The SCA Singing Grams are one of the most entertaining traditions at Flint Hill, and they are loved by students. Singing Grams are songs performed by members of the faculty with much enthusiasm around Valentine’s Day. Fun clothes, props, and lots of dancing are often involved.
This year, the SCA offered a lottery for students to be selected to send a Singing Gram to a friend. To enroll in the lottery, students filled out a brief Google form with their name, email address, and grade. If a student were selected, they would receive the options and blocks for which faculty volunteers would be available. Students had the option to send a performance during their friend’s lunch block, free period, or class.
Singing Grams are just as much fun for faculty as they are for students. When signing up to perform Singing Grams, faculty members are able to choose the songs they perform and with whom they sing. In Upper School Visual Arts teacher Nikki Brugnoli’s case, she has been performing with Upper School History teacher Kristoff Kolhagen for about five years. They have even developed a playlist they recycle and add to as new ideas and inspiration hit them. Some of their favorite songs to perform are “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Sweet Caroline,” and “Love Shack.” Typically, they’ll perform a mashup of three songs per performance.
Ms. Brugnoli shares that if they know the student well, they’ll make song selections based on their knowledge of them, but their main goal is to put together a performance that will be a great experience for all students. Lastly, she shares that her favorite part of Singing Grams is “having fun with Mr. Kolhagen and making everyone laugh. It’s one of the few times in the school year we can be super silly and model those meaningful risks we hope our students will take. It’s also fun to try to level up our outfits from year to year. We always aim to put on a good show.”
This unique Flint Hill tradition allows students to take time to let loose and have fun with their peers during stressful days. Singing grams are one of the many traditions that contribute to the enjoyable, relaxed, and supportive learning environment Flint Hill encompasses.
