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Inside This issue LETTER FROM OUR HEADMASTER ..... 3
THE RISE OF TRUE NORTH ..... 4 VISION The vision of True North Classical Academy is to unleash a thirst for knowledge within our students. True North students will become lifelong learners as their passions align to their purpose in the pursuit of the True, Good, and Beautiful.
MISSION True North Classical Academy will achieve its vision through a rigorous, knowledge-rich curriculum grounded in the tradition of the classical liberal arts. Through steadfast focus on scholarship, citizenship, and leadership in an environment that values and models intellectual and moral virtue, we are committed to empowering our students to reach their highest potential and sustain a lifelong love of learning.
WHY CLASSICAL EDUCATION ..... 8
TRUE NORTH CURRICULUM ..... 10
CULTIVATING WISDOM & VIRTUE ..... 12
TEACHING WITH LOVE ..... 16
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE ..... 26
HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL ..... 28
COGNIA ACCREDITATION ..... 30
LEADERSHIP Michael Bileca Jeanine Finlay Chereen Coile Sari Guevara Emma Rowlands Jorge Finlay
FOUNDATION
INAUGURAL HIGH SCHOOL ..... 34
9393 Sunset Drive Miami, FL, 33173 2
Jeanine Finlay, Ed.S.
Dear Families, What an honor and a blessing to have been part of True North since its first year! I have always been proud of our many accomplishments, the educational culture we have established, and the positive community created by our parents, teachers, and students. But as this particular school year comes to an end, I am overwhelmingly amazed at how far we’ve come, despite the challenges of 2020. In a time where the world was in a state of uncertainty, we thrived. We progressed. We grew stronger -- as a family and a community -- as we embarked in virtual learning the last few months of school. During that time, I witnessed teachers and students working together as a team, engaged in hard work to continue their love of learning, regardless of the adversities. As Titans, we showed perseverance, encouragement, and we were not afraid to dive into the unknown. I have always been confident in the greatness of our school, and this year, more than any other, proved that truth. As Aristotle said, “Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.” May True North always provide students with a solid education, whether as an ornament or as a refuge.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” - R.L. Stevenson
Sincerely, Jeanine Finlay
INVESTING IN A BETTER EDUCATION ..... 36
ADVANCING TRUE NORTH .....38
Marc Snyder
CONTACT
From Our Head of Schools
INTRODUCING TRUE NORTH FOUNDATION ..... 53
TRUE NORTH IS HONORED TO SERVE OVER 800 STUDENTS, VPK-10TH-GRADE, ACROSS FOUR CAMPUSES
TRUE NORTH SCHOOL LOCATIONS ..... 54 3
of a classical education to all students: infant to 12th-grade, serving over 1,700 students. To serve this many students, True North’s Sunset Campus recently completed a 14 million dollar expansion project, adding a brand new, stateof -the-art academic building and 15,000 square foot indoor gymnasium. Construction of a brand new, two-story, academic building is well underway on our Dadeland Campus. The new building will be ready to open next school year (2021-22). True North is also poised to open its third campus at our Gateway location. This campus will be the home of K-5 students and will contain remodeled athletic fields.
The True North Journey began six years ago with the belief that public education, founded on the timeless principles of a classical education that seeks to cultivate wisdom and virtue, should be made accessible to all peoples of all backgrounds. With a clear vision to bring a world-class classical education to the people of Miami, True North has quickly risen to the top in the State of Florida. With this vision in mind, the leaders of True North opened their doors to their first students in 2015. Initally, there were many doubters from the district. Could this kind of education translate into educational success as measured on state-mandated testing? The answer was a resounding yes! With the emphasis placed on a classical education curriculum, excellent teaching, reading Great Books, and the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness, True North scored in the top 1% in the Sate of Florida on state testing in reading and mathematics. It has remained a top 1% school in the State of Florida ever since. After its first few years, with rising demands for a True North education, True North opened its doors to a second campus and two early learning centers, expanding its scope to the tiniest of scholars. In 2019-20, True North began its first High School with its inaugural freshmen class. By 2022-23, True North will offer its model 4
Throughout its growth, True North has remained steadfast in its principles of offering a worldclass classical education to the people of Miami. Despite its increase in the number of students, True North has remained a “family.” It hopes to extend its family to other parts of Florida, and—perhaps—to other parts of the nation, in years to come.
1,720 1,469
1,176
485
568
300 312
776 200
432
264
620 85
198
154
282 SY20
612
732 720
378
SY21
SY22
SY23
SY24
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This is true happiness. This is the end of man. And real education ought to point man in this direction. Classical education recognizes man for who he is: a composite being made up of body and soul. Modern education turns a blind eye towards this truth, and therefore can never satisfy the inner longings of the human spirit. And so when we ask the question why classical education, we can answer that anything else is not real education at all. Classical education embraces the higher truth of man’s being and the goodness that he longs for. “The Death of Socrates,” painted by Jacques-Louis David, is one of the most profound testaments to classical education. As the quotation by Socrates from Plato’s Crito indicates, we educate our students, not so that they can merely live, but so that they can live well. The scene from the David painting depicts Socrates reaching for the hemlock with one hand, and pointing to the heavens with the other. You can hear him saying: “doing right really matters. What I do in this life has consequences in the next.”
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” ~Aristotle
Socrates recognized this truth, which is why he was resigned to die with honor. He recognized that we were made for so much more than any textbook could teach us. We were made, not just for life, not just for a productive life, or a life of work, but we were made for the “good life.” This is what classical education tries to instill and form within its students.
A classical education offered today teaches our students that education is not just about equipping students with the skills needed to get a job; rather, education ought to be about equipping students with the skills needed to pursue the good life. An authentic education rooted in the Great Books and liberal arts teaches students to pursue those things that are most worthy of our attention: those things that are true, good, and beautiful. When we begin to pay attention to these “higher things,” we begin to realize that life is worth living, that there is purpose and meaning to our actions, that virtue matters; and if we pursue and attain to these higher things, we will attain wisdom and virtue; and—eventually—what Aristotle calls “eudaimonia,” or the fullness of being. 8
“[…] Examine the following statement in turn as to whether it stays the same or not, that the most important thing is not life, but the good life.” ~Socrates
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True North’s Curriculum: • Is structured and integrated • Focuses on the acquisition of knowledge through reading, by focusing whenever possible on original texts and classics • Uses Socratic teaching, dialogue, and inquiry-based learning to uncover the truth of the content being studied • Introduces students to transcendent realities of truth, beauty, and goodness • Presents various disciplines in a sequence corresponding to a pupil’s ability to think abstractly • Studies not simply individual academic subjects, but essential truths that transcend these subjects • Develops a sense of wonder and love of learning • Assists students to become selfmotivated and self-correcting learners • Trains the mind in the tools of learning using the Trivium: grammar, logic, and rhetoric stages • Forms students’ characters in the ways of classical virtues through a story-based approach and cultivation of the moral imagination
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Who are your teachers? Socrates bach franklin michelangelo vergil homer lincoln newton jefferson plato schubert hume washinton the consitution aristotle copernicous yeats melville hawthorne kant descartes wagner aquinas wilder sophocles mill johnson erasmus dickens lewis hemingway stoker wordsworth coleridge keats milton At True North, we believe students should engage with authors of original texts and classics, whenever possible. By engaging in what Mortimer Adler calls the “Great Conversation,” our teachers become Socrates, Bach, Franklin, Michelangelo, Vergil, Homer, Lincoln, and so on. Our students, in turn, sit by the feet of these masters, and are led by the hand, as they pursue a greater understanding of some of the most important ideas in Western culture. This is accomplished in dialogue, through what we call Socratic discussion. Socrates used this method by acting as an interlocutor; that is, by asking questions of the youth of Athens. He believed that through a thorough examining of one’s own beliefs, and by a faithful reliance on reason, that one is able to arrive at what is good and true. This ongoing pursuit of these “higher things” brings about a certain degree of intellectual virtue and wisdom. Yet, this is not enough. Once one comes to an understanding of what is good and true, he or she must put this into practice. Socrates did not only know that it was wrong for him to escape from prison and imminent death, but he also complied with his sentence by drinking the hemlock. Virtue must be an outward action as much as an inner understanding. Associated with any pursuit of virtue is a risk. There is a risk that a life well-lived might not be a “good” for us. This cannot be forced on anyone, but must be freely received. At True North, we form students in virtue at an early age and given them the freedom to accept it as a good when they 12
Virtue is the fount whence honor springs.” -Christopher Marlow are old enough. We desire our students to take the formation received at True North to the outside world, as they are called to be virtuous citizens and leaders in serving the greater community and public good. True North is excited that in just two short years it will graduate its first class of seniors (students that were with us since 5th-grade). In seven years, True North will graduate its first class of students that have been with us since kindergarten. We are confient that these students will take what they learned at True North and be a model for what is truly possible in education when the emphasis is placed on good and noble things. The True North journey is achieved by students, teachers, and administration seeking wisdom and virtue together. Ultimately, the job of education is to not just create academic scholars, but about forming wise and virtuous human beings
CULTIVATING WISDOM & VIRTUE
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Teaching with love The teachers at True North see teaching as a vocation of the heart. The traditional understanding of the word “vocation” has always been taken to mean “a higher calling that cuts to the core of our being.” One’s vocation does not define what someone is called to do, but what someone is called to be. True North teachers are called to be teachers. It can be seen in the way they teach, conduct themselves, and - most importantly - in the way that every child is known and loved by them. True North devotes much dedicated time to recruiting. It believes that there is no job more important than finding the right teacher to place in front of each child. The teachers hired at True North are amongst the best in the nation. They come from a variety of backgrounds, many of whom posses advanced degrees (Masters and Doctorates) from both nationally recognized, and liberal arts colleges and universities, including Yale, Notre Dame, Hillsdale, and Ave Maria University. The teachers at True North are committed teachers who love what they do. As mentioned above, teaching is not a job for them, but a vocation born out of love. They spend countless hours, not only completing the duties of a teacher (lesson planning, grading papers, etc.), but going above and beyond the call of duty in tutoring students, sponsoring co-curriculars or afterschool clubs, and coaching sports. Most importantly, our teachers put the time into building relationships with the students that will last a lifetime.
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A relentless pursuit of good will towards the students is what characterizes all of our teachers. All True North teachers seek out what’s best for all their students.They are scholars who love to teach, and teach with love, and pursue truth, goodness, and beauty above all things. True North extensively trains and mentors each teacher through one-on-one coaching so that each teacher can develop the tools and skills needed to be a master at their craft and, overall, be an excellent classical educator.
“Teaching at True North has been an answer to my prayers. The way people love each other and care for each other is nothing I have ever seen before. Its nurturing, motivating, supportive environment is one that allows me to inspire my students and reach their highest potential.” ~Ms. Mejia, 3rd-grade teacher
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Faculty Highlights Sunset Campus
NICOLE BERMENT, SCIENCE DEGREE: Bachelor of Science; Master of Science; and PhD
DEGREE: Masters; Bachelor of Arts
DEGREE FIELD: Marine Science; Geology
DEGREE FIELD: Politics, Government and Philosophy
FAVORITE BOOK: The republic, Plato
FAVORITE BOOK: Brideshead Revisted, Evelyn Waugh
FAVORITE QUOTE: “All men by nature desire to know.” ~Aristotle
FAVORITE QUOTE: “Know thyself.” ~Plato
MALLORY MILLS, LANGUAGE ARTS
ALLISON BILECA, KINDERGARTEN
DEGREE: Bachelor of Arts
DEGREE: Bachelor of Science; Masters of Arts
DEGREE FIELD: American Studies with minors in Classical Education and Spanish
DEGREE FIELD: Elementary Education
FAVORITE BOOK: As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner FAVORITE QUOTE: “Much madness is divinest sense.” ~Emily Dickinson
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DAN FINNEGAN, HUMANE LETTERS
FAVORITE BOOK: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe FAVORITE QUOTE: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle
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Faculty Highlights South Campus GISEL ZAPATA, KINDERGARTEN TEACHER DEGREE: Bachelor in Science
EMMA OJINNAKA, 2ND GRADE TEACHER
DEGREE FIELD: Elementary Education
DEGREE: Bachelor of Arts
FAVORITE CLASSIC BOOK: Little Britches: Father and I Were Ranchers
DEGREE FIELD: French, Classical Education
FAVORITE QUOTE: “A man’s character is like his house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm, his house soon becomes a ruin. A man with a ruined character is a shame on the face of the earth” Ralph Moody
BELKYS RUBIO, 3RD GRADE TEACHER DEGREE: Bachelor of Science
FAVORITE CLASSIC BOOK: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S Lewis
LAURA CABRAL, 3RD GRADE TEACHER
DEGREE FIELD: Elementary Education
Degree: Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education, Master of Science, Educational Leadership
FAVORITE CLASSIC BOOK: Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve
FAVORITE CLASSIC BOOK: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
FAVORITE CLASSIC QUOTE: “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” -Helen Keller
FAVORITE CLASSIC QUOTE: “True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us” – Socrates
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Coaching At
True North True North focuses on developing its teachers to be masters of their craft. True North begins each year with three weeks of professional development for new teachers and two weeks for returning teachers. Nationally recognized educators are brought in to train teachers in the areas of classical education philosophy, pedagogy, and curriculum development. After initial training, professional development continues throughout the year to ensure our teachers are at the top of their profession. Additionally, each teacher is paired with a mentor teacher. The mentor teacher observes each teacher weekly to biweekly and gives bitesized feedback based on the areas of classical education pedagogy, classroom management, and rigor. Each coaching session includes specific action steps that follow a waterfall approach, using the Uncommon Schools method of Get Better Faster. The teacher and mentor practice, and implementation of the step is observed until mastered. The coaching model at True North is similar to a tennis player’s relationship with a his or her coach. It’s personal, ongoing, and focused on improving each aspect of the craft. It is believed that great coaching...leads to 22
“Great professional development...leads to great teaching...leads to improved student outcomes.”
great teaching...leads to improved student outcomes. Every child deserves a champion teacher, an adult who will never give up on him, who loves them, and insists that they become the best version of themselves. True North believes the most important qualities in its teachers are that they are mission-driven, have a love of learning, heart for teaching, love students, love classical education, and are coachable. We believe that our teachers, with proper coaching, can develop into world-class teachers. In fact, True North is the only school in the State of Florida that is able to certify its own teachers through a mentoring process.
“Every child deserves a CHAMPION—an adult who will never give up on them., who understands the power of connection, and insists that they become the best they can possibly be.”
At True North, we root for all of our teachers to be champion teachers!
I have felt nothing but support from my coach.” ~Teacher at True North
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What our stakeholders say..... 24
On our most recent survey where parents were asked: “I would recommend True North to a family member or friend (1-10 scale with 10 = extremely likely) Average of Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric Schools = 9.58 25
The idea of pursuing excellence is not reserved for the classroom. In fact, most students at True North participate in competitive athletics after school. Our programs seek excellence in all aspects, while maintaining that their higher purpose is to develop excellence in character. It is through striving, challenging, pushing, and working that our students stretch themselves towards higher levels of excellence. Athletics, participation in clubs and activities, and the various events our students participate in, are a testing ground for character and excellence in action. At True North, we believe that our role, whether in the classroom, on the athletic field, or stage, is to unleash in our students their inner pursuit of excellence.
Our approach to excellence in all of our programs, including athletics, entails that we employ incredible coaches and staff, who can lead our students towards their goals. We strive to provide the best and broadest after school experience to all of our students. Growing in character and virtue remains our primary goal, but striving for excellence means doing everything with a winning attitude. The success of our students is a result of their character-driven work ethic and desire to strive for excellence. At True North, our programs foster a sense of purpose, community, and deep friendships that we hope will last a lifetime.
overall school achievement score
80
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
86
85 71 56
56
56
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Most of our students participate in athletics and after school programs in their pursuit of excellence both inside and outside the classroom. 26
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TRUE NORTH HAS CONSISTENTLY SHOWN IMPROVEMENT YEAR AFTER YEAR, IN ELA, MATHEMATICS, AND SCIENCE...
AND CONSISTENTLY OUTPERFORMS THE STATE
Economically disadvantaged students at True North perform 39% higher than the State average in ELA and 49% higher in Mathematics
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SOME COMMENTS MADE BY EVALUATORS IN THE REPORT...
In the 2019-2020 school year, True North underwent system and school-wide accreditation with Cognia, formerly AdvancEd and Measured Progress. Cognia
“Strong leadership throughout the institution is committed to a shared vision of excellence and classical education that has resulted in a culture that supports student learning, virtuous behavior among students and staff, and high expectations.”
is the largest educational accreditation institution in the country and serves over 36,000 educational institutions. True North was visited by a team of four accreditors over a four-day visit. It received accreditation, followed by a full report that was beyond glowing. Schools are given an index of education quality (IEQ) score as a holistic measure of overall performance based on standards measured and review criteria. True North’s final IEQ score was 371 (out of 400), which is almost unheard of. The overall average IEQ score of other institutions over the last five years was 278-283. True North was almost 100 points higher than other schools and received one of the highest IEQ scores of the year! This is incredible for a school that has only been open for six years.
“Daily morning assemblies reinforce the character traits which support positive behavior. The long waiting lists for enrollment are a testament to school policies and practices which support student learning and the respect accorded to the institution in the community.”
Out of a total of 32 standards measured, True North was rated as “impacing” on 28 standards. This is the highest rating a school can receive. Moreover, Cognia evaluators performed over 30 evaluations on all areas of educational success in the classroom. When compared to the average score of other teachers throughout the country, True North teachers outperformed other teachers in every category with a score of 3.00+. Beyond impressive!
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“The coaching model is embraced by teachers who reported that feedback is not evaluative, but rather reinforces strategies presented through an extensive professional development program… The professional learning is fluid and timely.”
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INAUGURAL HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2023 32
In 2019-2020, True North wlelcomed its inaugural high school class bringing together seventy-six students, half of the students who were with us since 5th-grade and the other half from outside schools located throughout Miami-Dade. It did not take long for all students to be brought into the one family of True North. At True North, there are no “old” Titans and “new” Titans; but all are Titans!
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“I CAN SPEAK AS A PARENT OF TRUE NORTH STUDENTS. THE EDUCATION MY CHILDREN ARE RECEIVING ARE DEVELOPING MY BOYS INTO YOUNG MEN THAT VALUE CHARACTER AND HONOR.” ~SENATOR MARCO RUBIO
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investing in
our future
TRUE NORTH INVESTS MORE IN INSTRUCTION, DELIVERS BETTER RESULTS, AND DOES SO WITH CONSIDERABLY LESS FUNDING THAN ITS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL COUNTERPARTS.
TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, TRUE NORTH WILL INVEST 30 MILLION DOLLARS IN ITS EXPANSION OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
MAIN CAMPUS New Academic Building & Gym
MAIN CAMPUS Replace Modular Units with a New Academic Building
15.5 MILLION
6 MILLION
At True North, we fundraise not only because of a considerable gap in state funding, but also we do more inside our classrooms than you will find at many district schools: smaller class sizes, lower student-to-teacher ratios, along with daily curricular programs like art, music, and foreign language, not to mention the range of extra-curricular and cultural opportunities. All of this adds to the richness of the student experience, and all of it has a cost. We know this is what our children deserve, and it is why we rely on our partnership with families and outside donors to help provide our students with this unique and worthwhile education. Over the years, True North has built the trust of its parents. Parents choose True North to serve alonside them in the formation of their children. True North continually earns this trust by delivering excellent academic results and a campus culture that parents want. True North students’ academic results continually exceeds those of their public-school peers (see p. 30-31), although we are faced with a disparity in funding. When you add it up, True North offers incredible return on public spending, delivering a world-class classical education for less. True North has closed the gap in the past through generous support of the Dennis Bileca foundation, start-up grants from the state, and proceeds from large fundraising events. However, as we begin to grow over the next five years, this gap will only continue to become larger, which means even more support is needed. To meet the immediate needs of a growing student body, True North recently completed construction (202021) of a brand new, state-of-the-art, academic building on our Sunset Campus, including a 15,000 square foot indoor gymnasium. The new academic building will allow True North Sunset to grow to 1,000 students. Additionally, True North is in the process of completing construction (2021-22) of a brand new academic building on our Dadeland Campus. This new academic building will allow True North Dadeland to grow to 750 students. In its final phase of buildout, True North Sunset plans on replacing its current modular units with a new building. Upon full buildout of both campuses, True North will be able to accommodate 1,750 within the next five years. Lastly, True North will be renovating our Gateweay location, which will include the buildout of a home football stadium. The total cost invested in True North’s expansion over the next fiveyears will be $30M. True North is happy to have received support from national funders, including the Charter School Growth Fund, which has committed $3.5M towards our growth and the Walton Family Foundation, having committed $700,000. However, far more funds are needed in order for True North to be able to continue to carry out its vision and mission of offering a world-class classical education to as many students as possible in Miami. Your help is needed (see below, p. 36)! We are confident that with your help, we will continue to make True North one of the top schools in the State of Florida and the nation! 36
GATEWAY Sports Field Renovation
0.5 MILLION
DADELAND CAMPUS New Academic Building
8 MILLION
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ADVANCING TRUE NORTH
GIVING LEVELS
SUPPORT OF TRUE NORTH
EVERY GIFT MATTERS
Hundreds of families, community leaders, businesses, and foundations have made it possible for True North to grow.
Each dollar given to the True North has an immediate impact on our students, the school’s highest priority. Giving to True North’s Annual Fund and Growth Campaign fuels the operating and capital budget of the school. On the operational side, your donations contribute in the areas of recruiting a world class faculty, artistic programming, athletic opportunities, and other operational needs. On the capital side, your donations help us support our significant investment in our new academic buildings and sports facilities. Gifts of all sizes are vital to sustaining the distinctives of a True North education.
Below is a list of ways you can support True North:
1 2 3
Annual Fund Campaign: The annual fund
campaign includes annual unrestricted gifts designated forschool operating expenses. These gifts help True North close the gap between what it receives in funding and what it costs to offer a world-class classical education.
Growth Campaign: These gifts to our growth
campaign are to support the current and future construction of our True North campuses. Thanks to leadership, our Sunset Campus’s new academic building and 15,000 square-foot gymnasium is complete, and our Dadeland Campus building is well under way and nearing completion.
Each year, as with every classical charter school, the cost to provide a True North education exceeds the state funding. True North, since the beginning, has been committed to providing a classical education accessible to as many students as possible at no cost. This philosophy allows for a vibrantly diverse socio-economic student body and presents fruitful academic and social opportunities that would otherwise not be possible. True North’s committment to excellence for all places continual demand on the need to fundraise.
Whatever the size of the gift, each one represents a shared vision for a True North education. Every gift matters. Every dollar counts!
Events: The main events are our annual auction, which
is a community-gala event held each spring that provides opportunities for the True North community and the public to view and purchase silent and live auction items in support of the True North, and Give Miami Day, a one-day giving event held around Thanksgiving, which allows donors to give in support of True North and its mission.
True North appreciates giving at all levels:
Supporter: $1–$499 Governors Club: $500–$999 Socratic Circle: $1,000–$4,999
If you are interested in contributing to the mission of True North in helping individual True North schools grow, in addition to supporting the growth of the True North network, please contact True North Classical Academies Foundation Executive Director Marc Snyder at msnyder@truenorthcharter.org.
Knight of the Round Table: $5,000–$9,999 Titans Circle: $10,000–$24,999 Founders Circle: $25,000 or more 39
True North recently completed a $15,500,000 million dollar construction project of a brand new, state-of-the art, academic building and 15,000 square foot indoor gymnasium.
TRUE NORTH SUNSET Miami, Florida 40
NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING AND GYMNASIUM 41
TRUE NORTH DADELAND Miami, Florida 42
True North will soon complete construction of an 8 million dollar new academic building on our Dadeland campus. This building will allow us to increase student enrollment to approximately 750 students.
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With thanks...
Dennis Bileca Foundation for Character & Excellence If it were not for the generous support of the Dennis Bileca Foundation for Character & Excellence, True North would not be. True North exists because of the commitment and love for classical education that was rooted in the heart of Dennis Bileca and passed on to his children. He is a BIG part of the founding story. All of the work and effort that goes into making True North what it is, is a labor of love that gives honor to Dennis Bileca.
“Character is the most important thing we own and it is our responsibility to develop it.” ~Dennis Bileca
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NATIONAL FUNDERS Two of the nation's leading charter school funders have already made multi-year commitments.
The Charter School Growth Fund identifies the country’s best public charter schools, funds their expansion, and helps to increase their impact. They’re driven by a conviction that all children deserve great public schools in their communities.
“Build a Dream” Brick Campaign
T
he first three orders of bricks have been officially installed in front of our brand new True North Gym, and they look beautiful! We are now taking order for our 5th installment of bricks. This is a tremendous opportunity to support True North in its “Build a Dream” Campaign, while leaving your family’s legacy at the same time. If you have not yet purchased your brick, it is not too late to purchase one and still have it placed in a prominent location in front of our gym. The commemorative bricks will be laid in front of our new 15,000 square foot gymnasium at our Main Campus and are a lasting way to honor True North students, favorite teachers, student accomplishments, and school pride. One-hundred percent of the “Build a Dream” Brick proceeds will go towards supporting the construction costs associated with our new academic building, 15,000 square foot indoor gymnasium, and are tax-deductible. There is a limited number of bricks, and they won’t last.
$3.5 Million Donation Basic Level Cost: $125 per brick Brick Size: 4x8 Text Only
The Walton Family Foundation is, at its core, a family-led foundation. Three generations of the descendants of our founders, Sam and Helen Walton, and their spouses, work together to lead the foundation and create access to opportunity for people and communities.
Titan Sponsor Cost: $500 per brick Brick Size: 4x8 Pillar or Titan Logo
Pillar of True North Sponsor Cost: $1000 per brick Brick Size: 8x8 Lines of Text: 4 Maximum + Pillar or Titan Logo OR 6 Maximum (text only) Major Donor Brick Array Cost: $2,500 for 4 bricks Brick Size: (4) 8x8 Lines of text: 6 lines of text / four bricks + Pillar Logo
$700 Thousand Donation
The program focus of the Louis Calder Foundation is education reform. They support academic programs throughout the country that offer families alternatives to under-performing public schools. They believe that charter and parochial schools have produced meaningful results over time by emphasizing academic achievement as their primary focus and utilizing a content-rich, traditional liberal arts curriculum. 46
$150 Thousand Donation
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Give Miami Day O
n November 19th, 2020, True North participated in its first Give Miami Day. It was a day that brought the entire Titan community together. Cars drove onto the campus greeted by cheerleaders, our elementary girls soccer team, and the smiling faces of True North staff and parent volunteers waving hands, giving out QR codes, holding signs, and dancing to Rend Collective’s True North. We entered the day having already raised $35,000 in early giving. Our goal for the day was $100,000. Twenty-four hours was on the clock and ticking. We were all eagerly waiting for 11:00 am, True North’s Power Hour. This would be our moment; this would be our moment to shine. But $65,000 would be a heavy lift. When the clock struck 11:00 am, the donations started to pour in. It was impossible to keep an accurate account of the money raised. The second the amount was noted and communicated to teachers busily recording the amount on a thermometer in their classrooms, it would change. Thirty-five thousand became $45,000; $45,000 became $55,000; $55,000 became $65,000. By 11:30 am, True North hit its goal of $100,000 and surpassed it! It was absolutely incredible. Truly unbelievable. Surreal! In just one hour, True North raised $90,000, totaling $125,000 by 12:00 pm. And we still had twelve hours to go! Eyes were glued to the leaderboard, as True North was in the top 10 for quite some time. It wasn’t until much later, with other organizations’ Power Hours coming, that True North got bumped down to the top 20. But in the top 20 True North would stay, finishing #17 out of almost 900 organizations with a total of $141,445 dollars raised. Add in the hero prize ($1,000) and bonus-
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bonus-match percentage dollars and True North raised near $150,000!! What is equally as incredible is the number of unique individual donations True North had. When the clock struck midnight, after a full twenty-four hours, True North had 1,151 donations - 2nd only to the Children’s Movement of Florida, which had 1,177. True North was ahead of the Children’s Movement throughout the entire day, and was only passed by them in the closing minutes. What True North accomplished on November 19th, 2020, will go down in history. It would not have been possible if it was not for our entire True North community and donors coming together as 600 strong!! True North showed its heart on this day. And we will not forget. We wanted to take this time to thank, in a special way, our Give Miami Day cochairs, Ivan Marin and Jill Lowe, who helped make this event a reality and success; True North’s Founder and President Mike Bileca, who single-handedly raised over $20,000; our True North Board, faculty, and staff, who supported this event from the very beginning; and all of our True North families and donors, who took up the banner and delivered Titan Strong. Unfortunately, there are simply too many donors to list out all of them (1,151). But please know that your geneorsity on this day will not be forgetten! In the end, Give Miami Day was a huge success, not only for True North, but for the nearly 900 organizations that raised over $18M for their cause. In the midst of a pandemic that has gripped our city, state, and nation, we all have a lot to be thankful for. Thank you True North! Thank you Miami!
Titan $25 + Tell 5 TRUE NORTH FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING DONORS FOR CONTRIBUTING TO OUR 1st ANNUAL GIVE MIAMI DAY CAMPAIGN BY DONATING AT LEAST $150.00. Achkar Family Angelo Family Arrojo Family Bandera Family Bender Family Bernal Family Bertaina Family Bestard Family Bileca Family Blaya Family Blissett Family Bloom Family Boulanger Family Bush Family Cantera-Serralta Family Caraballo Family Cardoso Family Cardwell Family Castillo Family Cata Family Chawkat Family Christian Family Chriswisser Family Clark Family Coffey-Garcia Family Cooper Family Cuevas-Fermin Family Cunningham Family Davis Family De La Grana Family Desme Family Diaz Family Dominguez Family Duran Tavera Family Eguizabal Family Esteban Family Faraldo-Padron Family Flores Family Garcia Hendricks Family Garmash Family Gerber Family Glazer Family
Golfari Family Gomez Family Gomez-Estefan Family Gonzalez Family Grimmel Family Guevara Family Haggard Family Hemani Family Henry Family John Family Jose Felix Diaz & Family Kayserilioglu Family Kepner Family Kercher Family Kolsky Family Leets Family Llanes Family Lopez Family Lopez-Cantera Family Lowe Family Lucas Family Marin Family Marti Family Martinez-Lajarza Family Masihy Family McMillan Family Mendez Family Miller Family Miranda Family Moisan Family Moncada Family Moreno Family Morrison Family Moussawel Family Moyano Family Munoz Family Munz Family Offutt Family Oliva Family Ott Family Pages Family Panne Family Pardo Family Pena Family Peterson Family
Powell Family Ramirez Family Real Family Regojo Family Reina Family Rieumont Family Rivero Family Rodriguez Family Rosales Family Rubino Family Ruiz Family Rusin Family Salgueiro Bertaina Family Sanchez Perez Family Sapoznik Family Selman Family Serralta Family Severiano Family Severino Family Shapley Family Sharp Family Silva Family Sirulnik Family Smith Family Smith Jr. Family Snyder Family Socarras Family Tapias Family Tatham Family Todd Family Tolley Family Torres Family Turin Family Undorfer Family Veerasamy Family Vega Family Veres Family Walker Family Weiss Family Westman Family Windhorst Family Wood Family
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“BUILD A DREAM” BRICK CAMPAIGN
TRUE NORTH’S FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES FOR PURCHASING A BRICK IN SUPPORT OF OUR 2020-2021 BRICK CAMPAIGN. Abbas Family Abreu Family Aguerrebere Family Aguiar Family Alaya Family Aleman Family Alfonso Family Amador Family Amato Family Ammon Family Anguin Family Aragon Family Arce Family Arencebia Family Arencibia Family Arguello Family Ariola Family Arrojo Family Ayala Family Baez Family Balleste Family Barrenechea Family Bejel Family Bell Family Benetiz Family Bileca Family Bishop Family Blaya Family Blissett Family Bolanos Family Bryan Family Buonassi Family Busto Family Cabrera Family Calderon Family Camacho Family Cardwell Family Carmona Family Carothers Family Carrazana Family Carreno Family Cartaya Family Castenada Family Castrillon Family Castro Family Catlette Family Cecchi Family Centeno Family Chang Family Chin-You Family Chirini Family Chang Family Chavez Family 50
Chirino Family Christian Family Claro Family Coffey-Garcia Family Collazo Family Correa Family Crane Family Crespi Family Cruz Family Cuevas-Fermin Family Davis Family D’Aquin Family D’Archirdi Family De Guzman Family De La Cruz Family Desme Family De Sousa Family Diaz Family Diez Family Dominguez Family Eguizabal Family Espinosa Family Fabian Family Farres Family Ferguson Family Fernandez Family Ferrari Family Fiallo Family Flores Gomez Family Foster Family Foti Family Galindo Family Ganovsky Family Garcia Family Gerber Family Gil Family Gilday Family Golburgh Family Gomez Family Gomez-Suarez Family Gonzalez Family Grassbaugh Family Harmond Family Hartsook Family Hendricks Family Henry Family Hernandez Family Hickson Family Hoadley Family Hoyos Family Hsu Family Hubbs Family Huillca Family Infante Family
Izaguirre Family
Izquierdo Family James Family Jimenez Family Johanson Family Jue Family Kaczmarek Family Keil Family Kepner Family Kercher Family Khawly Family Lazarus Family Lange Family Lawrence Family Lazo Family Leibow Family Leon Family Leppe Family Locke Family Lopez Family Lowe Family Lufbery Family Macias Family Mallas Family Marin Family Marti Family Martinez Family Matijevic Family Mesa Family McMillan Family Morales Family Morrison Family Moyano Family Moyssidis Family Nodal Family Nunez Family Olsen Family Ortega-Gonzalez Family Ortiz Family Pacetti Family Pages Family Parker Family Parra Family Paster Family Penabad Family Pendray Family Perez Family Peterson Family Pezoldt Family Piedrahita Family Pinks Family Pino Family Posada Family
Price Family Quincosa Family Quinones Family Radillo Family Ramirez Family Ramon Family Rende Family Reyes Family Rivera Family Rodriguez Family Ronguillo Family Roque Family Rubino Family Ruiz Family Sakari Family Salgueiro Family Sallas Family Sanchez Family Santiago Family Santos Family Sarmineto Family Scantlebury Family Selman Family Sepulveda Family Serio Family Serrano Family Sharp Family Sirulnik Family Smith Family Soriano Family Soto Family Sparaga Family Suarez Family Sullivan Family Tapias Family Thadhani Family Tirse Family Tix Family Toledo Family Torres Family Trane Family Travis Family Triana Family Tsninev Family Undorfer Family Vargas Family Vega Family Veres Family Viego Family Wilson Family Yague Family Zeledon Family Zinn Family
ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN TRUE NORTH’S FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES FOR CONTRIBUTING TO OUR 2020-2021 ANNUAL FUND CAMPAIGN.
DONOR LEVELS
Supporter $1-$499 Aguiar Family Angulo Family Assis Family Bello Family Barrenechea Family Bernard-Thorn Family Bernal Family Bryan Family Cabrera Family Camacho Family Candanedo Family Carothers Family Castillo Family Dominguez Family Dyer Family Echeverria Family Escofet Family Fabian Family Fernandez Family Fiallo Family Garcia Family Gajardo Family Ganovsky Family Golfari Family Gomez Family Grassbaugh Family Hanafourde Family Harris Family Hoadley Family Ibarra Family Jaquez Family Jimeno Family Lazaro Family Lionel Family Lowe Family Molina Family Munoz Family Otten Family Quincosa-Rodriguez Family Ramon Family Roca Family Rosales Family Rubio Family Ruiz Family Sacks Family Sanchez Perez Salgueiro Bertaina Family Sintes Family Soto Family Suarez-Wolfe Family Tamayo Family Tavarez Family Tirado Family Torres Family Torres Bell Family Trane Family Zapata Family
Governors Club $500-$999 Amato Family Aranguren Family Bolanos Family Calderon Family Cecchi Family Desme Family Flores Gomez Family Foti Family Gonzalez Diaz Family John Family Locke Family Lopez Jue Family Maurer Family Moyano Family Nodarse Family Pasteris Family Paz Family Pena Family Pino Family Reina Family Rodriguez Family Santos Family Snyder Family Undorfer Family Winks Family
Socratic Circle $1,000-$4,999 Abreu Family Almeida Family Aragon Family Arencibia Family Ariola Family Ayala Family Ayats Family Burris Family Calvacante Family Cardwell Family Cata Family Chen Family Chevallier Family Davis Family De Guzman Family De La Grana Family Desi & Dante Severiano Fatemian Family Felipe Family Gomez Family Gomez-Suarez Family Gonzalez Family Hartsook Family Hendricks Family Henry Family Hernandez Family
Hoyos Family Hubbs Family Jaimot Family Kepner Family Khawly Family King Family Lange Family Lopez Family Lowe Family Madrid Family Marin Family Matijevic Family Morrison Family Munoz Family Olsen Family Ortega-Gonzalez Family Ortiz Family Pacetti Family Pages Family Panne Family Penabad-Zubero Family Perez Family Perozo Family Pezoldt Family Poli Family Ramirez Family Rubino Family Santamaria Family Scantlebury Sharp Family Sirulnik Family Tirse Family Toirac Perdomo Family Toledo Family Tolley Family Tsinev Family Underwood Family Verez Family Windhorst Family Zeledon Family Zinn Family
Knights of the Round Table $5,000 and above Cecilia Ruiz & Family Chin-You Family Harmond Family Gomez-Estefan Family
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TRUE NORTH FOUNDATION FUNDRAISING REPORT 2020-21
INTRODUCING THE TRUE NORTH FOUNDATION The True North Foundation was launched as a private, non-profit organization to support and serve the needs of True North. Led by founding Headmaster Marc Snyder, the True North Foundation believes that to change the face of American education, we must make the fostering of character and pursuit of excellence the forefront of our task of educating future leaders. THE MISSION OF TRUE NORTH’S FOUNDATION IS TO INCREASE LOCAL, STATE AND NATIONAL AWARENESS AND PHILANTHROPY FOR OUR SUPPORTED SCHOOLS IN THEIR ROLE OF RESTORING VIRTUE, CHARACTER, AND MORAL DEVELOPMENT AS THE CORE FOCUS OF EDUCATION. The Foundation exists to raise financial support for key initiatives, which include:
Grants Annual Fund Give Miami Day Brick Campaign Virtual Gala Total 52
$230,000.00 $170,196.32 $145,784.26 $53,358.76 $26,770.15 $626,109.49
• Working with national donors who seek to strengthen True North, to the benefit of students and teachers. • Growing the True North network, so we can serve more families and communities. • Advancing the cause for a classical education rooted in the cultivation of virtue and wisdom. The Foundation is happy to support True North’s students, teachers, and parents, as they seek to grow in their understanding of classical education, the core texts that make up our shared Western culture, and pursue those things that are true, good, and beautiful. It is the Foundation’s belief that these worthy endeavors will help us grow in character and ultimately achieve wisdom.
Dr. Marc Snyder is the founding Headmaster of True North Classical Academy. Under his leadership, True North quickly rose to a top 1% school in the State of Florida and became recognized as an elite classical school. He is honored to be named as the founding Executive Director of True North Classical Academies Foundation.
“In classical thought, the whole point of a education was to grow in character and ultimately achieve wisdom.” ~Dennis Bileca
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TRUE NORTH SCHOOLS
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True North Classical Academy Sunset Campus
True North Classical Academy South Campus
True North Early Learning Academy at Galloway
True North Early Learning Academy at Pinecrest
9393 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33173 305-749-5725
7900 SW 86th Street, Miami, FL 33143 305-487-8884
8445 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33143 305-405-7373
11295 SW 57th Avenue, Pinecrest, FL 33156 786-628-7801
Serving Kindergarten through 10th grade
Serving Kindergarten through 3rd grade
Serving infants through Pre-K
Serving infants through Pre-K 55
“True North is a remarkable place that focuses on all the right things—character, knowledge, and civic virtue.” ~Parent at True North
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