Events & Happenings on Campus
December 6 is a student holiday for our faculty to attend professional development this day. Also note that Friday, December 10 will be a full day Friday.

December 13-17th Give JOY-Spirit Week!
Starting with a Kick-Off Coffee-December 13 & Exciting News! Historical Figure Day will be added to the lineup of spirit days for upper school! Details will be in your inbox shortly.


8th Grade Families-Save the Date for High School Preview Night
On Tuesday, February 15th, GHNO Upper School will host High School Preview Night. This is an opportunity for 8th graders and their families to learn about the high school academics, extracurriculars, athletics, and traditions at Northern Oaks.
December 5th- Pickleball Tournament
Come ready to play, or to cheer on the teams with a chicken wing in hand. We have students, siblings, teachers, and parents playing. Whatever your plans, don't miss the generous prize baskets being raffled off! Find all the purchase links and details at www.GHNOPSO.org

Additional information can be found in this attachment.
December 10th and 11th- 11th Grade Drama Production
Please join us for the 11th grade production of Twelfth Night on December 10th and 11th. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box (the theater space off of the gym). Ticket information forthcoming!
Used Uniform Sale-Saturday December 11
December 14th- Winter Concert
Our annual winter concert for the Upper School will take place on Tuesday, December 14th at Park Hills Baptist Church, 17747 San Pedro Ave, San Antonio, TX 78232. The concert will begin at 7:00 pm. Please check your email in the coming weeks for more information regarding student call time and attire.
Griffin Service Club
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who donated to the Thanksgiving Food Drive benefitting the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank. We collected a total of 1,022 items with 11th grade (251) and 12th grade (228) collecting the most items to compete in Capture the Flag this week -- the 11th grade won. A special thank you to service club members Paul Hanson and Ryan Matson who led the project. Here is a picture of some of our students delivering six overstuffed boxes to the organization. They were extremely grateful!
...and our Next Service Club project: GHNO Winter Coat Drive!
High School Symposium
GHNO’s High School Symposium will be on January 21, 2022. This year, we will be reading Shakespeare’s As You Like It. We will be using the Arden, 3rd edition of the play (see this link). We ask all families to obtain a copy by January 21. Please reach out to Miss Linz (emily.linz@greatheartsnorthernoaks.org) with any questions or concerns. 
Senior Announcements
Graduation Regalia
Senior Families - Order your cap, gown, and diploma for graduation by December 6th! An email was sent to parents on November 1st with all the details. Email Hailey Johnson with any questions. Register here.
Senior Portraits
Senior portraits may be scheduled online at www.tss-sat.com. There is a button at the top of the page to book an appointment. On the Select a Service page, there is an option for Senior In-Studio Grad Session (Great Hearts Northern Oaks only). This will take parents through an appointment selection. Parents can also reach out to Jack Braden directly at 210-901-8852. NOTE: Portraits must be taken by the end of the first semester, January 14, 2022. There is a $20 fee for the sitting, which will be applied to any photo purchases. There will NOT be an opportunity to take senior portraits on campus.

Yearbook Note: These portraits will be shared directly with our Yearbook Coordinator and featured in the 2021-2022 yearbook. If a student does not wish to have their portrait taken, we will use their school picture from Fall 2021 in lieu of the portrait.
Athletics Corner
Winter Sports Coming Soon!

Please see here for an email sent out with information on upcoming winter sports and how to register!

Sport Survey
The first survey is for all families and focuses on the overall GHNO athletic program and what sports we should have at GHNO moving forward. We would appreciate each family completing one and you can find it here!

Fall Sports Survey-if your student played in a fall sport if you would be so kind as to fill out a survey on your experience. Click here!
Upcoming Athletic Events

Saturday, Dec 5
11:00am MS Boys Basketball "Crimson" at IDEA Converse
2:00pm MS Girls Basketball "Griffins" at Jubilee Highland Park (Home)
3:00pm MS Boys Basketball "Griffins" at Jubilee Highland Park (Home)

Tuesday, Dec 7
5:00pm Boys JV Basketball at Pieper
6:30pm Boys Varsity Basketball at Pieper
Wednesday, Dec 8
5:00pm MS Girls Basketball "Maroon" v. Founders (Home)
6:00pm MS Boys Basketball "Griffins" v. Founders (Home)
7:00pm MS Girls Basketball "Griffins" v. SA Preparatory (Home)
8:00pm MS Boys Basketball "Maroon" v. SW Preparatory Northwest (Home)
Thursday, Dec 9
5:00pm MS Boys Basketball "Maroon" v. SA Academy (Home)
6:00pm MS Boys Basketball "Griffins" v. SA Academy (Home)
Friday, Dec 10
5:00pm Boys JV Basketball at Pleasanton
6:30pm Boys Varsity Basketball at Pleasanton
Basketball Tournaments!
Boys Varsity - Dec 2-4: Hosted by Karnes City HS

Girls HS Basketball - Dec 11: Wimberley HS
College Counseling Corner
PSAT/NMSQT Scores
October PSAT/NMSQT scores will be released to Texas test takers on Monday, December 6. To access your scores, you will need to create a College Board student account. Click HERE to view a help sheet from the College Board on how to access your scores. If you run into any problems following these instructions, please contact your college counselor for assistance and to obtain an access code.

Juniors - Save the Date for SAT School Day on March 2, 2022
Juniors do not need to "register" to take the March 2 SAT at school; the cost of the exam is covered through HB 3 funding through TEA. Please check your email for information from College Counseling about different test prep options.

College Rep Visits
Rep visits to GHNO are on hold for the remainder of 2021; We will open up the Rep Visit calendar again after the new year. If a student is interested in learning more about a specific college or university, they can explore information in Naviance, visit the college website, or talk to a college counselor. We also have many college brochures and books in the Office of College Counseling for students to peruse during their daily breaks.

College Visit Absences
TEA allows our school to excuse the absence of a student who is a junior or senior for up to two days per year for the purpose of visiting an accredited institution of higher education. Please notify Carmen Thompson of your college visit and provide this form upon your return in order to obtain an excused absence.
Office of College Counseling Contact Information
We are located in Room 217 and students are welcome to stop by before school, during morning break, lunch, lyceum, and after school. We are also available for in-person, Zoom, and telephone appointments.

Phone: 210-888-9483 ext. 303614

Email: CollegeCounseling@GreatHeartsNorthernOaks.org

Odds and Ends
Breakfast and Lunch Menus

Supply Chain Shortage- Attached please find a letter regarding supply chain shortages across the country and how it could impact our lunch menus, providing some insight on why at times we need to be "off-menu" and swap in some menu items that were not previously listed on the calendar.

Absences

For absences, please email Carmen Thompson.
Looking Forward
Dec 5th: Pickleball Tournament at Chicken N Pickle (Junior Class Fundraiser)
December 6th: Student Holiday
Dec 14th: Upper School Winter Concert at Park Hills Baptist Church
Additional Resources for Families
Please see our GHNO Website for additional information on our Academy including Parent Resources!
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