de Español Nicoya and improve his understanding of the Spanish language and culture. He documented his experience through his GoPro camera and posted a video to YouTube (www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MlVHblOQIZo). In April, he will travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to continue his studies. Connor is a member of the Men’s Football team; he led the 2015 ODAC Championship team in rushing. He is also a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and Southern Comfort, an all-male a cappella group.

in the fall of 2015. He serves as an honor support officer at UVA, is in a fraternity, teaches in a Third Grade classroom, and participates in clubs and intramural sports.

This summer, he plans to work for Six3/BIT Systems, a computer solutions firm, where he did his Flint Hill Senior Project and where he has worked during other school breaks.

He credits his experience with the firm for sparking his interest in computer science, especially cyber security.

Courtney Wiley is a Sophomore at the College of William & Mary. Following her passion for dance, she joined the Orchesis Modern Dance Company, which has two public productions a year. She also plans to study abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, this summer. The program includes a community

service-learning internship as well as a dance program.

2015 Logan Cunningham competed as a member of Team USA at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final, in Chicago, in September 2015. She placed ninth in the 19-and-under women’s category and qualified for next year’s World Triathlon in Mexico. From the competition in Chicago, Logan went directly to start her Freshman year at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she is on the school’s Triathlon team.

2014 Victoria Flagg is in her Sophomore year at Brown University, where she studies neuroscience and is on the Equestrian team.

During the summer of 2015, she worked in a genetics lab at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda.

Jake Shevlin is majoring in computer science at the University of Virginia’s (UVA) School of Engineering and plans to minor in applied mathematics. He has been involved in a UVA research project, with several professors, on System-Aware Cyber Security—a project that was presented to the Department of Defense

Flint Hill Alumnae Basketball Visit During the Thanksgiving holiday, several alumnae returned to campus to participate in a scrimmage game with the Flint Hill Girls’ Varsity Basketball team. Pictured with the team are Katie Corrigan ’15, Katherine Doyle ’14, Lauren Foley ’15, Marissa Magnani ’15, and Courtney Wiley ’14.

Flint Hill Alumnae Take Part in the Lower School’s Global Day of Play Katie Pluebell ’99 joined Anna Saleh ’11 and Alyssa Pierno ’11 for Flint Hill’s Lower School Global Day of Play. As a teacher, Katie said about her visit that day, “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to observe and join in the festivities during Flint Hill’s Day of Play. From building three-dimensional games and model watershed regions to dollhouses, space stations, and beyond, each child was happily engaged and enjoyed designing and creating his or her masterpiece. Sliding down the hill on a large makeshift cardboard slide also brought smiles to the students’ faces. It was a fantastic day, and I’m so appreciative of the opportunity to play, too!”

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 39

Alumni Events LADIES’ LUNCHEON FOR PARENTS OF ALUMNI On September 30, the Fourth Annual Ladies’ Luncheon for Parents of Alumni was held at Westwood Country Club. Nearly 40 guests enjoyed catching up with fellow parents, and learning more about the Strategic Vision and campus updates from Headmaster John Thomas.

From left: Elise Abt P ‘13, P ‘15, Shelly Hendrix P ‘13, P ‘16, P ‘20, P ‘20

HOMECOMING ALUMNI TAILGATE Thanks to all of the Flint Hill alumni who joined us during Homecoming Weekend, particularly those who stopped by our Alumni Tailgate. We welcomed back alumni from four decades of our School’s history!

From left: Price Koch ’94, Chris Peterson ’94, Fred Atwood, Blair Gormley ’91, Rob Radan ’94, and Christian Liverman ’95 Front row, from left: Alumni guest, Klondike, Rachel Hawkins ’11, Dorothy Lear Mooney ’74, James Abrahamsen ’11 Back row, from left: Fred Atwood, Price Koch ’94, Jonathan Slater ’88, John Thomas, Ellen Turner ’01, Chris Peterson ’94, Blair Gormley ’91, Andrew Sensi ’04, Alyssa Pierno ’11, Martin Garcia ’11 Chris Herlihy ’09 and Meghan Herlihy Pfotenhauer ’10

40 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

REUNIONS & GATHERINGS TURKEY BOWL Keeping up the annual tradition of football the day after Thanksgiving, a group of alumni joined Varsity Football Coach Tom Verbanic and Director of the Upper School Rico Reed for an afternoon pick-up game on the Turf Field.

Thanks to everyone for a great afternoon of football and friends!

Front row, from left: Rico Reed, Akeem Garnett ’09, Larry Chambers ’12, Elante Moore ’09, Doug Howard ’09, James Farrell ’15, David Rosenblum ’15, Christian Tailor ’15, Bhendari Moore ’11, Coach Tom Verbanic, Jack Swart ’15, Reid Lavin ’15, Damien Jones ’13, Jerrod Reed ’13 Back row, from left: Miles Huskamp ’08, Chris Nelson ’10, Kevin McNerney ’12, Jon Miller ’00

YOUNG ALUMNI TRIVIA NIGHT Alumni from the classes of 2012–2015 gathered on January 4 in the Upper School Commons, to share some food, fun and trivia. They also had the opportunity to catch up with Headmaster John Thomas and faculty members Fred Atwood, Desmond Frost, Carlo Grossman, Rico Reed, and Doug Schoemer. In its second year, the event was a great success and was emceed by Jesse Anderson ’13, Catie Chess ’14 and Connor Chess ’13.

Front row, from left: John Thomas, Carlo Grossman, Jason Police ’15, Jack Swart ’15, John Whitaker ’14, Tommy Doyle ’14, Corey McCarten ’14, Philip Wellde ’14, Dillon Foley ’14, Fred Atwood Middle row, from left: Sahil Chaudhary ’13, Jillian Goulding ’13, Ramon Burris ’12, Katie Corrigan ’15, Catie Chess ’14, Connor Chess ’13, Paul Holland ’14, Tommy Shumway ’15, Courtney Wiley ’14, Matt Montagne ’12 Back row, from left: Annie Montagne ’15, Katherine Doyle ’14, Nick Peterson ’14, Jesse Anderson ’13, Kevin McNerney ’12, Doug Schoemer, Desmond Frost

NEW YORK CITY ALUMNI RECEPTION On Monday, February 1, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted a regional reception in New York City at Tavern 29.

As busy as everyone is in the Big Apple, it was wonderful to see a dozen alumni join us and catch up with fellow Huskies and classmates to make new connections with each other and with those of us from Flint Hill.

Front row, from left: Vik Bajwa ’07, Trisha Guillen ’07, Rachel Kowarski ’07, Allison Lawrence ’06, Justin Biggs ’06 Middle row, from left: Akhil Akula ’08, Somil Mehta ’96, Lucy Mathias ’07, Navin Bhatia ’05 Back row, from left: Headmaster John Thomas, Rob Johnston ’98, Sanjay Gopinath ’03 FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 41

FLINT HILL ALUMNI LUNCHEONS In an effort to stay in touch with alumni whom are still attending college, the Alumni Office traveled to several local schools for lunch. Mia Burton and Howard Chang hosted a group of nine graduates at the University of Virginia at The Virginian in Charlottesville on February 12. Headmaster John Thomas and Alumni Relations Coordinator Justin Fitzgerald had the pleasure of hosting fourteen Flint Hill graduates attending Virginia Tech for lunch on February 17 in Blacksburg. Michele Velchik also had the opportunity to visit our alumni at William & Mary on February 29 and treat a small group to lunch at the DoG Street Pub in Williamsburg (event not pictured). All of the groups had a great time catching up with one another and discussing memories and new events at Flint Hill.

Flint Hill Alumni Luncheon at University of Virginia From left: Lauren Foley ’15, Moksha Sharma ’14, Jillian Hickey ’15, Neeta Singh ’15, Zane Homsi ’15

Flint Hill Alumni Luncheon at Virginia Tech Front row, from left: Nizar Zahed ’12, Claire Cumberland ’15, Marissa Magnani ’15, Kimberly Swart ’12, Savannah Block ’12, Annie Montagne ’15, William Krisko ’15 Back row, from left: Rachel Stottlemyer ’15, Brian Pawlow ’15, Gracie Anderson ’15, Eddie Dean ’15, Michael Tawney ’15, Andrew Kulak ’06.

PARENTS OF ALUMNI RECEPTION On February 18, more than 50 parents of alumni gathered to reconnect with one another and the School at Westwood Country Club for a fun evening of wine tasting. Guests in attendance were parents of alumni from the Classes of 2005–2015.

From left: Loren Busby P ‘13, Gail Romansky P ‘10, P ‘13, David Cohen P ‘10, Cheryl Cohen P ‘10, Jane Busby P ‘13

42 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

2016

REUNION WEEKEND at Flint Hill FRIDAY, MAY 20

ALL-ALUMNI 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Upper School Commons | 6:30 p.m.

Join fellow alumni, Headmaster John Thomas, and current and former faculty and staff, for an evening to celebrate Flint Hill’s 60th Anniversary!

INDIVIDUAL CLASS REUNIONS Various locations and times Reunion Weekend includes celebrations for milestone classes.

If your class ends in 1 or 6, prepare for a special evening planned exclusively for your alumni class. Event registration by class year can be found at www.flinthill.org/reunion16.

FALCON SOCIETY PARTY

SATURDAY, MAY 21

Miller House, Lower and Middle School Campus | 6:00 p.m.

Upper School Commons | Noon

All members of Flint Hill’s Falcon Society are invited to attend a special Reunion Weekend event in the Miller House. We will celebrate graduates from our early days.

CLASS OF 2006 TIME CAPSULE BRUNCH Members of the Class of 2006 are invited to return to campus for a brunch to open time capsules created during their Senior year. This brunch will provide an opportunity to reminisce about where members of our 10th Reunion Class thought they would be as they looked ahead to graduation in 2006.

For more information or to get involved in planning, please contact Alumni Relations Coordinator Justin Fitzgerald at jfitzgerald@flinthill.org or 703.584.2318.

FLINT HILL MAGAZINE | 43

SAVE THE DATE Grandparents & Special Friends Day Friday, May 6, 2016 This is a special morning for our Lower and Middle School students to showcase their work and share their school with members of their extended families.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit www.flinthill.org/parents or contact Tiffany Parry at tparry@flinthill.org or 703.584.2364.

SAVE THE DATE

Flint Hill Golf Invitational

Thursday, May 26, 2016 Westfields Golf Club Clifton, Virginia

11:00 a.m. Registration opens, lunch available 1:00 p.m. Shotgun start, scramble format 6:00 p.m. Dinner and awards All proceeds support the Parents’ Association Endowment for Financial Aid in Honor of Sally Hazel For more information, please visit www.flinthill.org/golf

44 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

The 2016 tournament is co-chaired by: Abbey Ayanian P ’16, P ’18 Taylor Chess P ’13, P ’14, P ’18, P ’21 Andy Fellows P ’09, P ’11, P ’14, P ’15 Andy Helmer P ’21, P ’24 Ted Kramer P ’19, P ’19 Jon Peterson P ’09, P ’10, P ’14

2015-16 FLINT HILL FUND

Make a gift. Make a difference.

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.

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 | 45

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID

3320 Jermantown Road Oakton, VA 22124

Imagine. Play. Grow. Discover.

Academic, athletic and experiential programming for rising Grades K-12 June 20 – August 1, 2016 Discover more at www.flinthill.org/summer.

46 | FLINT HILL SCHOOL

Permit No. 643 Oakton, VA