From the Desk of Headmaster Keffer |
Dear Spartan Upper School Families,
I am so excited to welcome you, as I did your scholars on Wednesday, to another school year and journey that will be full of new challenges and triumphs. At our House Choosing Ceremony, we shook out the summer cobwebs, tuned up our House chants, welcomed new members, and were challenged by our House Governors with the question, “Who will you be this year?” On Thursday, our new students met up with their House Mentors and got the opportunity to begin to get to know them and be known. Today, all students attended their first House meeting, where they learned more about their house’s history and lore and what in the world a shenanigan is.
I am so proud of how our Middle and High School students have risen to the challenge of negotiating crowded hallways, troubleshooting lockers, arriving to class on time (almost everyone!), and figuring out each teacher’s expectations. These last three days have been practice; the game starts on Monday. We made clear to students this morning that beginning Monday, infractions will be given for tardies, uniform violations, missing/wrong materials, and hallway decorum. The teachers have gone through the Student Handbook with their classes and have given students 3 Morning Breaks, one third-period class, and 3 Lyceums to organize lockers, get help with troublesome locks, and ask questions about anything … in preparation for Monday. Feel free to ask your student to share their Student Handbook and course syllabi with you this weekend.
The process of growing up is fraught with all kinds of challenges, and that is not a bad thing. While there are some of us who get tossed more difficulties than others, we all can recount numerous ways in which inevitable or unexpected trials came our way. While going through them, I’m sure we all wished that some magical force would come along and wave them all away. What we know now is that all those things are what made us the strong individuals, leaders, and people of character we are today. There is no other way to get there but to just go through them – shortcuts don’t build character. Keith McCurdy, child psychologist and founder of Live Sturdy, says, “Children who learn to struggle well throughout their school-age years will grow up to be the natural leaders of the next generation.”
We anticipate that many students will still be learning how to be Upper School students next week. Many will get infractions … and while we don’t encourage them to collect them, receiving some will be part of the journey towards becoming sturdy students who have confidence. Other students may visit the Dean a time or two before they solidify new habits that will make them successful in the classroom, and that’s okay! We approach student interaction with goodwill and a posture of firmness and warmth; we enjoy coming alongside students in their process of becoming sturdy young adults. For more information on student culture and discipline, please see the US Family Handbook on our website.
Thank you so much for allowing us to partner with you in the education of your young men and women; it’s an honor.
Trinette Keffer
Headmaster | Upper School
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Our Pick-Up wave times are coordinated with the dismissal of Lower School siblings to the Upper School carline. Thus, wave times work best when everyone in our community abides. Your partnership with faculty in carline will help ease traffic back into the constraints of the 3:45-4:20 pm wave times.
It is necessary for every vehicle to do their best to plan arrival at or within the wave time designated to their student(s).
Important Reminders:
Families with ONLY K-5 students will pick up their students at the LS lot (off Ingram Rd)
Families with ONLY 6-9 students will pick up their students at the US lot (off Midhurst Ave)
Families with siblings in BOTH Upper and Lower Schools will pick up at the Upper School Lot.
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Apply for Free & Reduced Lunch
The 2022-2022 Free and Reduced Lunch (FRL) Application is now available.*** Please apply online HERE and review the previous FRL parent communication HERE.
Tardy Drop-Off
Scholars that are tardy to campus (after 7:50 am) must be dropped off at their respective Front Desks and signed in by a parent or guardian. Tardy K-5th Scholars must be signed in Lower School front desk while 6th-9th scholars must be signed in at the Upper School front Desk. Families with siblings in both schools must sign in at both campuses.
Car Placards
Families will be receiving a new copy of the Car Placard that includes house designation on Monday. Please use these moving forward during Pick-Up.
Early Check-Out
Upper school scholars must be checked out at the Upper School, and Lower School scholars must be checked out at the Lower School. Parents with siblings at both campuses must visit both campus receptionists to check out their scholars--no exceptions.
Parent Delivered Lunches
This year, parents who are dropping off lunch or snacks for their scholars will not bring them inside the building (in support of our security protocol). Instead, there will be a table set up outside in which parents will fill out a short note with their name, grade, and section and attach it to their lunch. A receptionist will then collect it from outside and provide it to the scholar.
Scholars have been made aware that they are responsible for checking the lunch pick-up table--deliveries are not being made.
Visitor/Guest/Volunteer Check-In
To help increase security, all guests and visitors MUST be prepared to show ID and speak to the receptionist from an intercom/camera at the front door before entering. They will be expected to show ID and state the reason for the visit. A receptionist will then verify the scholar/parent in our system before buzzing in.
We will also only allow a small number of families in our lobby at a time. As a result, there may be a wait time outdoors.
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GHTX Meal Service
We have a new meal provider for the 22-23 school year! Please see the SLA Management official announcement HERE.
For more information, please visit their website and view the calendar of meals HERE.
You can load money to your student’s account at mymealtime.com with your child’s meal ID or by dropping off a check at the front office. If you did not receive your student's mealtime ID, please call the receptionist at 210-888-9488 or email info@greatheartswesternhills.org.
To review previous parent communication, please click HERE. For more information, visit the GREAT Hearts Texas Meal Service website.
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House & Intramural Shirts |
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Intramural House shirts – This shirt is sold through the Athletics/Intramural Dept. and is $15. It has the house shield on the front and a number on the back. This shirt must be worn for intramurals but can also be worn for House Shirt Fridays, Spirit Days, and Field Days. Please note that if you have already signed up for fall intramurals, you will get a shirt as part of registration. If you have an intramural shirt from last year, you may wear that shirt. If you have the old shirt but want a shirt with the new logo, you will need to purchase one. Click here to purchase Intramural Shirts
House shirt sold in Spartan Spirit Store – This shirt is sold by the PSO and can be worn for House Shirt Fridays, Spirit Days, and Field Days. They may NOT be worn for intramural games, as they do not have athletic numbers on the back. Pre-Order has closed, and shirt orders can be made soon!
House Shirt Fridays -- We ask all of our students in grades 6-9 to wear a House shirt every Friday because they will be participating in House Competitions, meetings, and team-building activities with their houses. Students wearing House shirts help their House earn House points every time they wear them. Any House shirt created by the school or PSO (spirit store) may be worn. Since our logos are controlled by our branding rights, the House shields/logos should not be used without the academy’s permission to make personal shirts, etc.
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Fall Athletics & Intramural Info |
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Fall Sports Tryouts are next week! The schedules are as follows:
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Flag Football – Grades 6-9th
- Monday: Open Practice: 4:30 – 5:45
- Tuesday: Open Practice: 4:30 – 5:45
- Wednesday: TRYOUTS: 5:00 – 6:15
- Thursday: TRYOUTS: 4:30 – 5:45
- Friday: No practice, Rosters will be announced by the bulletin board in the front office and the entrance to the gym. An email will be sent home to families with more scheduling information.
Girls Volleyball – Grades 6-9th
- Monday: Open Practice: 4:30 – 5:30
- Tuesday: Open Practice: 4:30 – 5:30
- Wednesday: TRYOUTS: 5:30 – 6:30
- Thursday: TRYOUTS: 5:30 – 6:30
- Friday: No practice, Rosters will be announced by the bulletin board in the front office and in the entrance to the gym. An email will be sent home to families with more scheduling information.
Did you know we plan on having a boy’s middle school volleyball team?
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Boys Volleyball – Grades 6-8th
- Monday: Open Practice: 4:30 – 5:30
- Tuesday: Open Practice: 4:30 – 5:30
- Wednesday: TRYOUTS: 4:30 – 5:30
- Thursday: TRYOUTS: 4:30 – 5:30
- Friday: No practice, Rosters will be announced by the bulletin board in the front office and the entrance to the gym. An email will be sent home to families with more scheduling information.
To attend open practices and/or tryouts, families must complete the following by Tuesday midnight:
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Registered in Big Teams (Insert this link: www.planeths.com – step-by-step instructions here)
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A CURRENT physical (physicals are good for one calendar year)
- A signed and acknowledged Athletics Handbook
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Spartan Business Partners |
Connect with the people who shape our community and directly support our scholars and teachers through the Community Investment Campaign as a Business Partner
Annual Business Partnership includes:
- 3×4 ft Physical Signage on campus fencelines facing carline
- Campus Newsletter Highlights twice an academic school year
- Online “Proud Spartan Sponsors” Directory Inclusion
- Invitation for business presence at campus events
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August 17 at 8:15 am in the GHWH MPR |
All Western Hills parents and guardians are invited to attend Volunteer Training to hear from our Lower School headmaster, Mrs. Absher, on the vision, guidelines, and best practices for volunteers this year and beyond.
Whether you have volunteered before or not, if you are interested in what it means to partner with our campus in this capacity, please plan on attending!
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To volunteer on campus, parents and guardians must complete the steps below:
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Complete the Volunteer Interest Form
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Sign and Return the Confidentiality Form by emailing info@greatheartswesternhills.org)
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Complete an Online Background Check
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Then attend either the in-person Volunteer Training on August 17th or take the online Volunteer Training.
*Please note: even if you have completed it before, you must submit another Background Check and Confidentiality Form to volunteer for the 2022-23 School Year.
*You can find details and volunteer opportunities on the Official PSO Website or email the PSO leadership directly with your questions at pso@greatheartswesternhills.org
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Did you know the 2022-23
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT campaign goal is $120,000?
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We are building a legacy at Western Hills. Please consider financially partnering with us through the Community Investment campaign. No gift is too large or too small! |
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Great Hearts Western Hills | Website
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