| Emotions run high
(Note: "... patriotism runs deep at Flint Hill." It must run so deep that the flag must be hidden from view, no longer displayed. Contact information for the 'school' is posted immediately following the article, so you may get involved if you so desire.) April 14-20, 2003 By John McCaslin Page 6, "Inside the Beltway" National Weekly Edition of the Washington Times To submit a Letter to the Editor: letters@washingtontimes.com It is certainly ironic that the lone photograph accompanying the mission and philosophy statement of Flint Hill School, an independent college-preparatory school in Northern Virginia 15 miles west of the nation's capital, is of a young girl raising the U.S. flag. Because when Flint Hill's assistant engineer, John Short, Jr., unfurled Old Glory from the school's rooftop on April 1, he was fired. "In a rage, I was told to leave my keys, clean out my locker, and leave the campus quietly," Mr. Short tells Inside the Beltway. Flint Hill Headmaster Thomas C. Whitworth III, who purportedly was behind the dismissal, did not return repeated telephone calls. One school official confirmed there was a "misunderstanding" but stressed patriotism runs deep at Flint Hill. No question about that, given that students on the upper campus were distributing handmade fliers in the past week supporting Mr. Short and his flying of the U.S. flag. "It's a two-story [tall] U.S. flag that we've hung from the roof since September 11th," Mr. Short explains. "We even flew the flag the entire week during spring break -- when nobody else was here -- to show support for our troops." Asked to recall the events of April 1, Mr. Short says he arrived to work more than an hour early and, with the assistance of another school employee, unfurled the flag at 6:15 a.m. But for some reason -- that same morning -- a message had been posted on the facilities department bulletin board stating not to display the flag. The assistant engineer says he's uncertain why the school, after all this time, decided to stop flying the flag, particularly with U.S. troops engaged in war. "The flag came down at 10:20 a.m.," he says. "I acted as respectful as I could, and left the campus." Two days after he was fired, Mr. Short says he was called back to Flint Hill and asked to submit a letter of resignation. He declined. "How can I quit when I was already fired?" he says. "If that's the only result of this," Mr. Short adds, "I'm happy to have done it for my country." http://www.washingtontimes.com Additional information: The following is a letter from the Headmaster of Flint Hill School sent to all parents, members of the Board of Trustees, faculty, and staff. April 10, 2003 Dear Parents, I want to make you fully aware of two issues involving our upper school * the display of the large United States flag on the side of the building and the alleged dismissal of an Assistant Engineer at the upper school. You may have either read an article in The Washington Times, or heard about them on WMAL radio. Many rumors and inaccurate statements are being made about these issues. The two media outlets have sensationalized both issues in an attempt to portray the school as being unpatriotic. This could not be further from the truth. This letter is to clarify the facts. United States flags are displayed every day on the flagpoles in front of the two campuses. Additionally, since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, Flint Hill's upper school has periodically draped a large United States flag from the side of our building. During Flint Hill's spring break, the United States went to war with Iraq. At my request, the large United States flag was displayed on the building during the last week of vacation. On the last Friday of spring break, I met with some faculty and staff members to determine how the war with Iraq should be discussed in our classes. At that time, it was agreed that the large flag would not be displayed for a few days while we as a school community determined the best way to support our troops, their families and the innocent victims of the war. On Tuesday, April 1st, two employees of Flint Hill School, with full knowledge and in spite of the directive, hung the large flag. I met with the two employees and suspended them until Friday, April 4th, when I asked them to meet with me to discuss their actions. One employee returned to work on Friday and one employee on his own chose not to return. After the faculty and staff meetings this past week, it was agreed that the large flag would once again be displayed at the upper school. In addition, discussions with the lower, middle and upper school faculty and students have been taking place to initiate students* input on how they would like to support the troops. From those discussions, the students will be: writing letters to the troops; writing birthday notes to them; holding fundraisers to support the children of troops and children in Iraq; helping the wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center by purchasing books, game-boys, and telephone calling cards for them; and the 8th grade students have decided to hold a more modest year-end dance for which they have been raising money. The money saved will be going to organizations dealing with humanitarian issues. These are just a few of the actions the students are taking to support the troops, their families and the innocent victims of the war. I hope this information is helpful to you. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any additional questions. Sincerely, Tom Whitworth, Headmaster http://www.flinthill.org/mainletter.html Flint Hill School East Campus (Grades JK-8) 10409 Academic Dr. Oakton, Virginia 22124 Fax: 703-242-0718 West Campus (Grades 9-12) 3320 Jermantown Road Oakton, Virginia 22124 703-584-2300 Fax: 703-584-2369 Mission: Our commitment is to develop in a caring community an individual who seeks excellence and embraces the "Driving Spirit" of Flint Hill School. Philosophy: Flint Hill School, founded in 1956 and reorganized in 1989, has been created and shaped through the years by a blending of constituencies. The faculty and student body are encouraged to experience the joy of learning and growing in a community of many members and to appreciate the riches of the diverse environment of the Greater Washington Area. The school enrolls students from Junior-Kindergarten through grade twelve who exhibit high standards of character and conduct and the potential for achieving success in a demanding academic program. Different learning styles are recognized and personalized attention given; special academic help is offered -- as long as the student responds positively and diligently. Learning how to learn, through mastery of critical thinking, problem solving and writing skills, is given as much attention as mastery of subject matter. The curriculum requires a traditional core of courses for graduation, carefully balanced with a stimulating mix of electives in order to prepare the student for the most exacting college programs. Aesthetic awareness and creativity are cultivated through studies in the arts; the athletic program encourages and demands the best from all participants not only in skill development, but also, sportsmanship, teamwork, self-discipline and leadership; and the experiential education program, which utilizes the resources of the surrounding region, fosters personal growth, hands-on learning, and respect for the natural world. Moral and ethical growth is emphasized in an environment guided by the ethical ideals of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Honor, integrity, personal responsibility, and how we treat one another are critical values. In a world of momentous and rapid change, the Flint Hill student is encouraged: to cherish time-tested democratic ideals of a free society; to seek to understand diverse cultures and beliefs; to think globally, analytically and responsibly about complex world issues; and to respond locally through service to others. At the heart of the Flint Hill philosophy is the belief that the community life of the school inspires students to respect individual differences in social, intellectual, racial and religious backgrounds while enjoying the rich experience of being bound together by service to the shared life of the school. Students who establish deep and lasting friendships through caring for others, who take responsibility for maintaining the high quality of campus life, will experience a truth of lasting value: that the Flint Hill experience is not merely a stepping stone to college, but one that has lifelong meaning and deep satisfaction. About FHS: Learning to think critically, solve problems and communicate effectively is at the heart of a Flint Hill School education. Offering programs from junior kindergarten through grade twelve, Flint Hill enrolls approximately 900 girls and boys from more than 700 families, with plans to increase enrollment to 1100 students over the next few years. Our two beautifully landscaped campuses are located in Oakton, VA. ... Flint Hill School was reorganized in 1989 by a group of educators who dreamed of an institution that asked the question: is what we're doing beneficial for the children? By way of an answer, students are encouraged to understand divergent cultures, to think globally, to act responsibly and to develop their talents and skills as lifelong learners. That energy and vision, translated into practical and academic experiences, is visible in the classroom, on the playing field, in the Commons, lunchroom, and throughout the School community. It is always good to keep the following in mind, when things are done illegally by whoever: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people." - 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution |