As the school year begins to come to an end, with finals just around the corner, there has been an increase in the number of reminders and awareness surrounding the amount of missing assignments the Flint Hill Upper School students have. 

Whether it’s the whiteboard displaying the amount of assignments missing, or the emails sent out regarding missing work, many students can feel pressure or an imperative consequence as May 27th approaches. However, after an interview with Jeremiah Shepherd, Flint Hill Upper School’s Dean of Students, it is clear why the Upper School is taking this approach, and the true message they are trying to portray to students.

Firstly, the whiteboard in the middle of the commons can feel to many students as a constant reminder of their gaps as a student, which can lead to feelings of stress and shame because of how many assignments are missing. When Mr. Shepherd was asked about it though, he gave a much better way to look at it, which is to look at it as a community.

“The goal of the whiteboard is not to shame students, but to raise awareness and provide transparency about missing work as a community issue rather than an individual one. I also hoped it would help students see progress being made over time and encourage collective accountability and follow-through.”

Using the whiteboard as a means to bring Flint Hill together to work on turning in missing assignments helps break the isolated stress many students face when trying to tackle their missing assignments. Although the whiteboard isn’t there as of now, the idea still stands to show students that they are not alone in this.

Next, many students also feel like if their missing assignments are formative, it isn’t necessary to turn it in, as it won’t affect their final grade. Shepherd also talked about that, and how not only formative work does help students make summative assessments and work easier, but also how it builds good habits for students later in life.

“Every assignment, both summative and formative, serves a purpose. Teachers should be appreciated for how intentional they are in preparing students for larger assessments, discussions, labs, writing assignments, and exams. Beyond grades, consistently completing work is also connected to habits like responsibility, communication, follow-through, and self-advocacy.”

Even if your missing assignment is on a topic or unit you already finished, there is a benefit in turning it in, whether that be reviewing an old topic as finals approach, or even to just work towards zero missing assignments.  Also, it shows respect for your teachers who put thought and intentionality into what assignments they assign.

In addition, there has been some confusion regarding many students who have missing assignments that they believe have been completed. Many students believe responding to the email they get about said missing assignment is all they can do, but Mr. Shepherd talks about what are the right steps to take to guarantee you can sort it out.

“ The first step is always to communicate directly with the teacher. In many cases, work may have been submitted but not yet updated in Husky Hub. Students should follow up proactively so teachers can confirm receipt and update the gradebook if needed.”

A lot of missing assignments could very well just be miscommunications or believed errors, so taking time to rectify and fix them can lessen the burden greatly.

Lastly, Shepherd had some last remarks to add concerning his role as the Dean of Students for the Upper School, and what he wants for the students of Flint Hill.

“I would also add that, as Dean of Students, my role extends far beyond Missing Work. A large part of what I do is supporting students through challenges, […] making sure students feel connected and successful here. Missing Work has understandably been a major focus, but my hope is always that students see these efforts as part of a larger commitment to supporting them, not simply enforcing rules. My hope is always for students to see every conversation, both good and challenging, as rooted in support rather than punishment.”

Overall, especially during this time of the year, with graduation, AP Tests, and finals, missing assignments can feel like another weight on students shoulders, but a small shift in perspective and understanding where the push to turn it in is coming from can help alleviate part of that load.