True North Foundation
NEWSLETTER
September 2021 Vol. 2 Issue 1
True North Welcomes Over 100 Teachers! It was almost surreal looking upon the sea of True North teachers that filled the Sunset Assembly on August 10, 2021. Gathered around tables, new teachers mixed with veterans, the excitement in the air was palpable. It seems like yesterday that only ten teachers filled one room (our current K-8 art room) with the hopes and dreams of starting something big! Little was known at the time that just six years later True North would welcome over 30 new teachers to its fold, bringing the total number of teachers to over 100! Teachers were welcomed by President Michael Bileca, who reminded our teachers why they’re here: to instill in our students a lifelong love of learning, as they unite their passions to their purpose in pursuit of all that is true, good, and beautiful. Special guest, Chancellor of Education Jacob Oliva, congratulated our leaders and teachers for a job well-done in guiding our Titans to a 1st-place finish in Miami-Dade and 2nd-place finish in the State of Florida on state-wide FSA and EOC testing. President Bileca reiterated that the results are merely a by-product when the emphasis of learning is placed on great teaching, meaningful learning, and the pusuit of good and noble things. A week earlier, True North’s new teachers were oriented to a proper understanding of education with national leaders in the classical education movement: Dr. Rob Jackson, CAO of Great Hearts Academies and Director of the Insitute for Classical Education; Dr. Brian Williams, Dean of Templeton’s Honors College; and Dr. Matthew Post, Associate Dean of the University of Dallas’s Graduate School of the Liberal Arts and Assistant Professor of Humanities. This dynamic trio of speakers led talks on the Tradition & Ends of Education, Pedagogue as Exemplar, Anchoring Education in Virtue, and Classical STEM, to name a few. They also led our faculty in Socratic discussion
on one of the most well-known texts in classical education, Norms & Nobility by David Hicks. In addition to the talks on classial education and seminar discussions, True North teachers were trained on lesson planning by Erin Michels, UnCommon Schools Director of Curriculum and Assessment, and effective pedagogical techniques, such as “ratio,” by Paul Powell, UnCommon Schools Assistant Superintendent. Both Ms. Michels and Mr. Powell have been with True North for a number of years in a consultative fashion and have added incredible value to our leaders and teachers with their expertise. True North’s Humane Letters and Logic School Literature teachers received training from Andrew Zwerneman, President of Cana Academy. Cana Academy leads the way in serving teachers and fostering humanities education for everyone. Mr. Zwerneman led talks on Leading a Fruitful Seminar, Expository Literature, and Why Study the Past. He also led and modeled Socratic discussions on a poem by Seamus Heaney (Clearances), a short story by Flannery O’Connor, and Plato’s Apology. It was beautiful to watch a master craftsman at work. It was also beautiful to see many of our True North teachers become the trainers in True North’s curriculum. Mrs, Rowlands led workshops on Singapore Math; Dr. Berment and Ms. Joslin led Rhetoric School Science and Math; Ms. Cabral and Mrs. Gamboa led Jr. Great Books training; Mrs, Suarez trained teachers on IEW Writing Style and Techniques and Write Score; and Ms. Roca led teachers in Grammar training. Overall, it was an incredible three weeks of teacher training. More than the passing on of knowledge of classical education, pedagogy, and curriculum, it was a time for a deepening of friendships, and the forging of new ones that will last a lifetime. After all, True North is not just a community of teachers charged with the task of disseminating information. We are a community of friends in pursuit of those “higher things.”
Teacher Training
In All the Right Things!
First Day of School
Welcome Back, Titans!
Are You Ready for Some football
Titans 34, St. Brendan’s 6
True North Welcomes Dr. Tim Howard Message from True North President Michael Bileca. Dear True North Families, True North is pleased to announce tha Dr. Timothy Howard has joined our Leadership Team as our new Executive Director and Head of Upper School. Dr. Howard is an accomplished educational leader whose background strongly aligns with True North’s Mission. Dr. Howard’s educational background includes a double major from Columbia University in English and Religion in a program that required a prescribed study in the Great Books. He went on to earn his Masters and Doctorate at Boston University. Through his studies at Boston University, he gained the opportunity to be the principal at a Chelsea failing public school under the University’s receivership. Under his leadership, he transformed one of the lowest-performing in the school district into an academically high-performing school that received recognition from Laura Bush and the federal government as a model school. Notable accomplishments also included implementing the Core Knowledge Curriculum and the Core Virtues program - both of which are part of the True North curriculum. In 2015, he became the Head of The TASIS School of Puerto Rico, a PK-12 independent that is part of The American School of Switzerland network. TASIS’s mission and ethos are similar to True North’s in its goal of raising up a new generation of leaders through a commitment to pursuing Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. In addition to leading schools, he is also the founding board member of two independent schools in Boston - Park Street School and Boston Trinity Academy. We are honored to have Dr. Howard join our True North family. Please help us give him a warm welcome to our community.
I’ve always found this quote from H.G. Wells compelling, “Civilization is a race between education and catastrophe.” -Dr. Howard
Our New Dadeland Building and Gateway Campus!
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rue North is excited to welcome new and returning students to its brand new building on its Dadeland Campus and to its new Gateway Campus! Our Dadeland Campus will be a standalone K-5 campus and will educate over 350 students this year with a capacity to grow up to 750 students. Our Gateway Campus welcomes over 75 Kinder and 1st-grade students and will eventually become its own stand-alone K-5 campus. In addition to our Kinder and 1st-grade classrooms, True North’s Gateway Campus will be home to its corporate offices and True North’s football and soccer players. Be sure to come by and visit!!
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
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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
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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 August 31, 2021) This list does not include those who donated to our 2020-21 Annual Fund Campaign.
Please consider giving to our 2021-22 Annual Fund Campaign https://truenorthclassicalfoundation.givingfuel.com/annual-fund
Abreu Family Alvarez Family Amato Family Aranguren Family Arencibia Family Ariola Family Aviles Family Baldwin Family Bernard Thorn Family Bernard-Zeledon Family Bernal Family Bas Family Brenlla Family Brohee Family Cabans Family Cabrera Family Cacace Family Cardwell Family Camacho Family Canelon Family Contreras Family Correa Iglesias Family Cowgill Family Davis Family De Guzman Family Dominguez Family Edwards Family Elejabarrieta Family Enriquez Family Fabian Family Fatemian Family Felipe Family Fiallo Family Flores Gomez Family Foti Family Golfari Family Gomez Family Gonzalez 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 Lange Family Lacayo Family Latronica Family Leoncio Family Lowe Family Luffi Family Madrid Family Mercier Family Medez Family Mancini Family Matijevic Family Maurer Family McElvanna Family Mion Family Monocandilos Family Morrison Family Moyano Family Olsen Family Ortega-Gonzalez Family Panne Family Perez Family Perozo Family Pezoldt Family Poli Family Ramirez Family Ramon Family Reina Family
Rivera Family Rodriguez Family Romero Family Saldana Family Sirulnik Family Sintes Family Snyder Family Solis Family Sotolongo Family Suarez Family Tirse Family Toirac Perdomo Family (Ramirez) Toirac Perdomo Family (Romero) Toledo Family Torres Family Underwood Family Vega Family Viego Family Young Family Zinn Family Zubero Family