School Calendar

Our calendar is quite different than other San Antonio ISDs. In addition to holidays, Great Hearts Academies build in professional development and independent study days during which there will be no school. Please also notice early release days throughout the calendar so you can plan accordingly for your student.

Take special notice:

      • The first day of school is Monday, August 14.
      • School start and end times run from 7:50 a.m.-3:27 p.m.
      • Early release days go from 7:50 a.m.-1:27 p.m.

2023-2024 Academic Calendar

 

School Supplies

School supplies are another element of getting your student ready for the school year. Access school supply lists for each grade below. We ask that you purchase comparable products to those listed, but you do not have to purchase the exact brands listed.

GHFH School Supply List 2023-2024

 

Uniforms

This year Great Hearts Forest Heights has partnered with two uniform vendors: Dennis and FlynnO’Hara. Both produce high-quality items and are committed to providing the best possible service for Great Hearts Forest Heights families.

Lower School Uniform Guide

 

Upper School Uniform Guide

Financial Assistance

Forest Heights would like to offer financial assistance for school supplies and uniforms to all students who qualify. If you would like to see if your family qualifies for financial assistance through Great Hearts, please email GHFHinfo@GreatHeartsTxSchools.org to request the preliminary eligibility form. 

We base our eligibility on income levels equal to those who qualify for free and reduced lunches. This application only applies to school supplies and uniforms vouchers. Due to the deadline we have for placing our school supply orders through 1st Day School Supplies, any applications received after May 31 will not be eligible to receive assistance.

Please note the online form does not qualify you for Free or Reduced Lunch program (FRL). The official 2023-2024 FRL application will be available in summer (late July 2023). If you would like to apply for the Free or Reduced Lunch program, you will need to complete that form separately.

Classics to Keep

During the school year, your child’s class will utilize the books from classical lists found in the links below. Parents and students are strongly encouraged to purchase these books for their own personal collections so they can write in them and keep them. This practice allows students to develop their own impressive personal library of classics over the course of their academic career with Great Hearts.

For families who do not purchase the texts, their students will be given access to a copy of these books as part of their curriculum. Students should not mark these books provided by Great Hearts and will be asked to return the books in good condition once their class has finished working with them. Students will be held responsible for damaged or lost books that belong to the school.

Great Hearts Forest Heights K-5 Classics to Keep 2023-2024

Great Hearts Forest Heights 6-10 Classics to Keep 2023-2024

Parent Service Organization

Our school is fueled by the help of our volunteers. Interested in helping in such areas as field trips, class celebrations, lunch duty, or the copy room?

Visit the PSO website for more information www.ghfhpso.org

Athenaeum or Homework Club

Registration for our after-school programs including Athenaeum and Homework Club is now open for the 2023-2024 school year . For more information including registration options and pricing, or to register, please visit the After-School Programs page on the academy website.

Nurse’s Corner


For questions regarding your child’s medications and/or health needs, please wait until late July to contact the school. The Forest Heights school nurse will not be available until then.

If your child needs to be given medication during school hours, complete the Forest Heights Medication Consent, and turn it in to Nurse Hildebrand for grades K-5 and Nurse Montgomery for grades 6-10th. Medication Guidelines.

Please visit the website below for information regarding Texas minimum school vaccine requirements. http://dshs.texas.gov/immunize/school/default.shtm Click on the link: 2023-2024 Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements for Students in Grades K-12. The chart will list all requirements, please ensure your child meets the necessary requirements before the start of the new 2023-2024 school year.

Should your child receive immunizations during the summer break, please forward a copy of the updated immunization record to the school.

Attendance

As a public school in the State of Texas, Great Hearts Forest Heights funding is directly tied to daily student attendance. Every day a student is absent at our “Official Attendance Taking Time” is a day we miss out on funding for that student.

All this is to say nothing of the extraordinary instruction our students miss out on when they are not present. Our curriculum is quite rigorous, and every day is important for each student’s academic progress. Thank you for your constant support of our school community.

We recognize that absences will undoubtedly happen. Children with fever, vomiting, or diarrhea should always be kept at home. Please consult our Health Policy for Students and Staff regarding specific guidelines related to Covid-19. Here are some simple ways you can help our school keep our Average Daily Attendance high and receive as much funding as possible:

  • Schedule all doctor appointments before or after Official Attendance Taking Time so that students can be counted present for the day.
  • Always bring a doctor’s note for medical appointments or absences. They can be brought to the front desk or emailed to us at GHFHattendance@GreatHeartsTxSchools.org
  • Keep students at home if they are contagious. Students must be fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing drugs before returning to school.
  • Stay healthy! Prevent the spread of germs by reminding students to wash their hands frequently, and cover their faces when they cough or sneeze.

See our Family Handbooks for details on all our attendance policies.

Breakfast and Lunch

Great Hearts Forest Heights partners with SLA Management for our breakfast and lunch program. SLA works hard to offer your student healthy and delicious meal options each school day. For more information, please visit the SLA Management website, and view the calendar of meals here.

Great Hearts has recently partnered with LINQ Connect to provide a mobile app for families to add money to meal accounts, add district menus, and set spending limits. Go to the LINQ Connect website to learn more.

Pickup and Dropoff

Dropoff and Pickup
Staff-assisted dropoff for both Lower and Upper Schools will run from 7:15-7:45 a.m. 

Students arriving after 7:50 a.m. will be issued a tardy slip once they walk into the building. Students not in their classrooms for attendance at 7:50 a.m. will be considered tardy.

Please read our full traffic plan here:  GHFH Traffic Guidelines 2023-2024