Dear Griffin Families,

What an incredible week and weekend! Character Dress Up Day and our annual Read-A-Thon were great successes! Thank you to the PSO for putting together the second annual Fall Festival! Those who were present were able to experience the good that our students feel on these grounds every day. The event allowed parents to talk to one another, meet their children’s friends, and for kids to run around and play in a safe and fun environment. This is a time when we at school feel the love and support of our broader community and parental support. A sincere thank you to the Elkins, Copeland, West, and Kim families and all the parents and students that volunteered their time, we are richer for the shared time together.



This coming week our academy will be filled with the chants and cheers of Athletic Field Day. Athletic competition is an important part of classical education. So much of what we discuss about virtue in the classroom through the reading of history and literature, the students will be challenged to put into action as they strive for athletic greatness. They will have to overcome the disappointment that comes with defeat and be gracious when victorious; they will have to maintain a desire for excellence even when it seems impossible. We hope to see teams pull together when the going gets tough, help up their opponents when they fall down, and have the integrity to follow the rules even when others are not looking. We cannot wait to see the cheers and chants that the sections have been practicing!

Athletic Field Day is a wonderful opportunity for the students to exercise the body and the soul in the spirit of competition. Thumos is a Greek word expressing the concept of "spiritedness" ... it is that part of the soul that allows a hero to march bravely into battle and draw his sword or bear his company's colors against a larger foe. It is this spirit that, along with reason and emotion, gives one the desire to fight injustice. The team with the most Thumos will be recognized for their outstanding attitude and commitment to virtue will receive the coveted Thumos Award. And at the end of the day, the team with the most points from the various stations and challenges will receive the Laurel Wreath that will hang in their class window for the remainder of the year. Please check your child’s grade level blog for more information on Athletic Field Day Dress Code and what to do with donations.

In the coming weeks, we will kick off the Season of Gratitude (week of 11/7) and then will invite our elders in for Grandparents Day (week of 11/14).

Sincerely,

Charles Brogan-Headmaster Lower School

Board of Directors Meeting November 9

The next Great Hearts Texas Board of Directors meeting will be on Wednesday, November 9 (9:00 am - 12:00 pm) in San Antonio at the office of Schulman, Lopez, Hoffer & Adelstein (845 Proton Rd. // San Antonio, TX 78258). Zoom access will be provided on the GHTX Board Meetings Page ahead of the meeting.

Winter Concert-Friday, December 2^nd

for additional information including the dress code, please read this email.

Independent Study Week is Jan. 3-6, 2023.

Project instructions will be sent home with K-6 students on Nov. 30^th.

Our teachers are working hard in the classrooms to prepare the students to complete these projects as independently as possible.

Birthday Books!

Thank you to all the students who donated a book to their classroom libraries in honor of their August, September, and October birthdays! We are so excited to start this new tradition to celebrate our students and expand our classroom libraries at GHNO! If you’d like to donate a book for your child’s birthday, click here for more info.

Grandparents Days

For additional information on these special mornings or to sign up to volunteer please click here. Look for links to sign up grandparents coming this week!

Important Text Messages

Parents and Guardians, our school uses SchoolMessenger to deliver text messages straight to your mobile phone with important information about events, school closings, safety and security alerts, and more. But Texas is an opt-in state, which means we must have your permission before we can reach you through this system. Not sure if you’ve opted in yet? Please text, “yes,” to 67587 now to ensure you get all the most current information.

Do you know many companies and organizations have employee matching? 

You may be able to double your donation to GHNO by simply setting it up. Wondering if your employer matches? Go to our donation page and find out. Scroll to the bottom and find the double your donation link that searches for qualifying employers.

If would you like to make a gift to GHNO or set up a recurring gift, click here! 

Any questions about academy giving, email DeAnna Macias!

Absences

The school receives state funding for all students who are in their classes at 10:30 a.m. each day. If a scholar will be out for a doctor's appointment during attendance time, please be sure to submit a doctor's note upon return so we may count him or her present for the day.

For full-day absences, please notify the Lower School registrar, Mrs. Clark, via email.

Please remember to provide daily absence notices if your student will not be at school for the day.

Extended absences during the academic year are highly discouraged and do affect student success. Excessive unexcused absences may result in loss of credit or enrollment.

Morning Tardies

As a campus, we are working to build the good habit of promptness in our students. Students may not sign themselves into school. If students are dropped off later than 7:50 a.m., parents must park and sign them in.

Overdue Lunch Accounts 

We are so glad that everyone is enjoying school lunch this year! Meal participation is up higher than it was last year when meals were federally funded and free for everyone.

This year, families are paying for meals and participation is higher than ever. We are asking that parents take a look at their accounts and try to keep them in good standing. Thank you to those who have taken care of this. Currently, our campus has a negative balance of $1,500.

Lunch accounts may be paid online through www.mymealtime.com or by sending cash or check to the front desk, please note the student's name.

Please apply for Free or reduced meals at the mealtime website if you feel your family may qualify. This is a service available to all who need it.

Athletic Field Days:

November 2^nd (Grades 1-2)

November 3^rd (Grades 3-4 – AM & Grade K – PM)

November 4^th (Grades 5-6)

Grandparents Days: November 15^th (G2-3), 16^th (GK-1), and 17^th (G4-6)

Winter Music Concert: December 2^nd

Independent Study Week: January 2^nd – 6^th