True North Foundation
NEWSLETTER
October 2021 Vol. 2 Issue 2
Red Umbrella Offers Lesson For True North Students
I
f you were to ask any Logic School student at True North what their favorite book is, most would say, without hesitation, the Red Umbrella written by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. On September 17th, True North Logic School students were visited by Ms. Diaz who shared her family’s story about Operation Pedro Pan, as depicted in the well-loved book. The book has won numerous awards and “touches home” for many of our True North families with Cuban roots. The Red Umbrella was introduced several years to True North’s 7th-grade reading curriculum by Mr. Jorge Finlay. It was a book that moved him due to his own personal connections with Operation Pedro Pan. The Red Umbrella is a story based on a young girl’s journey via Operation Pedro Pan, the mass exodus of unaccompanied Cuban minors to the U.S. between 1960-1962. It is a story that has impacted many of our True North students, as it is written in first person through the eyes of a character who is about their age. Many of our students with Cuban roots remember hearing stories about how their grandparents and great grandparents had to flee Cuba “overnight” and “in secret” to flee from an oppressive, communist regime. The story raises the question then, as now, “What desperation must a parent feel to send their child into exile, or life in another country?” For many parents, they were reunited with their children in the U.S. only years later, and in some cases, never reunited. Many of our students’ grandparents, who were children during Pedro Pan, will never get to return to their free and native homeland. According to Diaz Gonzalez, “the Red Umbrella has become an intergenerational story. The book provides an avenue for people to talk.” These words ring true for many. For example, I remember my wife reading the book with my daughter (who was reading it for the second time). The book allowed my wife to share the stories that she was told of how her father and grandfather fled Cuba. For our True North students, reading the Red Umbrella becomes a way for them to study not only U.S. history, but South Florida history, Cuban history, and for some their own family history. It was a true honor to have Ms. Gonzalez Diaz visit True North. The students were attentive, engaged, and filled with questions. It’s not everyday students gets to meet the author of a book they’ve read and enjoyed as much as our students have enjoyed reading the Red Umbrella. It has become a “classic” at True North, and a staple in our reading curriculum (as it has for many schools in South Florida). They will never think the name Monsignor Walsh as just “another name” given to a street sign.
True North’s Spirit Week
...And Pep Rally!
Homecoming Game
Titans 24, Bulldogs 19
...And Dance!
American Founders’ Month...
T
A Commemoration!
rue North celebrated American Founders’ Month with a beautiful ceremony, held on September 28th at our Sunset Campus, remembering and honoring the bold vision our founding fathers held for America some 245 years ago and the work True North has accomplished in proudly trumpeting this vision for its students, school, and community, today. The ceremony was highlighted by remarks from local and national political leaders, including keynote addresses from Lieutenant Governor Jeanetter Nunez and True North Founder Michael Bileca. Lieutenant Gov. Nunez drove home the importance of never taking for granted our country’s freedom because our country was founded on the idea that our rights come from our Creator not from government. And among these rights are the freedoms to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Lt. Gov. Nunez shared with the students the frgility of freedom and the need to preserve it. Mr. Bileca shared a story about his father’s first days in America after fleeing worn’torn Europe. During his first days in school, students generously gave food to Mr. Bileca’s father and treated him with such warmth and kindness. As Mr. Bileca recounted, “This is what America is all about. America is a refuge for people to come from around the world who have experienced oppression and tyranny... A generous heart and spirit characterizes this country. No one can be given anything; however, America gives us the opportunity to exercise our God-given freedoms. The ceremony also highlighted True North’s 2nd- and 7th-graders reciting verses from the Declaration of Indepedence and Constitution of the United States. In addition, True North was presented with flags flown at the U.S. and Florida State Capitols in honor of True North and given numerous awards in recognition of its work in the championing of our country’s freedoms. It was a beautiful ceremony and a special moment in which to remember and give honor to our Founding Fathers and their “experiment” in self-government and democracy, which has lead the way for the world and for so many people. Even though Benjamin Franklin was not there, he was there in spirit.
Key Club
Bowl-A-Thon
Build a Dream Bricks!
“Build a Dream” Brick Campaign True North Foundation is excited to continue its “Build a Dream” Brick Campaign. Create a lasting memory by honoring True North family or friends, memorializing a special date, or sharing a meaningful message with a personalized engraved brick. This is a unique opportunity for parents, grandparents, faculty, and friends to make a lasting tribute in commemorative support of True North and its students. The first four installments of commemorative bricks have already been laid in front of our 15,000 square foot Titan gymnasium at our Main Campus. Due to our generous parents and donors, True North raised over $50,000 in bricks during the 2020-21 school year. The money rasied from brick purchases is being put towards our Growth Campaign. New brick orders are now being taken and will be part of our 5th order of bricks and 1st order of bricks to be placed for the 2021-22 school year. We will continue to install bricks in front of our gym until all of the designated space is filled. However, space is limited and the bricks won’t last. So get your own personalized brick, or purchase one for friend, and be a part of True North’s dream today! For questions, please contact Marc Snyder (msnyder@ truenorthcharter.org)
“BUILD A DREAM” BRICK DETAILS Basic Level Cost: $125 per brick (text only) Brick Size: 4 x 8 Lines of Text: 3 Maximum Characters Per Line: 20 (including spaces and punctuation) Titan Sponsor Cost: $500 per brick Brick Size: 4 x 8 Lines of Text: 3 Maximum + Pillar or Tian Logo Characters Per Line: 12 (including spaces and punctuation) Pillar of True North Sponsor Cost: $1000 per brick Brick Size: 8 x 8 Lines of Text: 4 Maximum + Pillar or Titan Logo OR 6 Maximum (text only) Characters Per Line: 20 (including spaces and punctuation) Major Donor – Brick Array Cost: $2,500 for 4 bricks Brick Size: (4) 8x8 Lines of text: 6 lines of text spanning the four bricks Characters Per Line: 40 (including spaces and punctuation)
Order Your Brick(s) Today! “Build a Dream” Brick proceeds support the growth and development of True North’s growing network of schools. Brick purchases are tax-deductible. Place your order today:
https://brickmarkersusa.com/donors/tnca.html
\
2020-21 “Build a Dream” Donors True North would like to say “THANK YOU” to its generous donors to our “Build a Dream” Brick Campaign (*list represents bricks purchased during the 2020-21 school year) Please consider giving to our 2021-22 Brick Campaign https://brickmarkersusa.com/donors/tnca.html 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 Cabrera Family Caderon Family Camacho Family Cardwell Family Carmona Family Carothers Family Carrazana Family Carreno Family Cartaya Family Castenada Family Castrillon Family Catlette Family Cecchi Family Centeno Family Chin-You Family Chirini Family Chang Family Chavez Family
Christian Family Claro Family Coffey-Garcia Family Collazo Family Crane Family Crespi Family Cruz Family Davis Family D’Aquin Family De Guzman Family De La Cruz Family Desme Family DeSousa Family Diaz Family Diez Family Eguizabal Family Espinosa Family Fabian Family Farres Family Ferguson Family Fermin 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 Hernandez Family Hartsook Family Hendricks Family Henry Family Hickson Family Hoadley Family Hoyos Family Hsu Family Hubbs Family Huillca Family Infante Family Izaguirre Family
Izquierdo Family Jimenez Family Johanson Family John Family Jue Family Kaczmarek Family Keil Family Kepner Family Kercher Family Khawly Family Lazarus Family Lange Family Lazo Family Leibow Family Leon Family Locke Family Lopez Family Lowe Family Lufbery Family Macias Family Mallas Family Marin Family Marti Family Martinex 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 Quincosa Family Quinones Family Radillo Family Ramirez Family Ramon Family Rende Family Reyes Family Rivera Family Rodriguez Family Ronguillo Family Roque Family Ruiz Family Sakari Family Salgueiro Family Sallas Family Sanchez Family Santiago Family Santos Family Sarmiento 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 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
\
2021-22 Annual Fund Fund Campaign True North would like to say “THANK YOU” to its generous donors to our Annual Fund Campaign (*list represents donations made July 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021) Please consider giving to our 2021-22 Annual Fund Campaign https://truenorthclassicalfoundation.givingfuel.com/annual-fund
Abreu Family Acosta Family Agurto Family Alexander Family Alvarez Family Amato Family Aranguren Family Arencibia Family Ariola Family Aviles Family Ayala Family Bachiega Family Baldwin Family Behar Mancini Family Bernard Thorn Family Bernard-Zeledon Family Bernal Family Bas Family Brenlla Family Brohee Family Cabans Family Cabezas Family Camayd-Lopez Family Cendoya Family Cabans Family Cabrera Family Cacace Family Cardwell Family Camacho Family Canelon Family Contreras Family Correa Iglesias Family Cowgill Family Cutchens Family Daneshvar family Davis Family De Guzman Family D’Espaux Family Diaz Family Dominguez Family Duenas Family Edwards Family Elejabarrieta Family Enrique-Diaz Family Enriquez Family Fabian Family
Fatemian Family Felipe Family Fernandez Family Fiallo Family Flores Gomez Family Foti Family Fricky Family Ganovsky Family Golfari Family Gomez Family Gomez-Suarez Family Gonzalez Family Granda Family Harmond Family Harris Family Harvey-Read Family Heffernan Family Hendricks Family Henry Family Hernandez Family Hoyos Family Hubbs Family Hung Salazar Family Jaimot Family Jue Family Keil Family Khawly Family Kline Family Lange Family Lacayo Family Latronica Family Lazarus Family Leoncio Family Lowe Family Luffi Family Madrid Family Marti Family Maurer Family Mercier Family Medez Family Mesa Family Mancini Family Matijevic Family Maurer Family McElvanna Family Mion Family
Molina Family Moreira Family Monocandilos Family Montes Family Morrison Family Moyano Family Munoz Family Olsen Family Ortega-Gonzalez Family Pacetti Family Panne Family Parker Family Penn Family Perez Family Perozo Family Pezoldt Family Poli Family Ramirez Family Ramon Family Reina Family Rivera Family Rodriguez Family Romero Family Salazar Family Saldana Family Same Family Santiago Family Santos Family Serrano Family Severino Family Sirulnik Family Sintes Family Snyder Family Solis Family Sotolongo Family Sousa Family Suarez Family Tavares Family Tirse Family Toirac Perdomo Family (Ramirez) Toirac Perdomo Family (Romero) Toledo Family Torres Family Tsinev Family Underwood Family Vega Family
Veres Family Viego Family Young Family Zinn Family Zubero Family