Cultivating minds and hearts through the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty

Visit our website Newsletter October 14, 2019 Table of Contents:     Happy Fall Break Recess Volunteers Needed Upcoming Health Screenings Singapore Night for Parents AAC Applications Yearbook Contest deadline Buy yearbook Reading Groups School Pictures P/T Conferences Fall Family Picnic Concert Attire Round-Up No Halloween @GHWH Literary Character Day Important Dates "Virtue" published by Great Hearts Institute

Happy Fall Break to all of our Great Hearts Western Hills families! We hope you are able to attend your child/children's Parent-Teacher conference(s) either today or tomorrow and then spend some much needed time stepping away from the formal classroom. See you again on Monday, October 21.

Volunteers Needed for Recess

We are going to offer playground volunteers. Please email Dean Arredondo if you are interested ( You will not be able to volunteer for your child's grade level due to conflict of interest). Thank you.

Required Health Screenings

It is that time of year…annual hearing, vision, and diabetes screenings start the week of Oct. 21 st and run through Nov. 30 th .   For Scoliosis screenings: this is for 10 and 12 year old girls only . Please have your student wear a tank top or sports bra under their uniform polo. This screening will take place 10/23/19. If your student is under the care of a physician for spinal issues or you would like to opt-out due to religious beliefs, please return the affidavit linked here on Oct 21 st .

Singapore Night for Parents Tuesday, October 22 5:30-7:00 PM GHWH - MPR (This is an adult only event.)

Academic Advisory Committee (AAC) We are looking to add a few more committee members to our Academy Advisory Committee (AAC) and are now taking applications for service on the AAC for Great Hearts Western Hills. Chaired by the headmaster and consisting of 8-12 members including parents, guardians and faculty, this group will serve as an important forum for communication and consultation at our academy. In quarterly meetings, the committee will discuss ideas for activities and initiatives at the school while also listening to feedback from the campus community. If you feel called to serve our academy in this capacity, please review the  guidelines   and complete the attached  application   and return it on or before  October 25, 2019   to  [email protected]   .  Please disregard the timeline listed on the guidelines page and adhere to the October 25, 2019 submission deadline. When completing the application form, please use the current 2019-20 academic year when answering questions.   Should you have any questions regarding this process, please feel free to reach out to our campus at: (210) 888-9488 option 2 or email  Johanna Garcia   .

Yearbook Contest Open to all GHWH 5th & 6th Graders

Deadline for entries is October 28, 2019 .  Click here to download the contest flyer. Buy your yearbook today! To reserve a copy of your yearbook, click here to purchase!  Yearbook sales will be online only! Hurry and purchase your copy today! Yearbooks will be delivered to your child the last week of school.

Reading Group Volunteers Needed We need you! Do you have 1 hour a week to come listen to our scholars practice reading aloud? Please come share your gift of time with a child and soak up the joy of listening to small voices grow into blooming readers! Click here to sign up for a slot (or two or more)! This is part of GHWH's initiative to create improved readers over the course of the 2019-2020 school year! Please choose to be a part of opening the door to the world of books and independent reading and greater reading fluency. Share this vounteer opportunity with a co-worker, a friend, a grandparent, and/or a neighbor! All are welcome as long as they submit a background check and are cleared. If you have any questions regarding reading groups, please reach our to K-2 AHM, Mrs. Absher; [email protected] .

Individual School Photos Monday, October 28 is school picture day. Online purchases may be made by clicking here . School code: XY409113Q0 (Wednesday, December 4 are re-takes should your child be sick or you are unhappy with the photos taken on the 28th of October. We do not offer spring individual photos)

Parent-Teacher Conferences Refer to your scholar's classroom newsletter for the sign-up for your child's parent-teacher conference. If you have any questions about the sign-ups, please email your scholar's teacher. Conferences are Monday & Tuesday, October 14 & 15. There is no school the entire week of October 14-18, 2019. These are student Fall Break holidays.

Fall Family Picnic We are proud to announce that GHWH will be hosting our first ever Fall Family Picnic on Saturday, October 26th from 5:00-8:00 PM. This event will be open to all GHWH families and relatives. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, canopies Bring any yard games you would like to share with other GHWH families Pack your own food and drinks or better yet, buy dinner from an on-site food truck! Brisket Boys Food Truck and Tacos Los Hermanos Food Trucks Snoopy’s Snow Cones & More dessert food truck This is going to be a fun, relaxing evening to allow GHWH families to get to know one another. Petco has generously offered use of their parking lot for families to park. Food Truck Menus

Concert Attire 3rd-6th Graders are required to wear concert attire for the Winter Concert held on Friday, November 22. Participation in the concert by the 3rd-6th graders counts for 30% of your scholar's music grade. (K, 1st & 2nd on campus winter recitals will wear their regular school uniforms.) Scholars are only required to attend on their individual grade level designated days: Tuesday, November 19, 4:15 PM, Kinder Winter Recital @ GHWH MPR Wednesday, November 20, 4:15 PM, 1st Grade Winter Recital @ GHWH MPR Thursday, November 21, 4:15 PM, 2nd Grade Winter Recital @ GHWH MPR Friday, November 22, 6 PM (5:30 PM Student call back), Winter Concert for 3rd-6th grades @ SAC, McAllister Fine Arts Center Concert attire is as follows:

Boys  • Black dress pants • White dress shirt • Black necktie • Black dress socks • Black dress shoes • Hair needs to be combed and out of the eyes and cut according to the family handbook stipulations • Black belts are optional; no suspenders Girls • Black modest-length skirt with white blouse or black modest-length dress with a white cardigan (No spaghetti-straps) • Girls may choose but not required to wear black or nude tights • Black dress shoes or black dress sandals (no flipflops) • Hair should be neat and not distracting to the scholar nor the audience. No distracting hair accessories (no "cheer" size bows). If using one, bows or hairbands should be solid white or solid black

Save the Date! Mother & Son Round-Up!

Early Bird Tickets purchased October 18-November 1 $30 per mom/son $5 for each additional son Regular Price Tickets: November 2-November 10  $40 per mom/son $5 for each additional son

A Special Note about Celebrating our Curriculum Instead of Secular Holidays In keep ing with the Great Hearts policy of no pop-culture, GHWH does not celebrate Halloween on campus. We do not allow goodie bags, candy, treats or anything related to Halloween on our campus. Scholars are required to wear their regular school uniform on October 31st. The same applies to other secular holidays (e.g. Valentine's Day) that are not part of our historical curriculum. Great Hearts does have celebrations to honor our curriculum which covers our classical literature and our historical curriculum. Keep an eye out for specifics regarding our Literary Character Day on Friday, November 8. Details will be published in upcoming newsletters.

Literary Character Day Friday, November 8, 2019 Friday, November 8, 2019 is Literary Character day at GHWH. Your scholar is invited to dress up as a literary character from one of the books they have read during their time at GHWH or from a book that is in line with the type of books we read at Great Hearts. Please do not send your child to school in a costume that is a reference to pop culture. We also ask that you follow the following guidelines for your child's costume:   1. Shoulders need to be covered. No tank tops, sleeveless shirts, or spaghetti straps, please.  2. Bottoms (dresses, skirts, or shorts) should be no shorter than two inches above the knee. 3. Athletic shoes are still required. No sandals, flip-flops, or heels.    If your child's costume meets these requirements, they do NOT need to wear their uniform underneath. If your child's costume doesn't meet these requirements, they need to wear their uniform underneath. School uniform is required for anyone choosing not to dress up. Anyone not in compliance will need to call home and have a change of clothes brought to them.

Important Dates Monday & Tuesday, October 14 & 15, Parent-Teacher Conferences October 13-18 - Fall Break, no school for students Tuesday, October 22, 5:30-7:00 PM, Singapore Math Night for Parents Thursday, October 24, PSO Quarterly Meeting Friday, October 25, Dismissal at 1:25 PM Friday, October 25, 11:00 AM, Snowflake Fund Committee Meeting (all are welcome) Saturday, October 26, 5-8 PM. GHWH Fall Family Picnic Monday, October 28, - School (Individual) Picture Day Monday, October 28, Yearbook Cover Contest Deadline Friday, November 8, Literary Character Day (more details to come) Wednesday, November 13, Open Enrollment for potential families for the 2020-2021 school year starts Saturday, November 16, 6:00-8:00 PM, Mother-Son Round-Up, MPR Tuesday, November 19, 4:15 PM, Kinder Winter Recital @ GHWH MPR Wednesday, November 20, 4:15 PM, 1st Grade Winter Recital @ GHWH MPR Thursday, November 21, 4:15 PM, 2nd Grade Winter Recital @ GHWH MPR Friday, November 22, 6 PM (5:30 PM Student call back), Winter Concert for 3rd-6th grades @ SAC, McAllister Fine Arts Center Don't forget to re-sync your digital calendars!

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