Cultivating minds and hearts through the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
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Newsletter
September 9, 2019
Table of Contents:
- HM Letter
- Community Investment
- Athenaeum Closed on Friday
- After School Clubs
- Journeying through Art
- Attendance
- Walk-up Pickup
- Notes from Nurse
- Scholar Spotlight
- Living our Curriculum
- PSO - Teacher Luncheon
- Important Dates
- Important Links
- School Contact Info
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LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER
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Dear Spartan families,
During my senior year of college, I lived with an old high school buddy. Things were great, and we were good friends. We cooked and cleaned, paid bills on time, and renovated the back patio of our duplex until it was the perfect spot for grilling and listening to music. Things were great until one day in November.
I came home from class and knew right away that something was bothering him. When I asked him about it, he exploded. I had not been refilling the ice cube trays.
This was perplexing to me… I love ice as much as the next guy, but I couldn’t figure out why he was so upset about the ice cubes. Then I realized it had been bothering him for a long time, and he was just now coming to me.
For months, I was oblivious to his complaint, while at the same time, for months, he was upset that I continued to neglect the refilling. I had no idea there was a problem, and this poor guy kept replaying hypothetical conversations where he’d ask me to stop leaving them on the counter, and he had been simmering for several months that I still kept forgetting. So that day, it was conversation #1 for me, but conversation #30 for him.
This can happen anywhere and anytime… in business, with a spouse, and even at a school.
If you have any concerns as parents, please contact your student’s teacher and respectfully voice them. The alternative is a scenario where your resentment builds and frustration grows, all the while, the teacher is unaware, and the whole time, your student isn’t getting help.
We all want what’s best for your student; for them to be safe, be learning, and be happy. If you have concerns, please bring them up to your teacher so we can be on the same page, working together to give our students the best we can.
Best,
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Matthew Vlahovich
Headmaster
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Community Investment Update
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My name is Johanna Garcia and, among other things, it is my privilege to serve Great Hearts Western Hills through running our annual Community Investment Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise much needed funds for our school and the incredible people who teach our children.
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I am also a mom of five Great Hearts students: 3 GHWH Spartans in Kinder, 2nd & 6th as well as 2 GHNO Griffins in 8th & 10th grade! Our family supports the CI Campaign, and I invite you to do the same.
This is the single most important way you can support our teachers and our school!
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As a charter school, we receive approximately $-1,500.00 less per child in funding which translates into each classroom being
underfunded
by $-35,000 to $-40,000, equating to
over $-850,000 less
for our school than your ISD school around the corner from your home.
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Please join our mission & support GHWH
!
Parents partnering with our school - a meaningful gift for a quality education!
Set up your Community Investment contributions
here
(We ask that families who are able give $1,200 per school year for each student. This helps us fill the gap between what we receive from the state (about $1500 less per student than district schools) versus what it actually takes to run our prep-school program. Consider giving $120 per month from September to June to meet this $1,200 per student need. Please note: if you are unable to give the requested amount, a gift at any level is greatly appreciated! Our online donation set up allows for you to choose the amount that suits your family. If you have any questions about Community Investment or how to partner with us to support the school please contact me at:
johanna.garcia@greatheartswesternhills.org.
Thank you to all the families who are already giving to the Community Investment Campaign for the 2019-20 school year! We are so grateful for your support.
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Athenaeum
Important Note:
There is NO ATHENAEUM service on Friday
. Athenaeum after school enrichment program is
CLOSED on Friday, September 13
so that staff may attend the annual Great Hearts Summit. All children will need to be picked up through the regular school car-line or school walk-up pick up. Yellow pick up placard is required. If you need an additional placard, please contact the front office at: 210-888-9488 or
info@greatheartswesternhills.org
.
The entire school will be closed and no one will be on-site after car-line is completed.
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Reminder that club release time is 4:50 PM. Scholars not picked up within 10 minutes will be charged a $1/minute late fee. After school clubs dismiss through the side (car-line) door not through the front lobby.
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GHWH scholars are beginning to journey into Mesopotamia during the month of September.
"History of Mesopotamia, history of the region in southwestern
Asia
where the world’s earliest civilization developed. The name comes from a Greek word meaning “between rivers,” referring to the land between the
Tigris and Euphrates rivers
, but the region can be broadly defined to include the area that is now eastern
Syria
, southeastern
Turkey
, and most of
Iraq
. The region was the centre of a
culture
whose influence extended throughout the
Middle East
and as far as the Indus valley,
Egypt
, and the Mediterranean."
-taken from Britannica.com
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Attendance
Please note: we receive daily funding for
all students who are in their classrooms at 10:00 AM
. Therefore,
we encourage parents to schedule doctor appointments before or after that time so that students can be in their seats at 9:55 AM
. Please bring a doctor's note for all doctor appointments or they can fax it directly to us at 210-888-9484. (Please specify GHWH on all faxes.) With a doctor's note, we are able to mark your student as "present" and not lose much-needed funding!
Please remember to relay any planned absences to your student's teacher. For all other questions or concerns related to absences (that cannot be addressed by your teacher directly), send an email directly to:
Attendance@GreatHeartsWesternHills.org
. Additionally, please email all absence notifications as well to:
Attendance
.
Calling the attendance line is not necessary.
Please turn in all sick or doctor notes within 2 days of the absence
. Written documentation must be provided for ALL days your student is absent from school. Acceptable forms of written documentation include email, handwritten letter, or doctor's note. If a doctor's note is not applicable, please use this form when submitting a note for absence(s):
Absent Note
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Walk-Up Pick Up
Pets (including but not limited to dogs) are
not
allowed in the walk up pick up line outside or in the school lobby
(with the exception of dogs used for medical necessity by patrons).
Reminder to bring car placards at pick up. We will enforce the rule of
no placard, no pick up
. School faculty is not be allowed to "vouch" for a parent or guardian. If you do not have the yellow placard, you will be required to go to the school lobby and show a picture I.D. so that we can verify you in the computer system as being on the authorized pick up list.
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Notes from the Nurse
- Walk in hours are 7:50 am-2:30 PM for medicine drop offs, refills, paperwork, discussions, etc.
- Fever/Vomit/diarrhea illness-if your student has fever/vomiting/diarrhea, he or she must be free from any of those symptoms for a full 24 hours without the use of medications before returning to school. Example- Tylenol is given for fever. Re-dosing is 4-6 hrs. So, after 6 hrs. re-assess temperature. If no fever is present, then start counting the 24 hrs.
- Please send extra uniforms with your student in case of accidents. Even the older kids may spill lunch down their shirt or vomit, it is not just bathroom accidents!
- Parent Notes-Students may be excused only from physical activities by a ‘parent note’ for 3 consecutive school days only. After this time a physician note is required.
- Hearing, vision, spinal, and diabetes screenings will happen in October. Stay tuned for more information.
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Scholar Spotlight
Is your child participating in something special? Is there a unique situation that you'd love to highlight? GHWH would love to publish a Scholar Spotlight in our newsletters. If there is something you are proud of and want to share, please send an email along with a photo to our Director of Community Engagement:
Johanna Garcia
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Living the Great Hearts Curriculum
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Did you know that in every classroom at Great Hearts Western Hills, we have nine virtues illustrated and mounted on the walls? The nine virtues we seek to especially promote in our school as embodying a Great Hearts scholar! Here are the ones we have in our Fifth Grade Classrooms which include historical figures from our curriculum as well as illustrations from some of the classics we study.
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A Note from the PSO
Teacher Appreciation Committee
We're pleased to announce the first Teacher Appreciation Luncheon will be held on
Friday, September 20th
in the MPR. For those families who are new to GHWH, these luncheons are for our teachers and staff to enjoy once a month before a Staff Development Meeting. All food, drinks and desserts are provided by our generous families at GHWH! This initial luncheon we are asking all grade level families to participate. The SignUp Genius will be open to any family willing to donate a food or beverage item(s). Simply click on the SignUp Genius Link below, choose an item you would like to prepare for the luncheon and click the Submit button at the bottom of the page. Depending on the luncheon there may be several pages to look through.
September's luncheon will be "Taco-bout Our GREAT Teachers!" It's obviously a taco themed luncheon and we will be setting up a Taco Bar. Please have your item(s) delivered hot and ready to serve by 1:15pm on Friday Sept. 20th.
Some items listed on the sign up will ask to indicate what you are bringing in the comments section so that we don't have too many duplicates. We thank you all so much for everything you do and contribute to our teachers and staff.
IMPORTANT: We ask that you bring your donated food items in either disposable containers or LABEL your container so that we will not dispose of the container. You can pick up your container(s) immediately after the luncheon (approximately 3pm) or Monday morning at the front desk,
please
try to pick them up
as soon as possible
. The containers will be rinsed, but not fully washed.
Here’s a list of this year’s teacher’s luncheons, notice there are designated grade levels this year:
Sept 20
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School Wide Participation Taco-bout Our Great Teachers!
Oct 11
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1
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Grade Tailgate Theme
Nov 15
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2
nd
& Kinder Thankful Brunch
Dec 4
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School Wide Participation Dessert Buffet
Jan 10
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3
rd
Grade “Souper” Bowl Theme
Feb 14
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4
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Grade Cowboy Brunch
March 27
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5
th
& 6
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Grades Build Your Own Sub
Again, thank you so much for all you do for our teachers and staff, it is very much appreciated!
Sincerely,
Teacher Appreciation Committee
Crystal Amaro
Melissa Sauceda
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Important Dates
- Monday, September 9, 10:30 AM, 2nd & 3rd Grandparents/Special Friends Day
- Tuesday, September 10, 10:30 AM - 4th-6th Grandparents/Special Friends Day
- Friday, September 13, Dismissal at 1:25 PM - NO ATHENAEUM
- Friday, September 20, Dismissal at 1:25 PM, R & R Weekend, Spirit Day
- Friday, September 27, Dismissal at 1:25 PM
- Monday, October 28, - School (Individual) Picture Day
Don't forget to re-sync your digital calendars!
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Faculty and Staff Phone/E-Mail Reference
To speak to anyone at Great Hearts Western Hills, please call the school at
(210) 888-9488
and listen for the extension of the party you are wanting to reach.
Administration:
Leadership:
SPED & Interventionists
:
Athenaeum:
Parent Service Organization:
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You are receiving this email because you have a child registered at Great Hearts Western Hills. If you need to update your email, please contact
Johanna.Garcia@GreatHeartsWesternHills.org
or click "unsubscribe" below.
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