PSO Newsletter

Thank you & farewell

Falcon Families,

Thanks to each and every one of you for an incredible 2021-2022 school year. We are so grateful to have an incredibly supportive administration and community of parents who continuously make our community stronger and better. Through your volunteer efforts, friendships and community engagement, each one of you has helped to make Great Hearts Forest Heights the type of place where our children can thrive educationally, have fun, feel safe and become the best versions of themselves.

Thanks to the combined efforts from participating in fundraising events to include Falcon Faire, the PSO has been able to earn $38,000 for our campus this year! To see a full breakdown of how those funds have been or plan to be utilized, click here.

Words can’t express how much the last two years of serving as your PSO leaders have meant to Brandi and myself. We feel grateful and blessed to have had the opportunity to help shape the Falcon culture, strengthen the bond and trust between the administration and the parents, and do great things to serve the needs of our campus. While it is bittersweet for Brandi and I to step down, we know that with a fresh perspective comes new ideas. We know that the next PSO leadership team will achieve this. The search does continue for the new PSO Leadership, so if you have interest I would encourage you to reach out to one of us and our headmasters with questions. The PSO leadership team this year has already finalized a schedule of events for next year. We just need someone to take the ball and run with it.

In the wise words of a famous author, Brandi and I hold these sentiments exactly… “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

Thank you for the memories and the friendship Great Hearts Forest Heights. Brandi and I will see you next year as parents!

Katie Edge & Brandi Barnes

PSO Co-Chairs

our Silent auction is live!

Our Falcon Faire Silent Auction is LIVE NOW! Click here to view and bid on some incredible offerings, including Kalahari, Sea World, and Six Flags passes, golf, games, restaurant gift cards, private Pilates lessons, dinner with Headmaster Doughty, and SO MUCH MORE!! There are some limited items which you even have the opportunity to "Buy Now," so don't delay as you won't want to miss out! The auction closes 1pm THIS Saturday, and winners will be able to collect their prizes starting at 1:30 at Faire or on the following Monday, May 23rd, from Rocky Garza.

Baked goods and a pizza party!

We are accepting donations for our Falcon Faire Cookie/Cupcake Walk! Homemade or store-bought goodies are great! Just no nuts please. We would love to have cookies packaged in groupings of 3. Please write your child’s section on your donation as the class that donates the most baked goods gets a PIZZA PARTY!! You can drop off donations this Friday at the front of school when you drop off or pick up your child, or you can bring them to the MPR Saturday during Faire! Thank you!!

falcon faire is this weekend!

Falcon Faire is finally here and we cannot be more excited! See below for some useful information:

Pre-Sale Pickup:

Pre-Sale pickup will be this Friday, May 20th, after morning drop off from 7:15am - 8:00am and early release pickup from 1:15 to 2:30pm at the parking lot across the street off Laureate Dr. We will also have your vouchers at Faire on Saturday at the volunteer booth if you cannot make it Friday.

Parking:

Parking the day of the Faire will be in the Texas Oncology parking lot and the empty lot across from the school off Laureate Drive.

Tickets/Food Vouchers:

We will have ticket booths at both the front and rear entrances this year! As a reminder, we will have a concession stand with snacks, drinks, and candies that can be purchased with tickets the day of Faire. Vouchers for Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and pizza can be purchased the day of Faire on a first-come first-served basis.

2021-2022 Yearbooks arrive next week!

Scholars who purchased a yearbook will receive their copy from their teacher next week, and scholars will be able to take their yearbook to recess so that friends may sign them before the end of the year!

Didn't order a yearbook but want to? There are a limited number of yearbooks available to purchase until they are sold out. Click here to get your copy now before they are all gone!

Faire pre-sale closes 10pm may 12th

TOMORROW is your last chance to pre-order Falcon Faire DISCOUNTED ticket bundles, meal vouchers, and t-shirts and avoid the long lines at Faire! Do you remember last year:

• How long ticket lines were?

• How long food lines were?

We listened to your feedback from last year's Falcon Faire and we have done our best to ensure we have enough food. However, you MUST have a meal voucher purchased either through pre-sale or from our limited supply at Faire to order Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches or pizza. Additionally, we will have lots of snack items to purchase a la carte as well!

For more information on why/when you need tickets, for prices of tickets, meal vouchers, and t-shirts, and when you can expect to get your pre-sale order, click here.

We can't wait to see you there!

It's Teacher Appreciation Week!

Sign up for Friday's Potluck Luncheon

THIS Friday, May 6th, we will be hosting a taco-bar potluck lunch for our teachers! Please click here to review and sign up to contribute to this end-of-year appreciation luncheon.

Teacher appreciation week is next week!

We are looking forward to celebrating our amazing teachers all week next week, May 2nd-6th! Please join us in showing how much we appreciate our teachers' hard work, dedication, and BIG hearts as we have something special planned each day of the week! Let's show our enormous gratitude for ALL our deserving teachers, including our Specials, Special Ed and ESL teachers, as well as our wonderful Interventionists. Teacher Favorites Forms can be found here if you'd like some inspiration.

Click here for a printer-friendly version of our Teacher Appreciation flyer or look for a copy coming home in your scholar's backpack. You'll notice on Friday, May 6th, we will be hosting a taco-bar potluck lunch for our teachers. Please click here to review and sign up to contribute to this end-of-year appreciation luncheon. Thank you for helping make Teacher Appreciation Week extra special!

this friday is last day for donations

The last day to drop off donations for our Silent Auction is THIS Friday, April 29th! Please leave all items at the front lobby. For ideas, visit our Falcon Faire page or click here to go straight to our Silent Auction Wish List. No gift is too small!!

If you are unable to meet this deadline but know you have items to donate, please email us at pso@greatheartsforestheights.org.

2 events coming up this weekend!

We have 2 exciting events happening this weekend, and we invite you to join us!

1. Kendra Scott Gives Back Event: Join us at Kendra Scott La Cantera for sips, sweets, and jewelry on Friday, April 29th 2pm-4pm! This is the perfect opportunity to find something special for Mom just in time for Mother's Day! Mention Great Hearts Forest Heights and Kendra Scott will donate 20% of the purchases to our campus! Invite your friends and family too. Can't join us in the store? No problem! Shop online 4/29 12am - 4/30 11:59pm (48 hours) at KendraScott.com and enter code GIVEBACK-BTGHY at checkout.

2. Parents & Kids Night Out: Join us for a fun double fundraising community Parents/Kids Night Out at Anchor Bar and Elite Gymnastics on April 30th 5pm to 9pm! See details below…

Anchor Bar

4553 N Loop 1604 W, Unit 1133

San Antonio, TX 78249

**20% of Food AND drink sales will benefit our PSO

No babysitter? No problem! Drop the kids off at Elite Gymnastics for our PRIVATE Kids Night Out Event at Elite Gymnastics from 5pm to 9pm. For $40 per child, the kids will have a great time playing in the gymnastics studio with their friends, eating pizza, drinking juice and making memories!

Elite Gymnastics

15814 University Oak #114

San Antonio, TX 78249

**50% of the proceeds will benefit our PSO

Please note that space is limited at the Gymnastics Studio and there are multiple forms that must be completed for registration (liability waiver, etc.), so we strongly encourage you to register your child in advance. Walk-Ins are permitted (if space is available), but the registration process will take time and we ask that you factor that into your timeline. There is no minimum age to participate, but children must be potty trained and have the ability to say they need to go to the bathroom. On the Elite Gymnastics website, be sure to click the “parent portal” button. Once you get to the parent portal you will sign waivers by selecting “booking” and “PNOs” (Parent Nights Out), choosing your child and clicking the Great Hearts Forest Heights event on 4/30.

Please contact the PSO at pso@greatheartsforestheights.org if you have any questions. We want to make this first combo Parent/Kid Night out a ton of fun!

Spirit Night at Chick-fil-a

Who's ready for a dinner that pleases everyone and helps support our school at the same time?!? Chick-fil-A Spirit Night is NEXT TUESDAY 6pm-8pm at the Babcock/Huebner location (5803 Babcock Road). Remember to let them know you're with Great Hearts Forest Heights when ordering. See you there!

kendra scott gives back event

We hope you can join us for our Kendra Scott Gives Back Event at The Shops at La Cantera Friday, April 29th, 2pm to 4pm where you will get to enjoy some sparkling refreshments! Spread the word and feel free to bring friends and family with you. You can also shop online on Friday 4/29 and Saturday 4/30; just enter code GIVEBACK-BTGHY at checkout. This is the perfect opportunity to get a lovely gift for Mom with Mother's Day around the corner and to support GHFH at the same time!

Family & Business Directories are Coming!!

We are excited to offer our RETURNING (2022-2023) Falcon families the opportunity to be included in our NEW Great Hearts Forest Heights Family & Business Directories! You will need to click here and submit your family and/or business information if you’d like to be listed in either directory. Once we have compiled all the information, we will share links to the digital directories with our Falcon families, so stay tuned!

Join us for some FUNdraising at Willie’s!

Treat the cook next Tuesday, April 12th, and join us at Willie’s (Shavano Park)! You’re welcome to invite your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to join you for lunch and/or dinner, and remember to mention you’re with Great Hearts Forest Heights when ordering for our campus to receive a portion of the sales. See you there!

Kona ice on campus next week!

We are excited to have Kona Ice return next week, Thursday, April 14th, 1:25-3:25pm to serve up some fun! Just like last month, look for a link to go out early the week of the event so you can order and pre-pay online. Additionally, last time we were able to raise over $400 for our campus in just 2 short hours through this fundraiser! And what’s even more exciting, did you know all scholars who wanted a Kona Ice were able to get one?!?! Thank you to our generous parent community for “paying it forward!”

falcon faire

Make sure to mark your calendars for Falcon Faire Saturday, May 21st, 10am-2pm as we know your family will not want to miss it! We have so many fun things planned for people of all ages, including games, demonstrations, carnival rides, and so much more! Be on the lookout for our Falcon Faire flyer coming home next week in your scholar’s backpack, and remember to check out our Falcon Faire webpage for all the details as they develop and for ways you can get involved and help. We can’t wait to see you there!

flock-a-falcon family

We’d like to wish a Happy Birthday to these two Falcons who enjoyed celebrating their special day with a flock of flamingos! If you know someone who would love to celebrate a milestone with our flock, you can schedule a visit by clicking here.

We have a couple of requests for help. Please see below and email us at pso@greatheartsforestheights.org if you are able to lend a hand. Thank you so much!

1. The Music teachers are seeking help with transporting our choir risers to the University of United Methodist on De Zavala for our upcoming Spring Concerts (April 21st and 22nd). They are searching for…

• Parents who can pick up all 6 risers from our campus on April 21st between 10:40-1:30 p.m. and drop them off at The University of United Methodist Church, 5084 De Zavala Rd, in the Sanctuary.

• Parents who can pick up the 6 risers from UUMC after our concert on EITHER (1) April 22nd after 8:30 pm, (2) possibly over the weekend or (3) on Monday, April 25th and transport back to GHFH campus. We think the church will allow the risers to stay there overnight the weekend, but are trying to confirm.

This would alleviate the cost of hiring out to transport equipment on multiple occasions. The risers have wheels we can use to roll them but are heavy to lift so will require 3 strong hands. The Risers are 6’4” High, 6’4” in Length, and 2’9” in Width.

Mr. McIntosh has graciously offered to helps with breaking down the risers, putting them back together and using his truck to transport while Cassie Zimmerman has graciously agreed to let us use her flat bed trailer for transport.

2. The Art teachers are busy getting nearly 1,000 pieces of art ready to display for the GHFH Art show taking place on campus later this month! Installation of the art show will be Saturday, April 24th and Sunday, April 25th, and our Art teachers need as much help as we can muster for the installation process. Ms. Mitchell and Mrs. Lyko will have all the artwork ready to hang, as well as a hanging system that is easy to use and quick to install.

These treasured art pieces will line the school halls and stairwells the week of April 25th-April 29th. There will be an open house night on Thursday, April 28th for families to come tour the school and see the beautiful art our scholars have created this year. (Information to come from the school regarding this event).

Its going to be an amazing show, but we truly need parent volunteers to help make this event happen!

Last call for yearbook photos!

THIS FRIDAY, March 25th, is the last day to upload any photos you'd like to submit to our yearbook committee. You may upload your digital images by clicking here or by clicking on the "Yearbook Photo Upload" option in the menu above.

Additionally, the last day to purchase yearbooks is Friday, April 1st. Click here to purchase yearbooks before sales close.

And one more thing to get excited about: Admin will allow scholars to bring their yearbook to recess the final week of school so friends may sign them!

falcon faire

We are still looking for donations! Please visit the Falcon Faire page to get all the latest and greatest. We are asking for the following…

• • Silent Auction Wishlist Items – Anything in new condition you don’t want, we will take!

  • Booth prizes for Big & Little Kids!

  • Decoration materials such as solid-colored sheets, pillowcases, and towels

  • Baskets! As Easter is approaching, please don’t toss any remaining baskets. We will take them so that we can assemble our Silent Auction Baskets at no cost!

  • Unique talents & Entertainment!

    • • We are looking for a series of 30-minute demonstrations of unique talents and entertainment at Falcon Faire. Examples could include Military Demonstrations, Police Squad Car Tours/Viewing, Dog Training, Honey Bee Hive Demonstrations, Rescue Animals, Humane Society, Animal Defense League, Golf Shop Put Put, Walking on Stilts, Musical Shows, Cake Decorating, Karate Black Belt Demos, Bagpipers, Irish Dancers, etc. The goal is to make as much money as possible for our library fund, so FREE and FUN entertainment is the goal! Let us know if you have any connections.

A bin has been placed in the front lobby labeled FALCON FAIRE. Thank you for your donations. We can’t hardly wait for May 21st!

join us for our 1st parents & kids night out!

Thanks to Jason Reams for helping our PSO coordinate a fun double fundraising community Parents/Kids Night Out at Anchor Bar and Elite Gymnastics on April 30th from 5pm to 9pm! See details below…

Anchor Bar

4553 N Loop 1604 W, Unit 1133

San Antonio, TX 78249

**20% of Food AND drink sales will benefit our PSO

No babysitter? No problem! Drop the kids off at Elite Gymnastics for our PRIVATE Kids Night Out Event at Elite Gymnastics from 5pm to 9pm. For $40 per child, the kids will have a great time playing in the gymnastics studio with their friends, eating pizza, drinking juice and making memories!

Elite Gymnastics

15814 University Oak #114

San Antonio, TX 78249

**50% of the proceeds will benefit our PSO

Please note that space is limited at the Gymnastics Studio and there are multiple forms that must be completed for registration (liability waiver, etc.), so we strongly encourage you to register your child in advance. Walk-Ins are permitted (if space is available), but the registration process will take time and we ask that you factor that into your timeline. There is no minimum age to participate, but children must be potty trained and have the ability to say they need to go to the bathroom. On the Elite Gymnastics website, be sure to click the “parent portal” button. Once you get to the parent portal you will sign waivers by selecting “booking” and “PNOs” (Parent Nights Out), choosing your child and clicking the Great Hearts Forest Heights event on 4/30.

Please contact the PSO at pso@greatheartsforestheights.org if you have any questions. We want to make this first combo Parent/Kid Night out a ton of fun!

order your spirit shirts

Spirit Days are a fun way for your scholars to show their Falcon pride each month! Order spirit shirts now through NOON on Wednesday, March 23rd, and we'll deliver them to your scholar's classroom to have in time for our next spirit day on Friday, March 25th. Athletic, Field Day, and Falcon Faire shirts may also be worn on Spirit days along with regular uniform bottoms.

donations for falcon faire

Falcon Faire is coming, and we are asking for donations FROM YOU to make this event a success! Please visit the Falcon Faire page to get all the latest and greatest. We are asking for the following…

• Silent Auction items (click here for Wish List)

• Booth prizes for all ages (Don’t forget about the big kids!)

• Flat sheets (solid colors only), pillowcases, and towels (for decorations - see photo of tent for example)

• Ribbons (for flower crowns)

• Hair chalk and colored hairspray

• Baskets (As Easter is approaching, please don’t toss any remaining baskets. We will take them so that we can assemble our Silent Auction Baskets at no cost!)

• Unique talents & entertainment!

  • • We are looking for a series of 30-minute demonstrations of unique talents and entertainment at Falcon Faire. Examples could include Military Demonstrations, Police Squad Car Tours/Viewing, Dog Training, Honey Bee Hive Demonstrations, Rescue Animals, Humane Society, Animal Defense League, Golf Shop Putt Putt, Walking on Stilts, Musical Shows, Cake Decorating, etc. The goal is to make as much money as possible for the construction of our new library, so FREE and FUN entertainment is the goal! Let us know if you have any connections.

• VOLUNTEERS! (The number of volunteers directly correlates to how awesome we can make Falcon Faire. Help us to make it special for all our kids. Send us an email if you can help.)

  • • Have time during the day at home? We have jobs for you!

    • Have time after hours at home? We have jobs for you!

    • Want to help on the day of? We have jobs for you!

    • Want to help on campus during the day? We have jobs for you!

A bin has been placed in the front lobby labeled FALCON FAIRE. Thank you for your donations. We can’t hardly wait for May 21st!

next week is spring break!

We hope you all enjoy a restful, fun, and safe Spring Break next week! Let us know what you’re doing and share photos with us on our Facebook page. And don’t forget THIS FRIDAY, March 11th, is a Professional Development Day (no school), so enjoy an early start to your break!

Mi Casa tamales

We are looking forward to kicking off the weekend with our fellow Falcon families after early-release pick up THIS FRIDAY, March 4th, at Mi Casa Tamales! This is such a fun place with lots of open space for the kids to play and the adults to gather, so bring some sports balls and your appetite. Remember to mention you're with Great Hearts Forest Heights for our school to receive a portion of the sales. See you there!

Thank you service saturday volunteers

Thanks for joining us at SA Food Bank for Service Saturday. We packed nearly 3,000 food boxes for Seniors, and we made KENS5 news (click here)! Great job families and scholars for stepping up and serving our community. We have the best school family!

front desk & Copy Room opportunities

Parents, we have updated our Front Desk and Copy Room Sign-Up Genius volunteer slots to reflect the school's needs for the rest of the school year. Please remember to sign up ahead of time so our front desk staff can plan accordingly. Thank you for your willingness to serve our school community! Click below to review the volunteer opportunities and to and sign up.

• Copy Room

• Front Desk

Service Saturday is this saturday

Please arrive at the SA Foodbank Warehouse (5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway) 15 minutes before your shift (9-11:30am or 1:30-4pm) and bring a mask. Slots are full so please email cisenhower@gmail.com to be added to the waitlist or to take yourself off. We’ll see you there!

donations for falcon faire

Falcon Faire is coming, and we are asking for donations FROM YOU to make this event a success! Please visit the Falcon Faire page to get all the latest and greatest. We are asking for the following…

• Silent Auction items (click here for Wish List)

• Booth prizes for all ages (Don’t forget about the big kids!)

• Decoration materials such as solid-colored sheets, pillowcases, and towels

• Unique talents & entertainment!

  • We are looking for a series of 30-minute demonstrations of unique talents and entertainment at Falcon Faire. Examples could include Military Demonstrations, Police Squad Car Tours/Viewing, Dog Training, Honey Bee Hive Demonstrations, Rescue Animals, Humane Society, Animal Defense League, Golf Shop Put Put, Walking on Stilts, Musical Shows, Cake Decorating, etc. The goal is to make as much money as possible for the construction of our new library, so FREE and FUN entertainment is the goal! Let us know if you have any connections.

A bin has been placed in the front lobby labeled FALCON FAIRE. Thank you for your donations. We can’t hardly wait for May 21st!

snacktime friday is this friday

This FRIDAY, February 18th, we will serve a charcuterie board snack to the Faculty! We invite you to contribute and sign up through this link. If you are unable to bring in a snack item, you are welcome to make a monetary contribution through VenMo @GHFH-PSO. VenMo is the easiest way to make a donation, but if you would like to make alternative arrangements for a donation, please contact Ashely Carter at benandashcarter@gmail.com. The charcuterie will be assembled by the PSO and served to our faculty after school on Friday. We appreciate your contributions in taking care of our faculty!

order your Spirit shirts

Spirit Days are a fun way for your scholars to show their Falcon pride each month! Order spirit shirts now through NOON on Wednesday, February 23rd, and we'll deliver them to your scholar's classroom to have in time for our next spirit day on Friday, February 25th. Athletic, Field Day, and Falcon Faire shirts may also be worn on Spirit days.

Falcon Faire is coming...

As mentioned in our PSO email on Jan 12th, we are asking for donations FROM YOU to make this event a success. A bin has been placed in the front lobby labeled FALCON FAIRE. Please donate today and visit the Falcon Faire page to get all the latest and greatest details. Thank you for your donations. We can hardly wait for May 21st!

used uniform donations

We are asking for donations of used uniforms for our final end-of-year used uniform sale, which will occur at Falcon Faire on May 21st! A bin has been placed in the front lobby labeled USED UNIFORM DONATIONS. Thank you for your donations.

Volunteer Snack Basket Donations

Did you know that many volunteers and teachers skip lunch and rely on a snack basket at the front desk to sustain them until dismissal? Please consider bringing a bag or two of individually wrapped non-perishable treats such as Butterfinger, Snickers, Reese’s (Mr. Gately's favorite), Kit Kat, etc. Healthy snacks are also appreciated! Simply label these items FRONT DESK TREATS when dropped off to the front desk. Thank you for supporting our on-campus volunteers.

Service Saturday

Please join us for our 2nd GHFH Serving Day on February 26th! All ages are invited to help pack food boxes inside the SA Food Bank Warehouse located at 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway, 78227. We have 2 shifts available (see times below) with only 40 slots in each. **Please register ALL participants individually. **

1. 9:00am-11:30am

2. 1:30pm-4:00pm

Jason’s Deli Fundraiser

Give the cook a night off and support GHFH at the same time! We invite you to join us at Jason’s Deli in the Colonnade (9933 W IH 10) TOMORROW, January 27th, 4pm-9pm for our next PSO fundraiser. Bring your appetite and mention Great Hearts Forest Heights when ordering for Jason’s Deli to donate 15% of the sales to our campus!

Spirit Shirts

Falcon Spirit Day is THIS Friday, January 28th! For anyone who ordered spirit shirts before noon today, shirts will be sent home in your child’s backpack (if you haven’t already received them). We can’t wait to see all the scholars in their spirit gear this Friday for Spirit Day! As always, get your cameras ready to share some spirit with us on our Facebook group page.

Service Saturday

Please join us for our 2nd GHFH Serving Day on February 26th! All ages are invited to help pack food boxes inside the SA Food Bank Warehouse located at 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Parkway, 78227. We have 2 shifts available (see times below) with only 40 slots in each. **Please register ALL participants individually. **

1. 9:00am-11:30am

2. 1:30pm-4:00pm

Falcon Faire

Who is getting excited for Falcon Faire on May 21st? We are! Just a reminder we will be collecting donations for Faire starting next month. Please visit our Falcon Faire page to review how you can help us start preparing for this exciting event. We can't wait to see you there!

Flock-a-Falcon Family

Did you know you can sign up to flock a beloved family member or friend, in addition to your own family? Pictured here is a GH grandparent who was celebrating her retirement from teaching! Parents, if you’re looking for a fun way to celebrate birthdays, retirements, or other special occasions, we’d be happy to help make the occasion even more memorable with a flock of flamingos. Click here for more information and to book.