Lower School Newsletter | February 26th, 2023

Upcoming Events

March 3rd 4 & 5 Grade Coffee with the Headmaster

March 10th Great Hearts Day

March 13-17th No School

March 20-31st Read-a-thon

April 1st PSO Fiesta

Click the links below to add the campus event calendar to your personal calendars:

Quick Links

Bonus: Click here to join the GHWH PSO Facebook Group

Covered in this Newsletter

Re-Enrollment
Headmaster Letter
Operational Updates
Great Hearts Day
Read-A-Thon
Snowflake Corner
PSO Corner
Grade Level Blogs
Carline Reminders
Intramurals
Advocacy Corner
SmugMug

*DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NEWSLETTER TO VIEW ALL THIS WEEK'S CONTENT!

Re-Enrollment is Almost Here!

March 1st-31st

If this is your first year as a Great Hearts family, you may not be familiar with Re-Enrollment, which is the process every current parent must follow in order to secure their child’s seat at Great Hearts for the next school year. On Wednesday, March 1st, you will receive instructions on re-enrolling through SchoolMint for the fall of 2023. The last day to re-enroll your child is March 31st, but we ask our families to do so between March 1st and March 4th.

We also encourage all our families to take this time to pledge or re-pledge your Community Investment giving for the 2023-2024 school year. Your family’s gift to Community Investment helps make all of our work possible!

Important Reminders!

The process takes only 3 minutes per scholar.
Re-Enroll in the First week and be eligible to win a drawing for $100 uniform vouchers
Re-Enroll the Second week and be eligible to win a Spartan Swag Bag

Operational Updates

Lost and Found

All items left behind in Lost and Found will be donated this week. Please encourage your student to check for missing water bottles, lunch boxes, notebooks, and sweaters.

Lobby Pick-Up Policy Change

Our lobby will be closed from 3:45-4:20. If you arrive to pick up your student, please proceed to carline. For families whose students are enrolled in Athenaeum, if you arrive on campus before 4:20 please proceed to pick up your student through carline. The lobby will open at 4:20 for Athenaum and late pickup. If your student is not enrolled in Athenaum and you arrive after carline has closed, please be prepared to show your i.d. and pay the late pickup fee.

Carline "No cell Phone Zone

Cellphone use while in the carline is prohibited. To ensure the safety of our students and staff, do not use your cell phone while in the carline.

Click here for more info on becoming a Spartan Business Partner!

Dear Spartan Families,

Last week we were excited and proud to host so many of you on campus to observe and sit in your scholar's classrooms. An open house is a unique opportunity for parents to get a meaningful glimpse into the classroom and experience what occurs daily at school. This is something that we will continue to do around February of each school year.

We are so appreciative to all who could take advantage of this opportunity. Not only is this a unique experience for you as a parent, but your presence on campus supporting your scholar and their education is so important. We hope that this was an enjoyable time for all and hope to see those of you that missed it this year in the future.

As we near the end of February, anticipation for Spring Break is growing for faculty and students, and I think for mom and dad as well 😊. I know I love getting a small break from making lunches and the business of the school week to spend quality time with my family.

Looking ahead, we have many exciting events on campus to look forward to. This spring, students will focus on the virtue of friendship on Great Herts Day; we will gather together at our Spartan Fiesta and Car Show, will welcome new families at new family orientation, and celebrate our kindergartners and fifth graders at their promotion ceremonies, and students will participate in the last of their curricular celebrations for the year.

Kyla Absher

Headmaster | Lower School

Great Hearts Day

March 10th

This year we will be carrying on the unique Great Hearts tradition of celebrating “Great Hearts Day” on Friday, March 10th.

At Great Hearts, we make it a habit to celebrate the curriculum instead of holidays. On this particular day, in our classrooms, students will celebrate all that Great Hearts embodies: those things that make us unique as scholars in a community of learners, particularly the virtue of friendship.

Teachers will facilitate a name drawing in class, and every student will be partnered with another student from their class to be their Great Hearts Day buddy. Unlike in years past, where students had the option to make something for the whole class, this year, we will help students create something meaningful for just one student. Teachers will help set expectations for what each student is to create, and guidelines will be sent home with your student that day.

Please do not make or purchase a gift for each student in the class. Our aim is for students to focus on the virtue of friendship and how to recognize their peers for their positive character traits and the ways they exemplify the virtue of friendship.

Snowflake Fund Corner

It's time for the Snowflake Fund again!

This is the one time during the year when we as a Great Hearts community can come together and give our teachers a financial gift to say "Thank You!" for all they do for our scholars day in and day out.

Our goal is to raise $15,000 during the month of February to divide up among our teachers and give to them right before Spring Break. If you'd like to give, money will be collected during afternoon carline throughout the month, or you can visit https://www.paypal.com/pools/c/8R9UahRluS to give directly.

If you'd like to help our efforts in other ways, we need help collecting during carline or collecting prizes to give away during raffles. Please contact the Snowflake Fund chair, Chris Via, at 719-963-4586 to find out how you can get involved. With everyone's help, we can "make it snow" for our teachers this month!

PSO Corner

Outdoor School Supplies

Are you interested in donating some much-needed supplies for the 9th Grade's trip?

Click here to volunteer

LS Front Desk Volunteer

We are looking for a fellow spartan parent that can give their time to help cover the lower school front desk starting March 1st through the end of the school year. The days and times needed are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 - 4:15. Training will be provided. If interested, please email pso@greatheartswesternhills.org

If you cannot commit to these days and times for the remainder of the year, please consider signing up to help at a time that best fits your schedule. Thank you.

Click Here to Volunteer

Lunchroom Volunteers Opportunities are back!

Lunchroom Volunteer Opportunities are back! If you are interested and have completed the volunteer background and training (in-person and online), please review and sign up! We look forward to seeing you!

Click here to Volunteer at Lunch.

Carline Reminders

Please utilize the right and left lanes during morning drop-off. If your student(s) exit your vehicle from the driver’s side you should proceed to the LEFT lane, if your student(s) exit your vehicle from the passenger side you should proceed to the RIGHT lane.

Grade Level Blogs

Intramural Update

We are off to a good start with our intramural basketball season! I have seen a lot of very skilled basketball players at practice!

Here is our basketball practice schedule:

Middle Earth and Narnia boys basketball players! If you have the 5:15-6:15 or 5-6 practice, you are able to leave your scholars at school for a study hall before practice. They will head to their study hall at final push. You are also able to pick your scholar up in car line, just make sure they are dropped off in front of the gym before practice.

Our first game is on February 25^th. Playing at 9 a.m. is girls' Narnia vs. Oakenshield and playing at 10 a.m. is boys' Narnia vs Baggins! Please come out and support your houses to VICTORY!

Advocacy Corner

The Texas House Public Education Committee will begin committee hearings on Tuesday, Feb. 28, in Austin. You can listen to the committee hearing that day via this link.

Read HERE about public charter schools’ key priorities during this legislative session and how you can get involved.
Stay up to date on key legislation and action alerts from the Texas Public Charter School Association (TPCSA). TPCSA is the statewide organization representing Texas charter schools to state leaders, lawmakers, and state agencies.

All parents can stay informed by subscribing to TPCSA’s emails and alerts. To receive TPCSA emails and alerts, please click this link

Campus Photos on SmugMug

As the academic year progresses, photographers from Upper and Lower will continue to share photo memories from our campus on our new SmugMug site. Just use the password "plato" to enter and view.

Click here to view photos

Great Hearts Western Hills | Website