Newsletter | August 30, 2020

Table of Contents From the Headmaster Town Hall MAP Update Important Dates Teacher Spotlight This Week at Lakeside PSO Facebook Groups Quick Links Academic Calendar Enrollment Career Opportunities Dear Lakeside Lion Families,   We have so much appreciation for you and for your positivity, your enthusiasm, and your commitment to Great Hearts during our first few weeks of distance learning. As a faculty and staff, I cannot express the fullness of the gratitude we feel for the kind words, the supportive emails and the treats we have received. We are truly enjoying getting to know your children and look forward to meeting those in person soon who have chosen to return to campus September 8, as well as continuing to serve those who remain committed to distance learning.  As the day of our opening approaches, please plan to attend our FB Live Town Hall, which will be held on Tuesday, September 1, at noon, for updates on our plans for safely re-entering the school.  With a Large Dose of Lion Pride, Mandi Cannon Headmaster

Remote Learning or In-Person Learning

The initial choice that you made on the Return to Learning form in early August may only be changed now if you plan to stay in remote learning for the first quarter.   If you did not choose in-person learning on the Return to Learning form, you will need to remain in remote learning until the end of the first quarter. You may not elect to return the building now until the beginning of the second quarter.   We are keeping a waitlist for those that now want in-person learning during the first quarter that initially selected remote learning. Please contact the office to be placed on the waitlist.

Lakeside Town Hall

Our second Town Hall will be on Monday, September 1, 2020 at 12 pm and will focus primarily on the Return to In-Person Learning Plan. Watch it on the Great Hearts Lakeside FB page.

MAP Update

The first week of the Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) testing is in the books. Please accept our sincere gratitude for your patience in making it a success. The results we receive from this computer adaptive test will help us teach your children with a clearer picture of what they know and what they are ready to learn next.   We know that some of you have experienced more problems than others and for that we apologize. If your scholar needs to finish the assessment or set up a time to begin, we will be reaching out to very soon.   If your child is testing next week; please do these simple steps today:   Disable pop-up blockers Navigate to test.mapnwea.org (watch for the notice that informs you whether a pop-up has been blocked; click ‘Allow pop-ups’ from the site)   Once you can navigate to test.mapnwea.org and you see the picture above; your scholar will be ready on test day!   As always, our staff will be standing by to help you solve any problems that arise.

Important Dates

Monday, August 31: Return to Brick and Mortar Plan sent via email. Tuesday, September 1: Town Hall discussing the Return to Brick and Mortar Plan

Teacher Spotlight

Lacy Riewe Kindergarten Teacher My name is Lacy Riewe and I will be teaching Kindergarten at Great Hearts Lakeside. I earned my Education degree with a specialization in reading from the University of Texas- Austin and was introduced to classical education my senior year of college. I was given a handful of books on the classical model of education that were truly life-changing and directed me to pursue teaching in classical schools. My experience with classical education spreads over a 15-year period and has brought a deeper understanding and appreciation for what classical education offers each scholar and family. After college, I was a first-grade teacher for five years at a private, classical school in Dallas. After getting married, I moved to the great city of Fort Worth and taught Kindergarten at Covenant Classical School. I have had the honor of staying home with my two children and homeschooling my 5-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter using the classical model. When I found out that a classical, charter school was coming to Fort Worth I was so excited. To consider that a classical, liberal arts education would be available to all families, tuition free, was almost too good to imagine. As I continue to learn more about Great Hearts and get to know the leadership, faculty, and families, I am so thankful and excited to be a part of the founding year of such a wonderful school. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my husband and two children. We love being outdoors so you usually can find us swimming, biking, hiking, camping, or exploring some unexplored nature path. I also enjoy trying new restaurants with friends and reading great books!

Natalie Doll 5th Grade Math Teacher Math Coach 3rd-5th The constant and lovely search for what is good, true and beautiful and the grace that accompanies this sojourn resonates in my very being and in the cavern my soul. I believe this is what has lead me and beckoned me to Great Hearts. I'm completely grateful and very much looking forward to the opportunity to establish and build up a new community and its culture through Great Hearts Lakeside. What a time in history to be a part of this. Humbling. What a noble model to be apart of. Fantastic. Teaching in Catholic Schools for 20+ years, and working with various grades and various additional capacities, I discovered and was challenged to build up our schools to be, 'more like Great Hearts.' Little did I realize that this very 'mystery' would draw me to the degree that I would find myself invited to be a part of it in Phoenix and now in Fort Worth.   What I discovered and fell in love with is what we offer. What we offer is so wonderfully unique and revolutionary, even among other classical education institutions. In my experience, what we publish on paper and communicate in meetings is lived out daily among its members. This is what I'd like to be a part of and invest myself in. The soul, the spirit, the greatness. I studied Elementary Education at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and later continued with a Masters in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. I'm looking into furthering my studies through the University of Dallas. I enjoy swimming, hiking and biking. I am also extremely fond of a good book, a good cup of coffee or glass of wine (depending upon what time of day it is) and of an excellent conversation.

This Week at Lakeside

Parent Service Organization

Mission Statement We are a community of parent volunteers that provides a support system to enrich students’ academic experience. We volunteer our time in service, sponsor and promote social activities, and provide programs to benefit and support the faculty and administration who are working to fulfill the Great Hearts mission to cultivate the hearts and minds of students in the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. Purpose and Objectives 1. Support Great Hearts mission 2. Express appreciation for teachers and school administrators 3. Organize social events to unite the community 4. Organize school events 5. Develop a closer connection between school and home by encouraging parent involvement 6. Enhance the educational experience by supporting academic and enrichment activities Signups for those that are interested in supporting particular events and for those that want to provide general assistance to the teachers or to the school will be available as we get closer to the beginning of the school year.

Facebook Groups

We are excited to offer a general and grade-level Facebook groups for all registered families at Great Hearts Lakeside. These groups offer a way for you to begin to build positive relationships with other parents, as well as to monitor specifics for each grade level in the coming months. These groups are geared towards families and will not monitored by faculty, so please direct instructional questions and any specific concerns directly towards the appropriate individuals.   Although these pages are not heavily monitored, posts are subject to review and could be removed if deemed inappropriate or negative. We know that many Great Hearts families do not participate in social media and we want to assure you that this is not a means of official school communication. Our newsletters and website will be your primary source of official school information.

Use the links below to join!

Lakeside Lion Pride (All Parents Welcome) Future Students of Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2034 and Beyond Kindergarten at Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2033 First Grade at Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2032 Second Grade at Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2031 Third Grade at Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2030 Fourth Grade at Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2029 Fifth Grade at Great Hearts Lakeside Class of 2028

7633 Harris Parkway Fort Worth, TX 76123 817-409-9098

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