Dear Veritas Families -
 
At Great Hearts, we are constantly evaluating ways to improve the experience we are delivering to our students and wanted to update you on a change that is being implemented for the 2018/2019 school year that is designed to meet this aim.
 
We are proud of the continuing high demand we are seeing in our Archway Veritas Academy. To help open up additional seats and serve this demand, we are excited to let you know that we will be expanding to four sections in all K-5 grades for the 2018/2019 school year.
 
This expansion will allow us to make our classical liberal arts education available to 180 additional students at Archway Veritas for the next school year, helping to meet the strong demand. We are excited about additional students having access to a Great Hearts education and commit to working with our families to maintain the academic and cultural quality all have come to know and love.
 
This expansion is made possible for a couple of reasons. The Great Hearts central office will be moving out of the second-floor office suite it has occupied since 2011, which creates the opportunity to serve more students and families at our school. With this plan in mind, we have been able to secure an advantageous refinancing of the property along with money for remodeling and capital improvements at the Quayle campus for both the Archway and Prep schools.  
 
Of course, the growth of Archway Veritas would not be possible without you, our families, both at the Archway and Prep schools. Your support and involvement have helped us to build strong schools, and your word-of-mouth endorsements have kept community interest in Veritas high for many years.
 
We will be making the following construction modifications at the campus during the spring and summer: Archway Veritas will acquire new classrooms by expanding its footprint within the first floor, creating a new 5th grade wing from the existing Prep science labs and freeing up space in the existing Archway floor plan for an additional classroom at each grade level.
 
At the same time, the Prep school will get a new suite of science labs on its second floor, along with additional classrooms to establish a dedicated upstairs 6th grade wing, which will support students in this important transition year into middle school by keeping them much closer to their classrooms and their lockers throughout the school day.
 
The growth of Archway Veritas and the construction of new classrooms for Veritas Prep will make for an exciting 2018/2019 academic year! We are committed to making a Great Hearts education available to more students and look forward to welcoming additional families, maybe even some of your friends, into the Archway Veritas community.
 
We will be holding a town hall meeting in the Lund Center on October 30th at 5:30 pm to provide a forum for further discussion about the expansion. We have also anticipated some of your questions and included FAQs below. Should you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us directly.
 
Sincerely,

Mary Frances Jeffries, Ed.D.                                      David Dean
Headmaster, Archway Veritas                                    Headmaster, Veritas Prep
Family FAQs - Archway Veritas Expansion
 
Why is Archway Veritas expanding?
Ever since Archway Veritas first opened its doors, the waitlists have been long. Many families have waited years for an ACV education-and still have not been able to enroll.
 
Great Hearts central office is now planning to move out of the second-floor office suite it has occupied since 2011, which creates the opportunity to serve more students and families at our school. With this plan in mind, we have been able to secure an advantageous refinancing of the property along with money for remodeling and capital improvements at the Quayle campus for both the Archway and Prep schools.
What improvements will the expansion provide?
Archway Veritas will acquire new classrooms by expanding its footprint within the first floor, creating a new 5th grade wing from the existing Prep science labs and freeing up space in the existing Archway floor plan for an additional classroom at each grade level.
 
At the same time, the Prep school will get a new suite of science labs on its second floor, along with additional classrooms sufficient to establish a dedicated upstairs 6th grade wing, which will enable students to stay closer to their classrooms and their lockers all day.
 
When will Archway Veritas expansion take place?
We will begin the 18-19 school year in our newly expanded footprint. We will host a Town Hall for families on October 30th in the Lund Center at 5:30pm.   Tours of the additional classrooms will likely be a back to school night event close to the start of school.  
How many sections will be in each grade? How many students will be in Archway Veritas?
Archway Veritas will expand from 3 sections per grade to 4 sections per grade, which will be approximately 180 more students than we have currently serving.
Will the new Archway Veritas expansion accommodate grades K-5 or K-6?  If the campus begins as K-5, will it transition to K-6?
Archway Veritas will serve grades K through 5. Sixth grade will remain with Veritas Prep and will not move to the archway now or in the future. When ACV expands to four sections, the seat count in the 5th and 6th grades will be nearly identical, meaning that Veritas Prep will receive a far more uniformly prepared class of students in their entry grade. In other words, nearly 100% of Veritas Prep middle school students will eventually come from Archway Veritas.
Why is ACV not going in the direction of K-6? Will the Prep school be making any more changes to help support our kids through the 5th-6th grade matriculation year?
Because of the constraints of the facility and the need to work within a budget and within the existing floor plan, it is not possible for Archway Veritas to both expand to four sections AND to take on the 6th graders. (This expanded K-5 is the same model that is being followed at our sister school Archway Scottsdale next year.)
 
Veritas Prep has been successfully educating 6th graders since 2010, and this building remodel will enable the Prep school to do so even better next year. A dedicated 6th grade wing will be constructed on the second floor, keeping students close to their lockers and their classrooms all day long.
Who will the new teachers be/where will you find them?
We will seek new teachers from both within and outside of the network. Some of our new teachers will be current Great Hearts Teacher Apprentices who have demonstrated the readiness to be a lead teacher. Others will be recent college graduates or current teaching professionals outside of the network who are drawn to the Great Hearts mission and philosophy. The Great Hearts Talent Department does an excellent job of screening, recruiting and referring suitable candidates to all network Headmasters. The Talent team is ready to support Archway Veritas and funnel desirable candidates to the Headmaster's attention.
 
Can I request a teacher for next year?
Our policy here remains the same. We do not record requests for specific teachers or promise parents that we can honor their requests for specific teachers.
What does this mean for art, music, and PE? Where will those new classes take place? Will you have to hire new specials teachers?
 
Yes, we will hire additional special area teachers. Special area teachers will have to adjust to a new load; we are working on this model, seeking input from other schools that have been through, or are also going through the expansion. An ACV Special Area classroom will be part of the expanded footprint.
 
How will Archway Veritas introduce the new students to our curriculum?
  • In order to set new students up for success, they will complete readiness testing in the spring. The results will be used to recommend targeted summer practice, summer readiness courses, and/or tutoring needs.
  • The network will offer summer readiness courses at various locations throughout the valley.
  • Leveraging the plans for ongoing support of new students (and the lessons learned) from other Great Hearts Archways that have already expanded their section counts.
  • With joy, open arms, and the same marriage of grace and high expectations that Archway Veritas strives to embody.
 
How is the school going to manage lunches and recess?
Archway Veritas' cafeteria will be expanded in size and tables will be added so that all students will comfortably be able to eat their lunch. We will adjust our teacher monitoring duties to ensure the appropriate teacher/ student ratio at lunch and recess.
How will you handle all the additional traffic and parking needs?
There will be a learning curve, to be sure. With several other schools in the network that have already grown to 4 sections, we have the advantage of learning from their experience. Please watch the newsletter for updates to the drop off and pick up plan as we get closer to next school year.
Will this expansion or the need to manage traffic impact our school start and end times?
Possibly. This is a topic that the Veritas campus will discuss this year as we work on the 2018/2019 calendar.
How do I register? Will my child automatically have a spot at Archway Veritas for the 2018-19 school year?
All students currently enrolled at Archway Veritas will have a spot for the 2018-19 school year and do not need to submit a new enrollment application and will be enrolled for next year through the annual re-enrollment process you are already familiar with. Current 5th grade students that are moving to 6th grade at Veritas Prep will need to fill out an enrollment application during the Open Enrollment 2018-19 period. During the Open Enrollment period November 13 - December 11, all new applications for 6th grade will have priority status.
 
Does this expansion mean that my friend on the waitlist is definitely going to get in next year?
The addition of a section per grade level certainly improves the possibility of acceptance to Archway Veritas - your friend's number on the waitlist is still the determining factor for an offer letter.
 
Was any thought given to not expanding so we can maintain the current size and feel of the Archway Veritas community?
When ACV expands to four sections, the seat count from kindergarten through to high school will be nearly identical, meaning that Veritas Prep will receive a far more uniformly prepared class of students in their entry grade. In other words, nearly 100% of Veritas Prep middle school students will eventually come from Archway Veritas. We are excited about additional students having access to a Great Hearts education and commit to working with our families to maintain the academic and cultural quality all have come to know and love.
 
How is the school preparing for the cultural impact of this expansion?
With eager and joyful anticipation!   Veritas Administration and faculty are committed to preserving and advancing our school culture. In preparation for the year, new faculty will attend extensive summer training and New Faculty Orientations during the summer, our grade level Faculty Advisors, Headmaster, and Assistant Headmaster will serve as mentors to the new faculty members throughout the year, and we will continue to have professional development and conversations that provide opportunities for us to reflect upon and strengthen our bonds with each other and commitment to our culture.
 
How will we maintain our warm community and safe environment when we add 180 new students?
  • The consistent, steady leadership of the Headmaster
  • Continuing to offer a Parent Mentor program to partner new families with existing families
  • Our PSO will be hosting events to welcome new families and help them to meet current families
  • Expanding summer training for faculty to give additional emphasis to school culture.
  • Finally, this is one of the areas where we need parents to help the most. A community is built up piece by piece from each of the interactions (however small) between people. The best way to maintain our warm community is to live it out with a warm, helpful welcoming of our new families.
What can parents do to help this to be successful?
One of the most important things we will need to do during this transition is welcome and onboard our new families to our community. Being gracious, warm, and helpful as our new families navigate not only a new community, but the unique Great Hearts approach to content, the structure of the academy, and the high level of rigor will be invaluable as we work to become bigger and better. Parents will play a key role in developing a base of volunteers who can help mentor, guide, and support new families. We are excited to work with the PSOs on developing and executing on a robust support infrastructure.
 
How can the AVPSO be involved in reaching out to and on-boarding new ACV families? How soon will we know who they are?
New families will be enrolled throughout the school year and we may even have new families enroll over the summer months. AVPSO has always been supportive in welcoming new families via Kindergarten Meet & Greet, grade level gatherings prior to the school year, organizing mentors for new families, supporting Headmaster coffees, etc. We greatly value our partnership with the AVPSO and recognize how important it is to have their positive, energetic partnership in this expansion.
 
To whom may I direct questions?
With this change for the community (albeit a wonderful and exciting change for growth) there will be questions and lots of work to be done. We will be offering ongoing venues and forums to hear and respond to your questions, and at the same time, we remain committed to making 17-18 a wonderful school year and to seeing this expansion project through. Thus, we ask that you help us in protecting the time of the headmasters and their staff bybringing your questions to the Town Hall, coffees and other designated events, and following the school newsletter closely for updates.