Cultivating minds and hearts through the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty
Newsletter
August 19, 2019

Table of Contents:  
 
  • HM Letter
  • PSO Mtg
  • Spirit Night @ CFA
  • Lunch Volunteer Sign-up
  • HM Coffee
  • Amazon Smile
  • Pancake Breakfast
  • Car line
  • Curriculum Night
  • Room Parents
  • Yearbook Committee
  • Community Investment
  • Media Release Info
  • Classic to Keep
  • Archived Newsletters
  • Important Dates
  • Important Links
  • School Contact Info

LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

Greetings Spartan families,
 
We had a great first few days of school! Even with the expected chaos of Day 1, the building was full of smiling faces. The gym was full of laughter, and classrooms were busy teaching procedures and getting into curriculum.
 
Thank you also for your patience. On our first day of pick up, we were battling a tech issue – iPads shutting down due to the heat. While we as staff were certainly experiencing the heat, we weren’t expecting our devices to turn off. We appreciate your understanding as we work through the processes and seek to discover if the process itself needs to be modified, or if practice and familiarity will be enough to expedite pick-up. Our realistic hope is that while the line is long, it will move quickly.
 
This week, in a moment of frustration, I shared with my mother that both of my boys answer all my questions about their day at school with, “fine.”
 
How was art?                   Fine.
How was recess?             Fine.
 
She laughed and told me I was the exact same, but my response was always, “pretty good.”
 
I remember a parent in AZ telling me about a list he found online, so after a quick Google search, I found some better, open-ended questions to ask. They are shared here for your convenience. Give some of these a try as you initiate conversations with your student, and good luck!
 
  • What was your favorite item in your lunch?
  • What games did you play at recess?
  • What was the funniest thing that happened today?
  • Did anyone do anything super nice for you?
  • What was the kindest thing you did for someone else?
  • Who made you smile today?
  • What new fact did you learn today?
  • What challenged you today?
  • What would you rate your day on a scale of 1 to 10? Why?
  • If one of your classmates could be the teacher for the day who would you want it to be? Why?
  • If you had the chance to be the teacher tomorrow, what would you teach the class?
  • What is your teacher's most important rule?
  • What is the most popular thing to do at recess?
  • Does your teacher remind you of anyone else you know? How?
  • Tell me something you learned about a friend today.
  • When did you feel most proud of yourself today?
  • What rule was the hardest to follow today?
  • Which area of your school is the most fun?
  • Which playground skill do you plan to master this year?
 
Best,

Matthew Vlahovich
Headmaster
From our PSO
Lunch Room Volunteer Sign up . Please come help during lunch times. Sign up \

PSO 19-20 Meeting:
Tuesday, August 20

Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night:
Thursday, August 29 from 4-7 PM
Headmaster Coffee

Please come to our first Headmaster Coffee, Wednesday, August 21 at 10:30 AM in the MPR. Click here to RSVP.
Amazon Smile - Support GHWH

Donate to the school at the same time by using Amazon Smile!

Use this link to log into your normal Amazon account but through Amazon Smile. Find "Great Hearts Texas" and a percent of your purchases will be given to GHWH.
GHWH Dad's Group

invites all GHWH families to attend the first ever

GHWH Pancake Breakfast!
  • Saturday, August 24
  • 8:00 to 10:00 AM
  • Location: GHWH School Grounds

Bring the whole family! Donations to cover cost will graciously be accepted.
Car-Line - Two Small Reminders
  • Please attach the car placard to either your visor or hang it from your rear view mirror. (Helpful Hint: some parents choose to stick the placard inside a clear sheet protector and hang the sheet protector from the rear view mirror using a child's pants hanger which is easy to hang and remove when not in use.)
  • We are a right turn only car line and ask that cars not attempt to enter our driveway from the left/middle of the intersection. Please circle the block if necessary in order to enter through the back of the line to keep order and ensure safety.
Curriculum Night
Tuesday, August 27
5:30 to 7:55 PM
Please make child care arrangements and plan to join us for Curriculum Night on Tuesday, August 27 from 5:30 to 7:50 PM. Curriculum Night is a special evening for parents to come to school and experience a day in the life of their student(s). Parents will visit their child's classrooms and teachers, get an introduction to our curriculum and even receive a lesson on some subjects. This is a parent only event-- no students please. 
 
We hope to see you there!

Curriculum Night Schedule :

Parents with 1 scholar:

  • 5:30-6:00 PM - General session in the MPR
  • 6:10 PM. - Proceed to your scholar's classroom
  • 6:40 PM - Parents are dismissed

Parents with more than one scholar:

  • 6:10 PM - Begin in one of your scholar's classrooms (parent's choice which one to attend)
  • 6:50-7:20 PM - Proceed to the MPR for the general session
  • 7:30 PM - Proceed to one of your scholar's classrooms
  • 7:55 PM - Parents are dismissed
Room Parents

Are you interested in serving the school as a room parent? Please email your child's teacher if you are interested. Room parents will be selected by the end of the month and announced in September. In order to become a room parent, you must also submit a background check form. (Link to the form is located at the bottom of this newsletter as well as on the school website.)

Room Parent Responsibilities include:

  • Helping with classroom projects (cutting, organizing, copying)
  • Putting up student work and decorating bulletin boards
  • Helping to plan quarter parties by coordinating volunteers and asking for donations using sign up genius
  • Sending out email reminders to your class about school events and volunteer opportunities
  • Sharing teacher favorites lists with your class
  • Decorating teachers doors for teacher appreciation week
Yearbook Committee

Save the Date! First yearbook committee meeting, Friday, September 6th at 9:00 AM . We are looking for volunteers to serve GHWH through this wonderful opportunity.
GHWH Community Investment
Don't forget to schedule your donation today ! Families who sign up for a monthly donation or fulfill a $1,200.00/year pledge will be given a car decal in appreciation for your support! Click here to support our wonderful education so that we can retain, reward and hire the best teachers! As a reminder, we do not send fundraisers home with your child so that 100% of what you invest in our school, stays at our school and directly support's your child's classroom!

Click here to schedule your donation today!
Media Release

We would LOVE to give you a glimpse into the classroom from time to time by sharing photos and video clips in our campus newsletter, classroom newsletter, and private Facebook groups, etc. If you choose to update your media release from "limited" to include all media, please fill out this form and email it to our school office .
Classics to Keep

The list for each grade's Classics to Keep list is located on our school website. You may find it by clicking here . In order to assist parents who may need to plan the book purchases, the following are the first two books that will be used in each grade level.

  • Kinder: "Little Bear" & "Little Bear's Visit" (Kindergarten will not use the Classics to Keep until the Spring)
  • 1st Grade: The "Frog and Toad" series & "Owl at Home"
  • 2nd Grade: "Elmer and the Dragon" & "Dragons of Blueland"
  • 3rd Grade: "Little House on the Prairie" & "Trumpet of the Swan"
  • 4th Grade: "Prince Caspian" & "King Arthur"
  • 5th Grade: "Grimms’ Fairy Tales" & "Voyage of the Dawn Treader"
  • 6th Grade: "The Hobbit" & "Treasure Island"

It is very important that you locate the correct ISBN (refer to the Classics to Keep list) so that each scholar has the correct translation. Scholars will be reading and annotating in class. The correct ISBN will allow your scholar to be able to follow along as the teacher refers to a specific page number, etc.
Archived Newsletters

Need to refer to a previous school newsletter? Archived newsletters can be found by clicking here .
Important Dates

  • Tuesday, August 20, 6:15 PM - PSO Meeting in the MPR
  • Wednesday, August 21, 10:30 AM - Headmaster Coffee
  • Saturday, August 24, 8:00 AM - Pancake Breakfast sponsored by GHWH Dad's Group
  • Tuesday, August 27, 5:30 PM - Curriculum Night
  • Thursday, August 29, 4:00-7:00 PM - PSO CFA (Ingram Park location) Spirit Night
  • Friday, August 30 - Spirit Day, R&R Weekend
  • Friday, September 6, 9:00 AM - Yearbook Committee Meeting
  • Monday, October 28, - School (Individual) Picture Day


Don't forget to re-sync your digital calendars!
Important Links

Lunch Payment Website: https://www.mymealtime.com/
Lunch Menu Website: GHWH Lunch Menu
Background Check Form: click here
Media Release Form: click here
Archived Newsletters: click here
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.

Name                                                                         E-Mail Address
 
Administration:
Laura Orozco (Receptionist)                                      laura.orozco@greatheartswesternhills.org
Juanita Flores (Registrar)                                           juanita.flores@greatheartswesternhills.org
Jennifer Cape (Dir. of Campus Operations)               jennifer.cape@greatheartswesternhills.org
Johanna Garcia (Dir. of Community Engagement)    johanna.garcia@greatheartswesternhills.org
Jennifer Scott, R.N. (School Nurse)                           jennifer.scott@greatheartswesternhills.org
 
Leadership:
Matthew Vlahovich (Headmaster)                             matthew.vlahovich@greatheartswesternhills.org
Heather Molder (Assistant Headmaster)                   heather.molder@greatheartswesternhills.org
 
SPED & Interventionists :
Michael Sanchez (Special Ed Coordinator)              michael.sanchez@greatheartswesternhills.org
Adriana Oliveira (504/RTI Coordinator)                   adriana.oliveira@greatheartswesternhills.org
Kevin Jackson (Math Interventionist)                        kevin.jackson@greatheartswesternhills.org
Lenne Mahan (Reading Interventionist)                    lenne.mahan@greatheartswesternhills.org
Rachel Cardenas (ESL Coordinator)                        rachel.cardenas@greatheartswesternhills.org
 
Athenaeum:
Sarah Solombrino (Athenaeum Coor.)                      sarah.solombrino@greatheartstx.org

Parent Service Organization:
Alexandra (“Alex”) Van (President)                            ghwhpso@gmail.com
Darrell Cotterell (Vice-President)