Operational Updates

Morning Tardy Infractions Begin

Both Lower and Upper school campuses will begin distributing morning tardies and infractions beginning Monday, August 28th.

• Upper School Scholars will receive tardy infractions if they are not inside the front doors by 7:50 AM
• Lower School scholars who are late are required to have a parent sign the tardy log outside the Lower School receptionist.

Parking is Prohibited in Neighboring Lots

Unless otherwise communicated for events, parking or cutting through neighboring lots (Petco, Fred Loya, etc.) is prohibited. SAPD Citations may be given to vehicles parking or idling on our neighbors' private property during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up.

Help us be good neighbors to the residents and businesses that we share resources with!

Your Attendance Counts!

Here’s why:

• Our campus funding is dependent on scholars attending school.
• Every day your scholar attends school, our campus receives over $50 in state funding. This is the source of most of our funding--and you can support it just by having your scholar in class and on time.

How you can help us:

• If your scholar is out sick, please send an email or doctor's note to our attendance mailbox at ghwhattendance@greatheartstxschools.org for each day(s) your scholar is out sick.
• Please be sure to have your scholar in their classes when attendance is taken each day at 9:30 AM.

New Snack Station Coming!

The new Snack station for grades 6-10^th only available soon!

Scholars can select from the following items priced at $1.00

• Baked Lays
• Chex Mix
• Sun Chips
• Chili Cheese Fritos
• Cheetos
• Bottled Water

And, coming soon - Gatorade for $2.00

Sales will be available during lunch periods at a second point of sale located in the gym. Fees will be charged to the scholar's Titan lunch account. Please ensure your scholars have money in their account to purchase @ www.LINQConnect.com

Lining Up for Pick-Up

Our campus is so thankful for the support of SAPD officers managing the safety of our campus both during the day and at the critical traffic-heavy bookends of our school days. While their assistance this week may have been unexpected in enforcing our 3:15 PM "line-up" rule, we will take the opportunity to remind you that as good neighbors, we can heed the concerns of our community by:

• Only forming pick-up lines before 3:15 PM (as stated in the Upper School Handbook)
• Listen and follow your traffic captains 
• Your cooperation strengthens our neighborhood bonds.

Please note: Additional SAPD officers will be on campus during afternoon pick-up.

Did you know the 2023-2024 COMMUNITY INVESTMENT 

CAMPAIGN goal is $150,000?

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.

Thank you to this year's supporters (so far!)

Aguilar Family

Aguilar Family

Bass-Pineda Family

Caballegan Family

Cantu Family

Diaz de Herrera Family

Downing Family

Eller Family

Eng Family

Garcia  Family

Gonzalez Family

Guzman Family

Gyamera-Anquandah Family

Hinojosa Family

Hjorth Family

Hogue Family

Hooke Family

Hunter Family

Jones Family

Luna Family

Mares Family

Martinez Family

Mascorro Family

Menjivar Family

Miccarelli Family

Miller Family

Navarro Family

Nitschke Family

Perez Family

Quiroz Family

Reardon Family

Rincon Family

Robago Family

Roberson Family

Rodriguez Family

Sandoval Family

Springstead Family

Travis Family

Trujillo Family

Underdown Family

Uriegas Family

Valverde Family

Vives Family

Wendorff Family

Westley Family

Upper School Housekeeping

Birthdays

Students may share treats with students from their Housemates at lunch. To do that, the student must bring in the items in the morning and leave it on the cart located at the front desk to be retrieved before going to lunch. If a parent wants to drop off treats, they must be dropped off before their student’s lunchtime. Parents need to have prearranged with their students that they will be dropping them off, so they know to look for them on the cart. Items that have worked best include donuts, cookies or prewrapped snack items. The administration has the right to refuse any item dropped off that is messy or not conducive for our lunch systems, such as frozen items, pizza, sodas or anything requiring utensils. The school is not responsible for items that are dropped off after the student’s posted lunchtime, nor are we prepared to facilitate the distribution. The school lunch times are listed below:

6^th gr & HS – 11:25-11:55 am (10:09-10:41 am Early release)

7^th & 8^th – 12:25 – 12:55 pm (10:53-11:24 am Early release)

Another way to celebrate birthdays is to surprise them by decorating a friend’s locker. Students wishing to do that must get permission to enter the building before 7:30 and bring all of their own supplies. The decorations must be tasteful and free from pop culture. The decorations must come down after a week.

Homework Recovery

Starts Tuesday, Aug 22 from 3:30pm-4pm and runs every day we have school. HW Recovery is assigned to any student who does not have the assigned HW completed at the time it is due to be served at the end of the day. HW Recovery is a gift of time that allows the student time to complete the missing HW and turn it in for full points minus 10% for being late. HW Recovery must be served before attending any House, Intramural, or Athletic responsibility. Homework Recovery sessions are held every day from 3:30-4:00 p.m. Parents will be notified in carline if they arrive before 4pm that their child is in HW Recovery. If the student’s parent releases them from HW Recovery before 4pm, please note that the school late work policy states that any HW turned the day after it is due will receive only 50% credit. It is our hope that students earn HW Recovery on rare occasions and gladly take advantage of the extra time to complete before going home.

Congestion in the MS Hallways

On Wednesday, we gave a short tutorial on how to problem solve the hallway congestion to our 6-8^th graders during lyceum. Some of them included the fact that they have almost everything they need for every class in the accordion file, so unless their next class needs a book, they should skip going to their locker and just go straight to their next class. We also started giving 6^th & 7^th graders their own designated time during lyceum to pack up so they can avoid the congestion in the hallway. As of Thursday 2^nd period we had only a few tardies.

1st-period Tardies

Until carline in the morning is less congested, students late to school will NOT get an infraction in 1^st period if they are at least in the building by 7:50am. We will be giving out tardy infractions in all other periods starting Monday now that the hallway congestion has been sorted.

Apply for Free & Reduced Lunch!

Great Hearts participates in the Free & Reduced Lunch (FRL) Program. Your family may qualify for breakfast and lunch meals at a minimal or no cost. You can submit an application at https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?lang=English

This state application is still required even if you applied and qualified for preliminary assistance with the campus over the summer. 

If you have any questions, please email Meals@GreatHeartsTXSchools.org

Intramurals

We are just one week away from our fall intramural season start date! As a reminder we are having Volleyball for our 5th-6^th grade girls and flag football for our 5th-6^th grade boys. So, if you are a 6^th grader that tried out for the middle school team but did not make come get some extra practice in on the intramural team! 

Registration

Registration is OPEN to sign-up your scholar for Intramural Flag Football and/or Volleyball.  

Registration is through Aktivate: www.registermyathlete.com

As a reminder: Intramural is only for 5^th and 6^th graders

Registration will CLOSE on August 28th, and practices will begin on August 28th.

*note, all students will have been sorted into a House by August 28^th - which will determine their practice schedule

Payment

Make your payments here: 

2023 Intramural Fall Sports – Layaway: https://greatheartswesternhills.configio.com/pd/1006/2023-intramural-fall-sports-layaway

2023 Intramural Fall Sports: https://greatheartswesternhills.configio.com/pd/993/2023-intramural-fall-sports

Flag Football

Flag football practice schedule (tentative):

Middle Earth and Narnia will practice on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:15-5:15. 

Volleyball

Volleyball practice schedule (tentative):

Middle Earth will practice on Mondays and Thursdays from 4:15-5:15.

Narnia will practice on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:15-5:15 

Requirements for All Intramurals

1. Students must be academically eligible to compete. This is determined by receiving a 70% or above in all classes.
2. A medical physical completed by a physician clearing the student for physical activity must be on file before students can participate.
3. Registration through Aktivate (www.registermyathlete.com including a preparticipation form, medical physical, and signed athletic handbook).
4. Parents must read and understand that by signing up for intramural sports, you have accepted and acknowledged the sports club disclaimer at checkout).

If you have any questions, please email our Intramural Director, Hannah Cavazos, at hannah.boring@greatheartstxschools.org

Athletics

Upcoming Competitions:

August 28^th – MS FFB vs Valor – 5:30 pm – Home

September 1^st – 9^th & 10^th Girls VB vs GH Monte Vista – 5:00 pm – Away

There is a $2 adult admission fee for home games. Concessions will be provided.

Stay up to date on your favorite teams by checking out our website: www.greatheartswesternhillsathletics.org. You may also download important information such as the forms for physicals by clicking on the links/forms button.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to athletic director Elizabeth Disney Alvarado at Elizabeth.disney@greatheartstxschools.org